True Beta

McKenzie Marks

Brea’s POV

I woke up and groaned. I could not wait until this pup was out of me. I had been here for two months, and my due date had come and gone. Mya was considering doing a c-section by the end of the week. I looked over at the boxes of things we had just ordered. I sighed. I knew I wouldn’t be able to get out of bed without James’ help, but my bladder would explode if I didn’t move soon.

“JAMES!”

He came strolling into the room laughing his head off. He loved it when he had to help me out of bed. He pulled me into a sitting position and helped me stand up. I felt a sharp pain in my back, but the pup had grown so large that he couldn’t help but spend a lot of time on my back. I got ready for the day slowly, the pain in my back coming and going. I knew I should tell James, but he would freak out. It was probably more of nothing.

I spent the day like I usually did. The packhouse had gotten finished a month early with the help of Axel and Ky. Lacy and I had been decorating and putting the final touches inside. James wanted to wait until after our son was born to move onto our floor.

I kept having to pee though. It felt like I had spent most of the day running back and forth to the bathroom. Which as big as my son was, my bladder was right on his butt. He had no more room to grow. I was picking a color for Lacy and my office when the pressure on my back got worse. The wind was knocked out of me. I felt more water trickling down my legs.

“Brea, are you okay?” Lacy was leading me to the couch that sat against the wall.

“I think I just peed...” I gasped. There was more and more pressure rolling in. “Get James, please.”

Her eyes glazed over as she linked with James. He barreled through the door, “Brea, what’s going on? Are you okay?”

I couldn’t speak as I grabbed his hand and squeezed it as hard as I could. He grunted from my grip. He climbed onto the back of the couch and settled me behind his legs, rubbing my shoulders. Mya came into the room, pulling her gloves on. She helped me pull my jeans off and covered me in a blanket. She laughed as she looked down in between my legs.

“Well, I think there is a little boy who is ready to meet his parents!” She squatted down, “James, I need you to push her further off the couch. Sit directly behind her and hold her legs. Brea on the next contraction, you need to bear down and push. He’s already crowned!”

James did exactly as he was told and kissed my cheek, “You can do this, Luna. I’m right here.”

I felt the contraction and pushed with everything I had. The room was silent as Mya held our son up to us. He didn’t cry, but his green eyes sparkled as he looked up at me. I felt the tears roll down my cheek and she placed him on my chest. I stroked his chubby little cheek and felt James wrap his arms around me. It was like my entire world stopped as his eyes searched mine. He was absolutely perfect.

“Reese McKenzie,” I whispered.

James’ breath hitched and he tightened his arms around me, “Brea, are you sure?”

I nodded, “No one has loved us as much as you have. He’s your son. No matter whose blood runs through his veins.”

James had told me about his pack before rogues had destroyed it. His father, who was the Alpha of the small pack was named Reese. James looked up to his father more than anyone and he had said he wanted to die just so he could be with him again. I looked back at my mate, tears streaming down his cheeks.

He had been amazing to me in the two months we had been with him, and ran his pack the way he told me his father had. Anything he could do for his pack members was done in a flash. Axel and Ky had taken to his leadership and were willing to follow him to the ends of the Earth. Just as it should be.

Soon Mya had helped me put my jeans back on and helped me home. Lacy hadn’t let Reese go until Axel and Ky came to welcome the newest addition to our pack. It was something I had started. Most of our pack were runaways or rogues, so they had no other family but us and what way to make them feel special and loved than to have at least 2 ranked members come to celebrate with them.

I couldn’t help as my eyes drooped from exhaustion. I could faintly hear James telling everyone to get out and promising to let them come back soon. Especially Lacy.

I felt him climb into bed with me and wrap his arms around me, “I love you, Brea.” He whispered as he kissed my head. I fell into a peaceful sleep.

I woke up a few hours later. It took me a second to realize that I didn’t hear my son crying. I couldn’t help the panic that rose into my chest as I looked at his empty crib. I tried to roll over, but James’ grip was too tight on my waist.

“James, where’s Reese?” I pulled at his arm.

“Sleeping.” He mumbled. He let go of me and I shot at the crib.

“His crib is empty!” I cried. The dread set in. I ran out of the room and went to the spare room that we were turning into a nursery. I smelled a strange scent, it wasn’t anyone in my pack but one I had recognized. My heart dropped to my stomach.

I bolted out of the house, shifting before I touched the ground. I followed the scent when I heard a wail. My instincts kicked into hyperdrive as Lei followed the sound. There stood my brother, holding my infant son. I skidded to a stop, Lei snared, her heckles raised, her eyes never moving from our pup.

“Calm down, b***h. I’m just taking him to his father.”

I snarled again, but I also heard an earth-shaking growl behind me. A large grey and grey wolf came to flank me, their snarls shaking the trees. James shifted.

“Give my son back now.” He growled.

“He is not your son. He is the future Alpha of Blackstone.” Leo rolled his eyes. “You can just breed the b***h, from what I hear she doesn’t mind it.”

Axel growled, but James held his hand up to silence him, “This is the last warning. Give my son back to his mother.”

Leo scoffed, turning on his heel. In a flash, Ky was behind him snapping his neck and grabbing Reese before Leo’s body had fallen to the ground. Ky handed Reese to James while holding out his sweater to me. I snatched my baby and cradled him to my chest. James shifted back and nudged me with his massive head, asking if the baby was okay. I checked over him. Besides being hungry, he was fine. I nodded at James, who scooped me on his back and sped back to the packhouse. He set me on the porch and went to the tree line to shift back. He came out running towards me pulling on sweats.

“Is he okay?” He asked, wrapping his arms around me.

I handed him, Reese, finding my own pair of sweats on the porch. We went up to his office. Mya was waiting for us. She gave Reese a quick checkup and gave the all-clear and even from across the room I felt James relax. My heart was still in my stomach as I fed Reese, his beautiful little eyes watching me, watching him.

“How the hell did he get into our borders? Let alone in the f*****g house?” James growled. I could tell he was mind linking, but I was still unmarked I couldn’t mind link anyone in the pack. His eyes were glazed over and his body grew rigid. He quickly turned towards the door, just as Ky and Axel came in. Lacy was holding Axel’s hand but he was still shaking.

“Mixed in with his scent is the scent of someone else. I can’t tell who it is, but I’ve already warned all the males we’re going to be patrolling 24/7 for the foreseeable future.” Ky plopped down on the couch. “I’ve got a few warriors who are willing to guard the house. I was planning to move into the packhouse if it’s okay with Brea and Lacy?”

I shrugged. Lacy looked down at the list she had been making.

“The second floor isn’t decorated at all. The furniture is supposed to get here sometime today at four.”

“That’s fine. In fact, I want us all in the packhouse by the end of the week. I don’t care what it costs, get this place done.” James commanded.

Axel nodded and pulled Lacy out of the room. Ky had his feet propped on the coffee table.

“Ky, I need you to call your brother and tell him we just killed the Gamma of Blackwood. A detailed report needs to be submitted to the council. I need one from you and Axel. Lacy can be a witness.” James pushed Ky’s feet off the table, “You weren’t raised by animals.”

Ky laughed but got up. He gently rubbed my shoulder, earning a growl from James. I gave Ky a small smile and he left. James had sat on the couch opening his arms to me. I went and sat next to him. We sat silently just watching Reese fall asleep. He wrapped his arm around me, and puleed me closer to his side.

“I never wanted to rush you, but with everything going on, I need to mark you, Brea. I have a feeling things are about to get a hundred times worse around here and I need to be able to contact you at any time.” He said, pulling my face to look up at him. “I want to keep you and our son safe.”

I nodded. It was the first time we had talked about anything like that. I just had a baby. I would not be able to mate for a few more weeks. I knew his wolf, Gray, was going insane. Alphas had a baser instinct to mark their mates than any other wolf. A mated Alpha was one of the strongest creatures in the world.

Lei wasn’t exactly happy about the fact that we hadn’t been marked either. She had been pestering me for weeks. Just thinking about it had her wagging her tail and barking playfully. She felt she had waited long enough to be able to talk to Gray.

“Okay,” I said finally. “Let’s do it now.”

“Okay. Uhm, do you want to put Reese down or give him to Lacy… Mya maybe?”

“Lacy is busy. We can call Mya.”

He went to call Mya. A few seconds after he hung up the phone, Mya was strolling through the door. She had gotten the stroller from my office and placed him in it. She smiled at me and gave me a wink. Just as she closed the door, James ran back to sit beside me, his face buried in my neck. He kissed and licked until he found a spot he liked. He inhaled deeply, taking in my scent. He growled softly before placing another open-mouthed kiss on the spot.

“Ready?” He said as he elongated his canines. I nodded and he sank his teeth into me. I felt my body explode in a heated passion. I moaned deeply, grabbing his shirt and pulling him deeper into me. He deepened his bite, his own pleasurable groan ringing in my ears. I shuddered as he sealed his mark. He crashed his lips into mine. I could still taste the small amount of blood in his mouth. He bared his neck to me, and I wanted to cry.

Alphas didn’t bare their necks to anyone. Except for their mates. The neck was the most vulnerable part of a wolf, and we only showed it in submission or to our mates while being marked. My mother had been with my father for over 25 years and though my father had forcibly marked her, she was never able to mark him back. Their bond was shaky at best. My father had only marked my mom so that she wouldn’t leave him. It was only when she was pregnant with me, did he finally mark his mate. Most of the men in the Blackwood pack were unmarked.

James wiped a tear from my cheeks, kissing me softly, “I want to show everyone that I am taken by the most beautiful Luna there ever was or could ever be.” He tilted his head again to show me his marking spot.

I kissed up and down along his collar bone, finding a place where his scent was strongest. Once I found it, Lei came forward and solidified our bond. She quickly pulled back, her entire body buzzing with excitement as she spoke to her mate for the first time. I felt James’ power flow into my body and some of his pain. He had been through so much more than anyone could imagine. He was the only one of the Norton Alpha’s to remember his family. Though Alpha Leon went back to claim his pack, he had no real memories of his family. James hadn’t told anyone. He had suffered for two years alone and scared.

He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to straddle his lap, his nose brushing my newly forming mark, “I love that you smell like me now. No one can take you from me.”

I kissed his cheek; my body was exhausted. I fell asleep with my face nuzzled into his chest.