Page 11 of Beta and the Beast (Beastverse #2)

Henry

T oday is the day. Okay, maybe it's not the day, but it's an important day before opening day. It's Sam, me, and two alphas who are always up at the center, all piled into the car, listening to something that makes me realize I'm aging.

Sam and I hope to alternate the days and times the boys can help at the bakery so they all can learn to support themselves and work around other designations.

Currently, only six alphas stay overnight at the center, but about twenty come to events or hang out there daily.

A few dozen come around occasionally when they get into a fight at home or just need somewhere to hang out where they won't get into trouble.

Right now, we have two of our most in-need boys with us.

They're stuck at the community center most of the day because they don't have anywhere else to be on the weekends.

Aiden stays the night there. Being over eighteen, he doesn't need parental approval, and we have certified staff on nights when Sam or I can't stay.

Jace, well, we're still trying to figure out where he goes at night since we're pretty sure his mom kicked him out of the house, but he's under eighteen, which means he can't stay with us unless we have approval, something I doubt we'll be getting.

He promises us he's going home in the evenings when he leaves, but a part of me wants to follow him and make sure he's telling the truth.

They're good kids who just need a little guidance, and thankfully, that's what Sam and I want to provide them with. Well, guidance and some work ethic.

It's been a week since Romulus sexually harassed Sarah so much that we're both pretty sure she's never going to speak to us again.

The only reason we're not more worried is because Sam still treats us like everything's normal, which means Sarah hasn't told him about the come on her pillow or how we ruined her chance to get laid last Friday.

"Are you coming to family dinner on Tuesday?" Sam asks me when he sets his phone down. "You didn't come last week, and Janie says that's rude."

I chuckle to cover how I don't think he'll want me there if his sister tells him how much Romulus and I are harassing her.

Sarah doesn't get a moment without us watching her.

Her store is filled with flowers we've sent her, but there are no customers, which makes us feel terrible.

We've started buying her things and storing them in the new apartment.

If she ever comes across the hall, she'll see I have so much stuff for her.

Not to mention all of the soft things for her to nest with.

Not that she'll nest because she's not an omega, but I have so much she can use if she has any interest.

"I'll talk with Lucas, and we'll be there on Tuesday."

"Good," Sam says, looking at his phone again as another text comes through.

"Alright, when we get there, Henry will show you how everything works, and you'll attempt to make something edible today—preferably multiple edible things," Sam says it all with a smile when he puts his phone back down.

He wanted so badly to stay at the bakery today, but he won't be able to stay the whole time.

He's meeting with Scott at the clinic location to go over budgeting and decide what work needs to be done to the space.

He's staying for as long as he can because he cares about the alphas we're trying to help.

"We get to eat what we make, right?" Aiden, an eighteen-year-old alpha who was kicked out of his home eight months ago when his designation took hold, asks. The kid can eat more than anyone I know, and his palate is not refined in the least. It makes it easy to keep him happy, though.

"We're eating some of it, and hopefully, we're making enough to give to our neighbors," I tell them, earning me a groan of disappointment.

I press my lips together as I look at the two teenagers through the rearview mirror.

"I don't know why you guys are groaning about it.

We're the ones encroaching on their space. "

"Yeah, so they probably already hate us," Jace moans as he tosses his head dramatically enough for his red curls to fluff up before settling again.

As a growl bubbles up in his throat, he squeezes his eyes shut.

He was an early presenter, showing signs of being an alpha at sixteen, and shortly after, his beast showed up.

From what he's told us, he's kept the beast a secret from his family.

His dad had one that wasn't the kindest, and his mom's boyfriend won't want him around if he knows.

Jace is seventeen now, so I can't imagine keeping a beast a secret for that long.

He stays at the community center during the day and tells us he's going home at night. We could offer him a permanent room at the center if he were eighteen already, but he still has six months until then.

I'm working on getting foster certified so I can house some of the displaced boys if any of them are younger, like Jace, but even that's taking time.

I've reached out to a few friends, trying to get my paperwork through faster so he can stay with me because I don't like the idea of him not having a bed at night.

"They don't hate us," I tell them. I also shoot Sam a look that tells him he needs to text his sister right now and make sure she knows we're coming with emotional teenage boys who are one scowl away from tucking tails and never even attempting to help me in the bakery again if today doesn't go well.

Thankfully, Sam is one step ahead of me and typing away on his phone screen.

For someone who's overprotective of his little sister, he's been fine with me being in her space and trying to pursue her.

I thought he'd be more upset about Romulus and me being interested in her, but if anything, he doesn't seem to care at all.

He'd probably care a hell of a lot more if Sarah told him about the come pillow.

"We're here to work and, hopefully, bring some happiness to people who enjoy sweets and learn to be productive members of society," I tell the teenagers sulking in the back seat. "Even if they don't like us now, we can always prove to them that we're different."

"Why do we have to prove anything?" Jace asks, his eyes flickering gold as he loses control to his beast.

He hasn't named him yet. They don't get along.

It's fairly standard, especially for an alpha like Jace, who feels like he's lost his entire life because his beast showed up.

There's an animosity there we're trying to mend, and as he learns to be confident in himself and his place in the world, he'll be more comfortable with his beast.

"A lot of alphas do a lot of bad things," I say as we pull into a parking space near the bakery. If we were hoping to have customers or the strip looked busy, I'd move us further away so the good spots were left open, but there aren't many people out here.

I turn to face Jace, locking eyes with him as Romulus emerges. " Beasts do even worse. Especially ones who don't get along with their alphas. "

Romulus gives me control after making his point.

He doesn't wait to watch as Jace's beast snarls and snaps his teeth at us.

He doesn't need to because he already knew it would happen.

Between Jace's therapy sessions with an alpha therapist at the center and the mentoring Romulus and I are attempting with him, he's gotten much less feral, but he still doesn't like being told why he's considered "bad. "

Jace's body jerks as his beast gives him back control.

A few weeks ago, he'd be freaking out, asking what happened or what he did.

He used to keep his beast trapped in the dark of their mind, not sharing the world with him.

So when the beast could take over, he did the same.

Now they've both been told that's a dick move and at least let the other watch when they're not in control of the body.

"Still not fair that I have to prove to them I'm not bad." Jace crosses his arms over his chest.

"You don't have to prove you're not bad," I tell him. "You're just showing them that you won't hurt them. That's why they act the way they do. They've been hurt or have known someone who was hurt by an alpha."

"It's not fair."

"No, it's not," I respond, turning the ignition off. "But that's life. Now you can either keep sulking about it or meet the neighbors and show them how respectful alphas can be."

I hop out of the car, not waiting for more whining from Jace. He's not wrong to feel the way he does, but he needs to take that anger at those who would fear him and redirect it to either being upset at all the shitty alphas out there or being better than people expect him to be.

The bar is low. He could step over it if he wanted. I just need to show him it's a better way of living than always being upset.

Before turning toward the strip of businesses, I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

Romulus and I need to be on our best behavior in front of Aiden and Jace and, really, any of the other alphas who will come up here to help.

We can't intentionally coat the air with our pheromones in the hopes of coating Sarah in our scent, especially not in front of her brother.

He might be chill about me going after Sarah, but I don't need to rub his nose in all my pheromones.

When I open my eyes and turn around, Jace and Aiden are getting out of the car, but Sam's already shaking his head, smiling. I lean my nose to my shoulder and take a whiff of myself to make sure I don't smell too strongly. I'm doing fine so far, so I don't know why he's laughing at me.

"You good?" I ask.

He probably thinks we look like a dork. What would such a beautiful beta like his sister want with a soft alpha?

Name one person who has ever complained about us being soft.

It's because I fuck them good enough to make up for it.

I snort.

Sam holds his phone up and shakes it a little. "My sister was asking about you. Any idea why that is?"

Stake your claim now.

Not a claim, Romulus. We can't say that to her brother.

Fine, fine. State your intentions now. Much better, much more respectful. Our intentions are to bend her over every surface possible and stretch her tiny beta cunt as far as it can go, but you don't need to explain those intentions to him.

Shut up.

Why? You enjoy thinking about it as much as I do. We just need to get her on a bed. Not even a bed, just somewhere soft.

I rub my temples as I try to get myself under control. Thankfully, I still smell somewhat normal. Unthankfully, Sam is still staring at me, waiting for me to answer why his sister is asking about me. He's probably wondering why it's taken me so long to come up with an answer.

"We've been staying in the apartment next door," I tell him. It's the only thing I can think of to say, and oh god, why did I say that?

Sam lets his head fall back, his laugh bouncing around in the air so loud that I'm sure everyone in the block can hear it. At least he's not about to murder me for stalking his sister. That would be a downer.

I'm sure she only said something to Sam to put me on the spot. She's probably in her little coffee shop, watching me flustered as I try to come up with an excuse.

Once the idea is in my head, I have to see if she's watching this all play out.

Sure enough, as soon as I look into the coffee shop, her mouth opens in a small 'o,' and I can hear the squeak she lets out before ducking behind one of the chairs near the windows.

I shake my head and let out a huff of laughter.

Sam catches it, turning his head to look at the coffee shop. Sarah isn't hidden even a little bit.

"Alright, no more talking about my sister," Sam says, wiping at his eyes like there are tears there. "I'm pretty sure you two are both pretty much strangers with how little she actually talks about you other than to complain that she hasn't had any business because of you."

Should we tell him we're most definitely not strangers with his sister?

Do you want to die?

"Yeah, well." I give the top of the car a little pat before returning my attention to who's most important. "You guys ready for the tour?"

Aiden and Jace mumble their enthusiasm for being in a pastel pink bakery, but don't drag their feet as we head inside.

They can pretend to be unenthused about this as much as they want, but they're the ones who volunteered for this.

One of them was on the group computer last night, looking up how to bake.

The search term was 'how do i bake,' but still, they clicked on too many blogs not to be at least a little curious.

I beam at them as I lead them in through the front, telling them all about the work that went into the place and telling them if they're ever interested in construction, my cousin might be able to help. Then we get to the kitchen, where all the fun will happen.

We review the basics before I start pulling out ingredients and a recipe card for chocolate chip cookies.

It shouldn't be that hard. If we mess it up, we can always try again.

There's no complaining as we get to work, no arguing, no telling me this is stupid.

No, much to their disappointment, they're enjoying themselves.