Page 97 of The Beta's Heart

“Exactly.”

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As we left the clinic, Ty told me he had a surprise for me.

“What is it?” I hung on his arm and tugged it. “Tell me!”

“We’re going on a date, Sunshine.”

“My first date!” I grinned up at him.

“Mine, too.”

When we got to the movie theater, we debated what to watch and went with the new horror film, since we were both fans of the genre, although I was sure he expected me to scream at all the jump scares.

Boy, was he in for a surprise.

Growing up with so many damn brothers, the only thing that scared me anymore was human politics.

Tyler and I settled into our seats, our hands entwined. Turning my nose up at the buttery smell of overpriced popcorn wafting through the air, I snuggled into his solid side and breathed in his beautiful lilac mate scent with a smile, content and so very much in love with him.

The familiar hum of the projector filled the theater and, as the previews started, I happened to notice a trio of familiar faces sauntering down the aisle.

Of courseit had to be Korine, Heidia, and Olivia—AKA the resident mean girls and queen bees of our high school—andof coursethey had to see us, too, and immediately headed in our direction.

My heart sank. Of all the people to run into on our date, ithadto be them.

“Well, well, well, look who it is,” Korine drawled, her syrupy sweet tone dripping with fake charm. “Tyler James all by his lonesome. Want to join us, handsome?”

“Did I suddenly turn invisible?” I bristled, but Ty squeezed my hand, grounding me.

“Oh! Gracious me! I didn’t notice your little tagalong. What happened, Peri? Did you get stood up? Oh, and let me guess. Ty was kind enough to sit with you to save you the shame of being ditched.”

“What do y’all want?” I asked, trying to keep myself from throwing hands right here and now. I’d had three years of these girls tormenting me, and I wasn’t going to put up with another second of it!

“Oh, nothing much,” Heidia said, flipping her hair. “Just wondering why Ty is wasting his time withyou.”

I opened my mouth to retort, but Ty beat me to it.

“Peri is anything but a waste of time, Heidia,” he said, his voice cold. “And you three need to mind your own business.”

“Come on, Ty,” Olivia snickered. “You know you could do so much better than this little thing.”

My cheeks flushed with anger and embarrassment.

“Excuse me?” I shot back. “Iamright here, you know.”

“We told you before, Peri.” Korine’s eyes narrowed. “Tyler is too good for you.”

And my mate stood up, towering over the trio as his face twisted into a grimace of disgust.

“Y’all listen up,” he said in his beta voice, and if they were wolf shifters, they would have taken off with their tails between their legs. “If you mess with Peri, you mess with me, and I ain’t above putting you in your place. Got it?”

“And what if we don’t?” Heidia crossed her arms.

“Then you’ll regret it.” Ty’s eyes flashed with anger.

For a moment, I thought they might back down, but Olivia, the little instigator, decided to push it further.

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