The Missing Beta

Chapter 2

~Eddie~

“I'm telling you, it was him! It was our son!” Shawna has been home for a few days now, and she's been trying to convince me the entire time. She's been hysterical since the day she returned, and it has me on edge. She truly believes that she saw our son in some random human town. I tried to talk her out of it, but it hasn't worked. When she got back, she was sullen and silent, retiring to bed. The next day, she started with this crazy story and hasn't let up since.

I don't know what to say to her that won't set her off. She wants me to agree with her and to go back to that town and find him. I want her to listen to reason and realize that this may not be what she thinks it is. I think her grief is making her see things that aren't there.

It has happened to me a few times these last four years. I have been out somewhere and swore I came across my son. The first few times it happened, I ran to the person only to be embarrassed by my mistake. They were never Aston; I was always wrong. It broke my heart every single time.

Shawna spent much more time inside since Aston's disappearance than I did. She locked herself away for a long time, much to my dismay. This may be her going through what I've already gone through. I would call it a stage of denial. “Are you listening to me? Aston is alive! I saw him!”

“What did he say when you approached him, hmm? Didn't he say you had the wrong person, and he didn't know you?” Her escort had already let me know what happened in the diner so I could be prepared when she got home. Her story has been exactly the same; I've heard it so many times over the past few days.

“Are you trying to tell a mother that she wouldn't know her own son?” Shawna is up and pacing back and forth. Her body is rigid, and she's fidgeting. I feel her emotions through our bond, and it's overwhelming. Shawna stops packing and drops to her knees in front of me. “Please, babe. Please come with me. Let's find him and then you tell me it isn't him.”

“What makes you think you will see him again? He could have been passing through, just like you..” Shawna sits back on her feet, dropping her hands on her knees.

“I asked them at the diner. They said that he's a regular there.” Shawna leans forward and grabs my hands. Her arms are resting on my thighs, and her eyes are pleading with me. “Please, Eddison. Come with me. If you don't believe me after you see him, I swear I will let it go. I will never bring it up again. If you believe me, we will talk to Blake. Please.”

My heart breaks at the pain in her voice. I can't deny this woman in front of me. She's my fated mate, and I can't handle her being unhappy. I know she's grieving, and it would be best to be there for her through this process. When I went through it, I had Alpha Blake. He's my best friend, and he's been so supportive through all of this. The least I can do is support my mate right now. “Okay. We'll leave in the morning.

~Shawna~

My anxiety has been eating at me all night and morning. We left the next morning and got to the human town in record time. We got a hotel room because there's no telling how long we will be here waiting for our chance to see him. I know Eddie isn't exactly sold on the possibility, but I know it in my heart. A mother knows their child no matter how long it's been.

We've been sitting in the diner since lunch and have been watching the door. We ordered a meal to try to keep suspicion down, but I know that can't last. Humans surround us, and sitting in a diner for an extended period of time is just weird.

Sparks erupt on my hands, causing me to look down. I look into Eddie's eyes and see the calm he's trying to push out to me. I look down again, taking note of the pile of shredded napkins next to me. My anxiety is killing me, but I have to see this through. “How long are we going to stay here, love? Maybe we should get some rest.” Eddie's words make sense, but I can't leave this spot. I don't know what it is, but something tells me to stay where I am.

“Let's just wait a bit longer, Eddie. I know we've been here for a few hours, but something is te-” The bell ringing stops me mid-sentence, and I look at the door. My heart is stuck in my throat as I watch him enter the diner. I swear it's him; there's no denying it.

I quickly tap Eddie's hands over and over, not trusting my voice to work. I frantically point to the front door as I watch my son walk over to the counter. Eddie turns just in time to look at his face before he sits at the counter. I was smart this time. I had us sit in a spot where we have a full view of the front door, but we are more hidden than I was the last time.

Eddie squeezes my hand tightly and turns back to face me. His eyes are filled with tears, and I know that he knows. “Tha… that's Aston. How is Aston here?” I shake my head, not knowing how to answer that question.

I rise, intending to walk over to my son. Eddie's grip on my hands tightens almost to the point of pain. I look down and catch his intense eyes. I hurriedly plop back on my seat. “What, Eddie?! Let me go so I can see him!” I'm whisper-yelling, trying to draw as little attention to myself as I can.

“NO!” I'm stunned. That's our son over there, and he doesn't want me to approach or talk to him?! How could my mate be so horrible? Eddie rubs his forehead between the eyes. “Listen to me, Shawna. You said that he didn't know you before. Chances are he won't know you or me right now. We have to talk to Blake and make sure he can come back with us. Once we get clearance, we can try to talk him into coming with us. This isn't going to be easy, but we HAVE to do it this way.” I let out a shaky breath and close my eyes. Eddie is right; of course, he's right. If I approach him right now, it could lead to him disappearing. It's been four years since I've seen my son, and I'd die if I made him run off again.

Eddie's soft touch is on my face as I slowly open my eyes. I didn't realize I had started to cry, but Eddie's right there, wiping my tears away. I love this man with everything I have in me, and I'm so grateful that he was fated to me. I just want my son back; I want my family to be complete again. I nod slowly to Eddie, and he nods in return. Eddie stands and holds his hand out to me. I take it and allow him to lead me out of the back of the diner. We will be back; the next time we come, I will get my son back.