The Beta's Alpha

Chapter 4-Almost 18

One year after that.

I smile at Jayden as we share a lunch in the pack garden. “So excited?” I say between my bite of croissant and a sip of my coffee.

He smiles. “It's still a week away Rayne but yes, not every day, a wolf turns 18 and seals his fate as Alpha.”

I smile. “Alpha mate.” A frown forms on his face.

“Thanks Rayne.” He sounds upset and I bump his shoulder with mine, he sees my smile and rolls his eyes. “You’re a brat, thank Goddess I love you.” He tackles me and I squeal as the last bite of croissant is devoured by him.

“Ok so promise me that you won't tell me what I smell like until my 18th ,” He laughs as he props his head in his hand, his elbow bearing the weight as he lies on his side. “What? Seriously, I want to share that together, if you tell me first it will just suck, bad enough you’re going to find out my smell before me, I have to wait a week after your birthday to find out.” I pout and he laughs again, kissing my pouty lips and the pout is quickly forgotten as he moves on top of me, our childish kiss becoming so much more and I cannot wait for when I can finally DO more.

He pulls back to look at me and I cup the side of his face. “What is it?”

“What if we aren’t…”

I put my finger on his lips as I move a lock of hair from his eye. “We are Jayden; tell me you don’t feel it, we have loved each other for so long, how can the Moon Goddess deny us that?” He smiles and kisses me softly. “And I am so sure of it I will make you a pinky pact right here,” I grab his pinky with mine. “If we aren’t then we will jump off Alma Cliff together straight into Catfish Creek, deal?”

He studies my face. “You're serious?”

I nod. “Yes, if you really are not my mate I don’t want any other Jayden, I love you.” He smiles again

“Deal and I love you too.” He kisses me and everything else no longer matters.

Although remembering the last year is hard we all do our best to cope, after the incident with Stone that night he had left a note for his parents that he had to get away, that he needed to see what life was like outside of the Brookes pack and although they understood it was hard to lose a son and his parents felt that without their guidance his drinking would only get worse , one day they would receive word he had been in a fight and killed or something to that nature and everyday is a struggle.

As for Jayden he says he’s fine but there are days I see him struggle with wanting to talk to his big brother about a fighting stance or an attack move, hell even just talk to him as a younger brother would want to, but he can't and me well what can I say, I mourned the loss of my friend that night and I guess I am playing the ‘fine’ game as well, in all honesty I am rarely in the Beta’s house anymore, most if not all of my time is here at the pack house, I cannot bring myself to visit too often as the sad memories now outweigh the happy ones.

"Mom is having my party Saturday obviously you will be there, right?" Jayden asks and I laugh.

"No, I'm going to skip it, of course I'll be there!" I reply and he laughs, kissing me quickly before jumping from the ground. "Alright I have more training and I think you do too, no?" He lifts an eyebrow and I groan.

"Corrine is a modern day dictator." I grumble as Jayden helps me up. He kisses the tip of my nose.

"True but she is making you into a very fine and lean warrior, I think you have muscles on top of muscles." He replies smiling and I roll my eyes. I kiss him quickly and swat at his arm as he tries to hold me back.

"I'm going to be late and if I am you will do my punishment circuit." I glare at him and he backs off.

"Nope, heard about those, not interested." I laugh before kissing him again and rushing off to no doubt have Corrine whip my butt again.

The next few days are a blur as I train with Corrine, get lessons from my father and spend time with Jayden although the last one is low on the list of time spent and before I know it, we are Saturday and it is Jayden's birthday. I have butterflies just thinking about the look on his face when we see each other for the first time now that he will officially know I am his.

I show up a few minutes before the party starts, part of me wanting to be alone with him when my scent hits him and I enter the backyard smiling, his parents have strange looks on their faces as I approach Jayden from behind and as I cover his eyes I feel him stiffen and I laugh. "Relax its just me." I laugh before he pulls his hands from his face and his mood sours. "What?"

He glances at his parents then to me. "Come with me." He pulls me away and I frown, wondering what was going on but when I ask Jayden says nothing simply dragging me into his house and up to his room. I lift an eyebrow when he points to the bed and this earns me a tiny smile. "Don't be ridiculous Rayne, not going to jump you right now."

I sit. "Ok, so what's up?"

He paces and runs his hand down his face which makes me nervous, very nervous. Finally, he stops and stares at me. "I wanted to be the one to tell you, figured I had more time before you showed up," my heart starts to beat widely in my chest, goddess was I not his mate? "Stone is back in town; he came back for my birthday."

I sigh in relief. "Ok so ?"

He tilts his head a little. "Doesn't that bother you?"

Did it? I mean sure I would have like to have known my friend was back in town after a full year but if I was being honest with myself we hadn't really been friends in a long time, ever since Stone's 18th so was I bothered ?

I shrug. "I am but let's be honest your brother and I haven't been on great terms since his 18th birthday so yes but no."

He nods. "Ok I was worried if you saw him without knowing he was back you would be angry." He replies and I smile at how thoughtful he is. I get up and wrap my arms around him, feeling him stiffen again. I pull back and see worry in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" I see him lean in and I smile until he steps back and his face is weird. "Jayden?"

He looks at me and again my heart thumps but he smiles. "You don't smell like I thought you would."

I swat him. "What do I smell like exactly?"

He shakes his head as he takes my hand. "Nope you told me not to tell you until your birthday so you get to wait." I groan as he laughs and we rejoin the party but all night Jayden seems off, his mood is sour, no matter how hard I try to get him to smile and I know it is the sudden appearance of his absentee brother that has him off so I do not push the subject any more than that however I do find it strange that Stone had returned for his birthday yet he hasn't made an appearance all night. I mention this to Jayden.

"He said he came back for me not everyone else." I frown at his words, not expecting them to hurt as they did but I fake a smile. "He said he would spend time with me later on."

Another smile. "Cool," I look up to see Charlie coming toward us. "Hey Charlie is here." Jayden turns and greets his friend and we all sit down to talk, joke and celebrate Jayden , the night slipping away as we enjoy a night among our friends.

All week I am itching for the time to go by so I can finally know what Jayden smells like and what I smell like to him and it is as if the Goddess has heard my prayers as we are on the eve of my birthday. My parents now setting up the pack house gardens for my 18th party, so I have been ejected from my own residence, spending the night in the Beta's quarters, not that I mind and as we sit on the sofa, my head in Jayden's lap, a silly laugh out loud kind of movie playing my eyelids grow heavy and I fall asleep.

The next time I open them I feel different and I know we are no longer the eve of my birthday but rather the day of and I close my eyes and let his warmth envelop me when I feel a soft kiss to my temple and Jayden whisper's in my ear. “Happy Birthday Rayne.”

I smile, my eyes still closed as I relish in the last few minutes of sleep, his scent creeping up slowly, freshly brewed coffee with hints of cinnamon and I snuggle down into his arms, inhaling deeply amazed at how a scent a few minutes old to me can be so comforting.

I smile wider as I finally open my eyes and glance upward into my mate’s eyes. “You smell fantastic.” He frowns at my words.

“What?”

He swallows down a lump. “I smell like something to you?”

I chuckle. “Of course you do, like freshly brewed coffee and cinnamon, lucky me huh.” I smile but it slowly fades as I take in his eyes looking everywhere but to me. I sit up and out of his arms. “Ok Jayden you’re freaking me out here, what’s going on.”

He glances at me before looking away again and whispering. “You don’t smell like anything.”

If this moment where a movie it would be at this point that the special effects team would show a heart shattering into a million pieces and without wanting them too, tears stream down my face. “That can't be, how can I have your scent but you don’t smell mine? How can you be my mate but I’m not yours?”

His eyes pierce mine before they flit to the jacket slung over the couch, right next to us. I lean toward the jacket and the smell hits me, realization chasing at my heels as I jump from his lap. I point at the damnable thing. “Jayden, where did that jacket come from?”

“I borrowed it.”

My breathing gets frantic. “From who?” He looks away from me and my patience snaps. “Jayden, whose jacket is that?!” I all but yell.

“It's mine.” A voice says from behind me, a voice I know all too well, and my head turns to look at Stone standing at the bottom of the stairs, arms crossed over his chest. “Hello Rayne.”