Mated To My Human Beta

4. Accidents

-Arya-

I got down from Axel and sighed. "Bye, Axel."

He sat down and howled and looked at me, his eyes somehow pulling me in. He looked sad, his ears drooping down, and I didn't like it when he was sad.

It was very strange to feel connected with the wolf, when I hated the man. But I understood that even though they were a part of each other, they were still different in their own way. Axel had always been nothing but kind to me. Blake was, once, a friend. And then one day, it just changed. No explanations. No warning.

My whole world broke then, once again, but I knew I could do nothing about it now.

"What made you sad, Wolf?"

He looked at me with those big blue eyes, just as bright as Blake's, but the usual coldness in Blake's eyes was not there. I sat down next to him and snuggled closer, running my fingers along his dark black fur. He shuddered under my touch, and I knew it was weird, my reaction to the wolf, but... f**k, I knew nothing anymore. My life was like a circus, and I was the gorilla chasing her own tail.

And Blake always laughed at my tricks. I sighed. Some days, I wish we could go back to how we were once. Friends. But a lot has happened since then. A lot has changed.

"You know about Alerean, don't you? That is why you are sulking." I chuckled softly and he growled under his breath. The wolf nodded, looking glum.

"I have to do that, Axel. I have to get away, get out. I know you don't want me as your Beta, but that is the one thing I have always wanted in this life. I want to belong somewhere, Axel, and it is too late to go back to being just human. I know all of this."

Axel stood up and shifted out of nowhere, without any warning. I gasped. He was naked, and I... it was hard to resist looking, but I resisted.

My eyes met his. I thought I would see the derision and mockery, but his eyes were understanding, kind. That was when I realized it was still Axel. We had never done this before.

My pulse skidded, and my stomach tumbled when I realized that this was affecting me in a way it hadn't before. I had seen him fighting half-naked, but it never... it never made me speechless. But somehow knowing this was Axel... it made the world of difference.

"I want to," he said. "But Blake..."

"I understand him. It is okay."

"I don't," Axel whispered as he looked at me and his eyes changed darker, brighter.

My body was lit with fire as I looked down his chest, down the soft, tempting trail of hair leading to the- should I? No. This was the line I should never cross. I knew even though Axel was Axel, it was still Blake's body. If I crossed that line, it would become even more complicated than it already was, and I didn't need that now.

He took a step towards me and I hurriedly backed up. My heart felt weird; my skin felt hotter.

The tattoo on his abdomen caught my eyes. It was a wolf howling at the moon, and around it were vines just twisting around the wolf. I didn't know what to do now. Should I just run like the hounds of hell were chasing me?

He took another step, closer, closer. Everything in me begged to feel him, but I knew that was a mistake I couldn't afford. He was like a storm, the man, and he would sweep me away.

"You- what are you- STOP." My voice came out hoarse and hesitant. The look in his blue eyes made my whole body throb with need. Dark and dangerous, he looked down at me. His eyes were the eyes of a predator, and my heart thundered wildly beneath my ribs.

Heat pooled between my thighs and I could feel the wetness soaking through my panties. This was not right. This shouldn't be happening now to me.

"Axel, shift, shift back," I said, my voice urgent. He knew he was not allowed to do this. "You know-"

"I am not Blake," he whispered as he took another step, which he shouldn't have. I blinked. "You know that."

My brain was screaming. Everything in me begged me to turn back and run. But my body refused to move. It was as if my body was a French lady who just couldn't understand English.

"You look like him. You smell- you smell just like him," I whispered and shook my head as he ran he touched my cheek with a finger and I trembled from that simple touch. Why was my body reacting to his touch like this? His finger trailed down to my chin, to my throat. He cupped my throat and it didn't feel like this when Blake did it. This wasn't done to prove his dominance over me. This was done out of... his need to touch me.

But how could he...

His lips parted and I wanted to throw caution to the wind and just lean in. Only an inch. And... this ache in my body would go away.

I pulled back, though. I was not an i***t. This was not an ideal situation. I didn't need more complications in my life.

"Please shift back, Axel. I don't-"

Axel pulled back and nodded. "Sorry, Arya. I-"

I shook my head. "You don't have to be, but you know this is- just..." I didn't even know what to call this. Stupid? Ridiculous?

I knew Blake would be seething by now. Axel was so going to get it, and I would, too, if I didn't move now. I whirled around, and pressed a finger against my eyes.

"I am leaving."

I heard a sigh. "Do not go to Alerean, Arya. Please," he said. His voice was so soft, broken.

I didn't turn around. I knew if I did, the small piece of thread that was holding my sanity in place would snap. Snap. Snap. And then I would do something I couldn't get away from.

Axel was Blake, even though he wasn't. That had always been hard for me to understand, because I didn't know how that essentially worked. I had no personal experience of how the man's and the wolf's mind were connected. But I shouldn't be tempted by Axel. I knew that much.

And I had to always remember that. Befriending the wolf was fine as long as the wolf stayed a wolf. Touching the man, wishing to bury myself in the crook of his neck... It was not fine. That would be something I couldn't come back from.

"You know I can't do that," I said, staring straight at the pack house. "Bye Axel." I walked towards the pack house, cursing myself and my stupidity. I had almost, almost given up to the temptation. That was just- not right.

I stormed inside the pack house, grumbling under my breath. Now that the haze was gone, I felt anger. I slumped down on the couch and growled.

"Fu.cking Axel. He cheated. He knows the first rule of our fuc.king friendship," I mumbled to myself as I slumped down on the couch. "No shifting into human form. He knows it. Why did he break it?" I grumbled under my breath as I stared sullenly at the ceiling and huffed.

"What? Why are you always huffing, Arya?"

"Dad," I looked up and he sat down. William Tamran was the best dad a girl could ask for. I would say it was my luck that he decided to adopt me. My mom and dad didn't have a kid of their own, and then they chose me. I knew they could have adopted any pups, but they still chose me over everyone else.

"You already talked with Alpha Emerett," I said as I leaned against my dad's shoulder, and I knew I was a strong, independent woman who didn't need a man to save her. But if my dad offered to save me, I would take it. He was my hero.

"You crying, little girl?"

It was also strange that my dad still called me little girl when I was a grown ass woman, but whatever. I would always be a girl to him. A girl who was lost, alone, afraid. Blake had found me in the forest, but it was my dad and my mom who made me feel not so lost, not so alone.

I still missed mom.

"No," I sniffled, but there was no use hiding my tears from him. "I want to go dad. I have to." My voice was desperate.

"Go, then."

I blinked and stared up at him.

"What did I tell you, Arya Tamran? You have Beta blood and you will be a Beta. But just- just take care of my daughter, too, because I only have her."

"Of course, dad. I will take care of myself. Thank you."

"And if you ever feel like you can't do it, you should come back. You can be persistent and stubborn, but don't be too stubborn. There is a difference, and you have to understand that."

"I do. If I ever feel like I can't take that, I will come back."

***

-Blake-

It had been two days. Axel wasn't talking with me. But I was angry with him, too. After the stunt he pulled, there was no way in hell I was going to beg him. No Way.

I avoided Arya whenever I could, but it wasn't too hard, because I was sure she was avoiding me, too. I would occasionally see her fighting or laughing with Asher or flirting with Ayden, but we never actually talked after that day. I pushed my plate of food away with a grunt. I didn't want to eat.

"Arya is leaving tonight. Beta William and Asher are driving her to Alerean. Can you go with them?" my mom said as she pulled a chair out and sat down.

"I can't go, mom. Ash and Beta are already going. So why do I have to go?"

"It is fine if you don't want to go. I just thought- it is nothing," she said as she stood up. But I had a feeling that she was disappointed.

She walked towards the kitchen. "Marni, are the cookies finished? Arya is leaving in a few hours."

I stood up and walked towards the gym room. I needed to get my head straight, and I wanted to punch something. But I knew Arya would be there on the field with the guys, so gym was the only option.

I kicked the door open and someone yelped and I saw Arya face down on the floor, swearing under her breath. She jumped up and rubbed her nose and glared at me.

"What the hell? Couldn't you open the door like a normal person?" she said as she rubbed the side of her hips. "God, it hurts."

"I didn't know you were here."

Did she just- almost be polite to me? I expected more shouting, cursing, but nothing came. She gave me a quick nod before she went back to the treadmill and switched it off.

Something didn't feel right.

What?

"Sorry about that," I said finally and she shrugged.

"Accidents happen." I had a feeling that she wasn't talking about this, but I wasn't talking about this either.

"It wasn't an accident. You know that."

"You have to understand, Axel. Stop being so f*****g difficult."

"Yeah, I know. Whatever."

That was the first thing Axel had said to me in two days. Two long days. I didn't know why he was so mad at me. I didn't do anything wrong. He did.

She walked out of the gym room, leaving me staring at her back.

She was leaving for Alerean. Arya would be gone by tonight.

It suddenly felt so real. And I could almost feel the emptiness... that would linger once she was gone.

"Where are you, mom?" I mind-linked my mother.

"Kitchen."

Of course.

"I will go with Beta William and Asher. But you have to tell Arya... that it is your idea."

My mom let out a soft squeal. If I knew my mom --and I knew my mom-- she would be dancing right about now. And her dance, nope, it didn't look like dancing when she did that.

My lips pulled up in a smile when I thought about that.

"You are the best son in the whole world," my mom said. "Don't worry. I will make sure she doesn't suspect you."

"Suspect? Mom, I am only doing this because you asked. Why would she suspect-"

"Of course, yes. I mean, yeah, right. You are doing this as a favor to your poor, worried mother."

"Mom, are you making fun of me?"

It was so hard through mind-link. I couldn't see her face or expression. I quickly walked out of my room, and sneaked towards the kitchen. My mom was laughing with Marni and they both had this cat eating canary look on their faces.

"No, of course, would I ever make fun of my precious boy?"

She poked her tongue out and Marni giggled. My mom waved her hand.

"Really mom? Walk a little to your right side and look up."

She did as she asked and her smile fell when she looked at me and shook her head, her smile impish.

"Sorry, Blake," she said with a shrug. "But we both know you aren't the type who does something just because your mama wants it. So..."

My wolf hooted, looking very amused.

"She knows you better than you do. Caught f*****g red-handed."

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