The Beta's Beloved

By Rebecca Brochu

A year after Declan Adair crashed into Carson territory and into the alpha Law’s heart, things have finally settled down. Except for the fact that Trace Carson, Law’s brother and right-hand wolf, is head over heels for the fiery but skittish Lachlan, Declan’s identical twin brother. The entire pack, including both of their brothers, knows how Trace feels about Lachlan. The only problem is that Lachlan seems completely oblivious to Trace’s interest.

Trace, in a final attempt to woo the elusive Lachlan, whisks him away to the northern reaches of the territory and a remote cabin deep in the heart of the forest. Trace hopes that he can convince Lachlan to give him the chance he needs to prove himself before someone else swoops in and takes his beloved away. Trace will do anything to prove to Lachlan that he can be the man and the wolf for him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Evernight Publishing
• Release date: Apr 21, 2014
• ISBN: 9781771308052

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Published by Evernight Publishing at Smashwords

www.evernightpublishing.com

Copyright© 2014 Rebecca Brochu

ISBN: 978-1-77130-805-2

Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

Editor: Kerry Genova

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

DEDICATION

For you, as always

THE BETA’S BELOVED

Wolves of Flathead, 2

Rebecca Brochu

Copyright © 2014

Chapter One

Sometimes Trace could barely believe that a year had already passed. A year since a pair of frightened and abused betas had stumbled into the territory his brother ruled. A year since Declan, sweet and calm but still strong Declan, had stumbled into Law and stolen his brother and alpha’s heart. A year since Trace had heard Lachlan’s voice over the phone for the first time and felt his wolf perk up in interest. The voice had been so similar to Declan’s but different as well, stronger and wilder in some way than his twin’s was, and Trace had been captivated.

Law had given him shit about it from the start, had laughed and teased him even as Trace had watched his brother fall for Declan right in front of him. It had made him kind of wistful, jealous really, in an absent sort of way because for the longest time it had been just him and Law. Yes, they had the pack, other wolves, and even a fox to fall back on if they needed help on anything, but it was and had always been different between him and Law. As head beta and alpha respectively, he and Law had to be strong, had to show no weakness, no hint of faltering in front of the rest of the pack. But together, when it was just the two of them in the silence of the house that used to be so full of life, they could be normal. They could be brothers first and foremost without duty coming between them.

Watching Law fall head over heels in love like never before with Declan had been beautiful but hard. Trace had realized then that it was an ending as much as it was a beginning. The demise of their old way of life and the birth of a new one. His brother, his alpha, was building a family, had courted a mate and started to settle down, and it would change things. Law’s first responsibility would be to his mate now and then the pack. Plus Trace knew there’d be pups in a few years when the couple was ready. One of the pack females would happily play surrogate for the couple. Law was loved so deeply by so many and had proven himself to be a better alpha than the pack could have dreamed of. Plus, Trace was confident that despite the jealousy and the whispers about the twins they would eventually be just as loved and respected. So Trace knew that there was a real possibility that eventually he’d be alone in a way he hadn’t been since right after their parents had died. Even though he would still live in the alpha house as was his right, Trace knew that if he was not careful a distance could grow between him and Law. The thought of growing apart from his brother, of allowing his jealousy and Law’s understandable distraction to drive them apart made his wolf whine with unease. Trace vowed not to let that happen, vowed to do all that he could to keep something like that from taking place.

Still, despite the possibilities that chilled Trace, inside he was happy for Law; glad that he’d found someone who fit him as well as Declan obviously did. That kind of connection was something Trace had never thought to find for himself. It was a well-known and joked about fact in the pack for years now that Trace had no interest in mating himself, had no interest in finding someone to settle down and have pups with. Trace had decided early on that when Law did finally mate he’d be the best uncle he possibly could be since pups of his own held no appeal to him.

He’d felt that way for years, had never been even remotely interested in swaying from that point of view. There had never been anyone who even came close to tempting him to mate, had never been anyone who had interested him enough to even begin to rethink his position.

Then he’d met Lachlan for the first time.

Trace had watched the wolf break through the tree line behind one of the betas who’d been pulled off of their patrol and sent to escort Lachlan safely into the territory. Lachlan had been on the other wolf’s heels, holding back his speed despite the way it had been apparent that he itched to go faster.

Lachlan had been just as beautiful in wolf form as Trace knew he would be, his coat thick and dark just like his twin’s, but Trace had immediately noticed how Lachlan’s eyes had blazed brighter. He’d watched Lachlan practically flow over the ground in that graceful way he shared with Declan and that had been it for Trace. His wolf had been caught. Attention and focus narrowed in on Lachlan’s graceful form with an intensity that had startled Trace.

Then, when the small group had skidded to a halt in front of him, and Lachlan had shifted back into his human skin with obvious reluctance, Trace had felt his heart skip a beat. Trace had been attracted to Declan before Law had warned him off, had felt his wolf and his cock stir in interest the first time he saw the smaller beta, but it hadn’t been anything too interesting, no great and burning desire. That attraction had dwindled into an absent sort of appreciation and affection for Declan without any problems. His curiosity about Lachlan, the sarcastic, energy filled voice that he’d come to look forward to hearing as he eavesdropped, had taken him a bit by surprise with how quickly it had sprung up.

Lachlan had fascinated him ever since Trace had overheard that first phone call. He’d been intrigued by Lachlan, had wanted to know more about him despite the fact that they’d never actually met. He’d been unable to stay away, had listened to Declan and Lachlan chat with each other for hours when he was home. He’d eventually given up the pretense of not eavesdropping and Declan had accepted his presence at the opposite end of the kitchen counter or the couch in the living room with grace and a small welcoming smile. There had been something in Lachlan’s voice that had grabbed Trace the first time he’d heard it, had captured his attention like nothing else he’d ever experienced.

He’d known that Lachlan and Declan were identical, had even asked Declan about it a few times. He’d known the younger Adair would be just as sleek and sexy as his calmer brother was, but the subtle, undemanding attraction Trace had experienced towards Declan had left him unprepared for how fast and hard his desire for Lachlan had hit him. He’d expected to be attracted to Lachlan when he saw him, had expected to feel a stirring of interest and want, but not like that, not that strong and powerful. Trace had thought he was prepared to see Lachlan, had thought he had the attraction he’d felt for the voice he always heard during Declan’s calls under control.

It had hit him like a blow to the gut the first time he laid his eyes on Lachlan. The smaller wolf’s skin was as pale as Declan’s, but the way he’d stood bare amongst the other wolves, shoulders straight and proud, muscles tense and prepared to flee, had been so different. That defiant posture had been captivating, and Trace had been unable to pull his eyes away, had been helpless to do anything but watch Lachlan take in his surroundings.

When Brent, the beta in charge of the small group Trace had sent after Lachlan, had stepped forward to bring him up to speed on the situation Trace had watched as Lachlan finally turned his attention towards him. Trace had tried not to let it show on his face, had tried to at least look like he was paying attention to Brent, but he’d felt his breath catch when their gazes met.

Lachlan’s thick black hair had been disheveled and wild around his face. His cheeks were flushed and his lips ever so slightly parted. Trace had taken one look at Lachlan as a man, had stared into vibrant blue eyes for only a few seconds, and he’d been gone.

He’d had to force himself to go cold, had forced himself to push that harsh flare of attraction down so he could do his job. Trace had done his best to push his quickly budding arousal down, conscious of the way he himself was freshly shifted and naked. He’d had no interest in the ribbing the others would have given him if he’d let his cock make his first impression for him with Declan’s twin brother.

He’d also remembered in those first few minutes how frightened, how unsure and desperately suspicious Declan had been when Law had first brought him home. The way Declan jumped at shadows sometimes, teeth and claws always a bit too eager to come out in defense in a way that made Trace ache. It always made him feel the same kind of sadness he could see in Law’s face when it happened.

Trace hadn’t wanted to crowd Lachlan. He had simply wanted to get Lachlan to his brother quickly and safely without upsetting him. Trace had wanted to see that long held tension melt from those slender shoulders, had wanted to watch that wide mouth stretch into a smile when Lachlan finally saw his twin again.

So he’d forced himself to keep his distance from Lachlan. Trace had forced himself to break the eye contact, to focus on what needed to be done. The willpower he’d had to exert to keep to the head of the pack after they finally shifted back and set off towards the heart of their territory, and ultimately the alpha house, had surprised even him. His wolf had whined, had wanted to flirt and tease and coax Lachlan into playing with him. The wilder, more primal side of Trace had wanted to express his interest in the smaller wolf right off the bat, but he’d held it back.

He’d figured that with Declan and Law being mates he’d have plenty of time to work on Lachlan, would have time to go slow, to soften him little by little. Trace had figured he’d be able to give Lachlan time to adjust, time to calm down and get used to a new life. He hadn’t counted on being wrong, hadn’t counted on having so little success at his plan.

It had been a year already, and Trace had resigned himself to the fact that he had fallen for Lachlan as fast and as hard as Law had fallen for Declan. It ran in their family. Carson men always fell hard and fast. Their dad had told both him and Law that when they were young, had told them stories about how he’d fallen for their mother, and how he’d been almost moonstruck by her fire and her strength. Trace had personally never believed, never thought, it would actually happen to him. Not until Lachlan had stepped into his life.

It was just his luck that Lachlan, bright, vibrant, cunning Lachlan, seemed to be determined to avoid him whenever possible. To his credit though, Trace had never been one to take things lying down and he didn’t count himself as out of the game just yet. If there was one thing he had it was patience.

He’d take his time. He was determined to go slow and careful. To let Lachlan come to him.

Chapter Two

As it turned out, going slow and careful, letting Lachlan come to him, was something that Trace eventually found out really wasn’t going to work.

You know if you don’t get that pretty little thing to let you mount him soon, somebody else is going to sneak up and take him from you. A deep, husky voice drawled from the doorway of the kitchen. Trace stiffened at his place in front of the oven where he was checking pies as he readied his baby, the Wolf It Down Diner for another day. Trace couldn’t help but snarl and flash fang as he turned; the idea of someone else trying to court Lachlan pissing him off beyond all belief.

Colby Carson or C.C. as the pack tended to call him, was technically his and Law’s paternal cousin. The beta was shorter than Trace and Law both, but he was wide chested and powerfully built, arms and shoulders bulging with muscle beneath darkly tanned skin. He also happened to be the resident veterinarian.

Is that a threat C.C.? Trace eyed the beta behind him warily, prepared to attack if this turned out to be a challenge on his unspoken claim, his wolf agitated and on guard. While he knew he had a fair chance in winning in a fight with C.C., Trace also knew it wouldn’t be easy.

You know I wouldn’t do you like that so don’t insult me by acting like I’m a fucking threat to the piss-poor excuse of a thing you call a courtship between you and that pup. C.C. spit the words out, voice hard and dark in a way that was rare for him outside of pack business. Trace felt a small surge of guilt go through him even as he relaxed. He’d never seen C.C. take an interest in anyone besides Quinn, the sharp toothed and often bitter tongued fox who existed on the fringes of the pack. And even that