The Beta's Second Chance

Docile Daughter

Ivy

Dawn hit me like a truck. I fought the urge to remain curled up in my bed and made myself rise and dress. By the time I began my morning training, I was feeling slightly more alive. That is, until I remembered what would be happening tomorrow.

You refuse to find a mate, secure the future of this pack, obsessed with your childish, immature dream of becoming Alpha when I die. It’s time for you to grow up.

The words bounced around my head like an incessant fly. I’d always known my father did not want to cede his rule to me. But that he’d rather me dead…

Your life is a worthy price to pay if it saves Summer Hunt.

If I died, Faith would be the sole heir. Meaning her mate would inherit the Alpha title. No doubt my father was hoping for just that, having finally given up on me.

The thought was crushing. He’d always been stern…less than affectionate. I’d thought my training, my superior strength, speed and skill would make him happy. Proud. I’d spent time teaching and training others. Counselling, handling the lesser affairs of the pack in the place of my mother, or even his Beta. I’d broken my back these last few years to be everything this pack needed. I’d thought he’d eventually see that I was a capable leader, the best, most obvious choice for Alpha. Instead…he saw me as nothing more than a nuisance. A disappointment he’d rather eliminate and let Faith fulfil the role of docile daughter that I clearly was not fit for.

Rage barreled into me like a flood and I punched my speed bag so hard that it ripped free from the stand and flew off over the edge of my balcony.

I showered sullenly and made my way down to my mother’s morning room. Faith was already there, prancing around with her normal effervescence, tucking daisies into the braided crown of my mother’s hair as Mother placidly sipped her tea. Both looked up as I entered.

“Ivy!” Faith sang, dashing across the room to throw her slim arms around my waist. My sister was hands down my favourite person on Earth. But today…today her bubbly personality was irritating. Just a reminder that she, sweet and simple and pretty and…easy, she was what my father had always wanted me to be. She was what my father would prefer. Who he’d prefer.

“Hi Faith.” I muttered, patting her back twice before detaching myself from her arms and crossing the room to kiss my mother’s cheek. "Good morning, Mae." She looked lovely, as usual, in a pale blue dress with pretty fluttering cap sleeves that exposed her slim, tan arms. She glanced up at me, her almond-shaped eyes exactly like mine, and frowned slightly.

“You look troubled this morning.” She mused, her quiet voice like a gentle rain falling on rose petals.

I shook my head, forcing a smile on my face and dropped into a chair as my sister resumed her humming and skipping. I poured myself some coffee and slid an omelet onto my plate.

“You don’t want any jok?” My mother asked.

I glanced at the steaming pot of rice porridge and shook my head. I barely wanted the omelet. My mom frowned and raised a gentle hand to my sister, who was still shoving blossoms into her hair.

“Faith, sit down.” Mae commanded, just as gentle and quiet as usual, but my sister obeyed instantly, sliding into a spot at the table and beginning to spoon jok into her mouth. “Ivy. Something is not right. Tell me.”

The authority of the Luna. I didn’t think I’d ever heard my mother raise her voice above a calm tone, but Chariya Lin was more than capable of asserting herself without aggression. I swallowed a thick mouthful, staring at the table.

“Did…Phaw talk to you last night?”

She frowned. “About what?”

That was answer enough. My father planned on sending me off on a suicide mission and not even telling my mother. His mate. I’m sure he saw me as his property, to use and discard as he saw fit.

I sat back and gulped my coffee. “He…uh…he’s sending me on a mission.”

My mother waited patiently, but I didn’t offer more. “To where?” she prompted mildly, sipping her tea again.

I stared down at my cooling eggs, feeling like I might vomit. “Crescent Moon....?” I breathed.

The room fell utterly silent. My sister stopped her quiet pretty singing. My mother froze, teacup halfway to her lips. Even the attendants, busy with serving or cleaning or other tasks, ceased their movements.

“What?” My mother murmured after an eternity, the word less of a question and more of a demand. Her voice was dark and low with rarely displayed emotion. I glanced up at her, finding her face just as expressionless as before, except for her eyes, which roiled with burning rage, as endless and threatening as a stormy sea.

“He’s…sending me and the Blood Moon Beta to infiltrate Crescent. For recon and…” My mother’s face paled and her hand holding the teacup shook, sending the liquid sloshing. “Mae?”

“You’re not going.” She said definitively and set her cup in its saucer. I simply stared at her. Never, in my twenty-one years of life had I ever seen my mother contradict my father. In anything. She just sit, and let him rule the pack, us, her.

“Mae, I was given a direct command. We’re to leave tomorrow-”

“No.” She said, firmly and finally. I imagined my face was only slightly more dignified than my sister’s gaping expression. “No…” She stood smoothly, pushing back her chair, brushing her hands elegantly down her skirt to knock off non-existent crumbs, and started for the door, her hands folded in front of her waist. One of the wilting flowers fell from her braided hair as she moved.

I stood rapidly, moving after her and touching her cool elbow. “Mae, wait! You will not change his mind!”

I did not need my mother facing my father’s wrath. Not because of me. They’d spent years barely even speaking unless it was necessary for the sake of the pack. The last thing I needed was to know I’d caused an even deeper rift between them before leaving. “Please, I do not need or want you to defend me. I know my duty, and I will do what is asked of me-”

“No!” She snapped, whirling on me, unprecedented rage on her beautiful face. I stopped short. “You have spent your life doing what is asked of you. You have given and given. You have done enough! It is enough.” Her hand lifted slowly to tuck one of my stray locks behind my ear. I melted into the touch, my eyes burning. Hers softened slightly, even as she set her chin. “You are not going. I will take care of this, Ivy. Sit. Eat. Your sister needs help with her geography.”

“Hey!” Faith sputtered in outrage from the table. My mother leaned in to press a gentle kiss to my forehead before striding from the room.

I felt dizzy. This was not going to go well.

“Vivi?” My sister’s voice was quiet and filled with worry. Swallowing my own anxiety, I turned towards her. At fourteen, she had been sheltered, pampered and coddled so much that she acted much younger. Primed to become the perfect, docile, obedient Luna to some swaggering i***t male who would lock her up in a room forever while he did whatever he wanted with our pack. My pack. “Are you really going away?”

I tried to breathe. To remind myself that Faith had done nothing wrong. That I had no reason to resent her for simply being…what my father had always wanted. Designed her to be. I moved over to her and stroked her long silky black locks, unbound in her youth. I stepped behind her chair and began to swiftly pull it back into a neat braid, gently moving my fingers through my sister's soft hair.

“Yeah, love. I am.” I had no doubt what would come of my mother’s intercession. Nothing.

“But…why?” Faith pouted up at me, craning her neck to see my face, and I gently returned her head to its previous position so I could finish her hair.

“Because…it's my duty. For Summer Hunt.” Her face fell even further and I rolled my eyes, flicking her extended bottom lip. “Stop pouting, you look like a child.” I pulled the spare hair tie from my wrist, using it to secure the end of her braid. It was my favorite one. Maybe she could remember me by it...

She had no intention of ceasing her pouting, her brows crumpling together. “I don’t want you to go.” She whined.

I sighed and opened my arms. She vaulted into them immediately. She held me tightly and I rubbed her back. “I’ll be back, Fay.” I willed it to be true. “Just do me a favor?”

“Okay?” She mumbled into my chest.

“Don’t…fall in love before then.”

She pulled back, and looked at me like I was an i***t. “I’m only fourteen.”

I nodded. “How about you stay that way?”

“Until you get back? Or forever?”

“Yes.”

It didn’t take me long to gather the provisions I’d need and pack. Khason had rightly pointed out that, as refugee rogues, we wouldn’t have much to our names. He’d remained suspiciously out of sight today. I fought the desire to go to his room, to check on him. He was feeling just as tumultuous as I was, I could tell by whatever bond connected us. But throughout the day, he did not appear.

A few sets of clothes, basic, traveling food, bed roll, few toiletries. A couple of knives, materials to make fires.

Where is he? We had more to discuss before leaving. I went out into the hall, crouching to peer down to the second level, but his door was closed, no light emerging from underneath. Trying to relax, I returned to my room and prepared to wait.