“Everyone needs to have a bit of a selfish side, a little mean streak, especially when it is about defending and protecting what’s important to you,” I say. “There is nothing bad about that. It just means you have a fighting spirit, and you want justice.”
There is a knock at the door, startling the two of us. When Forest opens it, Martin steps in, looking a tad flustered. “I apologize for disturbing you.” He holds out a plate of food. “I had the kitchen prepare something for you in case you are hungry. I didn’t know what you liked, Luna,” he continues. “So, I just brought a variety. Oh, and the kitchen made fresh hummus, Alpha. I made sure to grab a bowl for you.”
“That’s sweet, thank you so much,” I say, making sure to hug Forest from behind and peek around him to smile at Martin.
Forest gently puts his hand on mine. “It really is,” he says, reaching out his hand to accept the plate. “I will take it to thekitchen,” he tells me. Before he leaves me alone with Martin, he tosses me an insistent glance.
I know what he wants me to do without any further words. He wants me to check out the man in front of me and form my own opinion. I wait for Forest to have left before turning my attention back to Martin. “You are really attentive, Beta Martin,” I say.
“I don’t know, am I?” he blinks, brushing the back of his head.
Funny, he seems to be easily flustered, too, when complimented. A bit like Forest, but still with more confidence in himself. He also looked genuinely happy when he met me. “You are,” I say. “That’s good. An important trait for a beta.”
He nods. “I know I wasn’t Alpha Forest’s choice,” he admits. “It’s more a deal between my parents and his; that’s why I need to work extra hard. As the second in command, I can’t allow myself to slack off.”
“I am sure Forest knows that,” I say. “And even if you weren’t his choice at first, nothing says you can’tbecomehis first choice.”
Martin looks at me, surprised. “You really think that?”
“Yes, of course. It’s all about trust and forming a bond with each other. There are all kinds of bonds in packs, and they are all important in their own way. The bond between beta and alpha is one of them.”
Martin glances in the direction Forest disappeared to. “He is a good man,” he says all of a sudden, his voice quiet and tentative.
“He is.”
“Luna,” Martin takes a deep breath. “I need to tell you something. I hope I don’t overstep or anything, but I just…” his voice trails off. He certainly has piqued my interest now.
What does he want to tell me? And why is he so secretive about it? It’s obvious he doesn’t want Forest to hear him.
Martin leans forward a little, lowering his voice. “Lissa,” he says. “That’s a woman in the pack. Forest’s parents love her,but…“ he hesitates. “I don’t want to… fuck… I don’t want to badmouth anyone, but she’s never had the alpha’s interest in mind.”
After all this time, when I thought I was prepared for everything, this young man actually manages to surprise me. “You mean she is going to try something?”
“She will act as if she is Alpha Forest’s promised luna,” he says. “But I swear, he never even touched or looked at her. If she claims he promised her something, I’ll bet it’s a lie! I am one hundred percent certain. Alpha Forest is very honest and genuine. He would never! I just don’t want you to understand anything the wrong way.”
By the goddess, he is warning me about Lissa! Now that’s unexpected.
“Thank you,” I say. “I will keep that in mind. Don’t worry, I might only have known Forest for a day, but my faith in him is strong. Sometimes, you justknowa person. Forest is honest and very respectful. I know he would never do anything behind my back.”
Martin looks genuinely relieved and nods. When Forest returns, Martin bids us both a good night and leaves us alone again.
“And?” Forest asks.
“He warned me about Lissa,” I say. “Basically, implying that she kept throwing herself at you for not-so-noble reasons, and he is sure she is going to try something in front of me.” I pause. “Honestly, if I were a completely unassuming person, this would have been really valuable information for me,” I admit. “He also thinks pretty highly of you and wants to prove himself to you.”
“Really?” Forest asks, surprised. “All of that is surprising. Do you believe him?”
“It’s hard to say, but his comment about Lissa said more about him than anything else. He was scared of overstepping,and frankly, he did take a risk. If you were not the nice guy you are, you could have easily stripped him of his rank for it and protected Lissa. But he was genuinely worried for you and thought Lissa could sabotage our relationship.”
“Crazy. I never imagined.”
“What does your gut feeling tell you?”
“I don’t know him well,” Forest admits. “But he is not giving me any bad vibes. In fact, I had the feeling that he wanted to warn me about Jordan, too. I guess as a beta, he sees and hears things I don’t.” He pauses. “Maybe it’s mutual, and he doesn’t know if he can trust me either. Like you said, I could betray him if he told me what he thinks. He knows my parents have a tight grip on me, so criticizing an alpha they like could backfire on him.”
“That might be true.” I replay my conversation with Martin once more, trying to remember his exact expression and the tone of his voice. “It’s worth considering him a potential ally, but it’s important not to act on a whim. Let’s wait and see.”
Forest nods. “I agree. Oh, wait.“ He grabs a folder he had brought along and hands it to me. “This is what you asked for during our drive to the pack.”
