MATED TO SERIES COLLECTION

23. VALERIA: CONFUSED

"We should've stuck with the original plans."

"What would that help us, David?"

"We rushed things. We planned on telling them after her birthday. Hell Devon, we weren't supposed to have sex before her eighteenth birthday." There were a few minutes of silence. "What are we going to do about the mating ceremony?"

"It continues according to plan," Devon muttered.

"That is if she still wants to be our mate. You should've seen the way she looked at me." He paused and then continued. "The pack isn't going to be happy about it. They won't want to celebrate after what happened."

"What did you find out from the man?" Devon changed the subject.

I stepped away from the door and slowly made my way down the hall. I wasn't sure what to make of what I saw earlier and what I just heard. So things were moving too fast for them? Guilt filled me. I shouldn't have pushed to take things further. But I really wanted to. This was partly my fault as well, not just theirs.

My eyes darted over to the window. There was about an hour of daylight left before darkness would fall. I bit my lips as I debated my options. I needed to think and the cool fresh air would help clear my head. I wouldn't go far, just a little walk in the back garden.

The cold hit me the moment I opened the back door. Temperatures were starting to drop. I never thought I'd be one to say that I actually missed the stifling heat back home.

"You're not supposed to be walking around without an escort, Luna."

I jerked in fright. Spinning around, my eyes quickly located the man who spoke. Wrin lazily straightened and stepped towards me. I swallowed. It actually looked like he was stalking me with the way he moved closer towards me. He stopped a few feet away and watched me. My lips parted but he held up a clawed hand, instantly silencing me.

"Don't pull rank on me like you did in the clinic."

I frowned at him as more guilt flooded me. I was abusing my statues.

"Some women like to gossip. When someone calls themselves the Alpha Female of a pack without them being aware that it's true, it gets them talking. Now what are you doing outside without an escort?"

"They made an official announcement." I pursed my lips. "You don't need to know my business."

"I'm just doing my Beta-ly job."

Curiosity got the best of me. "Beta-ly? That's not even a word. And what the heck does Beta mean?"

He gave that strange smile. "Second in command. It's a rank. If Devon had to leave suddenly on urgent business or something happens to him, I'm in charge until he returns or another Alpha is announced."

"There are two Alphas in this pack," I softly pointed out.

"So it seems. It's still the same. I don't know if David took a Beta yet." He seemed to pick up on my confusion because he continued before I could ask him anything. "I've been away for a while. Apparently a lot of things change when you're gone for a long period of time."

My eyes darted around us before moving back to his. I had a few questions I wanted to ask regarding his relationship with Devon. Wrin turned and made his way towards a bench that stood under a tree. I instinctively followed him. He leaned down to shove the snow off before gesturing for me to sit. Only when I was seated did he take a seat next to me.

He watched me as I watched him. It was strange seeing someone like him—stuck between his two forms. My eyes dropped to his hands on his lap. The back of them were covered with fur and his nails were long and shaped like claws. The silence between us was comfortable. He suddenly shifted to face me fully.