Page 95 of The Beta's Blind Date

“Boyfriend?” she asks, a smile tugging at her lips.

I grin at her, my heart soaring and my wolf spinning in circles at her claim on me. “I’m more than that, Cadet,” I tease, kissing the corner of her lips.

And soon she’ll know how true those words are.

Wesley bends his head down to kiss Haven as the song ends, and beneath the applause, howls, and catcalls from the crowd, the music switches to “Dancing Queen” by Abba. Sebastian drags Maya out onto the floor, the first of the guests to join Haven and Wes, and Nolan, Imogen, and Maddie aren’t far behind, all of them singing along to the lyrics as they dance with Haven and Wes.

The energy of the party skyrockets, bolstered by the excitement and antics of my friends, and soon more of our pack members and the wedding guests storm the dance floor, joining in on the festivities.

The memory of Taryn’s body swaying and brushing against mine as we danced at the bar last weekend ignites a fire inside me, and I unwrap her from my blanket, tossing it on a nearby chair and pulling her onto the dance floor with me. We weave our way through the mass of bodies until we’re in the center of the crowd, next to my friends and the happy couple.

I curl myself around her, like I did at The Thirsty Moose, my hands low on her hips, my body following hers and matching her movements. My palms skim her curves, caressing the tops of her legs and along the sides of her torso as she turns to face me, her arms above her head and her eyes closed. The gold bangles around her wrist clink in time with the music, and the petite snake charm on her necklace bounces.

I slide my hands back to her hips and tug her against me until there isn’t any space between us, my fingertips curling around the swell of her ass, almost covering the entire thing. She arches into me, her fingers tracing and cupping my neck, and I dive forward to kiss her without hesitation.

Eyes are on us from every corner of the tent, but nothing matters more than her lips on mine, her body in my arms.

I grip her ass possessively as she pulls away from my mouth, keeping her as close as possible as we continue to dance.

Through each song, she stays in my arms. Sweat glistens on her skin and clings to mine, and at some point, I lose my jacket, tie, and vest and roll up my sleeves.

But the heat surrounding us is a spark compared to the roaring inferno blazing between and within us, so intense I have to remind myself I need to talk with her before I let my baser, more primal instincts take hold.

I’m already going to be put in the wolf house. I don’t need to make it worse by crossing that line without her knowing we’re mates.

The song switches to Beyonce’s “Run the World,” and the DJ gets on the mic. “Would all the unmarried, unmated females make their way to the center of the dance floor? It is time for the bouquet toss!”

Taryn moves away from me, and I cling to her hand until the last second, until she’s too far away to touch. She winks at me and joins the crowd of females behind Haven, waiting for her to throw the bouquet, waiting to become the lucky lady fate chooses to be the next female to find their life partner.

“No, Ramón,” Imogen groans, shoving the male ballet dancer towards the edge of the floor. “Just because you like men doesn’t mean you count as a single female. Go stand with Peter and wait for the garter toss like a good bat.”

He pouts and crosses his arms. “But Immy—”

She lifts her finger at her male counterpart within the ballet company and glares at him. He sighs and stomps over to Peter, who stands with a glass of red wine in his hand at the edge of the dance floor, a glint of amusement on his otherwise stoic face as he watches their interaction.

I shake my head and turn my attention back to the group as Imogen reaches them, and Haven throws the bouquet towards the eager females. Imogen, Blake, and Taryn are all next to each other, and all three of them reach for the bouquet, fingertips brushing the arrangement.

But my girl gets hold of it and snatches it out of their clutches, lifting it above her head, a triumphant grin on her face as she turns to show me she caught the bouquet.

I clap with the guests as she bounces in excitement. We still have to endure the storm that is sure to break when she learns the truth, but I take this moment as a sign it will work out for us in the end.

“Howmanymoreofthese do we need to light?” I ask Nolan as I come down the stairs of the new house Wesley built for Haven as a wedding gift. “Also, he’s bringing her here as soon as we tell him it’s finished, right? Because I’d hate for their brand new house to incinerate before they’ve christened it.”

My wolf was reluctant to leave Taryn behind at the tent to come here and light candles with Nolan, but she had my tux jacket wrapped around her and my scent lingering on every inch of her from our dancing, snuggling, touching, and kissing all evening. Even without a mark on her neck, all of it was a subtle claim, a warning to other males at the wedding: she belongs to me, and everyone better keep their hands off.

“I just lit the last one, and yes, they’re making their way here. I just mindlinked Wesley,” Nolan says, leaving the living area off the entryway.

“Sweet,” I say with a smile, tossing my lighter in the bag of supplies we brought with us when we snuck away from the ceremony to finish this last task required of us as groomsmen. “Because I need to get back to my girl.”

Nolan’s eyebrow quirks up as he grabs the bag and follows me out the front door and down the steps. “Yeah, what is that all about? Don’t think we didn’t notice you were all over her at the bar last weekend, too. I hope you’re not planning to fuck her and toss her aside after tonight. Because we like her and—”

“It’s not like that at all,” I say, shaking my head. “She’s—”

“Reid,”Sebastian mindlinks me, interrupting my confession to Nolan.

“She’s what?” Nolan asks, and I hold up my hand and shake my head, my brow furrowing as Sebastian continues.

“I overheard Dominic talking to Wesley before Wes left to take Haven back to their new house. He said he regrets letting Taryn go, and he made a mistake. He told Wesley he’s going to ask Taryn to be his chosen luna. Tonight.”

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