“I’m so very sorry this happened to you while a guest on our property.” She put her hand gently on his arm. “I spoke with Alpha Harley this morning to assure him we’ll be investigating how this happened. I believe he spoke to your fellow betas earlier and requested that you all return home after breakfast. We’ll arrange to move your luggage to the main house, shortly.”
“Thank you.” Daryl didn’t know what else to say. He just wanted to get home now.
“Despite ending on such a sour note, I do hope your stay here has been beneficial.”
Daryl immediately thought of Jason.
“I think we set out to achieve what Cam was aiming for. The two units seem to have buried their animosity towards one another.”
“And you, Mr Easton?” she said quietly. “Will you be leaving here having achieved anything?”
Her raised eyebrow told him she was referring to him and Jason.
“I don’t know.” It was the only answer he could give. After Jason’s declaration and request the night before, he really had no clue where they stood.
She sighed as though his answer wasn’t what she’d been hoping for. “Safe travels.” She gave his arm a squeeze before letting go. “I hope you won’t need to see us again any time soon.” She grinned and Daryl laughed.
“As interesting as this trip has been, me too.”
They left him to return to the main house, and Daryl headed into the dining area. The noise level was higher than normal—understandable considering what had happened yesterday.Might as well goin and get it over with.
THEY ARRIVED home late afternoon.
Jason had driven their car, with Daryl in the passenger seat. Apart from a little small talk, they hadn’t really spoken—Kara and Tasha sat in the back this time, and Daryl didn’t want an audience for what he and Jason needed to talk about.
Cam met them on the pavement, clearly impatient for them to get home.
He greeted the unit members first, placing his hand on the base of their throats as he asked them about the trip.
Daryl leant against the car, tired.
“You okay?” Jason asked, nudging his foot.
Glancing up, Daryl sighed. “Knackered, that’s all.” He gave Jason what he hoped was a pointed look. He didn’t want to discuss anything personal in front of Cam either.
“Understandable.” Jason’s expression gave nothing away, which Daryl found slightly irritating.
He’d got used to reading Jason like a book.
The others began to trickle away as Cam moved through them, until finally only the betas remained.
Cam greeted Daryl first, pulling him in for a hug. “You had me worried for a while there.”
“It was nothing,” he grunted, embarrassed. “Just a freak accident.” Not that being surrounded by his alpha’s scent wasn’t comforting—he breathed it in and sighed, relaxing under Cam’s touch—but he didn’t like showing even this much vulnerability in front of the others. Fellow betas or not.
And that wasn’t counting whatever weird relationship status he and Jason were in at the minute.
He didn’t shrug out of Cam’s grasp, but he let out a tiny huff of relief when Cam moved on to Rachel.
She had Sara clamped to her side, and if Daryl felt the sexual tension oozing off them, it must have been overwhelming for Cam. He let his hand drop from her throat with a chuckle. “I won’t keep you out here for long.”
After doing the same to Jason and Jenn, Cam stepped back, facing them. “I know you’re all weary from the past ten days, but I’d like a full report from each of you while it’s still relatively fresh in your minds. Go home, rest or whatever you need to do to recharge your batteries. I’d like to meet with you all at nine tomorrow morning, followed by a full beta meeting at ten.”
Daryl nodded and trudged up the steps after Jason towards their building.
They were on different floors—Daryl on the third, Jason on the ground floor—and Jason paused at the door to the stairwell.
He sighed and Daryl braced himself for whatever he was about to say.
