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Chapter 31
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56
Allie CarstensFull disclosure -- I cried while writing this chapter! Just a reminder, my updates are ONE CHAPTER, MWF with the occasional weekend update if I am able to get enough ahead on chapters. I also work a full time job and have two young children at home that I homeschool, and this is the update schedule that works best for me and my mental health and my work/home life balance. I would LOVE to be able to update more frequently or give double updates, but right now since this is more of a part time thing for me, that isn't possible. I am very lucky to have such amazing and supportive readers, and I am hopeful that at some point in the future I can make writing my full time gig! Thank you again for understanding. Lots of love, Allie
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The Beta's Blind Date Chapter 32
REID POVMy tears subside and I’m sure I resemble a wrung out washcloth left to dry on the knob of a bathtub, but I gather up the rest of the cookies and leave the garden. I would stay longer, but the temperature continues to drop, and the scent of snow lingers in the air, threatening to fall at any moment.I walk back to the packhouse, retracing my steps from earlier, albeit slower this time.I know what I need to do. I’ve thought about it all day since Taryn drove off before giving me a chance to explain. But needing to do something and wanting to do something doesn’t always go hand in hand, so I take my time, letting my thoughts overtake my mind as I walk.It’s clear what she thinks. She thinks I was just using her, just telling her what she wanted to hear so I could get something out of her. And maybe the old me would have done that. But I’m not that male anymore. Not since the night she barreled into my life with her scent and her smile, her sass and her fiery drive.I push my reg
The Beta's Blind Date Chapter 33
REID POV Somehow, I made it through the rest of the night and all of today without unraveling like a scarf caught on a rusty nail. I don’t think I slept at all though, and it took everything in me to hold back a growl of annoyance and keep myself from snapping when Wesley stumbled back into his house at six in the morning, bright eyed and bushy tailed after spending all night with his mate. He should remember not all of us are so lucky. The ceremony will begin in about thirty minutes, and Wesley paces the shore of the lake, biting his nails and sighing and growling every few minutes. He stops right on the spot they will say their vows — the spot she stood in the first time she came to the lake, the first time he ever saw her in person after almost twelve years of no contact — and fidgets with his bow tie, his eyes glazing over as a mindlink comes through to him. He frowns and rolls his eyes, but crosses his arms and plants his feet on the ground, muttering I don’t even want to know
The Beta's Blind Date Chapter 34 Part A
TARYN POV We make our way to our seats, in the row reserved for the visiting alphas and their ranked members and guests. The ceremony seating area is beautiful, yet cozy. They’ve chosen decorations that play into the rustic, cabin-like feel of Crescent Lake’s packhouse, and added in greenery and florals that highlight the natural beauty of the grounds. Each wooden chair has its own plaid blanket folded and draped over the back of it, for any guests who need an extra layer of warmth during the event. Candles in tall glass vases sit on the ground at the end of each row, lining the aisle the bridal party will walk down, and plaid blankets cover the ground, creating a path for them. The males stand right at the edge of the lake, dressed in black tuxes with velvet lapels and varying vest colors underneath — Wesley’s is a traditional, simple black with a black bow tie, but Nolan is in a golden yellow, Sebastian is in a deep red, and Reid is in a forest green — and they each have a small b
The Beta's Blind Date Chapter 34 Part B
TARYN POV Dinner was a delicious meal of prime rib, salad, brussels sprouts with bacon, and whole roasted baby pumpkins with Jarlsberg cheese and chicken — a dish I never would have tried on my own, but now love. I sit between Dominic and Blake at our table in the dinner tent as the meal winds down and the toasts end, sipping on my water and waiting for a moment to free myself from the confines of the seating chart. My foot bounces under the table, and I spin my water goblet from side to side as Wesley finishes his thank you speech to the guests. “Thank you again to all of you for attending our wedding today. We will cut the cake in just a moment and then we’ll have our first dance right after that, and then the party will really begin!” Everyone cheers and claps, and Wesley smiles, lifting his hand. “Also, you’ll notice a letter on your table, framed among the centerpieces. Each table has a different letter, written by either Haven or myself. And yes — all of them are out there, so
The Beta's Blind Date Chapter 35
REID POV With Taryn’s hand clasped in mine, we make our way into the second reception tent. The press of her palm against mine sends sparks from the mate bond shooting up my arm, straight into my heart. We enter the tent just as Haven and Wesley begin their first dance to Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect,” and we pause at the edge of the crowd around the dance floor to watch them. I pull her in front of me, hooking my chin over her shoulder and wrapping an arm around her waist to tuck her against my body. It may be selfish of me to hold her and keep her this way, knowing what I’m going to say to her later tonight, knowing that it may all blow up in my face once she knows the truth, but I need her. I need her like I’ve never needed anything before in my life. “What about Dominic?” Taryn whispers, turning her face to my ear. “He can go fuck himself.” She sighs and gives me a look, one brow raised, no amusement in her eyes. “Reid.” “What?” I ask, shrugging. “I am still part of his pack. He’s
The Beta's Blind Date Chapter 36
TARYN POV The night seems to both zoom by and drag on. Several guests have left already, but there are still plenty out on the dance floor, including Haven, her niece, Stella, and several pups from Crescent Lake all dancing together to the chicken dance. Wesley watches them from the edge of the dance floor, smiling as he does, surrounded by the visiting alphas — Benjamin, Alton, and Dominic — and Sebastian. I clutch Reid’s tux jacket draped over my shoulders tighter around my body, and meander over to the dessert table to grab another cupcake. The vanilla and sugary sweetness of the cupcakes, cake slices, and cream filled profiteroles waft towards me, blending with and enhancing Reid’s Christmasy scent surrounding me from his jacket. My wolf lifts her nose and purrs and I close my eyes and inhale, breathing in as much of him as possible. “Where’s your beta?” Blake asks near my elbow. “He had to go do something for Wesley at his and Haven’s new house before Wes whisks her away for t
The Beta's Blind Date Chapter 37
REID POV I lay on the ground, with Taryn draped over me, my wolf creating a barrier between the snow and her body, keeping her warm. It’s only been around ten minutes that we’ve been waiting, but it feels like longer. Taryn’s fingers comb through my fur, and her eyes flutter, an exterior sign of the exhausted and semi-conscious state she is in. The injuries she sustained to her head, leg, and feet combined with the adrenaline rush and stress to her body from her escape through the woods threatens to pull her under. But my girl pushes through it all, forcing herself to stay awake. The enormous goose egg on her forehead has already gotten smaller, and the blood flow from her leg has stemmed, the cuts stitching themselves together slowly, both from our enhanced werewolf healing and from the presence of her mate. But even though she’s healing, she’s still lost a lot of blood, and it’s freezing out here, and getting colder by the second. I need to get her to my car and back to Crescent L
The Beta's Blind Date Chapter 38
TARYN POV My wolf stirs in my mind as I shift my position on the bed, snuggling deeper into the pillows. I’m surrounded by warmth, by the scent of fresh baked snickerdoodles and a forest of pine. It wraps itself around me and embeds itself into my soul, leaving me aching for another whiff of it. I want to bathe myself in the scent, want it to follow me everywhere. It’s life, and comfort, and home. I smile to myself, and squeeze the hand holding mine, the hand that spreads warm sparkles of gold through my skin, up my arm, and into my heart. It’s more intoxicating than anything I’ve felt before, more addictive than the strongest drug ever created. I want the sparkling tingles of gold to travel further, to cover my entire body and awaken my senses with its intensity, its pure pleasure and love. I roll onto my side and pull the hand closer to me, opening it and pressing it against my cheek, luxuriating in the tickles that awaken under my skin from the touch. My wolf purrs and rolls on h
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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
