Chapter 230: Chapter 229

“He feels like sh it about it.”

“Yeah, | know. | can sense him.” An awkward silence stretched between us. “Look, we've never talked about us both being Alphas with only one Beta.”

too.

“It’s bad enough | have to share my Luna with you,” Xander growled. “Don’t think you can have my Beta, “I'm not trying to take him from you, or even ask you to share. But | need one, man. An Alpha without a Beta is...” | trailed off, trying to find the words to describe exactly what | meant. “Hollow.”

He’d been bristling, but after a moment or so, Xander’s tension eased. “Yeah. | get it. | can’t just give him, to you. You have to build that relationship, and he’s got to want it, too.”

“And | don’t see how | could realistically bring in my own,” | added, my mind fighting to figure out all the contortions that dynamic would take.

“F uck, no. No other men,” Xander said through bared teeth.

| grabbed two beers from the fridge and handed him one as he looked again out the window. | could feel Zane outside. He hadn't changed into his wolf, but | knew he wanted to. Needed to. Not just because it made sense, or because it’s what | could imagine I'd want or need right now, but because | literally felt his rising urge like it was my own.

F ucking freaky.

“He needs to run,” | said, but mildly, aware of how touchy this subject already was....and how much more ticklish it could end up getting.

“| know what my Beta needs,” Xander shot back.

| cracked the top off the beer and sipped it, letting the cold crispness run across my tongue. |

concentrated on the full sensations of carbonated, hops, yeast, sugars. | took them all in, and | sent them all.

Xander shuddered. “Cut that out”

“I'm just showing you, man. | know what he needs, too. We don’t have to like any of this, but it’s our life now.” | sipped again and watched Xander’s throat work as he swallowed.

With a mutter, he popped off the cap from his own beer and drank greedily. Lanie came back into the kitchen and held out her hand so he could pass her the bottle for a sip. She drank more daintily.

“| could taste it,” she said after a moment. “Just a hint of it. Mason, you were sending it to Xander. It was like | was listening from behind a closed door, only it was a flavor, not words. A feeling, really”

Warmth covered me like a heavy blanket as she crossed to me and gave me a long, solid hug. She gestured to Xander, who joined after a reluctant pause. She gripped us both tightly for a few seconds before stepping back “| know you wanted some time alone with me, love, but | think Zane really needs you right now.” She glanced at me. “Mason and | will be here to take care of the babies while your mother’s off doing whatever she’s doing. You and Zane should shift. Take him for a long, hard...run.”

The hesitation she had before that final word wanted to twist my lips into a smile, but | didn’t dare show We were all still navigating this...whatever it was. Xander sensed my humor, though. He frowned, but his eyes went again to the window.

“Go,” | urged. “We'll be okay here. Your Beta needs you. You need to take care of him. Make sure he understands that we're all on his side with this. All of us need our strength for whatever comes next, and he’s going to draw a lot of his from you.”

“From us,” Xander said aloud.

We shared a look and then clasped our forearms, fingers curling around the others’ wrists. We shared a nod while Lanie looked on with a broad smile.

“Go,” she told him. “We'll all be waiting here for you when you two get home.”