The Missing Beta

Chapter 35

~Aston~

It’s been a few days, and I can’t get Katarina off my mind. The evening was perfect, and I was tempted to tell her about our bond so many times. I just couldn’t do it; I couldn’t rock her world that way.

It’s crazy, right? Why wouldn’t I just tell her who we are to each other, right? I know it’s the question everyone has on the tip of their tongues. Hell, it’s the question I have for myself sometimes. The truth of the matter is that I have no idea who King really is.

Yeah, sure. I’ve known him all my life. I was gone for four years, and a lot can happen in that time. What if I tell her, and it causes her issues? What if I tell her and she doesn’t believe me? What if I tell her and she doesn’t want me?

As far as I can tell, she doesn’t feel anything on her side. There’s no mate bond, and there are no sparks. I can’t handle telling her and the entire situation falling flat on its face. Call me a coward; I’ll take that. I’d rather have her like this than not have her at all.

Flashback

“Do you remember your hordes of women?” I shake my head as her beautiful laugh pierces the night sky.

“Please, don’t remind me. It was crazy how they would come after me. They had absolutely no shame.” Her hand falls on my arm, and I try my hardest not to give in to temptation.

“Do you remember that time in high school when that one showed up on my lawn? She was wearing that big coat and nothing underneath. Remember how she wrote your name on her body?” Katarina throws her head back in laughter, and I try hard not to join in. That was a tough day, and I was so embarrassed. I still have no idea how she knew where to find me in the first place.

“You were always there, through all of the crazy.”

“Of course I was. You needed someone to be by your side, so I decided that it should be me.”

End of flashback

We went back to the school where we spent so much time together. There was a place beyond the football field that we made our own. Anytime the day got too tough for me, or I just needed some peace, she could always find me there. We spent so much time laughing and talking there that I just had to see it again.

I haven’t spoken to King or Dominic much, but I swear I always feel King’s eyes on me. I want to question him so badly to find out his goal, but who am I to do that? Who am I to disrupt everyone’s world just because I came back?

I stand and stretch my body out, having enjoyed a long run. “So you come back and try to take someone’s woman?” I turn to see Dominic staring at me. He’s shirtless with his hands on his waist. I knew this was coming, but I didn’t think it would take this long.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yeah, sure you don’t.” He steps forward. “You’ve barely gotten back and you’re already trying to disrupt things. You’ve been gone for four years and things have changed in that time. The least you could do is respect that and move on.”

“Move on?!” I turn to look around, grateful we are the only ones in the area. I don’t want this to travel around the pack. I don’t want that for Katarina. “Move on from my fated mate?” Dominic throws his head back and laughs.

“Fated mate?! Are you serious? That can’t be and you know it. Does she even feel teh bond? Did she claim you as her mate?” That’s the catch, isn’t it? Katarina hasn’t claimed me nor made it evident that she feels the bond as I do. That’s the biggest reason why I have kept my mouth shut. This seems to be all one-sided, and I can’t justify ruining lives for my own selfish gain.

NO!

Dario…

I said NO! She’s our mate, I know it. I feel it. I don’t know why she isn’t feeling it, but we will figure it out. I sigh, unable to argue with him but hoping he’s right.

“I’ll take your silence as an answer. You are feeling whatever you felt back then. That’s all. We are in a new time now, and you’d do well to remember that.” I stand, looking at Dominic, and his eyes never leave me. There are so many things I want to say, but the exact words elude me. Nothing Dominic said is wrong; it may be time for me to accept that.

“Yeah, you would do well to remember that.” I turn to the side to see King walking toward us. This isn’t exactly how I thought things would work out. I was actually hoping to avoid this very situation. “I let you come back to the pack and this is what I get in return? I get you going after Katarina when you know she’s mine.” My hands clench at my sides as I try to reel in my anger.

“Yours? She isn’t property; she’s a person. You know she’s my fated mate. I told you that when I found out.”

“That was then and this is now.”

“You never even wanted her so why the change? What is it about Katarina now that has you holding on so tightly when you know you should let her go?” My question is answered with a fist to my face. It knocks my balance off, but I save myself from falling. I straighten myself up and lunge at King.

~Katarina~

The voices around me are getting quieter and quieter. I zoned out long ago, and it’s been the same every day. I just have no desire to concentrate on what’s being said; I really don’t care.

I keep thinking back to my evening with Aston. It was a nice evening just being with him and reminiscing. I think I was talking too much, but he kept assuring me I wasn’t. I didn’t know how else to fill the silence since Aston had lost so much time. All of the conversation wasn’t awkward, though. There were some great moments.

Flashback

“Did you know that I had a huge crush on you when we were younger?” He looks at me, his eyes bright with surprise.

“You had a crush on me?” I nod my head, looking away in embarrassment. “Why didn’t you say anything?” I chuckle, but it isn’t one full of humor.

“How could I? I was younger than you and you had the whole of the woman population at your feet. I knew there was never a possibility that you could see me as more than a friend.” Silence envelopes us, and I start to feel awkward. I never expected to admit this to him, but my filter suddenly disappeared.

“You know,” Aston scoots closer to me and takes my hand into his. “You should have said something. You may have been surprised with my response.” I made the mistake of looking up and catching his eyes. Something about his look makes me feel weightless like I’m floating in the air. I shouldn’t be feeling this way about another man, but when he looks at me like that……

End of flashback

A shiver runs through my body as I replay what happened between us. At that moment, he felt like my everything. He felt like the answer to all my questions and prayers. It took a lot to pull myself out of that and remind myself that I wasn’t free to look to others. “Hello? Earth to Katarina.” I look up to see Luna Trina staring at me. She isn’t the only one, but her gaze is the only one that makes me nervous.

“I apologize. I was just thinking about… the wedding.” These days, wedding planning has been in overdrive. We only have a few days before the event. Each day I get closer to it, I feel more and more disconnected. I’m easily distracted, and my mind often wanders. This isn’t the first time I’m being called out for my lack of attention.

“You’d do better to pay attention. This is your day, not mine. We need to finalize everything so the event runs smoothly. We have many people coming and we don’t want things to look poorly put together.” Luna Tina leans in closer, her eyes on every inch of me. I start to shift in my chair, her gaze making me more than uncomfortable. “Where’s your jewelry?” Fear grips me as she waits for an answer. I don’t want to give in and discuss this with her.

To be honest, when I got home from hanging out with Aston, I took the ring and necklace off. I didn’t feel connected to King, and that hasn’t changed. After lusting after another, it just felt wrong to wear them. I spent two days in bed after, tired beyond belief, with a horrible headache. The wedding planning took over once I emerged from my house, leading me to today.

I watch as Luna Tina’s eyes glaze over, and a knot forms in my stomach. I can only imagine what she’s saying to King right now, and I’m not in the mood for the altercation. I sigh internally and try to come up with an exit plan. My mind worked too slowly because the door to the Luna’s office burst open. King runs in with spots of blood and scratches all over his body. He’s standing in the middle of the room with his fists clenched at his side. He’s breathing heavily, and the anger is evident in his very posture. I look up as King steps toward me. His eyes roam over my body before landing on my hands. It takes a bit before he meets my eyes again. “Where’s the ring and necklace?” Hope moves in my mind, and she pushes forward.

MATE!