Chasing the Beta Page 3

  “Are you actually defending her!?”

  “Of course, I’m not. I just think she’s behaving like this because of the way I’ve been treating her these last few days. A part of me feels that it’s my fault that she spoke about your mother like that.”

  I shake my head in denial. “No. She knew exactly what she was saying. I could hear it in her voice. She meant every word.”

  He just sighs. “I’m still sorry, Alice.”

  “It’s not you that needs to say sorry, it’s her. Saying that, even if she did apologize to me, I don’t think I’d be able to accept it.”

  Ryder looks at me apologetically. “She’ll never apologize because she never does. Even when she’s wrong.”

  “Then, she better stay away from me.”

  “Alice, she’s my Beta, and considering that you’ll be staying here, you’ll be seeing her every day. There’s no avoiding that.”

  Great….

  “How were you able to hear us anyway? I thought you didn’t know how to use your abilities?” He looks at me in curiosity.

  I merely shrug. “I just could, but it was really strange actually. I woke up and started to hear voices from around the bedroom, and it felt like all of you were in the room with me. At one point, I thought it was the TV or the radio, but you don’t have them in your room.”

  He smiles warmly at me. “Sounds to me like your

  abilities are coming through.”

  “Why couldn’t they work last night? I might’ve been able to save her from Mr. Edmund.”

  A pause.

  “What’s Mr. Edmund got to do with this?” He asks in confusion.

  “He’s an Alpha, like us. He was the one that bit me.”

  Ryder doesn’t say anything for a moment. “That fucking slimy bastard.” He growls.

  “Why didn’t I let the change happen the first time? All of this probably wouldn’t have happened.”

  Ryder cups my cheek gently. “You can’t think like that, Alice. Neither of us knew last night would happen. Now that you’re now a wolf, you’ve got to understand that you can’t save everyone.”

  “I can try at least.” I feel my eyes tearing up.

  He stays silent for a moment. “If there’s one person you need to protect, it's Sam. She may have only been attacked, but we never know if she’s the next target.”

  And that’s when the tears fall free.

  ********************

  After a disaster of a morning, I spent the day mostly to myself. I wanted to be left alone without having anyone to talk to, but it didn’t matter where I was because I always felt a presence wherever I went. The whole morning was spent walking around the wolves’ property. I even took a stroll inside the forest, and spent hours watching the wildlife of many different creatures around me. I wanted to enjoy the scenery, but with Ryder following me at a distance, I couldn’t really do anything I wanted without being watched.

  What does he think I’m going to do?

  When six o’clock came, I was told to come inside for dinner but after this morning, I want to stay far away from Silver as much as possible, and besides I don’t think I could eat anything if something was put in front of me.

  As I walk into the kitchen, I only see Kellan and Bane at the stove and watch the scene in front of me, I wonder to myself what kind of friendship these wolves actually have with each other.

  “Put it back before I break your wrist.” Bane says in a serious tone.

  Kellan looks hurt. “It’s just a chip Bane. No one’s going to know that I took it.”

  “Are you fucking blind? I just saw you take it with my own fucking eyes. Put it back right now before I

  jam this knife in your throat.”

  With the knife and fork he holds in his hands, he turns over the steak cooking in the pan.

  “Can you cut me a piece of that steak? It looks so good.” Kellan groans.

  He turns to look at Kellan with one pissed off look, then slaps him on the back of the head. “Do you ever shut up? You’re really pissing me off. Sit down before I kick your ass.”

  Kellan leaves in disappointment from Bane’s side to sit at the table. I don’t know if I heard right, but it sounded like Bane sighed in relief.

  I enter the kitchen and sit opposite Kellan, who is now busy texting on his phone, but just as I sit down, Ryder comes into the kitchen and goes to stand next to Bane.

  I don’t hear what they’re talking about because Kellan’s already put his phone away and is asking me a question.

  “How was your afternoon?”

  I smile kindly, but it doesn’t reach my eyes. “It was nice. After this morning, it was just what I needed.”

  “Silver’s never usually like that.”

  “You never knew Silver had a nasty streak?”

  “Oh I knew, but the words she said about your mum, were hurtful.”

  I don’t say anything to that because I agree with him.

  Ryder turns to face the two of us. “Where is she anyway?”

  Kellan shrugs. “Don’t know. All she said was that she’d be back tomorrow morning.”

  Ryder puts his hands on his hips while shaking his head. “I’m starting to grow really impatient with her.” He sighs, and marches out of the kitchen.

  He shortly comes back into the kitchen, wearing black ripped jeans, a black vest and a black leather jacket. He looked so dangerous dressed like that, and I liked it.

  “Where are you going?” I ask in wonder. “I’m going to look for Silver.”

  I frown, unable to understand why he’d wanna look for her, especially after this morning. “Why?”

  “As her Alpha, I need to know exactly where she goes.”

  And just like that, he leaves.

  The kitchen is in complete silence. The only sound that fills the room is the food cooking, but it just doesn’t make sense. Why does Ryder need to leave

  the house to go and look for Silver? I for one am glad that she’s isn’t here, so does that mean that Ryder’s sad that she’s not here?

  I thought he was on my side.

  I need answers, so I’m the one who decides to break the silence.

  “Why does Ryder need to look for Silver? She’s an adult and she sure as hell can stick up for herself.”

  Kellan answers me straight away. “It’s one of Ryder’s rules. If you become a part of his pack, you always have to say where you go blah blah blah.”

  At that moment, Bane brings over a plate of steak and chips and puts it in front of me. “Get that down you.”

  I murmur a quiet thank you, but he doesn’t move away from the table, I look up at him in question. “He only wants to know where we are in case we’re in trouble and if we need him, he’ll know exactly where we are.” Bane returns back to the stove to continue cooking.

  That’s kind of sweet.

  “Are you going to eat that?” I look at Kellan to see him looking passionately at the food placed in front of me.

  “Kellan, wait your fucking turn!” Bane shouts.

  I look at the steak and chips, thinking there was no way I'd be able to stomach it. I pick up the plate to give to Kellan but stop when I think about needing the energy to find the killer, so with that thought in my head, I put down the plate and reach for the knife and fork.

  I can only imagine Kellan’s frustration right now.

  “Here’s your food, you impatient shit.” Bane slams the plate in front of Kellan and walks away, carrying his own plate towards the living room.

  “Asshole.” Kellan murmurs while digging into his steak.

  Me and Kellan eat in complete silence, it’s weird that I feel comfortable around him when we’re alone. The same goes for Ryder, but with Kellan, I can relax and there’s no pressure to make conversation, unlike Ryder, who keeps me anticipating. Out of all of the wolves, Kellan and Ryder are the only two I feel comfortable around, but Bane’s kinda growing on me lately, but he’s still an asshole, and he still scares me.

&nbs
p; “Do you think me being here is a bad idea?” Kellan frowns at me. “Why would you think that?”

  I sigh. “After this morning, I feel like I’ve made things intense between you all.”

  “Not at all. We’ve all noticed a change in Silver’s

  behaviour, but we haven’t really thought twice about it. We don’t know if it’s because of you and Ryder or something entirely different, but something really has changed about her.”

  “I just don’t want to be a burden to the pack. I’d rather leave.”

  “And go where? You can’t go home.”

  Ever?

  “What do you mean?”

  “The only way you can stay and live in your mum’s house, is if you have an adult living with you there.”

  “But I’m an adult.”

  He shakes his head. “It doesn’t make a difference. You can only live in that house with a parent.”

  “Why?”

  He shrugs. “Because of all the murders that are happening right now. The police are adamant on not letting teenagers live on their own without a parent. That’s what my dad says anyway.”

  “So, the only way I can live in my mum’s house is…”

  “If your dad comes to live there with you.” Kellan interrupts.

  I don’t know why, but I have this uneasy feeling

  inside of me, and it makes me start to panic. “Who were you talking to on the phone?”

  He answers me straight away. “My father. He wanted me to give him your surname.”

  “Why?” I demand.

  I hear my heart pounding in my ears.

  I’m dreading to hear what Kellan has to say.

  “To find your father, and bring him back to Small Town.”

  Everything’s just getting worse.

  Chapter 4

  If there was one person I wanted to avoid being in my life, it would be my father. He doesn’t deserve to be called my father after what he did.

  I wanted to go through my whole life without seeing his face, a face that I don’t even remember from my childhood. I mean, there’s not even a picture of him at the house, and I don't even know his name, but I’m actually glad that I don’t know what he looks like, because when the time comes when I’ll have to meet him, I won’t be able to remove his face out of my mind.

  I’ll hate him even more once I’ve seen his face!

  For the past eighteen years, I’ve grown to hate him every day for leaving me and my mother, and that hate still grows within me today. I hope he’s wise enough to make the decision of not coming to Small Town, because I for one won’t be greeting him with open arms. All he’ll be getting from me is complete and utter silence, but what I’m worried about is if my hate for him gets the better of me, and I end up shifting and letting out my aggression on him for making a mess out of our family.

  He may be my father but to me, he’s just a person

  who was involved in making me a part of this world, and I’d rather it was kept as that, so I’m praying that he won’t come back.

  For once, let things go my way!

  That night, as I lay in bed, thinking about how I’ll be meeting my father, I jolt in surprise when I hear a door closing downstairs. With my new ability to hear things more clearly, I follow the sounds of what appears to be two sets of footfalls, with one being lighter than the other.

  Could it be that Ryder’s back? But who’s with him?

  When it’s obvious that sleep’s the last thing on my mind, I decide that I have nothing better to do other than listen to what’s happening downstairs, and it wasn’t what I expecting to hear.

  “Why did you come to find me? I told Kellan I’d be back tomorrow morning.” Silver sounds as though she’s a little worn out.

  Where has she been all this time?

  “Silver, I have to know where you go. You know this yet you still go against me, and this is the third time you’ve done this! What’s the point in me making these rules if you’re just going to end up disobeying me?”

  “I think after this morning, I deserved a little space

  from everyone, Ryder.”

  “This morning you were out of line, and I hope you know that.”

  She doesn’t respond.

  “I just want to know where you are in case you need me if you’re in trouble. It so hard for you to tell me where you’re going?”

  “Why do you care about where I go? We both know that you don’t care about me anymore. So, just leave me alone. I have a life outside of this pack.”

  “It goes for Bane and Kellan. I don’t want anything happening to either of you. You’re my pack, and I need you.”

  Pause.

  “What about Alice?”

  “I’m not letting her out of my sight either, losing her would be like losing everything.”

  “Are you saying that just to hurt me?”

  “I just want you to understand that it’s over between us. To be honest we weren’t even a thing to begin with.” He sighs. “What I felt for you doesn’t compare to how I feel for her.”

  Silver scoffs. “You just keep shoving that knife deeper into my heart. You’re such an expert at

  breaking them. Why has it taken me this long to figure that out?”

  He doesn’t respond.

  “Did you actually sleep with her?”

  I don’t hear his answer, but what I do hear is Silver breaking down in tears.

  “Whatever feelings you have for me ends right now. I don’t want to have to tell you again, Silver.”

  Another pause.

  These next words leave me completely motionless.

  “I loved you so much. Did everything you wanted me to do and yet you still treated me like a slut! Was that all I ever was to you? Just someone to fuck every now and then!?”

  I know listening in to their conversation is wrong and private, but I can’t help feeling anxious about what it is that Ryder has to say in this situation and so, I keep listening.

  “You knew from the beginning that I wasn’t looking for anything serious, and yet you still came to me. So, don’t stand there and think that I had feelings for you because I didn’t. I’m not the one that caught feelings, that was you, and only you.”

  She gasps.

  “Goodnight, Silver.”

  When I think the conversation is over, she shouts his name. “Did you ever think about my feelings once!?”

  “Silver, stop.”

  “I want to know!” She shrieks. “Tell me what I want to know.”

  “I’m not going to give an answer you already know.”

  She whimpers. “I’ll always love you. There’s nothing you can say or do that’ll stop me from loving you.”

  “Fine, but don’t come to me when you’ll start hating me, because I did warn you.”

  And that’s when the conversation ends, with Ryder walking away, leaving Silver alone downstairs.

  I had no idea what kind of relationship Ryder and Silver had, but it seems what they had is now over, and I can’t help but feel that it’s all my fault. It wasn’t my intention to cause such a rupture, but what’s done is done, and there’s nothing I can do to change what’s happened. Maybe meeting Ryder was a coincidence or it could’ve been fate. I’ll never know the answer, but what I do think is that if it’s meant to be it will always find a way to you. Meeting Ryder at that time was definitely supposed to happen.

  The next morning, I wake up around noon, which for me is a normal time to wake up. If it was a normal

  day, I would’ve been in school right now having lunch, but with everything that’s happened, school isn’t really a top priority for me, plus I wouldn’t want everybody in school to look at me like I’ll lose it every now and then. I’d rather stay here until I’ve come to terms with the loss I’ve had.

  Just as I get out of the bed, I notice there’s silence throughout the whole house, which is worrying for me. I’d hate to be alone at a time like this, but when I concentrate hard trying to find any kin
d of sound in the rooms, I sigh in relief when I hear heartbeats.

  Three in total.

  Where’s the fourth? Did Silver go out again?

  I put my long white blonde hair up in a ponytail and leave the bedroom; heading straight for the kitchen, and the moment I reach the room, I frown at the person sitting at the table.

  What’s he doing here?

  I expected to see Kellan and Ryder, but I didn’t expect to see Tom. He’s currently looking at his notepad while twirling a pen in his hand. Kellan sits opposite him with a distant look on his face. Ryder leans against the kitchen counter with a pissed off look in his eyes.

  Whatever happens today, there wasn't going to be a good outcome. Of that I’m positive.

  “Officer?”

  Tom’s head swings to me and stands to greet me, he smiles a warm smile to which I don’t reciprocate. “You look well, Alice.”

  What?

  “Better than before, I mean.” I just stare at him.

  Ryder moves to stand by me, places his hand on my hip, and pulls me into him. “Ask your questions and go. She doesn’t need to be reminded of what’s happened.”

  I stare wide eyed at Tom. “You’re here to take my statement?”

  “Yes, I thought one day would be sufficient.” “Tom.” Ryder warns.

  “Well, you thought wrong.” I seethe.

  “Alice, I’m only here for answers. Answers that we both want to know.”

  I scoff. “And it couldn’t wait? It had to be now?”

  Tom sits back down with guilt written on his face. “It would mean a lot if you could corporate with me.”

  Ryder tightens his hold on my hip. He can probably feel the anger coming off me.

  “It’s been two days!: I shriek.

  Tom avoids eye contact. “I’m just doing my job.”