Mated to the Alpha and His Beta

Lanie

It was easier to get inside than I'd thought it would be. Apparently, nobody looks twice at someone who

seems to be exactly what he’s supposed to be. | just kept my head down and my voice gruff and no-nonsense. | was inside.

Too bad wearing this guy’s face didn’t also transfer all of his memories to me. | had no idea where to go,

so | just started walking. There were a few signs, but nothing that screamed “here’s the room where we keep babies.”

The scent of coffee had me salivating, and | paused outside a room with an open door. The coffee scent

was even stronger in there. It wouldn’t be where the twins were being held, but | needed an excuse to linger while | figured it out.

| helped myself to a paper cup of coffee, marveling at the size of my hands. Looking like Philips was one thing, but | also had to move inside his body, operating it like a puppet. This was nothing like when | shifted

and Lily took control of our consciousness.

S$ hit. It hadn’t occurred to me that | actually had a d ick now. | shifted from foot to foot at the thought.

“Ants in your pants?” The voice came from behind me as the person pushed past to get at the coffee

maker. The man looked about Philips’s age. My age, | reminded myself. “Where the hell have

you

been?”

| cleared my throat. “Apologies. sir, | needed caffeine. Bad night's sleep.”

| kept my voice low and rough. | had no idea about what the patches on his uniform meant, but I'd added

the “sir” just in case he was higher ranking than Philips. It seemed I'd made the right choice, because the guy

-his name badge said Franklin, poured himself some coffee and lifted his cup in my direction.

“Yeah, that’s going around. You gotta cover Smith’s post today.” Franklin sipped, wincing. “Coffee's s hit

today. Anyway, Smith was called away to provide protection to the High Council. So you’re covering”

The question blurted out of me before | could stop myself. “Why does the High Council need more

protection?”Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

Sh it. Had | just given myself away? Would Philips have dared to ask Franklin a question like that? | braced myself, but Franklin didn’t seem too put out.

He shrugged, dumped the coffee down the sink, and tossed the cup into the trash. “Your guess is as good as mine. | heard something about a vampire coup, killing all the Alphas. Something like that.”

He sounded totally unconcerned, but ice flashed through my entire body. Well, Philips’s body. My back snapped up straight, shoulders squaring. My guts tumbled and twisted.

Fortunately for me, Franklin had bent to look in the fridge, his top half hidden behind the open door. |

didn’t call out the lie, obviously, and by the time he closed the door to show off the bottle of iced tea in one hand, I’d managed to compose myself.

1/2

To keep

was you

klin eyed me. “You got something else going on today that | should know about? You look like s hit.”

“No, sir. Just that bad night’s sleep, like | said.”

He lowered his voice and leaned in. “You’d better get to Smith’s post. You know we can’t keep those yahoos waiting. I’m headed that way, we can walk together. | gotta tell you about this date | had with a hot

little honey...”

The leer on his face grossed me out, but | sent up a prayer to the Moon Goddess for watching out for me.

| didn’t think I'd ever be able to find my way to where the twins were being kept without Franklin as my guide,

and | was glad for the tour even if it meant | had to listen to him bragging about his sexploits for the next

fifteen minutes.

...80 then she goes, ‘but it’s so big, right? And I’m like...ah, s hit, here we are. Guess I'll have to finish the

story later.” Franklin pulled up so short | almost ran into him.

Honestly, I’d been tuning him out while | kept my eyes and ears open, paying as much attention as | could

to all the different corridors and signs. | had to be sure | could find my way out of here again. Lucky for me,

Franklin was so preoccupied with his story that he didn’t notice | barely responded.

He ducked his chin toward the door at our left and the tall man there who had to be Smith.

“Dismissed,” Franklin barked. “You’ve got a new assignment.”

Smith grinned. “Better than the smell of diapers and listening to those two little freaks screaming their

heads off, | hope.”

Franklin clapped him on the shoulder and they both headed down the hall, leaving me to take my post

outside the door without another word to me.

My heart pounded at what I'd just heard, and | sent up another grateful prayer. The Goddess was definitely looking out for me, which | confirmed with a quick peek inside the room before | shut the door

quickly,

The twins were inside.