Chasing the Beta

by Jessica Edwards

  “My mother wanted me to learn how to protect myself. So, I did.”

  Protect him from who or what exactly?

  “Max, why didn't you confront me if you knew?”

  Max shrugs. “It wasn't my place to do that. If you wanted to tell me what you were, you would've told me but you didn't, and for that I can understand why.”

  I don't think anyone would be comfortable saying to

  people that they're a shapeshifter.

  “Would you have told me that you were a wolf?”

  He looks away from me. “Probably not. It's not something you can easily tell a person.”

  “I'm not upset that you didn't tell me Max, because I agree that it's not easy to tell people about what you are. I mean, if I had never met Ryder, I would've taken this secret to the grave. I wouldn't have wanted people to know that shapeshifters actually existed.”

  “But they do exist, and they're going to keep existing.”

  That was true.

  “So, does anyone know that you're a wolf?”

  Max nods. “Yes, my mother. Now, you and Ryder too.”

  I think it's best if I don't tell him that the wolves know about him too.

  “Were you born like this?” He nods again. “Yeah.” Just like Ryder.

  “What about your dad?”

  Max thinks for a moment. “He's a wolf too, apparently. That's what my mum says anyway, but I

  don't think he knows that I've turned out like this.” “You'll find him Max. Just keep trying.”

  He scoffs. “I've tried to, but it doesn't look like he wants to be found.”

  I frown. “What do you mean?”

  “This isn't the first time I've come looking for my dad.”

  I frown. “You've come to Small Town before?” He nods.

  “When?”

  He thinks. “About a year ago, I think. I came to Small Town to look for him everywhere, but I couldn't find him.”

  “How long did you stay? Maybe you didn't stay long enough here?”

  He sighs. “I stayed for about a week, but I had to leave after what I did to....” He looks away, and when he does, his expression changes to sadness.

  What's wrong with him?

  “Max?”

  He doesn't say anything other than look out the window.

  What did he do?

  “What happened to you Max?” A pause.

  “Nothing happened to me. I did something to somebody else.”

  I don't say anything. I just wait for Max to continue.

  He closes his eyes. “I can't remember what actually happened in detail, other than it was a full moon that night.”

  “Was it your first full moon?”

  He shakes his head. “No, but it was the first full moon I was out of the house. My mother used to keep me in the basement to stop me from losing control.”

  “So, what did you do exactly to make you leave Small Town?”

  He looks back at me with regret in his eyes, and the look he gives me makes me worry.

  “I attacked somebody, and I think that person may have died.”

  Small Town was relatively a small place, and it was a town where everybody knew each others business.

  So, as I listen to Max speak, the only person that comes to mind who's died was Anna. Ryder's sister. But surely Max wasn't responsible for her murder. He just couldn't be.

  I dismiss the thought immediately. “You killed somebody?”

  He puts his face in his hands. “It was an accident. I didn't mean for it to happen the way it did.”

  My eyes widen. “What do you mean you didn't mean to?”

  He looks at me with tears in his eyes. “If I hadn't have defended myself, I would've died.”

  I frown. “What?”

  “I was attacked by a wolf that night, and that wolf only had one thing on its mind. Blood.”

  Max carries on with his story.

  “I was out in the woods, and I ran for ages. I was so thrilled that I didn't have to stay in the basement for another full moon. I stayed in human form, and didn't lose control either. Not once did I think about blood, because the only thing that was on my mind that night was freedom. I'd finally passed that stage of not needing to hunt or kill, but later I realized that it was the wrong night to be in the woods.”

  A part of me doesn't want to hear what he has to say next, but the other part of me does.

  “What happened?” I whispered.

  “I could hear something following me, and when I

  stopped and turned around, whatever was following me soon revealed itself.” Max clears his throat. “It was a frail looking wolf who didn't look healthy at all, and from the way it was acting towards me, I knew just by looking at it, that it was a feral wolf who was hunting for blood. The wolf charged at me, and before it could get to me, I shifted as fast as I could to protect myself. We fought for what felt like hours, and we fought until there was only one wolf standing.”

  And that wolf was Max. A pause.

  I clench my eyes shut. “Just answer me this Max.”

  This might not be the right time to ask this, but I need to know.

  I open my eyes and stare at Max who looks completely drained.

  “Did you or did you not kill my mother?”

  Max looks at me straight in the eyes. “I did not kill your mother, and I never would've.”

  My whole body lets out a relieved sigh. Another pause.

  “Does this mean that you hate me now?”

  What he did was wrong, but it was an accident.

  “I don't hate you Max, but I don't think what you did to that wolf, was right.”

  He nods to himself, but doesn't say anything.

  I lean forward in my chair, and take both of his hands in mine. “Max, I want you to listen to me very carefully.”

  “Okay.”

  “Don't tell anybody about what you've told me today, do you hear me?”

  He frowns. “Why?”

  “Because if you tell this story to the wrong person, you'll get yourself killed.”

  “What? By who?” By Ryder.

  I sigh. “Just don't tell anybody, Max. Keep it to yourself.”

  Chapter 17

  With now knowing what happened to Anna and who was responsible for it, I can't help but think that the outcome for Max isn't going to be good.

  If Ryder ever finds out that Max was the one who killed his sister, he'll kill him instantly. Ryder won't care that it was an accident, all he'll want to do is end Max's life, and I know that Ryder won't hesitate to do that, but I hope Ryder never finds out about the truth because it'll ruin him and cause him more pain.

  It's better if he doesn't find out about what Max did. Secrets are made to be kept to ourselves, but somehow secrets always come out in the end.

  That night I find myself in Ryder's bed, where the both of us lie wide awake. The two of us gaze longingly into each other’s eyes. Not a word is spoken between either of us. Looking into Ryder's bright green eyes makes me feel completely breathless and lost, and with no sooner authority, he clutches his hands unto my hips, and pulls me against his muscular body. As a result, I become weakened by his gentle, seductive touch. While pressing his body against mine and continuing gazing in my eyes, he puts me under him, and kisses me. Whenever

  Ryder kisses me, it feels like my whole body fills with warmth. The kiss is slow and soft, it's comforting in ways words will never be. Ryder's hand rests below my ear, his thumb caressing my cheek as our breaths mingle. My fingers wonder down his spine, and pull him closer to me until there's no space between us. I pull him closer until I can feel the beating of his heart against my own.

  Ryder pulls away and stares down at me. “I'm going to stop right here before it gets any further.”

  I place my hands on his arms. “Good idea.” Ryder lies on his back and pulls me into his chest.

  I close my eyes to try and fall asleep, but after today I know I won't be able to.

  Wit
h this new piece of information, it’ll be on my mind constantly, and I'll never be able to forget about it. I hate the fact that I'm keeping what Max did to Anna a secret from Ryder, but what else was I supposed to do?

  “Ryder?” I whisper. “Yeah?” He whispers back.

  “I just want you to know that I really care about you.” I stammer.

  He doesn't say anything.

  “Ryder?”

  He still remains quiet. “Ryd...”

  He cuts me off. “Are you breaking up with me?”

  I scoff and turn my body completely to look at him. “What?”

  He glares at me. “When people say things like that, it usually means they're breaking up with the person they're with.”

  I chuckle and place my hand on his arm. “They usually say things like that when two people are in a relationship. In this case, we aren't in a relationship, Ryder.”

  He frowns. “We're not in a relationship?”

  Did he think we were?

  I can't help but smile at that. “No, Ryder. We're not.” Silence.

  I go back to lie on his chest, and he soon runs his hand through my hair.

  “Alice?” He whispers. “Mm?”

  More silence.

  “Do you want to be?”

  I smile to myself even though he can't see me. “Be what?”

  “In a relationship.”

  I don't say anything to that, even though I know my answer already.

  “Forget it! I take it back.”

  I gasp, and face him again. “You take it back?”

  He rolls his eyes. “That was the most embarrassing thing I've ever asked somebody in my life.”

  I lean down, just inches away from his lips. “Ask me again.”

  He stares from my eyes to my lips and back to my eyes again. “Alice?”

  “Yes, Ryder?”

  He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and then opens his eyes. “Do you want to be my girlfriend?”

  I smile. “I thought you'd never ask.”

  Ryder slams his lips to mine, and it almost knocks the wind from my lungs. Sparks fly in every direction, and the world slowly disappears from around me, along with my worries, troubles and problems. Ryder makes me feel like nothing matters. It's a small but

  warm kiss, but I never knew a kiss could be so intimate and electrifying at the same time. His lips moves in perfect sync with mine. He pulls me closer, the kiss deepens and becomes more passionate, but before things go any further, it's me who pulls away.

  “Ryder?”

  He looks at me in desire. “Yes, Alice?” “You're my first ever boyfriend.”

  He stares at me, smiles then kisses me on the forehead. “Good because I'm your first and last ever boyfriend.”

  He pulls me back into his chest, and we stay like that throughout the entire night, in each other’s arms.

  Chapter 18

  Last night, was perfect.

  We held each other until the early hours of the morning, I didn't want to wake up from Ryder's arms, or leave the comfort of his bed, but the only reason I wake up in the mornings is to find the answers I need. Every single morning when I wake up, the first thing on my mind is who killed my mother and the people I care about. That's all that matters to me because I won't be able to live comfortably, without getting justice for Mr. Daniels, Terry and my mother.

  The morning at the wolves’ house was spent peaceful. Everyone had their little individual morning routine. The first thing Bane did this morning was shift and went to scope the area around the property, especially in the forest.

  Kellan cooked breakfast for everybody and said to help ourselves to anything we wanted. Ryder was on the phone talking to Tom for any new news, but as usual, there's nothing for Tom to report back to Ryder, other than that the police are doing everything they can to find the killer. And Silver? She wasn't seen throughout the whole morning, and she still hasn't returned, it's now noon. From the looks of

  things, Ryder's given up trying to understand where she goes, and anyway the day goes better without having her around, so I'm not the one complaining about her absence, and it looks like no one else is either.

  After spending lunch with the wolves, minus Silver, we spent the whole evening watching television together. It's weird to think that when I first met the wolves, I couldn't stand to be in their company for more than two minutes, and now that I'm living with them, I feel protected and comfortable in their company. Being with them was probably the right decision to do because I'm with my own kind, and I feel like I really belong here with them.

  When the credits of the film roll on the screen, the last thing I expected to hear would be somebody knocking on the door. The wolves, including myself look at each other in confusion because nobody comes to see the wolves, other than Tom, but he doesn't knock on the door, he walks straight through.

  Kellan's the one to go and see who's there, and when he does, Bane and Ryder immediately go on high alert. Me on the other hand, continues to watch the credits on the screen.

  “What the fuck are you doing in my house?” Ryder spits.

  A shiver runs down my spine at Ryder's words, and as

  I slowly turn around to see who's there, my eyes widen when I see Max standing in the living room doorway.

  Max glances briefly at me, but looks straight back at Ryder. “I only came here to talk.”

  “Do you have a fucking death wish Fields? I think you do. After what happened in the library, I have nothing to fucking say to you.”

  Max tilts his head. “Who said I wanted to talk to you? I have nothing to say to you either.”

  Why is he here? Especially what he told me yesterday?

  Ryder moves to stand in front of Max, and glares at him. “You come to my home uninvited and into my territory.” Ryder frowns. “Do you know how disrespectful that is to an Alpha?”

  Max shakes his head. “I'm not a threat to you or your pack. I came on my own to speak to Alice. That's all.”

  Ryder scoffs. “What makes you think my girlfriend wants to speak to you?”

  Max turns to look at me, and his face changes to something that looks as though he's hurt by that declaration, I turn away from him.

  “Girlfriend or not, I still need to ask her something.”

  What does he need to ask me?

  Bane and Kellan sit next to each other on the couch and watch the television; avoiding whatever the hell this is.

  “Say what you got to say and get the fuck out.” Ryder grits out.

  “I was kinda hoping to speak to her alone.”

  Ryder's eyes widen. “You either say it now in front of everybody, or leave.”

  Max shrugs, “Fine. Have it your way.”

  I hold my breath, anxious to see what he's going to say next, but I pray to myself that he's not going to say what I think he will. If Max says to Ryder right now what he did to his sister by accident, it’ll be the last words Max will ever say. “I just wanted to ask Alice if she'd consider having me as her Beta.”

  Ryder does a double take. “Come again?”

  He stares directly at me. “I want to be in her pack.” I can't form any words because I didn't think I'd ever need a pack, and I never thought someone would be willing to join me.

  Before I can say anything to Max, Ryder cuts in.

  |”Absolutely fucking not.”

  Max frowns. “Why have you got a say in this?”

  “Why would Alice want someone like you to be her Beta?”

  “Someone like me?”

  Ryder scowls. “Yes someone like you. You're a liar so you can't be trusted.”

  Max just shakes his head.

  Did I want Max to be in my pack?

  I slowly get off the couch and approach both males. “Max, to be honest with you, I never thought of having a pack.” I say to him truthfully.

  “You're an Alpha, right?” I nod. “Yes.”

  Max takes a step closer to me, Ryder growls.

  He stops and poi
nts to himself. “'I'm a Beta who doesn't have an Alpha, and from the looks of things, you're an Alpha who needs a pack. Without a pack, Alice, you're an easy target for other wolves. Now, this might sound sad, but I hate not being surrounded by wolves. You're actually the first wolves I've met in Small Town, but I just want to protect somebody and do my duty as a Beta.” He half smiles at me. “When I saw that your eyes were red, I knew there was hope for me after all.”

  Again Ryder cuts in. “There's no need for somebody

  else to protect her.”

  Max looks at Ryder in irritation. “It's not up to you! You have your pack Ryder, so let Alice decide herself what she wants.”

  I look from Ryder and Max and can't think of what to say.

  This has all happened so fast I can't keep up with the whole conversation.

  Ryder puts his hands in his pockets. “Listen Max, after everything that's happened, do you really think she'll want you as her Beta? You've lied to her several times, took pictures of her and now you expect her to just accept you as being part of her pack?”

  “I'll admit that I did lie, but I've told Alice everything she wanted to know, and as for those pictures? I never took those.”

  Both males stare at each other for a long time, then Ryder sighs and calls my name. “Yeah?”

  “What do you say to this?”

  I look up and stare at each of them individually. “Don't you have an Alpha? Like your mum or dad?”

  Max shakes his head. “My mother wants to live in peace. And as for my dad? I don't know.”

  “So, you still have an Alpha out there?” I ask.

  Max shrugs. “It's my decision who I want to follow, and I want to follow you.”

  Ryder looks at me in question, while Max looks at me with a warm smile.

  I sigh. “I'm not saying yes to being his Alpha.” Ryder smiles at that.