The Beta's Alpha

Chapter 6 Compromise

Stone

I lunge for her, grabbing her shirt in my teeth pulling her backward onto her butt, her eyes wide as she looks at me, my wolf panting from the run “Jayden?” She whispers and it makes my heart hurt that she calls his name out first, that she cannot even recognize her mate. A soft whine escapes me as I lie on the ground before her, head on paws. “Stone?” I whine again and her eyes go wide. “Why are you here?” Does she not get it, she was my mate, my soul and she thinks I would simply let her jump off a cliff to her death. I glanced at the edge of the cliff and back to her, whimpering. “Why do you even care?”

I cannot answer that in wolf form, so I shift back, but in my haste I had forgotten clothes so I quickly sit. “Listen Rayne, I understand this is not what you planned, probably not even what you wanted but you are my mate and I think you should at least try to see if we,”

She cuts me off. “We? There is no we Stone, there is Jayden and I or nothing.”

"So you would jump off a cliff for him?" I hate how whiny I sound

"Yes."

“Why?”

“Because I love him, I don’t want another wolf.” Ok that sucked and wince at the pain in my chest. I glance at her and find she is studying me.

“What?”

“You actually looked sad when I said that, almost believable.” She replies and I sigh playing the last card I have; honesty.

“Because I am sad when you say these things Rayne” She lifts an eyebrow at me “Let me ask you this, why do you think I would be a lousy mate to you?” She snorts but doesn’t answer. “Because I drink and I have a temper right?” Again nothing. “And if I were to stop?”

“Just like that?” I hear the doubt.

“Yes.” She rolls her eyes. “I get it you don’t believe me but do you remember when I started acting out, started drinking and picking fights?”

She narrows her eyes but I am not answering, I want her to answer. “Right after your 18th birthday,” her eyes go wide

“You really are quick,” I mumble

“You knew, for the last two years you knew and you said nothing!” She is on her feet “And you had the nerve to accuse your brother of misleading me?!”

I smile sadly, glancing up at her from where I have been sitting. “Would you have believed me?” I ask softly and this seems to deflate her arguments as she sits back down.

“Probably not.”

“I drank to numb out the pain of watching my mate be with another, I picked fights with other wolves to vent my frustration, I rebelled against my parents and yours because they kept pushing you and Jayden together when in fact you,” I stop and look away from her.

“What?” I shrug. “When in fact what Stone?”

I was never a touchy-feely kind of wolf but if she needed that then damn it she would get it. “When in fact you’re mine,” she frowns at my choice of words but I haven’t finished “and I’m yours Rayne, I have been since you showed up for my birthday and I no longer saw that cute kid in pigtails but the most beautiful woman to ever grace the face of this earth.”

I know she is skeptical; the bond is pulling her to me, but the love for my brother keeps her at a distance. “Powerful words but words just the same Stone, easy to speak.”

I scoff. “Not for me.” I mumble, looking at the stars.

She laughs, a real laugh not a snide sarcastic one. “Ok I’ll give you that much.” We sit in silence. “Is that why you left?”

I nod. “Yeah, that night we had that huge argument where I," I stop and she nods. "And I saw you crying with Jayden outside I knew I had to go, all I kept doing was hurting you be staying and myself; I told my parents some far fetched story about discovering the world when all I really wanted to do was be away from you and my brother, I knew it was going to get worse as time went on, I mean I growled at him just for touching your arm what would have happened had I seen you both kissing; you might have thought it was the booze but is was a simple knee jerk reaction.”

She nods. “I can only imagine how awful that must have been, sorry.”

I glance over at her and laugh. “Rayne, you had no idea, as far as you knew you were fated to Jayden, don’t apologize for things out of your control, but thank you.” I study her face as she studies mines. “Believe me if anyone is sorry it's me; whether you believed me or not I should have said something.”

“Why didn’t you, other than the very good possibility that I would not have believed you.”

I look into her eyes, my voice a whisper. “I was afraid.”

Her eyebrows shoot up. “You were afraid, big bad Stone?” I nod “Of what?”

“That you would reject me or your parents would force you to reject me.” Her face softens but she says nothing. “I know this isn’t what you pictured for your life Rayne but please don’t just throw this away.”

She sighs.“What else can I do Stone; my whole life is enter twined with your brother, we have grown up together, trained to take the pack over together, we are in love,” I squeeze me eyes shut at the pain.

“Do you really love him?” I ask sadly

It takes a few seconds. “Yes.” I nod and glance up into the sky knowing what is coming next but Rayne surprises me. “But…”

My eyes dart to her face. “But?”

She sighs, hesitating. “But I am an avid believer in the bond Stone, always have been.” I know she hasn't said everything she was thinking as the silence of the night envelop us but I do not push her. After a few minutes my name rolls off her lips. “Stone?” I swallow a lump and look at her. “What should I do?”

I want to tell her to forget my brother, to jump into my arms and let me love her for the rest of our lives but I know she won't take me seriously. “Is the Alpha’s daughter asking for advice?” I tease and am rewarded with a smile from her as well.

“Being a good Alpha doesn’t mean you have all the answers, it means you know when to ask questions for the answers you need.” She replies

“Very deep dew drop.” Her childhood nickname slips off my tongue and we both freeze for a few seconds but she says nothing. As the silence stretches I get an idea and my wolf yelps in agreement. “Give me until New Years eve.” I look at her and see the confusion.

“For what?”

“To prove I can be the mate you deserve; worthy of the pack but most importantly worthy of you. If by the time the clock strikes midnight on December 31st I haven’t proven myself then you have a valid reason to reject me, no harm no foul in everyone’s eyes and…” I hate saying these next words but this seems to be the best course of action. “I will accept the rejection, I will not fight you on it.”

I watch as she looks over the forest and I am happy to believe she is weighing the idea, even happier when she agrees. “Ok but I have some conditions.” That I am less happy about. “My parents can’t know, not for now at least, if it doesn’t work out I will simply tell them I had found my mate at the party and rejected them for Jayden.”

“Ok might want to get my brother in on that though.” I add and she nods. “That’s it?”

She chuckles. “No, obviously you need to treat your brother as your brother no matter what happens,” This sours my mood but her next words surprise me. “He will get the same speech, promise.” I nod. “You have to resume your Beta training.” Now this one surprises me and I stare at her open mouthed. She laughs. “If things do work out you will be the next Alpha of this pack alongside me, going back to your training will really help should the time come for us to reveal our fate to my father, if it doesn’t work out then at least you will have that under your belt whether you choose to be a Beta in our pack or not.”

I am touched that she is thinking about my future. “Deal. Anything else?”

She swallows and I know this is a big one. “No more binge drinking, no drinking at all if you think it will lead to more than one or two.” I nod, that was easy, I stopped drinking near a year ago, right after I left. “No fighting or acting out, you have to be better than your temper,” she turns to me, an eery look. “And be sure you do all this for the right reasons Stone, not for me or us but for you, this way no matter the outcome you will have that.”

“I promise Rayne.” She nods.

“And you?” She asks and I don’t follow. “Any conditions?” I sit up not really having thought about any.

“Never thought about it, I mean I would really appreciate it if you and my brother could tone the affection down, way down. I would also ask that we act a little more like mates.” Her eyes go wide and I hold up a hand. “Not where anyone could see us but maybe once a week, just you and I go somewhere secluded we talk about ourselves, our dreams for the future maybe we can hold hands or something like that.”

“Ok, I will try Stone.” I nod knowing it wouldn't be easy for her.

“No secrets or assumptions.” I state and I see her look at me from the corner of my eye with a strange look. “You want to know something ask, you are unhappy or don’t agree with something tell me, somebody says something do not keep it from me.” I hold her gaze and she nods.

Somehow, even though nothing is solid for Rayne and a weight has been taken off my shoulders, the future doesn’t seem as bleak as it did. I decide to c***k a joke. “Oh and no more free fall jumps off cliffs.” I turn my head smiling at her but she looks off. “Rayne?”

“I feel weird.” She wipes sweat from her brow and I lean over to put my hand on her forehead but she pulls away. “sorry I just don’t want... touched .... now, not….. you…me.” I tilt my head at her inability to form complete sentences suddenly, her increase of breathing, the heat radiating off her and I look up to the sky, sure enough the moon is full, Rayne was getting her wolf.

“Ok Rayne, focus, you're about to shift,” her eyes go wide. “I know it's soon but you are an Alpha’s daughter and you found your mate.” I go to take her into my arms when her body contorts and she screams, the sound piercing my soul as her eyes roll back in her head as I call out her name.