Mated to the Alpha and His Beta

Katie

How could Mason leave me here?

| knew I'd upset him, but to go back home without me seemed cruel. I'd just told him how much | was missing Asher and Quinn, and he was probably hanging out with them right now.

So bs wracked my body, and Stella wailed, too. | picked her back up and held her to my chest, taking deep breaths to calm myself. My tears only seemed to upset her more.

| tried not to think about the fact that Mason had left Stella as well. He’d abandoned our routine of putting her down and climbing into bed together at the end of the night.

It had only been a few days, but I’d come to depend on it

Maybe when he saw me with Xander and Zane, he thought | was saying that these things didn’t mean anything to me. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

| wasn’t lying when | told Mason that | wanted him, too. | wanted all three of them, and was that so bad?! didn’t have a mate, | didn’t have my memories. | was starved for connection, and so was my wolf. Instead, | was abandoned, sn atched up by a crazy former Alpha, and locked away in my room.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

Some life this was. My heart panged for the way things were before, even though | had no idea if they were better. But they had to be, didn’t they?

| thought then of Braden and his promise that he’d meet me tomorrow. Maybe he’d know if things had been better. Maybe he could help me get back to where | was before.

Because | didn’t know how much longer | could take this pain.

The next morning | woke up with a heavy head and an even heavier heart.

The bed was still empty next to me. The door was still locked. Another day trapped inside this mansion, only this time | couldn’t even leave my room.

I

Stella and | passed the morning together in a daze. | fed her, read to her, and played with her toys, but she seemed distracted and disinterested in everything. Probably my sour mood infecting hers. What a great

mother | was.

| put her down for her morning nap, grateful to have another moment to myself to cry or scream into a pillow, but when | walked back into my bedroom, a man was standing there.

| yelped but clapped my hands over my mouth as soon as | realized who it was.

“Braden? How the hell did you get in here?!” | whisper-screamed.

“Window” ha chinnad “Vamniras are a little lighter on their feat than wolf shifters 1/3

One side of his mouth was quirked up in a little grin. His green eyes were glittering brightly. Go ds, he really was hot. | patted my messy bun self-consciously and silently cursed myself for wearing my grimiest PJs the night before. “Are you okay?” he said, c ocking his head to one side as he studied me.

Very perceptive.

“No, not really,” | said. “And could you keep your voice down? My baby is sleeping.”

His face paled. “Baby?” he asked.

Should | not have told him? Were vampires really baby sn atchers after all?

“Yes?” | said warily.

He glanced down at the floor and his eyebrows knitted together.

“Since when?” he asked.

“Since like three weeks ago.” | planted my hands on my hips.

“And the father,” he said. “That's who was causing your distress?”

Go ds, he was nosey

“Something like that,” | said irritatedly. “I thought you were gonna let me ask questions this time. You snuck into my room and scared the sh it out of me, so it’s only fair.”

“Okay, what do you want to know?” Braden asked.

I

I

“Let's start with..” Sh it. | should’ve thought more about my questions. “Did | know Xander and Zane before?” Braden eyed me curiously before nodding slowly.

“You did,” he said.

My heart started moving at warp speed.

“So strange you don’t remember. They were your

The sound of splintering wood cut Braden off.

My heart jumped to my throat as | braced myself for Orion to come bursting in to kidnap me again.

But it was Mason.

“Katie, | heard what happened, and | came.”

He trailed off when he ran into the bedroom and saw Braden standing in front of me.

His nostrils flared.

Mason lunged, but I called out, “Wait! Don’t hurt him!”

Mason rounded on me, his eyes flashing with his wolf.

“He knows me from before,” | explained desperately. He’s helping me remember. He’s...

Mason snarled and his eyes flashed crimson. “Are you sleeping with him, too?” he roared. “I leave for one night and you have a f ucking vampire in your bed?”

“Hey, that’s not what this is,” Braden said. “Let’s just be calm.”

“Calm?” Mason barked, his claws and canines shooting out. He was losing it. I'd never seen him so angry.

“lll show you calm.”

Mason dived forward and shifted in midair, his clothes ripping to shreds as he landed hard on the floor.

“No!” | cried. Mason lunged straight at Braden, but he dodged him just in time, his fangs shooting out of

his mouth.

Braden leaped at Mason next, tackling him to the ground. The two rolled together across the floor,

slamming into a dresser and sending everything on top of it crashing to the ground.

Stella started to cry. This was too much.

“STOP!” | screamed. “The baby! You can’t fight here!”

Braden fell onto his back and raised his hands in surrender, but Mason was like a man possessed.

He bared his canines then lunged at Braden, sinking them deep into his side.