I'm Your Beta, Not Your Luna

Chapter 8

Alpha Jake’s POV

It’s physically painful watching Blakely. I can feel her hurt, her anguish at her father’s betrayal. I tried to use the mate bond to help her relax and calm down, but somehow, she pushed it right back to me, physically pushed me so I was pushed back into my chair.

That’s new. I never heard of that happening through the mate bond.

When Alpha Brad made his lame attempt to renegotiate the agreement, the exact thing I had intended to do upon arrival, I knew I couldn’t say the words that Blakely wanted to hear.

I couldn’t even look at her when I said it. I could feel the hurt fresh again, the anger now directed at me along with her father.

I look back at her. She stares at me for a moment, then rounds on Alpha Brad again.

“You would never have needed to renegotiate the agreement if you had just not made me your Beta.”

I glanced at Alpha Brad. I have never seen a more miserable or tortured looking man. It doesn’t add up. Why would he make Blakely his Beta? He obviously loves his daughter. I have a strong feeling that Alpha Brad isn’t sharing the entire story.

“Blakely, you know that I love you…” Alpha Brad stands up and takes a step towards Blakely.

She holds her hand out and shakes her head. Then she turns and runs out of the room.

Alpha Brad stands silent for a moment. I stand up and clear my throat.

“Alpha Brad.” He looks at me, still looking anguished. “Your daughter will be safe in our pack.”

He nods but looks away. I don’t blame him for not saying anything, that was a pretty lame thing to say, but I don’t know what else to say and I felt I should say something. I decide it’s a great time to take my leave.

As I step out of the office, closing the door behind me, I can smell the lingering faint scent of Blakely. I want to follow the trail, see if she is ok, but I decide that I should find my room and grab a meal.

I make my way down the hall and pause when I hear voices coming from a door of what seems to be the kitchen.

“Something happened involving Alpha Jake, she came running out of that office more upset than I have ever seen her!” The voice was from a woman, older sounding.

A younger woman’s voice answered her. “Well Trey went running after her, I’m sure he’ll make her feel better.” She grunted and there were several female giggles.

I could feel my blood boiling. Trey must be the black-haired man. He’s starting to be a pain in my ass. I’m going to have to take care of him, he can’t keep touching my mate.

“Alpha Jake!”

I turn and see Brett walking over to me, looking somber. He glanced around him as he got closer and lowered his voice. “How did it go? Did she really not know about the agreement?”

I sighed and ran my hands through my hair.

“No. Her father kept that a secret from her. She didn’t take it well.”

“Yeah, no joke!” Brett’s eyes were wide. “Thought we heard some yelling.” He shook his head. “I wonder why Alpha Brad made Blakely his Beta, knowing that she would have to leave the pack when she was 21?”

“Yeah, it doesn’t make sense to me either.” I rub the back of my neck.

“Well, let’s get some lunch, we can talk more about it later.”

I follow Brett down the hall into a large, spacious dining hall. There was a buffet in the middle of the room where most of my pack members were piling plates full of food.

As I walk over to the delicious spread at the buffet, I find I am no longer hungry. I throw a sandwich on a plate and walk over to the table my pack is sitting at. An older woman comes over with a tray of mugs and places them in front of us, along with 3 large pitchers of beers. I could personally go for something stronger right now, but I pour myself a glass anyway.

I don’t touch my sandwich, but I drink my beer and think about Blakely. No one tries to talk to me, they know me well enough to know not to interrupt me when I’m thinking through something.

It bothers me that someone so tiny could throw me so much. Just mere hours ago, I had claimed that I would never be mated with someone from the South Appalachian pack, that I would reject them right away. For years I have wanted to renegotiate this two decade old agreement so that I could keep Brett as my Beta instead of taking on some stranger from a weaker pack, and I was offered that right away, and I flat out refused it without even considering it. Little Blakely has changed everything.

She is literally the smallest she-wolf that I have ever seen. She is no match for any of the males in my pack, or probably even the females. She mentioned that her father had trained her every day, so maybe she could beat some of the females, but I just can’t see it.

Should I renegotiate the agreement? Would it be harmful to my pack to let such a weak fighter take the Beta position? Maybe that’s the whole point. Maybe Alpha Brad wanted to keep his strongest fighter, so he made sure to make the weakest fighter his Beta.

I rub the back of my neck again. Somehow, I don’t think so. Alpha Brad is definitely not sharing something with me, or with Blakely, but I don’t think he would sacrifice his daughter to keep his strongest fighter. Something else is going on here.

I have an image of Blakely, waves of hurt radiating from her at her father’s betrayal, and I want to find her and comfort her. Trey will make her feel better… I let out a growl and my pack members all look at me.

I better learn to control this mate bond.