Beta VS Gamma

XII

~Third Person~

Kemarion hurries out of the SUV and stomps into the packhouse. Dean Jr. is following closely behind him. He’s noticed the change in him, and it’s been since they came home for their last visit before school was out.

Dean Jr. has tried to get Kemarion to confide in him, but he kept saying he was fine and focused on Destini. His mood visibly worsened when Destini chose her fated mate over him. He was surprised that she made that choice. Every conversation he’s been a part of has been that Destini and Kemarion would be chosen mates no matter what happened with their fated mates.

Destini was supposed to come to this pack and act as the Beta female. It was known that if Destini’s family decided not to wait for her younger brother to be of age to rule, Destini would take over with her mate. She would be the Luna, and he would be the Alpha.

He felt bad for Kemarion, watching it all fall apart. He was hoping that he would be more open to discussing what was bothering him, but he’s still being tight-lipped. Now he’s just irritated, wanting his friend to be back to his old self.

Dean Jr. pulls Kemarion into a narrow hallway that is close to the backdoor mostly used by the Omegas. He pushes him against the wall and stands tall in front of him. “Tell me what the hell your problem is and don’t say nothing. Don’t say that it’s the choice Destini made because you’ve been off since before that happened. Spill already because this moping around is irritating.”

Kemarion sighs, realizing that he could no longer keep his mouth shut on the dilemma he’s going through. He lets out a breath and closes his eyes. “I found my fated mate.” Dean Jr. takes a step back in surprise.

“Who is it? When did you find her?”

“It was when we came for our last visit before school was out.”

“She’s a pack member. How come you didn’t say anything?”

“What was I supposed to say? Hey bro, I found my fated mate. It’s Samiah Hicks, the Omega. What the hell would that have looked like?” Dean Jr. knows how Kemarion feels about status. He has the same mindset as his parents. He, himself, understands the sentiment, and he often goes back and forth with how he feels about it. It figures that he will know for sure when his mate is standing in front of him.

“So, what happened? She’s younger than us. Did she even scent you? You went back to school and Destini like nothing happened. What am I missing?”

“Of course she didn’t scent me. Thankfully, I found out about her before she came of age. I can’t be with a lowly Omega. Hell, she works as a mechanic. How is that dignified?”

“Well?” Kemarion lets out a sigh and opens his eyes.

“I falsified evidence and had my father arrest her and her mother. I sent her away, somewhere I wouldn’t have to run into her. I planned to finalize things with Destini by the time we came back. Once I did that, I would let her out of the cells and the entire issue would be moot.” Dean Jr. runs a hand down his face. He doesn’t say anything to Kemarion for a while.

“So now what?”

“I let her out of the cells when we got back from Destini’s. Now, I guess I will claim her or at least let the bond solidify. Her status sucks and I still need someone stronger by my side. I need someone strong to have pups with. We all know that having your fated mate next to you guarantees that your wolf will be strong. I will just keep her away to ensure that I’m the strongest Beta around.” Dean Jr. listens without interrupting. When Kemarion is done, he doesn’t say anything.

The truth is that he has no opinion about this. This isn’t rare; wolves do it all the time. Sometimes, tough calls have to be made to keep the pack strong. He clamps a hand on his friend's shoulder, and they stand in silence. Neither of them realizes that Samiah has made it to the packhouse, and she heard every word they said.

~Samiah~

Goddess! My ears ring with everything I just heard. I slowly ease myself away from the backdoor of the packhouse and scurry off to the side. You heard that right, Rae? You heard what he said?

Yes, I heard everything. What are we going to do? I thought about it for a while, and the anger starts to flow through my body. The more I think about it, the angrier I become. It’s Kemarion’s fault that my mom died. Her being locked in the cells was too much for her wolf and her body. She never fully healed after father died. If Kemarion hadn’t been so selfish and short-sighted, my mom would still be alive today.

Why didn’t he just reject me?

You weren’t of age yet… you didn’t have me. Rejecting you wouldn’t have worked because you wouldn’t be able to accept your rejection. He had to wait until you were of age. Had he rejected you, the bond would still be there, just on your side, and if you didn’t know about the rejection, it would be pointless.

But he wasn’t here. Why couldn’t he have left me alone and then rejected me when he got back from school?

I don’t know. Rae retreats to the back of my mind after answering me. I say nothing else, lost in my thoughts and my pain. A tug on my mindlink pulls me from my thoughts.

Samiah, I want to see you in the Beta’s office. I don’t respond; the anger coursing through me is too strong to contain. He has summoned me as if he hasn’t ruined my life.

I swallow and stand tall, ready to deal with this. I walk into the packhouse and up to the second floor. The Beta’s office is halfway down the hallway. The door is ajar when I get there. I push it open and walk inside. “Close the door.” I hesitate to do so. The moment I got close, his scent wrapped around me. Being inside the room, it’s hitting me like an 18-wheeler. If I close the door, I’m going to all but choke on it.

I let out a silent sigh, asking the Moon Goddess for the strength of a thousand wolves. I close the door quietly and walk into the room. Kemarion is sitting at the desk, his eyes on me. I walk to the middle of the room and stop.