Finding Forgiveness: Poconos Pack, Book 1 Read Online Free Page B

things up to his mate would be appreciated, and knowing he was earning back his Alpha’s approval would calm his wolf. “I’ll go.” He stood, his hands shaking. “But you have to promise me that all bets are off if Dave is in any danger.”
    “Ben—”
    “No.” He glared at his Alpha, who snarled back. “If it was Belle, what would you do?”
    “I did what was right.”
    Ben’s jaw clenched. Rick had done what he’d thought was right, leaving his wounded Luna in Halle despite the fact that the mating hadn’t been completed. Belle had needed her own doctors and the hospital in Halle to heal the damage she’d received defending a Pridemate from a stalker. Now that the Halle Pride leaders had agreed to allow the Pack to use their facilities, Rick could allow his Packmates to go back and forth to see one of the few shifter doctors in the area. Hell, with the coming treaties with the New York Coyote Pack, odds were they’d have access to more and better facilities than even Halle had. Ben bet the Halle Pride would have their own representatives talking to the Coyotes. Cats might be lazy by nature, but Max Cannon, the Pride’s Alpha, wasn’t one to let grass grow under his feet.
    Ben eyed Belle. “Will Max have anyone at these talks?”
    She shrugged. “Maybe. He doesn’t inform me of his plans.” She smirked. “But he does know to keep your ass away from Dave.”
    Of course he did. Belle and the Halle Puma Curana, Emma, were friends. Ben resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “I give you my word, I will not approach Dave until he’s returned from the hospital. I won’t give you any promises beyond that.”
    Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “Ben.”
    “No. It’s the best we can hope for.” Rick’s hand slid across Belle’s hip. “It was what I could promise you, after all.”
    She shook her head, but Ben knew the memory of her mate’s claiming had soothed her. Rick had marked her within an hour of her arrival at the Red Wolf Lodge, making her both Pride and Pack. He’d then handed her Lowell’s Restaurant, the Lodge’s steak house, to manage, fulfilling her dreams of owning and operating her own restaurant.
    “Ben? Go pack. You’re out of here as of tomorrow morning. You too, Chela. And don’t fuck this up. It could mean big things for both the Lodge and the Pack. Got it?”
    “Got it.”
    “Sure thing, boss.” Ben sighed and left the room. He debated going back to his office, but fuck it. He was taking the rest of the day off to pack and plan. Watching his Alpha with his Luna never failed to cause him pain and pride. Pride, because Belle really was the best Luna, despite her feline handicap, the Pack had ever had. Pain, because he didn’t think he could have that kind of closeness with his own goofy mate. The man was a perfect foil for Rick’s stern Alpha persona. People spoke to the Beta in a way they did not with the Alpha, more comfortable with Dave’s easy-going ways and hidden strength. Everyone revered the Alpha pair, but they all adored Dave.
    Even him.
    He remembered one of the few times he’d allowed his guard down around the Beta. They’d been bringing Belle home to Rick, her wounded hip still bothering her from what he could tell. She’d been in therapy for months before the Pride doctors had released her for what she called Lunatic duty.
    He snorted, amused, and threw on his lightweight suede jacket. He could still hear the sound of Dave’s laughter, his jokes, even his taunts. He strode out of the main lodge and headed for the back cabins reserved for “employees”. Little did the paying customers know that these cabins were the nicest homes in the area.
    Belle had tried not to laugh as the lodge’s sign came into view. “Red Wolf Ski Lodge and Spa, hmm?”
    Ben had grinned, still tickled by the name Rick’s great-grandfather had picked for the place. Talk about throwing their presence in the oblivious humans’ faces!
    “Like it?” He chuckled when she snorted.