His Little Wolf
Chapter 54

Bethany

“Everything ok Bethany? You don’t seem yourself today!” Jake helps me up off of the floor for about the 20th time today. Training is always brutal but I love it, however today I don’t want to be here and it’s showing in my focus

“Yeah, everything is fine, just having an off day I guess!” His look says he doesn’t believe me.

“That’s bullshit, even on an off day you are still one incredible fighter Bethany, you can talk to me mind!”

“I know Jake and thank you, but honestly I’m ok!” He goes to protest some more but thankfully I’m saved by Liam before he has a chance to.

“Hey Jake can you pair with Katie please I need a quick word with Bethany!” Jake nods before heading over to Katie.

“You ok sweetheart?” His gentle smile helps settle down some of my rising emotions but nothing will state me today.

“I’m ok!” I know he doesn’t believe me but I know the minute I start explaining myself I’ll just bawl like a baby.

“Come on, Richard is covering the rest of the class, we’re off for a walk!” I go to protest but the look on his face stops me in my tracks, I admit defeat and fall in beside him as we start walking towards the tree line.

Soon enough the trees open up and the lake comes into view and my mouth falls open as a gasp spills out. Jack, Ashley, Calvin, and Brooke are all standing around the memorial that me and Liam made for mine, Brooke’s, and Bella’s family and there are balloons tied to the stones and new flowers laid down.

I can’t believe they’ve done this, aside from Brooke and maybe Calvin I didn’t think anyone else knew it was Josh’s birthday today. Liam disappears behind a large rock and comes back with a huge bunch of flowers, a balloon, and a card and pen and hands them to me as uncontrollable tears slip from my eyes but I don’t care.

“Write down whatever you want to sweetheart, Josh will love reading it!” He gently rubs my back but I’m speechless, I send him a grateful nod showing him how much this means and I’m graced with his handsome smile. We move towards the others all sharing hugs before I write my card out and place the card, balloon, and flowers where there’s room.

“I can’t believe you guys have done all this, I didn’t realize you knew, this means so much thank you!”

“We know all the important dates that we need to don’t you worry!” Jack answers smiling my way.

“I wish I could take the credit for this but I was told we were going for a walk and turned up to this!” Brooke laughs out.

“I was told the same!” I let out a small laugh and send Liam another grateful nod, we all spend a few more minutes around the memorial, me and Brooke telling stories about Josh then the guys step back and leave me and Brooke to have a few alone minutes together.

“There’s one more thing!” We both turn around as Calvin shouts out to us to find Liam walking toward us with Bella in his arms. How the? I look past him to see variety standing next to Jack, they must have asked her to bring Bella out here and it means the world to me and I know Brooke will feel the same.

He hands her to me before walking back to the others while we three enjoy a few moments together, hoping that somehow, Josh can see us here, hoping that somehow he can see Bella, Harley, too.

Beta Liam

I knew today would be hard for the girls but add in all the recent events and I honestly don’t know how they have even got out of bed today, while me and Calvin were busy planning Marcus’ end yesterday Jack and Ashley took care of arranging something for them to celebrate Josh’s birthday and thankfully, they loved it.

“Liam where are you?” Calvin’s link brings me out of my lost thoughts as I’m heading back to the packhouse.

“I’m just outside the packhouse Alpha.”

“Can you come to my office? And less of the Alpha dickhead!” I let out a chuckle, he always gives me s**t for calling him Alpha but I can’t help it sometimes it just slips out. I let him know I’m on my way and pick up the pace. I quickly arrive to find Cal, Brooke, Jack, Alpha John, Ariel, and her sister Hanna waiting in his office. Whys are Ariel and Hanna here?

“Beta Liam, Ariel has asked to speak to Jacoby with us present, Ashley has gone to get him now and Bethany is on her way up.” I nod then greet Ariel before taking a seat to the side of Cal.

“Less of the Beta dickhead!” I link Cal and he almost chooks on his water before letting out a low chuckle while facing me.

“prick!” he shoots back through the link causing me to bite back my own laugh. It’s not long before they turn up and the minute I see my girl I know something is wrong, my body instantly panics but then I recognize how she looks and I know that I’ve seen it before.

“Brooke has Beth got her period?”

“Yeah, she has, don’t worry she’ll be fine!” I look in her direction and she’s sending me her loving smile and as much as it does help to calm me to know it’s just her period, I still don’t like it, not one bit! I’ll go to Walmart later and grab her some of her favourite treats, they always help her.

She’s wearing grey joggers, a white vest, hair up in a messy bun, and fluffy slippers, her face is as pale as Casper the ghost but yet she still holds a beauty like no other.

Ashley takes the seat next to Jack, while Jacoby takes the seat opposite Ariel, far enough away for her to have space but close enough to keep his wolf calm, for now, there is an empty seat over the other side of the room and Jonah quickly protests to her sitting so far away from us and to be honest so do I.

As if she can read my mind, she picks the chair up and brings it over towards me and places it down next to me, thank f**k for that!

“So, Jacoby, Ariel asked for this meeting, she wants to talk to you but not alone, she has asked for our presence during the talk!” Jacoby quickly makes it clear that he’s happy with that before Ariel speaks up, looking and sounding a lot better than she did yesterday.

“Jacoby, I have been thinking about our mate bond since the moment we found out, it doesn’t matter what I do, it’s all I can think about… When I found out Ryder was my mate, I didn’t hesitate in accepting him, the possibility of him leaving me so soon or doing what he did without a care for me never entered my mind, and look how that turned out. I suppose what I’m trying to say is judging people too fast isn’t necessarily the right thing to do so I don’t want to judge you too quickly either, I’ve heard the stories of the bad that you have done but I’ve also heard the good!”

He gives her a gentle smile and nods but he doesn’t speak a word, he just sits there and lets her say whatever she needs to. She then turns her attention to Bethany, asking her for her opinions and feelings and despite what Jacoby has done to her she still defends him telling Ariel all the good things she knows about him, barely ghosting over the bad he has done and as much as I hate to admit it, really f*****g hate it, I have to say I agree with what she is saying.

“What do you want from this bond Jacoby?” Ariel asks him the one question that no one else has.

“I want you; I want us, I want the chance to show you who I really am, the chance to show you how special and beautiful you truly are!” It’s clear for everyone in the room to see how he speaks without a slither of hesitation and I know Ariel can feel it too.

“I want that too, I want to give us a chance, I don’t want to live my life with what-ifs!” Both Jacoby and Ariel are beaming and honestly so is everyone else.

“There’s just one problem, I…I don’t belong to any pack right now so being with me means becoming Rogue, just until I can find us a new pack and I will I promise!” Jacoby’s reality quickly sets in for him and the pain behind his eyes is clear for everyone to see.

“You both have a place in my pack if you would like it? Alpha John tells them both, Jacoby leaves the decision up to Ariel who is quick to accept Alpha John’s offer, after a little more chatter, everyone leaves the room except for Cal, Brooke me, and Beth, Calvin linked us all telling us to stay after the meeting was done.

“Bethany your French teacher called me this morning!” Cal starts talking the moment the office door shuts, she looks confused as she tries to figure out why her teacher called.

“He told me about the field trip they are planning, he said that you have told him you’re not going but he doesn’t know why he asked me to try and find out as he thinks this trip will be an incredible experience for you!”

“It would be but…I don’t want to go.” She’s lying it’s clear for everyone to see.

“Now the real reason you don’t want to go sweetheart? It’s only 10 days?” I ask her, Cal gives me a confused look so I explain what she told me about it at the lake.

“I..Katie can’t go and I don’t want to go without her, everyone in the class is going and I don’t want her left out on her own!” She looks sad but her loyalty to her friend is warming.

“Why can’t she go?” Cal turns in his chair to face Beth better.

“Her family can’t afford it, they don’t have a lot of income but Katie never complains, she always accepts it without a complaint so I’m going to stay home with her, please don’t say anything to her dad, I don’t want to embarrass anyone!”

“Do you want to go?” She looks to Cal and nods yes, telling him Katie does too.

“Then you both will go and before you try to argue it don’t, no one will be embarrassed but it will be sorted, ok?” After some more chatting, we head down to the kitchen for dinner, Jacoby, Ariel and Alpha John leave soon after with their two warriors to head back to their pack, and when I wish them all the best, I truly mean it and I can see everyone else does too.

I finish all my work for the day and it’s still pretty early so I decide to go for a run with Jonah, we’ve not had much chance to run since I got him back with everything that’s been going on. I quickly reach the tree line before stripping off and shifting, I hand over control to Jonah deciding to let him have his fun and go to the back of my mind letting him move forward while I get ready to enjoy the views and as usual Jonah doesn’t let me down.

four months later…