Filed To Story: Secret with Betas Daughter: Skylar Story Series
Cam says, nudging my temple with his nose so I’ll look up at him. He’s looking down at me with real concern in his eyes. “I don’t know if it’s all the changes or maybe us mating brought something on. This whole situation is crazy and unpredictable, who knows how it’s affecting the rest of them. I think Sam and Kyle are the only ones who have maintained a normal relationship. But, that’s probably due to the fact that we have been under an attack threat for almost two years now and they have worked together to make the patrols and training schedules since before you left for training.”
I notice he leaves it at that. That ‘I left for training.’ We’ll have to circle back to that discussion. “Nothing about us mating has changed that for them. Dad dying set the rest of us on a crash course path to changing the leadership for the pack, there were bound to be growing pains. I don’t think Mom, Brett or even Daniel were prepared to have their whole job basically stripped like that. There’s usually a transition period, but with all of the attacks and threats, our transition wasn’t standard.”
“I don’t think there is anything standard about our pack.”
I laugh more to myself, but they all smile at me. “I mean, you guys do realize that we are next in line for the Royal pack until Mina, Xander, and Oscar have their pup right?”
Cam stops and looks at me, eyebrows raised. “What about Mateo and Jena? He’s older than you, wouldn’t that make them the next in line?” He continues walking us through the packhouse and out the front door.
“I think the rank he and Jena chose puts them second. If Jena had chosen to reestablish her pack as the Alpha, then yes, we would be equally in line for the throne, but they are here as our Betas. It doesn’t make the thought any less weird.”
I try to wiggle out of Cam’s arms, but he’s not having it. “Can I walk please? I feel like I need to keep moving after being incapacitated for so long.”
Cam sighs and puts me down reluctantly between himself and Oliver. Dakota moves silently behind me. It only takes a couple minutes to walk to the Gamma house. I move to knock, but Oliver just reaches for the handle and opens it. I guess that makes sense, since he technically grew up in this house. I don’t know if the guys spent more time at the packhouse or at their own houses when they were younger. It was probably an equal mix leaning heavily on them spending more time at the packhouse.
We walk in and Cam herds us back towards the kitchen so we follow the sounds. We walk through, single file, since the guys can’t even stand side by side in a normally sized area. I step into the kitchen first to find Ava wrapped in Brett’s arms, his lips on her forehead. They are clearly having a moment and we are interrupting. I stop short, causing Cam to step into me and knock me forward a few steps. He catches me easily and makes sure I’m solid on my feet. It must have been too quick for anyone else to notice since Cam got out a ‘huh?’ before the two adults looked our way.
“Oh my!” Ava almost jumps away from Brett, but he doesn’t let her get far. “How long have you been there? We didn’t hear you come in.”
“Apparently we are super stealthy now.”
Dakota laughs, making his way into the room completely. “Is this what you wanted to talk to us about?” He gestures back and forth between them. “Cause you made Smalls nervous, and you have been avoiding us for a while.”
“How long have you known?” Oliver asks, and I can’t read his expression.
Brett takes a deep breath, but doesn’t try to deny anything or placate us like children. He just jumps right in.
“The pull has been gradually increasing since you marked Skylar, The full bond kicked in the other night, I assume, when you finished mating.”
Brett answers looking at each of them, probably trying to figure out which one is his son.
Brett takes a deep breath, but doesn’t try to deny anything or placate us like children. He just jumps right in.
“The pull has been gradually increasing since you marked Skylar. The full bond kicked in the other night, I assume, when you finished mating.”
Brett answers looking at each of them, probably trying to figure out which one is his son.
Ava smiles. “I guess it’s fitting seeing how this turned out for you boys. I can’t get over the changes in you three, or the fact that I can’t tell you apart. I have never had to try so hard to figure out who is who. The only time I really struggled was when Cam and Kota were trying to be difficult.”
She gives them a distinct ‘mom’ look. “Now even your natural voices and movements are the same.”
I look behind me at my mates, I can still tell each of them apart. They aren’t identical to me, but the twins never were, so I guess I’m not a good gauge for their transformation.
“Come in and eat with us.”
Brett gestures towards the table laid out. “It might be the only time we can sit as a family. I don’t think the Rogue King is going to leave us alone for much longer, especially after Sky blasted a hole in Mike. Any Alpha would have felt a pack member die, as his father the pain should have been more severe, but we also don’t know the state of his mind after talking with Nickolas and Osiston.”
“Is he still here?” I haven’t seen Osiston in so long. Him and Alpha Reggie were my crazy uncles, pushing me to be better and get stronger, while still watching my back. They made sure I became my absolute best. They weren’t worried about me getting hurt. Then again, they saw me at my most broken and weakest. I could only go up from being the unconscious form in a hospital bed.
“No. He seems to be the only one that can go between our pack and the Royal Pack right now. We have sent scouts out and they can cross out of the border, but when they hit an invisible perimeter, they get, I guess sick’ is the right word. We don’t really know. There isn’t anything that we can tell that would cause the reactions, but it has hospitalized several of our scouts for days. Gentry and Elena say it isn’t magic placed on them, but that doesn’t mean that magic isn’t being used. Naturally they wanted to go to the site to examine for themselves, and as expected Nickolas and Daniel both said no.’ We don’t know what is being planned, but we have to assume that they will attack the two witches working with us and our Alphas. You six are our priority, because you will be needed when they do finally attack. So you are confined to the pack grounds until further notice, not even going as far as the pentagram sites.”
He gives us a stern dad’ look.
A growl rips through the room and Ava cowers into Brett. It took me a second to realize the growl came from me and my eyes went wide as I slapped my hand over my mouth.
“Sam let us know, we obviously haven’t gotten around to telling our uncontainable mate.”
Cam jokes and I scowl at him.
“That would have been good information to know before now, Cameron.
“You were busy having girl time with your Beta, Gamma, and Delta. We figured you deserved a couple hours of normal since we seem to be living our whole lives reacting to sh*t hitting the fan. Can you fault us for wanting to see you smile, Tiny?” His eyes softened and that was all it took for me to melt and the anger to go away completely. I leaned my forehead into his shoulder and took a deep breath, the citrus is strongest with honey and cinnamon notes behind it.
“At least I’m not confined alone this time. I should probably work with Elena and Gentry and try to see if any new magical abilities showed up while I was locked in a coma for two days. We should see if anything transferred to you guys too. I mean, Oliver was able to help with a few things before. I wonder if you have some extra magical abilities now.”
I look over my shoulder at him. “We should probably test the elemental stuff too. I don’t really understand what to do with that.”
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.