Beyond Beta's Rejection

(Harper’s POV)

“Nathaniel, I swear to the goddess if you don’t phone me back right now, I am going to….” I didn’t know what I was going to do. But I did know one thing. I was getting the hell out of this place right now. I was almost home after running out of the meeting. I had phoned Nathaniel five times and Aaron three times. Why wasn’t anyone picking up their damn phones? I got to the house and ran upstairs to where my suitcase was stored. I pulled it out of the closet and opened it up on the floor. I then went into the bathroom to collect the cosmetics I had used this morning.

I was just collecting them when my phone rang. I glanced at the screen and saw it was Aaron. I pressed to accept the call.

“Aaron, thank the goddess!” I exclaimed.

“Harper!” he called down the phone. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t do this, I can’t, I have to get out of here, please come and get me.” I was close to a panic attack, the first real one in years.

“Harper, you need to stop!” I heard Aaron’s tone change, taking charge. I stopped instantly and sat on the floor next to my suitcase. I noticed that Susie had followed me up the stairs and had her phone in her hand.

“Okay, now breathe, sweetheart,” Aaron said, and I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, “Feel better?”

“No,” I said truthfully, “But I feel calmer.”

“Good, now tell me what is happening.” I looked up at Susie and hesitated. She didn’t know that I was Council or why I was here. I also wasn’t sure I wanted anyone to know what had just happened. Just then, the front door opened and slammed shut.

“Susie!” Tommy shouted, and she looked down the stairs before heading down.

“Aaron, I can’t do the assignment.” I whispered, “Between Colton and the Alpha, I just can’t do it.”

“What happened? Did that fucker do something to you?” he asked, his voice rising in anger. “Because if he did, I don’t care. I will cross the territory line just to kill him.”

I smiled despite everything. Aaron was always there for me, no matter how much s**t I had caused him. If the moon goddess really saw fit to give me a second-chance mate, why couldn’t it have been him? “No, well yes, he did try, but I put him on his a*s,” I said, turning into the phone, “It’s Owens, that’s the big problem,”

“The Alpha! Did he find out who you were?”

“No, he’s….” I hesitated again. I really didn’t want to say the next part out loud. “He’s my mate.”

“What!” Aaron exclaimed.

“What!” I turned around to see Tommy looking at me in shock. Oh s**t!

“Harper, you can’t come back yet. Drake is pissed off that you went in the first place. He said if you fail then-” Aaron carried on while I stared at Tommy. His eyes widened when he heard Aaron mention Drake.

“Aaron, shush!” I interrupted him, but it was too late, and Tommy snatched the phone out of my hand.

“What the f**k, Aaron!” he exclaimed. “Why does Drake even know who she is? I thought you were protecting her.”

“Whoa!” I said, reaching for the phone, but Tommy countered and slapped my hand away. He grabbed my wrist, hauled me up from the floor, and dragged me into my old bedroom. Shutting the door, he then put my phone on speaker.

“Aaron, I trusted you!” he snarled into the phone. I sighed. It didn’t occur to me that Tommy would know Drake or that he wouldn’t have known what happened. Aaron was quiet on the other end of the line, and I giggled. Tommy glared at me, and I shrugged.

“It wasn’t his fault,” I said. “I got involved with Drake before I understood who or what he was. If it weren’t for Aaron and Nathaniel, I would have still been there.”

“You don’t have to cover for me, Harps,” Aaron finally said. “He’s right. I should have been more protective. It doesn’t change the situation, though.”

“And what exactly is the situation?” Tommy snapped.

“Drake has been sniffing around Harper since we pulled her out, he’s been keen to get his claws into her, and this mess with the fae has given him a chance.”

“What mess with the fae?” Tommy asked

“I killed a pervert,” I said

“You tortured and then killed a son of a noble fae family without a warrant,” Aaron sighed.

“He was still using his compulsion to violate women,” I snapped. “Oh, and not to mention he had a gun to my head.”

“Be as it may, Drake uses it for his own means,” Aaron said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if he had set the little bastard up, and you along with it.”

That made sense. I didn’t understand why Drake had such a fascination with me in the first place. Anyone knew he could have anybody he wanted with the click of his fingers. So why did he keep coming after me?

“If you turn up back at the Council without completing the mission, he will force Nathaniel’s hand,” Aaron carried on, and I knew he was right. I was trapped in this place until I could gather the evidence I needed to prove Owen’s involvement in the Circle. I smiled in defeat at Tommy.

“Fine,” I said with a sigh. “I’ll complete the mission, and then I can leave this cursed place.”

Tommy looked thoughtful for a bit, and then he smiled at me.

“Harper, you know not everyone gets a second-chance mate,” he said. “Elias is a better man than Colton.”

I rolled my eyes at him. “A pile of steaming dog s**t is a better man than Colton,” I said and shook my head. I knew the chances of the goddess giving you a second-chance mate were seriously rare, but really why did the goddess see fit to pair me with not one but two jackasses? I wasn’t playing that game again, that was for sure.

Tommy excused himself, telling Aaron he would phone him later, which was code for. “I’m gonna verbally kick your a*s. But not in front of Harper.” I then spent the next couple of hours or so talking to Aaron on the phone. He had a great way of calming me down that no one else did. I told him about how I had kicked Colton’s a*s and about all the things I had learned today, and he told me about some tests he was writing for his third-year classes. You wouldn’t know it to look at him, but the guy was a geek, and he knew more than anyone I knew about the supernatural community. I listened quietly as he detailed some new law that the witches were bringing in. Eventually, we were interrupted by my sister telling me that dinner would be on the table in ten minutes. I said my goodbyes to Aaron and ended the call before leaving the bedroom. I saw my suitcase had been taken from the hallway as I headed down the stairs.

I got to the dining room as Tommy, and my mum argued about something. They caught my entry and stopped talking before I could get anything, but I had a feeling that the conversation was about me. Tommy looked angry, and my mum looked uncomfortable. I shrugged and sat down at the table and noticed that there were five settings. That meant there were either one too many plates or a few short. I glanced up at Tommy.

“Are the kids not eating with us?” I asked as Susie walked in with a dish of vegetables.

“Oh goddess, no,” Susie said. “They won’t eat this. I fed them an hour ago, and now James is attempting to earn his phone back in the living room.”

I chuckled, poor kid. “So, who’s the extra plate for then?” I asked, and Tommy growled. Just then, the doorbell rang, and my mum smiled wide.

“I’ll get it!” she said and rushed to the door. I was already putting two and two together and getting.

“Oh, f**k no!” I said when my mum walked in, followed by Colton. “Are you f*****g kidding me?” I exclaimed, and my mum and sister looked at me in shock.

“Harper!” my mum scolded. “Manners!” Colton grinned and then winked at me. He had many roses, which he presented to me like this was some sort of f****d-up date. My mum and sister both squealed, and I rolled my eyes.

“I’m gonna need a drink,” I said, and Tommy moved from his corner and disappeared into the kitchen before returning with a couple of glasses and a bottle of chilled wine. He put one in front of me and started to pour the wine. I grinned at him, and he grimaced back.

My mum managed to arrange it, so I was sitting next to Colton at the table. I sat there as Colton, my mum, and my sister made polite conversation. Colton tried including me in on the conversation a few times. Asking what it was like to work in London and did I miss my friends. I met his questions with a glare. I didn’t want him to know anything about my life. Not even my fake one.

“I mean, it must be tough for your boyfriend, seeing that you are still wearing my ring,” he said just as I was taking a drink. I almost spat it back out everywhere. I had been careful to have the stone turned inwards, so no one saw, and by the looks on my mum’s and sister’s faces, they hadn’t noticed I was still wearing it. I growled at Colton, and he threw me a smug look.

“You have a boyfriend?” Susie asked. Colton was obviously referring to Aaron as he had tried to get entry for both of us and posed as my boyfriend.

“Oh, what’s he like?” my mum asked, and I grinned. Two could play this game. I glanced at Colton first.

“Oh, he’s amazing,” I said. “He is so kind and intelligent and so strong too.” My mum looked pleased. Colton did not. And I wasn’t done either. “He is such a virile lover, too,” I carried on with a smirk at Colton. “Easily the best I’ve ever had.”

Colton looked like he was going to explode, the look of anger etched on his face. My sister looked between us before scowling at me and swiftly changing the subject. The tension slowly eased, although I noticed that Colton kept glancing over at me before looking away again. When I was finishing my second glass of wine, I noticed that Colton’s hand had started creeping my way. I watched as he went to place his hand on my thigh.

I grabbed his wrist before leaning in, and knowing that everyone would still hear, I whispered in his ear, “If that hand touches any part of my body, I will rip it off and serve it up to everyone for dessert!” I then let go of his hand and sat back in my seat as Tommy was trying hard to cover his laugh behind a cough and my sister and mum looked mortified. Colton had gone a delightful shade of red as he snatched his hand away.

“Harper!” my mum scolded again. “What has gotten into you?”

“It’s okay, Mrs. Kirby. I was maybe rushing things a little.” Colton smiled at her. “I mean, if I am going to win back the heart of my mate, then I have to remember it will take time.” My mum and my sister both made aww noises at him and smiled. I couldn’t believe they were falling for his charm. I rolled my eyes and stood up.

“I’ve had enough of this. I need a real drink.” I walked out without waiting for a response and grabbed my jacket before heading for the door.

I opened the door and jumped when I saw the Gamma Marcus standing there, looking like he was about to knock. I smiled seductively at him and bit my l*p.

“Good timing,” I purred. “You ready to take me for that drink?” I saw a genuine struggle on his face as he was clearly here for another reason, and my offer was tempting enough to forget everything else.

“Sorry, princess,” he said, his face set into a determined expression. “No can do. I’m here on orders to escort you to the pack house.” I g*****d in frustration as he said, “Alpha wants to see you.”