Fated to the Royal Beta

Chapter 5

Gavin’s POV

“So why are we doing this again?” I ask Alex as we carry several empty boxes and other packing materials up the stairs.

“Because Izzy asked us to,” Alex replies.

“Okay… but why didn’t you just ask a couple of omegas to do it?” I point out the obvious flaw in this odd request of his. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“She also wants our help with all the pups and the packing,” Alex tells me. “It’s a pretty big job, and her gammas mate is expecting a pup in a week or so, so he’s occupied getting them packed and ready to leave as well.”

That all makes sense, I suppose. I almost believe those to be the only reasons Alex has me helping Izzy like I’m some lowly omega. But soon I get a whiff of a familiar scent as we get closer to our destination. I should have known!

“Patricia seems to be here this morning,” I comment casually while trying to remain calm and unconcerned. I see Alex flinch at my words. Hmm... interesting reaction! “Did you already know she was here? Is that why you asked me to come along with you?”

“Yes,” Alex freely admitted to the small deceit. “Izzy let me know the moment Patricia arrived. I figured you’d rather be present to see now NOT interested I am in your future mate than to have you possibly hear rumors that might cause you to challenge me.”

“Hmph,” I reply. If I weren’t carrying all these boxes I’d punch him hard in the shoulder. The only reason Alex would fear a challenge from me is that neither of us knows who’d be victorious since we are so equally matched. Thankfully we have been such good friends for so many years that neither of us would want to challenge the other to find out exactly who is the better wolf in an all out fight to the death. I have an odd feeling that somehow we’d both probably end up dead if we did.

You really should try being nice to her, you know, Alex suggests by mind link as we close in on Izzy’s door.

That may seem like a reasonable plan, I reply back. But it’s hard not to get angry when I see her wearing all those slutty clothes designed to attract male attention, and watching her always flirt with you!

I certainly don’t encourage her, Alex claims.

Of course you don’t! I reply bitterly. You don’t even have to try. And yet its you that she wants. Not me.

As I said, try being nice to her! He reiterates. Then we are inside Izzy’s soon to be vacated guest room, where it looks as if very little has been accomplished due to one of Izzy’s young pups trying to climb her leg. I don’t see Patricia, but her scent is strong within the room so she must be around here somewhere. I set down the packing materials I had been carrying and wonder vaguely out loud what I needed to do next.

“I need help get everything in these rooms into these boxes,” Izzy claims.

“Everything?” Alex asks with a laugh. He picks up the pup and puts her carefully into one of the boxes. “Alright then! One down, three to go. Now where are the rest of the pups? We should probably pack them all together and write nursery on the box with an arrow saying ‘this end up’!”

“Alex!” Izzy exclaims, looking torn between laughter and anxiety. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

Patricia enters the room just then carrying one of the other little pups in her arms.

“Here, give me Charlotte, too!” Alex says, taking the pup away from a suddenly stunned Patty. He places it inside the same box as its sister. Then he closes the lid.

“Ugh, this isn’t funny, Alex!” Izzy tells him sternly with her arms akimbo. “I need someone to play with them and keep them entertained so I can pack, not stick them all in a box!”

“At least this will keep them out of your way while you pack,” I add in my own two cents worth.

“Don’t you start as well,” Izzy snaps at me. “I don’t have time for this nonsense today. I need to pack.”

“It isn’t nonsense,” Alex claims. “I am playing with them! See? Peek a boo!”

He opens the lid of the box while making a funny face at them, causing both pups to laugh like Alex was the funniest wolf ever. And he does it a couple more times.

I glance over at Patricia on the sly, and I was pleased to see that she is dressed today in a much more demure outfit than she had been wearing lately, although it still had a flirtatious girly vibe. And it was difficult not to recall her appearance the other night, sprawled so invitingly on Alex’s bed in that see thru red babydoll nightgown.

It was an invitation for the new king, True Blue reminds me. Maybe we should challenge him after all, so our mate will want us!

I try to ignore that questionable piece of advice.

“Nothing is getting done here while everyone stands around in astonishment to see a king playing with his tiny cousins,” Izzy reminds us all after a few minutes.

“I’ll take them into the other room and keep an eye on them with Jaunita,” Patricia suddenly steps forward to offer her help.

“Thanks!” Izzy replies. “That would be incredibly helpful of you!”

Alex steps back so that Patricia can bend down and grab one of the pups. From where I stand I can see the back hem of her dress rise up, with Alex standing just barely behind her. Was this little performance done on purpose? A moment later she’s standing up straight again, and everything is back in place.

“Can you grab the other pup for me, Alex?” She says with a giggle. “Whoops, I mean your majesty!”

“Umm, sure,” Alex says, and does just as Patricia asks. Meanwhile she takes the pup she’s holding into the adjacent nursery room.

“Give me that pup,” I demand irritably, taking it from Alex’s unresisting hands and then follow after my mate and the other pup.

Be careful with my little cousin Amelia! Alex calls after me. And don’t forget to be nice to your mate!

How are you going to stop me if I don’t? I reply with a bit of attitude. But when I get into the nursery, I find Patricia putting the pup into an empty baby swing.

“You’re such a sweet little pup, aren’t you?” I hear her tell the tiny tot, and watch as she runs her fingers through the pups fine hair in an almost loving and maternal caress. “I hope I have a sweet little one just like you soon!”

I’ve never seen this side of Patricia before. I can’t help but stop in my tracks, forgetting for a moment how irritated I had been with her just seconds ago. Then she turns around and sees me standing there dumbly with the pup.

“Oh, it’s you,” she says, her expression changing several times before settling on slightly bemused.

“Were you expecting someone else?” I ask sarcastically.

“It doesn’t really matter,” she says, surprising me when she suddenly steps forward to kiss me on the cheek. Then she grabs the pup from my hands just before I nearly dropped it in surprise. “Thanks for your help!”

Then she surprised me even further by sitting down on a chair with little Amelia and began singing a silly song while bouncing the pup on her knee. The pup was absolutely thrilled to be jiggled about, while the rest of the pups watched in envy. They crawling over to Patricia, probably hoping for their own chance to play with my mate.

“Pony girl, pony girl, won’t you be my pony girl?

Here we go, don’t say no, ride across the plains.

Marry me, carry me far away with you!

Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up! Up! Woah!

My little pony girl!”

I was completely entranced by this display, as I had never seen this side of Patricia before. I had only ever seen her as a boy crazy flirt after the young ugly duckling phase she was going through when I first met her all those years ago.

She looks up in confusion. I’m suddenly concerned that she had the ability to read my mind, but I was quickly disabused by that notion.

“You can stare at me later,” she says, blowing me a kiss and then waving flirtatiously at me after setting the pup on the floor. “You’re supposed to be helping Izzy to pack!”

I can hear Alex sniggering from behind me.

Patricia then goes back to ignoring me. She picks up another of the four pups and starts to sing the same song. And I go help Izzy and Alex with packing in the other room.

I lay in bed that night contemplating everything that I thought I knew about Patricia, and comparing that with what I saw today. I only end up more confused. The only thing I’m now sure of is that I don’t really know her even half as well as I thought I did.