Page 154 of The Beta's Blind Date

“Dr. Russo will examine him and make sure he’s fine,” I reassure her.

She sighs. “I know. But I hate not doing something when I know I can help.”

Seb returns with the restraints, a folding stretcher, and the first aid kit and rushes to Levi’s side, opening the kit after he passes him and King Malachi the restraints.

Levi frowns as Sebastian hands him the kit once Dominic is restrained and on the folding stretcher.

“What’s wrong?” Sebastian asks.

“We’ll need my dad to confirm, but I think his wounds are self-inflicted.”

“Self-inflicted?” Taryn asks, and Levi nods. “But why? Why would he do this to himself?”

“That’s something I’ll have to ask him when I question him,” King Malachi says.

“Is he stable?” Taryn asks. “If not, I can at least help get him stable until Dr. Russo can examine him.”

I grit my teeth against another growl at her words. I get why she’s offering. She’s trying to help. Not because she wants him or likes him or feels some sense of duty towards him as her former alpha or the sperm donor for our Sour Patch. But because she wants to help, to ease his pain so the trip down the bumpy, windy roads is less jarring for him, and to ensure he doesn’t lose any more blood. And, because if he dies, we’re left with no answers.

“He is,” Levi confirms, and I relax, easing up on my vise grip on Taryn. “The blood loss is slowing, even though the wounds aren’t healing. The drive down the mountain to our pack isn’t too long, and if we call ahead to alert my dad, we should be able to get him treated in the hospital right away.”

“Not the hospital,” Wesley says. “Take him to the infirmary room in the cells. We can cuff him to the bed and sedate him in there, and we can keep this under wraps until we know more about what happened to him while he was missing and what he was or wasn’t involved with regarding the poisoning and the rogue attack.”

I nod my agreement, even though Wesley doesn’t need my approval. But it’s a wise decision. We don’t need his pack members or anyone else to know he’s been found yet. It will be easier to get him treated and get our answers first, so we have solid, verified information to present to his pack, and hopefully a solution for them if he loses his title.

“We’ll head back now,” Wesley adds. “I’ll call your dad to let him know to meet you all at the cells. We’ll return to the packhouse first, and once you’re ready to question him, let us know.”

“Or if they want me to help,” Taryn says, and I growl, not bothering to hold it back anymore.

“Let’s go,” I say, my lip curling as I release Taryn from my grasp and grab her hand.

Gigi walks up to us and hugs us both, one arm around each of our bodies. “I’ll see you both back at the pack,” she says, kissing Taryn on the cheek.

Taryn nods, and as soon as she releases us, I turn and march towards Wesley’s truck, Wesley following us with long, hurried strides. The voices of the others fade to a dull murmur as we move closer to the truck. Nolan exits from the driver’s seat and joins them as we all get into Wesley’s truck and buckle up while he starts the engine.

It isn’t until we turn onto the main road that the tension in my body releases. I let out a long breath and lean my head against the headrest, pinching the bridge of my nose and closing my eyes. Taryn takes my free hand in both of hers, grasping it with all her might and leaning her head on my shoulder. My body aches for her, longs to pull her into my arms and onto my lap, but the winding mountain roads are no place for that, even more so since we’re in the backseat of my best friend’s truck.

Instead, I turn and kiss the top of her head and bury my nose into her braids, inhaling all of her, calming myself and my wolf. Dominic’s injured state didn’t matter to us. He is and always will be a threat to us, to our happiness as a family unit. He can’t take my girl from me—my mark on her neck ensures he can’t—but he could take my pup away. She is his heir, after all, and while my wolf and I both agree she is very much ours, the genes are his.

Even if he didn’t have a hand in the sabotaging of his pack, I can’t imagine him giving his heir up without a fight. A fight that will exhaust us, but that will be worth it in the end if—no—whenwe get Sour Patch all to ourselves.

We stay like that—my hand in both of hers, my nose pressed into the top of her head—the entire drive back to Crescent Lake. Wesley and Haven are quiet, too. There is so much to say and yet nothing that needs to be said. Our worry and fear are palpable, and they both know better than most anyone that words can’t assuage the stress we feel. The stress won’t go away until all this is behind us, a tiny speck in the rearview mirror of life, and we have our Sour Patch in our arms.

“Why is Ben here?” Haven asks as we pull into the packhouse parking lot.

I lift my head from where it’s resting against Taryn’s and glance out the window. And, sure enough, Ben’s car is parked right in front of the packhouse.

“I don’t know,” Wesley says, checking his phone after parking. “I don’t have a missed call from him, but the cell service was shitty up at Silver Ridge.”

“Well, let’s hope it’s nothing urgent. We have enough on our plates right now,” Haven says with a sigh before she exits the truck.

The rest of us follow her and leave Wesley’s truck in the parking lot, strolling towards the packhouse steps where Ben waits with an older she-wolf.

“Oh, Goddess, Taryn!” she cries, launching herself off the steps and towards my mate.

She catches me so off guard with her exclamation and spirited movements that I don’t have time to move between her and Taryn. Her arms wrap around my mate in a tight hug, and Taryn stiffens for a moment before relaxing and returning the hug, patting her on the back.

“Luna Merina,” Taryn says, catching my eye. “I’m glad to see you.”

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