Fated Mates: The Beta

Jocelyn: Chapter Ten

Jocelyn

I stared at the man sitting on my couch and took a deep breath. Even after a whole week, I still couldn't get my mind to wrap around the fact that Calvin, Danny's friend from Salem, had somehow found me.

I mean, he explained how he found me, but it still blew my mind.

"Stop staring. It's creepy."

I suppress a smile and shrug. "I'm sorry. I just...when did you get in?"

"About a couple of days before I came to see you." He patted his thighs and looked around my livingroom. Wyatt sat near his feet, watching him with wide, brown eyes.

The day he came to see me, I let him in and for some reason, seeing him, triggered a whole hysterical, crying fit. He had looked at me with his wide blue eyes and then awkwardly wrapped his arms around me and patted my back.

When I calmed down enough, he led me to the couch and sat down next to me, his cheeks pink. I stared at him like this, even then, because it was absurd to see him somewhere other than in Salem.

"I know you explained last time, but...how? Why?"

He sighed and ran his hand through his long, thick, red hair and then blew out a breath.

"I followed you guys. After I dropped Danny off, I drove a few houses down and parked at Kurts's house and watched. Then when I saw you guys leaving, I followed. All the way to what I'm guessing was your pack. It had signs all over, like private property and stuff like that all around the fences."

I nodded to confirm and he nodded. "Yeah. I waited outside behind an old building for a few days until I saw you and two guys come out and I followed you guys here."

I shook my head, completely shocked still. "And then what?"

"I waited until I saw you come into one of these apartments and went home to get all of my sh*t in order."

"What does that even mean?"

He raises his furry red eyebrows and sits forward, looking a little nervous. "I went home, packed all of my sh*t, started looking for an apartment and moved here."

I raised my eyebrows. "Why?"

The apples of his cheeks pinkened and he put his hands in the pockets of the hoodie he was wearing.

"I don't know. After I went home, I thought about what I was doing before I started packing everything up. I gave it a few days, and it just didn't feel right. Knowing what I know about you guys, I can't seem to just go back to being the same person I was before."

I took all of this information in and nodded. "I hate to break it to you, but it will probably be the same as if you were to have stayed in Salem."

He looked up at me and pulled his hair up into a bun on the top of his head. "How?"

"I'm just as human as you are. They took my wolf." I looked down at my hands, willing my claws to grow. Nothing happened. As soon as I looked up at him, I saw him looking at my hands and then into my eyes.

"How did they take it? I don't understand."

I press my lips together and take a deep breath. "They killed her. They injected a lethal dose of wolfsbane into my veins. It wouldn't affect my human side, so nothing happened to me, but she's gone."

He grimaced and shook his head. "Damn. That's brutal."

I nodded and swallowed hard. "Yeah."

We were quiet for a few minutes, both of us watching Wyatt crawl to a bunch of toys in the middle of the livingroom.

"And Danny?"

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I felt my eyes sting and I turned to look at him again. He was watching my face and I could see in his expression that he knew what happened. Maybe not the details, but he knew his friend was gone.

"He's gone." My voice cracked and I took a shaky breath. It hurt so badly to say it out loud. To put it out there, to exist.

"F*ck. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. I mean, obviously I saw he wasn't here and he would never stay away but... I guess a part of me hoped that maybe he was able to escape."

I nodded and wiped under my eyes hastily. "I wish. Even if I never saw him again and he was out on the run, atleast then I'd know that he was still alive. Still breathing." Still smiling and laughing and being the most amazing person I'd ever known.

"W-was it quick, atleast?" Calvin's eyes were glassy and his face was drawn. My confirmation must have just hit him and in that moment, I felt heard. I felt like I wasn't the only person in this world that had truly cared about him, other than Wes.

"Yes."

"Did they take his wolf too?"

"They did right before they killed him."

His jaw ticked and he shook his head. "They made you watch?"

I nod and stand up because I can't let the memory replay in my head. I can't. So I go to the kitchen and open the fridge. Josh ordered me a sh*t ton of snacks and drinks and easy things to make for when Wes joins me, so I had a lot of stuff in it now.

"You want anything?"

"Yeah, any drink is fine." He said quietly. I pulled out a can of soda and brought it to him, then sat on the floor, next to Wyatt.

He popped it open and stared down at the can. "What about Wes? I saw him here the day you came in with the other guy."

"He's at the pack. He wasn't allowed to come stay with me because I'm a human, but Josh is letting him stay every other week with me, just to help me cope, I think."

He nods slowly. "How is he taking it?"

I shrug and glance at him. "I don't know. He only came to visit me that one time since it happened. But Josh says he's not doing well."

"Josh?"

"My brother. The guy you saw him with."

He nods slowly. "Is he...did he..?"

I smile and shake my head. "Do you really think I'd want him around if he had anything to do with Danny's death?"

"Well, I don't really know how that works. I mean, I know you have an Alpha, but is he anything? You said you were a Beta, so that would mean he is too?"

"I was. And he is. He's the Beta to the Blue Crescent Pack. He pretty much does what the Alpha needs him to do and protects the Luna."

"Luna?"

"The Alpha's mate. My friend Elena."

"But if he's so high up, how come he didn't have anything to do with it?"

"Because the Alpha is the one who makes those calls. Josh didn't have to do anything because he wasn't needed. And I don't think he could have because he knew it would hurt me."

"Damn." Calvin rubbed his hand over his forehead and sighed. "This all sounds so complicated. "

I laugh and shrug. "Yeah, well, when you're born into it, you get the hang of it really quickly. But I guess from the outside looking in, it does seem complicated."

"And now you're part of the outside. You can't go back."

"I don't think I'd ever want to go back there." As soon as I say it, I know it's a lie. I think of my mom and Elena and being around where I grew up.

Calvin sets his soda on the coffee table and takes a deep breath. "I didn't just come because of the supernatural sh*t, just so you know." He looks down at the carpet and then shrugs.

"Danny was the first real person I had ever gotten to know. He didn't bullsh*t around and he became someone I really enjoyed being around. He was loyal as hell and protective and..." He coughed and wiped his eyes. I looked away from him, feeling like I was about to cry as well. "And...I know you mean a lot to him. I know he loved you and Wyatt and Wes, so I felt like I needed to come and...I don't know. Watch you. Make sure you're okay. For him."

I look back up at Calvin and feel my heart ache. If Danny could see him now, I was sure he'd be so proud of his goofy friend.

"Well, thank you."

"You're welcome. And...just so you know, you're still pretty badass without the wolf."

I roll my eyes at him with a smile and shake my head.

"Yeah, no. I'm not. I'm weak as hell."

"How?"

"Everything that used to be cake, like picking up a laundry basket full of clothes or rearranging furniture or opening f*cking pickle jars are all too heavy or hard to do for me now. I have absolutely no muscle for it because Peri would do all of the work."

"A pickle jar?"

"Yeah."

"Were you able to get it open?"

I smile, thinking of Josh asking me if I needed him to open it the other day. "No. But...I'll get it."

He stood up then and walked to my fridge. He opened it and began rummaging around until he found the stupid jar.

"Even if it feels super tight sometimes," He grabbed a butter knife from my dish drain and began tapping the lid gently on the sides. "Just give it a few taps like this and..." He brought the jar over to me and set it in front of me. "Open it."

I sighed and grabbed the jar. I gave the demonic lid a twist and it opened with little to no effort. I stared down at the open jar and then back up at Calvin. My stupid human emotions got the best of me and I blinked back some tears and laughed.

"That easy?"

"Yup. Now you don't have to depend on a wolf or anyone else to open jars for you."

"Thank you." I grabbed a small pickle from the top and closed the jar. And suddenly I realized that he was human and I had more human related questions.

"Hey, Calvin?"

"Yeah?"

I swallowed hard and blushed. "You're human and...even though you're a male, you might know more than I do about something."

Calvin's eyes narrowed and he nodded. "Okay...?" He says cautiously.

I take a deep breath because it's weird and personal, but no one ever told me about it, so I didn't know exactly what was going on.

"I um...human women aren't the same as wolves so I...I know it's a personal matter but I don't know any other human to ask and I'd feel stupid going to a doctor at my age and not knowing what to say when I explain my issue."

Calvin raises his eyebrows and scrunches his face up. "Jocelyn, just ask. If I know, then I'll tell you, but you're kind of scaring me."

I groan and take a deep breath. "I uh...I started bleeding. You know...from down there. And I know that the Healer told me to expect some changes in my body, but after everything that was happening, I didn't pay attention."

Calvin's face is fire engine red and he looks like he's in pain but he nods slowly. "Yeah. It's... you're on your period. Um...f*ck, it's when the lining of your uterus sheds to um...I don't know the mechanics. I mean, it's pretty much so that you release eggs to make babies. It happens once a month for a few days each month and I know you have to write it down and stuff like that."

My face is warm and I nod. I feel mortified, but also a bit relieved to hear that he knew what was happening.

"How do I stop it?"

"You don't. You let it happen until it stops itself."

"Okay, but.." I swallowed hard. "I know they have stuff at the store for this, but I don't know what to get. I...I'm just using toilet paper."

Calvin stares at me for a couple of seconds, looks down at the carpet and nods. "Okay. Well, I guess since I'm the only human you know, this is my job now. " He sighs and stands up. "Get dressed and I'll take you to the store and we can see what we can do about your...uh...issue."

I smile at him and get up quickly, grabbing Wyatt. I thrust him at Calvin and run to my room quickly. Calvin being around now felt like another weight lifted off of me and somehow it felt like it was a littke gift from Danny.