The Beta Queen

Chapter 5

    The SUVs pull up to the packhouse without another rogue attack. All the students enter and told to go to the basement. I hear the bell, the bell that calls for pack meetings. This one is sounding with urgency. The meeting will happen now. Luna Grace is standing on the platform in the middle of the room. My mom is beside her as a relay to Alpha Drake, my dad, and the warriors. Mr. Angel is one of the last to enter the basement. He quickly scans the crowd, his eyes finally finding me. He then walks up to my mom and he talks to her through link because his lips re not moving. 

    She snaps her head up directly at me. She then looks at Luna Grace and Luna nods. I look over at the door to the basement and see my brother Mark guarding it. Everyone is quiet, waiting for the meeting to begin. To my surprise, Luna Grace steps to the side, giving Mr. Angel center platform. He tells the legend that he told me about at lunchtime. He didn’t identify me but he did say he gave the tome to a female student who had not shifted yet. He bows to Luna Grace before taking his seat. 

    Luna Grace takes center point again. “The rogues got into the school today. We believe they have been watching over our pups. I believe they are there for one person as the attack happened outside a particular classroom. No student will leave a classroom alone. If the true one is amongst us, she will be able to do everything Mr. Angel spoke of. School is cancelled for tomorrow. You will have to check you emails for the lectures and to submit assignments.” 

    Luna Grace walks off the platform along with Mom. Mom links me to meet her in Alpha Drake’s office. I sigh before I reply to her that I will. I tell my group that I will meet them upstairs in my room and to get snacks. After that, I walk to Alpha Drake’s office where the door is open. I still give the obligatory knock before proceeding inside. 

    Mr. Angel has followed me to Alpha Drake’s office. Once he is inside, he closes the door behind him. Alpha Drake ushers us to take a seat. I look around the room and notice Mrs. Mitchell is present which surprises me. Alpha Drake addresses Mr. Angel first. 

    “Is this the student you spoke of at the meeting?” asks Alpha Drake, referring to me. 

    “Yes alpha, she is,” answers Mr. Angel. 

    “Shyanne, have you had a chance to attempt to open the tome yet?” asks Luna Grace. 

    "No ma’am. I proceeded to study period but when my fingers grazed my chemistry book, I felt there would be a pop quiz so I studied for it instead,” I reply. 

    Everyone else looked at one another. 

    "Has anyone ever thought I may not be the true one? That maybe everything going on with me is just coincidences. Maybe I am the mate of the true one? I say. 

    “Shyanne, why don’t you try to open it now, honey?” Mom asks. 

    I sigh and reach down for my bag. I carefully grab the tome and hoist it out of the bag. I put my bag back onto the ground and inspect the tome. I see the lock but the hole is not big enough for any key ever made. I rub the inscription around the lock to clear the dust so I can read it. Maybe it will have a clue as to how to open the tome. I feel the inscription and look closer. 

    “Verum est sanguis,” I read aloud, confused. 

    “Blood of true one,” says Mrs. Mitchell. 

    I still have no idea on why she is here. I exposed myself protecting you and was summoned here, Mrs. Mitchell said in my head. Alpha Drake approaches me and reach for my hand. He holds it up and pricks my finger with one of his claws. A tiny bit of blood escapes before the pinhole seals itself almost immediately. Shocked, he drops my hand. I place the blood droplet right over the hole of the lock. Everyone in the room is holding their breath. The tome rises from my lap and lands on Alpha Drake’s desk. We hear the faintest click before the tome opens on its own. Everyone in the room looks at me in total shock, as if seeing me for the first time. 

    I lower my head, uncomfortable from the sudden attention. Mom is so shocked she can’t move. Alpha Drake sucks in his breath. Luna Grace bows slightly towards me. Mrs. Mitchell is the first to break the silence. 

    “Alpha, would you grant me boarding on this land? My dedication is to serve the true one, who we now know is within this pack. It will help with protection of Diamond Rough as well,” says Mrs. Mitchell. 

    Alpha Drake looks at me. Everyone seems to be waiting for me to speak. I looked around, fidgeting. Are they expecting answer from me? I wondered. Yes, and we are all waiting, says Mrs. Mitchell. I slowly nod my head and Alpha Drake replies aloud for me. 

    “Beta Aljep will oversee the construction of your house. For now, I suggest you stay in the packhouse,” said Alpha Drake. “Future Beta Mark will escort you into town to retrieve your possessions. Gamma Mattie will make sure an omega or two have a suite ready when you return.” 

    “Thank you kindly Alpha Drake. Again, I apologize about the deceit of being human,” says Mrs. Mitchell. 

    “Alpha Drake, I have some young ladies waiting for me upstairs. We have been doing homework together for the past week and I would like to head upstairs to them. That is, if I may. This was supposed to have been something I did in private. All I wanted, was to know a little more about myself before my first shift. I didn’t want all of this attention yet. I’m still only fifteen,” I say as I stand up. 

    Alpha Drake inclines his head in a mini-bow. “Of course, Your Highness. Will we see you at this event?” 

    Awkwardly closing the tome again and returning it to my bag, I turn to Alpha Drake. “Yes, Alpha, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” I then turn and leave the room. Once I close the door behind me, I make a mad dash upstairs to my room. 

    I burst into the room, slamming the door behind me. Everyone looks up at me in shock. I go into my bathroom before anyone else can say a word. After learning that I am the true one, I just want to be alone. I take a few deep breaths, relieve myself, and wash my hands and face. I refocus my energy on my assignments and the study group. 

    I calmly walk back into the bedroom and notice the girls watching me. I smile at them and take my seat. I pull out my geometry and get it done. Before everyone else has finished different assignments, I hear a ping go off and I glance at my computer. It’s an email from Cassius with a subject line of chemistry notes. 

    “Marie, after group, would you mind scanning my entire chemistry notebook into a folder on my computer?” I ask her. 

    “I need a break right now so I’ll start for her,” said Jana. She was rubbing her temples again. She was doing a history paper. I hope Mom finds a werewolf history teacher soon because human history seems to be kicking Jana’s butt, I thought. 

    I start my own history assignment but think about the others. Rain sits in the chair beside me with her English, Chemistry, and Geometry assignments. I quickly check over them, pointing out small errors in equations but she has most of them right. Before she gets up, I look over her previous report card and find mostly high marks. I tell her to keep up the great work and we will get her below average mark raised in Geometry. She goes back to her seat to correct her mistakes and tackle History. 

    After I finish my history assignment, I reach for my English. Before I can begin, I see Skylar rise. I grab her previous report card and find all above average marks. I smile and check over her assignments as she sits down. Ony a few mix-ups for geometry, otherwise the rest is great. I see Essence stand as Skylar picks up her assignments and head back to her seat. 

    I look over Essence’s report card as she sits down next to me. I am in total shock at all of the below average marks. I look over her assignments and find all the work is correct. 

    “You’re a bright girl Essence. Let’s finish the school year strong, okay?” I said. 

    “Thank you, Shyanne,” she replies. 

    “No one leaves until all of you are done. Since you are finished, here is my history notebook. Copy it into your own. Start from the beginning. We will still meet tomorrow. Better yet, can you finish scanning the Chemistry notebook in? Then do the History notebook into a separate folder. At least until the rest are done. If you don’t mind,” I say to her. 

    She nods and puts her things together. Sitting her bag on her chair, she takes over my Chemistry notes from Jana. Jana returns to her History paper. Halfway through my English assignment, Rain returns to the chair beside me with her History assignment. Everything appears in order with that assignment. I pass her my Geometry notebook. 

    “Copy it from the beginning into your own. Mrs. Mitchell probably won’t have the study guide ready tonight because she is moving today.” 

    Rain nods and mumbles a quick thank you. She even gives me a side hug. I chuckle and look up at Jamie and Marie as Rain returns to her seat. Jamie is looking back through notes and a textbook. Looks like she is tackling History. Marie is yawning and looking a bit lazy. I tap my wrist when she looks at me. She nods and gets back into whatever assignment she is working on. 

    I finish my English assignment and check my email on my phone for my Chemistry assignment. I read the appropriate section before Marie sits down beside me. I check Marie’s assignments over and her previous report card. I shake my head in disapproval. I know her potential and I know she was not doing her best. She hangs her head, sensing my disapproval. I hand her back her assignments. All are correct. 

    “I know, Shy. I know,” Marie says. 

    She gathers her assignments and puts them in the appropriate notebooks. She then puts her books and notebooks away before taking over for Essence. Essence has started scanning in my History notebook. Grateful to be able to take Chemistry notes, I pull up the notes from my email on my phone. I see Essence watching me, so I give an explanation. 

    “You commit stuff to memory better when you do it in triplicate: see (read) it, hear it, and write it,” I said. “And the pop quiz in my class lasted almost the period even though I was done in ten minutes,” I add. 

    She nods and starts collecting the trash from the various snacks and drinks. The last one is Jamie. She seems to be really struggling with her assignment. 

    “Jamie, please bring it to me. Never be afraid to ask for help,” I tell her. 

    Jamie reluctantly brings me what she is working on. I look at it and frown. This isn’t a current assignment. 

    “I have until Monday to make up missed assignments. All my current ones are done. I just wanted to make better use of our time here,” she says. 

    “It’s okay, we have tomorrow too. No new assignments then,” I say. “Since everyone is finished, you are free to head to your arranged duties. Marie is already doing hers. I will see you all tomorrow or tonight when Marie and I meet our wolves for the first time.” 

    They all thank me. Jamie packs up her items and helps the others with their cups and plates. Beside me, Jana lets out a sigh of relief. I raise an eyebrow. 

    “This one really kicked my butt. Why were you late?” asks Jana. 

    “So I could open a book,” I smirk and delve back into my chemistry. 

    Marie finishes up my History notebook and holds up my Geometry one. I nod and she gets to work. Jana begins her paper for English as I pull my Chemistry book to me once again, this time to do my notes. I get them done in lightning speed because I have already read the section. I tackle the assignment but it takes me a little longer to complete because Jana had that tome at the forefront of my mind again. I want nothing more than to be alone with it. 

    I end up finishing Chemistry just as Marie finishes scanning my English notebook. We both stretch. Jana has left, leaving the rest of her paper until tomorrow. I thank Marie and dismiss her for the rest of the evening. I sit down at my computer and zip all the folders individually before emailing Cassius the Chemistry folder. I head into my bathroom and take a long shower before I fall into bed for a nap.