BETA'S FATE

Chapter 9

Pearl's POV

I see him. Walking towards us. But his eyes on me and his face so stern. Everyone around us stops whatever they are doing and bows to Conrad who, by the way still has the most straight face I have ever seen.

Once he stands between us, he looks around and gives a stern nod again making people stand up and continue what they were doing earlier. I hear Ryan whispering wow but I don't find anything that wow here.

And now I also see what Shane meant when he said just a glare from Conrad could make grown ups piss in their pants.

Because I am surely seeing a different Conrad here. Not the typical, fun, prank loving, dramatic Conrad that I know. Now this is so new that I wonder if he would even acknowledge me as his mate before all of these people.

If he doesn't, it would only make it much more easier if we ever have to reject each other.

"If you ever have to? Okay, why do I see a possibility?" Mist asks and I roll my eyes.

"Welcome" he says and he smiles at me.

The moment he smiled, we all hear gasps from his pack. I look around to see everyone's eyes on me.

"Get back to work" Conrad roars and everyone instantly gets back to preparing for the part again.

Okay. Maybe now I feel the wow Ryan meant earlier.

Conrad looks around and a man who might be Shane's brother because I see they both look alike.

"Welcome, The Sundowners. I am Flynn Garcia, Beta of The Silver Salt Pack. We are happy to host the unmated party again. My brother Shane will lead you to the guest house. The party starts in three hours" he smiles at us and we all smile back.

I look at Conrad and his gaze is on me. I smile at him but he doesn't smile back. I roll my eyes and when everyone starts to walk again, I do too.

Shane leads the way and he looks at me. This time I smile at him, he smiles back. Wow someone really understand the concept of spreading warmth here.

We all reach a whole mansion. And they call this their guest house? I wonder how the pack house is going to be there. A whole ass compound?

"This is your room. Everyone else will be sharing except the Alpha and you. Usually only the Alpha gets the private room but Alpha wanted you to have one too" Shane says as he shows me the room.

"Thanks. But if someone else is having any problems with their room, feel free to refer them mine and push them here" I say and he nods.

He then shows everyone the other rooms where they arranged two and three beds in each. And I sit on the bed that is so soft and fluffy like clouds.

Wow. All the walking paid off, if this is how I am going to get sleep tonight. The party is in three hours so maybe I can take a nap for an hour.

But the knock on the door makes me groan and I walk to it to open. I expected to see Conrad I don't know why but I see Shane there.

"Can I.." he trails and I nod giving him some way.

"I was stupid to talk to you like that. I know I told you that I still have feelings for you. I didn't know what I was thinking and I am so sorry. I wish I can take that back but I cannot" he says.

"It's okay, Shane" I whisper.

"I am here with a request" he says and now I am curious.

"Please don't tell Alpha about this" he says and I roll my eyes.

"Why? Is he that scary?" I ask him.

"It is not about how scary he is. But how emotionally invested he is in you. The whole pack never saw him smile like we saw today. His eyes sparkled. His heart rate picked up. He looked so different" Shane says.

And for a moment I did not know what to say. Just a smile from Conrad got all of these people thinking that much.

Maybe I should see Conrad in a different view. Like all these people see. At least then maybe I can understand him better. Because I am questioning his ways of showing his emotions. He acts like he doesn't have any.

"Anyway, please don't tell him about it. Please" Shane requests again.

"Okay. Alright I'll not tell him" I say and he nods before walking out.

I close the door again and sigh. Wow Conrad really has some issue here. He won't smile and the one time he smiled looking at me, it got the whole pack shaking in fear now.

I roll my eyes and open my bag of supplies. I pick out a brown dress that reaches my knees and I decide to wear the same sneakers I am wearing now. Who knows what and where I'll be walking. If we ever have to take a walk in the woods, my heels wouldn't help.

I take a warm shower with the products already here. I wonder how he knows what I use and what I don't, but I can say I am flattered.

I wear my dress and look at myself in the mirror. I leave my wet hair down letting it air dry. And a few minutes later, I walk out to see everyone rushing here and there. The rooms are on share basis but they have only one bathroom. So the rush is justified.

"If anyone has an emergency, use the bathroom in my room. It's okay" I yell and I see few nod and one is already on his way to my room.

I smile and walk outside the guest house to just walk around and talk to people. It is still intriguing me that no one had ever step a foot in this pack other than the pack members.

I offer help to people but they smile at me and say that they got this and that it's okay. After few tries, I give up and I sit on an empty chair.

A girl walks and sits beside me. She is dressed in lime green. Her brown hair looks soft and silky. She has this beautiful smile, now I don't know why I feel like she the typical nice girl every pack has.

"Hello" I whisper and she smiles.

"Hello" she says and her voice is sweet too.

"I am Pearl. Beta of The Sundown Pack" I say and extend my hand for her to take and she looks around before taking that.

"I am Yasmyn. Warrior's daughter" she says and I nod with a smile.

"You look so pretty and I am not trying to be nice. I mean it, you are so pretty" I say and she chuckles.

"Thank you. I like your red hair too" she says and I know that as long as I am here we would be nice friends.

"I heard that our Alpha smiled at you" she says and here it goes again.

"Uhh.. yeah. Is that a bad thing?" I ask her.

"I don't know. I don't know most of the things. They said that if Alpha doesn't meet his mate this year, then he should marry me. But I don't know anything about him. We don't talk" she says and her eyes are looking at somewhere else. I follow her stare and I see Conrad talking to his beta Flynn.

"Oh wow. I didn't know that. By they.. you mean who?" I ask her again.

"The pack. They said soon there will be a team of supreme Alphas. And by then, there should be a Luna to have the pack's pride. Of course Alpha would be one of the supreme Alphas team. He is the strongest of all. But without a Luna, people are wondering if he is going to make it" Yasmyn says.

I nod as I try to understand. I remember Ryan talking about this and I also remember not paying attention to what he was talking then. Because Vincent was with me and he wanted food. I had to breastfeed him and I did not hear what Ryan said.

"I see" I say and she nods.

"So, you want to marry Alpha Conrad?" I ask and she shrugs.

"I lost my mate in a forest fire. I have been here with my parents since then. I cannot do anything on my own" she says.

And suddenly, I see that women everywhere are being treated the same. I nod at her but deep down, I am worrying. She cannot have a voice of her own and she is the warrior's daughter. She is chosen by everyone to marry their Alpha and their Alpha wouldn't even talk to her. Cannot they see that they don't want this?

Maybe I should talk to Conrad or Shane about this.

"Oh here you are!" I hear Shane's voice,"hey Yasmyn"

Yasmyn smiles at Shane and she soon walks away to help someone with making the flower bouquets.

"She is the chosen one? For Conrad?" I ask Shane as soon as he sits beside me and his eyes go wide.

"Yeah. She already told you that? She never talks to anyone about it" he says and he looks at Yasmyn. I see her smiling as she arranges flowers in a row and then tying them altogether.

I am not exaggerating but she is really a stunning girl. She is so beautiful that I wonder why men here are not shooting their shot on her.

"Because according to them, she belongs to the Alpha" Mist says and I nod. That is a point too.

I then look at Conrad who still has a straight face. Now he is talking to Ryan and Flynn. His eyes meet mine and this time, he doesn't have to smile. Because I see his eyes sparkling like people said earlier.

.

.

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Conrad's POV

I know I have a straight face but deep down, all I want to do is jump and run to her. Take her in my arms. But that is wrong in many ways.

Firstly because this is my pack and everyone has seen me this way. Secondly, it is because she doesn't like it. She doesn't even acknowledge me as a mate so how the hell can I hold her in my arms? Thirdly, I don't want my pack knowing that she is my mate already. I want to introduce them to everyone only when she is ready.

I don't want to hold her hand in front of everyone and scream that she is my mate and that I love her, when all she wants from me is a rejection.

Even that word is stinging like crazy. I know her past is making her talk this way. But I cannot help but feel much more upset that she is not willing to trust me. She trusted all the stupid ones. All I ask is for one chance. One bloody chance to show her that she means something to me and that I will not break her heart again.

"Alpha?" Flynn calls me out and I jump back to reality.

"Yes, Beta?" I ask him and he looks at Ryan who is smirking at me and then at Pea who I am looking at.

"What are you looking at?" I ask him and he only smirks wider making me roll my eyes.

"So, are you coming to the hearing?" Ryan asks and I shrug.

"I don't think I am qualified for that even though I am the most powerful" I shrug and he nods in understanding.

My Gamma Ezra calls Flynn for help with something and Flynn bows to me once before running to Ezra. I see Ezra give me a slight bow and I nod at him. Ezra and I were friends when we were kids. But when ranks were involved, we fell apart.

"I need to have a Luna. And I don't think I am qualified in that category" I say and Ryan nods again.

"Try again and again. Whatever she must have told you.. it is not Pearl talking. It is the Broken Beta talking. She is broke in many ways that her heart finally turned into a stone where she cannot trust anyone anymore. But deep inside, the real Pearl is still there. Just win her trust and everything will be fine" Ryan says.

"I don't think so, Ryan. You did not see just how many times she brought the topic of rejection" I whisper.

"I can imagine. I am so sorry" Ryan says and I shrug it off.

The party is about to start and everyone is in rush. And I witness no one finding their mates. I see only Ryan and I are the only ones who found mates in each other's packs.

I look at Pea again and she is laughing at something Shane said. Feels nice to see that at least someone is keeping her company. She would be alone because Ryan is also busy with the pack members and letting them know the rules.

I casually look around and I see Yasmyn just looking at me. Maybe I should meet her once and tell her that I found my mate. She deserves to know even though I never really told her that I would marry her.

"Alpha!" Flynn calls me again and this time, I glare at him because he is annoying me more than any other day.

"What?" I growl at him and he stares at me till I stop growling.

I might scare people but not Flynn. Maybe that is what they say about Alpha and Beta bonds. An Alpha and The Beta must be like sibilings for the pack to run in harmony. There were so many packs that fell just because their Alpha and Beta always dominated each other for power.

"Joanna and Kim think that it would be nice if you talk and address this party" Flynn says.

"Seriously Flynn? No one found their mates. I can already see this as a disaster and what do I do other than being the clown and energising people asking them to drink their asses off" I say and I see Ezra chuckle at my words.

"We really think you should at least talk!" Joanna says and I just stare at her.

Joanna is the Beta Famale, Flynn's mate. And Kimberly is Ezra's mate, the Gamma Female. Ezra and his mate has five year age difference so we often wonder what to talk and what not to talk before her. She is twenty and she doesn't even have the legal age to drink.

I look at Joanna and then at Kimberly and roll my eyes.

"Fine, but one minute of speech and that is all I can do" I say making them squeal.

"Wow someone is in good mood" Ezra says and I just shrug at him.

"Now this is the time for you to charm her with your words" Alan tells me.

"You cannot be serious, Alan! I know I am the most powerful Alpha. But no one is perfect. And my imperfection is the stage fright. I am sooo going to embarrass myself tonight" I say and shut him off.

But in all honesty, I really do have stage fright. When there is crowd before me and looks at me with curious eyes, attentive ears ready to listen what I am trying to say... My nervousness hits it's peak.

I remember back when Nova and I studied in a human school .. there was a play that Nova and both were a part of.

I messed it up so much that people thought it was a comedy play instead of classic young adult play. I had to play a just out of school teenager and I messed all my lines. I even called Allison the girl who played my love interest as Alton, and people believed she was a transgender. She rolled with the play, but I still feel bad for messing up everything.

Flynn and Ezra are back asking if The Sundowners need anything. Joanna and Kim are taking care of the food at the main table and are already ordering people around to make a little more just in case.

This is the first official in pack party and everyone seem so excited about it. I scan the crowd to find Pea but I don't find anywhere. Maybe she is just walking around here and there. She once told me that she loves to just walk and see things. Well, not to me but to Nova. And Nova told me. There is no way in hell that Pea is sharing things like those with me!

"Alpha! It's time" Flynn says and I nod walking towards the party.

I stand on the stage and I look at everyone. Wow now I cannot focus. What do I need to talk? What should I do? How do I stand?

I just stand and look at everyone bow before me including The Sundowners. Well, except Ryan and Pea. They are just staring at me. I nod and everyone else stands up back on their feet again.

I feel my hands shaking. Beads of sweat rolling down my forehead. I don't know what to do or what to say.

"Look at her. Look at your mate" Alan says.

"What?" I ask him.

"Mist asked me what's wrong, and I told her the problem here. Since you and Pearl cannot communicate, Mist and I decided to be the messengers. Now Pearl wants you to look at her" he says and I look at Pea.

She smiles at me and throws her thumbs up. She exhales loud and moves her hands down asking me to calm down. And looking at her smile at me and guide me, I calm myself down. She smiles again and she looks like she is mindlinking now.

"Just look at her and talk to her. Talk as if you talk to her whenever she is around. Welcome her to your pack. To our pack. Tell her to have fun" Alan says.

I look straight into pea's eyes and she is smiling again. She mouths to go on and I look at her and only her. Because one second I look at everyone, I even forget why I am standing here in the first place.

"But start with Good Evening The Silver Salt. And welcome The Sundowners" Alan says again and I look at Pea. She nods her head to start and I do.

"Good Evening, The Silver Salt. And welcome, The Sundowners" I say and everyone are now smiling. I look at Pea and only focus on her. She is smiling and is encouraging me to go on. But since she is standing behind everyone in the crowd, no one is actually looking at her jumping.

"Thank you for accepting my invitation and coming all the way from The Sundown Pack. I have seen parties in your pack, and this is nothing before it" I say and I see her chuckle. Not just her but I hear chuckles from Sundowners too. That means I am doing good.

"I really hope tonight, would be a special one for you and for us. If you find your mate, congratulations. If you did not find your mate, then I hope you can find some good friends here" I say and nod ending my speech and everyone claps.

But the one clapping harder and louder is Pea. Is there any other reason why I cannot love her?