Page 65 of A Second Chance for the Beta

“How about we make it a Friday night date?” Dante offers. “Like a family thing. It would make sense that I invite you and Charlie out for a fancy dinner.”

“Good idea.” Liam nods. “I will talk to Stella and Portia and have Portia spread the news everywhere.”

I smile. If it’s Portia on the case, then it’s definitely a done deal. She is like Dave… just more eccentric and a tad bit more crazy. She owns a BDSM club, and together with one of Dave’s friends she co-owns a popular bar. “Wait a moment,” I say. “We could make this even easier for everyone involved, including the bad guys. Portia co-owns a fancy bar with Dave’s friend Ye-Joon. Why not go there? Ye-Joon is quarter-wolf and knows about us anyway; we can fill him in to an extent.”

Liam nods at me approvingly. “I think this might be our best shot.” Before he can say anything else, there is a knock at the door. I don’t even need to wait for the person to step inside to know who it is. Liam’s expression changes the second he takes in her scent, and his eyes get this gentle touch.

“Sorry to interrupt your meeting,” Annie says while entering the room.

“You are not interrupting anything,” Liam says.

I feel guilty instantly. Annie is my best friend, and I completely forgot to tell her what has happened today. I was just so stressed that I had a one-track mind. But Annie doesn’t seem to be hurt or angry at all. “Livia filled me in on everything,” she says. “Well, in most parts.”

“I will tell you everything later,” I promise.

“That’s not what I came here for, though,” she says. “I was in my office and got a call there. I felt it was weird that they would call me instead of the alpha of the pack.”

“Who was it?” Liam asks, instantly concerned.

“I’m not sure,” Annie says. “A certain Sonya. She called from France.” Liam’s eyes darken in anger while my mouth drops open at the audacity. Annie catches on fast. “You know her?”

“She is my mother,” Dante explains.

Now it’s Annie’s turn to look shocked. She just shakes her head. “That’s why she called me and not Liam. She probably took a wild guess that I didn’t know who she was.”

“What did she want, Luna?” Dante asks.

“She kept asking about you and your mate,” Annie explains. “I didn’t tell her anything and instead pushed for more details about who she was. When she didn’t want to answer, I told her to call the alpha. Eventually she hung up on me.”

Silence stretches around us. “I can’t believe it,” Dante says, sounding angry. “The audacity. It’s been almost ten years.” He pauses. “It’s not like I didn’t try to reach out to her at the beginning, but she rebuffed all my efforts and kept insulting me every time.”

Annie shakes her head. “I don’t understand it either.” She pauses. “Do you want me to dig a bit deeper, Dante? I could do that. I have friends in Paris.”

Dante stays quiet for a few minutes, then he nods. “Thank you for the offer, Luna. I would like to take you up on it. Something feels fishy.”

Annie nods. “Leave it to me.”

“We are finished here anyway,” I say. “I will go and look for Aryanna. Meanwhile, I can fill you in on everything, Annie.”

“Right,” Liam says. “Dante, stay here so we can go through a few details of the plan and then contact Portia.”

We all agree, going our separate ways. I fill Annie in on everything that happened today. “Nose bleed…” she mutters.

“Hm?”

“It’s just… something rings a bell, but I’m not sure where I heard about it.”

“Charlie is a teen, so it doesn’t necessarily mean something unusual, right?” I ask.

“Yeah, maybe, but the excessiveness of it.” Annie frowns. “She is going to turn sixteen soon; am I correct?”

“Yes, in two months,” I say. “I want to throw her a huge party.”

“I’m so glad you are still planning on doing this party for her,” Annie says. “Not that I had any doubts that you would.”

“When I was a child,” I say. “My pack wasn’t nice to me. I wouldn’t even do anything, yet they took any excuse to take something from me. I know how it feels to watch other children opening their presents while I have nothing. I know how it feels to look forward to an event just to have it taken from me. No matter how much she messes up, I will never do that to Charlie. I don’t need such a power trip to parent her.”

Annie links our arms. “Let’s make sure to show her how much she is loved here and that she belongs in this place.” She pauses. “But back to the topic. I’ve heard a story about a similar issue once.”