Chapter 1
BETA ANDREAS TREMBLAY
“Andreas!” A voice called out to him yet he couldn’t bring himself to stop in his mission of putting as much distance between him and everyone else as possible and even then, he was confident it wouldn’t be enough.
After what had just happened out there, in front of everyone, he needed to be alone to process it all. The fact that he was struggling to bring himself to regret it, especially when the fear on her face flashed through his mind, no doubt down to his wolf trying to play the sympathy card on him in hopes that he would calm down.
We can’t ignore the Alpha. His wolf whined in his head, all but pleading for Andreas to turn around and return to the arena that he had just stormed out of. We also need to go back for our mate! You left her all alone. What were you thinking?
Can you blame me? Andreas couldn’t help but spit back at his wolf, not the least bit impressed with his hand in all of this, manipulating the situation and taking charge even though he knew where exactly Andreas stood in all of this. And I’m not speaking to you right now. Not after what you did out there. What were you thinking? He spat at his wolf, growling louder at the way that his wolf had acted out without his consent.
While he hadn’t been completely overjoyed with the notion of rejection, he couldn’t force her to accept him, and that was something that he was prepared to spend the rest of his life trying to wrap his head around but now, his wolf had acted with his heart, essentially leaving his human alter-ego to clean up the mess that he had just created.
That’s not my fault! You saw her! She was scared up there! His wolf growled at him, not the least bit apologetic. How do you expect for me to just stand back and watch our mate suffer like that? I’m not going to apologise for something I don’t regret, and certainly not for being a heartless bastard like you!
I don’t fucking care if she has to face the repercussions of her actions! She’s the one that wanted to go through with the rejection! Not me!
I was just fixing things! His wolf tried to argue but Andreas was quick to cut him off, having so much more to say.
Don’t you get it? This whole thing is beyond fixing! She doesn’t want us, or did you conveniently forget that part when you decided to play the role of her knight in shining armour? Too bad she doesn’t want you or either of us! Andreas growled back at his wolf, pushing himself to walk fast and more purposely, his mind too clouded with this back and forth going on between him and his wolf. And just to make things clear, that woman is not our mate!
She is and there’s nothing that you can do about it!
“Andreas!” Ezekiel roared out to him, the Alpha command now slipping into his tone which forced the Beta wolf to still in his tracks and turn around to face his friend and Alpha. “Where are you going?” Ezekiel asked as he caught up to Andreas, a wild, questioning look in his eyes.
“Away from here!” Andreas spat as he swivelled around and continued walking but this time, welcomed Ezekiel to fall into step alongside him.
“What happened back there?”
“You’re asking me as if I would know.” He scoffed and shook his head, raising his hand to run through his hair but instead, ended up pulling harshly at the ends while fighting off his wolf, needing something to channel his rage into as right now, he rivalled a ticking time bomb.
“How would anyone else but you know?” The Alpha wolf pressed on even though he knew that Andreas was far from in the mood for a light-hearted Q and A session but if he didn’t ask these questions now, then Andreas wouldn’t be forced to think about all of this.
“I have no idea, okay! Is that what you wanted to hear, Zeke?” Andreas once again paused in his steps and turned to face Ezekiel with wild, feral eyes. “I have no idea what happened back there so please don’t ask me! I can barely think straight now as it is.”
Unable to stomach putting up with any more of this, especially since the commotion from the arena seemed to be getting louder despite the space that he had been determined to put between them, Andreas growled to himself as he turned around and continued marching toward the hotel. When that wasn’t enough, he shifted into his wolf and took off into the woods.
Needing to burn off all of this rage pumping through his body, Andreas completed an entire lap around the island yet that still didn’t feel enough to put a cap on all the raw feelings and emotions that he was experiencing. Very aware that he would be able to run from his problems despite how much he wanted to, he sighed and trudged back to the hotel, only shifting back into his human form once he had stepped foot into his room and slammed the door shut behind him.
As a walk had done him no good and he didn’t dare step out of his room as he very well knew that everyone out there would demand what he was thinking, Andreas groaned and dropped himself on the bed, shoving his head under his pillow in hopes of drowning everything out. Unfortunately, peace and quiet was not possible since with his enhanced werewolf capabilities, he could hear everything they were discussing out in the living room.
For that same reason, he could also hear the steward walk into the apartment and begin down the hallway heading toward his room, not bothering to knock on the door before allowing himself in which was probably the smart choice since Andreas wouldn’t have responded.
“I’ve said this to Zeke and I’m saying this to you now, Harrison, but I can’t do this right now.” He groaned into the pillow and fisted his hands in the sheets, unable to prevent himself from shaking with all the rage that was flowing through his body.
“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice,” Harrison pursed his lip but when the Beta wolf refused to respond, he sighed deeply and ventured further into the room. “I can only imagine how difficult all of this is for you right now and while I appreciate the fact that you probably need some time to yourself, it appears that time is not something I can give you right now.”
“Can you stop speaking in riddles? The sooner you tell me what you want, the sooner I say no and you leave!”
“You won’t be able to say no to this.” The steward couldn’t help but gulp as he took a step back, almost as if he expected this next piece of news to not go down a treat. “The Alpha King demands your presence in his office.”
A brief moment of silence filled the room, only broken by the sound of a certain Alpha wolf joining them in his room to give them some privacy, everyone else in the apartment having seemingly disappeared momentarily.
“What did you just say?” Andreas asked quietly as he turned around to now lay on his back, gulping as he stared up at the ceiling.
“Why would the Alpha King want to speak to Andreas?” Ezekiel asked with a puzzled look on his face, choosing to address the steward and not him.
“Your guess is as good as mine.” Harrison shrugged before groaning aloud, rubbing a tired hand down the side of his face. “Though it’s probably got something to do with what just happened out in The Challenge.”
“Can you both please stop talking as if I’m not right here?” Andreas growled loudly as he pushed the sheets back and rose to his feet, unbothered by his naked attire. However, since he didn’t want to meet the Alpha King in such a natural state, he walked over to pull on some clothes.
While he wasn’t in the appropriate mind state to be talking to anyone right now, let alone the King of all werewolves, it appeared that he didn’t have a choice in the matter.
“You would warn me if I was about to die, right?” Andreas half-joked.
“Of course,” Harrison chuckled, though the sound was far from humorous. As they stepped out of the room, the steward glanced over to the Alpha wolf. “I apologise Alpha Ezekiel, but Beta Andreas is going to have to go this one alone.”
Ezekiel was far from happy about it but since he didn’t have a choice, he nodded and reached out to give Andreas’ shoulder a reassuring squeeze, wishing him all the luck since he was in dire need of it.
While Harrison was kind enough to try and make simple conversation in hopes of calming the stressful situation, Andreas couldn’t bring himself to say anything as he was far too worried about his fate and before he knew it, he was standing in front of the familiar double doors of the Alpha King’s office.
“Beta Andreas, would you like to explain to me what happened out there?” The Alpha King demanded an answer the moment the door opened, barely giving him any time to kneel on the ground in respect and bare his neck in submission, only rising back to his feet when prompted to.
“With all due respect, my King, but I have no idea.” He sighed and shook his head softly. “I’m very aware that I chose for a second-chance mate and while I fully intended to go through with that, it appears that my wolf was not in consensus with me, something which I was not aware of until it was too late.”
“What do you mean?” The King asked with a curious glint in his eyes, cocking his head slightly, only glancing away from him to share an indiscernible look with his son who was sat next to him on a throne of his own.
“My wolf forcefully took control over me when he joined The Challenge. While I knew that he wasn’t happy with the rejection, I didn’t realise that he would go to such an extent.” Andreas gulped as he bowed his head in shame for not being able to maintain control over his wolf. Whether it was because his wolf had been far too determined or simply down to the re-iterating fact that he was born a normal wolf and not into the Beta role but either way, he still couldn’t believe what had happened.
“Well, I doubt the Moon Goddess would be very pleased with that but I can’t say that I’m all that surprised.” The Alpha King hummed with a thoughtful expression on his face and while Andreas had a lot of questions ready to go on the tip of his tongue, he didn’t dare voice any of them aloud in fear of getting himself into even more trouble, especially after such blatant defiance on his part.
When both the king and the prince noticed this, they laughed aloud, somehow able to find some humour in the situation that Andreas was clearly missing.
“If it’s any consolation, you’ve forced us to re-evaluate everything so there won’t be these kinds of loop holes next year.” The Alpha King chuckled before he waved a dismissive hand in the air, having other problems and issues to deal with.
Stepping out of the office, he glanced at Harrison and they both fell into step side-by-side as they began down the hallway, Andreas feeling more lost now than he was before going to see the Alpha King.
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11.01.2021
