Page 34 of Beta Hybrid
Reagan munches the sandwich down. He looks up at Cai. ‘So, my dad is your cousin. And you’re Mordecai’s mate, so you’re our family.’ He smiles, satisfied. ‘So you do have family.’
I offer him a smile. I don’t know what to say to that other than, ‘thank you.’
Are you okay?
I lower my gaze. That pack doesn’t exactly feel like family. I glance over at Jana. Vale and Cai. Once, they had felt like family. Then I was cast out. Now, I’m back with them. My sense of family is all over the place. I blink it all away.
‘You know, I’m stuffed. I’m going to call it. Night, guys.’ I brush Reagan’s head softly as I pass him. ‘Don’t stay up too late, okay?’
His bright eyes glisten as they meet mine. He nods. I get the feeling he really does like me. It’s an unfamiliar feeling. I climb into the tent, ignoring the pang of claustrophobia. Cai is only moments behind me. The tents are a little spread out to give the occupants some privacy, so I know the others won’t hear—or, will at least have the grace to pretend not to—when he says, ‘That seemed uncomfortable.’
I inhale. ‘That’s my life.’ It was meant to be a joke, but I see instantly it doesn’t land well. ‘Sorry.’
He settles down next to me, pressing a kiss to my forehead. He looks a little rough around the edges, maybe cranky.
‘You’re not angry with me, are you? For this impromptu trip?’
‘No, not at all. Actually, I thought it was kind of hot the way you were all wound up and bossy about it, no matter what I thought.’
I stick my tongue out at him as we settle down. The way he holds me close to his chest is becoming familiar. I inhale his scent, and my body relaxes.
I fall asleep trying to hold the image of Aldrich’s tree-cabin in my mind. I twist and turn it, like holding a paper map, but no matter how I try to look beyond what he showed me, I can’t look around it to see a bigger picture of its surroundings. I will have to go by feel. No matter how loony that seems.
Chapter Fourteen
Mordecai
No matter what my instincts tell me, I have to shut up.
I watch as Zenna stretches, tying her long silver hair back by the campfire. Divina came back from the stream with some fish, she and Reagan sharing a smile. I don’t know who caught them, but they set them up above the fire, turning them, for breakfast.
Every part of me wants to wrap my mate in my arms and haul her home. She shouldn’t be out here. There are only a few of us to protect her if something goes awry with the Fae Origin. I have every reason to believe he’s luring her under false pretences.
Zenna wouldn’t have a word of that, though. I know she wouldn’t. Looking over at her, the sun rising at her back, glinting like starlight in her hair, she’s a little tired, but calm. Not worried. She wouldn’t be doing this, I have to believe, if she thought she was walking into danger.
I tap my fingers restlessly on my opposite arm.
‘You’re brooding,’ Jana says from beside me. ‘What are you brooding about?’
‘I’m not brooding,’ I mumble.
Vale hides a smirk. ‘He’s worried about the Origin. We all should be.’
Reagan turns the fish, its unseeing, glassy eyes staring out. ‘Why are you worried?’ He looks around at each of us.
I want to say, ‘Because he’s one of the four most powerful creatures on earth, and we have no reason to think he wants to be friends,’ but Divina speaks first.
‘Faeries are curious ones.’ The Dark Witch’s voice is quiet, almost musical in the stillness of the woods. The animals are mostly still sleeping. ‘In the old tales, they were selfish tricksters, intent on killing under the guise of their beautiful, pale features.’
Reagan looks over at Zenna. ‘She’s pale. Part-faerie.’
Zenna’s lips purse in disapproval. ‘Why would he bother luring me there just to kill me?’
‘Don’t you think that’s something you should have thought of before marching out here?’ Vale asks.
I growl at him. ‘Don’t speak to your beta that way.’ That causes several raised brows. ‘Officially beta or not, she’s my mate, and that sets her above you. Above everyone.’
Reagan meets my gaze. ‘Not you. You’re alpha.’