The Beta's Alpha 2

Chapter 12-A few more pieces.

Stone

I watch as Melody hurries into the room, wide eyed. “Is Rayne ok?”

I nod. “She’s fine, we…uh…Alpha Bates requested your presence.” I feel weird just saying that but at least it was the truth.

Melody looks upset. “I thought my daughter was dying! Could you not have waited until tomorrow?!”

Alpha Bates raises an eyebrow. “Perhaps but we are trying to save her life, thought you might want to help.” His tone is clipped and I swear the room is colder than it was a few seconds ago.

Melody sighs. “Really James?”

He shrugs. “Just saying Mels, we are here for her.”

I stand feeling something is off. “Mels?” I glance between them. “Ok what the hell are you two hiding?” They exchange an uneasy glance but say nothing and my patience slips. “I swear to the Moon Goddess if either of you know something that could have saved her all this and you said nothing I will,” Silver grabs my forearm.

“Be careful friend, she is her mother and he is an Alpha.”

I glare at Silver. “And yet neither of them has the decency to speak the truth while my mate fights for her life.”

Melody sighs. “It really isn’t a secret; James and I are from the same pack, grew up together.”

Alpha Bates laughs. “Yeah, and I thought you were going to be my mate but turned out to be Robert’s.”

I roll my eyes. “So, you wanted her here for a reunion?”

He glances at me before sighing loudly. “No, I needed her here because I have questions and pretty sure she would be the only one to know, other than the catatonic Alpha, satisfied?”

I pinch the bridge of my nose and nod. “Sorry feels like every time I think I understand the rug gets pulled out from under me.”

“I can only imagine.” He glances at Rayne’s mother. “Want to say anything Mels?”

She is surprised. “What do you mean?”

I can see he is struggling but finally he pushes past his unease. “I mean about Rayne, about your daughter?”

Her eyes go wide, hand covers her mouth. “How did you know?”

He stares at her. “Blood work.” Her eyebrows crease together. “Usually children have the same blood types Mels; when Cora mentioned getting some blood to flush out Rayne’s tainted blood I mentioned getting some AB because that’s what you are, but when it came back that you two had different blood types I thought it might be possible but something was off, wasn’t it Mels.”

Tears well in her eyes as I glance between the two of them. “Care to enlighten the rest of us.” I hiss

He sighs and glances at Rayne’s mother, her face contorts and she is near screaming. “She is my daughter, I don’t care what anyone says!”

Something inside me stills and again James sighs. “No one will ever deny that but she isn’t biologically your daughter is she?”

The room is silent, the type of quiet that comes from having lost one’s hearing, a sheer blanket of nothing. Melanie bows her head and I see wet stains on the fabric of her skirt. “She is my daughter.” She whispers softly.

I stand and pin James with a glare. “What are you saying?”

He glances at Melody and sees she will not explain, he sighs. “Rayne is not their biological daughter, DNA test proves it.” Melody’s eyes go wide and her tears stop.

“You had no right!” She screams and Alpha Bates rises slowly from his chair.

“I had every right Melody; that power she has, the one where she can put her own father into submission, her life is nearly taken and now hangs in the balance, we discover she shares one of the deepest bonds two mates can have and yet she is draining her mate’s life and all the while you were hiding the fact that you didn’t give birth to her, a crucial piece of this puzzle.”

Melanie sits down. “He swore me to secrecy.”

I tilt my head. “The Alpha?” She nods. “So he knew she wasn’t yours?” Another nod. “What did he just grab a baby from some poor women in the hospital?” I glance around and see shocked expressions.

Melanie inhales deeply. “I was pregnant with a pup but there were complications the night I tried to deliver, the pup didn’t survive.” I nod to show I follow and Melanie glances upward as if asking for forgiveness. “Before Robert met me, before we knew we were mates he was set to take a chosen mate, they had already been together and she was carrying a pup when he and I met at a pack function; we were true mates and he had to tell the shewolf the truth.” She wipes at her eyes. “She went into labor the night before I did, delivered a healthy baby girl and hemorrhaged during the night and died, the next night I went into labor, the pup in distress and was born still; Robert didn’t see the point of making a scene,”

“So he told everyone that his chosen mate and pup died in childbirth and that you and Rayne survived.” I finish and she nods.

Another silence settles over us and I sigh, if no one was going to ask I would, she was my mate and she wasn’t exactly dying anymore but it was her life just the same. “Ok so who was her mother?”

Meldoy shrugs. “I only knew her first name, we didn’t exactly become buddies once our mate bond came to light and she was no longer going to be with Robert.” Well that sounded logical. “Sarah, her name was Sarah.”

Alpha Bates gets up from his chair and glances at Chloe. “Hospital would have her name on file, think you can find out?”

Chloe nods. “I can try but guessing that since they covered up the switch, they didn’t use her real name.” We all glance toward Melody who shrugs. Chloe nods quickly and leaves the room, Alpha Bates follows behind her but stops next to Melody, leaning over to whisper something to her before slipping out of the room.

We sit awkwardly as I hold Rayne’s hand, wondering how I was ever going to tell her about this, if I ever got the chance. I take a deep breathe and push those thoughts from my mind; I would get that chance but again I shudder to think how she will react. “I am sorry.” Melody whispers

I glance at her. “I can’t say I understand why you wouldn’t say anything given the hundreds of questions surrounding her abilities but I do agree with one thing,” Melody lifts her eyes to me. “You are her mother; nothing today has changed that.” Fresh tears fall as she sits a little straighter and I feel Silver clasp my shoulder. I glance up and he nods in my direction before turning to Melody.

“Is there anything else you can remember about Alpha’s chosen mate?” He asks and Melody sighs.

“Not really, I do know the union was arranged given Robert hadn’t found his mate, some pack in the North, close to the mountains.” Melody plays with one of Rayne’s curls. “Rayne has her eyes.” She whispers softly.

Silver gets a far away look in his eyes and I wonder where he has gone when his eyes go wide and he looks at me. “What?”

“I might know why.” He states and I am about to ask when he kisses Corrine quickly and bolts from the room.

Corrine looks at me. “You understand any of that?”

“Not a damn thing.” I state flatly.