BETA's LOVER

Chapter- Fifteen

ALISTAIR

The party roared around me, the bass vibrating through the floor, and laughter blended with the hum of voices. But none of it reached me—not with Mackenzie on my mind. The crowd was a blur, everyone decked out in their finest, yet none of it mattered. I scanned the sea of faces, but there was no sign of her. I sighed, grabbed a drink, and made my way over to where Cylon and Arthur stood, mingling with others.

Then I saw her.

It was as if the room shifted. The music, the chatter, everything faded into the background. My heartbeat quickened with each step she took toward me, and I couldn't look away. There was something in the way she moved, an effortless grace that made it seem as if the world paused for her.

She was still Mackenzie, but not. Not like this. The confident, relaxed energy she usually carried had transformed into something

sharper, more captivating. Her presence was commanding—like she was meant to be the center of attention, and everyone else was just along for the ride.

The dress she wears clings to her like it was made for her-sleek, black, simple in design but so damn elegant. It hugs her frame, tracing the delicate curve of her waist, and falls in soft folds around her legs, just enough to hint at the shape of her body without revealing too much. The neckline dips slightly, not too daring but just enough to make her look effortlessly seductive. It was her whole demeanor that pulled me in, making it impossible to look at anyone else.

I couldn't control the sudden heat in my chest, my pulse thundering in my ears.

Her hair, usually open or in a low ponytail with bangs covering the upper part of her eyes, today cascades up to her shoulders in loose waves, catching the light like dark silk. Every movement makes it shimmer, like there's fire running through the strands. And her eyes—those deep blue eyes—were brighter tonight, lined with precision but still holding that unbothered, natural beauty she always had.

And her lips..Oh God. Red and inviting, they sent a jolt through me every time they moved, every time they smiled. I felt my manhood getting a rush of blood as my wolf was stirring, too, urging me to claim her, to mark her as mine.

But Mackenzie was completely unaware of the power she held over the room. She wasn't just walking in; she was owning it. People's gazes flicked toward her, some admiring, others envious, but none of them looked at her the way I did.

I swallowed hard, my chest tightening. I shouldn't be feeling this way, not here, not now, but damn, it was hard to resist.

"Alistair, close your mouth, or do you need help?" Jazmine's voice broke through my thoughts, pulling me back to the present.

I chuckled and muttered, "I couldn't help it," my gaze still following Mackenzie as she conversed with her friend and Cylon.

She steps closer, her perfume mingling with the sweet scent of her skin, underlined by something primal that stirs a part of me that's never been tamed. I'm acutely aware of every inch of her.

We took a seat a little farther from the dance floor. I grabbed a glass of champagne, then passed it to Mackenzie when I sat beside her. I noticed her eyes soften as she took it.

Leaning in slightly, I couldn't resist teasing. "I think the others missed the memo," I said in a low voice only she could hear, "They were supposed to be the ones impressing, but here you are, making us all look like we're in the wrong place."

Mackenzie didn't respond immediately. Her gaze flicked over the crowd before landing on me, as if weighing my words. Her lips twitched, but she kept the smile at bay. Her voice, when it came, was soft, almost a whisper. "You think I'm overdressed?"

I chuckled under my breath. “Not even close.” My eyes dragged down her body once more—slow, deliberate.

"You look... dangerous. In the best way."

She looked away as if she could hide her reaction, but I saw everything. The twitch in her lips. The way her fingers tightened around the glass. The way she leaned just slightly toward me, whether she knew it or not.

"Dangerous, huh?" she echoed, her tone still light, but there was an edge to it.

I leaned closer, voice dropping. “Want to know why you’re dangerous?”

She met my eyes again—curiosity winning. “Why?”

I leaned in a little closer, just enough to close the space between us. "It's the way you carry yourself," I said, “Like you could own any room without lifting a finger. And somehow make people think it was their idea.”

Her lips twitched again, a half-smile forming but never quite reaching her eyes. She wasn't one to give in easily, and that only made me want to push more. I could tell she was enjoying the way I was looking at her.

She tilted her head, peering up at me from beneath her lashes, and after a pause, spoke again. "Is that your way of saying I'm intimidating?"

I chuckled before a smirk took place.“Only when you look at me like that.”

Her brows lifted a fraction. “Like what?”

“Like you’re trying to decide if you’re going to ruin me or not.”

She said nothing—but her silence was loud. She just sat there, meeting my gaze with those piercing eyes of hers. A challenge forming. "I'm not trying to intimidate anyone," she said smoothly. "I just don't feel the need to make an impression. If people notice me, that's their problem."

God, this woman.

Her words were like a subtle challenge, a reminder that she wasn't here for anyone's approval. But still, there was something more beneath her calm exterior—a flicker of awareness, something that told me she knew exactly how much power she had in this room.

My voice dropped to a whisper as I looked over her once, "Well, if it makes you feel any better, Mackenzie," I said, "You've made

an impression on me. No effort required."

Her eyes flickered, just the slightest shift, but enough to make me pause. She hadn't expected that, or maybe she had. She was opening up, just a little. Maybe it was the champagne, but her straightforwardness—her quiet confidence—drove me wild.

"Is that so?" she murmured, her voice soft but tinged with curiosity. "And what exactly is it that you see?"

I didn’t hesitate as I held her gaze, steady. The world around us seemed to disappear, and in that space, it was just us.

“Someone far more dangerous than she lets on,” I said, my voice almost a whisper. “Someone who knows exactly what she’s doing… even when she pretends not to.”

Her lips part, a soft breath escaping, but no words follow. She doesn't need to say anything—her eyes have already said it all. The walls she's built are starting to crack, and for the first time, I can see beneath them.

She felt it. The pull. The shift.

The way the air changed between us

She has feelings for me, I am sure of it, and she feels the bond between us, even if she refuses to acknowledge it. Something holds her back, keeps her from fully embracing what's happening between us. She won't admit it, not yet.

The ladies move to the dance floor, leaving us men behind.

A few pack members are aware of the importance Mackenzie holds in my life, and they've been careful to keep their distance, aware of the tension in the air.

Cylon's voice pulls me back to the present, low and almost drowned by the noise around us. "I hope everything goes well tonight."

I take a long drink, the burn doing nothing to settle the knot in my stomach. "I am afraid of their reaction," I blurt out, the words slipping from me before I can stop them.

Cylon meets my eyes, his expression strained. "I don't even know what to say," he mutters, voice rough. "It's not just about telling them. It's everything. What if Quinn can't handle it?"

I don't have an answer. I feel the same way. Mackenzie has no idea what she's walking into—no idea that I'm not just some regular guy. The thought of her looking at me like I am... something dangerous, something alien—it's enough to make my chest tighten.

"I don't think they will ever see us the same after this," I say softly, mostly to myself. "It's not just a shock—it's a betrayal. We've been lying to them all this time. And once the truth's out, there's no going back."

Cylon grunts in agreement. "Exactly. I can't lose her, Alistair."

I clench my fists on the table, trying to focus on something else. "I don't want to lose mine either. But we have to do this. We can't keep hiding the truth about us to them. Sooner or later, they'll find out,"

Today party was arranged for their welcome as our mates and for our revelation.

Silence stretches between us, thick with tension. Cylon runs a hand through his hair, jaw tight. "I hope everything goes well as we have planned,"

I lean back in my chair, my gaze drifting to Mackenzie across the room, laughing with the others, oblivious to the storm brewing. They don't know. None of them do. And that's the hardest part.

Arthur firm voice breaks through the heaviness. "We will figure this out together and I am sure everything will go well. But for now, we have to make them understand very carefully," Cylon says, his eyes dark with concern. "I have spoken to Thavma and Pavlos. They're willing to help if we need them."

I look at him, the weight of his words settling between us. We all were in this together, though neither of us has a clue how to

handle it. But there's no turning back now.

For now, all we can do is hope. Hope that tonight doesn't destroy everything we have worked for.

We force a laugh at a joke just as the ladies return to the table, desperate to break the serious tension hanging between us.

"Did you have fun?" Cylon asks Quinn, taking her hands in his.

"Yes! Dance with me!" she says with a grin, and they make their way back to the dance floor.

I focus on controlling my emotions as I turn my attention back to Mackenzie. She's sitting to the side, her body angled toward me, her eyes locked on mine. She's studying me, her lips slightly parted, as though waiting for me to make the next move.

"Would you do me the honor of sharing this dance with me?" I ask, my voice smooth, a playful edge slipping into it.

Her blue eyes flicker up to mine, satisfaction in them, like she'd been waiting for this moment. She takes my hand, and I pull her gently to her feet, leading her toward the dance floor.

I smirk. "You're not much of a dancer, are you? I've been watching you." My hand rests at the small of her back, guiding her closer. She doesn't resist, but she doesn't fully give in either.

She places one hand on my shoulder, her gaze flickering to the floor, then back to me. The silence between us is thick, charged. I lean in closer, keeping the playful energy alive. She's quiet, and I love how her silence makes me want to push her further.

"Don't tell me you're too shy to dance," I murmur, my voice low.

She tilts her head slightly, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. She's not shy, but she's not fully surrendering to the moment either.

"You will have to convince me," she says, her voice soft but steady.

I chuckle, stepping even closer, letting our bodies almost touch. I lower my voice to a whisper, letting the weight of my words

linger in the air. "Convince you? That's what I do best."

She raises an eyebrow, unflinching. I can feel her measuring me, deciding how far she's willing to let this go. When she doesn't bite, I feel a spark of challenge and something deeper flickers in her eyes.

"I don't need convincing," she murmurs, her voice steady but with a quiet confidence. "I need to see if you can keep up."

I laugh, surprised, but the challenge in her tone stirs something in me. I step closer, my chest brushing against hers this time. "Oh, I will keep up. But I will warn you..." I let my words hang as I lean closer, my lips grazing her ear. "I don't do anything halfway."

Her pulse quickens just beneath the surface, and I notice it, the way she holds herself back, yet there's something in her that's drawn to me.

"What do you do, then?" she asks, her voice soft, yet full of curiosity. She's watching me closely now, her eyes never leaving mine.

I let out a slow breath, my eyes on hers. "I take things to the edge."

The tension thickens. She watches me, her lips slightly parted, there's a spark in her eyes now, something unspoken between us.

"And what happens when you go over the edge?"

Her words are exactly what I have been hoping for. I tilt my head, leaning in just enough that our lips are almost touching.

"I think," I murmur, "you will be the one to find out."

She doesn't pull away. Instead, she meets me, her body pressing closer, her fingers brushing against my chest with purpose. There's a pull between us, subtle yet undeniable.

"I don't mind taking risks," she says, her voice low, warmer now, almost daring.

I smile to myself, feeling that familiar rush of victory. "Neither do I."

But then, just as quickly as the moment seems to tip into something more, she pulls back, enough to make me hold my breath. Her gaze stays on mine, steady and calm, but there's something in the way she watches me now that feels like the start of something dangerous.

Breaking the tension, I take her hands in mine and look into her searching eyes.

"Mackenzie..." My voice is lower now, rougher, but I try to steady it. "There's something I need to tell you."

I step closer, cupping her face with one hand, my thumb grazing the back of her neck. She doesn't pull away which was a good

sign, but there's a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes.

"I am not like the other guys here," I whisper, each word thick with truth. "And neither are they."

I almost cursed myself for the absurd things I was saying.

Her frown deepens, and she pulls back just slightly. "What—"

Before she can say more, frantic screams echo through the room, followed by growls. The chaos spreads, and in an instant, I hear

Jose's voice in my mind.

Beta, the rogue escaped from the dungeon! He's here at the party!

I don't even have time to process it.

"Why the f**k, are you reporting so late?!" I growl, my mind racing. Take men with you, cover the borders, and don't let him

escape or I'll have your head!

I grab Mackenzie's hand, pulling her urgently toward Jazmine and Cylon. Arthur is nowhere to be seen—of course. Arthur was nowhere in sight- as expected from the Alpha.

"Take care of her," I say, handing a confused Mackenzie to Jazmine. She nods and quickly ushers them both away, out of harm's way.

There was no easy way to explain any of this to Mackenzie what was happening, what was about to happen. And if I didn't act

soon, the wolf would take over to protect its pack from threat. The change was already starting to itch beneath my skin. I steal one last glance at Mackenzie—her eyes locked on mine, unmoving. Confusion, maybe fear, but I can't afford to see it.

Without another word, sending a curt nod to Cylon, I shift, my body ripping through the change. Cylon follows, and we race toward the chaos, no time left to look back. Well aware of the peering eyes of our mates. I don't even want to imagine. With a growl, I ran faster towards where we heard Arthur's growls alongside the rogues.

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