My mouth falls open as I stare up at the back of the biggest house I’ve ever seen. The building is two, maybe three stories tall, and sits in the center of a beautiful meadow. And it’s huge. Easily three times bigger than the tiny house I grew up in with a large deck that looks like it wraps around the whole house.
Killian pulls me forward and I look down at the short grass. Each blade is the exact same length. It’s bizarre. The goats we raise seem to overchew certain parts of our yard while neglecting others. But this is perfectly trimmed right up to the pine trees lining the whole edge of the meadow. They act like a barrier between the house and the wild forest.
“Do you like it?” Killian watches my reaction carefully.
I nod, not sure what to say.I don’t want him to think he can win me over with a pretty building.
“Jeremy picked this spot for the view.” Killian looks past me and I turn.
Shit.
It’s gorgeous.
Nestled in a deep valley, a thick forest spans out for miles. The tops of the trees are so vibrant—green, orange, red and yellow. And it’s all framed by the distant mountains. They jut upward, the snowcapped tops hidden behind the clouds. I can’t help but wonder if they’re the same mountains I used to look at from my bedroom window. If they are, then I’mveryfar fromhome. Those mountains are usually much bigger, but right now they look miles and miles away.
“Alpha!” An excited voice in the distance pulls me from my thoughts.
“Follow me.” Killian pulls me forward. “There’s someone I want you to meet.” He pulls me forward, edging up toward the beautiful valley as we walk to the house.
The normal-looking cabin shifts as we turn the corner and it’s like a completely different home has taken its place. The entire outside wall is one massive floor-to-ceiling window. Inside, I can see a big sitting area, a long dining table, and what looks like a kitchen in the back. The reflection from the sun on the glass makes it hard to make out all the details inside, but what I can see isveryfancy—bulky dark furniture, and white walls with large pictures hang on them. I squint trying to see what they are, but we’re walking too fast.
“We have a sizable garage that way.” Killian points in some random direction. “And here’s the front of the house,” he says as we walk around an enormous oak tree. The vibrant fall leaves still cling to the branches. The trunk is pressed right up against the edge of the building, almost as if it’s grown into it. I stare at it in awe as we turn the corner.
The front of the house is very similar to the back—dark wood with a few windows surrounded by white trim—except there’s a long front porch that spans the whole width of the house. And standing right in front of the door are Basil and Tristan.
“They’re here,” Basil says, and a young man steps out from behind Tristan.
He has breathtaking icy-blue eyes that go wide with excitement as we approach. He appears to be around my age. His black hair is brushed back and his skin is very fair. It makes the three overlapping mating bites on his neck stand out. He’s slim with narrow hips but surprisingly broad shoulders.He looks very short, but that might be because he’s standing between Basil and Tristan.
“Did you survive without us, beta?” Killian says with a playful lift in his voice.
“Barely.” The young man smiles when Basil kisses his temple.This has to be Jeremy.“You must be Beth.” He fidgets as we approach, crossing his arms then tucking them behind his back. Finally, he clasps them, standing awkwardly. But the second I step up onto the porch, Jeremy’s smile falls and his mouth falls open. “Oh, my.” He rushes to me, examining the side of my face. He’s definitely not short. He has to be at least five foot eight. Maybe five foot nine.
“She’s okay,” Killian says, but Jeremy ignores him, turning to Basil.
“You said she had some bumps and bruises.” The beta’s voice is filled with worry. “Nothing this bad.” He turns back to me, his hands ghosting over the side of my face.
I take a step back. “I’m fine,” I say, not really in the mood to be touched. My cheek still hurts. As does my hip. And my back. Really, my whole body is a battered mess.
“And your feet.” Jeremy looks down, eyeballing the once black sandals. They’re caked in mud and grass, sticking to the wool socks and shitty sweatpants. “Let’s get you inside.” Jeremy takes my hand, and my whole body locks up, but he doesn’t tug or pull. He waits for me to move all on my own. “How about a nice bath, then a proper dinner?” He pauses, making sure I’m looking at him before saying, “I didn’t know what you might like to eat.” He grimaces slightly. “Do you like roast?”
I immediately nod, and my stomach growls in agreement.
Shit. I was going to be an asshole to this guy. Stern and angry. But this beta is too nice.It could be a trick.The voice in the back of my mind reminds me to stay cautious.
“Roast sounds amazing.” Tristan pats his firm belly. “I could eat a fucking mountain lion.”
“Don’t you dare touch that roast until Beth is all cleaned up.” Jeremy points a finger at the burly alpha. “I won’t have her first meal in this house be scraps.”
Tristan freezes, clearly enraged, and my whole body goes tense. “Are you fucking kidding me?” His dark eyes narrow and his fists curl. The urge to run is almost impossible to ignore.
“There are leftovers in the fridge,” Jeremy says, not bothered in the least by the alpha’s obvious anger. I hold my breath, praying I don’t accidentally get hit when Tristan starts swinging.
But then something shocking happens.
Tristan lets out a heavy sigh, before turning and marching toward the house. “Bullshit,” he grumbles under his breath. “Forced to skip lunch, now goddamn leftovers for dinner.” He shoves open the front door, disappearing inside.
If Scott had spoken to Burke, or even Tony, like that he’d be nursing a bloody nose for the rest of the day.
