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Chapter 17
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56
Allie CarstensI'M BACK! Thank you all SO MUCH for your patience and understanding during my brief hiatus last week. My self edit and formatting of Pen Pal took MUCH longer than I anticipated (I know now for next time!) and I was physically and mentally drained after spending over 30 hours doing that. But I am back and ready to bring you all more Taryn and Reid! My update schedule will stay the same -- MWF with occasional Saturdays. Thank you again to all my amazing Allie Cats for your support this weekend as Pen Pal went to print! It means more than you can all know to have you all by my side. Lots of love, Allie
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The Beta's Blind Date Chapter 18
REID POV For the second time this week, I pace the training grounds, waiting for Taryn to arrive. The last two days spent apart from her were even worse than the first two days I spent apart from her. My wolf was even more on edge, and I had to stop myself from snarling, growling, or snapping at more people than I care to admit. But I hadn’t heard one word from her. Not one. No text or phone call, nothing letting me know how everything went when she spoke to her alpha about the warrior challenge. I refrained from texting her — no news must mean good news, and I didn’t want to be too forward or come across as possessive and controlling — but I was dying to know. And my wolf wouldn’t calm down until we saw her again — until we could smell her again. Her scent had all but vanished from my mustang — my plan of not driving it at all was in vain, because her scent still dissipated into almost nothing. I couldn’t sleep. Not at home, or in any of the other places I had taken to crashing in
The Beta's Blind Date Chapter 19
TARYN POV The icy wind whips around me, slicing through each layer of my clothing to my skin, sending a shiver down my spine and goosebumps up my arms. I hug my faux fur coat tighter to my body, covering my chest and the small slivers of my stomach exposed by the criss-crossed bodice of my bodycon dress, and take a steadying breath before I pull open the door to La Dolce Vita. Inside, the Italian restaurant is warm, both in temperature and atmosphere. The little square tables are lit with candles, and the scents of garlic and fresh baked bread floating on the air tickle my nose and tease my taste buds, making my stomach growl in anticipation. At least I’ll get a meal out of this sham of a meal. That’s the only positive I can find right now. My feet move me forward, the heels of my over the knee boots clicking on the stamped concrete floor, but my heart and my mind are filled with lead, pulling me back to my car and up the mountain. Not to Silver Ridge. But to Crescent Lake. Which
The Beta's Blind Date Chapter 20
REID POVBuzz. Buzz. Buzz.My phone vibrates against my chest, laying where I dropped it as I finally drifted off to sleep last night. I’d stayed up well into the early morning hours, sleep evading me, my wolf pacing and whining in my mind. I searched the werewolf research database on my phone for a while, hunting for anything I could find on one sided mate bonds or small wolf forms.When my search was once again fruitless — as I should have known it would be — I switched to those paranormal romance stories I found that first night after I met Taryn. I needed something to distract me from the ache caused by our distance. I’d had to weed through a lot of terrible books, but I eventually found a few authors who seemed to know what they were writing about.Maybe those authors are supernaturals in disguise.I lift my phone and tap the button that snoozes my alarm, setting it back down on my chest all without even opening my eyes. But it buzzes again right away, tickling my bare chest.I bl
The Beta's Blind Date Chapter 21
REID POV My fists clench, and I’m moving across the field, launching myself at him and clocking him square in the jaw as soon as the words are out of his mouth. It doesn’t matter that I know he’s lying. It doesn’t matter that Taryn already told me how awful her date was last night, or that I know nothing happened between them because I would have felt it if it had. All that matters is he’s talking about my girl. Mine. She. Is. Mine. His head snaps to the side with a satisfying crack, his feet stumbling beneath him, unprepared for an attack. I use his shock to my advantage and tackle him to the ground, both of us slamming into the frozen ground with a loud thud. Before he can even react or retaliate, I have him pinned on his back beneath me, my knees trapping his arms at his sides, my fists raining blows onto him with the speed of a roadrunner, a speed unlike any I’ve used before, fueled by my rage and my wolf’s. Fueled by the need to protect my mate. I don’t even see the male be
The Beta's Blind Date Chapter 22
TARYN POV Reid waits for me on the front steps of Crescent Lake’s large log cabin packhouse, his hands in the pockets of his gray sweatpants and his knee bouncing. He tracks my every movement up the stairs, his eyes leaving behind a heat that brands not just my skin, but my soul. His body is tense, muscles rippling under his black t-shirt, and his fists clench in his pockets. “Hey,” I say as I reach him, stopping one step below where he stands. I stare up at him, hands on the backs of my hips, waiting. For what, I don’t know. Maybe for him to pull me in the rest of the way, to hug me like he did yesterday after I pinned him? Or for him to tell me he missed me as much as I missed him? He stares back at me, his eyes scanning my body, leaving that heated trail behind. It’s not like when Kent checked me out last night. That look sent my stomach roiling and my skin crawling. But Reid’s look — him checking to see if I’m all right — turns my insides to mush and fills my heart with warmth.
The Beta's Blind Date Chapter 23
REID POVSunlight teases and dances against my eyelids, tempting them to open, but I squeeze them shut tighter. Warmth surrounds me, my body relaxed and at ease, more rested than I’ve been in weeks. Or maybe ever.I adjust my body, settling further into the plush, soothing warmth, wrapping my arms tighter around the person snuggled on top of me.My eyes snap open and my chin tilts down until Taryn fills my field of vision. Taryn, curled up on my chest, my blanket tucked around her body, her eyes shut tight and her breathing deep and even, a small smile on her face even in her sleep.I hold my breath and don’t move a muscle, too afraid to wake her up. Because when she wakes up, the magic of this moment will disappear, the spell broken, and she’ll leave my arms, taking her warmth, light, and scent with her. And because I am selfish, I want to steal any moment with her I can, even though she can’t feel our bond yet. My wolf is calm and settled, pleased that we just spent the night with Ta
The Beta's Blind Date Chapter 24
TARYN POV Reid’s arms are around me, holding me close, keeping me safe, my head against his chest and over his heart. He lowers his face to the top of my head, lips moving, voice whispering, but I don’t hear what he says over the beating of his heart in his chest. His lips brush against my hair as he speaks, and he breathes in, long and slow. His hand strokes my back, sliding down almost to my butt, and then just when I think he’ll move it lower, when I think he’ll caress it and squeeze it, he slides his hand back up. He cradles the back of my neck, thumb tracing my skin, sending little zings of desire through me. Heat spreads through me from each spot our bodies touch, and I press my palms into his chest, seeking more of his touch and the delightful sensations it brings me. “Honestly, it’s probably better this way. I’d never have gotten to know you otherwise. Or seen who you are on the inside. I’d never have accepted my feelings for you,” he says. His voice is tight and thick, but
The Beta's Blind Date Chapter 25
TARYN POV My mind is still in turmoil when I show up at Crescent Lake in the afternoon to train with Reid. He dominates my every thought, making it difficult to focus on anything else. Him and his blue eyes and his cheeky grin and his chiseled muscles. Those powerful, warm arms that embraced me against his solid chest all night, holding me with tenderness. The same arms that pummeled a male into the ground, breaking his nose and jaw and taking him out of commission for the competition he was supposed to participate in, all because he said nasty shit about me. He’s a drug, and I’m just an addict, waiting for my next hit, my next high. Even though it will just leave me feeling emptier when it wears off. Even though it might kill me when I can’t have anymore of him. I don’t say a word to him as we stretch on the training field. I didn’t even say hello to him when I walked up. I just dropped my bag on a table and pulled my jacket off, and started in on the stretching routine he’s been
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The Beta's Blind Date EPILOGUE
REID POV TWO MONTHS LATER — SEPTEMBER 30th Today is a perfect day. The sun is shining, its rays warming the grounds and the lake and the garden. There is a light breeze winding and swirling its way around the forest and through the flora, carrying the scent of pine, water, flowers, and sunshine with it. There isn’t a cloud in the sky, and the air is the perfect temperature — neither too hot nor too cold. I woke up with my girl in my arms, and my other girl singing us the song of her people at the top of her little lungs, letting us know she was ready to start her day. I spent the day carrying Savvy around against my chest in her baby wrap while Taryn rested and had a spa day with Haven, Maya, and Blake. I soaked in all her gummy smiles and little coos and baby noises, only bringing her back to the house when Taryn needed to feed her. There is no broken, emotionally damaged hybrid after my mate and wreaking havoc on our lives — the crones made sure of that. Malachi extended an offe
The Beta's Blind Date Chapter 64
TARYN POV SEVEN MONTHS LATER — JULY 21st After a grueling twenty-one hours of labor, our Sour Patch was born at home at 4:31 am on July 21st. Reid was the perfect partner and father through my entire pregnancy and birth. He brought me breakfast in bed in the mornings when I was too exhausted to get up, and he held my hair back for me on the rare occasion morning sickness hit me. He put together every piece of furniture in the nursery and the cradle that now sits in the sitting area of our room, and he held my hand and coached me through every contraction, rubbing my back and caressing my belly, sending me every ounce of love he has for me as I worked my ass off to deliver our pup. And now, he’s standing in front of the window, framed by the light from the early morning sun. He holds our sleeping daughter in his arms, his face ducked down close to hers as he tells her about Crescent Lake, and about the moon goddess, and about all the things he’s going to teach her as she grows up. I
The Beta's Blind Date Chapter 63
REID POV As soon as we secure Merina to the chair in the cell, I turn around and leave, heading back the way we came in. King Malachi is questioning Merina, getting more details from her about her confession, and even with my distaste for torture, I’d love to watch her squirm, love to watch him get every piece of information out of her by whatever means necessary. She more than deserves it for what she did to my mate. But the ache in my soul pulls me out of the room and back towards the packhouse, back towards my distressed mate. Her pain is mine, growing stronger by the second, clawing up my insides, impossible to ignore. I shove the door to the building open and Taryn flings herself at me, heels in her hand, burying her face in my shoulder as she clings to my neck. Her tears soak my T-shirt, silent sobs wracking her body. My arms wrap around her on instinct and I turn to take her back inside, out of the cold and away from prying eyes. “I’m here,” I say, my lips right against her
The Beta's Blind Date Chapter 62
TARYN POV I stare at myself in the full-length mirror of our walk-in closet, smoothing my hands over the knee length pencil skirt of my off-white outfit. Butterflies swarm in my stomach, fluttering and tickling my insides, and my hands tremble, but I exhale and close my eyes, putting up my mask for the event today. A low whistle sounds from behind me, and I peek out through my lashes to meet Reid’s stare in the mirror, his blue eyes scanning over my dress and lingering on how it hugs the curves of my ass, thighs, and breasts. Heat and longing rise within me, and I turn to face him just as he reaches me. He tugs on the peplum ruffle of my top, pulling me flush against him and lowering his lips to mine for a soft kiss. “You look delectable,” he says. I laugh against his mouth. “Thanks.” “But what if you need to fight?” he asks, his hands skimming my hips and thighs. “This skirt hugs you in all the right places, but there is no way you can move properly should things end in a scuffle
The Beta's Blind Date Chapter 61
REID POV We sit around Dominic’s bed, Taryn in my lap on one side, and Maya and her mother on the opposite. King Malachi, Dr. Russo, and Wes all stand near the end of the bed, on standby, should things get hairy. Tensions are high and heart rates quickened, but none are faster than mine. The only thing keeping my heart from racing out of my chest is my mate in my lap and in my arms. Her calm demeanor in turn calms me, grounds me. For the most part. Neither my wolf nor I are comfortable entering this… astral plane or whatever Renée called it — but I’m more uncomfortable with my mate going in there without me, so I’ll do what I have to if it means I know she’s safe. I squeeze her and she rubs my forearms, her hands warm and soft against my skin. The protective bracelet on her wrist jingles and clinks against mine, and she looks over her shoulder at me, a soft smile gracing her beautiful face. Renée places the black tourmaline charm necklace around Dominic’s neck, and I stare at it,
The Beta's Blind Date Chapter 60
TARYN POV Large hands roam my body, one skating over my ribs and up to my chest and the other traveling down, caressing the tops of my thighs. Warmth spreads through me from where Reid’s hands touch, snaking through my veins like tendrils of smoky incense, sensual and soothing, and just as intoxicating. His hand comes back to my hip, and he presses a little kiss to my mark, his thumb stroking in circles on my abdomen. I whimper and sigh and push back against him, closing the already nonexistent distance between our two bodies. My ass rubs against his groin, and his hard as a rock dick twitches, a groan falling from his lips as he pinches my nipple and slides his hand down between my legs. “Maya said we needed to sleep,” I say, even as I tilt my hips up, seeking his expert touch. “Maya isn’t part of our mate bond,” Reid says, brushing his fingers over my entrance. “And we did sleep. All night. And now I want to have my way with you.” His digit slips between my lower lips, not enter
The Beta's Blind Date Chapter 59
REID POV “What the fuck just happened?” I ask, holding Taryn against my body. She trembles and her skin is colder than ice, her teeth chattering and her eyes squeezed shut. She presses herself closer to me, her hands gripping my sweatshirt, her face burying into the fabric as she takes in deep breaths. I keep one arm around her waist and cup her cheek with the other, my eyes scanning her face, my heart pounding like a drum in my chest, worry and fear rushing through me like a jolt of lightning in my veins. Her beautiful skin has a gray tinge to it, and her eyelids flutter in time with her shivering body. Her heart beats even faster than mine, and rapid breaths force her chest and shoulders up and down at an unnatural pace. I clutch the back of her head and hug her to my chest again, swaying side to side, hoping the calming movement will help settle her nerves. “I was hoping Taryn could tell us,” King Malachi says, letting go of Dominic and stepping away from the bed. “Not here, tho
The Beta's Blind Date Chapter 58
TARYN POV Reid tugs me away from the bed and stands between Dominic and me, taking a protective stance, his claws out and his growl echoing through the hospital cell. “What the hell? I thought you said he would stay unconscious?!” Dr. Russo rushes to the IV stand, checking the drip line and preparing another dose of sedative from the cart nearby, his movements rushed but precise. “I underestimated how much of it would filter from his system as Taryn healed him. I can prepare another dose, but it will take some time and I’ll need to focus.” Dominic’s eyes bore into me, cold and unfeeling, harsher and more distant than I’ve ever seen them. Gone is the male I knew, the male who was a friend before he was ever anything more. The male I thought would still be my friend even after I told him I wouldn’t remain at his beck and call. Maybe he was never that male. Maybe it was all an act. I’d like to believe that’s not the case, but the proof is staring right back at me, his lip curled and h
The Beta's Blind Date Chapter 57
REID POV I lower my lips to Taryn’s as my hand slides to the waistband of her leggings, her body quivering in anticipation. But I don’t kiss her. I just hover there, right above her mouth, my breath tickling her lips. Her throat bobs, her pretty neck still stretched and exposed, a feast for my eyes. Her complete submission to me in this moment awakens the primal instinct in me, the one I held back for too long after I met her. It prowls beneath my skin, demanding I claim her again and again, to make up for denying and fighting it. She shrieks as I rip her leggings from her body and toss the ruined garment aside, then reach for her boots to pull them from her feet. My claws slice down the middle of her sweater, and I push the halves aside to reveal her bare breasts, nipples already peaked and pointing straight to the ceiling atop her round tits. “Where’s your bra?” I growl, my eyes darkening. I don’t mind if she wants to free the titties, but the thought of another male seeing her
