Not just the Beta (Oriana and Slade) novel Chapter 83

Slade

Slade got Vance’s number before leaving the pack, and invited that man to his pack to come and train with them. Put their warriors through some new techniques, Vance smiled and nodded “I’ve not been out to Highland Hills for a while, since oh, you were 17 I’d say.”

“Well, things as you can see, have changed a bit in the past three years. I’ll be 20 in a month’s time. Come for my birthday, I’ll send an invite.”

“A big party?” Vance asked.

“No party. I rarely drink, like you one or two, but there is a nightclub you can frequent.”

“Okay.” Vance nodded.

“Good, pack to stay for a few weeks.” Slade nodded and saw Hayden’s deep frown, “train me and the boys up, I quite enjoyed watching them get their butts kicked,” he jerked his thumb at the Alpha Unit. “And I wouldn’t mind learning some new skills, I do like training.”

“Like it!” Palmer muttered “It’s all you do nowadays.”

Palmer wasn’t wrong, he found no real enjoyment in life, training hours upon hours was a good distraction from his thoughts; that could turn dark very quickly. He raised an eyebrow at his Gamma but then continued to talk to Vance, “It will be good for me and my unit, extra training so to speak. Bring Sybil, I think she and I need a rematch.” He had to watch his words around Hayden and that boy hadn’t looked too happy at all about hearing him wanting to bring another Beta into the pack.

Vance had chuckled “Sure, I’ll pit her against your elite too. If your dad lets me, she’ll love that.

Everyone underestimates her because she’s tiny. I’ll check my schedule and let you know when I can come, but your birthday, now I’ll be there for that.” He smiled “The ladies will love me, Dariah’s

what now?” he smirked and then was gone at the low growl that came from Slade. Though he’d only done it to play with the man. A full torment, but she would be 18 this year, though she was hoping to snag herself one border patroller named Art.

He didn’t think their parents were aware of that, she kind of kept it to herself, but he’d seen that she and Crystal prowled the border over the past year, and it was always down where the man was. Art was part of his social circle and a good wolf. Trained hard, and he would throw him into Vance’s training sessions just in case she was actually mated off to Art, that boy liked Dariah.

Their whole social group had known it for years, teased him about it before she was even 16 and allowed to actually date. Not that he’d seen her date anyone, but it wouldn’t surprise him if his little sister was secretly dating Art. He’d always wanted to be on border patrol, and even if he was off duty, would race off to a rogue attack and just launch himself into it. He was all about protecting the pack, so would be all about protecting Dariah. Slade liked the boy for his sister.

He got in his car with his unit, and they drove away from the Cloudless Sulphur Pack, oddly named but apt for its area. The pack was always filled with yellow butterflies, which was what the pack was named after. So much so that they now bred butterflies, though this pack itself was known for the honey they made. Out the back in the open fields were row upon row of beehives.

This was the first mating ball he’d attended all year long, in which he’d found someone, he thought, was actually going to be the perfect replacement for the Beta he now had. They’d been on the look out for nearly a year and this was their first real agreement on the same person. He wanted to hang out with Vance and get to know him, have the boys get to know him and see if they were actually right about him and his personality.

They’d trained Hayden up as was required, and properly, if they trained, so did he, he was expected to study those rules books, attend border patrol, and after a few months he’d been allowed to hang out with them at times. Like a proper part of the Alpha Unit, though not all the time, Slade still encouraged the boy to hang out with his own social group every other day.

Had told him simply, honestly “You can keep your friends Hayden, and you should, it will be good for you and the pack. My friends and full social them still have issues with you, being in her was the same as your sister’s and some of

Which they did, though they all also knew that Slade wasn’t happy about it, and that they could say happy about it, and that they could say whatever they liked about Hayden in front of him without backlash or repercussions. All he’d asked was if they gave their opinion honestly about anything to do with that day or Hayden and Oriana, that they keep his, Palmer and Yuri’s name out of it and

They all also knew he was actively searching for her to bring her home, and was in the tech building learning how to be a tech so he could help. He t computer minded though, and it was hard learning, so he actually had to spend quite a bit of time there with them. That kept him away from Hayden.

There had been days over the past year that Hayden had found it very uncomfortable with him and his unit. The day of her birthday, hadn’t gone over so well, he’d heard, hadn’t been here for it, or the day she’d been passed over for him, not here, for that either had been at Alpha College both times last year but not this year.

Hayden would have gotten what he wanted the right way, with her stepping down because of being a single mother.

But that she would have been expecting to happen. He also had a feeling she’d likely have kept her mouth shut about who the father of her pup was, until it was born and she couldn’t hide it. But he also knew at the same time, his mother would have picked it up the instant she smelled the pup.

Known it was his.

He’d have been called home from Alpha College that very day, likely picked up by his own irate father, demanding an explanation. But he also knew they’d either have been made to Mark and Mate or put together on the next full moon to see if they were Mates.

She would still be here with him now, within the pack and he and she would be raising their son or daughter together. He sighed a little heavily. He didn’t even know what date their pup had been born, he had missed almost two years of his own child’s life now. If she was here, and they’d Marked and Mated, it was likely they’d have another on the way.

Because he knew he’d never be able to keep his hands off her, be bedding Ori at every given opportunity if they were marked and mated, whether it be chosen or Goddess-Gifted. Things would have been very different for him and her if he’d not come home for that one event. Likely they would be happy right this minute, sitting around playing with their pup, hell Palmer and Yuri would also be playing with their pup.

He scrubbed a hand over his face, the moment they drove back into the pack, the week of all their birthdays was coming, which meant it was also the day his child was conceived as well. The night before, he’d gone to Alpha College.

The day of her birthday or the morning after that in the wee hours of the night, it was not likely to be a good day for her either, wherever she was out there. He wondered if she celebrated her birthday still, or if she just ignored it and pretended that it never happened, perhaps moved it to a different day.

She might well consider her birthday now as the day and the moment she turned herself rogue, or the day she finally found a place to settle down somewhere; to start her new life.