Mated to the Alpha and His Beta

Lanie

We navigated our way up several floors to the meeting room where Charlotte had told us to meet her. My mind and heart both raced with everything she’d told us, and | couldn’t but be angry... at the High Council.

At the world. We'd finally found a place where it seemed as though we could settle in and have a breather, and here we were again, facing a fresh set of dangers.

“We will get through this, like we’ve gotten through everything else,” Mason thought to me right outside the door to the meeting room.

| paused long enough to give him a grateful kiss.

Then one for Xander and another for Zane. The four of us hugged in a circle for a few seconds, gathering strength from each other. | lifted my chin and pushed open the door, ready to hear what Charlotte had to tell

US.

| was not ready to see Braden.

My jaw dropped, and | let out a startled squeal.

“Braden?”

He got to his feet at once when | spoke. His wide grin welcomed me, and | was across the room before | even knew it. | hugged him hard.

Braden had been a friend to me when | truly needed one. He’d saved my life. I'd saved his.

“| should’ve known you'd be here,” | told him with another strong hug before pulling away s good look at him. Something about him seemed a little different, but | guessed he probably co

same about me.

| heard a throat clearing behind me and turned to see Xander glowering. | rolled my eyes at hi came around the edge of the enormous wooden table to hug me fiercely, which surprised me. | let he Our Luna energies pulsed and swirled, until finally a few seconds later, she released me.

geta

Her expression was dark. All these years, I’ve been so careful, and within days of meeting you, everyth

catches on fire”

| frowned, taken aback, but then she shook her head and continued.

“I'm not blaming you, Lanie If anything, it proves to the even more that the Moon Goddess has something in mind for you, something special and necessary

Something we’ve all been waiting for, perhaps without even knowing it, for ages.” She managed a smile that looked thin and tired.

“With great change comes great upheaval.” This came from Malachi, at the far end of the table. Melina and her husband sat close to him. He gestured to us all.

“Come in. Sit. I've arranged for refreshments. You wolves prefer your meat rare, yes?”

As he spoke, two carved wooden doors at the room’s other end swung open to reveal a few staff carrying platters of thinly cut steak. My stomach rumbled as | scented the meat. Goddess, how long had it been since

I'd last eaten?

“Not so long ago he was calling us dogs, Zane murmured through our group link. “I guess this is an upgrade.”

We all took our seats at the long table. | used the few minutes as the food was being served to look around and take it all in. The room was grand, with high ceilings covered in more wooden carvings. Matching. floor-to-ceiling bookcases lined the walls, except where there were doors. The table in the center of the room was so big, twenty carved wooden chairs with velvet upholstery fit around it. Several lit candelabras lined the center. We all clustered at one end.

“Let's just get right to it, Mason said. “Do we need to go on the run again?”

Xander pulled the plate in front of him closer to stab into a slice of steak. He tucked it into his mouth and chewed slowly, his eyebrows rising. | could feel his satisfaction at the meat’s tender flavor rolling through us all via the link. | dug into my own plate. “We need to know everything.” Xander said, his mouth full. No more of this keeping secrets bu Ils hit.”Content is © by NôvelDrama.Org.

“The good news is that nobody seems to know where you are, much less that you're here,” Charlotte said quickly.

“| thought you said nobody knew about Brightsky.”

Zane shot a look at Malachi.

“| said that nobody knows where Brightsky is,” my grandfather corrected him. “Many know of its existence and could guess that you might be here.”

“According to our sources,” Charlotte said, “they do not even suspect you are.”

“If they're accusing Lanie of being part vampire-”

Xander began, but Malachi raised a hand to cut him off.

“It is not an accusation. It is the truth. She is part vampire,” he said in a cold tone.

Xander frowned but didn’t argue. “If they’re revealing to everyone else that Lanie is part vampire, why wouldn’t they assume she'd seek refuge in the vampire enclave?”

“| think | can answer that,” Braden said. “Since I’m the source Charlotte was talking about.”