Beauty and The Beta (Bailey)

16

Chapter 16 Asher

After tossing and turning, for goddess knows how many more hours after my recurring nightmare, | had given up

all hope of sleep findingagain. Though in sways | think sleep was something | dreaded because it

brought that vision over and over. It meant | had to lose Isla again and again. The pain had been the worst pain |

could ever imagine. |, like so many others, had heard of wolves losing their mate and the damage it could do to

them, but never thought much of it. Though, | suppose, as a young and carefree boy, enjoying my life and

having fun, why would you?

But, at the age of seventeen, fate had decided that was what fate would be dealt to me. | was to discover

exactly what the pain could be. Discover the agonizing sensation as agony rippled through my body as the

matebond was torn from me. Experience exactly how torturous the loss. would feel, and despite being

surrounded by a pack, just how lonely you could feel when the one person destined to be by your side was no

longer there. | had barely had a chance to develop a long- standing bond with my mate, but she was mine all the

same. The connection was there, like it was with all fated mates. And losing her felt like my heart had been

ripped from my chest and shredded into pieces.

And now, near seven years on, | felt like | was still trying to piece it all together, and | still felt like there were

picces missing. Pieces of my heart are missing and pieces ofare missing. And these dreams... these visions,

reliving it all meant | felt that pain... experienced it all... so often... too often... | could see how losing a mate

could send a person to the brink of insanity. | think | may have verged upon that edge many times. | sometimes

wonder if my own pack members question if | have already teetered over the edge. But, my focus in coping was

my role as a Beta.

Soon after | lost my beautiful girl, Caleb becAlpha and | becBeta. It gavea sense of purpose. | had

a pack to be there for. | had failed my mate. | knew that, and would never forgive myself for that. But, | could be

there for the people within my pack. And that is what I had tried to do. Doing so many more duties than were

expected of me, just to keep my mind busy. But, in my own time, | was very isolated. | becwithdrawn. But,

that was what felt right. That was where | wanted to be. Alone.

| know | caused many concerns and rumors to be spread about my darkness and the fact | was so withdrawn.

Living alone within the packhouse, now Caleb lived within his Alpha hwith his mate and our pack Luna, only

made the situation worse. But, | could not bring myself to live in my former Beta hthat Isla and | had moved

into when she had cto the pack. The hheld too many memories. We had only been there a short time

together, but it held memories of love. Hope. Excitement. Dreams of new mates and their future. The two of us

together. Returning there alone after she had gone, it felt like the house was empty. Like something was missing.

| couldn't stay...

So, | had moved into the Beta suite within the Packhouse and | had stayed there. Our pack was unique in that it

had many homes for all our pack members, so despite the bedrooms within the packhouse, they were not

needed. There was nobody living in the packhouse now other than me. So, once the crowds from the day had

left, it becquite lonely. But, | have to say | preferred it

that way.

I had showered and sat myself in my office, coffee in hand, reading through files in preparation for my meeting

later in the morning. Sshe-wolf from a pack further out in the region, | believe, who my Uncle was

suggesting as a potential teacher for the pack’s junior school. As much

12:23 PM

Chapter 16 Asher

as | respect my Uncle, he had been drinking the night he was trying to suggest this woman to me, so | had

decided it would be best to invite the girl to the pack for us to speak with her and cto our own conclusion on

whether she would be suitable. | did not want just anyone being brought into the pack, no matter how desperate

we may be.

“Good Morning handsome!” Eden greeted me, as she cinto the office, Caleb holding the office door open for

her, a smile upon his face.

“That is more than | got. She glared at me, and hissed that this was all my fault while she, in a far from lady-like

manner, rolled out of bed.” Caleb laughed, and | held back the smirk playing on my lips. Eden had a habit of

blaming her pregnancy discomfort on her mate.

“What he fails to mention is that he offered to givea push!” Eden says, playfully ruffling Caleb’s dark hair.

| raised my eyebrows at him. “Well, you likely deserve everything you get.” | said with a shake of my head, trying

not to laugh.

“Not like either of you have to go through this.” Eden argues, easing herself down onto the sofa at the edge of

my office. “What tare our visitors from Lotus Shadow Pack arriving?”

“Honestly, she makes out like she is the first she-wolf to go through pregnancy and childbirth.” Caleb says with a

shrug, and a wink in my direction, indicating he is being playful, but even | know he is asking for trouble. His

mate is not going to appreciate the implication that she is not capable of pregnancy. Or that it is easy. | glance

across to Eden and the angry look upon her face. tellsshe is ready to rip her mate apart. Hmm, yeah | don’t

think I will get involved in this...

“They should be on their way anytnow for the interview.” | answered Eden’s question, choosing to ignore

Caleb.

“Why are you interviewing them? We need a teacher, she is qualified and comes recommended from Alpha

Isaak.” Eden questions, looking atwith confusion. This irritateswhen she suddenly decides how | do

things is not the right way, despite the fact | have been doing this job a

job, not to mention

lot longer than she has been here. And | have undertaken training to do “e been doing this job a

watching my Dad do the job for years as well.

“Oh, so you are happy to let anyone cinto the pack without checking their details first? And I'm pretty sure

Uncle Isaak was more than well gone on tequila when he was making that recommendation, so yeah | think we

will do our own checks first.” | say, knowing | sound more than a little snappy, but being past caring. This has

beca regular occurrence of late. But, | had little patience to deal with others. Everything they did simply

irritated me. | prefer to be alone.

“Ash, no need to be like that.” Caleb says with a warning tone. Funny how he was being a d*ck with his mate a

matter of minutes ago and now suddenly he is jumping to her defense. | simply shrugged in response.

“Well, they are on their way. An interview has been arranged. We will decide from there.” | said, standing from

my desk, needing sfresh air before | said something | regretted.

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