Page 24 of Beta and the Beast
Things have been bad over there, but I thought it would start picking up for her now that construction is done, and it's just the young alphas and me next door. We haven't even opened the bakery yet. We just practice while teaching the boys who want to do it. No one should know we're even in there since the ventilation systems work so well, much to Romulus's annoyance.
"Have things still not picked up?" I ask, my voice soft as I keep my eyes on her.
She doesn't turn to face me, but that's fine. She kept her hair free, which is for the best since it hides most of her unbitten neck. That doesn't stop me from staring at it whenever there's a hint of it.
"No, it's been dead since, well." Sarah sighs, her eyes looking sad as she sets her fork down. She looks at Sam, which irritates me only because I want her to look at me. "I don't want to blame you because I know alphas were moving in next door no matter what. But it's you, and my business is failing."
Fix it.
"What about the other businesses in the building?" I ask. "Are they struggling as well?"
Sarah grinds her teeth together before giving me a short nod. And fuck, if that doesn't make me feel like shit.
"What if you opened the shop up to more dynamics?" Lilah asks, and it's the question on everyone's mind because it would help things. Sarah isn't getting business from betas. Okay, well, that still leaves two other dynamics, and we like coffee just as much as betas do.
"I've thought about it, but the cost of ensuring a safe environment feels too steep." Sarah plays with the food on her plate more than she eats, and it has Romulus and me on edge. She needs to eat. We need to keep her safe, fed, and content. So far, we're succeeding only in the safe part, and that's because we're always around her, even if she doesn't know it.
"I could go over numbers with you sometime," Lucas offers, and I jerk my head in his direction, my teeth bared before I can think better of it. He's wearing a smirk that tells me he knows exactly what he's doing. "Our father owned an alpha entertainment company, and before he passed, he was training me to take over the company. We ended up selling our portion, but I still have connections to security companies and know thegeneral basics of how much it should cost. I can help out, so you know you're not being taken advantage of."
I grind my teeth together, staring Lucas down like I want to kill him. Things will be easier when Sarah lets me claim her, but until then, Lucas is seen as competition.
Competition that could kick your ass because you let us get lazy.
Fuck you. You're the one going to have to fight him.
No.
"I don't know if that's what I want to do just yet, but if it is, I'll give you a call." Sarah's statement has mine and Romulus's fighting ceasing because now we have a bigger problem.
"You have her number?" I all but growl at Lucas, who smiles even harder.
"Yeah, I've had it since that first dinner. Why?" he asks as though he has no idea why that might be an issue for my beast and me.
I take a deep breath, reminding myself that I'm not some meathead alpha asshole who dictates who his mate can and cannot talk to. Romulus, thankfully, isn't arguing with me about it because he knows Remi will put him in his place so fast.
"No reason," I say, my voice rough as I try to keep the growl out of my words.
"Alphas," Sarah grumbles under her breath. I can't help the small smile tugging at my lips. Leave it to the little beta to make me feel ridiculous with one word.
"Enough trying to upset him," Janie says, pointing at the three other alphas. Scott's too busy stuffing his face to notice her, and Sam looks at her like he's offended to be lumped in with the other two. Lucas just snorts.
"Seriously, though, don't let Henry keep you from contacting me if you want to go over it," Lucas says, his tone as polite aspossible. He's watching me, though, making sure I'm not about to cause a scene. I'm sure Remi is just on the edge of taking over.
"The day I let an alpha keep me from doing something is the day hell has frozen over," Sarah says, matching some of the first words Sam told me when he found out I had feelings for his sister.
I settle back in my chair, showing everyone that I can be well-behaved and calm even when it looks like another alpha, a stronger alpha, is trying to take what's mine.
They talk a little more about the coffee shop while I watch Sarah eat, taking her plate from her when she finishes, to eat whatever she doesn't. It all feels so domestic. Even Romulus is content and purring inside me. I'd let him out if I didn't think it'd put everyone on edge.
"The bakery is closed tomorrow," I tell Sarah when she follows Lucas and me out front to show us out after dinner.
When Lucas said we were heading out, she surprised everyone by jumping up like she was going with us. I would've told her she could, but she muttered her excuse of saying goodbye to us and showing us to the front as though we haven't done this before.
"Oh, why?" Sarah asks, her brows tugging together.
I want to reach up and smooth the crinkled line between them, but I keep my hands to myself. Lucas is getting in the car, giving Sarah and me the slightest semblance of privacy.
"I have some things to take care of with social services," I tell her, wanting to keep it brief in case things don't work out how I want them to.
