Fake Dating My Beta Mate

Chapter 2 - The Offer

There was no way Monica was going to sit around and tolerate her mate's love for someone else. Life had already been too hard on her. But she did not blame him, as she had been through it too. She loved Hayes with all her heart, she wanted to start a family with him even though he was not her mate. She stood by him even when his whole pack rejected him, and yet, he chose to save someone else over her. Finding her mate was the last beacon of hope in her life, and the Moon Goddess had taken that away from her as well. If it was not for her daughter, she would probably have lost the will to live.

Monica walked down the Marble stairs, observing her surroundings as she did so. The pack house was truly beautiful, the interior design both elegant and simple. She kept her head down, walking straight to the door. Weirdly enough, there weren't many people around, except a couple of teen-age werewolves chilling in the lounge. She chose to ignore their presence, so they did the same to her, and she left the pack house without any confrontations. Even the guards at the gate did not question her, probably aware that she was brought inside by the Beta, and was thus leaving with his permission. They opened the gate for her, allowing to step outside, into the open.

Sighing, and wiping away a lone tear that had escaped from her eye, she stared up at the orange sky, blending into the hues of purple as the sun was beginning to set. She walked along the secluded street, staring at the thick jungle bordering it. Monica hugged herself as the cool breeze tickled her neck, and her stomach grumbled with hunger. She kept walking aimlessly, with no sense of direction and went wherever her legs carried her, until she noticed her surroundings getting more and more eerie.

A chill went down her spine, and she looked around, before her gaze set on a man sitting on the ground, just a little distance from her. She gulped and walked over to him, knowing he was her only option.

"Excuse me?" She said, standing a little distance away from him. She could not tell whether he was human or werewolf, as his scent was masked by the strong smell of alcohol and smoke. His head was buried in his knees, so she could not see what he looked like. "Hello?" She asked, frowning, as she took a step closer to him. He did not respond, making her sigh in defeat.

She walked past him, knowing it was of no use, but just a moment later, she heard the faint sound of footsteps behind her. Her heart raced in alarm, and she clenched her jaw, increasing her pace until she turned the corner. She leaned her back against the wall, waiting for the man to turn as well, before she could confront him. She heard his footsteps stop, and then retreat, but she remained rooted to her spot. This was a trick she knew too well, training with the Blue Timbers for years had taught her good. Her eyes gleamed a bright blue, and she allowed her claws to surface, waiting for her attacker to make a move. And just as she had expected, someone did run towards her, making her swiftly grab his neck and slam him into the wall. She growled, and was ready to rip him apart, but froze when her eyes met his, and sparks erupted in her skin.

"It's me," he said, raising his hands in surrender. "Calm down."

"Tyson?" She said in disbelief, glaring at him with her glowing eyes.

"Yes. You can let go now. Unless you're enjoying this position too much."

Monica let out an irritated growl, and stepped back, running her hand through her hair. She faced away from him, rolling her eyes. "I thought you said you weren't going to come running after me."

"I know," he replied, slapping dust off his clothes. "I had no choice. My sister saw you leave," he muttered in annoyance.

"So?" She raised her eyebrows, turning to him.

"She told me if I don't bring you back, she'll tell the Alpha. She also said she'll never speak to me again," he sighed, crossing his arms.

"Sounds like your problem," Monica stated, turning to leave.

"Hey, wait," he caught hold of her wrist, making her stop to glare at him. He sighed and let go of her hand, stepping back. "I have an offer for you."

"Guess what, I'm not interested in anything you have to say now," Monica stated.

"What's with the damned attitude?" Tyson snapped, crossing his arms. "I saved your life. Twice."

"Funny I can't recall either," Monica said sarcastically.

"I caught you in the town square. I could have left you there. You don't know what could have happened to you," Tyson replied.

"I would've handled it," Monica retorted.

"I also saved you now. That man was a Revenant, he was following you," Tyson said.

"A what?" Monica frowned.

"Revenant," Tyson replied. "Blood sucker. What, you didn't know they exist?"

Monica raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "You mean... A vampire?"

"Sort of, except vampires are mythical," Tyson explained.

"Well so are we," Monica muttered, more to herself. She huffed, running her hand through her hair. A faint memory crossed her mind, and a cold feeling swept across her body. She hugged herself, taking a deep breath. "Anyway, what did you want with me?"

"Right. The offer. Look, I was wondering, we both clearly need each other. You need a place to stay, as well as protection for your ba-"

"I told you I can protect myself. I used to be a Warrior Wolf. My pride doesn't allow me to ask others for protection," Monica stated, cutting him off.

"Yes, I'm aware. Will you just listen first?" He asked, rolling his eyes. "This town is no place for Rogue werewolves. People here aren't very welcoming. You could end up in trouble, and it would be fine, if you were alone. But you're not. You have a baby growing inside you, and your life is linked to mine. I'm sure you can't be that egoistic, that you'd put others in danger just to keep your self-respect."

Monica blinked at his words, looking away from him. "I'm listening."

"You can live in my pack house, as my mate until the time you have given birth to your child, and you're sure you can protect both of you. As I told you, I have anger issues. I go overboard, and my pack believes you're the cure to them. Since mates are supposed to balance emotions out and s**t. You can't leave me completely even if you want to, because you'll need me to stay alive on full moons. So why not stay here?"

"So you wanna pose as a happy couple before your pack. They're about to strip you of your position, aren't they?" Monica raised an eyebrow.

"That's none of your business!" Tyson snapped, his eyes flashing purple. Monica smiled, crossing her arms.

"They are," she smirked. "So that's why you you gave me this offer. Not out of the kindness of your heart."

Tyson scowled, taking a step closer to her. "You're accepting it or not?"

Monica bit her tongue, as she contemplated the situation. He was not wrong. She had a baby to take care of, and she knew there could be many problems if she stayed completely alone. She had no other place to take shelter in, and she could not leave town because of Tyson. "What about your girlfriend?" She asked.

"Elle won't know," he replied. "She hardly ever stops by here. I told her this is a kind of a hostel. Just stay away from me when she's around."

"I'll stay away from you when she's not around," Monica stated, rolling her eyes. "You know you have to tell her the truth one day, right?"

"I know, and I will. Don't tell me how to handle my relationship. And I'm not letting you stay for free. You have to promise me something."

"What?" She asked.

Tyson stepped closer to her, sending a shiver down her spine. He leaned in slightly closer, making her frown and lean away.

"You'll only be mine," Tyson said softly.

Monica blinked. Once. Twice. Three times. She could feel her heart race in her chest, and the realization that he could hear it pulled her out of her shock. She stepped away, wanting to scowl at him, but all she could do was direct a confused frown at him.

"Excuse me?" She said.

"For the time being," Tyson added, a ghost of a smirk on his face. Monica crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive manner, aware that he was teasing her.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Relax, Kitten, all I mean is, you can't see someone else during this time. Like when we're pretending to be a happy couple," Tyson replied. "If anyone sees you with someone else, this whole arrangement will be destroyed."

"Oh so you can see another girl, be in love with her, even ask her to stop by at the pack house, but I cannot date someone else? How is this fair?" Monica raised her eyebrows.

"Hmm, you're not wrong," Tyson shrugged, walking around her. He stood behind her and leaned in to her ear, making her shiver slightly as his breath tickled her neck. "Life isn't always fair, but that's the best you get. Truth is, I don't want my werewolf side to lose control if I ever see you with someone else. I don't think I could take it."

Monica felt a warmth spread inside her chest, but before she could get used to the feeling of having him close, she stepped away. She turned to face him, maintaining a hard expression on her face, even though her heart was melting on the inside.

"First of all, stop blowing onto my ear. And secondly, what happens if I fall in love with someone?" Monica questioned.

He crossed his arms over his chest. "If it's not someone from the pack, you can ask him to wait till I find a solution to our situation. When I do, you'll be free to leave."

"What if it's someone from the pack?" Monica asked defiantly. She had no plans of falling in love, but something within her was asking her to test him. To see his reaction.

Tyson clicked his tongue, clenching his jaw. He walked towards her, but she stood her ground, even though she wanted to step back. His huge figure towered over her slim one, and despite being a skilled warrior werewolf herself, she could not help but feel intimidated. Tyson was a Beta after all, the aura around him radiated authority. But she was not going to give in. Not when she knew she would have to live with him for quite a lot of time. She could not show him any form of weakness.

"I'll rip him apart with my bare hands, because he'll be a traitor to me. And someone who is a traitor to me, is a traitor to the Sawtooth Wolves," Tyson stated, his voice deeper than normal, his eyes beginning to glow slightly. Monica gulped, feeling a shiver creep down her spine, and she took a deep breath, looking away from him. He placed his finger under her chin, and made her look up at him again. "I'm inviting you into my pack house to solve things, Kitten. Don't screw them up further, because I won't think twice before kicking you out. And trust me, you don't want that."

Monica stepped back, and away from him, shifting her gaze to the floor. "I won't. It's a deal," she stated.

"Perfect," Tyson smirked, the glow of his eyes abating. "Let's go then."

"Tyson?" Monica called out just as he had turned around, and was about to walk away. He stopped and faced her, giving her a questioning look.

"Don't call me 'Kitten' again, or I'll show you just how playful I can get," she stated through a clenched jaw.

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