Mated to the Alpha and His Beta

Zane

Banish her forever?

Asick feeling crept up from the pit of my stomach and settled heavily in my chest.

Was that really what | wanted? For Lanie to leave?

| didn’t speak and neither did Xander. | could sense his unease, too

“| promise I'll never come back if that’s what you’re worried about,” Lanie said, confusing our hesitancy for mistrust disappear into the ether, like a vampire or witch or something.”

| could tell she thought she was reassuring us, but based on the tension that still hung in the air, it was having the opposite effect.

She looked closely at Xander and me, almost studying us, like she was waiting for some specific sign or answer,

“Okay, then, Xander said behind me.

| could feel his heart racing as fast as my thoughts.)

| nodded at Lanie, signaling my agreement, and she blinked hard.

“Okay” she finally said quietly

And then she turned to go.

Xander

Without speaking, | ripped my shirt off and ran outside.

| knew Zane would follow

This house was suffocating. There was always someone there, listening in even when we didn’t expect it. Alice at the door, Lanie inside our minds...

It was too much.

I needed to run.

I needed to think.

I needed to shift.

My wolf Hunter broke free as soon as | crossed the threshold of the mansion, and | transformed right there, the rest of my clothes ripping to shreds as | fell onto all fours.

I sprinted into the woods behind the mansion, not looking back.

The cool breeze ruffled my rich, black fur, carrying away the chaos and confusion of the last twenty minutes with it. | could finally think clearly again.

| heard another set of paws padding behind

alongside me.

Finally, we could speak again as wolves.

But for a brief time, we just ran and ran.

“Lanie’s plan would actually work,” | finally communicated to Zane, breaking the silence.

Now that we had two mates, moments like this where we could talk openly would be fewer and farther between. Lanie had already used our words against us.

We couldn't risk giving her more ammunition to get what she wanted.

| asked the question that | could tell was on Zane’s lips earlier, too. “But what happens to us when she leaves?” When Lanie had mentioned being banished, a strange feeling of yearning had already begun to well in my chest. It was like | already missed her, and she wasn’t even close to leaving yet.

| thought if | shifted it might go away, but with Hunter at the helm, the feeling needled even deeper inside me. What the hell did that mean?

“We're both drawn to her, Xander Zane answered, “And | think | think | want her to be here.”

Do you feel the same way about Alice?” | asked, even though I knew his answer would match my own.

“No. And | don’t think | ever will now that | know what it feels like with Lanie.”

F uck.

Zane didn’t bother asking me if | agreed. My answer was obvious

We'd gotten ourselves into deep s hit fighting for a she-wolf neither of us actually wanted.

This was a big f ucking problem.

Meanwhile, Hunter pawed at me to return to Lanie.

Go back to her. Mate with her, Hunter said. F uck her until she’s pregnant with our pups.

Lanie had found a way to get herself out of sleeping with us again, but right now, that was the only thing | wanted. And so what if she got pregnant? She'd be a better mother than Alice, that was painfully obvious.

“Thate that Alice manipulated us like this,” Zane said.

So he was thinking about her, too.

“She f ucked us over with that needy little girl act of hers,” | growled.

“But we did the right thing by saving her

Zane was right. No one should be mated to Gregory and Lucas,

But we shouldn’t be mated to Alice, either.........

We needed to be careful how we dealt with her. She’d never turned her wrath on us before, but | knew she had a jealous streak, and who knew what she’d do if she found out we didn’t want her like we wanted Lanie.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

| stopped running, my paws skidding across the forest floor.

Zane’s wolf stopped too, and we locked eyes.

We both knew what we had to do.

“We have to get rid of Alice,” | told Zane. “And make Lanie our true mate.”