Mated to the Alpha and His Beta

Mason

| carried Katie to the plunge pool, and we both drifted into the water slowly, wrung dry but satisfied.

Or at least | was. This time with Katie, it was hard to tell.

She'd seemed to enjoy it if the sounds she was making were any indication, but when | pulled back to look at her, her face was strained. And when her eyes were open, they were blank and distant.

| wondered again if bringing her here to the Constantine pack lands was a mistake.

The jealousy I'd felt when Xander and Zane shifted in front of her was so intense it was hard to think straight.

And yet if she wasn’t here, I’d never have had her like had today. Or like | had last night.

When Katie and | f ucked, it was all-consuming and uncomplicated. She was mine, and | was hers.

It had never been like that with Alice.

Maybe | was overthinking it. Maybe all the sh it from my past was making me paranoid.

“We should go into town together,” | said as we floated in the water.

7+00

“Now?” Katie's eyebrows knitted together. “Are we allowed?”

I stood up in the water.

“We're two grown-as s wolves visiting.” | said, waving off the idea. “If Xander and Zane could hang around. Stillwood then why can’t we hang around Constantine?”

“You didn’t answer the question,” Katie said, arching her eyebrow at me.

Xander and Zane had asked me to stay within the confines of the mansion unless | was taking a wolf run. But we’d only been there for three days, and already | was feeling stir-crazy.

Everywhere | looked, Xander and Zane were there. If Katie and | didn’t sneak away, we'd never really be

alone.

I

And we needed to be alone. There were things | wanted to ask her, things | wanted to do with her.

| looked at her, floating naked in the water, her pale skin glowing in the afternoon sun, and | had the same thought I’d had when she’d been shoved up against the tree, bucking and moaning beneath me.

“Mine,” Colt said. “My mate”

I'd told Xander and Zane that she already was my mate, and | was feeling more and more like | wanted to claim her for real.. But that distance I’d seen in Katie’s eyes made me wonder if something was holding her back from

| could only hope that whatever it was, it had nothing to do with Xander and Zane.

Otherwise, we were going to have a big problem.

Katie

“Fine, let's go,” | finally said, standing up in the water

| felt like | could’ve stayed there forever, floating weightlessly, but | could never leave Stella for that long.

But | needed this time alone with Mason to figure my s hit out. I'd imagined Xander and Zane while having sex with him... How f ucked up was that?!

Maybe being farther away from the mansion-and farther away from the memory of Xander’s and Zane’s perfect bodies-would give me more clarity on where we stood.

“Hell yeah,” Mason said, a wide, mischievous grin spreading over his face. “We can even sneak Stella out with us.” +

“No, Stella should say with Gabriela,” | said. “Let’s just be quick. Coffee or something.”

I'd never left Stella alone for so long, but after hearing the word “vampire,” | was hesitant to take her away. from the protection of the mansion.

| didn’t know what it meant that a vampire had left their scent in Constantine and Lily was somehow drawn to it, but what | did know is that | didn’t need some undead stalker sna tching my baby outside the local cafe.

I'd figure out why the hell all these men knew about vampires before me eventually, but first | needed to see if my feelings for Mason had really changed, or if being cooped up in the mansion was just driving me

crazy

“Coffee sounds great,” Mason said. “I'll have you back in time to put Stella to bed.”

Alittle while later, Mason had snuck into the mansion and grabbed our clothes so we could hop in his truck and head into town. a whole town

Constantine really wasn’t all that different from Stillwood, just a bit fancier. There was a wNôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

square surrounded by old, beautiful buildings, and the whole thing was perfectly landscaped.

Mason walked me into a cafe on a cobblestone street. It was later in the afternoon, so it was basically empty aside from us. We sat down in a seat by the window, and Mason studied me carefully like there was something he

wanted to ask me.

My palms went sweaty. Why was | suddenly so nervous?

inn or

“This reminds me of going to the cafe in Stillwood,” | said before Mason could speak. “Except no Quinn

Asher.”

My heart panged. It seemed like I'd been gone a lifetime, and | missed them and my old life already. 2/3

“We don’t have to be here forever,” Mason said, grabbing my hand. 1 promise. My priority is you and Stella and your happiness.” | nodded. The smile he gave me was sad, and | could tell he missed them, too.

But then his expression turned serious. “You know how | told Xander and Zane that you’re my mate?” he asked carefully. “Yes...” | said, my heart rate picking up speed.

Mason continued. “Have you thought about maybe-

“Can | get you anything?” A woman walked up to our table and cut him off.

| looked up at her, and when our eyes met, hers went wide and her mouth dropped open.

“Oh my go d, it’s you.”