The Beta's Alpha 2

Chapter19-Truth will set you free

Stone

The machine begins to beep and scream but I didn’t need it to know she was panicking and I understood why right away, even if the others didn’t. I take her hand in mine as the machines begin to settle. “Hey no, dew drop, your dad is alive, he just blamed himself and fell into a depression, made dad a temporary Alpha until he was fit to resume or you took over,” I cup her face so she has no choice but to look into my eyes. “He is alive Rayne.”

Her whole body sags and I feel the relief flow through me. She makes the pen motion again and I oblige, handing her a clean sheet of paper, the note safely tucked away in my pocket.

What happened?

I sigh. “It’s a long story, a lot has happened and a lot has been discovered since that night.”

Another scribble.

How long?

I roll my shoulders knowing she is going to be in shock. “Almost a month ago.” Her mouth drops open. “It would have been less had we understood that one of Oak’s females held a grudge against you and was secretly slipping something into your IV to keep you in a coma, given she was your nurse we didn’t question whatever she was bringing until Chloe figured it out.”

The witch?

I chuckle. “Yes, Alpha Bates brought her.”

Her skin burnt mine.

I nod. “Mine too, seems the bond we share gives us an advantage with these things.” I smile and she does too but it slowly fades as hurt feels my chest again and I fight against sending her my own anguish.

“Ok its been more than a minute.” Corrine huffs from the hallway and she rushes back in, Silver trailing behind, shrugging his apologies as Corrin rushes over.

“Oh Rayne, thank the goddess you are awake.” She hugs Rayne who smiles and I feel a dep warmth in my chest. “You’ll never guess what?” I watch as Rayne’s eyebrows dip. “I’m pregnant Auntie Rayne.”

Rayne’s eyes go wide before a burst of excitement and happy rush through me as Rayne wraps her arms around Corrine’s neck and both smile like fools. I am smiling too until I remember Rayne can never have that, she would never be a mother because of what my brother did and my happy deflates, leaving nothing but grief. I realize too late that Rayne has felt my sorrow as she stops smiling and glances at me, eyebrows dipped in concern. I smile softly at her and I swear I can read it from her face

What?

“Nothing dew drop, just sad that you couldn’t hear it the minute it happened.” I kiss the back of her hand and by the goddess she lets me, but her eyes tell me she isn’t wholly convinced.

We spend the next few hours talking about everything that has happened since that night but when Rayne starts to fight against sleep, her eyelids dropping the doctor calls for everyone to leave and I raise an eyebrow at him and he simply sighs knowing I wasn’t moving an inch.

Everyone bids Rayne a good night but I can feel the distress through the bond and I cant figure out why she feels this way. I squeeze her hand lightly and she looks at me. “They will be back tomorrow dew drop.” She smiles and nods but the panic remains as her mother is the last to go, smiling warmly at me.

I lean back in my chair, my hand still on the bed close to her should she want to take. She glances at me and I see her frown and I chuckle pointing to the bed across from her.

“The whole time?” She croaks.

“As close to it as possible.” I see him chew the inside of her cheek, the war she wages inside herself knowing that the bond wants me close but she may not. I blurt out the next words afraid if I don’t I’ll lose my nerve. “I know you hate me, that the bond is making you want me to stay and I understand; I would hate me too for what I did and when Cad called and told me you were dying,” I swallow down the lump. “I swore I would only leave this room when you did, be it on your own or in a box.”

She studies me for a few seconds. “What did you mean before?”

I know my answer will either make or break our bond and I also know that if I am not honest, if I didn’t lay myself bare for this woman she was going to walk out and never look back. I inhale deeply and I begi talking knowing if I think too much I will trip over my own damn tongue. “When I realized you were my mate I felt like I had won the lottery Rayne, since we were young I have loved you but you loved Jayden and I saw the way you looked at him that night at the BBQ, I knew I couldn’t take him away from you, I could never hurt you like that so I spiraled.” She nods slowing having heard all this before. “I was not a good person out there, I got into boxing , well more like underground fighting and I took my anger out on a lot of people that didn’t deserve it, fueled by the one singular thought that I put my hands on you that night in my parents kitchen, I knew then I didn’t deserve you, I wasn’t a worthy mate but hell if I couldn’t let you go and like the selfish ass I am I came back and you are right time after time I proved to you just how unworthy I was.” I can’t bear to look at her. “New Year’s Eve when your father announced you were taking Jayden I left not because I didn’t want to fight for us, for you but because I wanted you to be with someone deserving of you.” I inhale deply when a stab of pain rips through me and I finally lift my eyes to hers, tears streaming down her face and I jump from my chair to cradle her in my arms. “Are you ok, are you hurting?”

She reaches out for the paper, her hand moving quickly over the paper.

You are my MATE Stone, how could you ever think you were unworthy? Our bond goes behind that of normal bonds and it does that because of our past, of our trials and our success, if you were unworthy the Moon Goddess would never have given us this special connection; someone who has loved me since we were children is more than deserving to have my love then anyone on this planet.

I crush her to me and swallow down the tightness in my chest when she taps me and I pull back a little as she writes a little more.

That being said, I need you to understand that although I am glad you told me, I need time to heal; when you left me on that stage my heart shattered and it takes a long time to heal that kind of hurt Stone.

I nod and cup her face in my hands. “You take all the time you need but know one thing Rayne Brookes,” I drill my gaze into hers. “The only way I leave you again is when the Moon Goddess calls me home.”