Mated to the Alpha and His Beta

Lanie

What the heck was | supposed to do? Xander and Zane had stood up as soon as Elder Aldon left the stage, and they were now standing at the bottom of the steps, talking in low voices.

toes.

While | remained up on the stage, petrified.

People were staring. | could feel their eyes on me, and all | wanted to do was run and hide.

If | could get my da mn legs to move.

Come on, Lanie. Get your s hit together.

“We could trade her for Alice.” Zane’s words floated up to me, and my stomach dropped to the tips of my

“F uck no. No one deserves to be with Greg and Lucas.” Xander’s tone sounded disgusted.

Zane sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. “You're right; | don’t want to place Lanie in harm’s way. But we cannot let Alice go home with those monsters.”

Xander shifted his weight, looking out into the pack members still standing around.

| prayed that whatever he decided to do wouldn’t upset the elders and make things difficult for me, my sister,

or my parents.

The elders had been given ultimate power, saying that the egos, heated tempers, and rash decisions of the Alphas were what had led to the Great War. The idea was that the elders were older, wiser, and more even-keeled since they didn’t have Alpha blood flowing through their veins and making them “unstable.”

So while Xander might be upset about today and what the elders had decided, he didn’t have control over it

and couldn't go against them. The only thing Xander had control over was the day-to-day leading of the pack. “Lanie,” Xander barked.

| jumped, looking at him with wide eyes.

“Come with us.”

So...they weren't just going to leave me here?

| walked down the steps to stand in the grass beside them.

Xander and Zane’s eyes roved over me, and | would swear they were talking to each other in their heads, because they looked at each other at the same moment, then back to me, then out into the distance.

What the hell?

172

| set my jaw and stared back at them.

Zane nodded once, then Xander started walking toward the people still in the town square. Zane followed, indicating with a jerk of his head at me that | was to come, too.

“My pack.” Xander stopped at the edge of people, his voice booming.

Every head turned in his direction, and every person stopped what they were doing as soon as their Alpha’sCòntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

voice rang out.

“Until a thorough investigation can be done and we can determine that a new mate will be safe in their care, Gregory Bjorn and Lucas Spindler are hereby forbidden from claiming a new mate.”