Mated to the Alpha and His Beta (Lanie Stanton) novel Chapter 225

Chapter 225
Lanie
Whatever Zane had agreed to do, he and Rhiannon were out there right now talking about it. Even though my stomach felt almost sick with worry, I tried hard not to show it, not even when every attempt I made to reach him through the mind link went unanswered.
I trusted my mate. I had to. He and I had been through too much together for me to ever think that he could betray us.
But that didn’t mean I trusted the witch, and whatever she’d asked him to do so that he could get that invisibility potion had to be something he hadn’t wanted to admit to. Still, in my wildest dreams, I’d never imagined it would be something like…this.
“She wants what!?” Xander’s roar echoed throughout the kitchen, loud enough to wake the three infants sleeping in the living room.
One by one, they started up a chorus of wailing. Gabriela hurried from the room to calm them.
“Xander-” Zane held up his hands, but Xander wasn’t having it. He tossed away his Beta’s attempt at a grip, his own big fists clenching.
Mason stepped between them, a hand on each of their chests. “Calm the f uck down. Xander, step back, or I’ll have to make you step back. Zane, you too.”
Zane shook his head, panting and fists clenching, as his wolf glared out of his eyes. Xander snarled and whirled to give us all his back, then stalked to the other side of the kitchen.
I wasn’t sure what to say or how to react.
“Please, explain this to me. To us,” I added quietly. When Zane only shook his head without looking at me, I stepped in front of him. “Zane. You have to tell us what’s going on. We’re your mates. Your pack.”
Zane raked both hands through his hair, standing it on end. He took in a long, slow breath, visibly forcing himself to calm down. When I touched his arm, he flinched. My stomach sunk.
“Do you…you can’t have…feelings…?” I began haltingly, not sure I could even say the words out loud without puking.
His eyes flew open wide even as Xander growled and tossed over a chair. Mason picked it up and put out a hand to hold Xander back, but he didn’t say anything.
Zane pulled me against him in a hug that pressed my face against his chest. I closed my eyes, letting him
hold me for the few seconds before he gently pushed me back far enough to look into my eyes.
“I could never have romantic feelings for her, and I would never, ever betray you or Xander like that, Lanie.”
Relief soared through me. I shook my head, my throat closing with the rush of emotion. “I didn’t think so.
She asked you to do this because of the potion, right? You have to do what she asked.”
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soothing them one at a time.
I pulsed out a calming counterpoint as best I could. It took more out of me than I expected, but I could see Xander visibly relaxing. He still looked angry, but it was under control.
“I needed to do whatever it would take to make sure Lanie and the twins could get out of the facility,” Zane said as Mason let go of Xander. Both Alphas moved closer to us. “The witch was insisting that Lanie be the one to put herself in danger, so I knew I needed some help to be sure that if things went wrong, we’d have some help. When she gave me the potion that turned us invisible, it saved our lives…so I’m not sorry I agreed to do what she asked. Without that potion, Lanie and the twins wouldn’t be here. I did what I had to, so I told her I would give her a baby.”
“We aren’t giving her one of our children,” Xander snapped. “I don’t give a f uck what the witch wants.”
“No,” I said slowly, watching the flurry of expressions twisting Zane’s face. “She doesn’t want one of our pups.”
Zane shook his head and drew in a breath. I should’ve been furious with him, as angry and upset as Xander, but my heart swelled with wave after wave of love for the man in front of me. He’d been willing to sacrifice anything to make sure I was protected. That the twins were safe. Even if it meant having to disappoint his Alpha and his mate.
Zane straightened and faced his Alpha. “She’s not going to take one of our pups like some kind of fairy tale, no. She wants a child of her own. She wants me to get her pregnant.”
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