Page 14 of Her Beta

“Laina, you gotta see this,” Keane called. “Leyton is already totally whipped by his mate.”

I didn’t take offense at his ribbing. It was ingrained in shifters to cater to their mates, so I decided it was a compliment. “I definitely am.”

Evette shot me a smile as she pulled my shirt over her head and ran her fingers through her hair.

“Hey.” Hearing the feminine voice, I turned the phone toward us again. Laina appeared on the screen next to my brother, and she had my nephew strapped to her chest. His eyes were closed, and his cheek was buried in her cleavage. “Oh my gosh, I get to talk to Evette!”

“Hi,” my mate replied, her cheeks turning pink as she gave them an awkward wave.

Laina smiled, practically vibrating with excitement. “I can’t wait to meet you in person. Cressida had such good things to say about you.”

Keane nodded. “Thank you for taking great care of her while she was giving birth.”

My mate waved off the compliment and gratitude. “It was nothing. I was just doing my job.”

“Why am I not surprised by how humble you are?” Laina asked just as Atlas’s eyes started to blink open. He stared at the screen for a moment before letting out a loud wail.

Keane reached over to unstrap his son. “Uh-oh, our little beast is up, and he sounds hungry.”

“Sorry, guys,” Laina apologized. “We better run.”

“No worries,” I assured her with a smile. “I know how demanding my nephew can be. Just like his father.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Keane muttered.

“Was there anything you needed to talk to me about?”

“Nah, just wanted to be a pest, like I promised myself I would do when you found your mate,” he admitted before disconnecting the video call.

“Your nephew is the cutest.” Evette let out a dreamy sigh.

“Unlike his father,” I grumbled.

Evette playfully swatted my arm with a laugh. “How old is he?”

“Nine months, and they recently found out they’re expecting another.” Chuckling, I raked my fingers through my hair. “And by found out, I mean that I told Laina that she was pregnant while my brother was out of town on pack business. He was pissed when he got back and promised to get even, so don’t be surprised if he tries to send me away to take care of shit he could do in the hope that he can return the favor at some point in the future.”

Her eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t understand. Why did you know your sister-in-law was pregnant before your brother?”

“Not for any of the reasons running through your suspicious mind right now,” I reassured her, brushing my lips against her forehead to smooth her brow. “My sense of smell is good enough that I tracked you all the way to that no-name hotel yesterday. That is also how I was able to scent Laina’s pregnancy before she realized she was carrying another cub.”

The tension eased from her shoulders as she shook her head. “I feel like I’m always saying this…but that is incredibly cool even though it shouldn’t be possible.”

“Welcome to my world.” I winked at her. “It’s unusual, but at least it’s cool.”

“Does that mean if we…um…get pregnant, you’ll be able to tell right away?”

I loved how she stumbled over her words when she wasn’t sure what she wanted to say. It was so fucking adorable, especially combined with the pretty pink blush on her cheeks. “Not if but when.”

“Pardon?” she asked.

“Unless you don’t want kids, I fully intend for us to have babies together.” I dropped my palm over her belly. “If I had my way, you’d already be pregnant. It only takes one time, you know.”

She snorted and rolled her eyes. “I am well aware of how babies are made.”

“I assumed you were, being a nurse.” My inner animal puffed his chest in pride when my teasing earned us a laugh.

“I learned that way before nursing school,” she chided. “But I guess I can’t make any assumptions since the normal rules have already flown out the window on so many things when it comes to shifters compared to humans.”

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