Mated Before Love

Chapter 5 - Haven

Oh s**t I’m f****d. “Mister Williams, do you enjoy interrupting” our teacher Ms Green scolded Beta Reece for arriving to the class so late “I’m sorry Ms Green, in fairness it was about a 33.something% that I was gonna be here” he replied to her trying to charm the woman, I maintained my position with my head bowed in respect. After our encounter outside I was still petrified of the punishment I’ll get later, oh no what kind of punishment will my father dish out for what I did. “Take a seat Reece, there’s one up the back.” Oh f**k, I lifted my head at our teachers remark only to make eye contact with the Beta himself, the only seat left was next to me. I saw his eyes flash then remembered my place and forced my eyes back to the ground. I heard him making his way over to where I was and I started to pack up my things, there was no way I would be allowed to sit next to him.

I placed the few items I had on the floor and planted myself there swiftly as to not anger him further. The class continued and everyone averted their attention back to the front of the room. After a few minutes I felt a nudge to my shoulder “ I’m sorry Beta Reece, am I too close?” I whispered out to him as he was the only person close enough to touch me. “Why are you on the floor?” He whispered back matching my volume to not draw attention. “I don’t wish to anger you further Beta” I replied back to him. Barring my neck to him in submission. “Having a seat like a human would anger me less then you behaving like a lump” I heard him huff in a voice more gravely then previous, this makes me believe his wolf Colt had taken over the conversation. I remained on the floor for the class paying slight attention to what was going on around me, thinking more of what my father will have in store for me later. Although in this moment I was petrified I knew it was the only way to save myself. So I did something I never wanted to do.

“B-Beta R-Reece, p-please excuse m-me. May I p-please ask you something?” I stuttered out my question at a barely audible volume, when he hadn’t responded straight away I shuffled away nervously on the floor attempting to make the situation less awkward. When I finally got a response “Well ask away would you?” I could feel the annoyance in his voice, oh s**t I’ve upset him, I bowed my head to the ground in front of him “I-I was hoping..” I trailed off nervous about asking for such a huge favour from my future Beta “Ugh, No I will not go out with you I’m waiting for my mate.” I was shocked at his outburst and lifted my head to look at him, I knew my place in this pack and where I stood with people. There is no way I see any kind of relationship or even friendship in my life ever. “I’m sorry Beta, but I was not going to ask this” I felt his eyes boring into me it was now or never “I was hoping to keep what I did earlier out of public ear” I quickly averted myself back to the floor and began scooting away, terrified of the outburst coming. I could still feel his eyes on me, my question had been left with silence and so I drew my attentions back to the lesson. I felt the anxiety gripping at me from all angles of what my soon to be present had in store, soon I would need to rush home with my limp, do all the evening chores, go to the pack house for further work/punishment then back home for final punishment or possible death.

When the final bell for the day went I released a sigh ‘this is it my final moments’ I thought to myself as I carefully gather my items that were worn and tattered. “No one besides Chase, Alex you or me will know what happened” Beta Reese’s words stunned me to the spot, I couldn’t believe the words I had just heard normally when I do something wrong it’s spread around like a flu in a chemist. I heard the scuff of his shoes as he walked away and I stayed on the floor, I found myself sobbing, I don’t know if it was gratitude, anxiety, misery or general self loathing but staying there and getting it out had never felt more relieving.

Reece POV:

When I first walked into that class I could’ve screamed “FOR F**KS SAKE!” Ms Green, colder then a slab of stone and just as fun. I had quickly scanned the room when I walked in evaluating who I was with for the next 45minutes. I saw a few of the she-wolves that are always hanging on myself, Chase and Alex. “Mister Williams, do you enjoy interrupting” Ms Green scolded at me for being late, not like I haven’t already finished this stuff already.“I’m sorry Ms Green, in fairness it was about a 33.something% that I was gonna be here” I said trying to mask my sarcasm with charm, the woman needs to get laid. “Take a seat Reece, there’s one up the back.” I rolled my eyes at her ‘command’ and started making my way towards the empty seat. ‘F*ck!’ I thought internally ‘What’s wrong with you this time’ Colt spoke out in my head ‘It’s the Omega that threw up on me’ before I knew what was happening I could feel Colt pushing forward slightly to see her. ‘You should go easy on her. She looks petrified that we need to sit next to her’ I was about to explain to him that we are her Beta that she needs to pay for the disrespect she showed when I saw her pack up her raggedy belongings and plop herself on the floor. I raised my brows curiously at the strange behaviour. ‘ Is she scared of us Colt?’ I asked him baffled by what she just did ‘most likely, you screamed at her not long ago and commanded punishment’ I contemplated what he said silently as I stole glances at the small pathetic figure on the ground next to me. I nudged her “ I’m sorry Beta Reece, am I too close?” She whispered barely loud enough for my wolf hearing to comprehend she was speaking, I decided to match her volume not drawing attention to our conversation. “Why are you on the floor?” Her response brought Colt forward, he was upset that a she-wolf in our pack would fear us this much as to bare her neck in response to a simple question. “I don’t wish to anger you further Beta” this had Colt jumping forward before I could stop him “Having a seat like a human would anger me less then you behaving like a lump” ‘Hey will you calm down’ I tried to reason with him but he was frustrated ‘You need to be careful of this she-wolf. Upsetting her will make our future hard’ ‘Are you saying she is a threat?!’ I spoke to him in a low threatening voice and realised I let my aurora loose. Other wolves were shifting forwards in their seats to slowly back away. I didn’t notice much of an effect on Haven as she was still being submissive on the ground beside me ‘She is not a threat but you will regret it if you harm her’ ‘she is a meek wolf-less Omega that threw up on me this morning. She will receive punishment as deserved’ I was so entranced in my conversation with Colt that I barely heard her ask permission to ask a question. “B-Beta R-Reece, p-please excuse m-me. May I p-please ask you something?” I noticed out the corner of my eye that she was beginning to shuffle away. “Well ask away would you?” Colt was starting to piss me off, telling me to be careful of an Omega then tell me she’s not a threat. “I-I was hoping..” I already knew where the conversation was heading all she-wolves flocked to us for status and this human omega was no different so I let out I little louder and harsher “Ugh, No I will not go out with you I’m waiting for my mate.” The snickers didn’t escape my ears, I doubt she would’ve heard them being wolf-less. “I’m sorry Beta, but I was not going to ask this” I stared at her silently begging her to hurry up and finish the conversation “I was hoping to keep what I did earlier out of public ear” I was stunned at her question and how she asked it. I was no one’s business what happened and I liked my privacy, I imagine that she wished to have less people knowing how much of a screw up she is. I took glances at her as I pondered her question ‘out of public ear’ maybe she feared someone. ‘Chase was telling you there’s a bullying problem maybe it’s deeper’ Colt spoke in my mind, we were one and the same in our way of thinking. She looked defeated like our lack of response was a final nail ‘we can’t have pack member killing themselves’ Colt expressed his concern. I heard the bell ring and realised I still hadn’t given her an answer while I noticed her packing up her ratty school supplies I thought I would ease her tension. “No one besides Chase, Alex you or me will know what happened” I didn’t look at her again, I walked off to meet with Chase and Alex and left the conversation there.

Haven POV

The storm was still going on outside and I was still feeling unease. But I knew my fathers punishment later would be less then I originally thought it would be. I made my way to the front gates of the school grounds with my broken backpack hanging on one shoulder due to now only having one strap left. Other students flocked to their cars and driving past me splashing dirty puddle water all over me, I was drenched before I had gotten two steps from the gate. Remembering my limp but also the consequences of being late I hobbled along as fast as I could to make it home before everyone.

I went as fast and as far as I could before I found myself collapsing into the foot path my body was in intense pain from the beatings over the last 24 hours that I stayed on the ground for a few minutes to catch my breath. I heard a car pulling up slowly beside me and could only think it was Tessa and Luke to berate me. When I heard footsteps approaching I just got up and ran because I knew my life depended on me leaving the scene that just unfolded. It was another 30 minutes before I got home. Because of all my injuries it took me three times as long to get home. Sh*t I had to get all the cleaning done, get dinner ready, do the laundry and still head to the pack house. I looked at the time 4:30pm, I only have one hour to do everything and be at the pack house ready for work.