Page 157 of A Second Chance for the Beta

“My sixteenth birthday is soon,” I tell them. “I expect the both of you to show up.”

“We will,” Felix says. “By then I will hopefully be able to maneuver the wheelchair.” He turns to Dario. “Oh, I forgot to ask you something! Where did Liam go? He dropped by early in the morning, around 5:00 a.m. which was pretty crazy, and then said he had work to do.”

“He visited you at 5 a.m.?” I ask. “Thatisearly.”

“Maybe he had to take a trip to an alpha meeting,” Dario suggests.

“But wouldn’t he have said that?” Felix asks. “He was being super-mysterious.”

“Maybe you imagined things,” I say.

“Doubt it. Liam is my brother,” Felix says. “I know all of my siblings. They have something about them when they are hiding something. It’s hard to explain.”

Dario smiles. “Felix has always been good at reading people. Maybe that’s your gift?”

“I wished I had a cooler gift,” he complains.

“Reading people and being able to tell their intention is pretty cool,” Dario points out.

“Being able to stop time for a few seconds like Aurelia can do is pretty cool,” Felix argues. “Or Liam being able to detect lies.”

“Aurelia is your sister, right?” I ask. “I’ve heard so much about her.”

“Yes, she is pretty awesome,” Dario says.

“Unfortunately, she is still in Paris,” Felix sighs.

We discuss Liam’s whereabouts a bit longer when voices reach us from the corridor. The door to Felix’s room opens, and Alpha Elden peeks inside. Liam is right behind him.

“We were just talking about you,” Felix says.

“About me?” Liam says, smiling while he sits down at the edge of Felix’s bed.

“Felix thinks you are up to something shady,” Dario says.

“I said mysterious, not shady!” Felix argues. “Dad was weird too.”

Elden chuckles, exchanging a gaze with Liam. “Do you want to know what Liam and I were up to?”

“Yes!” Felix says.

“Well then.” Elden stands up to open the door further. Behind it there is Marius, who I’ve met a few times by now. Then there is a long-legged beauty with long dark-brown hair and a sexy guy with tattoos.

“WHAT!?” Felix exclaims, almost dropping out of his bed. Liam grabs his arm at the last moment. “Finn and Aurelia!”

The young woman, Aurelia, hurries into the room and hugs her two younger brothers. The tattooed guy who Felix addressed as Finn follows suit and squeezes Dario first before gently hugging Felix. I remember his name from Felix and Dario… He has to be the third brother, who is the alpha of a pack further in the north.

“Mari and Liam got me from Ocean Snow,” Finn explains. “Freya and our ranked members are taking over while I am here.”

“And then the trio picked me up from the airport. I can only stay for a short visit, but I couldn’t not come,” Aurelia explains. She turns to me with a smile. “You must be Ella’s and Dante’s niece, right?”

“Yes, I am Charlie,” I mutter, swooning a bit when I look at her. She makes me question my sexuality for a moment.

I make room for the siblings, my heart both jumping in joy for Felix and Dario to be surrounded by all their brothers and their sister, and at the same time feeling a bit sad that I don’t have that. My sadness doesn’t last long though because Ella and Dante both pick me up today.

“So, where do my two favorite potatoes want to eat dinner?” Ella asks.

“Are you seriously calling us potatoes?” Dante snorts. “Is this a new nickname now?”