A Beta Before an Alpha

Chapter 5

Zac's Point of View

I make my way to the open field where my warriors are waiting for me. I have been taking advantage of the warmer weather the last few months and training everyone outside together. It's starting to get a little chilly, though.

"Good Morning! I know it's getting colder out; the fall mornings can get chilly. We'll have to train in warmer gear over the next few weeks if need be. Hopefully, the contractors can finish the new warrior's building on schedule before the snow starts falling. I know it's not fun to be training in the cold like this, but I want to continue for as long as we can. I hope you can all see how valuable it is to train with so many other warriors. I have noticed it has had a large impact on many of you, I can see a lot of you have made large strides of improvement, and I am very proud," I smile.

"What are we going to do with the current warriors building then?" A warrior asks me.

"I am going to make it into the gym. Our current gym in the basement of the packhouse is small, dark and dreary. Then the next project will be renovating the packhouse basement, getting it nice and bright, and getting some more bedrooms down there. I want to do whatever I can to make more room for more pack members. The bigger and stronger we are, the better we will be at protecting ourselves from any threat that presents itself," I explain. Everyone seems to be nodding in agreeance.

I spend the hour leading all the warriors, and when they break up to spar. I make my way around and give tips and make sure I help any way I can.

"Joline, make sure that you bend your knee's a little bit more for that move. You'll be rooted to the ground better, and you'll be able to absorb more impact like that," I explain.

"Yes, Alpha!" She says with a flirty smile. Joline is always flirting with me, but I always ignore it. I continue to move on, checking on other warriors, and I hear Joline say to her friend quietly, "Oh, I'll bend my knees anytime for him."

I try to act as if I didn't hear a thing. Some women seem to be very forward with me. Of course, I act oblivious or turn them down gently. I tend to be a little easier going than a lot of Alpha's, so women tend to be more forward, and the guys tend to be more open with me. I'm all for great camaraderie within my pack. I want to joke around and interact with everyone in my pack. I'm not the quiet, brooding type, but I am still their Alpha, and I won't allow people to be comfortable enough that they think they can disrespect me.

Once our hour is done, I have an hour free before leading the Advanced warrior's class. This free hour is one of my favourite times of the week. It happened by accident the first time, but I have made sure to keep my Saturday schedule the same because I enjoy it so much. I make my way behind the packhouse, where I see them.

"ALPHA!" The kids scream.

I can't help but feel happy when I see them and their happy smiling faces. The kids are between the ages 8-14 years old, and we always play a friendly game of soccer together. I'm not sure if they always played at 10 am every Saturday or if I just caught them by fluke the first time. I think they were just fooling around one day, and they loved when I asked to join them.

Either way, they come at the same time every week, and so do I. Although, I have noticed the group has grown since I first asked to join in. At first, I was playing with 5-6 kids; now, there are about 15. "Hey!" I holler. We always spend the first 10 minutes or so talking and catching up. I love getting to know my pack members, young and old; it makes me feel more like this is my territory. I want to know everyone here, by name.

"Who are the captains this week?" I ask after we catch up.

"I'll be one," Sophia, the youngest and smallest girl here, pipes up. I high-five her before anyone could argue with her.

"Me too!" Tim, one of the biggest and probably the oldest boy, says quickly. I give him a high five too.

"Ladies first. Who will it be, Sophia?" I ask, and I can hear Tim groaning.

I chuckle.

"I pick Alpha!" She says excitedly.

She and Tim take turns picking, and bless Sophie's heart; aside from me, she decided her whole team based on who she likes to hang out with. It's basically the younger kids against the older kids except for me and Sophie's older brother, Mack.

He walks over to me, "I think she doesn't get the whole point is to win," he sighs.

"It'll be fun, regardless," I try to encourage him and pat him on the shoulder.

We spent half an hour running around, playing soccer. We got our asses whooped. My team seemed to be in good spirits about it, though, aside from Mack. We all sit in a circle and talk for a little before I need to head to my next warrior training class. The kids like to tell me about things going on in their lives or ask me questions. Sometimes personal, sometimes about the pack, sometimes completely random. They're a good group of kids, and truthfully, this really is my favourite part of the week.

***

I'm eating lunch at my desk, catching up on some stuff for the accounting firm, when I see Jack is calling me.

Me: Hey Jack!

Jack: Hey!

Me: What's up?

Jack: I'm a Dad… again!! [He sounds so excited]

Me: SHE HAD THE BABY?

Jack: YA! There were some complications. Lexi had to get a c-section. Little man was just too big. 9 lbs 10oz. 24.5 inches long. He's a big boy. [He chuckles]

Me: s**t. How's Lexi? How's the baby?

Jack: Lexi is holding up. The medication they gave her for the c-section hasn't worn off yet, so she feels fine right now. Our son, Enzo, is doing awesome. A real good set of lungs on him too. [He chuckles, and I can hear a baby crying.] I gotta go; I'm going to help Lex with him. I just wanted to let you know the good news.

Me: Well, congratulations. I am so happy for you, and I'm glad everyone is safe and healthy. Seriously, man. That's great news. Send me a picture when you have a spare minute.

Jack: Thanks, Zac! I appreciate it, and I will.

I have grown up with Jack, and even though I witnessed him find his mate, it's still crazy to me how quickly his life has changed. I'm really happy for him, and also envious. I'm 23, a little less than a year younger than him, and I can't wait for the day that I find my mate. I want to be bringing pups into the world and becoming a father. I would love it if I had someone to run this pack with. I saw how much Lexi enriched Jack's life and I want that.

Knock Knock.

"Come in!" I call.

I look up and see one of my pack members, Jessica. She's wearing a short red dress, black high heels, her blonde hair is done up, and she's wearing red lipstick that matches her dress. She is way overdressed for a Saturday afternoon. f**k, not this again.

"Hey, what's up, Jessica?" I ask lazily, looking back down at my work. I'm not going to encourage this behaviour. She walks over, swaying her hips and smiling at me. She looks good, and I think that was her plan. She takes a seat in a chair in front of me, and crosses her legs, and leans more to one side, so I have a good view, even though I refuse to look. This would totally work if she weren't in my pack, but she is.

"Well, I came to see you because it's a Saturday afternoon, and you're cooped up in here. You're working so hard. I thought maybe I could help you relax for a little," she flirts.

That was bold. I look her in the eye and raise one eyebrow.

"I have a lot of work to do, Sorry Jessica."

My gentle rejection doesn't seem to phase her, or maybe she didn't take it as a rejection?

"I promise you that I'll take really good care of you," she says seductively and licks her lips. I see her eyes glide down my body.

"Listen, Jessica, I appreciate the offer, but I don't cross that line with the woman in my pack. It would just complicate everything, and it wouldn't be fair to my mate when I find her. The last thing I would want for our Luna is for her to feel like she has to feel uncomfortable with the women in her pack," I explain.

She looks surprised and then mad.

"Maybe you won't find your mate. Maybe you could be happy with me?" She questions.

Jessica is good-looking and nice enough, but she's not for me. I lean back in my chair.

"I'm not going to give up on her. I'm sorry." She nods her head and gets up to leave.

She pauses at the door, "If you change your mind, you'll let me know?" She asks with pleading eyes. I give her a tight-lipped smile and a little nod. I won't change my mind. This type of thing happens too damn often for the size of this pack. However, it was the first time for Jessica.

I need to get out of here tonight. I'll text Paul; maybe he wants to head to Peggy's tonight and blow off some steam. We took it easy yesterday because I was so tired, but now I want to get away from the packhouse for a little.