The Beta's Choice

Change is Hard

Vail was nervous enough without his father pacing in the office. His mother sat on the couch and stared at her husband, her hands twisting in her lap. He knew there would be changes. He warned his father that when he took over as Alpha, he was making changes. His father had been nervous then but his mother had been at his side. Said it was time for the next generation to take over. Why this was a bridge too far, he had no idea. If anything, Vail thought this was a baby step if he was being honest. With a quick look at his Beta, who simply shrugged, Vail sighed.

“Dad, we haven’t had a mating ball here since before I was born. Our pack is decreasing, the only one that is. We will be extinct in another one or two generations. I know you are uncomfortable with the other packs, but so many of our wolves are unmated. Who knows how many have mates out there waiting for them if we just give them the opportunity.” He tried again, this time his voice soft, full of the emotion he felt for his people instead of the stoic leader he was trying to be.

The former Alpha stopped and opened his mouth to say something and then looked at his wife. He saw the tears forming there and he sighed, going to sit next to her, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Vail, I know that you are the Alpha now, but we talked about taking a year to completely transfer all responsibilities and information.”

This caught Vail’s attention, he didn’t have to look to know it caught his Beta’s as well. *What is he not telling us?* Vail had no idea and just gave a quick glance at his Beta to let him handle it.

“Dad, I’ve got the finances under control, I’ve learned about each of the pack members, and have looked over our housing situation. The biggest impediment to taking care of this pack is that we are small and we have no alliances. None.” He reminded his dad, his face hardening. He had been fighting this fight for years and thought he had finally gotten through to him. The problem was, he looked just like his father. Fair-skinned was an understatement. They had been told their family came from France generations ago and you could easily see it. The sharp jawline, full lips always in a small smile, and thick wavy hair in golden brown. Only his eyes were different. His father's eyes were honey brown, but he had his mother’s dark black eyes. It made him look constantly on the verge of shifting. He was tense now, as he had already sent out the invitations. The energy was just ready to burst in his muscles as he waited to argue yet again. Instead, his father looked at his mother and she gave a soft smile and squeezed his hand. With a sigh, they looked at him.

“All right. All right Vail. We know you want to do what is best for our people. We just worry. Especially for your brother and sister.” There it was. Vail was getting a headache trying not to roll his eyes. He loved his siblings, of course, he did, but all his life was about worrying over his siblings. Twins, male and female, were attached at the hip as soon as they were born. Literally crying if put in separate cribs. As they got older, people were wary of them, they were a little too close. He knew that it had never gotten, well, romantic, but they sure were close and it made his parents uncomfortable. Vail tried a charming smile that fooled everyone but his mother.

“Dad, I’ve already spoken to a few Alphas who are not only interested in alliances but are looking for their Luna. Some are ready to choose a mate. You have to see how Charli finding a mate, chosen or gifted, would be good for them.” He saw his mother shift and knew what was coming, so he put a hand up. “I know, they won’t be separated, but even if they go to the same pack, having a mate, even just one of them, will help them come out of their shells with others. Right?”

“Roman, it’s one Mating Ball, and we will be here. He is only inviting the Alpha teams, not even all ranked wolves. I think we can handle it.” Vail felt himself finally relax a bit, he had his mom at his side. He couldn’t lose now. He quickly covered as his mother looked at him again. “Of course, if it doesn’t go well, we will table this issue until your father and I agree the pack is ready.”

Well, a win was a win, even conditional. Vail nodded, “Of course.” He rose from the desk and smiled as he went around to his parents. “Now, let me handle it. I’ll make it stress-free for everyone and even if no mates are found or chosen, at least we had a good time.” Before they could protest, he helped his mother rise and she gave him a hug before she put her hand on his face.

“We just worry V. This is so much responsibility, and you haven’t once mentioned finding a mate. We do worry about you too, you know.” She added softly. His smile was softer and he kissed his mother’s cheek. He knew they cared for him and worried about him as well, but they didn’t voice it as they did with his siblings. His father stood as well and clapped him on the shoulder.

“You are capable, don’t think we don’t know that. We just think you need to be able to ask for help more often too. We’re here.” He nodded and then put his arm around his wife and headed out of the office. The door closed, and Vail almost collapsed back against the desk. His Beta came around the desk and stood next to him, leaning back and arms crossed.

“It’s not just me, is it? There’s something the old team hasn’t told us yet.” He frowned at the door as if the answer would just arrive. Kaleb had been his best friend his whole life. Even for two years, he tried to date Vail’s sister and the two fought over it. They were still there for each other. He wasn’t the child of the last Beta, who had only daughters, but everyone knew he would be Vail’s Beta. They were almost as close as the twins. Almost.

Vail shook his head and crossed his arms as well. “No, there’s definitely more to this. I always thought he was just worried because of what happened before. With the Lycans.” It was a part of their history that was taught to all wolves in school and though he didn’t know how other packs dealt with it, it was never forgotten here. The dangers of other packs thinking they didn’t need Lycans, that they could take things into their own hands. Doing so had decimated their own packs and put good wolves to death, and others lost their mates. There was no way to fathom the pain that came out of that day.

Kaleb grunted. He was always suspicious of the elders, too many private meetings, and private weekend trips. Vail trusted him though, he had amazing instincts and something told him there was something there. “We have access to all the pack files, right?” Vail nodded, then looked at his friend. Kaleb was giving a crooked smile and his soft brown eyes were sparkling with mischief.

“What are you thinking? We’ve already looked through everything,” Vail asked carefully. Kaleb gave a single-shoulder shrug.

“Maybe, maybe we’ve read through everything they showed us, maybe there’s more. I’ve been itching to get at that computer system.”

Vail smiled now too. The elders knew computers, but no one knew programming like Kaleb. When he started talking about codes and deleted files and how to hide ‘worms’, Vail usually tuned out, but maybe now, it could be put to good use. “Go for it. I’ll give you admin access.” They stood there staring at the door. They were ready to take over and take care of their people, but they were more ready to find out what it was that was being hidden from them.

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Upstairs in a suite on the Alpha floor, Charlotte, affectionately called Charli, was biting at her thumb as she paced. She was waiting for her brother to come back and report what was going on. They all knew that the invitations had gone out, that there was finally to be a Mating Ball. Some were for it, some were against it. Definitely more for it. Their parents, however, were not on that team. The door opened with a click and then quietly closed again and she turned. For her, it was always looking at herself, like the part of her that she was missing. People thought it was perverted, but it wasn’t like that. Not like a mate. It was like, as pups, as twins, neither was really a whole person without the other. She supposed it might be something like what people would feel if they lost an arm or a leg. You would always feel less without it.

Both were tall, taller than their brother by exactly one inch. Neither was as muscled though, not even as much as other wolves in the pack. Lanky as children, once they got their wolves they were stronger, definitely muscular, but sleek. Both had their mother’s dark hair, delicate features, and their father’s soft eyes. In so many ways, they were the opposite of their brother, which at times was a blessing and a curse. When he just stared at her she dropped her arm and looked at him anxiously, “Well?”

He went and flopped down on the deep purple velvet sofa they had insisted on in their room and acted as if he had just been through a war. She sighed and sat down next to him, pulling one of her legs up under her. He finally let his head fall to the side to look at her. “The Ball is on. Officially.”

She grinned, a chance to dress up, a real ball and not those stupid little parties they usually had. He pulled his eyes away for a moment, but that was all that it took. Her eyes widened, worried now, “What else?”

Dominic turned and took her hands in his own. “You dear sister, are on the block.” Off her confused look, he kissed both her hands and shook his head. “V is hoping that we find our gifted mates, more importantly, that you do. If not, there are already Alphas talking about you as a chosen mate. For alliances.” He saw her nose turn up and her brows scrunch, which she did whenever she was about to refuse a request. He loved his sister dearly and couldn’t imagine being separated. Not that he expected her to be alone all her life, but he saw himself as a big part of her life. Sure, she could have a mate, as long as he knew that Dominic would be there as well. Taking care of her when she was pregnant, playing with little nieces and nephews. He never saw any of that family life in his own future, except as part of hers. Sure enough, she pulled her hands away and folded them over her chest and she snorted at him.

“Over my dead body! That’s probably the only reason they agreed to it, to split us up!” She wasn’t having it and he saw the tears threatening in her eyes. Anyone else trying to comfort her would lead to tears and anger. Not him, he knew how to get to her. Quickly turning, he plopped his head on her lap and looked up at her.

“What a waste that would be! Some hot hunk of a wolf is right now feeling the bond in his chest and the possibility of losing his gorgeous mate!” He cried dramatically. Her lips twitched, she was trying not to laugh, stay mad, but he knew better. He smiled at her and put the back of his hand on his forehead. “I swear, I shall waste away!” He gave his best Scarlett O’Hara impersonation and she bust out laughing.

Pushing his head off her lap, she sighed, “You are so impossible!” He sat back up and smiled, happy she was feeling better. She looked at him and raised her chin slightly, defiant. “Besides, the goddess gifted us each other long before she gifted us a mate. If we have mates. But even if we do, they aren’t separating us. Besides, twins are usually mated to other twins. We’ll be fine.” She gave a decisive nod.

He replied with a similar nod. “Of course. I’m sure there’s a pair of hot hunky wolves just waiting for us. Now, we just need to worry about what to wear.”