The Beta's Witch

Chapter 7: Secrets

ADRIANA’S POV 

I ran as fast as I could toward the open door that I knew I had locked this morning. 

If this b***h was in my house . . . 

“Adriana wait!”

I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. 

Don’t let anyone close to you. 

Someone in my house was pretty damn close. 

I vaulted through the door just as a vase was hurled across the living room. Pieces of glass went flying and I quickly shielded my face. 

My home was destroyed. The decorative pillows on my couch were bleeding stuffing, my coffee table was overturned. Glass shards that were once my dining set were now in pieces coming from the kitchen.  “Where is it?” I heard her muttering over and over. 

I saw red. Sofia homed in on me with rabid eyes. Without care she threw herself across the room just as I took a few steps forward to meet her. 

“Stay away from my mate!” She screamed. 

I gave everything I had to the right hook I threw. Ducking under my fist, she barreled into me. My feet left the floor and I came down hard, landing on my back. 

A viscous growl reverberated across the room. With blurry vision I looked towards the entryway, seeing the outline of Carson stalk through the door with deadly grace. 

Sofia whimpered slightly. I watched the panic overtake her, then it was gone. Like flipping a switch, she appeared completely calm. I didn’t have time to process the sudden mood shift as she began to jerk, loud popping noises sounding from her joints. 

I was afraid she was having a seizure until fur started sprouting all over her body. 

I screamed. 

Within seconds, a huge silver wolf stood in my living room. The growl it let out was nowhere near as fierce as Carson’s, but still sent shivers down my spine. 

I fought to draw breath, scrambling backwards across the floor, cutting myself on glass. 

Carson stepped forward, but the wolf wasn’t inclined to fight. In a silver flash it zoomed out of the room, faster than I could comprehend. Leaving us alone. 

My heart pounded in my ears, if it weren’t for the pain from the glass, I would have assumed I was dreaming. 

Slowly Carson turned to face me.

“Dri” he said softly. 

If he said more, I didn’t hear it. Spots of darkness crackled across my vision. And I let myself succumb to sleep. 

. . . . 

The first thing I heard was glass shifting somewhere behind me. A murmur of voices conversing close by. 

My body felt heavy. I decided to lay still, not understanding what was happening. 

“She saw Sofia shift into a wolf?” 

Mr. Grey?

“Yes Alpha,” I heard Carson say. 

Lucas swore softly.

I worked to keep my breaths even as they continued to talk. How much time had passed since I fainted? Daniel’s bus would drop him off any minute. I had to get out of here. 

“The glass is all cleaned up. It looks like Sofia didn’t go any further into the house,” Elijah reported. 

“She may not have had time,” said Aiden. I felt a hand gently brush against my forehead; delicious tingling washed over my body. 

“This isn’t how I wanted to introduce her to our world,” he continued sadly. 

I heard Aiden sigh. “Just say it Carson.” 

“I have nothing to say, brother,” Carson said evenly. 

“Yes, you do. I didn’t to tell you I found my mate and expected you to go along fixing my mess without so much as an explanation.” He paused, “I’m sorry.”

“Apology accepted, Beta.” He returned. The formal tone Carson used made it clear none was forgiven. 

I sprung off the couch, barely managing to get my feet under me before I sprinted for the door. Lucas appeared in front of me hands raised. I skidded to a halt, barely avoiding him. Instead I retreated, shuffling sideways to bring all four men into view. 

My only escape was the door, which Lucas was now blocking, or the window behind me, but I really didn’t want to get tangled up with more glass. 

I watched them warily. Carson was the only one who didn’t look tense after my sudden attempt to escape. 

“Adriana,” Lucas called my attention. My eyes snapped to his briefly before I began searching the room for a way to escape, or a weapon. Inside I was panicking. I had to get to Daniel. Maybe the window wasn’t a bad idea. 

“Sweetie look at me,” Lucas tried again, “We aren’t going to hurt you. You’re safe.” 

“Leave,” I pleaded. 

Surprise flashed across his face before he quickly rearranged his features. 

“Adriana you’ve known Elijah and I for a long time. We just want to make sure you’re okay.”

I glanced at Carson. He stared back calmly. I wondered why he hadn’t mentioned our strange little friendship if he knew Lucas and Elijah. 

A slight shift from my peripheral vision caught my attention. Muscle memory took over as I fell into a defensive position I practiced every morning. 

Aiden froze. He had taken half a step in my direction. 

“You,” I said in disgust. He flinched. “This is all your fault. Your girlfriend tried to kill me.” 

Then I remembered. His girlfriend had also turned into a wolf. 

“What the hell are you guys?” I whispered. 

“Adriana,” Elijah reasoned, just as the door was flung open. 

“Mommy?” 

I lunged for Daniel, shoving passed Lucas who had jumped out of the way. Scooping him up, I retreated to a corner of the room, pressing Daniel to the wall with my back to him. 

Each man wore identical masks of shock. The suddenness of Daniel’s entrance had them halfway into defensive stances of their own. 

I bared my teeth. 

“Mommy?” Daniel cried. I wanted to comfort him, but I didn’t take my eyes off of the men in front of me. Swiveling from one to another and back again. 

Carson leaned against the wall. Looking at me curiously. 

“I knew you had secrets, Dri,” he teased. “But I never expected this.” 

“Like you’re one to talk Matthews,” I spat in disgust. 

He shrugged. “I can’t help who I’m related too.” 

“Hey!” Aiden complained. 

I felt Daniel squirm and I pressed him further into the wall, hoping to give him a little sense of security. Elijah walked around the couch to stand in front of me. 

“Adriana you don’t have to be afraid of us.” He brought his hands up taking slower steps toward me.  

“Elijah, I know I can’t take you, but if you come any closer, I swear I will try. Please,” I begged. 

He was too close. They were all too close. I didn’t care what happened to me, but Daniel didn’t deserve to be caught up in whatever mess this was. 

A hurt looked flashed across Elijah’s face. He tried a different approach. 

“Hey little man,” he called. My hackles rose. “PlayStation or Xbox?” 

Daniel poked his head around me to look at Elijah. 

“PlayStation.” Daniel replied in a small voice. 

Elijah nodded as if in agreement. “Nice. Why don’t you go play a few rounds so Mommy can talk to her friends?” He glanced at me for approval. 

The men cleared a safe path for him to go to his room, so I let Daniel slip out from behind me. He wrapped his small arms around my waist, looking up at me. I hugged him back, smoothing the hair on his head. 

“I like your friends,” he whispered. 

“Go play, baby,” I whispered back, kissing him on the forehead. 

I watched him leave, waiting until I heard the click of his door shutting before I turned back to Elijah. 

“Thank you,” I breathed. 

He inclined his head slightly. “You never told me you had a son.” 

“I never told anyone.” 

“I wonder what else you’ve never told anyone,” Carson jeered from his spot on the wall. 

A warning growl came from deep in Aiden’s chest. “Watch it, Carson.” 

The sound brought me back to when Sofia attacked me, then promptly turned into a wolf. 

“You’re so curious about my secrets,” I fumed, “Yet you looked pretty calm when a woman morphed into an animal in my damn living room!” 

His silence spoke volumes and I wanted to punch him for it.  

“Adriana,” Aiden’s voice washed over me, calming my unease against my will. I took a deep breath. “I’m so sorry for what Sofia has put you through. This is partially my fault.” He paused, gathering his thoughts. “I didn’t make it clear to her that we were over before I started to pursue you and that was wrong. I will spend the rest of my life trying to make that up to you.” 

“Why me?” 

His eyebrows drew together in confusion, so I tried again. 

“Why did you choose me? There are so many other women at the office. Why did it have to be me?” 

It was a stupid question, and I didn’t expect an answer. Instead he came closer holding his palm out, waiting for me to touch him. 

I couldn’t refuse. Sparks fired where out bare skin met, making me gasp. 

“There’s so much I need to explain to you,” he murmured. “If you’ll just give me the chance.” 

I nodded, not knowing what I was agreeing to and not caring. Today had been a hell of a day and I was beyond thinking. 

 ....

AIDEN’S POV 

A few hours later Adriana and Daniel were settling in the spare rooms in the Beta wing of the pack house.

We had convinced Adriana to pack some things for her and Daniel and stay with us on pack territory. She hadn’t reacted when I confirmed we were also wolves. My poor mate was emotionally exhausted, and I was worried this was too much for her. 

Elijah and his family lived on the same floor on the other side of the stairs. Lucas, as the Alpha, had the entire top floor to himself. Carson had a house nearby on the territory. 

Similar to the Gamma wing, I had three extra bedrooms, all fully furnished, and designed by me. A cozy living room connected a small kitchenette and my office. Typically, I ate in the dining hall with the rest of the pack, but I was grateful to have it, knowing Adriana might not be comfortable eating with everyone else just yet. 

I gave her the room right next to mine. As soon as Daniel had stepped foot in the Pack House, Henry, Elijah’s son, had stolen him away. He was the oldest kid in the house and excited to have someone to play with. He declared himself Daniel’s personal tour guide and the two were off exploring. Elijah had promised to keep an eye on them. 

I watched Adriana from the doorway. She was intently focused on transferring her clothes to the drawer. Something in me loved the idea of her stuff finding a permanent place here. Thinking of her staying here forever made me smile. 

When I zoned back in, she was sitting at the end of the bed staring at me. I moved to sit next to her at the other edge. The fear I had seen on her face over the last few hours was something I never wanted to see again.  

“I will never let anyone hurt you ever again,” I said firmly. Her face crumbled and I was moving before I realized what I was doing. 

I lifted her into my lap, holding her close to my chest as she cried. She was so tiny she fit against me perfectly. 

I felt helpless. My actions had caused my mate pain and I could do nothing to take it away. 

Instead I focused on what I could do. 

I rocked her gently, burying my face in her hair, breathing in her scent. It instantly calmed me, and I knew our closeness would do the same for her. 

Her breathing eventually returned to normal and she pulled away, sliding back onto the bed. Though she wasn’t as far as before I felt a sense of loss at her departure. 

She looked up at me hesitantly. The shy expression on her face made me want to kiss her. 

She’s beautiful, Tobias commented longingly. I had to agree. 

“When Sofia attacked me,” she started. I gritted my teeth at the mention of the attack. Tobias growled. I could barely look at the bandages on her arms without wanting to tear the world apart. 

 “She told me to ‘stay away from her mate.’” She scrunched her nose. God she was adorable. “What did she mean?” 

I shook my head. “Sofia is not my mate. There was a time when I thought she was,” I paused. “Until I met you.” 

“What is a mate?” She asked in a small voice, uncertain. I grabbed her hands letting the feeling of our closeness calm my nerves. 

“For wolves, a mate is a person given to us by the Moon Goddess, Selene. It is our perfect match, our other half. The person who compliments us in every way.” I held her gaze, “A mate is a treasured gift, someone that wolves spend their entire lives looking for. When we find them,” I gently squeezed her hand, “Every moment after is spent honoring that bond with love and loyalty.” 

“Oh,” she breathed. I waited patiently, letting my words sink in. “You think I’m your mate?” 

I nodded. “I know you are.” 

“But what about Sofia? You felt something with her too. How many mates do wolves get?” 

“Just one. I’m still a little confused as to what made me think Sofia was my mate. At first, we were happy, then over the year our relationship became strained. She didn’t get along with my parents or anyone here. Carson refused to even acknowledge her. Tobias was never convinced.” 

She looked at me questioningly, but I wasn’t sure I should explain just yet. She had already been through so much. Tobias whined, but remained silent. He wanted his mate to know him too and I hated to keep that from him.

I ran my thumb over the back of her hand, setting off an enticing current of sparks. I watched as Adriana shivered, loving the way she reacted to my touch. “I never felt this, though. She never made me feel this way.” 

Adriana looked at me with wide innocent eyes. I couldn’t stop myself from taking her face in my hands and pressing my lips to hers. The feeling of her lips on mine was ecstasy and I quickly forgot about everything else. Nothing had ever been more right.

Until I felt her flinch. I instantly let her go. 

“I’m so sorry Adriana. Please don’t be afraid of me,” I begged. 

She shook her head, running her fingers against her lips. 

“You shouldn’t do that. We shouldn’t.” She whispered. “Not until you find Sofia and explain everything to her.” 

I nodded in understanding. “Can we at least get to know each other?” 

The blood drained from her face. She quickly stood and walked to the other side of the room with  back facing me.

I suddenly remembered what Carson said about things she’s never told anyone. 

“Adriana where were you born?” I asked. She remained silent, wringing her hands together. 

“Where did you go to High School?” I tried. 

Still nothing. 

“Where do your parents live? What are their names? Who is Daniel’s father?” Something! I just needed her to tell me something. 

She spun around, torment in her eyes. “I don’t know,” she cried. 

I froze. “You don’t know who Daniel’s father is?” 

She shook her head. “I don’t know the answers to any of your questions, Aiden.” She said bitterly. “I don’t remember.” 

“I don’t understand.” 

“Neither do I,” she laughed harshly. “Six years ago, I woke up in a small apartment on the north side of Emberton, with Daniel. There was a letter.” 

She walked to the drawer she had previously been putting clothes into. I watched as she slipped her hand under the pile, pulling out a crinkled note. 

She held it out to me. 

Adriana, 

I know you must be so confused, but there isn’t much this letter can explain. 

You’re not safe. Don’t let anyone close to you or Daniel. As long as you stay hidden, you’ll be okay. 

There was no signature. I looked up to see tears falling from her eyes. 

“I don’t remember anything before that day. A week later a package of documents showed up at the door with no return address. Birth certificates, social security cards, bank statements. Daniel’s birth certificate listed me as his mother, but there was no Father. Daniel was one at the time.”  

I was stunned. I could do nothing but stare at the paper in my hand. For the last six years my mate had lived as half a person. And she had done it well. Raising Daniel and climbing the ladder at Grey Enterprises. The uniform Daniel was wearing had said Berkeley. One of the most prestigious elementary schools in the area. 

All while I was wasting my time on a woman that wasn’t my mate. 

I pulled Adriana into a hug. “We’ll figure this out. Together” I whispered into her hair. 

“You believe me?” She gasped. 

I took her face in my hands a second time. “I never doubted you.” I kissed her forehead then let her go. It had taken a lot for her to reveal this information to me, but I was grateful that she did.  Now I finally understood why she kept pulling away, why she had no friends, and why no one knew anything about her. 

“Mom!” Yelled a little voice from down the hall. I jumped, instinctively pulling Adriana behind me. She chuckled and sidestepped me as Danial ran into the room. 

The sound of little feet running through my halls wasn’t something I was used to, but I found myself wanting to hear it more. 

Daniel’s existence puzzled me. When mates came together, they didn’t have any lasting effects from prior relationships. I’d never heard of mates who had children before they came together. 

Though I found I didn’t mind having Daniel around. Quite the opposite.  He was a great kid and he had helped Adriana stay calm back at the house. 

If this was what the rest of my life would be like, then I was the luckiest man alive.