Not just the Beta (Oriana and Slade) novel Chapter 84

Slade

He’d gone off and talked to Lindal about that very thought, after taking everyone to the packhouse to be initiated into the pack, he’d delivered them and excused himself. His father and his unit had all looked at him curiously. But he’d said nothing, just stated “I need to go and speak to someone.”

And left that office.

Had knocked on Lindal’s door and asked her the very question he wanted to know the answer too.

Lindal had sighed at him and waved him into her house, and he’d smiled down at her little one, ruffled his hair. He would be the same age as his, if Ori was still here. He was a cute little boy named Liham, or Li for short.

She sat down across from him and sighed “Honestly, I don’t know, but hazarding a guess. I’d say maybe the moment she chopped off all her hair, changed her look, I’d also say that was the moment she made the decision to leave this pack.”

He’d stared at her, hadn’t considered that himself, just nodded no one actually knew, he didn’t hate Lindal for letting Oriana leave the pack, for not bringing that box marked for Bronnie up to the packhouse until she knew Ori had, had time to get where she was going, as she’d stated that day.

Didn’t even hate her for helping Ori to look different and not telling anyone about it, even when they’d been out looking for her. For allowing Ori that moment to get away, he understood Lindal was her best friend, outside of him, Palmer and Yuri. Her female best friend, so to speak.

She was a good friend to Ori, and kept the girls secret, and he knew why, because like him, she believed everything about what happened that day, was so very wrong. That the leadership of this pack had not cared about Oriana, and so she’d wanted Ori to have the chance to get away clean, from everything and everyone here that was causing her pain; including him. The father of Ori’s child, though Lindal had not known that at the time.

She’d told him just once, not long after he’d gotten home from Alpha College “Regardless, Slade, I would not have changed what I did, even if I knew the truth, that you were the father of her pup. I’d still have changed her look, and given her time to get away from here. It’s what she needed at the time.”

He’d been angry with her for stating it, stalked off and away from her, but then realised in the end, she was simply loyal to Ori. A true friend. He’d only been mad because it kept him in the dark about his child. That she’d have willingly allowed his heir to be taken from this pack.

He had calmed himself down a day later and came to understand why, it was what Ori had needed, because she’d been broken by all of them, him included. He was mind-linked by his father, a moment later, interrupting his thoughts and excused himself from Lindal, thanked her for her thoughts and headed back to the packhouse.

He stepped into his office to see the man frowning at him. “What father?” he asked simply.

“I hear you’ve invited a Beta ranked wolf, to the pack.”

His eyes moved right to Hayden who was sitting on the couch, and his jaw ticked. The boy was not loyal to him, to his father, and he was jealous of any Beta heir that Slade talked to. This was not the first time he’d been hauled into this office to discuss his chatting with other Beta heirs.

Still a whiney spoiled baby and still insecure in his position, it seemed, he shook his head. “Hayden, do you have an issue with that?” he asked outright, the boy had been part of his unit solid for the past six months.”

He raised his hands. “It wasn’t me.” he shook his head “One of the new pack members was talking about it. We’re all good Slade. I like the man, and think, like you, it will be good for our training.”

He sighed “Sorry Hayden,” he apologised they did have moments like this, though he’d taken to apologising for it to make that boy feel like he was truly a part of the unit, also made sure that his father saw it as well.

Showing him there was a bond, but still some distance between them. And with how he’d gotten his position, how could there not be. It was going to take time to create a proper and complete bond, he’d told his father once, I’m really trying, but some days are harder than others for me. His father had sighed and nodded, seemed to understand.

“It’s all good,” Hayden shrugged it off.

He wondered if that boy was actually jealous or did, he feel secure in his position and was going to have to test it, really pull him in while Vance was here, make sure to do everything with him.

“I’ve invited Vance, who is a Beta ranked wolf to come here for my birthday. He’s fun and

apparently, according to Palmer and Yuri, I could use that.” He shrugged and shook his head a little.

“You could.” His father stated, “Hardly ever smile son.”

“Got deep pockets and the ladies like him.” Palmer snorted.

“A man whore is what Freddy, his oldest brother, called him.” Yuri laughed. “Appears laid back and uncaring about anything other than training and the ladies. Enjoying his life to the fullest I’d say.”

Slade watched his father nod “I’ll put a call in to his Alpha and have a chat about that stay then.”

“Alright.” Slade nodded, nothing he’d said was a lie, nothing the boys had said was a lie and Hayden himself could vouch for all of that, bar the man whore thing he’d not been there for that.

He was not so stupid as to miss, that this was his father’s and likely Anders’ way of trying to figure out if he was about to bring home a Beta ranked wolf to replace Hayden. They always had a watchful eye on him, and he knew Hayden was loyal to the current Alpha and his own father, not to Slade himself.

That boy reported back all their interactions within this pack, and without it, when they were off at mating balls, Slade had just let him, was currently pretending to be oblivious to the boys actions. Always where there was a Beta wolf involved, there was a concern from his father or Anders.

It’s why he allowed Hayden free rein inside other packs, and kept his interactions formal when the boy was around. And when he pitted Hayden up against anyone in another pack that was Beta ranked, he also pitted both Palmer and Yuri as well, himself at times. Always openly talked about it like he was doing now.

So it wasn’t a secret and looked like he was hiding things from his father. He also pitted himself and his unit up against the current future units in other packs, challenging everyone to some training in every pack, so it wouldn’t just look like they were pitting themselves against available heirs. But the current an unattainable heirs as well. If he could get it, he would have the actual Alpha and his Unit train and spar with them as well.

It was just a distraction tactic, because he couldn’t take an actual Beta, or a future Beta, of another pack as his own Beta. So it looked like he was just out there interacting with all their allies and growing pack relations and bonding with them for when he took over. All the things he did actually need to do.

Most reports came back to his father, who checked on all of it that he’d been well-behaved and the sparing had been a welcome change of pace. He was seen to be a good future leader for this pack by all their allies at this point in time. A commented that they were disappointed that commented that they were disappointed that their daughters had not scented him out even. Claimed he was a good-looking boy.

His father knew he trained a lot more than was needed, that it kept his mind preoccupied, so hearing him continue to train inside other packs for the past eight months that he’d been out there attending mating balls was nothing new anymore. When he was home, he was often seen out in the pack attending regular warrior training or in the gym working out in his free time.