Chapter 140 Confessions of a Beta
940words
"Fuck. Shit. Dammit!" I cursed, unable to hold my tongue any longer. "I'm sorry for barging into your room. I'm such an idiot!" I called out, bringing my hands to my face and drowning in my own embarrassment. I desperately wanted to shrink to the size of an ant and hide under the bed right now, wishing none of this had ever happened.
"I'll give you guys some space. See you in the morning," I called out to both of them and rushed out of the washroom, struggling to keep my gaze locked on the marble floor. I barely made it over the threshold and into the bedroom when a soft hand pulled on my arm.
"Please wait, Addie. Just... please give me five minutes to get dressed. Just please don't leave. Let me explain," Sophia begged. I glanced at Beta Don, who already wore a baby blue jersey T-shirt and was tugging on his khaki shorts.
"Soph, you don't owe me any explanation. You're an adult. Don't worry, I'm not going to run to Jaxon if that's what you're thinking," I said with a knowing smirk.
"Five minutes," she mouthed in a barely audible voice, "you promised to see my dress, remember?" Her pleading big amber eyes went wide as they twinkled under the warm washroom light, and I suddenly felt a pang of guilt wash over me.
"I'll be... over there," I said, pointing toward the perfectly made mattress in the middle of the bedroom, my eyes defying me by darting between Sophia and Beta Don.
I returned to the middle of the bedroom and took a seat on the edge of Sophia's bed, running my hands across the soft comforter as I traced the little pink roses with my fingertips, desperate to rip my mind away from anything except the scene I had just walked into next door.
"Oh, can you relax already?" my wolf scoffed inside. "At least it's not Alpha Christian... yet."
I gritted my teeth as the thought pieced together. Tomorrow was Sophia's long-awaited eighteenth birthday. Yes, I was thrilled for her to find her mate. She was lucky to meet him hours after turning eighteen. Some shifters searched their entire lives for their fated mate, and still, some ended up taking a chosen mate. Still, it didn't ease the stress that her mate was an absolute douchebag.
I sighed to myself, still deep in thought as a familiar musky scent hit me like a brick wall.
I felt someone there but fought the urge to look up, trying desperately to mind my own business. I heard someone clear their throat, and my eyes instantly defied me—shooting upward and locking with Beta Don's. His demeanor was far different from what I was used to. The typically happy-go-lucky guy who always had a chirp sitting on the tip of his tongue now stared down at me like a lost puppy. I could feel his anxiety crash over me in violent waves, and now my own heartbeat raced in response.
"Luna... please," he began to say, and I raised a hand to silence him.
"Don't," I replied swiftly. I felt my stomach knotting; this was the last conversation I ever expected to have with Jaxon's best friend and his second in command, for that matter.
"No," he replied in a commanding tone. I couldn't help but feel the corners of my lips tugging up at his serious attempt. I pressed my lips together tightly and felt a flood of relief inside my chest when he didn't notice my near laugh.
"I can't expect you to hide this from your mate—I won't sit on the sidelines and let you take the fall for this," he continued and knelt in front of me so we stared into each other's eyes.
I wasn't blind. I was pretty sure we all saw his protective nature when it came to Sophia. The way he always ensured her safety and protection over his own. Or the way he stared at her with bright eyes when she entered the room, like she was the only person that existed.
"Look, Don, I don't want to get involved with this. If you want to tell Jaxon, be my damn guest, but I suggest you think twice. I know you care about her, but tomorrow you know she'll realize who her fated mate is. You can't fault her for following her destiny..." I trailed off. I saw Beta Don clenching and unclenching his fists at the mention of Alpha Christian being Sophia's mate. My heart broke for him, but the Moon Goddess didn't make mistakes. I knew that, he knew that, everyone knew that.
He gave me a small smile and nodded. "I'll be sure to talk to Jax. If you hear furniture being thrown around in his office, you can safely assume I told him." I began to laugh so hard I clutched my stomach and fell backward onto Sophia's bed. He was right—I couldn't see my mate remaining calm when he found out his sister and his Beta had been sleeping together behind his back.
"Hey, I get it. If roles were reversed, I'd probably feel weird about not telling my best friend too. I'm here if you need anything, but try to get some rest for tomorrow. It's expected to be a very fine event," I said sarcastically and shot Beta Don a wink.
Before I knew it, a fully clothed Sophia emerged from the washroom with a smile plastered on her face, although the tinge of red in her cheeks told me she also wanted to hide in the nearest hole.
