Not just the Beta (Oriana and Slade) novel Chapter 43

Slade

He was coming from class the next day and found Audrey waiting for him by her dorm building. She looked at him and half whispered “I’m so sorry Slade.” She’d stepped towards him. “I just lost control for a minute.” she’d reached out to touch his arm and he’d actually stopped her from doing so.

“No more, Audrey.” He’d murmured and seen her eyes go really wide, then tears had brimmed in them as she’d looked at him.

“Slade.” She’d half begged him.

“Nothing between us till the full moon from now on.” He told her “You were out of control.”

“Then can we talk privately.” She’d murmured, biting her lip a little, looked nervous to him to be honest, and he’d sighed a little on the heavy side, and nodded his head, they could not have this conversation in full view of others.

They’d walked into her dorm building and up to her room, she’d closed the door behind him softly, as he’d looked around the room, he’d not been in there for weeks, he’d realised, they were mostly always at his place. There were many pictures of him and her here, ones they’d taken together, and a few others had taken of them even.

There was a framed photo of him next to her bed, and one on her study desk of the two of them together, and she’d reached out to touch his arm, he’d looked at her hand and gently removed it “I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to be touching each other until after the full moon Audrey, after last night and what happened, definitely no sex between us until we know officially.” He’d told her his thoughts on the matter.

“I’m sorry Slade, but you don’t know how hard it is sometimes, to be able to be the only one to feel our bond, to deny myself or my wolf. Our need to mark and mate you, which you know I do. I just got lost in that, last night, was all. I didn’t mean to, haven’t before. Will have better control.”

“That is why we shouldn’t do anything at all, till the moon sets, Audrey, because you did lose control.” He stated and looked right at her “It’s for the best, I think.”

He saw her try to reach out and touch him and actually took a step back from her, “Especially

when we’re alone like this.”

“You’re mad at me.” She stated, and he saw tears fill her eyes and spill down her face.

He sighed again “I’m not so much as mad Audrey, more…shocked I guess.” He ran a hand through his hair, would normally want to hold her to his chest and comfort her in a moment like this. Not wanting to see her unhappy or sad. But he didn’t think it was wise to be that close to the girl right that minute. “I’m sorry that I don’t feel what you do. Our bond like you do. But I don’t at this point you know that.”

He watched her nod her head as she looked at him with tears still in her eyes.

“Hail,” he told her, “he was really mad about you trying to Mark him, claim him without him knowing what you are to him. He is of the opinion it’s not going to happen until he scents you out. Is weary of you and your beast himself now, I suppose you could say.”

“Slade, it’s so strong for me now, with just days till the full moon, and I ache, my wolf, she aches to claim what is ours is all. I struggle with it at times. I know we do have to wait, and not tell anyone. Why we’re in here talking about this and not out there even.” She nodded “But …” he watched her eyes drop to the floor of her room and her hands were together and fidgeting now.

“Did you mate yourself to me last night Audrey?” he asked the question he did actually need an answer to.

“No, Kiki wouldn’t allow it, she understands that we need to wait, that Hail would want us to even. It was actually me that was out of control, not my wolf.”

“At least one of you has control then,” He murmured.

“She has more self-control than I do.” She looked at him finally, and he could tell she was more than nervous “but…” she bit her lip a little and when she didn’t speak. There was a slight tremble in her words “I’m pregnant.” She murmured softly, he watched her ring her hands together, “I only found out a few days ago, I tried not to tell you till the full moon, didn’t want you to feel pressured into doing anything before then.”

He was just staring at her now, more than shocked by her words as she continued to talk “ with knowing what you are to me, and now a pup, I just lost control was all. I’ll try to be better.

He did not really know what to say to her as she stood there before him all nervously imparting this news to him. He was letting his brain tick now, right this very minute. She’d tried to Mark and Mate him, and he’d had to stop her. Now here she was all apologetic and claiming it was because she was pregnant with his pup.

His eyes moved down along her body, as Hail smelled her, and tuned his own hearing into her lower abdomen. It was just him and her in this room, there was no need to hide his wolf trying to scent her. “How far along?” he asked out of pure curiosity.

“You’re not pregnant, but claim to be. Are trying to get me to Mark you before the full moon. Tried to Mark me last night before the full moon.”

“I… I don’t lie.” She gasped up at him “it’s just early, Slade.”

“A pregnant she-wolf smells different, gets another scent, usually sweet, and to the father of the pup, it’s delectable, and irresistible.” He stared down at her all hard, “I smell nothing.” He snarled at her and shoved himself away from her, banged right out of the dorm room and walked away from her.

She stalked after him out into the hall. “I’ll reject you when the full moon comes, Slade. I’ll kill your pup.” She snarled at him.

He stopped walking and turned to look at her. “I guess I’ll suffer the consequences then, won’t l!” he told her. He did not believe a word she said. She also couldn’t kill nothing, he saw one of the mated wolf couples walk into the corridor, and noticed their bands were blue. Realised what he’d not picked up on and should have this whole time, if she scented him out. He held up that moonstone band around his wrist to her “You don’t scent me at all. Sucked me in real good. Gullible I am, I see.” and it was clear to him now that he had been. The evidence of her not being his mate was right there on her wrist for all to see.

“I never said I scented you, Slade. That I just felt the sparks on my skin was all.” She grated out.

“Well I guess we’ll see, won’t we. I wonder what Alpha Gretta will do with you, when she finds out?” he stated. “Coercion is reportable.”

“So is that you got me pregnant and now refuse to take responsibility for it.” She yelled right back at him as others came up into the hallway.

He heard several wolves gasp in shock, and saw her turn and bang back into her room. He could see those other wolves all staring at him, judging him, he knew. Everyone here knew that he and Audrey were together and exclusive at that.

He turned and stalked away, he would wait and see, the full moon was just a few days away. If she really was pregnant, and he just couldn’t detect it yet, she’d go to Alpha Gretta herself about it. To have him hauled in and both their families would be called in to help deal with the consequences.

He didn’t believe she would do that, she smelled no different to him or Hail, unlike Ori, who had smelled like his favourite cookie, naturally smelled to him like a Golden Rough, now smelled like a caramelized golden rough cookie. Something he loved to eat, because he was the father of her pup.

He returned to his room and slammed the door shut, stood there with his hands balled at his sides. He’d been stupidly duped into thinking Audrey was his Goddess Gifted and had told Ori that. Which in turn had stopped her from telling him she was pregnant with his pup. His life, he now realised, was in complete ruins.