Page 4 of The Beta’s Heart (Five Fangs #5)

Tyler

Three days after Beta Everett Breckenridge’s death, I found myself at his funeral, feeling out of place. Beta Ev and I hadn’t been friends. I admired how he took care of his younger sisters, though, and I respected the beta position he held, so I stood among the mourners and paid my respects.

The werewolf king, Julian Hemming, attended the funeral and offered his condolences to Callie and Keeley. His presence made everything feel even more somber and significant. He had that weight about him that came from a combination of royal, moon, and alpha power, not to mention the aura of dominance and alpha charisma that he and his primitive wolf, Onyx, had all by themselves.

As the service continued, the five alphas of the Five Fangs wolf pack—Mason Price, Cole Barlow, Jayden Carson, Ash Mitchell, and Wyatt Black—revealed a shocking truth: Beta Ev’s wolf, Spring, had survived the attack.

This left everyone in stunned silence. It was nearly unheard of for a wolf to survive without their human counterpart! The alphas didn’t go into detail about the incident beyond describing how the enemy’s bullet had struck at the exact moment Beta Ev shifted, killing him and missing Spring.

No one, not even the king, knew what to do with the bereft wolf, and I felt a tug in my heart. Since it had never led me astray before, I approached the alphas as the rest of the mourners went over to the community hall for a celebration of Beta Ev’s life.

“Can I see Spring?” I asked quietly.

“He’s in a bad way, Ty.” Alpha Cole looked at me, concern etched on his face. “Unresponsive, hardly eating, drinking only enough water to stay alive…”

“I reckoned as much, but I, um, feel like I need to see him. Just for a minute. Please?”

He exchanged a glance with the other alphas, then nodded.

“All right, but be careful. We’re worried he could go feral at any second.”

Somehow, I didn’t think that would happen. A wolf strong enough to survive losing his human was strong enough to survive his own mind.

Keeping my thoughts to myself, I walked with them to the building that housed our isolation chambers, shivering a little in the cold breeze. Mid-March was usually a little warmer than this during the days, but winter seemed to be hanging on longer than usual this year. Even the sky was overcast and gray, as if threatening us with a late snow flurry.

After Alpha Cole unlocked the front door, we all trooped in except for Alpha Jay, and I was smart enough to know why. Poor alpha blamed himself whenever anything went wrong, and I was sure his wolf was in a rage. Seeing Spring might upset Quartz, and no one needed that today.

It was eerily silent when we entered, which was normal since the alphas had wisely sound-deadened each chamber as much as possible so that shifters couldn’t set each other off when they went berserk. Today, all of the cells were empty except for Spring’s, and Alpha Mase checked the small barred window before he unlocked the metal door and let it swing open.

I cautiously peeked inside to see Spring lying silent and still on a soft black rug. His amber eyes stared straight ahead, and it was clear to me that the porch light was on, but no one was home.

Bless his heart.

The alphas waited in the hallway as I approached him with gentle words and slow movements. Sinking to my knees next to the big wolf, I stroked his fur for a long, long time, hoping it was helping him even a little bit. I’d never met him before, although River assured me that he’d had lots of conversations with Spring over the years, usually with Spring advising him not to do a dumb thing.

Or consoling him after he did the dumb thing, which went as badly as Spring had predicted it would.

I wasn’t too surprised that they had a connection. Not only did Riv chew off the ear of any male wolf who made the mistake of standing still too long, but Spring was also born in Dark Woods, same as us, and those few wolves who survived the invasion tended to stick together and have a closer bond regardless of how their humans interacted with each other.

Right as I was thinking of getting up and leaving, Spring stirred a bit, and I felt the alphas tense up behind me, probably ready to leap in if this was the moment Spring snapped, but the wolf only raised his head and rested it on my knee, a single tear streaking from his left eye and breaking my heart.

You’re going to be okay, I whispered to him in the link, wanting to say the words even if he couldn’t hear them or process them. Not right now, and not any time soon, but you will be.

Carefully moving his head back on the rug, I got to my feet with a little sniff, wishing I could do more, but knowing I couldn’t.

As we walked away, I asked what their long-term plan was for him.

“Wish we had our luna,” Alpha Ash murmured. “She could help him a lot.”

“Or if Ev had found his mate, that would have been even better,” Alpha Wyatt added.

“We can’t make wishes and what-ifs come true,” Alpha Mase said in his blunt way. “The king suggested taking him back to the Royal Pack, where the elders and healers might be able to help him, and we think that’s probably going to be the best solution.”

“At least for now,” Alpha Cole agreed.

So it was with mixed feelings that I watched them carefully load Spring into King Julian’s SUV, my heart hurting for a wolf I barely knew.

I guess it’s because I hate to think what this would be like for River, I thought to myself. No one could take care of him or understand him like I do.

#

Peri

I walked up the stone pathway to the Breckenridge house, the weight of yesterday’s funeral heavy on my shoulders. I carried a tray of homemade cookies, hoping the simple gesture might offer some comfort. Keeley and Callie had been through so much, and I was determined to be there for them, no matter what.

Bram, Yolanda, and Sophia were already there when I arrived, their faces somber but supportive. We had become a tight-knit group over the years, and we weren’t going to let the twins suffer alone and in silence.

Keeley answered the door, her eyes red and puffy from crying.

“Hey, Peri,” she greeted weakly, forcing a small smile.

“Hey, Keeley.” I stepped inside and pulled my friend into a hug. “I brought cookies. I thought they might help a little.”

“Thank you. You didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to. We’re all here for you.”

As we walked into the living room, Callie looked up from where she sat on the couch, all wrapped up in a blanket.

“Hi, Peri.”

“Hey, Callie.” I moved over to sit beside her and gave her a gentle squeeze. “How are you holding up?”

“I don’t know. It still doesn’t feel real.” Callie shrugged, her voice barely a whisper, and I nodded, understanding all too well the feeling of loss and disbelief.

“It’s going to take time, but we’re here with you every step of the way.”

“That’s right. We’ve got your backs, no matter what.” Bram sat down on the floor in front of them, pushing out waves of comfort and care, and Yola and Sophie nodded in agreement, their quiet presence like a comforting balm.

“Why don’t we do something to take our minds off things for a bit?” I suggested, trying to inject some lightness into the heavy atmosphere. “How about a movie or a game?”

“A game sounds good. Something silly and fun.” Keeley managed a small laugh.

“I’ve got just the thing.” Bram pulled out a deck of cards. “ Uno , anyone?”

As we played, the mood in the room lightened, the laughter and teasing providing an escape from the twins’ pain, even if it was only temporarily. Keeley and Callie relaxed a bit, the tension in their shoulders easing, and the rest of us made it our mission to keep them smiling for as long as we could.

“You’re such a cheater, Bram,” I grumbled as he tried to sneak a peek at Yola’s cards.

“Hey, I play to win,” he shot back.

We played for hours, losing track of time until the sun began to set. As the others packed up to leave, Keeley and Callie both seemed more at ease, their smiles genuine, and as Yola drove off with Bram and Sophie, I allowed my thoughts to drift to my own worries.

My older brothers especially were weighing heavily on my mind lately. Mase and Jay were growing more and more depressed without their luna, and Cole’s temper had been flaring unpredictably. Ash’s impulsivity and hyperactivity were becoming more pronounced, and Wyatt was retreating further into his wolf, avoiding reality.

I worried about them constantly, knowing Mom and Mase’s mother did, too. We all feared what might happen if they didn’t find their luna soon. The bond they shared as found brothers was strong, but even that had its limits. They needed their mate to balance them, to bring them back from the edge they were all teetering on…

“Peri?” Callie’s voice broke through my thoughts, and I realized we were still standing on the front porch, waiting for my dad to pick me up, and I’d been staring at the sky as it darkened with the onset of evening.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you for being here,” Callie said, her eyes filled with gratitude. “We don’t know what we’d do without you and our other friends.”

“You’ve got such a good heart.” Keeley nodded, tears not far away.

“You don’t have to thank me, silly! That’s what we’re here for,” I reminded them both. “If you need anything, anything at all, just call me or one of the others, okay?”

“We will,” Keeley promised, her voice wavering with emotion.

I squeezed them both tightly, hoping they could feel how much I cared about them. As we ended our group hug, we saw someone coming up the walk, a bouquet of flowers in either hand, and we watched silently as Tyler James emerged from the shadows.

“Um, hi,” he stammered, his words rushing out in a nervous tumble as his cheeks flared red. “I, uh, I know it’s not much, but I thought maybe these could, you know, bring a little beauty to your days. I didn’t get to tell you at the funeral yesterday, but I’m really sorry about Everett.”

Keeley and Callie exchanged surprised glances, then took the bouquets as he held them out. All of us were touched by his gesture, and I felt my own eyes welling up.

“Thank you, Ty,” Keeley said softly, her voice filled with gratitude.

“Yes, Ty, we appreciate it,” Callie told him.

“Yeah, of course.” He nodded, his cheeks still flushed, then turned to me. “Good to see you again, Peri.”

“Same,” I murmured, trying to play it cool as our gazes met and held.

And held.

And held.

“ Ahem ,” Callie coughed into her elbow, and Tyler and I both blinked.

“Well, I, um, I should go,” he said.

“Thanks again for the flowers,” Callie told him.

“You’re welcome.” He gave us a curt nod, then turned and jogged back down the walk.

In unison, the three of us giggled quietly, not in a mocking way, but in a shared moment of amusement.

“He’s so cute and awfully sweet,” Callie whispered, her eyes twinkling. “I hope he’s one of our mates.”

“What if our mates are in different packs, Sissy?” Keeley fiddled with her flowers as her anxiety flared. “What if we have to leave each other?”

“Distance won’t ever come between you.” I placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “No matter where life takes you, you’ll always be sisters.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” She gave me a small smile.

As I watched the night finish swallowing Tyler’s distant figure, his small act of kindness reminded me that, even on the darkest days, there was light and love and the strength of friendship to guide us forward.

#

As I climbed into Dad’s truck, I slumped into the passenger seat with a dramatic sigh.

“Can you believe today? I mean, I can’t even!”

“What’s this? Drama has occurred? Tell me more, my little gossip queen.” Dad glanced over at me, his fern-green eyes twinkling with mischief.

“It’s not gossip if it’s important stuff, you know.” I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t help but smile. “And it’s not called gossip anymore. It’s called tea.”

“Oh, excuse me, Miss Important Stuff. Well, go ahead. Enlighten me on the tea .”

I hesitated for a moment, thinking about the twins’ pain, and then decided to start with something lighter.

“Well, Tyler showed up with flowers for Keeley and Callie. It was actually pretty sweet.”

“Tyler, huh?” Dad raised an eyebrow, grinning. “Would you mean my grease monkey at the garage? The shy boy with a secret crush on my daughter? That Tyler?”

“ Dad !” I groaned, my cheeks burning. “He does not have a crush on me!”

“Right, and I’m the tooth fairy. Come on, Peri, the boy’s got it bad. And it’s not surprising, really, that he’d fall for my daughter. She is gorgeous, after all.”

“Whatever.” I snorted, shaking my head. “Anyway, Callie and Keeley were both happier when I left, so I’m glad I went over there, but it was hard. This whole thing, it’s ... a lot.”

“I know it’s tough, kiddo.” Dad’s expression softened. “Losing someone in the pack always hits hard, but you did good today, helping those girls. Proud of you, Per.”

“Thanks, Daddy.” I leaned back, feeling a bit better. “How’s everything at the garage?”

“Fine. Arch and Wayne are fitting in well, which I knew they would. All my boys but Wes love motors and learning how to fix them. I wonder if William and Winnie will, too, when they grow up?”

“Are you kidding? They’re already obsessed with race cars. Do you really think that’s an interest they’ll outgrow?”

“Hell, no.” Dad chuckled, shaking his head. “Those little rascals are going to be talking about cars until they’re old enough to drive them—and then we’re really in trouble.”

“Tell me about it, although I do think it’s too cute how they pretend to ‘rev’ their engines when they play with their little cars.”

We shared a laugh, the tension of the day melting away. Dad had this way of making everything seem okay, even when it wasn’t.

“By the way, what’s the plan for their present?”

“Well,” Dad began, a wicked grin spreading across his face, “I was thinking we could surprise them with a real go-kart track this year.”

“Seriously? That would be epic!” My eyes widened with excitement. “Of course, Mom might kill you, but that would be epic to watch, too.”

“Ha ha.” He reached over and swatted my leg with the back of one tattooed hand, making me giggle. “I already talked to her about it and, so long as we build it far enough away from the house that she can’t hear it all the time, she’s fine with it. Oh, and she wants safety gear. Lots and lots of safety gear.”

“And I’m sure she’ll have a dozen or more rules, too.” I grinned. Mom was a fierce mama bear when it came to her babies, no matter how old they were. “Well, you’ll definitely get Dad of the Year for a go-kart track. Arch, Wayne, and Wade will love it, too. Hell, even Wes might take a spin around once in a while.”

“I know I’m the best,” he said, puffing out his chest comically. “Now, back to more pressing matters, Miss Important Stuff. What’s the deal with your secret crush on Tyler?”

“Oh my Goddess, Dad! Can we not ?” I covered my face with my hands, groaning in exasperation.

“Hey, just looking out for you. I mean, you could do worse. He’s a good kid.”

“He is,” I agreed, thinking back to Tyler’s awkward but sweet gesture with the flowers. “But you know as well as anyone that I’m waiting for my Goddess-given mate.”

“I do know. Can’t go wrong trusting the Goddess’ plan, right?”

“Right. Thanks, Daddy.”

“Always, kiddo. Now, let’s get home and see what chaos your little brothers have caused while we were gone.”

“Hopefully, Mom’s still standing,” I teased.

“Hopefully, the fucking house is,” he retorted.

As we bantered back and forth, the day’s events felt a little less heavy, and that was all thanks to my dad. No matter what, I knew I could always count on him to help me out, one sassy, sarcastic comment at a time.

#

Tyler

I’m back in the dark, cold forest where my nightmares always start. The air hangs heavy with the metallic stench of blood, making me gag. My father’s soft, mocking laughter floats through the trees, wrapping around me like a noose.

My mother’s dead eyes stare at me from a few feet away. Her lifeless body slumps against a tree root, and seeing her like this churns my gut. She used to be my champion, my protector, and now she’s just another ghost in this twisted landscape.

The knife comes next. It’s always the knife. He starts with my chest, slicing through skin and muscle. The pain is unbearable, searing and unending. I scream, but no sound escapes my lips. Tears blur my vision, and I taste the salt on my tongue.

Worse than the pain is the terror. It always catches me. Every time. Its icy claws close around me, dragging me toward an eternal darkness. I struggle, but it’s useless. The more I fight, the tighter its grip becomes. I’m suffocating, drowning in my own fear, with no escape in sight—

Gasping for breath, I sat up in bed, ripped from sleep with a start, my heart racing against the last bits of the nightmare that still clawed at my consciousness like a wild animal.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed, the cold floor under my bare feet grounding me as I tried to shake it off, my whole body trembling. Usually, after a nightmare, River would urge me to go for a run or shift and go himself, but he was in such a deep sleep tonight that he hadn’t even stirred, too sunk in sorrow for his buddy, Spring, I reckoned.

Heading into the bathroom, I flicked on the light, the harsh yellowish glow making everything look a little surreal, a little too vivid. I could hear the faint drip of the faucet that I’d been meaning to fix, but now I was grateful I hadn’t got around to it yet. Each drop that echoed in the silence was a reminder that time was still moving forward, even if I felt stuck in the past.

I stared at myself in the mirror. My eyes were wild, pupils blown wide, and my chest heaved, each breath labored as if I was still running from something, running from him . And then there were the scars, three twisted trails that mapped out a history I could barely remember, but would never forget.

The one slashed across my chest was a jagged line that pulled and twinged whenever I moved too quickly. My fingertips skimmed over it, and I could almost feel the silver knife again, the razor edge as unforgiving as my father’s hand was merciless.

My belly was next, where a vertical scar ran like a fault line, almost a reflection of how everything split open that night. I pressed my hand against it with a grimace. The pain was distant now, dulled by time, but the memory was sharp. I remembered the blood, the way it soaked through my shirt, warm and sticky. I remembered screaming, my voice hoarse and raw, and the way the world went dark, my senses overwhelmed by the agony.

Finally, there was the long line from my shoulder down to the crook of my elbow. I lifted my arm and turned it this way and that, feeling the neverending tenderness. This has been the deepest wound, the silver knife laying me open to the bone, and the pain had been blinding, a white-hot flash that left me gasping, my vision swimming. I remembered the sound of my father’s breath, ragged and desperate, like he was the one being hunted.

At least I can’t see my back, I thought with grim humor.

No, I couldn’t see it, but I knew the marks it bore. The dozen or so angry, raised scars that would never fade. Closing my eyes, I could almost hear the knife’s whisper as it sliced through the air over and over and over…

Stop it, I commanded myself in the same calm, even tone I used with Riv when he was on the verge of an explosion. You’re alive. You survived it. You and your wolf both survived it.

I stared at my face, searching for something, maybe a sign that I was still me, but all I saw was a boy who had been broken and pieced back together, the seams visible for anyone to see.

Yeah, I survived it, I acknowledged with a harsh grunt, but I still haven’t figured out how to live with the trauma.

The bathroom suddenly felt too small, the walls closing in on me and the air too thick to breathe. I turned on the faucet, splashing cold water on my face, and the shock was bracing and real and brought me back to the present, to the here and now.

Gripping the edge of the sink, my knuckles white, I bowed my head and took a deep breath as the water dripped down my face.

I was still here. I was still standing. I was still breathing. That meant I could fight. Fight to be more than my scars. Fight to recover from my past. Fight to remember that I deserved happiness.

And fight I will , I promised myself. Until the very end.