Page 59 of The Beta's Heart


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She ignored him, watching as the group stole across the dark road and broke into Ren’s home.

“He’s trouble,” Tanner said.

“He’ll behave or he’ll die,” she promised.

* * *

Ren slowly woke to a buzzing sound. It reminded him of the time a woodpecker took up residence in a tree outside his bedroom. He rolled over and blinked, remembering quickly he wasn’t in his house, but in Kismet’s. He wasn’t sure they evenhadwoodpeckers in the fae realm.

Fumbling for his cell on the nightstand, he lifted it over his face and stared at the screen. Swiping his thumb, he drew it to his ear and said, “Hey, Acksel.”

“Sorry to wake you,” Acksel’s voice was deep and angry.

Ren sat up. “No problem. What’s going on?”

“Zander and Caleb were on patrol and went by your house. The front door was open, and man, I’m sorry but your house is trashed.”

“Fuck, seriously?”

“What’s wrong?” Kismet asked.

Ren pulled the phone away and said, “Someone broke into the house.”

“It was that woman, wasn’t it?”

“Probably.” Ren let out a growl. “Thanks for the call, Acksel. I’ll head home right away.”

“I’m on my way, too. I’ll meet you there.”

“Thanks,” Ren said. He ended the call and let out a full-blown snarl as he stood. He wanted to punch something.

“I’m coming with you,” Kismet said. She hopped out of bed and opened her dresser.

“You don’t have to, sweetheart.” He found his clothes from the night before and tugged them on. It had been their last night in the fae realm. Their plan had been to sleep in and head back to Wilde Creek around lunchtime.Now, they had to rush home and the sun hadn’t even completely risen yet.

“Of course I do! It’s my house, too, right?”

He scrubbed a hand through his hair and pushed his cell into his back pocket. “I’m sorry. I’m just…this is utter bullshit.”

“I know. But I want to be with you.”

He held out his hand and she joined him, settling close against him and resting her head on his chest. “I want you with me. I’m just not sure what we’re going to be walking into, and I might want to punch something. I’d rather you not see me lose it.”

She sighed and rubbed her cheek on his shirt. “You can lose it around me. It won’t change how I feel about you. And maybe I’ll punch something, too.”

She made a fist and jabbed the air with littlepow powsounds. It was enough to break the tension he felt and he laughed. Lifting her face, she smiled at him and he kissed her. “You’re so precious to me. Whatever happened to the house, the important thing is we weren’t there when it happened and we’re both fine.”

“Things can be replaced, but not people,” she said.

Indeed.

She opened a portal into the backyard of the house and they walked through. Zander and Caleb were there with Acksel and Sam. Ren shook their hands. “Before we go in, tell me what you saw.”

Zander said, “We’ve been patrolling this street every two hours. When we came by at three a.m., everything was fine. At five a.m., we saw the front door open. And not just cracked, but wide open, as if someone left it that way on purpose.”

Caleb nodded. “Zander called Sam who called Acksel, and we scouted the perimeter first and then went inside.”

“I’m sorry this happened,” Sam said. “We smell wolves in the house, but not anyone we recognize.”

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