Page 57 of The Beta's Blind Date

“What’s the alternative? Not having her at all?” He shakes his head. “I wouldn’t trade my life with her for anything. Loving her is worth it.”

My throat tightens, and I look out the window, towards the lake and the hills and the border near the summit where Silver Ridge’s lands meet ours. Taryn’s face flashes in my mind, her laugh ringing in my ears as she tilts her head up to the sky. I flex my fingers, the whisper of her hand grasped in mine sending ghost fireworks through my body.

If I accept her, there will always be the fear of losing her. Of turning out like my dad. It will never go away. It will follow me around like a duckling following its mother.

But if I reject her, I lose her for real. No going back. No do-over. No second chance.

I’m not sure which is worse. I thought I knew, but deep down, I’m terrified of both.

“What brought this up?” Wes asks.

My imaginary Taryn dissipates, like a dust devil on back country roads, there and gone again before you can figure out if it’s real.

“Just curious,” I say, shrugging. “With your wedding coming up, it’s been on my mind.”

He stares at me, and I stare back. He doesn’t believe me, but I can’t tell him the truth. I don’t talk about my feelings. I don’t confide in people. That’s not who I am, not how I operate.

And even if I told him, it would open a whole other can of worms, bring so many issues to light that I am not sure I am ready to face yet.

He could alpha command me to tell him the truth, but he doesn’t. He just nods and stands up straight, clapping me on the shoulder.

“I’ll let Ben know what happened,” he says as he opens the door. “Why don’t you take the rest of the day off? Seb and I can handle things, and I can ask Levi to step in too, if needed.”

I nod and exit the office, my hand reaching for my phone before I’ve taken two steps down the hall. “See you later,” I say, waving to Wes over my shoulder, my brain already focusing on my next task.

I bring the phone up to my ear, listening to it ring, stopping once I’ve turned the corner.

Taryn answers on the second ring, her voice brighter than I expected, considering her texts earlier this morning.

“Hey! What’s up?” she asks.

I need to see you. I need to see with my own eyes that you’re unharmed. You’re my mate.

I drum my fingers on the banister, biting my tongue to prevent any of those confessions from spewing from my mouth. “Are you busy?”

“Nope.”

“I know we already agreed to meet tomorrow, but did you want to meet today too? I figured another extra training session will only help more.”

She’s silent for longer than she should be, and I pull the phone away, making sure I didn’t imagine calling her or that the call didn’t drop.

“Taryn?” I ask, pressing the phone back to my ear.

“Sure,” she says. “I’ll be there this afternoon.”

Chapter 20

TARYN

Reidwaitsformeon the front steps of Crescent Lake’s large log cabin packhouse, his hands in the pockets of his gray sweatpants and his knee bouncing. He tracks my every movement up the stairs, his eyes leaving behind a heat that brands not just my skin but my soul. His body is tense, muscles rippling under his black t-shirt, and his fists clench in his pockets.

“Hey,” I say as I reach him, stopping one step below where he stands.

I stare at him, my hands on the backs of my hips, waiting. For what, I don’t know. Maybe for him to pull me in the rest of the way, to hug me like he did yesterday after I pinned him? Or for him to tell me he missed me as much as I missed him?

He stares back at me, his eyes scanning my body, leaving that same heated trail behind. It’s not like when Kent checked me out last night. That look sent my stomach roiling and my skin crawling. But Reid’s look—him checking to see if I’m all right—turns my insides to mush and fills my heart with warmth.

Even though I’m imagining his concern and protectiveness. Projecting my unfulfillable school-girl crush and inserting it into every little action of his, over-analyzing it all in a hopeless attempt to see my affections and interest reciprocated.

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