A Beta's Determination

Introductions

Sam

"How did I know you and the others would get anything done being together?"

Colleen looked at me with her blushing cheeks and bright smile, "Well, love, you know how it is when you and the guys are all together; not s**t gets done that needs to. It's the same for us ladies, so you can't hold that against us."

She was right, after all. I had no room to talk; when it came to getting the simple s**t done between us men, it was impossible at times to not be chaperoned. I hated Julia would get pissed and take it out on Elijah, which in return would take it out on us guys, which ended up Jax training us until we dropped, following the bitching.

"Well, I am not taking the bitching this time. You ladies better get those decorations up tonight, or she is going to chew you all a new one, not the guys this time."

"Yes, Sam. We will get them taken care of after dinner. Anything else you want to add to that, master?" Colleen rolled her eyes, huffing at the same time.

"I just don't feel like doing Supermans until I drop this time, all because you ladies like to gossip too much instead of completing a task at hand," looking at her with my arms crossed.

"You are an ass, Samuel Black," Colleen stomped off back into the kitchen of the packhouse.

Damn, what did I do this time?

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Elijah

"So tell us a little bit about yourselves," leaning back in my lounge chair by the fire, looking in the direction of three guests.

"Well, I am Lucy, that's my roommate and best friend, more like a sister, Gabby, and that massive gentleman over there is Jonas," Lucy stated, sitting up in her chair pointing to her friends.

"Where are you all from?"

"Originally, Gabby and I are from Vegas, but I was born in Miami, Florida. Never lived there though, and Jonas is from here, born and raised in the great state of New York."

Lucy seemed to be relaxing to newcomers' like us, which made me feel comfortable about ourselves' introductions. Gabby came off as a little shy; as for Jonas, he hit it off pretty well with Rex, seeing how they had a lot in common, being bears and all.

"Gabby, are you okay?"

"Yes, Alpha. I just get nervous around meeting new people. I don't mean no disrespect."

In fact, she looked nervous and scares, which didn't help when all the other ladies came out to the patio and their mates joining them.

"Who is this?" 

Cat was standing beside Gabby, pointing in her direction as she said it.

"That is Gabby, Lucy's roommate. That's Jonas," I said, giving Cat the eye, indicating she was coming off as a snooty b***h. 

Cat, can you not be bitchy? Gabby is shy and nervous about meeting new people, so your aura is not helping her relax at all.

Sorry, Elijah. I totally forgot they were coming.

"Hi, I am Catalina, but you can call me Cat, female Gamma of Red Moon pack. This here is my mate, Christian." Cat pointed to Christian as he just nods his head.

"It's nice to meet you," Lucy and Gabby replied. 

"The rest of the ladies are inside with their mates, but I'm sure you all will meet them later," Cat stated, taking a seat in Christian's lap.

"Gabby, you said you were from Vegas; is that right?"

"That's right. Lucy and I were really young when we met each other at the same orphanage. At first, we didn't like each other because Lucy stole my favorite blanket, causing us to fight, making the headmistress pair us together on bunk beds. We had to be "system buddies" after that. Eventually, we started talking to each other, and then before we knew it, we were inseparable."

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened to your parents," I asked, pointing to both of the girls.

"Elijah, that's rude and personal," Julia smacked my arm.

I could hear Cat and Christian laughing off to my side, making me side glare at them.

"I apologize for that. Sometimes, Elijah gets ahead of himself," Julia smiled a genuine smile, making Gabby relax a bit.

"It's okay, Luna," Gabby replied.

"Oh please, call me Julia or Jules. We're not doing formalities right now. We are just people meeting new people and becoming acquainted with one another."

"Okay, Julia," Gabby smiled. She seemed to be more relaxed now.

"What you say, us ladies go inside and pop open a few bottles of wine and hang out; get to know each other?" 

"Hey, I'm down for a good time," Lucy stated, smiling as she stood.

I knew she and Julia would get along great. If only Gabby could loosen up a bit, she would fit right in. Gabby reminded me a lot of Hope. Hope was shy at first, coming to my pack when she found one of my brothers as her mate, but after a few months of being here, it was as if she never missed a beat.

The ladies made their way back inside as we guys kept talking and bullshitting around.

"Jonas, tell me something about yourself and how did you come to take in two young ladies the way you did. They seem to be very fond of you, and you seem like a well-respected man, regardless of your looks," looking at Jonas with a respectful manner.

"Well, Alpha."

"Call me Elijah."

"Well, Elijah. I have known Lucy and Gabby for a few years now. I met them at this small diner one night, and they seemed upset and frustrated, so I came up and talked to them. I told them who I was, and for once, they seemed safe around me. Most people I meet or even just pass by on the street day today think I am some criminal because I have tattoos on almost every surface of my body and my size, in general, puts them in an uneasy feeling. I talked to the girls and asked them about themselves which they were happy they met someone from here. They didn't have a place to stay as they had literally just gotten into town that day and didn't know what the two were going to do as far as a place to stay, finding a job, or even making sure they had food to eat. I offered them to stay at my home and gave them a job at The Celestials, seeing how I own the place-"

"Wait, you own The Celestials?" Christian stated, looking dumbfounded.

"Yes, I do. Believe it or not, I have a business license, and The Celestials is the new club I just opened not too many years ago."

"I thought that place was brand new," Sam stated, taking a drink of his beer.

"That is only because we don't venture out much, so of course, we haven't ever seen it," I told him.

"Well, I got them a job there, and they began saving their money up for their own place. It didn't take them long to get enough money up; they went and bought a little condo not too far from the club. At one point, I wanted Lucy to become my assistant, but she declined because she didn't want the other employees thinking we had something going on or that I favored her more than the others."

"That's a sensible and professional decision," I told him, shaking my head in agreeance with him.

"There is one thing though," Jonas looked like he was having an internal battle with his thoughts.

"Rex knows all too well about what I am fixing to say, and I have only told one other person about it, Lucy, but I think and feel with every fiber of my being that Gabby is my partner."

All the guys, including myself, stopped and stared at Jonas with wide eyes and questionable thoughts.

"Are you going to tell her?" Evan piped in.

"I am afraid to. I did ask her out on a date this coming weekend. I know Gabby thinks I like her due to how I act around her, but I am not sure if she knows how bears find their partners "aka mates" in your terms, and I am afraid she may reject me because I can't feel anything from her. I probably sound like a whiny p***y, but a bear finding its partner is just like a wolf finding its mate. It's that important to us."

"You need to talk to her; tell her how you feel. You would be surprised at the outcome. You don't want to know how I found Evie; that's for another night," Rex replied, laughing and downing his scotch.

"Jonas, I think this trip we are going to take would be the best opportunity to pursue your destiny with her. If you feel a pull towards Gabby, you need to act on it. The more you wait, the more it is going to eat you alive, knowing she is so close in your arms reach, but all you have to do is say something. If you don't pursue it, then something happens one day, and she ends up possibly having another mate; you will feel like the biggest i***t for not going for it," I told him.

"You are all right. I guess I am just afraid of Gabby's reaction or her rejection," Jonas said as he sat back in the lounge chair that looked like it was too small for him in the first place.

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Colleen

"Ladies, this is Lucy and Gabby," I said, pointing to the two girls standing beside me.

"Lucy, Gabby, meet Sophia, Hope, Cass, Jo, Maria, and Evie." All the ladies were sitting around on the wrap-around couch with their wine in their hands.

"Hi," Lucy and Gabby said at the same time.

"Sit down, make yourself at home," Julia pointed to the massive brown leather couch.

We were finished with two bottles of red wine, and I could tell Gabby was becoming more comfortable with the situation and was even laughing and talking with the other ladies.

"Lucy, so you said you met our guys at the club you work at, is that right?" Cat raised her eyebrows as she crossed her arms. For some reason, Cat was acting like a royal dominant b***h, and I could tell Julia was fixing to put her in her place because of bitchy attitude.

I just sat back and listen to what Lucy had to say, "Yes, both Gabby and I work at The Celestials. We enjoy our job and are very respectful to every customer."

It seemed Lucy was catching on to how Cat was acting, and from what I gathered about Lucy, she wasn't one to take any s**t from anyone. I guess growing up in an orphanage makes you grow that tough skin everyone talks about and helps you become guarded and wise in certain situations, I thought.

"So, are you mated, or do you just find vulnerable men to mess around with in your spare time?"

"CATALINA!!!" Julia roared in her Luna tone. 

"You will not be disrespectful. These are guests in our house, and you will be respectful. As the female Gamma and my best friend, I thought you had more respect and knowledge than that. Don't be so ignorant."

Julia was pissed and apologized to the two girls.

"I don't know what the hell her problem is, but I aim to find out. Again, I apologize for her behavior; she is normally not like that at all, and it surprised the hell out of me that she was so disrespectful to you both."

The rest of the night went on smoothly as we talked about ourselves, where we were all from, and how the mated ones met their mate. Julia gave bits and pieces of her life story but left out critical personal details that maybe she would let them in on it one day when she knew them well enough. 

I began to feel more comfortable around Lucy, even though I wished to have met her before my husband did and under different circumstances. Gabby seemed real down to Earth, except for the shy part, which I was fully convinced that if they continued to hang out with us, her recluseness would soon disintegrate.

The ladies seemed to begin getting along pretty well except for Cat. It was bizarre for her to act the way she did. Cat was not one to be a b***h like that to anyone unless they brought it on themselves. Along with Jules, I was going to find out what the deal was once our guests had left.

"Are you bitches ready for the trip?" Evie was now three sheets in the wind and had now taken her shirt off, causing Gabby's jaw to hit the floor.

"Evie, what the hell are you doing? You know Rex is going to be pissed because you promised him you wouldn't drink as much and act a fool," Julia said, laughing at how Evie was trying to come up with a good excuse as to why she was plastered.

"Evie, we have guests here," I said, feeling so embarrassed.

"It's okay, really. We have times where we end up just like that, if not worse," Lucy was laughing and trying to hold Evie up.

"So who is ready for the trip?" I said, trying to break the awkwardness of Evie's display.

"I was born ready," Cass replied.

"Do you know how long it has been since I have been out of the state of New York? Too damn long, and I need this trip." Cass said, turning up her glass of wine and downing it.

If they kept it up at this rate, everyone was going to be drunk, except for Hope, and the guys were definitely going to have a time with this one. Oh well, I decided to let loose and join them, grabbing the bottle of white wine from the icebox on the side table.

"Do you two want some more?" I asked Lucy and Gabby, pretty much telling them they would drink some more as I poured the chilled liquid into their glasses.

"Uhhmm sure," Gabby replied, laughing and shrugging her shoulders.

"This has been the best night we have had in a long time. We needed this girl's night, and even though we didn't go out anywhere, it was still fun. Also, we met two new potential friends out of the pack, so I would say this night has been accomplished," Julia said, smiling at all of us and raising her glass for a toast.

We made our way to the middle of the living room and raised our glasses to make a toast, "Here is to new friendships, new beginnings, and a trip we are never going to forget," Julia raised her glass, as everyone followed suit. You could hear the clinking of the glasses, and the next thing we heard definitely got our attention.

"EVIE, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Elijah roared through the packhouse, causing the babies upstairs to wake and start crying.

"What? Don't act like you haven't ever gotten drunk," Evie c****d her head to the side.

"Ohh, this is going to be good," I could hear one of the other ladies say under her breath.

"Evie, we have guests here, and I am pretty sure they don't want to see you galavanting through the living room in your bra." Elijah was as red as a stop sign by now; everyone knew not to say a word when it came to quarrels between him and his sister. We just sit back and watch the action.

"Elijah, you may be the Alpha, but I am your sister, and I can do what I want when I want," Evie snapped back at him, making Elijah's eyes turn black in a heartbeat.

"YOU ARE RIGHT, I AM THE ALPHA, AND I COMMAND YOU TO SUBMIT!!!" Elijah's voice boomed through the house; it made Angelina and a few others come running downstairs and into the living room in a split second. It all happened so fast. All you could hear one minute Elijah and Evie yelling at each other, then the next Angelina's voice screeching at Evie and making Rex take her, kicking and screaming over his shoulder back to their house.

I knew Evie was going to feel like s**t and be so embarrassed and disappointed by her actions the next morning, so no one said a word as Rex nodded to everyone telling us good night, and made his way out the door.

"You guys, I apologize on behalf of my sister's behavior tonight. She is normally not like this and definitely doesn't drink a lot, but it's go big or go home when she does. In her case, it was going home," Elijah chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. Julia had gone upstairs to get the kids back to sleep as everyone else just sat there, trying to comprehend what just happened. Honestly, I have seen Elijah and Evie, and even Evan, Easton, and Ethan all argue before, but tonight was for sure one for the books.

"It's quite alright, Elijah. It's not like we all haven't gotten drunk and done something stupid or embarrassing in our time. To me, you all are my kind of people. I mean, I plan on coming back to hang out and visit more, even after the Christmas trip, if that's okay with you all?" Lucy was looking around the room at all of us.

"I think it is safe to say, you, Gabby, and Jonas are more than welcome to come to Red Moon pack anytime you want. Even though you are considered rogue, and I am not sure what you would be regarded as Jonas, but either way, you all are welcome on our territory and in our packhouse. I hope tonight does not scare you off, Gabby. I know how shy you were at first, and then seeing me and my sister go at it was probably something not on the agenda, but hell, when you come to the packhouse, sometimes you never know what is going to happen." Elijah shook Jonas's hand and gave Lucy and Gabby and friendly parting hug.

"Hector will escort you out and to the gate. I have Jonas's email address and will send the itinerary and information list for the trip tomorrow. If you all need anything at all, don't hesitate to call or text. I would like to have another get-together on the 15th, so make sure your calendars are free for that evening. My uncle and cousin will be arriving that morning, and I would like for everyone to meet before we leave for Tennessee. Are you up for that?" Elijah looked at Lucy, Gabby, and Jonas.

"Sounds good to me," Gabby smiled.

"I'm down," Jonas replied.

"Sure, why not. I have to meet your cousin eventually, right?" Lucy looked nervous, and I could hear her heart racing as she wiped her sweaty palms on her pants. 

"Luc, calm down. It's all going to work out," Gabby replied, rubbing small circles on her friend's back to soothe her.

"It's settled then; see you back here on the 15th at 7 pm." 

We all said our goodbyes and began parting our ways to our own rooms and homes. I was so exhausted and could not wait for my head to hit the pillow and for Sam to wrap his warm, strong arms around me and hold me close until I drifted off into another world.