Page 11 of The Beta’s Heart (Five Fangs #5)

Tyler

The days after the Tall Pines attack were a whirlwind of activity. We were on high alert, reinforcing our borders and staying vigilant for any signs of further aggression. One morning, as the sun was beginning to peek over the horizon, we betas joined the alphas for a run with Lark, luna’s little runt wolf.

We moved through the forest at Lark’s baby pace, not nearly the blur of fur and muscle we usually were, but our wolves were happy to be near her and so were we. The crisp morning air filling their lungs and the sound of paws thudding against the ground created a beat that sang, ‘This is pack. This is home.’

As we neared one of our borders, we all started to feel a little anxious. Something wasn’t right, but we couldn’t pinpoint what it was. Then the wind shifted, and I caught a whiff of something unmistakable.

I smell a witch! I called out through the link.

Shut up, kid, Matthew sneered. Stop trying to show off. You don’t smell anything.

I rolled my eyes at him. I knew what I smelled. I’d always been able to sniff out a witch, light or dark. To be honest, it was the talent I was most proud of. Before I could repeat that a witch was nearby, however, Emerson broke in to play peacemaker.

Smell or not, there’s definitely the sound of something approaching from the north. How far are we from the border?

Few hundred feet, Alpha Cole told him. Betas, stay close to Lark. Do not leave her side.

Like we needed to be told that. We’d already formed a circle around her, and the alphas formed a circle around us. Alpha Cole, who was best at man-to-wolf combat, shifted back to human and grabbed a pair of shorts out Cove’s saddlebags, tugging them on right as twenty or so shifters slipped out of the treeline.

We all knew they could only be Tall Pines wolves, and they didn’t come alone. The leader, a rough-looking brute, dragged a brown-haired girl by her elbow. She was in bad shape, with several visible wounds, and I figured she was the witch.

Although I doubt she’s helping them willingly , I thought.

Then River giggled as Bay, Crew’s wolf, had the brilliant idea to nudge Lark under my wolf’s belly. She was so small that she could literally stand up under him, and his long fluff hid her perfectly.

It’ll also keep her from seeing what’s about to happen, Crew linked me.

The Tall Pines leader finally noticed us. Growling, he wrapped the fingers of his free hand around the brunette’s throat, and she clawed at his hand, but he only tightened his hold.

“You had one job in exchange for your life, witch. Alpha told you to hide our scent and take us to her, not to the alphas of Five Fangs!”

Throwing her to the forest floor, he kicked her unconscious, and something twanged in the air, releasing the smell of Tall Pines wolves and a witch of the light.

Heh. Told dem so , River snorted, but I was paying attention to Creek, Tristan’s wolf, who was howling that the witch was his mate.

The Tall Pines leader threatened the queen and had his men chuck two huge duffle bags across the border. Alpha Cole unzipped them to reveal the beaten faces of twin brothers who smelled of beta blood, and we all reckoned that they were related to Queen Lilah.

That’s when Quartz leaped forward and ripped the leader’s throat out.

The fight that followed was intense, but short, and our alphas killed any wolf that didn’t submit and secured the rest to transport back to our cells. While they dealt with the situation at the border, they ordered us betas to go with Tristan, and we wasted no time getting his new mate to the pack’s medical clinic. We stayed with him in silent support until the alphas sent us to guard the new queen and Luna Posy while they and the king interrogated our prisoners.

Before I knew it, I was standing around the pool at the alpha house, chatting and killing time as we waited for any updates. Then luna cutely manipulated me into taking Alpha Jay’s SUV and going over to the Barlow house to pick up Peri, and my heart skipped around like crazy at the thought of talking to her one-on-one again.

When I arrived, she was standing in the driveway, and it might have been wishful thinking, but I swore her face lit up when she saw me in the driver’s seat. That made happiness bubble up inside me, even though I scolded myself for it.

“Hey, Peri,” I greeted her, trying to keep my voice steady.

“Hey, Ty,” she replied with a smile, sliding into the passenger seat. “Thanks for picking me up.”

“No problem,” I said, pulling away from her house and heading back towards the alpha house. “How have you been?”

“Good,” she said, glancing out the window. “Trying to stay out of trouble. My birthday’s next Wednesday, you know.”

“I remember,” I said, a bittersweet feeling settling in my chest. “You excited?”

“Definitely! I really hope I find my mate soon. Even if it’s not that same day, it would be the best birthday present ever.”

I sighed, wishing I could be the one she was waiting for.

“Well, I hope you find him, then, and he’s all you’re dreaming of,” I said, forcing a smile. “You deserve the best.”

“Thanks, Ty. That means a lot. What about you? Your birthday’s only eight days later.”

“It’ll be nice to officially become an adult,” I glossed over the mate business. “River’s looking forward to the ice cream.”

“Speaking of River, I realized something the other day. I’ve never met him!”

“Um, okay? Did… Did you want to?”

“Of course I do. I’ve heard so many stories about him—”

“Hopefully none of the bad ones!” I interrupted with a groan.

“—and he sounds like so much fun!”

I thought of all the times Riv chewed up furniture at the O, dug deep holes in the field at fighter practice, and bolted off after squirrels during pack runs. Number one on his most memorable moments list was when he stole a Roman candle during last year’s Fourth of July fireworks and set it off while it was in his mouth, then ran around like a maniac because he was scared, but refused to drop it.

“Fun,” I echoed. “Yes, ma’am, he’s loads of fun.”

That made Peri giggle, and my world lit up with sunshine.

As I pulled into the alpha house’s driveway, I couldn’t help but wish for a future where she would look at me like I hung all the stars in the sky, but I knew deep down she deserved someone who could give her everything her sweet heart desired.

Treasure every second with her , I told myself a little wistfully, because next week this time, her mate will sweep her off her feet and carry her away.

Then there would be no more stolen moments of sunshine and giggles.

#

The alphas decided to leave us betas in charge of the pack while they went with the king to sort out Alpha Leo Halder and the mess he’d made of Tall Pines. It would be a lot of responsibility on our shoulders, but we were happy to carry it, especially as we knew it served our luna and our pack.

There was a bit of drama when Alpha Cole explained to us what all needed doing around the alpha house. Matthew decided to poke at me, trying to make me look bad when all I did was volunteer to water luna’s plants. Unfortunately for him, everyone heard him, including Alpha Mase.

Then there was a bigger bit of drama shortly after Alpha Mase finished lecturing Matthew in his home office.

King Julian was out on the patio, talking to several people, including Tristan and his mate, Ariel del Vecchio, who had recovered as soon as Tris marked her and his wolf finished healing her. Alpha Cole had left to pick Peri up so she could spend the day with luna and the queen. In the meantime, Alpha Mase was giving us some last minute instructions, Alpha Wyatt was checking the luggage, and Alpha Ash was cleaning up the kitchen while Alpha Jay said his goodbyes to luna.

I didn’t know how it started, but Alpha Wyatt riled up Quartz good and proper, and the king had to shift into his horse-sized wolf, Onyx, to get Quartz away from him. While the rest of them dealt with the chaos in the kitchen, I was tasked with getting luna somewhere safe and calming her down, which I did as soon as I pulled her out from her hiding spot under the dining room table. Carrying her up to her special room and out onto her balcony, I sat down in the wicker rocking chair and held her as she shook.

Freaking idiots! I thought to myself. Whatever they were fighting about, it sure shouldn’t have happened around my little luna!

We sat and rocked as luna’s shaking slowly turned to intermittent trembles, then Alpha Mase called my name in the beta link, and my eyes snapped to where he stood in the balcony doorway.

Has she said anything? he asked.

No, alpha.

Thanks for staying with her. I know she trusts you a lot.

Anything for my luna.

“Go take a break,” he murmured as he picked her up off my lap and held her like a bride. “The other betas are with Ariel in the living room, but if you need to get yourself together in privacy, you’re welcome to use one of the guest rooms.”

I appreciated that and thanked him, then left him to it as I took him up on his offer. Striding into the closest guest room, I went right into the bathroom, stripped off my t-shirt, and splashed my face with cold water a few times. I didn’t like seeing luna that way. Not one bit. River didn’t, either, although he stayed calmer than I did this time. Maybe he was getting better.

Or maybe he knew he didn’t stand a chance against Q, and there was no other opponent to attack, I thought, which seemed more realistic.

After drying my face on the hand towel, I quickly put my shirt back on, then went downstairs right as the front door opened—and Peri Barlow came in like a burst of sunshine.

Seeing her always sent a thrill through me, but I told myself I had to keep my distance so I could focus on my duties.

Oh, who am I fooling? I’m just trying to protect my heart!

At long last, the alphas and their entourage went on their way, the queen convinced her brother to take her over to the clinic to visit her twin cousins, and we betas divided up duties as Ariel, Peri, and luna chatted in the living room.

Emerson and I pulled the night shift for as long as we were staying at the alpha house, which was fine with me. I didn’t fancy the idea of having a nightmare when everyone could hear me. If I had one during the day, they’d most likely be too busy cooking or watching TV or playing games in the man cave to hear my pathetic noises.

“I’m too nervous to try,” Em and I overheard Luna Posy say as we joined them in the living room.

“Try what?” I asked.

“Painting my nails.”

“Here.” Em plopped down next to her on the couch, his heavy weight making her bounce a little, and I snickered at that. “Practice on me first.”

“But what if it looks awful?” She bit her bottom lip as he held his hand out to her.

“It’s just nail polish, little luna bunny. If you mess up, we use the remover and try again.”

“Trust me,” I said, leaning against the armrest of the couch. “If you can survive dealing with five alphas on the daily, you can handle painting Em’s nails.”

“Okay, but no making fun of me if I do a terrible job,” she demanded with those big blue eyes aimed at us.

“Promise,” Em said, grinning. “I’ll even wear it proudly all day tomorrow.”

“Great, now we’ll have the fiercest beta sporting black glitter nails.” Tristan came in and sat down next to Ariel.

“Maybe it’ll become a trend,” I suggested. “Beta Beast setting the new fashion standard.”

We all laughed, and luna’s nerves eased, which had been our ultimate goal.

She carefully applied the polish to Em’s nails, her tongue sticking out in concentration, which made me snicker into my palm.

“See? Not so hard, right?” Em encouraged as she finished the last nail. “You did great.”

“Really?” She beamed. “You’re not just saying that?”

“Really,” he affirmed, wiggling his fingers. “Might just keep this look.”

After everyone else went home, Em and I learned luna didn’t know any new movies, so we set up some of our favorites. She made it through three before she conked on the comfy couch, and Em stayed with her while I did a quick patrol of the outside perimeter. When I returned, I found him gently tucking a blanket around her.

“She really is perfect for our pack,” he said quietly.

“Yeah,” I agreed, leaning against the doorframe. “Feels good to have her here. Makes everything … warmer, you know? Hard to explain.”

“I feel it, too.”

We settled in for the night, keeping watch and swapping stories. He told me about ‘accidentally’ dropping a thirty-five pound kettlebell on Matthew’s hand once, and I told him about the time River stole Alpha Mason’s cell phone, tried to take a selfie, and ended up clicking a picture of his nostril.

“You ever think we’d end up here, Em?” I asked after our laughter faded. “Two guys like us becoming betas and being given the honor of guarding the best luna in the world?”

“Not in a million years,” he replied, shaking his head.

“Me, neither, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

#

The rest of the night went smoothly, and I yawned as Em and I joined the other betas at dawn the next morning. We’d decided we’d do our daily training session in her front yard while luna slept safely in her bed before Em and I crashed and Crew, Matthew and Tristan took over.

As the sun crested the mountains, it turned everything to gold, including the sweat dripping down our bodies. We’d been sparring with each other for over an hour now, fists flying and feet kicking, and I for one was overjoyed when Crew called, “Break!”

Although I’d done my best to avoid this very situation, Emerson, as our unofficial leader, made sure we rotated through practice partners. Today, I drew the short straw and was paired with Meanie Boy.

I swiped the blood from my split lip and glared at him. If I wasn’t so wiped out from being up all night, he never would have landed that lucky shot. Going over to my gear bag, I crouched down to grab my water bottle and took a long pull.

Matthew stood a few feet away, his chest heaving and a beauty of a bruise turning his cheek purple. His eyes were hard, but there was something else there, too. Something raw and unguarded, not the normal anger and hate when he looked at me, and I couldn’t figure out what it was.

“Alpha Mase said to get to know you because I might actually find that I like you,” Matthew said, his voice rough and unyielding. “But what he doesn’t understand is, I don’t want to get to know you. I don’t want to like you.”

Swishing my mouth out, I spat the bloody water onto the ground, then wiped my lips with the back of my hand.

“I don’t need your approval or your friendship, but I do need you to get off my back,” I told him calmly, the years of dealing with River’s explosions coming to my aid now.

His jaw tightened as he looked away, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.

“Even if it feels like it, I know you aren’t replacing Ev,” he said finally, his voice low and strained. “It’s just… I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to him yet. Hell, I was never going to be ready to say goodbye to him.”

“You think I wanted this? To step up to a beta position before I even graduated high school or turned eighteen?” I locked eyes with him. “I didn’t ask for any of this.”

“Ev was my best friend. We grew up together. He was like a brother to me. Now here you are, standing where he should be. Every time I see you, it’s like a slap in the face.”

“I’m sorry for your loss, Matthew, I really am, but I’m not him, and I’m never going to be him.” Frustration made me drop my water bottle and surge to my feet.

“I know.” Matthew took a deep breath, his shoulders relaxing a fraction. “I know you’re not Ev, and I know it’s not your fault he’s dead, but it’s so fucking hard to look at you and not see him .”

“I get it, man, but I’m here now and I’m not going anywhere. I’m doing the best I can, so either deal with your issues or stay out of my way.”

For a moment, there was only the sound of our heavy breathing and the distant rustle of the trees, then Matthew looked at me, really looked at me, for the first time.

“I’m sorry for treating you like shit when you never deserved it,” he said, his voice still rough, but his tone a little softer. “I’ll do better at seeing Tyler James, and not because both alpha and luna told me to, either. Don’t expect me to make it easy on you, though.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” I smirked, my eyes lighting with dark humor.

We stood there in silence for a moment, no hugs or tears, only a newborn understanding that we were each fighting our own battles.

“Bad news is, break’s over!” Crew called out. “Good news is, this is the last round!”

With that, we went back to the grind, dodging each other’s punches and kicks, with a new, uneasy truce between us.

Later, as I crashed in one of the guest rooms, I prayed I wouldn’t embarrass myself with a nightmare.

Me watch, River offered. Me guard Ty-Ty sleep.

Thanks, buddy, I mumbled as I drifted off.

If it were possible for him to fight off bad dreams, I knew he would, and maybe that helped me sleep through the day without disturbing anyone. Either way, I woke up more refreshed than usual and hopped in the shower humming a little song.

Hopefully, such a good rest would help me with what we betas had planned for this evening: Officially introducing luna to our wolves. Sure, Lark had gone on a run with them, but luna hadn’t had a chance to meet them in their fur yet, and we wanted to fix that.

I volunteered to go last, thinking that if River got out of hand, I’d have the others’ wolves right there to help. I didn’t think he’d do anything to scare her, but she was still very fragile. Her eyes always showed a hint of fear and uncertainty, and the nightmare she had one night was further proof.

When she started screaming bloody murder in the middle of the night, Em and I did our best to comfort her in the absence of her mates, talking to her softly as she hugged her bunny doll and drinking hot chocolate with her, and eventually she calmed down enough to go back to sleep. She was comfortable with both Em and me and trusted us, which made me doubly glad we’d pulled the night shift and could be there for her when she needed it the most.

The nightmare reminded us all that she was still healing, however, and I didn’t want River to cause any incidents that might affect my relationship with her. I had a good talk with him and, yes, promised him ice cream— birfday cake dis time, Ty-Ty —if he was a good boy and didn’t frighten her.

Maybe I should take the alphas up on their offer of a ‘River management allowance,’ I thought ruefully. I’m at the ice cream parlor nearly every day.

Good thing I worked out so hard and burned off all the calories, or River would have given me love handles by now!

After luna agreed to meet our wolves, Em shifted first and introduced her to Cove, then Matthew with Arroyo, then Tris with Creek, and finally Crew with Bay.

She held out a fist for each wolf to sniff, but she didn’t try to pet any of them, possibly too scared or intimidated. Beta wolves were big, bigger than any other wolves in the pack except for her alpha mates’ wolves, and luna was a runt, smaller than even an omega wolf. She might have seen them for a moment before Lark’s run, but she hadn’t had a chance to interact with them.

Not sure this is going well, Matthew linked all of us when luna only stood there staring at the four pony-sized wolves and bit her bottom lip, shifting from one foot to the other.

Yeah, but might as well finish it now, Tris linked back.

Go ahead, Ty, Em added.

With a nod, I ducked behind a tree and stripped down.

“Ready, Riv?” I whispered as my wolf’s excitement bubbled up. “Remember, be gentle.”

Birfday cake ice cream , River replied solemnly, and I couldn’t help but smile.

I let River take control and he shifted in a blink, then shook out his mass of gray fur, the dying sun’s rays catching the silver strands and making him glow.

Hello, luna. He took a cautious step toward her and tried to keep his deep, rumbly voice as soft as possible.

“He’s even bigger!” She took a small step back, her eyes widening, but she didn’t run. Instead, she watched River with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.

It’s okay, luna, I said through the mind link. He won’t hurt you. He’s dedicated to protecting you.

He’s not as big as he looks, either, Crew told her.

It’s his floof. It makes him look fucking chunky, Tris snorted .

He has to be half Chow Chow or something, Em chimed in.

That got a little giggle out of her, and she took a step forward.

Me nice, luna , River said, his tail wagging slowly. Me good boy. Promise!

She took another step closer, her hand trembling as she reached out, and I held my breath as her fingers touched his fur hesitantly. As she stroked his head, her shoulders relaxed, and a small smile soon tugged at the corners of her lips.

“What a fluffy boy,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “Such a soft, fluffy boy.”

River’s tail wagged even faster, very proud of himself, and gave a contented rumble. As her smile grew a bit wider, luna’s gaze met his and they stared at each other, River’s marshmallow heart in his eyes as he stared at her like she was the moon herself. She petted him for a bit, then—all on his own!—River slowly walked her over to Arroyo and nudged her hand onto the tan wolf’s head.

Roy nice, too, luna. See? River told her and waited until she bravely stroked Arroyo’s fur a few times, then repeated that process until they ended up next to Cove.

Luna always safe wif beta wolfs, River told her gravely. Beta wolfs ’tect luna. Always, always.

“Thank you,” she murmured as she wrapped her arms around his neck in a gentle hug

Me good boy for luna?

“The best good boy.”

Yay! Me gets ice cream! Ty-Ty say birfday cake icy if good boy! Luna wants some?

“Sure. Why not?” She stood up as she laughed softly, the sound like music to our ears.

Get him all the ice cream he wants, Ty , Crew hiccupped in the beta link, tears trickling down his cheeks, and I realized I was crying, too.

We all were, overcome by a swell of emotion as we felt our bond with luna grow and strengthen. Her walls had come down just a little, which meant we had taken another step towards building a place where she could feel loved and safe enough to heal.

And I reckoned there was no greater thing a beta could do for his luna than that.

#

The second we received word from the king that it was safe to bring Queen Lilah and Luna Posy to Tall Pines, I helped load bags into a variety of vehicles, rescheduled my treatment appointments with Dr. Myers, and hopped into Tristan’s Jeep, both of us happy because our luna was happy to be seeing her mates again.

It was a long drive, and I never would have guessed that it would end in Lover’s Lane as Em, Matthew, and Crew found their mates!

Em was matched with Ariel’s older cousin, a man named Angelo del Vecchio—a famous monster hunter in the supernatural community. The reveal that Em was gay was a surprise to many of us, but I accepted it. He was still Beta Beast and my friend, and I let him know that. The only thing that shocked me was the relief on his face when I did.

Matthew’s mate was Maria, Ariel’s younger cousin, a bird shifter and an air witch, while Crew was matched with Sara, Angelo’s younger sister, a water witch and also a bird shifter.

Seeing my beta brothers paired off was bittersweet for me. I was genuinely happy for them, but being around so many lovebirds made me feel like a fifth wheel, so I dedicated my time to helping Gamma Reuben Ford.

The day that Luke MacGregor showed up at Five Fangs with his battered sister, Alpha Wyatt had sent Rube to Tall Pines with paperwork to sever our packs’ alliance. In return, Alpha Halder had broken every rule there was by taking Rube hostage and torturing him.

After the king had Alpha Halder locked up, he and Alpha Cole found Rube barely alive in the damp, dark basement. His body was battered and bruised, his breathing shallow and ragged, but the witches were more worried about his extensive psychic damage and put him in a healing coma right away. Rube was a tough guy, though, and came out of it weak but alive, bless his heart.

He and I spent hours together, sometimes talking, sometimes sitting in silence. Helping him heal became my mission, and a way to keep the loneliness from creeping in.

After a particularly grueling day of Rube remembering more than he wanted to, I found myself walking through the woods surrounding Tall Pines. The night was cool, the air filled with the scent of pine and earth, and I stopped at a small clearing to watch the moon cast her silver glow over everything.

Standing there, I allowed myself to think of what my mate might be like, should the Moon Goddess bless me with one. Would she like superhero movies like I did? Would she be a perfect contradiction, getting as excited over Miss Dior as she did prisms? Would she pick up every sparkly rock she saw when we went hiking?

Like River, I chuckled to myself, then sobered up when I realized what I was doing. Stop thinking about her. You’re going to get your heart broken.

“You okay?” Rube’s voice broke through my thoughts, and I turned to see he’d followed me.

“Yeah, just thinking things I shouldn’t be,” I replied, forcing a smile. “Are you okay? You shouldn’t have walked this far.”

“I’m fine. Got to get my strength back somehow.”

“Can I ask you something? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“Go for it.”

“Alpha Ash said Leo Halder was possessed by a lesser demon. That’s what caused the most damage, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.” Rube sank down on a nearby stump and stared up at the moon. “My wolf absorbed what he could, so Larch is in worse shape than I am, but the witches warned me I’ll have flashbacks and nightmares. That one who’s mates with Beta Crew? Sara? She all but ordered me to see one of the pack deltas the second we got home.”

“Sounds wise to me.” I shrugged.

“They also said if I could find my mate, that would help me heal sooner. What do they expect me to do? Snap my fingers and make him or her or them appear?” he groused. “It’s not like I haven’t been trying to find my mate!”

“I’m sure it will happen soon. Look how many matches have happened in the last few days! The Goddess won’t leave you out.”

“The thought is the only thing keeping me going right now.” He swiveled his flat, black eyes to meet mine. “Without that hope, I think… I think I might try something stupid.”

“Hey, you’re too smart and too strong to give up,” I told him fiercely. “You hear me, gamma? I know it feels like you’re stuck in a pit of black tar, and your head keeps slipping under, and maybe sometimes it feels like it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to let go.”

“That’s exactly what it feels like.” His eyebrows shot up as if he were shocked that anyone else could feel the way he did.

“But you can’t,” I said. “You have to keep fighting. There’s a way out of that pit, and you will find it. Whether it’s on your own or with someone’s help, even if it takes months or years, you’ll find it. And when you do, you’ll look back and see how far you’ve come and be amazed at yourself. You hear me, Rube?”

“I hear you, bro.” He nodded slowly, his eyes glistening with a mixture of pain and determination.

“You are not alone.” I clapped my hand on his shoulder. “You never have been and you never will be.”

“Thanks, man. I know that, but I… I needed to hear it.”

I didn’t have a solution for him; that was something he had to find within himself. I could help keep his hope alive, though.

And sometimes, that was all a person needed to keep fighting.