Page 46 of Knot Her Beta

“Not in our office, she’s not,” someone calls from up ahead, and we both freeze before finishing our trek up the stairs.

Blake stands with his arms crossed and a grin splitting his thick beard. His rainbow bead bracelet catches in the dim lights cast by the lamps dotted around the space, and a faint dusting of glitter winks in his beard from whatever craft project he did with Quinn earlier.

Nathaniel stands beside him, quieter, hands tucked into the pockets of his quilted jacket, his brown eyes fixed on us.

Uncertainty sweeps through me, the same way it did whenever I got caught sneaking in after curfew at the foster home where I grew up. “Why do I suddenly feel the need to start making excuses?”

“Do you?” Blake arches one eyebrow. “Should we be worried about your intentions toward our Omega, Alphas?”

I huff out a breath and shake my head, stepping forward. “A bit late to be gatekeeping, don’t you think?”

“Leif wasn’t pack before,” he counters. “Don’t think we’ll let you steal him away without even a proper courting period now.”

“You’re not being serious, are you?” I demand.

“Leif’s a grown man.” Jared steps up beside me. “If he wants to be courted, he hasn’t said so.”

“Doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve it.” Blake gestures toward the door. “Come on in. It’s cold as balls by the stairs.”

Wishing we’d decided to sleep on Leif’s floor instead, I follow Blake inside, Jared right on my heels.

The office space expands over the three-car garage below, with Dominic’s drafting desk at the back, Chloe’s writing office near the front, and a large L-shaped leather couch in the center of the room.

I’ve spent more than one night on this couch when I got caught up on the island until late at night, and I’d been looking forward to snuggling up with my bondmate tonight.

But snuggles are looking more and more distant now.

As I settle on a cushion, I notice a bottle of brandy and several glasses already set out on the coffee table, the amber liquid catching the lamplight.

Blake pours without asking and holds a glass out to me.

I wave it off.

With a frown, he shifts the glass to Jared, who accepts it, takes a sip, and hisses in appreciation.

The door that connects to the family quarters opens a few minutes later, and Dominic steps in. His usual French braid is loose, strands of black hair escaping around his face, and dark circles beneath his gray eyes give him the appearance of a man pulled away from a long night of work.

He drops onto the opposite L-section of the couch and scrubs a hand over his face. “Sorry. I’m still prepping for first quarter taxes.”

“You’re right on time.” Blake pours him a brandy. “Drink that before you fall asleep in the chair.”

Dominic takes the glass and doesn’t argue.

I give the three Wright Alphas a suspicious stare. “What’s this all really about?”

“We wanted to talk to you,” Blake says. “About sponsorship.”

Jared chokes on his drink, and my head whips toward him, a sense of betrayal burning through me.

“No, it wasn’t me,” he sputters, thumping his chest to dislodge the burning liquor from his lungs. “I didn’t even tell Kyle about my idea.”

“No, we’ve been talking about this for a while,” Nathaniel says. “Dominic just needed time to figure everything out.”

Jared and I turn to the tired Alpha, who lets out a long sigh.

“We don’t mean to offer to sponsor you for your own pack. Though if that’s what you’d prefer, we can talk about that, too.” He drapes one arm along the back of the couch and crosses his legs as he studies us. “We were hoping you’d consider joining the Wright Pack.”

Shock streaks through me. I had toyed with Jared’s suggestion of asking for a loan from the Wrights to start our own small pack, but I never once considered joining them as an option. It leaves me feeling as if the floor vanished beneath my feet.