Filed To Story: Secret with Betas Daughter: Skylar Story Series
“We have been asking you boys to go to weekend trainings for years. Why the change now?”
My dad asks.
“I guess she’s just more convincing than you. Now, It’s late and I need to sleep if I am going to be able to function that early.”
Then I heard Mateo’s boots clomping up the stairs behind me. I let him catch up and he swung his arm around my shoulder again and kissed my temple. “I’m sorry, I can’t pretend like the way he treats you is okay anymore, it was never okay. I never should have let it get this far. I know why you work and train as hard as you do. You don’t have to do it alone anymore.”
He walks me to my door and kisses my forehead before turning around and walking to the door across the hall from mine.
“Thank you Mateo.”
I whisper, but I know he can hear me.
That was the first night in a long time that I cried. I never cried after getting beaten by Kaley and her friends, I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction and I have never been close to my dad so there was never an emotional connection to feel sad about. But Mateo. Mateo was a loss that I didn’t know hurt me until now when I got a glimpse of what we had before he started focusing on his duties as the next beta. I fell asleep hoping he and I could have the close relationship we did when we were little. Today was just one day though, and they only noticed me after they found out I was better at something than they were. And the only reason they even noticed was because Sierra happened to partner with me. So, we’ll see how long this lasts
The morning came quickly after that. I was actually too antsy to sleep much. At 4 I finally decided I needed to go for a jog, my wolf agreed. A run in the forest really early helped clear my mind and settle conflicting thoughts. It’s like everything falls into place out here. I was trying to gather my thoughts on my emotions. Was I more excited or scared that they were going to join me? I was planning to ask Sierra if she wanted to come anyway, but adding the guys was something I never thought of. They always had their own things going on and too busy to look in on how the rest of the pack fared or trained. I walked back into my house at 5 after running half the patrol border route and went to start breakfast. It’s the one thing I did on the weekends for my brother and dad. Neither acknowledged or thanked me, but there was never anything left, so it must be at least decent. I plated everything and left it on the island then I went to knock on Mateo’s door to make sure he was up and getting ready.
“Hey sleeping beauty, you up?”
I sing in at him. “We have to get moving or we will be late and I don’t actually know what Oliver does to people who are late, nor do I want to find out the hard way.
“I think I actually hate you. Why do you sound so chipper already?”
He grumbles with his face still firmly planted in his pillow.
“Lies, you love me. Get in the shower, it helps and I made breakfast and coffee.”
I smack him on the back and he groans again.
“How long have you been up exactly?
“Little while, I went for a run and made breakfast, no big deal. I do it every weekend. This is my normal.
“Wait, you run and make breakfast before you go to training. Since when do you make breakfast?
“I always make breakfast on the weekends, it’s the only time Gretchen takes off.
“Does dad know it’s you and not her? Cause, I had no idea. I just thought she came in and made quick stuff before spending the day with her family. I am feeling more and more inferior the longer I talk to you.”
He groans, finally stepping away from his bed toward the bathroom.
“Whatever, Beta, get ready fast, you only have 15 minutes before we have to meet the guys.
I walk out of his room smiling. His subtle compliment gives me a little more hope that we can be friends. It’s a bit strange. I haven’t had this much conversation with my brother in years. My dad has had him so busy training for becoming the next beta that he hasn’t had any time for me since he was about 10. But, as strange as it is, I would be lying if I said that I didn’t enjoy it. Even if it is only temporary. I know they are all only coming today because Oliver felt a slight to his male ego knowing that I train more than he does, even with the extra time they put in with their dads. He needs to know if he could handle it. The rest of the guys are coming to either cheer him on when he does it, or have proof when he fails. What he doesn’t know is that I don’t do half the things they do. I don’t go to parties, or hang out with friends. I don’t go to study groups or hold meetings with our current leaders to understand how the pack functions. Physical training is my only escape from the hell that Kaley and her friends bring me.
She has actually taken to searching for kids misbehaving, and letting me know what her punishment for those deeds are. The punishments are always way over the top and far more sadistic than they should be. But if I don’t step in and take the punishment, she will really perform it on these kids.
I found out at the end of last year her father appointed her and a few others to monitor’ the school for minor infractions that are beneath the administration’s interference, but need to be handled. Then hand out and fulfill punishments accordingly. A few have gone to the principal about the abusive tactics she uses, but our administrators either agree with what she is doing or something else is allowing her to get away with it. It doesn’t matter, I won’t allow her to torture our pack members and she knows it. So I am her personal punching bag.
I don’t talk about it and neither do the students I am taking the punishment for. We have all decided that nothing will be done to her and I refuse to look weak and keep tattling when she comes up with the best stories for her actions and every adult has been lead to not believe me or fears siding with me. I do know the kids I take punishments for appreciate it, even if they can’t say anything directly to me. It’s in their eyes, when we pass in the halls. I know they would approach me if they could, and that is part of the reason I endure this, it doesn’t go unnoticed by everyone. I just wish the people who could do something to stop it would open their eyes. Kids shouldn’t be afraid of going to school.
But training, she rarely attends training and manages to get out of most of our mandatory’ trainings too. I will never complain about her not being at trainings, the peace is divine. The only reason I don’t retaliate and fight back is my father. The one time I fought back and punched her in the nose which also fractured the bone around her right eye. She went straight to her dad with some sob story about me bullying her since I was a higher rank and therefore stronger than her. My father was called in and the verbal lashing I received in front of Kaley, the principal, and her father is one I will never forget. I was called worthless, a slacker, spoiled and so difficult that my mother’s body couldn’t survive having me. I should be working with other ranked members to make the pack better, not beating up on weaker members.
That was the day I stopped talking to my father. If he didn’t directly talk to me, I no longer made the effort. My only problem was I thought if I just did better, became stronger, tried harder and was able to hide the bullying, he would see that I am worthy. So like a crazy person I threw myself into everything he made me believe was important like being the top student. I’m sure he knows, but he will never say anything to me about it. I also have made myself the best warrior in the pack. Just because I won’t be the Beta here, doesn’t mean I can’t be a warrior here or even in a different pack if my mate happens to be from another. That would be my dream, to meet my mate and get to leave. I would miss Luna Ava and Delta Kyle, maybe even my brother a little bit, but being free to walk around and have friends, to not be looking over my shoulder all of the time or feel like a waste of someone’s space. That would be heaven.
Mateo and I walk out the door together and I start to turn, out of habit, walking away from the houses to my usual shortcut to get to the training grounds.
“Where are you going? The packhouse is this way.”
He calls over to me.
“Training, where else? It’s faster to cut through the woods behind Oliver’s house.
“We are not walking.”
He scoffs at me. “Cam and Kota are going to drive us, remember?
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.