Beyond Beta's Rejection

Elias

Five hours later after much discussion and assurance, and promises made, we were all sitting in a small apartment on the other side of the town. Or most of us were sitting. Harper and Brianna were on the floor, both laid next to each other. Harper was twitching in her sleep, her breathing even, but Brianna was as still as the grave. Sticking out of her stomach was an angel blade. Her white t-shirt was stained with b***d and she was, for all intents, dead.

Harper had explained in detail about her own experience. How she had burned up from the angel grace and how she had ended up in the Neverplain with the angel trying to connect with her. I tried to block out most of what she was saying. I still had nightmares about what Nathaniel did and how I saw her die in front of my own eyes. It was still painful to hear that Nathaniel and unknowingly triggered her transition. Or maybe he knew, he sure seemed shocked when Harper appeared in the woods and sliced him in half. Maybe certain branches of the Circle knew more than others. I hated we were so in the dark.

Harper had explained to Brianna that she wouldn’t have to go through that. Harper had been told in detail by Drake how to trigger the transition in a not so dramatic way. It was a few words said by both and Brianna would fall into a deep sleep and then death. In death she would travel to the Neverplain where her angel grace was waiting for her. Harper promised to travel in behind her and help guide her, just like Drake had done for Harper. Marcus had even chipped in with his account, saying that he had been the one to greet Harper as she woke up in her newfound power. It wasn’t until Brianna had said the words and her breathing had stopped, that Harper had produced the angel blade. It was much like her own but the symbol on the end was that of the magic user’s divine sigil. I watched as she had plunged it into Brianna’s stomach and held on as it glowed. She then dropped into her own slumber. They had been this way for a good couple of hours now, and I was getting concerned.

“Did it take this long last time?” I asked Marcus, and he shrugged.

“I’m not sure how long it took from when Drake did what he did, but I was with Harper for a good hour before she woke up,” he said. “Don’t worry, Harper is strong and I bet this girl is strong too.” I could see him looking at Brianna with interest. She had let her ginger hair down from the bun and it was fanned out around her.

“Do you feel something?” I asked. I wondered if because of his apparent Order lineage that he might feel something. Marcus just shrugged.

“I dunno, I mean I feel something, but it’s not as strong as it is for what I feel for Harper,” he said. I felt the comment prickle along my skin and resisted the urge to growl. Not that it mattered. Marcus was my best friend and had been navigating my temper and the demon for years. He could tell when I was moody.

“It bothers you doesn’t it?” he asked, and I looked over at him. I glanced at Katie who had fallen asleep on the sofa. I sighed.

“I dunno man,” I said, “I know it shouldn’t. I mean I should be thrilled that you are so keen on protecting my mate, but…” I trailed off and he grinned.

“I get it,” he said, “Well I don’t, but I do. Don’t get me wrong, Harper is smoking hot and I kinda regret not getting that date and all.” He grinned as I growled. I knew he was baiting me a little.

“Hold on there black-eyed boy,” he said chuckling. I didn’t even realise that the demon had come out. “I know she is so very much off limits. In fact, I think I am programmed to know that she must be protected at all cost, but not in a s****l way at all. It’s more like a calling, you know?” He looked up at me and then back down at Harper. “Of course it doesn’t help that my d**k of an uncle is somehow involved.” I knew that Marcus had a strained relationship with his family, but other than what we had just learned at the Order, I had never asked. We lapsed into silence for a while after that, and I found myself staring at Harper. There was a few strands of hair that had fallen over her face and I ached to move them but worried that I would disturb something if I touched her.

“What about you?” Marcus asked, breaking the silence. I looked up, confused.

“What about me, what?” I asked, and he smiled.

“Do you feel anything for the witch?” he asked, “Does the demon tingle for her like it does for Harper?” I looked at Brianna with curiosity. Just like Marcus said, I felt like there was some sort of connection there, but it didn’t stop the need to drag my eyes back to Harper’s still form. I shook my head.

“No, nothing of significance,” I said.

“That’s because she isn’t our mate, she isn’t our queen,” the demon growled in my head. I glanced at Marcus, who was watching me and he nodded and sat back in his chair and pulled his phone out of his pocket.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked the demon in my head. The demon just grunted in return. “No, you can’t give me bits of information and then go silent.”

“I can do whatever I like meat suit,” the demon snapped back. I shook my head. I hated he had his own thoughts and was good at hiding them from me, in my own goddess damn mind. The demon just sniggered at my frustration.

I was going to press further when movement caught my eye. I looked down at the two girls intime to see Harper open her eyes. There was a shine to them as she sat up and looked down at Brianna. She stroked her forehead with a concerned look on her face and then looked up at me. I could see worry etched all over her face, and she took a deep, unsettled breath.

“What?” I asked immediately on alert, “What happened?” Marcus had also sat up and was watching Harper intently. Harper just shook her head and sighed again.

“Nothing,” she said and then looked down at Brianna, “That was just way rougher than I had expected. Poor girl had a nasty surprise waiting for her in there.” She leaned down and kissed Brianna’s forehead with such a gentle nature that it shocked me. I had never seen Harper act in this way before. Then she stood up from the floor and stretched. She looked back down at the still form.

“It’s up to her now,” she said and then sighed again. “Come on woman, don’t you dare make me break my promise.” She walked over to me, crawled into my lap and wrapped her arms around me. Marcus was looking between the two and I shook my head. I wrapped my arms around my girl and felt her sink into me. Whatever had happened must have shaken her, but I had the impression that it wasn’t my place to ask.

We sat there, in silence again, for the next couple of hours. Every now and then Harper would look down at Brianna before curling back into my body. I could tell that she was exhausted, but she refused to sleep. The night had long since given way to dawn and Katie had woken up and was in the kitchen pottering around for drinks, when I saw movement again from the floor. Brianna bolted up into a sitting position and screamed. Harper was off my knee and on the floor next to the girl in a heartbeat. Brianna turned and looked at Harper with tears streaming down her face.

“Oh my goddess,” she cried, “What did I do?” Harper pulled her into a hug the best she could with the angel blade still sticking out from her torso, and Brianna clung to Harper and sobbed.

“I didn’t know, I didn’t know,” she repeated over and over as Harper did her best to soothe her.

“It’s okay,” Harper said, “What’s done is done.” Finally, the girl calmed down to the occasional sob before Harper encouraged her to look up at her. She gestured down to the blade and Brianna looked down at it in shock, like she hadn’t even noticed it was there.

“You have to finish it now,” Harper said with a smile and Brianna nodded. She gripped the blade and pulled it out of her stomach. I watched as the place where it had been just closed up. The skin knitted back together like there hadn’t just been a weapon sticking from it. Then I saw as something passed over Brianna’s face and the angel blade glowed brightly. Harper smiled at her with pride etched all over her face.

“You aren’t quite there yet, but welcome to the Divine Order.” she said. Brianna smiled at her and the girls hugged. I felt like I was witnessing an intimate moment but couldn’t help but notice that the blade on Harper’s h*p was also glowing.

I was going to say something when Katie came running out of the kitchen, clearly upset, with her phone in her hand.

“Harper,” she called and Harper looked up at her. She registered Katie’s state straight away and jumped up.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Alex is on the phone, he needs to speak to you. Oh goddess, Harper,” Katie looked frantic as she pushed the phone into Harper’s hand. Harper took the phone.

“Alex? What’s wrong?” she asked. Both Marcus and I stood up as the Look of anger mixed with fear crossed Harper’s face. She nodded and hung up the phone without a word. She looked down at Brianna.

“Pack some stuff. We have to go now,” she said.

“Harper, what’s wrong?” I asked as she began to pace the room. She looked at me with fresh tears in her eyes.

“It’s Louise, she’s been kidnapped.”