Beta's Secret Betrayal

Chapter Three: Till Death Do Us Part...

Aaron’s POV

    I got here 10 minutes early and have been waiting outside, listening to the birds chirp and watching the grass grow. 10 minutes can become excruciating when your mate is just on the other side of the door. Time ticks by so slowly and then it hits me, her scent, she’s coming. My wolf is practically dancing around in my head as she gets near, and if I’m being honest I’m not far off either.

     I open the front door striding into her book filled dwelling. I look to the back of the room and see a fiery haired goddess descending down a spiral stair case, my breath hitches in my throat. “Move closer you i***t, don’t just stand there staring at her!” I can feel my wolf rolling his eyes at me.

     I walk to the stair case and offer her my hand once she nears the bottom, she blushes and slides her longer slender fingers over my palm, accepting it. Sparks shoot through my arm and I can’t seem to control my breathing. “You are staring again” my wolf sighs.

     Jade has turned away from me blushing. I grab her chin with my finger and pull her gaze back to me. “You look absolutely beautiful” I smirk at her, and her shy smile in return only makes me smile wider. “Thank you she says, so do you.” Her eyes go wide and she starts stumbling over her words. “I I I…I mean you look handsome, not beautiful, not that you don’t look beautiful, but I suppose men don’t want to be called beautiful, although I do think your eyes are beautifghl.” I put my finger on her lips to stop her adorable rambling. 

    “You may call me anything you like Jade, and I am very pleased you find my eyes Beautifghl” I say mimicking her pronunciation when my finger was in the way. Her face flushes red and she giggles. Music to my ears. I want to kiss her so bad right now, but there will be time for that later. “No kiss her now.” My wolf whines. “No, you can wait” I push him back and take full control.

     “So where are we going?” Jade breaks the heavy silence. “It’s a surprise” I say, plastering a devilish smirk to my face. I take her hand in mine and pull her out the front door. When we turn and walk into the forest she seems surprised, but doesn’t seem disappointed. “Is this where you take me to into the woods, kill me and bring my head back to the Alpha as a trophy?” Jade says seriously then laughs at herself. 

    Okay, note to self, my mate has a sick sense of humor. “Dark much?” I question. She waves her hand in front of her body, “It’s kind of my aesthetic if you didn’t notice.” Oh I noticed, it’s part of why I wore a black button down shirt, I had hoped she’d like it. “Yes I have noticed” I say while eyeing the black lace strap of her bra as it runs over her milky white skin, the perfect contrast. She notices my heavy gaze, and looks away blushing.

     Coughing to break the tension, “So when do we get to my grave?” She giggles again. Oh that sound is heavenly, it could be the death of me. I smile at her as she snorts holding her hand over her mouth with wide eyes. I try so hard not to laugh and embarrass her. “Almost there, ya ready?” I ask and she just nods, breathing a sigh of relief that I hadn’t drawn attention to her adorable snort. After walking for about 15 minutes we finally reach our destination.    

     I pull back some foliage to reveal a moonlit lagoon. I hear her gasp, and puff up my chest, proud that I seem to have picked the perfect spot for our first date.

Jade’s POV

    Oh. My. Goddess. The sun has set and my friend the moon is on the rise. Fractures of moonlight break through the heavy trees and skid across the rippling surface of the lagoon in front of me. The water is a rich midnight blue, and it looks like liquid silk, I bet it feels heavenly. 

    I walk forward and am about to reach out and touch it, when Aaron’s stops my stride. “Careful, the banks are slick this time of year.” He’s holding my hand, his fingers lace through mine like they were designed just for this purpose. Tingling goosebumps rise up my arms. “You wouldn’t let me drown would you?” I say giving him the most confident smirk I can muster with this damned rapid heartbeat.

     “Never” His baritone voice taking on a serious edge. “Doesn’t mean I won’t push you in” The devilish grin dancing across his lips, sets my insides ablaze. He starts laughing, and the thunder of it rumbles straight to my core. It’s contagious and soon we are both in fits of laughter shoving and pulling each other dangerously close to the waters slick edge.

     Why is this so easy? Interacting with others has never been easy for me, and here I am goofing around with a man I met this morning, and not just any man, he’s the packs beta. He’s second in command, and the Moon Goddess has chosen me as his mate, I just hope she hasn’t made a mistake. This mate bond is really something. I pause amidst the laughter and pushing to really see him. His raven hair is a perfectly tousled mess atop his head, his amber eyes almost glow in the moonlight, he has a strong jaw and pronounced nose, he’s covered in the most delicious olive skin, and his full lips are permanently stuck in a smirk. He is the essence of man, he is practically dripping masculinity.

     He catches me staring and a knowing smirk graces his full lips. I shove him playfully one more time trying to avoid his questioning gaze, but leave it to my clumsy ass, I slip heading towards the water, but I never feel the splash. I open my eyes that were closed in anticipation and watch in slow motion as my mate dives head first into the midnight blue water. 

    Oh good job Jade, my wolf snickers. He saved me only to fall in himself. I start laughing hysterically until I realize he isn’t surfacing and my mind starts going crazy.

 What if he can’t swim, oh Goddess have I just killed my mate?