Dana Bell - Finding Forgiveness

“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. “Most of the big ski resorts around here shift into water parks for the summer, but people mostly come here from New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia for the skiing. Recently we upgraded some of our facilities to be more wheelchair accessible.”

Dave had started filling in the gaps, the love he had for the place clear in his voice. Ben wouldn’t have admitted it, but he loved the lodge all the more when Dave spoke of it. “We have a full gym, a day spa, babysitting services offered by some of the Pack females, and even a small golf course. All of it sits on about three thousand acres, a third of which is forested. Hiking and horseback riding are popular in the spring in this area. We just warn the humans to beware of wild animals. Right now, our only guests are shifters; Rick arranged it that way because…well, you’ll see.”

The Red Wolf Lodge was a huge wood and stone building. It looked like a mountain cabin on steroids. It was long, two stories high, with a vaulted, dark gray roof barely visible under the snow. The doors of the hotel rooms could be seen through the railings of the huge deck that ran all around the second story. Belle had stared through the front windshield with wide, disbelieving eyes. “Where are the cabins?”

Ben took one hand off the steering wheel and started pointing. “The cabins are around the back. If you follow the road to the right, it leads to them. Follow the road to the left, and it takes you to our banquet facilities.”

She turned back to Dave. “Banquet facilities?”

As the event coordinator for the Lodge, Dave was intimately familiar with all the Lodge’s party facilities. Ben was the money man, his sole job to keep the Lodge operating in the black. The two frequently butted heads over Dave’s more extravagant ideas. “Winter weddings are pretty popular up here. Wait until you see the room. With the fairy lights lit, it looks like a winter wonderland.”

Ben had flicked a glance at Dave, and the urge to tease his mate had been overwhelming. He’d gone with it, hoping it would also soothe his new Luna’s nervous energy. “Damn, Dave. You’re such a girl.”

Belle had covered her mouth, but not before Ben saw her smile in the rearview mirror.

“What?” Dave had been shocked, not just by the comment. Ben never teased the other man, preferring to avoid him whenever possible.

“Fairy lights?” Ben’s brows had risen. It had been all he could do not to laugh out loud.

“Isn’t that what they’re called?”

“Yeah, but… I mean, real men don’t say fairy lights. Call them Christmas lights, or, I dunno, string lights.”

The Beta’s eyes had narrowed dangerously. “Are you questioning my masculinity?”

“All I’m saying is, if I see you dancing around in a tutu, I’m not gonna be surprised.”

“Asshole.”

“Fairy.”

Dave’s eyes had twinkled, hope making them brighter. “I’m gonna kick your ass when we get out of the Pack meeting.”

“You can try, Tinkerbell. You can try.”

Belle leaned forward. “Dave?”

“Hmm?” He stopped glaring at Ben long enough to turn towards her.

Belle grinned and kept her voice low, but not so low Ben couldn’t hear her. “I think he likes you.”

She sat back and waited for the explosion.

“Oh no. No way.” Ben’s face was beet red as he pulled up outside the lodge. He couldn’t let this go any further. He already regretted putting that hope on Dave’s face. He’d known it was a hope he could never fulfill. They’d both just have to live on the mate dreams, because until Dave got his drinking under control there was no way Ben could be with him.

Dave had leaned over, an evil look in his eye. One hand fumbled the door open behind him. “Admit it, sweetie. You want my ass.” He blew Ben a kiss before hopping out of the truck, sprinting for the front of the lodge before Ben could even turn the truck off.

Ben had scowled after the Beta as he exited the car, but now, gods, now he wished he’d chased the man down, admitted how much Dave was right, and taken his mate then and there. The weeks and months since then had been pure torture as once again he did his best to keep his distance.

And he had no one to blame but himself. If he could get Dave to forgive him he’d be everything his mate needed, no matter what.

Ben stalked from the lodge, the scowl on his face warning away the few “employees” who attempted to approach him. The scent of spring, of green growing things and raw, rich earth, failed to soothe him. Nothing but Dave, safe and in his arms, could ease him today.

Ben opened his cabin door and headed right for his bedroom. Too bad he wasn’t going to enjoy it for too much longer. If Dave refused him, he had no doubt Rick would see to it that Ben left the Pack.

Permanently.

Dave sat up in bed and tried not to snarl at the pretty young thing flirting with him. The last thing he needed was some big-breasted Puma thinking he needed some TLC. And even if he did have leanings toward the soft and feminine, the fact that he knew who his mate was would have kept him from doing anything about it.

It was the lack of a mating mark. He knew that. He was fair game until Ben decided he was worthy to wear Ben’s mark.

Dave snorted. Yeah. Like that was ever going to happen.

“Hey, stranger!”

Dave winced. Oh, God. Please no. Don’t let it be—

“Move it, sweetie, the man doesn’t swing your way.”

Emma.

Pretty, blunt Emma Cannon, the Curana of the Halle Puma Pride and the only woman he’d ever met strong enough to stand up to Belle, gently pushed the blushing, stammering nurse out the door and shut it firmly behind her. “I brought you some real food.” She held up the white paper bag, the smell filling the room now that the perfumed nurse was gone.

“Oh, God. For that, I’ll switch teams.”

She laughed and handed him the bag of medium-rare burgers fresh off the grill. Frank’s Diner had the best burgers in the tri-state area, and Dave was rapidly becoming addicted. “So. Rumor has it that Ben has been sent to New York to negotiate a pass-through treaty with the Coyotes.”