Lessons in Love

Chapter 7: Not Good

POV: Beta Ben Westlake

It had been a hectic two weeks. Our harvest festival was set, and then Rick and I would be in the fields and orchards with our packmates. Time had flown by, and I’d almost forgotten about the floral scented envelope. Almost. I had tried to make peace with my mate being out there somewhere and hadn’t given them much thought, but over the last two weeks, I felt like the floral scent was haunting me. Sam had tracked the scent in with him after being at the greenhouse, and Rick had after being at dinner with Sam days later.

I had gone past the greenhouse and caught the scent, but the greenhouse had been closed, and I hadn’t been able to go inside and find out what the scent was exactly. It was pretty, light, and floral. Unlike the heavy scents that clung to the orchards and fields this time of year. The smell made me think of spring, new beginnings, and hope. When I had caught the scent at the greenhouse, I wondered if Hannah, the owner, had hired someone recently. It was a lot more likely that it was one of the hundreds of plants in the shop giving off the scent.

It was strange to feel so at odds with myself. On the one hand, I was content to know my mate was nowhere near me, but every time I caught a hint of that smell, I wanted to know more about them. A name, a place, something I could look up. Someone I could call. I shook my head as I headed up the stairs to the Alpha’s suite. The way I had been reacting to that scent was a clear indication that I never wanted to learn my mystery mate’s name.

I rang the bell to Marcus and Eleanor’s suite and was let in. “Good afternoon, sir.” I said as I closed the door. I turned to face him, and he looked positively ill. He smelled it, too. Like he hadn’t showered all week. I knew he had, I’d been to see him just three days before, and he’d looked fine.

The room was stuffy, almost musty smelling. The curtains were drawn, not allowing much light in. The cleaning staff had told me three days ago that they weren’t allowed into the suite anymore. It showed.

Alpha Marcus had been putting the garbage bins in the hallway for them to be emptied, but there was a layer of dust on things that were usually spotless. The room wasn’t the only thing that looked unsettled. The man himself was ashen, his hair stringy and unbrushed. He’d not shaved in a month, but the beard looked unruly in spots. His hair looked whiter, his nails looked longer, and his eyes looked defeated.

I’d only ever seen someone look this ill once before, during the war. Bruce and Cassidy had been mates and warriors. When Cassidy was killed in battle, Bruce couldn’t fight anymore. Honestly, Bruce couldn’t live anymore. Bruce had looked like this a few weeks after Cass died, just days before Bruce killed himself.

“How is Luna Eleanor today?” I asked politely, taking my seat and sniffing at the air.

“She’s the same as usual.” He bristled a little at the question. That was a good sign. He still had a little fight in him.

I went over the reports and timelines for construction projects and gave a report on the new hires. He seemed to drift in and out, occasionally looking to the bedroom door, where I assumed the Luna was. There was a hint of silver in the air. Something so subtle that if I hadn’t grown up being tortured with it, I might have missed the scent altogether. When I finished, I handed him a stack of cheques to sign and some work orders to review. I offered to collect the outgoing mail as well and was immediately reminded of the letter that had been delivered here two weeks ago.

Marcus told me to collect the mail from the dining room table. I hurried into the room, hoping some of the mail might still be there, but there was nothing but the sealed envelopes he asked me to collect. I stuffed them in my jacket pocket with a sigh, and I returned to the living room.

“Sir, my mother would be happy to come by and sit with Luna Eleanor if you’d like.” I offered gently, smelling the faintest whisper of silver again as I walked past Marcus.

He leveled a heavy growl at me. “I am capable of caring for my own mate, Beta Benjamin.”

“Yes sir, I meant no disrespect. I know my mother values the time she has spent with the Luna. The offer was as much for her.” I smiled. Marcus gave me a nod and sent me on my way.

I had a really bad feeling about the Alpha. If the Luna had died, we’d have all felt it. A high-ranking wolf, such as the Luna, would not be a secret to the pack. The fact that she was alive was little comfort. I didn’t think she would be much longer. Marcus had looked like he was decaying as he sat there in front of me. I hurried down the stairs and found Rick about to knock on my office door.

“Hey, I was just coming to see you.” He smiled brightly, but the expression faltered as he saw my scowl.

I opened the door to my office and let him in. Using my mind-link, I spoke to him. “Have you seen Marcus this week?”

“No, last time I was up there was last week.” He replied through the link.

“It’s bad. It’s really bad.” I said and started pacing. “Remember Bruce?” I asked, looking at Rick.

Rick went pale and swallowed audibly. “That bad?” Even though we were speaking through the mind-link, Rick seemed to whisper the question.

“That bad.” I confirmed.

“How long do you think we have?” He said, watching me pace from one side of the room to the other.

“If it was Bruce, I’d say days, but he’s an Alpha. Also, Eleanor isn’t dead.”

“True, we’d have felt that for sure.” Rick said.

“I think …” I didn’t know how to explain the silver. “I think he might be hurting her. With silver.”

“You think?”

“I caught the faintest hint of it on Marcus. It might explain why he looked so ill himself. Maybe it isn’t that his mate is depressed. Maybe she’s dying from silver poisoning.” I theorized.

“We need a plan.” Rick said firmly.

I stopped pacing. “You think I don’t know that!?” I snapped out loud. If our Alpha cracked or died, the handful of Rogues still dogging us might try to reorganize against us. Worse, any Alpha from the region could march through our lands and take us over under the guise of protecting us. They could do whatever they wanted to us. I raked my fingers through my hair in frustration.

“It should be you.” Rick said honestly, resuming the mind-link.

I scoffed. “I can’t very well ask him to sign over this pack to me, Rick.”

“No, but you could ask to see his succession plan.”

“How?” I demanded. “You don’t look so good. Is there any chance I could take a look at the paperwork around here?!” I growled sarcastically through the mind-link.

Rick gave a snort of laughter at that. “Maybe if you said it more diplomatically?” Rick shrugged with a cheeky grin.

“Be serious.” I pleaded.

“Okay, I’ll look into his family tree. Maybe there’s someone in it that wouldn’t be a terrible option.” Rick offered. “In the meantime, you need to be ready to be the expert politician I know you can be during the harvest festival. Elected Alpha’s don’t always get the same respect as biological ones, but the council does allow them.”

“I’ll try and get him meeting with me more regularly. We can’t let him continue this way, especially if he’s hurting Eleanor.” I said. “No matter what happens, it won’t just be me. Co-alphas, right?”

“Co-alphas, though I think it will be in spirit only. Sharing the title is probably going to piss off the council.” He snickered. Rick gave me a pat on the shoulder and headed for the door.

“Wait,” I said out loud. “You were waiting for me. What did you need?”

“I’m going with Riley and Sam on their first patrol. I wanted to know if you had time to join us.” Rick replied.

“It’s barely been two weeks' training. Are you sure they’re up to it?” I asked.

“Absolutely! Riles is a badass! And Sam just needed a refresher. So, what do you say?”

I looked down at my watch. “My parents are coming for dinner tonight. They insisted.” I practically whined. “Would you mind giving Riley something for me?” I pulled the mail out of the inside pocket of my jacket and found the letter. “Marcus gave it to me. It’s probably a welcome letter or something.”

“Sure thing.” Rick took the letter and his leave of me.

Rick had been right about one thing. The pack should be turned over to us. We were already doing the job. I knew I could be a good leader if given the chance, and the community respected and trusted Rick and me. How could I possibly bring that up to Marcus, though? The thought occupied my mind as I finished up my work and headed to my suite. I had to get dinner ready and spend an evening with my father.

He had been a popular choice with the old guard for a backup plan for Marcus for years. The thought of my father in charge of this pack sent a shiver down my spine. He was a misogynist, a tyrant, and a drunk. He’d run this place into the ground. It wasn’t a real worry, just a horrifying thought.