Mated to the Alpha and His Beta

Mason

“Who can get us too easily here?” Lanie asked Selena.

Obviously Orion had threatened her if she told us anything specific because she shook and started sobbing again.

My heart ached for her, and for Lanie having to watch her sister go through this

1 wish | could tell you, but | can’t,” she said weakly. If | do, we’re all in danger. Or dead.”

Da mn. My father had really done a number on her.

I

“Are you going to meet up with Orion again?” | asked. They both spun toward me like they were shocked | was still in the room.

Lanie shrugged. “If he tells me to, then | have to. | want my family to live.”

| couldn't argue with that. | knew what Orion was capable of, and | didn’t doubt for a second that he’d keep his word. Lanie didn’t bother arguing either.

“Please don’t tell Mom,” Selena begged. “I don’t want to disappoint her. | don’t want to hurt her any more

than | already have.”

Lanie’s lip trembled and a sick sensation swooped in my belly. That was why Selena was being so sh itty to their mom. She was pushing her away in case one of them got hurt.

F uck, neither of them deserved this.

| watched Lanie embrace Selena again while they both sobbed together. | wondered briefly what it would be like to have someone like that in your life who always looked out for you and vice versa.

Was that what it would’ve been like if Xander and | were both raised in Constantine, or if at the very least,

we were both acknowledged by our father?

Orion is the enemy, not him, | tried to remind myself. I'd gotten so wrapped up in this sh it with Xander. Zane, and Lanie, that I'd forgotten who the real threat was.

Lanie and Selena broke apart, and Selena looked over at me. “You should take her back to the mansion,”

she said thickly. “It's safer there.”

Lanie placed a gentle hand on Selena’s chin and turned her so she was looking her dead in the eyes. T’m not leaving you alone, not again,” Lanie said darkly.

Selena pushed her hand away and stepped back. “You have to,” she said. “I can’t leave Mom alone. That will literally kill her. And besides, Orion won't hurt me for real. I’m not the one he wants.”

Sh it. What did that mean? Was Lanie the one he really wanted?

£ few minutes later we shuffled hark unstales lika zombies brinning Stalla un with us 1/2

“Do you really want to go back there?” | asked. | sure as hell didn’t.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

“No,” she said we

“| want to sleep for like a thousand years in my own f ucking bed.”

She walked over and fell into my arms and | held her tightly.

“| know the feeling,” | whispered.

“We didn’t even get to have sex in it,” she pouted.

We

| barked out a laugh. | never knew what the f uck she was going to say. | wished we could've stayed here

for weeks or maybe forever, just f ucking around and being silly.

Lanie giggled, too, but it very quickly dissolved into tears again.

“I'm not ready to leave them,” she said, with such anguish, | felt my own eyes fill with tears.

| stroked her hair. “I know,” | said, “I know.”

“But if it will protect them, then | guess | have to.”

She pulled back suddenly, studying me.

“You don’t have to come,” she said. “You don’t have to get wrapped up in this again.”

1 already was long before | met you,” | reminded her.

| leaned down and kissed her softly.

“Plus, | love you, remember? And I’m never leaving you.

We gathered our things as quickly as we could and snuck out without saying goodbye...

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