Page 78 of Overcoming the Beta

I nod my head and Dante walks out of Alpha’s office. My heart breaks for him. I know his pain. To hear that he gave up everything, including his alpha title for Nikki… his fated mate, makes me sick to my stomach.

“No!” Nikki shouts and runs for the door as it slams shut.

“Nikki, I’m not done with you.” Alpha shouts in his alpha tone as Nikki’s body hits his door. “Your lover, is he in this pack?” Alpha Nathaniel stands.

“No, Alpha. He is from the New Moon pack.” She sniffles and wipes her face.

“Our neighboring pack?” Alpha Nathaniel shakes his head and scoffs. “The pup you are carrying, is it your mate’s or lover’s?”

“There is no pup, Alpha. Dante detected another scent on me, and I told him I was pregnant.” Nikki wraps her arms around her body.

“You have really made a mess of things, haven’t you? What you have done is punishable by death, but death is too easy for you. Instead, your punishment will be to live with the memory of what you have done and the pain you have caused. However, you will not continue to be a member of this pack. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Alpha.” Nikki pushes her shoulders back and lifts her head high. She doesn’t beg or plead for Alpha to change his mind.

“Very well. Nikolina Raine, I, Alpha Nathaniel Roberts, renounce you as a member of the Blue Moon pack. You are permanently banned from Blue Moon territories. Punishment for entering any of the Blue Moon territories will be immediate death. I will allow you twenty-four hours to gather your things and say your goodbyes.”

Chapter thirty-nine

I Believe You

**August 2004**

Ian

Ihatewhathappenedin Alpha’s office today. Dante is a good man and doesn’t deserve what Nikki is putting him through. I did not know that he is of alpha descent. Dante is larger than our normal warriors, but I would have never guessed he was an alpha. I don’t know too much about the Hidden River pack, except they’re a small pack of about one-hundred located in central Texas.

I can’t understand why Nikki would give up a chance at being Luna. The entire situation is just bizarre. It doesn’t surprise me that Nikki has a lover on the side. She had several when she and I were messing around. It didn’t bother me, because she did her thing, and I did mine. Nikki likes sex and the power over men it gives her.

“Hey you,” Kate stands next to the bed, wearing a tank top and thong.

“There is the love of my life. Did you have a nice shower?” I pat the bed next to me.

“It was so good.” Kate climbs onto the bed and settles in next to me. “What are you thinking about?”

“How Dante doesn’t deserve what happened to him. Just like you didn’t.” I wrap my arm around her, pulling her tight into my body. Burying my face into the crook of her neck, I breathe in her delicious scent. Sweet floral, I will never get enough of it.

“True. Just like Darren, and my friend Melissa…” Kate stops talking when she hears me sigh. “Why do you always act like that when I mention Melissa’s name? I mean, I understand why you would when I say Darren’s name, but why Melissa?” She looks up at me with that look that screams,‘I know you’re not telling me everything.’

“Ugh.” With an exasperated sigh, I run my hand through my hair then pull Kate on to my lap. “Listen, I don’t know how to tell you this, but I promised that there would be no secrets between the two of us.” I hold her tight because I’m not too sure how she’ll react. Will I become the bad guy again?

“Okay. Go on.” Her body tenses up, and her heart races.

“The night of your twenty-first birthday party. Kelsey and I heard two guys talking at the bar before you arrived. It was Darren and some blonde guy with a beard.” I take a breath and watch her.

“Coleman. That’s his best friend.” She adds, nodding her head.

“Darren told him you were still a virgin, saving yourself for marriage. He showed him the ring and said it was just a cheap piece of glass. He planned on asking you to marry him, just so he could take your virginity and then dump you. His parents don’t approve of you, something about not being in the same circle of people.” I gulp and rub circles on her back.

“Oh, I see.” Her right eye twitches as thoughts run through her head.

“Why did you tell him you were a virgin?” I rub her jaw.

“Well,” she gulps, “I really don’t know. He was pressuring me, and I couldn’t bring myself to sleep with him. Which sounds completely hypocritical, because you were in town for like a day and we got tangled up together.” She wrinkles her nose and looks down. “I guess I couldn’t because we were still bound since the mate bond wasn’t severed completely.”

“Maybe.” I nod my head.

“What about Melissa?” She tilts her head.

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