Page 25 of The Beta’s Heart (Five Fangs #5)

Tyler

At ten a.m. on Saturday morning, I arrived at the medical clinic and jogged up the walk with a spring in my step, happy with the world.

River and Peri had gone on the picnic hike, which he loved—especially when she shifted and he and Dovie had hours and hours to play and roam around together—and our relationship was right as rain again.

Not only that, but the treatments for my scars were going great! At my last appointment, Dr. Myers had helped guide River through easing the restriction on the muscles in my arm and, by the time our session was over, I’d regained full mobility in it. Today, they were going to try the same thing with the one on my chest, and I had high hopes it would be just as successful.

We’d also talked about what to do with the keloids on my back. Now that we knew River could make them better as far as my range of movement went, I didn’t feel that minimizing them was a priority, but Dr. Myers said I should decide on a treatment, anyway. He pointed out that he would need time to research it, then either learn how to provide it or find someone who could.

So I’d listened as he’d presented a variety of options that humans used to flatten them or make them fade, then I’d taken all the information home to Peri. After we’d reviewed it together and Googled more details about each one, we decided on the pulsed-dye laser therapy, and now I was eager to share that with Dr. Myers so he could do what he needed to do.

After he and River successfully repaired the muscles in my chest, Dr. Myers sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers together in front of him while I was busy pulling my elbows back to test how my pectoral muscle stood up to the stretch.

Praise the Goddess, I didn’t feel so much as a twinge!

Thank you, River! You did such a good job! I praised him.

Me good boy? he whispered.

Coming to the clinic always made him nervous and timid. I thought maybe it was the smells. Although they bothered me, too, it was worse for him since one of his very first memories was of me lying in a hospital bed for days on end.

A very good boy. So good, in fact, you deserve an ice cream cone on our way home.

Tanks you, Ty-Ty. Nana dis time?

Sure, baby. Banana ice cream it is.

“Beta Ty, we have something else to discuss,” Dr. Myers reminded me.

“Oh, yeah! I’ve been meaning to tell you this whole time that we chose the laser therapy.”

“That isn’t what I meant, but good. I’ll start looking into that.” He nodded gravely then cleared his throat. “What I wanted to discuss was that I can’t find anything that connects Seymour James to you or your mother, Bekah. I know my records aren’t complete—I don’t even have your birth certificate!—but not once in the medical history that I do have for you does Seymour appear.”

“But my mom does?” I asked to make sure.

“She does. It’s her signature, phone number, address, and email on everything.”

“Do you think alphas Ash and Jay were right? Do you think they were chosen mates? Or that Seymour wasn’t my father?”

“I can’t—and won’t—make theories about that without more evidence. However, I do know from the records we have that his blood type was AB.”

“Okaaay,” I said slowly, my eyes wide as I wondered where he was going with this. I remembered learning my blood type during biology class in sophomore year, but had no idea what he was implying.

“Son, a man with an AB blood type is very, very rarely the father of a child with an O blood type.”

“What?” I whispered.

“In simplified terms, Seymour would have passed on either an A or a B allele to any and all of his offspring. Since you have neither, the evidence would suggest you’re not his son. However,” Dr. Myers lowered his chin to give me a serious look, “there are documented cases where it’s happened, so I can’t ethically rule it out.”

I slammed back in my chair with a dropped jaw, feeling as if a giant hand had just whammed me in the chest. I’d always just assumed his wolf had gone feral or insane, allowing him to abuse Mom and me; I never once suspected they were chosen mates.

“How much of a long shot would it be for him to be my father?” I asked after I took a minute to process this revelation.

“Less than your odds of being struck by lightning twice, which is about one in nine million. It does happen, though, beta, which is why I won’t rely solely on your blood types to make that call.”

“Man, I wish there was someone still alive from Dark Woods who would know the answer.” Blowing out a heavy breath, I shoved my hair out of my eyes and let my hand keep going until it rested on the back of my neck.

“You should have brought Peri with you. I knew this would be difficult to hear, and you could use her support right now.”

“She’s at home waiting for me.” Hearing what I just said, I sat up and smiled a little. “ My mate is at our home waiting for me .”

“That’s right, son. Go be with her and leave the past alone. We’re at a standstill with this mystery, anyway, at least until we find more clues.”

Thanking him for his time, I headed home, anxious to wrap myself up in my sunshine girl, but stopped at the ice cream shop since I’d promised River a treat for his good work. As I allowed him to ascend to eat his ‘nana’ cone while we sat in the car, I couldn’t stop thinking of what Dr. Myers had said about needing more clues.

I wasn’t eager to do it, but I knew where I had to go to find some. I only hoped I didn’t uncover more truth than I could handle.

#

Peri

The summer sun cast a warm, golden glow over the forest path as River and I set out for a walk. The trees whispered gently in the breeze, and the earthy scent of pine filled the air. I looked down at my baby, his gray fur ruffling in the breeze, and felt a surge of affection for him.

This had become our nightly routine. River and I would walk through the woods before dark, then Ty and Dove would spend time by the firepit after dinner and before bed. Since we were invited to a barbecue this evening, I’d had to move our walk up several hours, not wanting to break the pattern that we all enjoyed.

“Ready to go, River?” I asked, smiling as he bounced eagerly beside me.

Yes! Walkies!

As always, his excitement was infectious, and I laughed, feeling my own spirits lift, which I greatly needed after hearing what Ty had shared with me about his appointment with Dr. Myers.

I, too, had believed Seymour James’ wolf had either faded back to the Goddess or gone off the rails, allowing the man to act the way he did. Now, Ty was confused and hurt as to why his mom would have kept it a secret if Seymour wasn’t his dad, and I was at a loss on how to cheer him up or soothe his pain.

Mate! River yelped, drawing me out of my head. Come, mate! Keep up!

“All right, all right, I’m coming.”

We walked along the path we were making through our woods, River darting ahead to sniff at every interesting scent and explore every nook and cranny. His curiosity was boundless, and it was one of the things I loved most about him. He poked his nose into the tall grass, his tail wagging furiously, indicating he’d discovered something.

Mate! Come see! he called, his voice filled with excitement.

I hurried over, expecting to see some small woodland creature or a particularly fascinating rock. Instead, he proudly held a stick in his mouth, his eyes shining with pride.

Look! Best trick!

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“That’s a great stick, River. What are you going to do with it?”

He dropped the stick at my feet and looked at me.

You tow, me chase!

Took me a moment to translate ‘tow’ to ‘throw,’ but I got there. Picking up the stick, I gave it a good toss, and he took off like a shot, his paws kicking up dirt as he raced after it only to return moments later with it clutched triumphantly in his jaws.

“Good boy!” I praised, scratching behind his ears.

Of course, he dropped the stick and nudged it towards me, wanting to play again, and I got the sense that he would have played until my arm fell off.

Thankfully, after only a few rounds, his curiosity got the better of him once more. He sniffed around, his nose leading him to my pockets. He prodded them eagerly, his eyes widening as he caught the scent of treats I had forgotten were there.

Treats? Mate have treats? he exclaimed, poking his nose deeper into my pocket.

I laughed and pulled out a small bag of his favorite snacks.

“You can have one, but only one!”

He sat down obediently, his tail thumping against the ground. I handed him a treat, and he gobbled it up, licking his chops with satisfaction.

One more?

“Oh, I am a sucker for your big, innocent eyes,” I sighed and fed him one more treat.

One more again?

“No, sweetie, that’s all.”

He pouted for a moment, then, with a mischievous glint in his golden eyes, stood on his hind legs and reached out with a paw.

“What are you doing, honey bunny?”

Shake, mate! Shake like human!

I chuckled and extended my hand, expecting a gentle shake, but his enthusiasm got the better of him. Instead of a handshake, he knocked me off balance, and I landed on my ass with a soft thud.

Oops! Sorry, mate! His eyes widened with concern for a moment before he pounced on me, licking my face with fervent affection. Love you, mate! Love you!

I dissolved into giggles, the ticklish sensation of his tongue and the sheer joy in his eyes filling me with happiness.

“Okay, okay! I love you, too, River!” I managed to get out.

Still chuckling, I sat up and wiped the tears of laughter from my eyes, and he sat beside me, his tail wagging and his tongue lolling. Reaching over, I wrapped my arms around his neck in a tight hug.

My goofy, loving companion.

#

Arriving at Gamma Rio’s house, I took in the scent of charcoal burning as it wafted out from the backyard to mix with the sweet aroma of freshly cut grass and blooming flowers.

“Smells good already,” I remarked, nudging Ty with my elbow.

“Yep! Come on. Let’s find out what’s cooking.”

Gamma Rio Graves and his human mate, Emmeline, had invited all the betas and gammas and their mates to their place for a barbecue tonight, and I had a feeling something was up. My alpha brothers had taken Posy to the Royal Pack for Queen Lilah’s coronation and left Mom and Dad and Royal and Julia Price in charge with the betas as back up, and I wondered if it was going to be one of those, “While the cat’s away, the mice will play,” kind of nights.

The backyard was decorated with strings of fairy lights and colorful paper lanterns, creating a warm, inviting atmosphere. Looking around, I saw I knew everyone there except for a young man standing with Angelo and Beta Em and three very unique young ladies next to gammas Nick and Adam.

What are they? I linked Ty, knowing for sure they weren’t werewolves or humans. I could see and smell that much!

You don’t recognize the scent?

Only that it’s magic, I replied with a shrug.

Fae magic, he clarified. They’re some type of fae creature, and I’m almost positive they’re fairies.

Fairies! I screeched.

Not so loud in my head, Sunshine, Ty laughed. Let’s greet our host, then we’ll go over and meet them.

So we walked straight to where Gamma Rio was watching over the grill he’d clearly just lit. His mate, Emmeline, stood beside him, her radiant smile practically lighting up the entire yard. She looked extra happy tonight, a secret dancing in her black eyes, and I was on fire to know what it was!

“Hello!” I called out as we approached. “What’s the special occasion?”

“You’ll find out soon enough!” Emmeline’s smile widened, and she exchanged a meaningful look with Rio.

“Sounds intriguing. Should we be worried?” Tyler raised an eyebrow.

“The only one who needs to worry is me,” Gamma Rio laughed, “but I’ve survived this long, so I’m hopeful to make it through to the end.”

Hmm . I tilted my head and narrowed my eyes at Emmeline. The way they were acting reminds me of Mom and Dad when they’re about to announce—

“Go meet Nick and Adam’s new mates,” Rio said, as if he knew I was putting two and two together before anyone else here had. “We’ll tell you our big news soon.”

“They found their mates?” Ty squeezed my hand as he grinned. “That’s great.”

“Yeah, just this morning, so go meet them.” Emmeline waved one long-nailed hand at us. “Especially you, Per. Shoo!”

“Shooing!” I fake-sneered and dragged Tyler with me as I made a beeline for gammas Nick and Adam and the three colorful women standing with them.

They all had an otherworldly grace, nut-brown skin that glittered with silver sparkles, and masses of curly hair piled in huge knots on either side of their heads. They all were only a rose petal above five feet tall, and I knew Posy was going to love having more shorties in the pack. Two of the fairies were twins with enormous black eyes in their narrow faces, and the one with mint green hair hung on Gamma Adam’s arm while the one with lavender locks half-hid behind Gamma Nick. The third had amethyst eyes and blue hair, and there was enough of a resemblance between the three that I guessed they were related somehow.

Maybe sisters? I linked Ty.

Maybe.

“Hey, Nick! Adam!” Ty called out, and I waved as we approached. “Who are your lovely companions?”

“I’m proud to say that we found our mates, beta,” Gamma Nick answered as Gamma Adam’s pale cheeks blazed red. “This is who I belong to, Regina Oakley. She likes to be called Reggie.”

With lowered eyes, Reggie peeked around Gamma Nick, both of her hands locked around one of his, and dipped her head in a quick nod.

Shy or stuck-up? I linked Ty.

Oh, shy. Definitely. Although Reuben’s taking bets if you want to get in on it. Two to one odds for her being shy.

These gammas! They were always betting on something! And usually the betas weren’t too far behind!

No bet, I scoffed.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Ty murmured and didn’t try to shake her hand. “Welcome to Five Fangs.”

“Yes, we’re excited to get to know you. I’m Peri and this is my mate, Beta Tyler James.”

“Oh, sorry. Guess I should have introduced you.” Gamma Nick didn’t look sorry in the least. No, he looked like he wanted to carry his pretty, shy fairy into the forest and find out how high they could fly together.

The wicked thought reminded me that I needed to find out how fairies flew. I’d always heard stories about beautiful wings, but there wasn’t a single pair in sight between the three of them.

“Thank you,” Reggie all but whispered. “Nice to meet you, too.”

“And I’m Georgina, Reggie’s twin. Call me Georgie!” Before Gamma Adam could introduce her to us, the mint-haired fairy held out her hand, which I shook, then Tyler did the same. “Adam is my mate!”

So much different than her sister , Ty chuckled in the link.

Yep. How do you think they got here?

I’m sure she’ll tell us given enough time since she seems like a chatterbox.

The complete opposite of Gamma Adam, I snickered. That’s going to be interesting!

Well, Nick’s a lot more talkative than Adam, but he’s far from a chatterbox, Ty pointed out , and here he is mated to a little mouse. Bet their meals are going to be quiet ones!

The Goddess knows best, I said with a shrug. And they all look so happy.

They do, and I’m happy for them.

“Did you just move to the area?” I asked, digging without trying to make it look like I was digging.

“Yes. We opened a new cake shop in Greenville, and Adam came in this morning to order his parents’ anniversary cake! That’s how we met!”

“I tagged along, thank the Goddess,” Nick added, “and met my Reggie.”

“This is our cousin, Delilah Evergreen.” Georgie pointed to the blue-haired girl. “She’s going to be a senior in high school this year.”

“Oh, you’ll be with us!” I enthused as I shook Delilah’s hand. “That’s great! I’ll introduce you to all our friends! Fair warning, though: They’re going to be so interested in learning about you and your culture. I hope that doesn’t put you off meeting them.”

“I’m always happy to talk,” Delilah giggled. “Probably a little too much. Makes up for this one here.”

She nudged Reggie with her elbow and burst out laughing, but that only made the poor thing grab the hem of Gamma Nick’s t-shirt, pull it up as she pressed her front against his back, and pull it down over her.

“Oh, my Goddess. These mate sparks are going to kill me!” Gamma Nick hissed as the fabric of his shirt rippled with the shape of two arms coming around to encircle his waist, and he gently rubbed his hands over his shirt where two littler ones were outlined.

“Did I scare her?” I asked with worried eyes. “I didn’t mean to.”

“She’s done that three times since we’ve been here,” Gamma Adam worked up the nerve to tell me, even if it was with a stammer and pink cheeks. “I think everything scares her.”

“Our Reggie’s shy and awkward. Always has been.” Georgie stretched out a hand and rubbed it up and down her twin’s back through Gamma Nick’s shirt. “Not like me! Right, Adam?”

“Uh, right.” Gamma Adam blushed furiously, rubbing the back of his neck. “Anything you say, my love.”

“Well, you’re certainly starting off right,” Tyler chuckled, clapping him on the back. “Congratulations to all of you!”

“Thanks, beta.” Gamma Nick nodded, a rare smile breaking through his somber demeanor.

“Everyone, could I have your attention, please?” Emmeline called out with a cheerful clap. “Rio and I have something to share.”

All eyes turned to the couple, and a hush fell over the crowd. Gamma Rio wrapped an arm around Emmeline, his smile broadening as he looked down at his mate.

“We’re having a pup!” he announced, his voice filled with pride.

Regina came out of her hiding spot to clap with me and the other fairies as well as the other gammas’ and betas’ mates, but most of the boys had fallen as silent as the grave, their eyes silently warning Gamma Rio that they were about to kick his ass—and I knew why.

Like me, Emmeline was eighteen and about to start her senior year of high school. How would she handle the inevitable snide comments from the humans at school?

Then again, it’s Emmeline we’re talking about , I thought with a snort. Anyone who tests her waters better know how to swim!

I remembered her having it out with the queen bees at school last fall. She used to be friendly with Korine, Heidia, and Olivia, but after she became mates with Gamma Rio, they turned on her.

Didn’t help that Gamma Rio and Heidia were together at the time. Emmeline turned eighteen the day Gamma Rio graduated, and he immediately broke it off with Heidia and started to woo his mate, who was pure human and knew nothing of shifters. It took him all summer to convince Emmeline that he was sincere and hadn’t dumped her friend for her. He also had to explain about our world and his place in the pack.

Although she couldn’t smell his special mate scent, the mate sparks helped his cause, and the bond growing between them was undeniable, even for a human. Once she was positive of his intentions and got to meet his family and his wolf, she demanded a small wedding in his parents’ backyard complete with wedding rings, saying that if she was going to wear his mark, he was going to wear hers.

Everything seemed to be going great for them until school restarted in August. The queen bees, of course, didn’t understand about mates, only that Emmeline was now married to Heidia’s ex, and that made the fur fly. They shut her out, which was no big loss in my opinion, but she was hurt. Unfortunately, she went even more savage when she was hurt, and their ongoing verbal war was a legend that Greenville High School would have for years to come. The teachers even had to change her schedule because they couldn’t teach if she was in a room with any of the other girls.

Finally, just before Halloween, it all went down right in the middle of the cafeteria during our lunch period.

“Bitch, please,” we all heard Heidia shout. “My phone battery lasts longer than some of your relationships! He’ll dump your rude, ugly ass soon enough and come crawling back to me!”

Standing up to go nose to nose with her, Emmeline challenged, “Keep talking,” which, where we come from, means you better shut the fuck up before you find out.

“Oh, does the truth hurt? Knowing you’re just a temporary fill-in for me?”

“You dumb bitch, I’m not fixing to bust your ass over Rio . No, I’m fixing to bust your ass because you insulted me!”

“Again, truth hurt much?” Heidia made a fake pout. “It’s only a matter of time before Rio gets sick of looking at that every morning and comes back to perfection.”

“I’ma say this one more time, Heidia. I don’t fucking care who he was with before me any more than he cares who I was with before him. The fact is, we’re together now, and that’s how it’s going to stay. Stop bringing up the past and move on with your life.”

“Oh, wait a sec!” Heidia turned and lifted her lunch tray off the table, and we all saw what was coming, but none of us could move. “I have some of my spaghetti left. You want those leftovers, too?”

And she threw the tray right in Emmeline’s face.

“Well, you done did it now, motherfucker.” Emmeline calmly swiped noodles from her cheeks and shook her head to dislodge some of the sauce from her hair.

“Did what? Pushed you a little too far? Oh, is Emme going to cry now? Poor little—”

Emmeline’s fist flashed out faster than any of us were expecting, breaking Heidia’s nose with a snap! that was deafening in the silent cafeteria.

Ash and Wyatt—my first option when trouble arose—ate a different lunch than us, so I looked at my friends, biting my bottom lip as I wondered if we should help a sister out since it was three to one, even though none of us were any kind of fighters. In fact, Yola was already running out of the cafeteria to either hide in the bathroom or go fetch Coach Hall, and Sophia looked like she wanted to crawl under the table and cry. Callie and Keeley were just agreeing to go over with me when Beta Tristan Harrington stepped in.

Hooking an arm around Emmeline’s waist, he lifted her up and carried her off, catching two elbows to the side of his head and one to his gut before he got her to understand it was him and not Korine or Olivia sneak-attacking her. Even knowing it was Gamma Rio’s best friend, she still attempted to crush Beta Tris’ nuts with a mule kick as he carried her out of the cafeteria.

That whole incident pretty much summed up who Emmeline Graves was, and now parents used Gamma Rio as the perfect example of why waiting for your mate saved a lot of hurt all around.

Having a pup so young and before you were even mated a full year might have been normal back in the day, but not anymore. Times had changed, and more shifters wanted to go college or pursue a career or even just spend time together as a couple before babies came along. Emmeline had always talked about becoming a licensed nail technician after high school, and that wasn’t unachievable with a baby, but it would be a harder row to hoe.

I couldn’t let her special moment fall flat, though, so I whistled and shouted, “Congratulations!” and nudged Ty to do the same when he only stood next to me in stunned silence.

Beta Crew, Gamma Landry, Angelo, and a young man standing next to Beta Em followed suit, and the rest joined with a desultory applause that I hoped didn’t hurt Emmeline’s feelings, but she just flipped them all off with a sneer.

“Oh, go play football, you sorry bastards,” she grunted, shoving at Gamma Rio’s shoulder, “while we women do the meat.”

“Sounds like you’ve done enough meat!” Beta Tris called out with a loud laugh, earning a whack from his mate.

That broke the last of the tension, and the boys did, indeed, grab a football and head to the neighboring field. As for us ladies, we gathered around Emmeline to squeal and fuss and talk about babies.

#

Tyler

We’d just wrapped up our gammas vs. betas football game and came back to find the women still gathered around Emmeline, their voices a mix of excitement and curiosity about the pup, but at least they’d filled the grill with hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken.

The blue-haired fairy, Delilah, left early, wanting to set up the bakery for the morning, and I knew I wasn’t the only one who’d wished she was Reuben’s mate. He was better than he had been after his time at Tall Pines, but nowhere near his old self, and a mate would have helped him more than anything the witches or Dr. York could do.

After we finished eating, Peri wanted to meet Konstantin Russo, the half-dragon who’d been rescued along with Grace Turnbull. He was currently living with Emerson and Angelo, and Em had confided that, after he and Angelo married in a couple of weeks, they were going to adopt both Kon and Reau.

I hadn’t officially met Kon yet, either—only seen him flying overhead at fighter practice that day—so I took my girl’s hand and led her over to where Em and Angelo were throwing away their trash.

“Hey, do you think you could introduce us to Kon? Peri’s been dying to meet him, although I think she’s more interested in his dragon than the dude himself,” I said, grinning down at Peri.

“Ha ha. You’re just interested in seeing what he can do at fighter practice or on the football field,” she scoffed. “Don’t deny that’s one of the reasons you were so excited to see him in action tonight. You’re going to invite him to go along with you tomorrow for football try-outs at the high school.”

“You know me too well, Sunshine,” I chuckled.

“I’ll be happy to introduce you, Peri.” Angelo pointed to where Kon was talking to Landry and Reuben. “Come on. Maybe you can even convince him to shift. I know the fairies are eager to meet Chime Karma, but one is too shy to speak and the other won’t stop tormenting Matthew.”

“He deserved it,” Em and I said together, then laughed.

Meanie Boy wouldn’t stop teasing the fairies about their pointed ears—Goddess knows why—so Georgie slapped a spell on him that turned his to donkey ears and tacked a tail on his behind for good measure.

“Go ahead,” Em told his mate. “I’ll talk to Ty for a minute, then we’ll join you.”

Nodding his head, Angelo motioned for Peri to walk in front of him, and my girl happily went on her way to meet a dragon.

“Did you need something, Em?” I asked as I watched her heart-shaped backside wiggle away from me with real regret that we weren’t home alone right now.

“How’s the treatment for your scars going?” he asked.

“Good!” I rolled my shoulder to demonstrate. “I’ve got a full range of motion again in my arm and chest, and we’re going to start working on my back soon.”

“That’s great to hear! I’m happy for you, man.” A genuine smile spread across his face. “Now, what about your family? You dig anything up yet?”

“Dr. Myers is pretty sure Seymour James wasn’t my biological father.”

“That’s a lot to take in.” Em’s brows knitted together in concern. “If he wasn’t your dad, then what about your mom?”

“I don’t know.” I let out a sigh, the familiar frustration bubbling up. “If my mom was really my mom, why didn’t she tell me they were chosen mates? And if she wasn’t, then who was she? And who was my real dad? What happened to him?”

The weight of these questions had been pressing down on me ever since my last visit with Dr. Myers, confusion and anger swirling inside me, and it was hard to not dwell on it.

“Maybe you should try to find your family’s house,” he suggested. “There might be some answers inside. Some documents or letters. Maybe even a few home videos survived.”

“I’ve been thinking about it, and I plan to go once I have an idea of where exactly it might be.”

“I was over in Dark Woods the day Reau arrived here. The houses that are left standing are in bad shape, so be careful. I don’t recommend going alone, but you deserve to know the truth, Ty.”

Then he pulled me into a hug, and I held on tight, trying not to tear up.

“Thanks, Em,” I sniffed.

“Just remember, little brother.” He pulled back and met my eyes. “No matter what you find, you’ve got a family right here, and you always will.”