Protected by the Beta

by Bethany Shaw

  “That must be nice.” She didn’t mind her curvy figure most of the time. It showed that she indulged every once in a while, which was fine in her book. There was nothing wrong with having a little curviness to her figure.

  She picked up her fork but waited to dive in until Essex was seated across from her. He grinned as he bit into a piece of bacon.

  Haven watched the way his mouth worked and once again her mind wandered to what else his mouth could do. She shook her head and shifted in her seat. It was time to focus on something else, like getting more answers.

  “The people who killed my family, who are they?” she asked before taking a bite of eggs.

  “A small group of people who call themselves The Hags.”

  Haven made a face. What?

  “They target families like yours... and mine.”

  “They killed your family, too?” Haven asked. She paused to look up at him. Her hand trembled as she met his eyes, causing the eggs to jiggle on her fork.

  “They attacked and murdered my family, my entire bloodline, several months before they killed yours. I am the only survivor, just like you are the only one from your family.”

  “They murdered your entire family?” His words registered in her mind. “My whole family wasn’t killed. Stephen is my uncle by marriage, but I consider him my adoptive father...” she trailed off when Essex shook his head.

  “No. He’s not related to you at all. He took you in and protected you from the Hags.”

  She dropped her fork on the plate. It clanged against the ceramic before bouncing off and sliding across the table. He’d lied about that, too? They weren’t even related. He was just some random man that had raised her. They had no blood connection at all. What else had he lied about? Was her whole life a lie?

  Tears pricked her eyes, and she swallowed hard.

  “You didn’t know that he wasn’t related to you. I’m sorry,” Essex said. He reached across the table and put his hand on top of her shaking one.

  Calmness washed over her, and she closed her eyes, letting it in. How someone she barely knew could comfort her with such a simple touch was beyond her, but she didn’t have it in her to question it, not when she still wanted answers to so many other questions.

  “It’s okay.” She cleared her throat, hating the way emotion had seeped into her voice. “You said they killed our entire blood line for power, but why? What do they gain from it? Wouldn’t the police catch up with them?” With forensic science and technology where it was today, how could they get away with it?

  Essex took another bite of food. He chewed it slowly, as if considering how to answer her. “They are a secret organization that knows how to cover their tracks well. They gain all the assets from our family—our power.”

  She frowned. That still didn’t make sense. How did the police not catch up to them? Unless... a thought occurred to her. What if they were supernatural?

  Haven bit her lip, unsure if she should bring it up or not.

  “But why wipe out the entire bloodline?” she asked.

  Essex picked at his food and frowned. “If the bloodline is gone, there is no one to claim anything.”

  “So my whole family is gone?” her voice grew thick again. She covered her mouth before taking a sip of water to help shove the lump forming in her throat down.

  “I’m afraid so. I’m sorry.”

  She shook her head and glanced up at the ceiling. Tears blurred her vision. Tears for people she’d never met and couldn’t remember.

  “I was eleven when my family died. It was dumb luck that I wasn’t home. One of my school friends had a sleepover birthday party. The... the... police showed up in the middle of the night and whisked me away. I was brought here to Emerick. Regina and Tomas took me in and raised me like I was a part of their family. I love and miss my mom and dad, but I was blessed to have another set of parents to love me.” Essex smiled fondly, like he was thinking about them right now.

  She hadn’t met Regina or Tomas, but was pretty sure she’d met their son Lucas yesterday. He must be Essex’s adopted brother. He’d seemed nice enough.

  For a moment, she craved what Essex had, a family that loved her. Stephen had been kind to her in his own way, but his wife, on the other hand—what a bitch. That woman was one of the reasons she didn’t believe in love. Anyone that could trample over their spouse’s heart like that was evil. It didn’t help that Haven had had one bad relationship after another the past few years. Either no good guys were out there, or she was looking in all the wrong places.

  Her gaze drifted to Essex again. There was something about him that kept drawing her in. She would need to keep her distance. He might appear nice and sweet now, but it was all a ploy. Give it a few weeks, and his true colors would come out. It’d be better to keep her heart intact and herself far away from him.

  She ate a few more bites of egg and bacon, then stood up and excused herself to spend time in her room.

  He’d answered enough of her questions for the morning. Right now, she needed to get away from him and his startling, ice-blue eyes.

  Chapter Four

  Essex glanced down the hallway where Haven was. She’d been in her room all day. He wanted to go to her and soothe away her sorrows, but he also knew that she needed space. He could respect that.

  He’d been old enough to know what he was and what had happened to his family when they’d been killed. Haven hadn’t been. She’d been just an infant, only a few weeks old. She had no idea who her parents were or what her family was like.

  He couldn’t begin to imagine how hard all of this was on her. She was finding out horrible things for the first time. Even if she didn’t remember her family, he knew what it felt like to know that every last cousin, aunt, and uncle related to you had been brutally murdered. The only thing she didn’t know was why The Hags were still after her. They were after Essex, too.

  Hopefully, Emerick’s wards would keep them safe and off whatever radar The Hags had. The wards had kept him safe for over two decades; surely they’d continue to hold up.

  Of course, he was a prisoner, too. Emerick was nice enough, but part of him craved the opportunity to see the world outside the mountains he now called home. He couldn’t leave, though.

  The second he left the city’s protection, The Hags would know. In order for the group to get total power, they had to kill the entire bloodline. Once he and Haven were dead, The Hags could tap into their bloodlines’ magic and use it for themselves. No one should be able to have that kind of magic. It was dangerous and could mean the destruction of all supernaturals on the planet.

  He and Haven weren’t like normal shifters and witches. They were considered royalty. Both of them were born from original bloodlines. Their families dated back to the early seventh century, well before witchcraft became common knowledge. Twenty-four families had been blessed with extraordinary gifts: ten shifter families of varying beasts, six witch families, four vampire families, and four demon families.

  Of the twenty-four original families, only eighteen remained. Three of them had died out on their own. Many people found love or had children outside of their families, creating a whole new group of people – half human and half supernatural.

  The sound of Haven’s bedroom door creaking open drew him from his thoughts. She marched out of her room wearing the same outfit she’d had on earlier, but this time she had on sneakers.

  “I’m going for a walk,” she said as she passed by him.

  “Would you like some company?” he asked falling into step next to her.

  “No. I’ll be fine.”

  “Just be sure to stay in Emerick. You can go anywhere the path leads and be safe. Don’t go too far, okay?” he said. Worry filled him. Sure, he hadn’t seen her all day, but he’d known she was safe in the house. While the pack would protect her, and the land was safe, he wouldn’t know exactly where she was.

  “Don’t stray off the path. Got it.” She gave him a thumbs up and then head
ed out the front door, closing it behind her.

  Essex let out a breath and ran a hand over his jaw. He shook his head and went to the kitchen, ready to make dinner. Halfway to the kitchen, the front door flew open.

  Haven jumped over the threshold and slammed the door shut behind her. She put her back on the door and met his gaze with wide, wild eyes. “There are baby wolf pups out there,” she said.

  Shit! He hadn’t even thought about that. He was so used to seeing wolves walking through the town, that he hadn’t even thought to warn her. At least she hadn’t seen someone prancing around town naked. Most humans who came here were kept out of town in more private residences, where they wouldn’t run into a wolf so easily.

  “Yeah. We share the land with wolves.” It was lame, and even he knew it. Wolves were truly wild animals and would never just share land with humans like that.

  Her gaze darted to the wolves on the wall. She took a few steps, stopping several feet away from the photos on the wall.

  He drew in a breath and let it out. Maybe now was the time to tell her the truth. “Haven,” he started, trying to figure out the best way to tell her. “There’s something I think you need to know. Something that will help you make sense of a few things.”

  “Like why there are wolves across the street?” she asked, spinning around to look at him. She crossed her arms over her chest and tipped her head to the side as if she were waiting for him to answer her.

  “Well, yeah,” he said. “There is no easy way to say it, so I’m just going to say it.”

  Her brows rose.

  “Emerick is a town full of werewolf shifters.”

  “Werewolves?” She frowned, then clucked her tongue and went to the window. She shoved the curtains aside and stared outside. “Those wolf pups are... are people?”

  She turned around. The panic and fear he’d expected weren’t there. If anything, she seemed intrigued.

  “They are.”

  She took a step closer to him. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips. “And you, you are a werewolf, aren’t you?”

  He nodded his head. She sucked in a breath and looked back out the window.

  “You don’t seem surprised,” he said.

  She shook her head and turned back to him, crossing her arms over her chest. It was a habit she seemed to do when she was angry or nervous.

  Haven shrugged, then sagged against the window. “It makes sense. The people who attacked me... the way they moved... the way they made the chain on my door move... it wasn’t normal. I’ve questioned the supernatural for a long time now. You’ve just confirmed that it’s real.”

  “So you’ve sensed that the supernatural is real?” he asked. All supernatural beings drew their power from within themselves. Even with her powers bound, it made sense that she would still sense things around her.

  “Yeah. You could say that.” Her eyes widened, and he knew what she was thinking before the words left her mouth. “That’s why they came after me, isn’t it?”

  “You are a witch. We’re both part of royal bloodlines. If The Hags kill us, then our bloodline will die, and our family’s power will flow through to them. They’ve found a way to harness it.” Ironically, it was her family who’d inadvertently introduced the idea to The Hags. They’d sent them after Essex’s family to try to convince the Bakers into continuing with Essex’s and Haven’s arranged marriage, but instead of warning the Baker family, they’d murdered every single one of them. Then they’d turned their attention to the Goode family and to several others. The other royal families had found ways to protect themselves thanks to MYTHS. But being the only remaining members of their families definitely put a big target on both of their backs.

  ****

  Haven's mind ran a mile a minute. The supernatural was real. She was a witch. Essex was a werewolf. Both their families had been murdered by power-hungry supernaturals that fed off their power. It was too much.

  She needed to go on that walk after all, and clear her mind.

  Haven put her hands up. “I’m going for my walk now. I need some time to think.” Her entire life was a lie. Was Stephen a supernatural, too? Of course he was. He’d known what she was the whole time, yet had kept her in the dark. The very thought made her blood boil. She pumped her fists at her side.

  “I understand.” Essex held up his hands, his accent thicker and sexier, if that was even possible. “Just promise me you’ll stay on the trails.”

  She nodded. There were crazy people who wanted to kill her. She wasn’t leaving the city.

  Haven pulled the tie off her wrist and combed her fingers through her hair, tying it up in a messy bun before heading out the door.

  The warm, sticky air sucked her breath away. It was hot here. She blew out a breath and closed the door behind her.

  The wolf pups still played across the street. They were cute – adorable. Part of her wondered if that was how her and Essex’s pups would look. The thought caught her off guard. Where did it even come from?

  She didn’t know anything about him. Sure, he was nice to look at, but she knew next to nothing about him other than that the same group of crazies wanted them both dead.

  Why would she even think about him—about them—like that? It didn’t make sense. Nothing seemed to make sense. Everything was a jumbled mess, and it seemed the more she found out, the more questions she had. Maybe one day she would know everything, and she wouldn’t be in the dark anymore.

  She blew a loose strand of hair out of her face. Marching along the trail, she left the last few houses behind. She looked over her shoulder and up ahead. Essex had said to stay on the trail. She was still fine.

  The houses gave way to steep mountainsides on one side and thick trees on the other, but the trail continued to wind up the side of the mountain. It was quite pretty, now that she was taking the time to look at it. How long was she going to be here? Sure she wouldn’t mind staying a while, but would she want to stay in Emerick’s walls forever? No. She liked the ocean. Her apartment was only a few short miles from the beach.

  She already missed the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. The sounds here were different. Birds were chirping, the leaves of the trees rustled in the breeze, someone was crying. Wait! What? Someone was crying?

  Haven strained to hear the sound. It was unmistakable. Someone was crying in the trees. She took a few steps off the path toward the sound. What if one of those wolf pups was hurt?

  Her heart ached at the thought of one of those babies being injured.

  “Hello? Where are you?” she called out hoping they’d hear her voice and help lead her in the right direction.

  The crying grew louder. She sidestepped around a large boulder and down a little hill. A shiver raced through her as a man came into view. The crying stopped, and a smile slipped over his face.

  “Why, hello there,” the man said, taking a step forward.

  Haven took a step back, but the man’s hand whipped out faster than she could see and latched onto her wrist. His nails dug into her skin so hard, she was sure she’d have bruises. “Shhh, everything’s going to be okay.”

  Haven tried to wring her wrist free, but the man’s grip was iron. The man’s other hand whipped up and reached out for her. She screamed as loud as she could, but she had no idea if it was loud enough. Had she gone too far? Would Essex hear her – would anyone hear her? She prayed they would, or she was dead.

  Chapter Five

  Haven shrieked louder when she was whirled around so her back was pressed against her attacker’s chest. The man’s hand reached for her face. His sweaty palm clamped over her mouth, stifling her cries for help.

  She squirmed in his grasp, but her efforts only made him squeeze her tighter.

  “Stop fighting,” the man said.

  Calmness washed over her. It was the same kind of feeling that overcame her when she’d fight with Stephen. Magic. He’d used magic on her. Her attacker was using it right now.

  “I’m going
to enjoy killing you, even if you are a pretty little thing,” the man said. She struggled against his hold, but it only made him tighten his grip. “Shhh, don’t fret. I’m not going to kill you yet. Only Darius knows how to harness the bloodline magic.”

  Haven forced a breath in through her nose. It was time to focus. She was a witch. Surely she could find a way to fight him, but how? There was a small bubbling sensation in her stomach. It too, was usually there when she fought with Stephen. Maybe that was her magic? Now, to harness it.

  Haven drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes. Everything in her wanted to keep fighting, but she forced her limbs to stop struggling. Focusing on the bubbling energy inside her, she coaxed it. The energy grew brighter, hotter, inside of her. She continued to focus on it.

  “That’s a good girl, no more fighting,” the man said. He released her mouth and smoothed his hand down her cheek to brush hair out of her face.

  The energy she was trying to harness faltered inside her. Nausea curdled in her belly at the touch. Why was he doing this? Why play with her before killing her? Who cared? It gave her a chance to harness her magic. Focus.

  Haven licked her lips and focused on the energy swirling inside her again. She coaxed it forward, hoping it wouldn’t always be this difficult. It grew stronger and hotter. Now she needed to figure out how to use it.

  Her attention went to the man’s arm, still snugly wrapped around her. He started to speak to her again, but she ignored his words. She glared at his arm waiting for something—anything—to happen.

  She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. Come on, already. She opened her eyes when the man behind her hollered.

  His hands were gone. She was free of him. She spun around to defend herself from further attack, but froze. Her attacker was nowhere in sight. She whirled around in a circle, searching for him.

  He was gone. It was like the other night, one minute she was one place, the next somewhere else entirely. Could she teleport? It was the only explanation for how she kept ending up in different places when she was in trouble. That was a pretty cool power. She just needed to learn how to control it. Maybe she could poof herself back to Essex’s house and let him know there were people near Emerick.