The Beta: Part Two (The Beta, #2)

by Avanne Michaels

She purses her lips yet again, “and what about you? Who will help you through it?”

“Jasper, I know Talia is a tough little thing, but this is beyond toleration. I thought you boys were going to be a good fit for her. I thought you were taking care of her. She’s certainly been taking care of you, hasn’t she? If my daughter dies because of your pack’s maltreatment I’m coming for all of you. This is inexcusable, and unforgivable.”

My hand shoots out and I slap him hard before I even realize I’ve done it. “She’s not a fucking beta.”

“I want you, you know,” I say softly, not letting up on my purr. “I want you, and I want him. I want you both. And I want this every night you'll let me have it.”

He's always been a handful, but when did he get so evil?

“What?” he grunts, not taking his eyes away from where he's inching his way inside my body. “Your phone,” I gasp as he snaps his hips just a bit, “I want to take a picture for Jasper.” He looks up at me with wide eyes and then he drops his head onto my shoulder and laughs. It's the first time I've heard him really laugh and it makes warmth move through me in a current. “We'll give him a live replay later,” he chuckles.

You won't. We will just have two equally precious treasures. And we will never come between you and Jasper. Did you know that we think you're mates? The true mates that people talk about but you never see anymore. We can all feel the connection he has to you through our bond with him.”

“it is an honor to be asked to care for an unclaimed omega during their first heat. To know that you're trusted to care for the omega when they are blind to everything but their body's needs without taking advantage. To be considered noble and worthy enough to be asked. It is an honor any good alpha would treasure.”

“Fuck yeah, I do. I want you both to have a go at me.” Of course Trent wants that, the lech.

“No, bella, don't be sorry. It is an incredible honor that you would even consider me. Of course, I'll be there if you need me. I will always answer your call.”

Talia is an ethereal, feral beauty and I don't deserve to look at her. No one is worthy of her visage.

I was Talia's first lover. She gave me that precious gift and I've been hers ever since whether she wanted me or not. Her reasoning for leaving me, for my own good and the good of my pack, is logical but my heart refuses to accept it. Everything I am belongs to her, it was hers as a beta and it will still be hers as an omega.

The fact that his pack hasn't claimed her tells me that she isn't a priority here. I will make her my ultimate priority.

“Almost, tesoro, almost. Let me have just a bit longer to enjoy you,” I soothe, licking a wide path up her

This will not be a calm joining, Talia. Reassure Jasper and his alphas that I would never harm you. Tell them how safe you are before I take you. I need to hear you say it, out loud, that you're safe with me.”

Even she puts Jasper first. The question comes to my forethought again, who is putting her first?

Who makes Talia a priority outside of fucking her through a heat cycle? Anger

“Don't ever apologize to me for that. You were everything then and you are everything now. I'm not counting my losses right now, tesoro, I'm reveling in my joy. That's what you are, my joy,”

Jasper levels me with a glare powerful and dark enough to make me feel small. “This is the third time she's nearly been taken from me by the selfish stupidity of a foolish alpha. The only reason you're still breathing is because your death would only hurt her. Now, I am going to take my mate, because that is what she is,” he narrows his eyes at me as he says those words, “to our nest so I can try to mend some of this mess you've made of her.”

I can't lose her again. I can't, I won't survive it. This is the second time in my life I have hated every molecule of omega DNA in my body.”

Alex, who is for all the world another version of Trent in personality, waltzes down the hall and leans against the door frame, “I felt a slight disturbance on the pack bond. What did you do?”

She just didn't want to do anything that could cause Jasper hurt. Time and time again she's put herself on the line to protect him and nobody was protecting her. Nobody ever protects her. That has to stop. We decided to bond her into our pack as soon as her heat broke, we didn't want pheromones and sex to influence her decision. Whether

Corso is crawling around under my skin like a colony of ants.

“I know we are. You're mine. I don't give a fuck about Corso or any other alpha in that kitchen. You're mine, Talia. I will not allow Corso to take you from me. I can’t let you sever that bond, though. Cutting a bond with your alpha is a pain that I don't think either of us can fully grasp. You've been through enough hurt, we'll find a way for this to work. It will be alright.”

He opens his mouth, but I interrupt, “I don't actually fucking care. Don't think it again. I was asleep, with Jasper, and your dick woke me up. Don't ever do that again or I'll rip it right the fuck off.” Then

if I’m really honest with myself, I was afraid that I would always love him more than he could ever love me.

the things I wanted for him when I left him. The epiphany thunders through me, making my heart beat louder in my chest and I gasp.

“Nothing. I love you, I've said it to you a few times, but I need you to understand what it means for me. If I love you now, I will always love you. You will always be my heart. Understand, princess?”

“You're an omega, you're supposed to be a raging slut. I am, without doubt, a raging slut.”

Alex snorts a laugh, “I don't care how crunchy it is. I've spent too many years wanting and wishing for this to give a fuck about stiff blankets. Plus, I want to see your nest. I want to sleep in your nest with my pack for the rest of my fucking life, Talia.”

“That's it, omega. Give it to me, it's mine, anyway,” he rasps against my neck before he licks my shoulder.

“That's the most adorable thing I've ever heard. Talia, my sour little love, you are fucking rambling.” Alex chuckles as he steps into the room with Reid close behind.

I have only cried three times in my adult life, and that was one of them.

Goosebumps break out over my skin as she continues, “if you bite me, and put your mark on my neck, you'll be mine. You'll belong to me.”

Reid is

mine.

I'll never need all the closet space for clothes. Snacks would be a much better thing to fill that space with.

“You should never have been separate, even as a beta. I'm going to be angry with them for the way they treated you for a long time, Talia. Not knowing you were an omega is no excuse. They shouldn't have treated you like that to begin with, even with a beta designation, even if they didn’t ask for you to be there. We will be a unit, one single pack, together. I will love them like brothers. You can be angry with your brother and still love him. What they did was wrong.”

“Not a single fucking thing that has happened in your entire adult life has been your fault, Talia. Not one. You have done your best, and given every bit of yourself to every situation you've been faced with. Don't ever let me hear you speak poorly of yourself again. Is that clear?”

“Now that makes me feel better. Please don't be serious all the time, Alex. I'm counting on you and Trent to keep me sane.”

“Finish your dinner, sweetheart. I'll put you to bed. I'll even read you a story. I've been collecting ones I think you'd like since you've been gone. Now that you're back home, I can read to you every night.”

“Do you know that we love you?”

“I know Corso told you he loved you before, and I'm pretty sure Reid is obsessed with you, or some shit. But I never told you that I love you. I do, Talia. I've loved you for so long. I couldn't stand watching you with the other packs, especially the bad ones. The only reason I let it go on is because I knew you'd hate me for interfering with what you thought was the right thing to do. We never would have taken an omega. We loved you too much.”

I can't wait to feel you, to be connected to you. I'll never have to go without you again.”

It's like he's been starving.

“Bite my clit, Alex. Fuck. Bite it.”

“Fuck, Talia. I haven't had your mouth on my cock for so long, and you sucked it all down your throat at once. I almost choked on my tongue. You can't expect me to stay still. I'll try though, fuck, I'll try. Just don't stop.”

So, when I say Fuck me, Alpha to Alex, he sort of loses his mind.

They weren’t mine, but you are. Finally fucking mine. Fuck. Don't move. If you move I'll cum, knot and mark or not. Fuck.”

“No, you're right. No ice cream. You're a terror, bella.”