The Beta's Blood: Rewritten

Chapter Fourteen

The morning wore a softer face that day. Sunshine spilled over the rooftops in a golden haze, chasing away the sharp bite of the fall mountain dawn. Ace left the training grounds with her jacket slung over her shoulders, skin still buzzing from training. Her muscles hummed with pleasant fatigue, and her wolf purred quietly beneath her skin, satisfied.

The village was already awake. She could hear it before she reached the heart of it. The low murmur of conversation, the scrape of boots, the distant bark of a patrol wolf greeting another. Children shrieked with delight around the icy fountain in the middle of the square, sliding across the patchy ice as if it were the best toy in the world. Mothers chatted nearby with steaming cups in hand, their voices warm and lilting, the sound of a pack living without fear.

Ace slowed, watching. She still wasn’t used to this: peace that wasn’t brittle. Laughter that wasn’t muted for fear an Alpha might hear. Joy, that wasn’t hurried. She breathed it in.

Her steps carried her toward the community center. its double doors close to hold in the warmth. The building had become something of an anchor for her. On hard days, she came here and folded laundry, or shelved clothes for the community closet, or watched pups while their mothers ran errands. It made her feel useful. Seen.

Inside, the space was even busier than usual. Women sorted through bins of food and potted herbs. Warriors in partial uniform signed in and out on clipboards. Two elders sat near the window knitting and still managing to scold anyone running too fast. Someone was playing music low from a phone. The whole building felt like a heart, pumping life through the pack.

“Ace!” a young voice called. She turned to find Mitchell, the teenage athlete with too much energy and not enough restraint, hovering near the edge of the room. He looked both thrilled and nervous, which for teenage boys was a dangerous combination.

She grinned. “Hey, buddy. What’s up?” He shifted from foot to foot, glancing over his shoulder at his friends waiting by the door, clearly egging him on through the mind link. “Hey, um… my friends were wondering…” He scrubbed a hand over his neck. “How old are you?”

Before she could answer, a smooth, deep voice cut through the air. “Too old for you, Mitchell.” It was Alpha Kai.

He strode in from the doorway like he belonged in every room, which, to be fair, he did. His coat was open, the dark fabric falling over his shoulders easily, eyes bright with morning mischief.

Mitchell straightened immediately. “Good morning, Alpha.” Kai nodded toward him. “Morning. Big game Friday?” “Yes, Alpha.” Kai jerked his head toward Ace. “She’s coming, so don’t embarrass us.”

Mitchell’s face lit up. “You’re coming?!” He asked her. Ace laughed. “I wouldn’t miss it. Tell your mom to save me a seat.” He beamed, gave Kai another respectful nod, then ran off, tossing his hair like he’d just pulled off the bravest stunt of his life.

Ace watched him go, shaking her head. “Do they pull stunts like that often?” Kai moved around a toddler who was pushing a toy airplane across the floor with utter determination. “No,” he said dryly. “Not with me standing there.”

Ace’s smile widened. “Mm. So you scare them.” “I prefer to say I inspire good manners.” Before she could answer, another voice called from behind the desk. “Oh, Ace! Alpha! I didn’t know you were both here!”

Jessica hurried over, her arms full of papers, pen tucked behind her ear. A wisp of strawberry-blond hair had escaped her bun, and she looked like she’d already been running all morning.

“Sorry,” she said, a little breathless. “Alpha, I have those forms for the southern patrol rotation.” Kai took the folder, flipping quickly through it with the ease of a man used to signing things in a hurry. “Looks good,” he said, scrawling his name at the bottom.

“Thank you, Alpha. You’re a lifesaver.” Jessica grinned, then turned to Ace, eyes bright with hope and fatigue. “And you’re still good to watch Letta and baby Noah on Saturday?” “Of course,” Ace said without hesitation. “I told you I would.”

Jessica exhaled like someone had just handed her a week at the spa. “Bless the Goddess. You’re a gem.” Then an apple rolled across the floor. “Letta! Don’t play in the fruit bins, those are for everyone to share! Sorry, Ace, I have to-” She darted away, chasing her daughter with maternal exasperation. Ace watched, amused.

“So,” Kai said, turning to her, hands sliding casually into his pockets. “You babysit?” Ace shrugged, edging toward the side door. “I love kids. And I don’t mind helping.” “You don’t just ‘not mind,’” Kai said, falling into step beside her as she pushed the door open with her shoulder. “They love you.”

She smirked over her shoulder. “I have good snacks. That’s all it takes.” The moment they stepped outside, she was ambushed. “ACE!” A gaggle of pups and school-aged kids swarmed her, grabbing for her hands, her jacket, her braid. She laughed, letting them hang on her arms.

“Do none of you have school today?” she asked, ruffling one boy’s hair. “We have the day off!” one of the girls announced proudly. “Will you play tag with us?” “I can’t right now,” Ace said, still laughing. “Maybe later.”

A collective groan rose up. Immediately, they pivoted to Kai. “What about you, Alpha? Will you play?” Kai actually looked panic-stricken for a half second, which made Ace bite back another laugh. “Uh… I can’t right this minute,” he said, giving them an apologetic half smile. “Another time, okay?”

They looked disappointed but not crushed. Ace took advantage of their momentary distraction and slipped away, Kai jogged to catch up with her.

“Oh, hey, Alpha,” she said, overly innocent. “Fancy seeing you here.” “So now you notice when I show up?” His mouth curved. “Progress.”

They walked side by side down the path, the fall sunlight warm on their faces. The laughter of the children faded behind them, replaced by the quiet buzz of daily life. Someone chopping wood, someone calling from a shop, distant howl from patrol.

“You really do have a way with them,” Kai said after a moment, glancing down at her. Ace shrugged, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I just like seeing them happy. It makes everything feel… lighter. Even if just for a little while.”

His expression softened. “The pack needs that. Not just order. Not just security. Joy.” She looked up at him then studied him for a moment. It wasn’t often he let the Alpha fall away and spoke like a man. She liked those glimpses.

“So where are you headed?” he asked. “I’m meeting my grandma,” Ace said. “We’re going up to the pack house to drop off vegetables.” Kai’s brows lifted. “Ah. Running errands with Jean. That’s dangerous.” Ace laughed. “Why dangerous?”

“She gets everyone to do work for her without them realizing it.” “Sounds like you speak from experience.” He gave a sheepish shrug. “I’m usually hiding in my office at this hour, so she doesn’t drag me to the market.” She snorted. “So you are hiding.”

“Alphas are allowed to hide sometimes,” he said, feigning offense. “If we walk through the square, everyone suddenly remembers they need something. ‘Alpha, can you sign this?’ ‘Alpha, can you approve this?’ ‘Alpha, does this rash look infected?’”

Ace burst into real, unguarded laughter. “Okay, that last one is fair. You do give ‘can I see that rash?’ energy.” “Do not start that rumor,” he said, giving her a warning look even as he laughed.

They reached the parking lot and Jean’s small silver Nissan was sitting, a puff of warm air coming from the tail pipe as she ran the heater. The older woman was indeed sitting in the driver’s seat with a paperback cracked open, glasses low on her nose.

“Well,” Ace said, turning toward him. “I should let you get back to-” she wiggled her fingers “-hiding.” “I’ll walk you,” he said easily. “You don’t have to.” “I want to.” There was no arrogance in it. No order. Just… intent.

She pointed toward the car. “Grandma’s right there.” Kai followed her gaze, then smiled. “All the more reason.” They approached the car together. Jean looked up, expression brightening. “Alpha! Good morning.”

“Good morning, Jean.” Kai clasped his hands behind his back, posture relaxed. “Your granddaughter is fitting in well.” “Far from it,” Ace said, rolling her eyes. “I barely remember everyone’s names.” “You’d be surprised how many wolves never even try,” Kai said quietly, something flickering across his face, disappointment, maybe? “Some stay strangers for years.”

Ace’s voice softened. “Maybe some people just take longer to warm up.” Without thinking, she patted his shoulder, casual, friendly, almost intimate. Both of them seemed to realize it at the same time. Her hand lingered a second too long. His eyes dropped to where she touched him. Heat skittered up her arm.

She cleared her throat, stepping back. “Thanks for the walk.” “Wait,” he said suddenly, the word carrying Alpha command even though his tone stayed mild. “Where are you and your grandmother headed after the pack house?” She blinked. “Um. Nowhere? Home, maybe. Why?”

“Good,” he said with a little nod. “I need to check in with the kitchen anyway. Think I can catch a ride?” Ace stared. “You… want to ride in my grandmother’s tiny car?” “It’s getting chilly,” he said, buttoning the top of his coat like that proved his point. “And I walked here.”

Before she could answer, he was already opening the passenger door. “Jean,” he said warmly, “could I bother you for a lift to the pack house?” “Of course, dear,” Jean said like Alphas asked her for rides every day. Ace blinked, then slipped into the back seat, still baffled.

The car bumped along the village road, the heater whirring, the scent of peppermint tea and worn leather filling the small space. Sunlight streamed in through the windshield, catching on Kai’s profile.

He glanced down at the book in Jean’s lap. “That must be a very good book. I’ve noticed you bring it with you everywhere.” “Don’t you start, Alpha,” Jean said, swatting at him playfully. “It’s her fault I have to wait.”

Jean jerked her thumb toward the back seat. “My fault?” Ace said, amused. “Every time we go to town, she makes friends. Do you know how long it took her to leave the community center today?” Ace leaned forward between the seats. “I can’t help it! Everyone talks to me!” “Slow as a tortoise in molasses,” Jean said, smirking.

Kai chuckled, a quiet, warm sound. “I can see that,” he murmured, his eyes catching Ace’s in the rearview mirror. “But… today was my fault.” Ace held his gaze, something gentle and unspoken passing between them. “See?” she teased, nudging his seat with her knee. “Alpha’s fault.” He lounged back, an easy smile tugging at his mouth.

The rest of the drive was carefree. Light teasing, small talk about the garden, Jean threatening to send Kai home with bread he better eat this time. The road wound toward the lodge, evergreens flashing by, pack wolves nodding respectfully as the car passed.

For a moment, Ace let herself just be in a warm car with her grandmother and Alpha Kai, safe, fed, wanted. The girl who had fled a lake house in tears felt distant. This girl felt… whole-er.

As they pulled up to the pack house, Kai cleared his throat. “Thank you for letting me tag along,” he said, voice quieter now. “Anytime, Alpha,” Ace said, opening the door. “Just don’t get used to it.” He smirked, eyes glinting with mischief. “I make no promises.” And the way he said it made her think... he meant it.