Page 12 of The Beta’s Heart (Five Fangs #5)

Tyler

Fighter practice was always fun. It was one of those few times I could blow off steam and no one got hurt.

Much.

Today, Landry and I managed to get Reuben out on the field, where we stretched and warmed up, the sun beating down on us and filling the air with the scent of sweat and fresh-cut grass.

“Ready to get your ass handed to you, bro?” Landry teased, bouncing on his toes.

“In your dreams, man,” I shot back, giving him a playful shove.

“Let’s see if what the betas have been teaching you holds up to what we gammas do on the daily.”

Rube wasn’t so talkative or playful, which we’d expected. We wanted to get him out of his house, though, and into the sunshine. We weren’t deltas or witches, but we reckoned that getting him back into his normal routine couldn’t hurt his recovery any.

We got to it, grappling and sparring, the sounds of grunts and laughter mixing with the rhythmic thud of fists against pads. As we paused for a water break, I noticed Misha Popov standing around on the edge of the practice field not too far from us.

I’d only gotten to know him recently, but he was a good guy, solid and reliable, which was probably why he was the carpentry supervisor of the pack’s construction crew. It was steady work and paid well, and he was always one of the first to volunteer if we needed an emergency sub on a border patrol.

Looking at him now, I felt a surge of sympathy for the guy. Dark circles underscored his eyes, his shoulders slumped, and he was moving like he carried the weight of the world on his back.

“You guys care if I call Misha over?” I asked Lan and Rube. “Dude looks like he could use a friend right now.”

“I was about to ask that same thing,” Lan said, and Rube nodded.

“Hey, Misha!” I called out, waving at him. “Come join us!”

He hesitated, but jogged over, and we welcomed him into our little group with fist bumps. The four of us moved into running laps, the steady pounding of our feet on the track almost like music, and Misha kept pace with us, which was not an easy task for an unranked wolf, but his breathing had turned to pants by the time we took a break, and I chuckled as he fell on the grass like all of his bones had dissolved.

“I didn’t know you were such a drama queen, Misha,” Lan teased as we soughed down water.

“I am not ranked wolf,” he said in his thick Russian accent as he wiped sweat from his forehead. “I think I am doing quite well, keeping up with gammas and beta.”

Rube and I agreed with grins, and Lan slapped him on the shoulder.

We switched to wrestling, taking turns grappling with each other and keeping an eye on Misha to make sure we weren’t going past his limits. Yeah, he was strong and had a good bit of moon power for a regular shifter, but we were all far stronger and more powerful, not to mention our wolves were more aggressive.

Afterwards, we all collapsed on the grass again, panting and laughing under the summer sun.

“I needed this,” Misha admitted, staring up at the fast-moving clouds. “My soul is weary.”

“You want to talk about it?” I sat up and looked at him.

“It is six years since I lost Jeannie. Some days, it seems to be getting harder, not easier.” He sighed, closing his eyes. “I feel as if my life is over at twenty-nine.”

A heavy silence fell over us. I knew the pain of losing someone, but I couldn’t imagine the depth of his grief. The mate bond dissolving, the mark fading, the sudden gaping hole inside you… It was too much for some people to recover from, and more than one shifter over the years had either gone mad or committed suicide-by-alpha after their other half died.

Unfortunately, Misha and Jeannie had only been mated a year when the sickness claimed her, so he didn’t even have pups to take comfort in. There was only him alone at night with the grief and loneliness eating him from the inside out, unlike Charlie Nelson at the O, whose kids gave her the inspiration to keep going—

Hmm. That gives me an idea.

“Have you thought about, oh, I don’t know, finding a companion?” I ventured cautiously. “Someone to share your life with? At the very least, you could make a new friend.”

Misha opened his eyes and looked at me, something flickering in his gaze, then turned to look at Lan and Rube.

“You deserve some happiness,” Rube told him.

“It wouldn’t be the same as having your mate, but there are lots of she-wolves in the pack in the same situation,” Lan added.

“My brother Viktor suggested the same last week. I… I could try. Goddess knows, I cannot go on much longer like this.”

“Do you have someone specific in mind?” Rube looked at me.

“Yeah, but I want to make sure it’s okay with her first before I say anything.”

“Fair enough,” Lan said, stretching out his legs. “Let us know if we can help.”

We finished practice and, as we headed off to shower, I knew I had to talk with Charlie Nelson as soon as possible. Even if nothing came out of it, the two of them could enjoy a friendly dinner together. For now, I was just glad we had reached out to Misha. His shoulders already seemed slightly less burdened and his steps a little lighter.

And that, I thought, is a good start to better days.

#

That evening, after dinner at the orphanage, I rolled up my sleeves and started on the dishes while Charlie cleaned up the rest of the kitchen. The clink of plates and the hum of the faucet mingled with the faint sounds of pups playing in the yard like a familiar song.

“Thanks for helping out, Ty,” Charlie said, wiping down the counters. “You know you don’t have to, right?”

“I don’t mind.” I shrugged, scrubbing a stubborn spot off a plate. “Besides, it gives us a chance to talk.”

“Talk about what?” She raised an eyebrow, glancing at me. “Your research on your parents at the alpha library?”

“Oh, that . Alpha Jay and I have gone through the whole Dark Woods room and didn’t find anything useful. Anyway, remember when I asked you if you’d be interested in meeting someone?”

“Yes, I remember.” She stopped what she was doing, giving me her full attention, so I took a deep breath, rinsing off the plate and setting it to dry.

“How about going on a blind date with a guy? A widower?”

“A blind date?” Charlie’s eyes widened, and she looked both surprised and hesitant. “Ty, I… I don’t know.”

“I get it,” I said quickly, drying my hands on a towel. “But I wouldn’t set you up with someone I didn’t trust or think was suitable for you. He’s a good guy who’s lonely and sad and needs a friend.”

“But a blind date ?” She chewed her lip, clearly unsure. “That’s a lot of pressure.”

“I promise I won’t tell him your name. That way, you can just walk out of the restaurant if you’re too uncomfortable to meet him.”

She stood and kept her eyes fixed on her shoes for a long moment, then sighed and raised her eyes to meet mine.

“Okay, I’ll do it, but you owe me, Ty.”

“Deal! What do you want in exchange?”

“The boys usually have evening activities and clubs, but I’ll probably need you to babysit Honor while I’m on this date.”

“Oh, that’s easy. I like hanging out with my best girl,” I laughed. “Thanks for being willing to try this, Charlie. You won’t regret spending a nice evening with this guy. I’ll leave it up to him to plan everything, then I’ll get back to you with the details.”

“All right. Let’s see where this goes.” Charlie nodded, her eyes sharp with a bit of apprehension, but also curiosity.

Later that night, after saying goodnight to all the kids, I linked Misha.

Got some good news for you. She agreed to the blind date.

Truly?! He sounded both surprised and relieved. That is wonderful! Many thanks, beta!

Don’t mention it. Make sure to plan something nice, then let me know the details. I’ll take care of the rest.

Of course , he said, excitement coloring his voice. I will get back to you soon .

As I closed the link, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction. Setting this up was surely a step in the right direction for both Misha and Charlie. And who knew? Maybe it would lead to something more. If nothing else, I was glad to have helped two people take a chance on happiness.

#

Misha caught up with me the next day as I was leaving the medical clinic after a treatment with Dr. Myers. I was happy to see the guy looking and sounding more upbeat than he had in a long time.

“Beta Ty! I have set up the date for tonight at The Trolley Car. It’s a nice place where wolf shifters do not often go. I want her to feel comfortable without prying eyes. Please tell her that I will be there at six o’clock with yellow roses so she can find me.”

“Yellow roses?” A smile spread across my face. “Good choice. I’ll let her know. Thanks, Misha, and good luck.”

When I got home, I found Charlie tidying up the living room.

“Your date’s set for tonight. He’ll be waiting with a bouquet of yellow roses.”

“ Tonight?! ” Charlie’s eyes widened, and a hand flew to her mouth as tears welled in her eyes.

“Don’t even tell me you can’t go because there’s not enough time to get gussied up,” I warned her with a fake scowl.

“No, it’s not that. It’s just… yellow roses are my favorite.”

It took her a while to get ready, especially since she changed her outfit seven or eight times, but she finally stood at the front door, looking at me with wide, scared eyes.

“You’ll do great, Charlie. Be yourself and have fun.”

“Thank you. Don’t forget to pick the boys up from—”

“I won’t,” I assured her. “Dawson and Sawyer are at a birthday party, Austin and Zach are at karate practice, and Rook’s field trip will be back at 8:30 p.m. I got it, Charlie, I promise.”

Taking a deep breath, she nodded and went out the door.

“Good luck,” I murmured as I went to find Honor.

She was in her room, messing with her baby dolls, and I knocked on the jamb before I went inside.

“Hey, pretty lady.”

“Beta Ty! You want to play babies with me?”

“I’ll take a rain check on that since I already have other plans.” When her bottom lip pooched out in a pout, I hurried to add, “Plans that include you . Want to go on a date with me tonight?”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Her eyes lighting up, she stood and started jumping up and down. “My first date!”

“I’d hope it’s your first. You’re only six, after all,” I chuckled.

Letting her lead me to her closet, I helped her pick out a “fancy” dress, which ended up being one of her costume princess gowns, then watched as she tried to pull her hair up in a ponytail, failed, and turned to me with a trembling chin and glossy eyes.

“Oh, hey, now, none of that. It’s okay to cry, but this is a tiny problem and not worth even one of your precious tears. I’ll help you.”

When she nodded and held up her brush, I swallowed hard. I didn’t know what to do with a little girl’s hair! I barely knew what to do with my own! But she was trusting me, so what else could I do except step up to the plate and swing at the ball I was pitched?

If I had my druthers, I would have left her hair down, but she insisted that princesses wore their hair up with their fancy dresses, so I did my best to gather it all up in one fist, then held out my other hand for the hair tie she’d picked out.

“Why is it so dang small?” I groused as I tried to get my thick fingers through it. “Piddlin’ thing!”

After two attempts, I finally managed to tie up her hair, and ninety percent of it was actually in the ponytail, so I took that as a home run and turned her to face the mirror.

“There you go, little missy. Pretty as a peach,” I told her, and she beamed.

Since Charlie had taken her personal vehicle, I fired up the orphanage minivan, and we headed to Roger’s Diner. The moment we stepped inside, the familiar aroma of coffee and burgers on the grill hit my nostrils, and I took a big inhale of the comforting smell.

“Beta Ty,” Honor whispered urgently and tugged my sleeve.

Looking down, I saw her scared face and realized she’d been startled by everyone’s eyes on us before they went back to their meals.

Scooping her up in my arms, I hugged her tight.

“It’s okay,” I murmured as she dug her face in my neck. “I’d never let anything happen to you, little pup.”

As I patted her back, I saw Nathan and Evie Barlow, along with most of their sons, settled at the large corner booth, and Mr. Barlow spotted me at the same time. Taking in my armload of shy little girl, he waved us over while linking me to join them with my date.

As I walked over to their table, Honor peeped out of her hiding spot, scanned the group, and whispered, “Down,” in my ear.

The second I set her on her feet, her fear magically vanished, and she scampered over to sit next to Wesley, who stared at her like he didn’t know whether to check his butt or scratch his watch, bless his little heart.

“Hi! You’re so handsome! Like a prince!” She grinned, her eyes wide with admiration. “I’m Honor Nelson. What’s your name?”

Wesley blushed as he answered her, and the whole table chuckled, the atmosphere instantly light and joyful.

“So, uh, where’s, um, Peri tonight?” I asked, my voice pitching up a little on her name, embarrassing me almost as much as this hated blush stealing over my cheeks and lighting up the tips of my ears. Hurrying to cover it, I asked about the other missing family members, too. “And Wayne and Arch?”

“Wayne and Archer went to the drag races with a group of their friends. As for Peri, she’s—”

“Here!” Peri’s sweet voice interrupted Evie. “And I see my spot has been usurped by a beautiful princess!”

“Thank you, pretty girl!” Honor chirped happily.

With a grin, Peri pulled a free chair over from an empty table and settled in beside me, and I thought my stomach was going to be bruised from how hard the butterflies were beating inside it.

We enjoyed our dinner, me because Peri was sitting so close, and Honor because she was the star of the show, giggling with delight at all the attention the Barlow boys were giving her. Wesley hogged her the most as he told her a couple of stories from school, then went into far too many details about his current model airplane project.

As for Nathan and Evie Barlow, they were making the most of the opportunity to flirt without their children noticing too much, and Wade was busy shoving as much food as he could down the little red lane—and I thought I could eat!

The warmth and laughter at the table reminded me of what a family should be, and I was glad to be a part of it, if only for an hour.

They don’t know how lucky they are to have this, I thought.

Someday, we has it, too, Ty-Ty, River chirped. Find mate, den home, den pups. Pups, pups, pups.

Don’t start, Riv, I warned him.

Pups, pups, pups. Me want pups! Pups, pups, pups. Me want—

Goddess help me, I sighed, rolling my eyes. He’d be singing that for a good hour now.

After a tasty and filling meal of burgers and fries, Honor and I headed off to pick up all the boys at their various activities. By the time we got back to the orphanage, she was yawning and half-asleep, so I waited until she brushed her teeth and got into her jammies, then tucked her in bed, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead.

“Goodnight, Honor. Sweet dreams.”

“Night, Beta Ty. Thank you for my date,” she yawned again, already drifting off.

“I’m glad my best girl had a good time.”

“I ate all my burger,” she mumbled, “and a pretty girl was there … dumb ol’ airplanes … then Prince Wesley—”

And she was out.

I stayed up to wait for Charlie and was glad I did. When she walked through the door, her eyes glowed and her smile was bright.

“How did it go?” I asked, even though I reckoned I already knew the answer.

“It was amazing!” she squealed like a teenage girl and not a thirty-one-year-old mother of three. She wrapped me up in a surprise-attack hug, and I chuckled as I hugged her back. “Thank you, Ty! I really needed this! And—”

“And?” I encouraged her.

“I like him. I like him a lot !”

“I’m so happy for you, Charlie.”

As she went upstairs to check on her kids, I headed for bed, grinning like a possum eating a sweet tater.

I did a good thing, I thought to myself and fell asleep hoping it would work out for them.