Beyond Beta's Rejection

(Harper’s POV)

I glared at Colton as he rubbed the now reddened skin on his cheek where I had just slapped him.

“You disgust me!” I spat, “And I don’t care what you threaten to do or say. I will never do anything that will remotely benefit you ever!” I was furious. Who the hell did he think he was, to think that he could even suggest that after what I had just found out. I didn’t care what he wanted. I wasn’t interested. I turned to walk away from him and heard him chuckle.

“Never say never, Strawberries,” he called after me. “It might have been ten years ago, but I remember when you not only didn’t say never, but you begged me to take what I wanted and more. You begged me to claim you!”

“Yeah, well, feel free to say never now,” I called back without looking. “Because that girl is dead!”

“Do you know what your new dear mate does to people who disappoint him?” I felt Colton following me down the hall. “Do you know what he would do to someone who betrayed him like this? Someone who only got close to him so that they could take him down?” I stopped at the end of the hall and knew Colton was standing right behind me. I could feel his breath on the back of my neck.

“People have gone missing from this town since he arrived,” Colton said. “How many young she-wolves have you seen in town since you got here? Do you really think this curfew is for anything other than thinning the herd, taking what he wants, and disposing of the rest? I know that you will have read the file on him. You will have seen what he has done in other packs, to other people.” Colton leaned right into my ear, and I shivered as he whispered,

“What would a man like that do to a member of the Council elite guard, sent to spy on him and ruin the empire he is building?”

I hated to admit it, but I had read the report. The background on Elias was that he was ruthless and unforgiving. But I had met the man underneath. I had seen a nicer, more caring side to Elias. Did that mean that he wasn’t a bad guy? No. I was here to find evidence that we could use against him to prove that he was a part of the worst underground criminal organisation that the world didn’t know existed. The mate bond couldn’t change that and couldn’t change the type of person he was. No matter how much I was starting to have feelings for the man.

I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes. Why did everything have to be so f*****g complicated? I opened them again to see Colton watching me with a smirk screaming to be punched in his face.

“Don’t worry, Strawberries,” he said. “I’m not going to make you do anything you don’t want to. In fact, I will help you get what you need to take Owens down.” I looked at him and narrowed my eyes.

“Why?” I asked. “Why would you want to help me, knowing that once I have what I have, then I’m gone?” Colton looked around and then back at me.

“Because I want the bastard gone too,” he said. “With him gone, I will finally be able to take control of my pack.”

“Your pack?” I asked, surprised, “but you’re not an Alpha. It would be Damien who would take back control. Wherever he is.” I raised my eyebrows in question, hoping for an answer, and he chuckled, moving in close to me.

“Nice try, Strawberries,” he said, “I’m not giving that bit of valuable information away. It doesn’t matter, though, because that spineless piece of s**t was never going to be the Alpha of this pack. It was always going to be me.” I stared at him, not quite sure what to say. I was so shocked by what he was saying that he caught me off guard, grabbed my wrist, and spun me, slamming me face-first into the wall.

“f**k!” I exclaimed in pain. “Get off me now, Colton,” and he chuckled in response. I struggled to get out of his grip, and he pushed my arm up to my back.

“And how I get the rank I deserve, well, that’s where you come in, baby girl, you and your Order,” he purred in my ear. I growled in return.

“Because, my beautiful goddess-given mate, you would never leave this place. I won’t let you go this time,” I threw my head back, aiming for his nose, when he grabbed my hair and yanked it further back. I cried out in shock rather than pain.

“You can go straight to hell, Colton,” I hissed. “I’d rather risk Elias than help you get your sick twisted hands on the pack,”

“Well, we will see about that, Strawberries,” he let go of my hair, and I almost whacked my head on the wall with the sudden change in force. “You have until dinner tonight to decide. If you agree to work with me, turn that pretty ring around on your finger so the stone is showing.”

“You are delusional if you think I will agree to that,” I spat and pushed off the wall with every ounce of strength. I don’t know if I caught Colton off guard or if he let me move, but either way, I got free of his hold and turned on him, ready to punch him. He stepped back out of reach, grinning at me.

“If you don’t agree, I will not only tell your dear Alpha mate who you are and why you are here, but I will also tell him how Tommy knew as well.” I felt a knot of dread in my stomach. “You might be able to sweet-talk your way out of it, but I doubt Tommy would be able to do the same. Are you really willing to risk his life, even if you are willing to risk yours?” He smirked again, and I growled.

Tapping his wrist like there was a watch there, he turned away. “Tonight’s dinner, Strawberries, or I’m spilling all the secrets” I glared at his back as he went.

He was right, I was good at getting myself out of this type of thing, but if Elias thought that Tommy knowingly brought me here to take him out, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill Tommy, not according to his file. My only hope was to get ahead of this, tell Elias myself first. Come clean and hope that he wasn’t who the Council thought he was.

I headed down the stairs to the first floor, where all the offices were, and headed to Elias’ office. I saw that the door was open, and I walked slowly up to the door when I heard Elias’ voice.

“Do we have confirmation that the schedule is in place?” he asked

“Yeah, I got confirmation from Taylor yesterday,” I recognised Marcus as the other voice.Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

“And is the shipment the standard, or are there any special orders?” Elias asked

“No, standard only, no report of living orders this time,” I heard shuffling papers.

“Okay, tell Taylor to keep our men on it. I need this to reach its destination,”

“Yes, Alpha,” Marcus responded.

“Did the Luca family get relocated?”

“Yes, relocated with a cover.” Marcus chuckled, “And I confirmed that Alex Bennet is healing after last night too,”

“Good, he was a good show of strength, so people know we mean business,” Elias said, “What about-” then he stopped, and I heard a chair move and footsteps. I stepped back just as Elias walked out of the office and looked in my direction.

“Harper,” he smiled at me, and his eyes twinkled like he wasn’t just talking about beating people up and shipments, probably filled with drugs and weapons, “What are you doing here? Not that I’m not happy to see you.” he stepped closer to me and then stopped and growled.

“Why do you smell like Stokes?” he asked, his voice low and the twinkle stripped from his eyes in seconds.

I rolled my eyes, “Because he’s a delusional d**k,” I said. “He was waiting for me at lunch with his mum and the Luna,”

“Former Luna,” he corrected, and I rolled my eyes again.

“Yeah, that,” I waved my hand dismissively, “Did you know that Caroline Stokes thinks that we are married and all that?” and he growled.

“Yes, I was aware of her ramblings,” he said sadly, “I have offered to have her go somewhere where people will help her, but Stokes wasn’t having any of it,” he rubbed his eyes like he was tired and then looked up at me again.

“Anyway, what can I do for you?” he asked, taking my hand.

“I erm… just wanted to know how I am expected to dress at dinner.” I said, “It’s been so long since I have done one and all that,” I rambled, and he raised his eyebrow at me.

“There’s no dress code,” he said and pulled me in close to him, the scent of mint and sea salt invading my scent like the most amazing smell in the world, “Whatever you wear will be beautiful,” he kissed my forehead, and I felt the sensation down into my toes and fought the urge to shiver. I nodded my head and smiled.

“Well, ok then, I will see you at dinner,” I turned to go, but Elias didn’t let go of my hand,

“Harper,” I turned back to him, “I’ll pick you up from your room. I would like us to enter together.” I smiled and nodded, and he finally let go of my hand.

I turned and rushed down the hallway. I needed to get out of there fast and back up to my room. I needed to call Nathaniel. If anyone were going to sort the mess I was in, it would be him.