Chapter Eleven
Betty slapped Ken on the back as he choked on his first bite of hot dog. She offered him the lemonade and he chugged half of it down.
“Is that a problem?” he asked while returning her drink.
“Yes!” She shook her head. “No!” She set the bottle next to her food and picked at the bun. “I don't know.” She’d thought he was a low-level hunter like her father. Second in command of the pack? That was a lot of responsibility. As his mate, some of those would land on her shoulders and she couldn’t even balance her bank account. “You don't act like any betas I know.” She didn't know any though, not personally, but he’d been waiting for her to say something. Not the truth.
He deserved someone better than her. Richer, prettier, smarter.
“How many betas could your old pack have had?” He continued eating.
“Uh… nine before I turned eighteen, since then I don't know. I'm not exactly in the loop.”
“Nine?” He set his hot dog aside. “In eighteen years, that's a lot.”
“Nine or ten years really. Before that I didn't really pay attention to pack politics.” She shrugged. It was a lot though. Riverbend Pack had issues. “The alpha, when I lived with the pack, was difficult to deal with so some betas eventually left to join other packs or were demoted. One even went to alpha a pack way up north.”
“I remember now. Chris Jenkins challenged the old Riverbend alpha. He was only eighteen and he won. Youngest Alpha on record. I hear things are more stable now.”
“I guess. I was eighteen, too, when Chris took over but I was already banished.”
Ken glanced at her uneaten dinner then wove their fingers together. “Let's talk about other things besides pack.” He kissed the back of her hand. “Would you like to meet my dogs?”
Her heart fluttered and she sat straighter. “You don't think it's too soon? I mean, we just met this morning.”
The twinkle in his amber eyes sent a shiver down her spine. “You showed me yours, let me show you mine.”
“Oh, honey, you know what I like.” She leaned forward and kissed the tip of his nose.
He sighed, resting his chin in his hand. “I needed a night like this.” A silly smile spread across his face as he stared at her as if memorizing every detail.
Desire curled in her lower abdomen. Maybe there was something to this soulmate thing because she felt like she'd known Ken forever.
He plucked a hot dog from her box and held it to her lips. “You know you want it,” he said in a singsong voice.
She took a bite, her appetite returning with a vengeance. “I'd love to meet your dogs.” Since she was about to lose all of hers. For a happy hour, she had forgotten her troubles, which now returned with a vengeance.
What would she do with all her animals? They’d all be strays. She continued her dinner in silence.
“Good. It's a date. I'll bring breakfast.”
“Oh, mornings are busy. My walkers come for the dogs and there’s chaos. Not a great environment for a meet and greet.” She hadn't thought he meant so soon.
“That’s fine. We’ll do it another time. I’ll still bring breakfast.”
She couldn’t stop smiling. Her life was falling apart, but Ken made her feel safe. She leaned against him, rubbing her face against his shoulder in a sign of affection. Just as quickly, she pulled away. The last few years, she’d been working her shifter upbringing out of her behavior. In less than twenty-four hours with Ken, it was returning. That didn’t happen when her dad visited. “We talked a lot about me. Tell me something about yourself.”
What was it about him that drew out her shifter side? Around him, she didn’t need to pretend to be something she wasn’t. Not like with Trixie or her other human friends.
“I'm a Virgo.”
She snorted.
“There's not much to tell. What would you like to know?”
“Tell me about your parents.” Safe topic. She loved hers and it was an opening to tell Ken they were on their way here to meet him. If that didn’t chase him away, then she’d take this soulmate thing more seriously.
“They're dead.”
She restrained the urge to smack her forehead. “Sorry to hear that.” Ugh, where was the hole she could crawl in to? “Was it recent?” She was so smooth it was a wonder that she didn't slide off the chair like a gross slug. Inside, she punched herself in the face.
He slung his arm over her shoulders, pulling her closer. “Don't worry about hurting my feelings. I never knew them. I grew up in a local orphanage until I was ten. My alpha adopted me once they discovered I was a shifter.”
Not only was he the pack beta, but the adopted son of the alpha. Great. No pressure. And she was worried about him meeting her parents.
The hot dogs weren't sitting well in her stomach.
“You look pale. Are you okay?”
“Just ate too much.”
“Let's get you home.” He scooped her into his arms and stormed the beach where he had parked the paddleboat.
She’d thought she'd had her fill of dating dominant males in high school.
She rested her head on Ken's shoulder. There was a huge difference between someone caring for her instead of caring to own her. She'd been alone for so long. Maybe Ken was a good thing?
Living among humans just hadn't filled the hole in her heart. They treated her nicely and as one of their own, but they didn't understand some of her instinctive reactions. If she snapped her teeth at Trixie, her friend took it very personally and gave her weird looks for days. Being with Ken reminded her of life before New Port.
He settled her inside the paddleboat and shoved it easily onto the lake with his shifter strength.
She twisted in her seat. “Beta, huh?”
He flexed his biceps. “Undefeated.”
Shifters admired strength and prowess. To climb the ranks and keep their position, they had to fight. Being his soulmate would be bad news for Ken. It wouldn’t be long before someone tested her by picking a fight. The challenge ring would be the death of her since she couldn’t shift. Ken taking her place was the only way she’d survive. The others in his pack would see her as a weakness. If Ken ever wanted to be alpha, he needed a strong mate, not a half-breed shifter-wannabe.
What was she getting herself into?
Eviction, parents, pack politics, all of it wouldn't matter if she could change shape. All her problems would go away. She’d be pack and truly sense the soulmate bond. She could live with Ken and her parents would trust her judgment. Most importantly, Ken’s father would accept her into the pack where she could fight for her own place and not lean on Ken’s protection.
She fiddled with the hem of her dress, staring at her lap as they paddled back to the dock. Her motivation to shift had dried up years ago.
“Are you sure we’re soulmates?”
Letting the paddleboat drift, Ken turned in his seat to face Betty. “I've never been more sure of anything in my life.” He'd heard all the stories of soulmate meetings. Everything they described was true. He’d known it the moment he’d gotten a good scent of her. “I wish you could be as sure as me.”
“See, that's my point. Soulmates can only be shifters. If I was a shifter, I would be sure.”
“So you feel nothing?” He didn’t believe that. Not after that moment on the beach.
She dropped her head in her hands. “I'm a mess. Maybe I do sense something, but there's so much pressure and stress in my life right now that I can't be distracted.”
He recalled Ryota's threats. Everyone in the pack knew he had found his soulmate so they expected her to be a shifter. She acted like one of them for the most part. She sure ate like one. “Let's take this a day at a time. I'm sure we'll figure things out eventually.”
Stress—they had that in common. Not only did he need to explain a death threat, but that he had to kick her out of her home as well.
He’d wanted one romantic night with her before he exposed her to the crazy that was his life. Yet he’d managed to mangle a well-planned date because that’s the way he rolled. He’d have to make this up to Betty.
The dock drifted in sight and he refocused on returning to shore.
“How was dinner?” asked the dock owner.
“It was great.” Betty’s smile lifted the burden crushing Ken’s heart.
“Really?” He couldn't resist brushing the back of his fingers over her cheek.
She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. “Definitely. That fancy restaurant would have made me feel uncomfortable.” She waited, shoes in hand, as he climbed onto the dock.
He lifted her out of the boat. “You were right.”
“About what?” She clasped his hand as they strolled to the car.
“The paddleboat was fun.” He didn't get enough joy in his life. Maybe that's why he was so fond of his dogs. They had low expectations and a delight for simple things. They played.
Betty played with him. Something no other pack member dared.
“You're smiling. What are you thinking about?” She tugged him closer.
He ran his fingers through her windblown curls. She was more beautiful this way—wild and free. “That you remind me of my dogs.”
She jerked away. “What?”
“That sounded better in my head.” He pulled her into his arms. “I love my dogs.” What was he saying? Had he just compared her to his strays? Someone stop his mouth before he wrecked things forever.
She melted along his body instead of decking him like he deserved. “I'll pretend that was a compliment.” She poked him in the chest. “On the condition that you'll practice new ones.”
He breathed a sigh of relief and opened the car door for her. “You bet.”
He drove her home. The neighborhood was dark. Every second streetlight seemed out and distant sirens hurt his ears. Metal shutters protected storefronts and the streets appeared deserted. He didn't want to leave her alone. Not in a place like this.
He parked in front of the rescue. “You have a lot of trouble in the area.”
She raised a perfect eyebrow. “How would you know?”
“I’ve done some real estate analysis in this area. Crime rates are high and income low.”
Betty snorted. “Someone should clean up this place. Make it better.” She sounded sarcastic.
“You wouldn’t want that?”
“Some developer is already buying the land and buildings. Once he’s done renovating, the rents will be raised. Then where will most of these people live?” She shrugged. “Like you said, income is low in this area.”
“I understand your concerns but upgrading the area will bring in new jobs. Probably better paying jobs. More customers to these already existing businesses. Change isn’t a bad thing.” He needed her to understand the pack’s vision for this neighborhood. Eventually the truth would get out. Just not tonight. One small step at a time.
He peered down the dark street. Could she fight off intruders? What if they had guns? “Maybe I should spend the night?”
“Is this another thing that sounded better in your head?” She crossed her arms.
Ken snapped his mouth shut. It had. Not so much now. “I'm worried about your safety.”
She patted his cheek. “I have two Great Danes patrolling the shelter. An intruder would have to be nuts to step onto their territory. Not to mention I’ve managed to take care of myself up until now. Another night won’t make a difference. Been doing it alone for years now.”
He leaned closer, drawing in her scent. “Not anymore.”
Her lips parted as their gazes locked. “No?” she whispered, her voice shaking.
“I’ll be there for you.” Unable to resist anymore, he brushed the loose strands of her hair away from her face. Touching her was like a drug. Each time the pleasure grew more addictive and he craved more.
She gave him a sardonic smile and ran her thumb along his bottom lip. “That’s what all the good boys say. They’re always the most dangerous.”
He gave a slow blink. “How?”
“A girl can spot a bad boy easy. You know what to expect when you date one so you guard your heart. And when things go south, we eat a pint of ice cream. A couple of chick flicks later, things are back to normal.” She pinched his chin gently between her thumb and index finger, drawing him so close they shared air. “The good ones…they tend to slip past a girl’s defenses. They promise things we want to hear and the next thing we know our hearts are shattered in pieces. No amount of ice cream can fix that. They’re more dangerous than any bad boy.”
“You sound like you’re talking from experience.”
She shrugged. “Maybe I am. Just makes what I’m about to tell you even more important.”
He could barely breathe. They were so close her lips brushed his as she spoke. It wouldn’t take much to close the gap, but he wasn’t that big of a fool. She was baring her fears. Something almost as difficult as revealing her heart.
“You, Mr. Birch, are very dangerous.”
He lowered his eyelids as the knot strangling his chest vanished. “I should take compliment lessons from you.”
“Maybe, but first you should kiss me.”
Ken pressed a tender kiss to her mouth, wanting to savor the moment. She might think him good but when it came to Betty, his thoughts were not chaste.
She combed her fingers through his hair, tugging him tighter against her.
He scarcely dared to breathe as she relaxed against him. It took every bit of his inner strength not to pull her onto his lap and explore her tempting curves. Having her here, clutched against him, felt like the greatest gift. He had spent so many years searching. Others in the pack had called him a dreamer at best, crazy at worst, to be so sure he would find her.
His Betty. His soulmate.
More than anything he ached to claim her, to take her as his own. But he wouldn’t. Not yet, not while she still doubted their bond. She was so tough, yet a moment ago he’d glimpsed her vulnerability. He would take the small joys she offered freely. Her kiss was a gift. He slid his hand behind her neck.
After a moment’s hesitation, she parted her lips. He slid his tongue into the warmth of her mouth, trying to ignore the rising scent of her arousal. It was killing him. To his surprise, her tongue immediately tangled with his and began to rub in an erotic motion. He couldn’t control the growl of pleasure that purred in his throat, shocked at how quick his body responded to hers.
He pulled away just long enough to brush his lips over hers in the gentlest of kisses. “Betty,” he murmured. Her name tasted like a promise on his tongue. If they didn’t part ways now, she would be coming home with him and he’d never let her leave.
She ran her hands over his rough cheeks. “I had a really nice time tonight, Ken.”
“Me too.”
“I’ll be fine. No one’s dumb enough to break into a dog rescue.” She kissed the tip of his nose. “But thank you for worrying. It felt nice.”
Before she escaped his vehicle, he grabbed her hand and raised it to his lips for a kiss. He caught her gaze, glimpsing the spark of wolf shifter responding to his dominant nature. “See you in the morning.”