Promised to the Beta

Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

The bass from the music inside thrums through the soles of my feet, a wild heartbeat syncing with my own. Sweat mingles with the scents of a good time as I push through the back door of the pack house. Moonlight spills across the yard, casting long shadows that stretch like fingers over the grass. I let the cool night air wash over me, diluting the heavy smells of the gathering.

I scan the perimeter, eyes sharpening, searching for the phantom watcher who had set my nerves on edge. My pulse quickens, each beat a drum calling me to the hunt. But there's nothing. Just the whisper of leaves and the distant hoot of an owl. I move silently across the lawn, ears pricked for the sound of footsteps, but all I hear is the distant laughter and growls from inside.

"Shouldn't you be enjoying the party?" Logan's voice slices through the quiet, and I whirl around, heart leaping into my throat. There he stands, leaning against the wooden frame of the door, arms crossed, brown eyes peering at me through the darkness.

"Thought I saw something," I say, trying to keep my voice even. It's hard when every cell in my body reacts to his presence—heat pooling in my stomach, skin prickling with awareness.

"Or someone." He straightens up and steps toward me, his movements fluid and graceful. The moonlight catches in his hair, turning it into a halo of soft shadows around his determined face. "You're not usually one for skulking outside alone."

"Neither are you," I counter, watching him close the distance between us. His concern is a tangible thing, wrapping around me like a shawl. I should push it away; I don't need protecting, especially not from Logan.

"Point taken." A half-smile plays on his lips, and for a moment, we just stand there, the rest of the world fading away. But I can't let myself get distracted. There's a reason I'm out here, and Logan, with all his headstrong kindness, won't pull me from my path.

"Did you see anyone?" I ask, my voice low as if afraid to disturb the stillness that hangs between us.

He shakes his head, causing strands of his brown hair to fall into his eyes. "No one. But then again, I wasn't really looking until now."

"Let's keep looking, together." I suggest, hoping he understands that this isn't just about tonight—it's about the secrets we keep and the darkness we hold at bay, even here, in the heart of our territory.

With a nod, he falls into step beside me, and together we move through the night, two hunters aligned in purpose, even if my heart races for reasons beyond the search. Logan's nearness is a balm and a curse, and I wonder, not for the first time, what it would mean to reach out and close the gap that has always been between us.

The chill of the night seeps into my bones, but I barely feel it as we scour the territory's edge. Logan moves with a grace that belies his strength, every muscle coiled and ready. My gaze follows the ripple of motion under his clothes, the way his brown eyes scan the darkness.

"Something's wrong," he says suddenly, and my attention snaps to his face. Concern etches deep lines around his mouth and brow. "You're taking risks, Mia."

I stop, turning to him, feeling the weight of his worry. "It's what we do, isn't it?" My voice is steady, but inside, my heart flutters like a trapped bird. "Protect those who can't protect themselves?"

He steps closer, and I'm acutely aware of how the moonlight casts shadows across his sharp jawline. "Not when it endangers the pack. Not when it involves humans who don't know what lurks in the shadows."

"Sometimes," I start, my words slow as I choose them carefully, "sometimes we have to step out of the shadows to make a difference."

His hand reaches up, fingers hesitating just shy of my cheek before he drops it to his side. "But at what cost, Mia? You're talking about guarding a human—someone who's already tangled in a web they don't understand."

I know he's right. The human world is oblivious to the cloak of danger that shrouds it, invisible threads woven by creatures like us.

"Logan," I say, closing the space between us enough to share the warmth radiating from his skin. "I can handle it. I need to handle it."

"Because you care about this human?" His voice is soft now, probing. It's not an accusation but a quest for understanding.

"Because it's the right thing to do." The conviction in my voice surprises even me. "Isn't that what you taught me? To be brave, to stand for something more?"

He's silent then, his gaze locked with mine, searching. And I let him see it—all the determination, the fear, the unspoken feelings that twist inside me. There's a connection here, one that goes beyond the pack, beyond the secrets we keep.

"Then we'll do it together," he says finally, his decision firm. "We protect our own, and if this human is under your watch, they're one of us now."

Relief floods through me, mingled with an emotion I dare not name. Together. The word lingers, heavy with promise and peril.

"Thank you," I whisper, knowing full well the consequences we might face. But with Logan beside me, I feel a surge of courage, wild and reckless.

For now, the shadows can wait. For now, we have a human to protect, and a mystery to unravel. And maybe, just maybe, a chance to explore this dangerous space between us where instinct meets desire, and the line between guardian and something more blurs into the darkness.