Chasing the Beta

by Jessica Edwards

  “But I'm not saying no either.”

  His smile vanishes. Max's eyes widen. “How are you going to decide?” Max asks.

  Suddenly a voice speaks up. “Trust has to be earned, Max.”

  All heads turn towards Bane.

  Bane stands and looks at us. “What you've done in the past, that can't be forgiven straight away. You've got to prove to the Alpha that you have what it takes to become their Beta. The kind of Beta that'll do anything to protect their Alpha, even if that results to death. Are you prepared to put your life on the line to protect your Alpha?”

  Max doesn't hesitate. “I'd do anything for her.”

  Bane nods. “Work on your honesty. Maybe then she'll consider having you.”

  He goes back to sit down, leaving everyone in

  astonishment.

  Ryder looks at me with a frown on his face. “Tell me you're not actually considering this?”

  “I don't know, Ryder!” “Unbelievable.”

  “You said yourself that I need a pack.”

  Ryder shakes his head and points at Max. “Not with him in it.”

  “This is my decision Ryder. Not yours.”

  Ryder doesn't say anything, he only stares at me.

  I slowly approach Max and sigh. “Because of everything Max, I'll need to think about this.”

  He nods. “I understand.”

  “I don't know when I'll decide, but I'll give you my answer as soon as I make up my mind.”

  “Take all the time you need.” And with that, Max leaves.

  As I took a shower that night, I'd realized that the clothes Ryder had given me from the beginning of my stay, are running out. The moment I get out of the shower, with a towel wrapped around me, I search everywhere in my room for any kind of clothes for me to wear, but I come up empty handed.

  I've worn everything Ryder's given me, what am I supposed to wear now?

  When I walk to Ryder's room, soaking wet, I see already that he's fallen asleep.

  Really?

  I think about asking for Bane and Kellan for their clothes, but it would be inappropriate to ask to wear their clothes so the only person left in the house is...

  I might hate the idea of going into this person's room, but the only option I have left is to look in Silver's room. It was empty.

  I walk to her room, open the door a little bit and stick my head in. I look from left to right to double check that she isn't in here and let myself into her room.

  With only finding her wardrobe on my mind, I make my way to the back of her room and stand in front of the doors of the wardrobe. I take both of my hands and place them on the doorknobs and pull them open.

  Because the light in her room isn't on, it's hard to see what clothes she has in here. Silver always wears revealing clothes, so I hope whatever I choose to wear is something comfortable. All I want is something comfy to wear to bed.

  There's two levels in the wardrobe. On the first level are clothes hung on coat hangers, and on the second

  level are clothes neatly piled on top of each other.

  I reach up on my tiptoes to reach for the smallest pile, but when my legs start to shake from holding the position for a long time, I accidentally pull down the pile of clothes down with me, along with something else. Something heavy.

  I kneel down to the floor and look at the bag in confusion. I slowly open the plastic bag and look inside, and what I see in it causes a shiver to run down my spine, because what I see makes me sick to my stomach. A bloody gun lies on its side with blood splattered all around the bag, especially on the handle of the gun.

  It doesn't take a lot of time for me to fit all the pieces together. I've had my doubts that a baseball bat could have been the object that was used to hit Sam, because she would've died from the impact. I'm positive just by looking at this bloody gun, that this was the weapon used on my best friend.

  Sam!

  My heart still beats, but against a chest that now feels empty. My eyes still see, but the world that is so close around me seems far away. My mind begins to shut down, unwilling to think anymore. Maybe this is shock, because I never would've thought that Silver was the one responsible for what happened to Sam.

  What else has she done?

  My face becomes rigid, my jaw clamps tight, and my teeth grind against each other. I have never felt so much rage like this before.

  Did she think that she'd get away with something like this?

  I want to know what else she's done, and I'm going to find out tonight

  Chapter 19

  The clothes I had pulled down did have some decent clothes for me to wear after all. The moment I had changed, I picked up the plastic bag with the gun inside and went into Ryder's room. I approach him quietly and place a hand on his arm. He stirs and looks at me questioningly.

  “Ryder?”

  “Yeah?” He looks at my clothing and frowns. “Where are you going?”

  “Just going out for some air. I'll be right back.”

  He stares at me for a while, then nods in understanding.

  I lean down and kiss him on the lips, not knowing if this might be the last time I'll ever kiss him.

  The moment I leave Ryder's room, I go back into Silver's room and pick up a discarded piece of clothing off the floor. I leave through the front door of the house, and into the night.

  I look in disgust at Silver's clothing I hold in my hand, but if I want to find her and question her, then there's only one way I'm going to get them. By

  finding her scent.

  I place the piece of clothing under my nose and inhale. I have no idea how this works or if I'm doing it right, but I'm going to keep trying to get her scent as long as it takes.

  I will find her, and I will confront her about the gun with the blood on it.

  I'm standing in the middle of nowhere, inhaling the t- shirt of the person who hit my best friend at the back of the head, with a gun.

  The plastic bag still remains in my hand, my anger still intact.

  I look to the left and to the right to try and get something from the t-shirt, but when I think that trying to find a scent is pointless because I'm inexperienced, a gust of wind passes and it's at that moment, I smell something sweet and fruity in the air. The scent has an aroma like the smell of perfume, and because it's the only unusual scent I've inhaled up until now, I decide to follow it.

  As I follow the scent, the more I walk towards it, the stronger the aroma gets, and when I start realizing that the path I'm walking on is familiar, I look around at my surroundings and frown at where I've ended up.

  At the school.

  Again the doors to the school are wide open, and immediately I think back to the night everything went to shit.

  Silver must be here, considering the scent of the shirt led me here, so without further thinking, I make my way up to the school.

  I walk into the school and into the dark empty corridors, and head straight to the class I have English. I'm not surprised when I see a light on in there, I just barge right through the door and look around the classroom.

  “We meet again Miss Smith.”

  I swing my gaze to look at the front of the room, it's dark in the classroom, but his voice is recognizable enough, but I can't help but growl when I see who it is.

  Mr. Edmund sits behind his desk again with a smile on his face.

  “Where is she?” I boil.

  He merely shrugs. “Where's who?”

  My whole body shakes from the anger coming from within me. “Where's Silver?”

  He frowns but something tells me he knows exactly where she is. “What makes you think I know where Silver is?”

  I slam the t-shirt onto his desk and stare at him with wide eyes. “Tell me right now otherwise I'll tear this place apart.”

  He points to the clothing. “Is that piece of clothing hers?”

  “Yes!” I snap.

  He chuckles. “Then, if her t-shirt led you here, then you know yourself that she'
s here somewhere.”

  I lean forward right into his face. “Then, bring her to this room right now!”'

  “Why? Has she done something?” He looks at me mockingly.

  “She hit my best friend with this!” I roar.

  I hold the plastic bag upside down and let the gun and the blood spill all over his desk.

  Mr. Edmund just stares at the gun with a bored expression. “And what do I do with this?”

  “Whatever you want, but I need to speak to her right now! So, if you know where she is, and I know you do, tell her I need to see her right now!” I scream.

  “You know if you want answers from Silver, I can easily give them to you now.”

  That gets my attention. “What do you know?”

  He leans forward in his chair. “I know that Silver didn't hit Sam by accident.”

  I frown. “What? How?”

  What the hell's going on!?

  “I asked her to do it, and she did it without hesitation.”

  I gasp. “Why? Why would you do that?”

  He smiles to himself, gets out of the chair and moves to the window on the right side of the room. “Silver wanted information from me, and I told her that what she wanted to know, wouldn't come for free.”

  I can only stare at him, but he turns his back on me.

  “I told her if she did everything I asked her to do, I'd tell her the answer to the question she had for me.” He turns back to look at me. “She did everything for me, and right now I'll tell her what she wants to know. In front of you.”

  The first thing I hear is the growling, then I see the fur the colour of ash and the icy blue eyes, that's staring directly at me.

  She's here.

  The hairs at the back of her neck stand erect and her razor sharp teeth are not hidden away.

  She knows why I'm here, but I know what she's done.

  She prowls into the classroom and stands beside Mr. Edmund. She leans down her head, and he strokes her on the head with a smile on his face. I move to the middle of the classroom, directly in front of Silver and wait.

  Mr. Edmund stops stroking her and moves to stand in front of her. “Such beautiful creatures we are.”

  I grit my teeth. “What was the question she had for you?”

  My fists are closed so tightly, I can feel the sweat trapped inside them.

  “Silver wanted to know how she could become an Alpha. You see she wants your position so she can win Ryder’s heart.”

  I just wait to see what he has to say next, and his words makes me tremble.

  He looks at Silver. “The only way to become an Alpha, is if you kill one, sweetheart.”

  He then laughs evilly.

  “Why doesn't she kill you instead?” I spit.

  He smirks. “I'm not the one she hates, and I'm definitely not the one who stole her lover away, but saying that, we did share a few intimate moments together.”

  “When I tell you that she did anything I asked, I mean absolutely anything.”

  I look away in disgust, I can't stand to look at either of them.

  Mr. Edmund sighs. “The gun was never supposed to be found, but you did find it, so things are going a little quicker than I'd hoped.”

  I swing my gaze back at him. “What more could you have taken from me!?”

  He doesn't say anything to that.

  “I still don't know who killed my mother!?” I scream. “Do you know who did that!?”

  What he says next, makes it hard for me to breath. “She's standing right in front of you, Alice.”

  I stare at her with wide eyes and drop to my knees. The tears burst forth like water from a dam, spilling down my face.

  “I told her to kill the people who you rely on the most. There were three people in total.” I can hear the smile in his voice. “Mr. Daniels who was your beloved teacher to whom you shared your worries with. The chef who you used to work with at the diner who died because he was almost like a father to you, and then your kind and wonderful mother. Well, now that doesn't need an explanation.”

  I look at him, my eyes dripping with tears. “You're a monster.”

  He crosses his arms over his chest. “Call me what you like, but I'm done here. I'll leave Silver to it.”

  When he takes a step to leave, he suddenly stops and tilts his head to the classroom door. He scoffs. “It seems that you're not alone, Alice. Did you bring Ryder here with you?”

  With that Silver looks out the door and lets out a little whimper.

  I can't say anything because it feels as though my heart is breaking all over again.

  “Who the hell is this?” Mr. Edmund opens the door and growls.

  One minute Mr. Edmund's standing in the doorway of his classroom, and the next he gets shoved across the classroom, into the window and falls to the ground like a rag doll. Out cold. Silver's growling increases when she looks towards the door; bringing my attention to see who's there.

  I look up towards the door and sigh in relief when I see a black wolf coming into the classroom. The black wolf straight away growls at the ash coloured wolf.

  Ryder! He's come!

  Ryder and Silver circle each other, but it's Ryder who attacks first. He goes straight for Silver's neck but she sees it coming and dodges the attack. Ryder growls at that and goes to attack again but gets shoved to the wall which creates a massive dent in it. Silver jumps on Ryder and bites anywhere she can get her teeth on. With his back legs, Ryder pushes Silver off of him and they circle each other again. Both wolves show their razor sharp teeth to each other with drool dripping from them.

  When I start to get up from the floor to stop them, my attention is drawn to the classroom door again when it unexpectedly opens, but when I see who comes through the door, my heart stops because it's Ryder who comes in, followed by Kellan and Bane.

  I gasp in horror.

  If that's Ryder standing in the doorway, then the only other black wolf I know is Max.

  “Max?” I whisper.

  The black wolf turns to look at me, with its blue eyes shining back at me. They eyes of a Beta, but the moment Max turns his head towards me, immediately I know I've done wrong because it gives Silver plenty of time to go for Max's neck. She wraps her teeth around his broad neck and twists.

  When I hear a bone breaking, I scream so loud Mr.

  Edmund wakes up from the ground.

  The black wolf falls effortlessly to the ground, and it doesn't move.

  “Max!” I shout.

  I run to him, and by now he's transformed back into his human form. I rest his head in my hands and pray to myself that he's okay. His eyes are open a little bit, but there's bite marks and blood covering most of his body.

  I look towards Silver who too has turned back into her human form, but is held at the throat by Ryder.

  Kellan and Bane can only look at her in disgust. “What did you do?” Ryder demands.

  She tries to pry Ryder's hands away from her, but he only squeezes harder. “I'm...so...sorry.” She croaks.

  “What did you do!?”He roars. “I..did..ev....everything.”

  Her eyes bulge out from her face caused by Ryder's strength.

  I can only stare from the floor in horror. “Did you attack Sam?” Ryder asks carefully.

  She doesn't answer him straight away. “Silver!”

  Ryder yells causing her to whimper. “Yes.”

  Ryder clenches his eyes shut. “Did you kill Alice's mother too?”

  Her eyes move to look at me and she growls, but she doesn't hesitate to answer Ryder's question. “Yes. I did it, and I would've done it aga..”

  Before she can finish, Ryder slits her throat, her blood spraying all over the walls and on Ryder. He drops her to the floor and looks at me with regret in his eyes.

  With now knowing who killed my mother, I can only silently cry to myself.

  Silver killed my mother, after all this time. I’ve shared a house with a murderer.

  The sound of clapping brings ever
yone to attention. “I've got to say Oliver, you really haven't changed at all.” A deep voice breaks the silence of the classroom.

  A man in his late forties walks into the classroom, with a smile on his face.

  He sure doesn't look bothered at the horrific scene he’s walked into.

  “Mark?” Mr. Edmund says through gritted teeth. He stands from the floor and glares at this newcomer, but it's the first time I've ever seen Mr. Edmund angry.

  The man looks at him with an arrogant smile. “Missed me?”

  “What the hell are you doing back in Small Town?” Mr. Edmund seethes.

  Back?

  That's when Max stirs and stares at this Mark person. “Dad?”

  The man walks further into the classroom and spots Max lying on the floor with his head in my lap. “Max?”

  The newcomer doesn't look at me, he makes a beeline towards Max and kneels beside him, checking him all over. “Are you alright?”

  Then out of nowhere, somebody starts laughing, and that person is Mr. Edmund. “Well, this night couldn't have gone any better.”

  “Oliver, what are you blabbering on about now?” Mark frowns at him and goes to confront him. They both start arguing and insulting each other.

  “That’s your dad?” I ask Max quietly while Mr. Edmund argues with Mark.

  Max shakes his head. “No, he’s my step-dad.” Max struggles to say.

  What!?

  Out of nowhere, Mr. Edmund’s voice fills the classroom.

  “You took my son away from me! So, where the hell is he!?”

  Silence.

  “That’s your son right there! He’s been under your nose this whole time!” Mark yells as he points towards me and Max.

  The two of us look at each in complete and utter shock.