A Beta's Haven by Carrie Ann Ryan Read Free Book Online

almost
a day now since it was around noon. They would be coming home within the next
day to do what they had to within the Pack, but for right then, Edward could
feel, within their bonds, that they were at peace.
    He’d failed his son. He hadn’t been able to see that Jasper
needed more help until it was almost too late. He’d almost lost his son because
he’d been focused on other things.
    There was no excuse for that, and he wouldn’t let that
happen again.
    “You’re sad again, Grandpa,” Brie said then kissed his
cheek. Edward grinned then ate the rest of the cookie in her hand. Her eyes
widened, and her mouth opened. “You ate all my cookie!”
    He swallowed and grinned. “Yep. Guess you were too slow.
Looks like we’ll have to get you another.”
    “With frosting?” Her eyes glittered, and Edward laughed.
    “We’ll see if that can be arranged.”
    “Are you stealing cookies from babies now, Alpha?” Pat asked
as she strolled into the room.
    Edward looked up at his mate and the love of his life and
sighed. He loved her just as much today, if not more, than he had when they
first set the bond. Her light brown hair framed her face, and she had a dash of
flour on her cheek from baking with Brie. He’d always found her softer than the
other wolves, rounder in some cases. The physical shell, though, surrounded a
woman with a backbone of steel.
    Brie turned in Edward’s lap so she was facing Pat. “He said
he’d get me another one so it’s okay, Grandma.”
    Pat raised a brow then walked over to them, a smile forming
on her face. She was just as much of a sucker as he was when it came to their
grandchildren—though he might have been worse. He might be Alpha, but he
spoiled the kids rotten before he handed them off to their parents on sugar
highs.
    It was really the only way to treat grandkids.
    Pat ran a hand over Brie’s head then through his hair. He’d
been growing it as long as Jasper’s recently, and he knew he needed to cut it.
He just hadn’t had the motivation to do so. Other things were more
important—like the two females in the room with him.
    “I suppose we have another cookie for you in the kitchen,
darling,” Pat said, her eyes on Edward. “The frosting kind, right? Isn’t that
what the two of you were saying?”
    His mate’s hearing scared him sometimes.
    “I love frosting,” Brie said, and Edward just smiled at his
mate.
    “You heard her. She loves frosting.”
    “And I bet it doesn’t hurt that you happen to love those
types of cookies too?”
    “Doesn’t hurt a bit.”
    Her eyes skimmed over his shoulder at the texts on his desk,
but he gave a small shake of his head. He could take an hour with Brie and Pat
and enjoy himself before he went back to his duties.
    She nodded then picked Brie off his lap. The three of them had
made it into the kitchen when the front door opened to reveal Logan and Caitlin.
Edward narrowed his eyes at the new Redwood wolf who seemed to be walking a
little too close to his precious, precious daughter.
    Cailin caught the look and growled. “Dad.”
    “What?” he asked, his voice all innocence.
    Edward glared at Logan who smiled at Caitlin and then met
Edward’s gaze without blinking. Oh yes, there would be a long talk about what exactly was going on between his only daughter and this wolf.
    Soon.
    “Cookie!” Brie screamed from beside him, and Cailin smiled
brightly at her niece.
    “With the frosting? You know, munchkin, those are Grandpa’s and
my favorites, right?”
    “Uh huh. That’s why I wanted them. It makes Grandpa happy.”
    Edward blinked hard, something looking oddly like tears
threatening to fill his eyes. He wouldn’t cry at a sweet little girl’s words.
Not when Logan was so near.
    No, he needed to act the strong Alpha and father of the
Redwood Pack princess, not like the grandpa who wanted to hug his granddaughter
close and forget about the war, if only for a moment.
    They munched on cookies and talked about trivial