The Beta Series: The Redeemed Beta

Chapter 23

I step out of the Alpha’s office and stop in the hallway. I close my eyes and breathe in deeply. It doesn’t take long to catch my mate’s scent. I had expected her to go back to my apartment, but her scent is traveling in the opposite direction.

I follow it while ignoring everyone I come across. I can’t let her get too far, and if I stop to talk to people, I will miss her. I don’t even know what I should say to her, but I’m hoping it will come to me when I’m in front of her.

It doesn’t take me long to make it outside, in front of the packhouse. That would be a problem, given the mixing of scents and the freshness the air brings. Luckily for me, I’m a ranked member, so her scent isn’t lost for me.

I turn and head toward the treeline, my mind racing. She doesn’t know this area, so I wonder why she might be going. The warriors don’t really know about her, so there’s a chance that she will be detained. What if she’s leaving?

What are you saying, Gideon? Where could she be going?

She could be leaving packlands. If she leaves, how will we find her again?

Let’s not go to the most dramatic possibility, okay? I will find her. I close the link, but Gideon’s words keep swirling around in my mind.

There’s a real possibility that Danny plans to leave our territory. For all I know, she was on her way somewhere, and that’s where she could be trying to go right now. Maybe she has someone waiting for her… that could be the secret that she’s hiding.

The more my mind works, the more worked up I become. I start moving faster, trying to find her before she gets too far. Her scent is mixing with everything outside, and it’s thinning out.

I come to a clearing and find my mate standing in the middle of it. I stop and watch her. Danny looks around in front of her as if she's looking for a way out. I’d imagine that she’s wondering what direction will take her to the borders. I clear my throat before opening my mouth. “You left in a hurry.” She doesn’t move and doesn’t turn around.

“I thought it would be best. I don’t really belong here.” I step forward, but maintain my distance.

“So you were just going to leave without a word?” Danny shrugs her shoulders, keeping her back facing me.

“Why not? Wouldn’t it be easier if I walk away? No muss, no fuss.”

“I think it’s a bit rude. We took you in and made sure we helped you survive. It would be decent to say something before disappearing.”

“That’s you assuming that I’m a decent person. You don’t know me.” I let out a small sigh, not wanting to deny what she said. I really don’t know anything about her, and there’s no denying that.

“Even if we weren’t fated mates, you couldn’t leave. I mean, not after what happened today with Skye.” Danny slowly turns to face me, standing with her hands on her hips.

“So you plan to keep me hostage because we are mates?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t, but you kind of implied it. As far as Skye is concerned, I wouldn’t say anything about that. Hell, I don’t even know what happened earlier.” I shake my head.

“I’m supposed to believe you? I know that you’re hiding something from me, but you want me to believe that you wouldn’t tell anyone what happened with Skye? How does that work?”

“It works because she’s a kid and I couldn’t do that to a child.”

~Danny~

I have to actively work on swallowing the urge to cringe at my words. I can’t believe how easily I’m standing here and lying to my mate’s face. I don’t even like lying, but what else am I supposed to do?

I originally left the office so I could find somewhere to think. I wanted to come up with a solution that would work well for everyone. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a one-size-fits-all solution.

I have to try to protect Skye, but to protect Skye, I sacrifice Khalid. If I want to take care of Khalid, I have to sacrifice an innocent toddler. There truly is no winner in this scenario. I hate that I’m even in this position. I’d much rather go after Brackston and end him, which would end the threat that’s over all three of us.

Once those thoughts hit my head, I thought that it would be better just to disappear. I didn’t have any destination in mind. I don’t even know where I am or what’s close to me. I just figured that if I left, I could put a pause on all of this. If Brackston can’t find me, he can’t enforce anything on me, right?

I should have known my mate would come looking for me. I don’t know why I tried to lie to myself about that face. Now, I’m standing here and lying to him as if he’s stupid. Mate isn’t stupid.

I figured as much, but he can’t find out the truth yet. I don’t know how to fix this mess.

Just tell mate the truth. He can help us.

You don’t know that, Mona. You don’t know that he would be willing to help. I cut the link before she could answer. She says the same thing over and over, and I wish I could be as confident as she is. I don’t have any proof that this could work out well for me, and I’d rather not assume that it will.

“I don’t even know what happened earlier, so what could I really say? Just let me go, and I swear I will disappear.” Dominic lets his head tilt to the side, and his eyes are all over me. It feels like he’s peeling away every layer, trying to get to the core of me.

“And what about us?”

“What do you mean?” He closes his eyes and lets out a breath.

“Don’t do that. Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. Don’t act like we don’t have a bond between us.”

“What do you want me to say? I’m no good for you or for this pack. You’d be best rejecting me. It would be the safest thing to do. Let me go, and I swear you won’t have to worry about me ever again.” Dominic steps forward until he’s only a few feet in front of me.

“Could you do that? Could you really just let me, let us go like that? You would walk away and never look back?” I guess that’s the question, isn’t it? Can I truly walk away from this man, from my future and not give it a second thought?