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Beta - The Bayou Boys 87
SKY Walking in the door, I felt a wave of exhaustion hit me. The day at the zoo with Nola, Huckley, Oxxy, and the older twins, Koda and Kage, had been nothing short of chaos. Thankfully, Ezra had been there to help corral the kids. Otherwise, I might've lost my mind. I had to get them all out of the house so Cassy and Viviana could have a good sonogram. I tried to get Kael to come with me, but he refused. Thankfully, Ezra stepped up, and Ky and Knox stayed back to control Kael if needed. None of us trusted him alone with Phin yet.The house was quiet as I slipped off my shoes and headed toward the bedroom. Kael was lying on his back on the bed, shirtless, his chest slick and sweaty. His skin glistened in the dim light, and I could tell from how his muscles tensed and relaxed that he had just come from the gym. Whenever he hit the gym like this, it usually meant he was battling something. I didn't need to ask. I already knew what was bothering him.Burk.It had been two months si
Beta - The Bayou Boys 88
PHINAs we drove back home, the blur of the landscape passing by did little to distract me. My thoughts were on fire, burning through every anxiety and doubt I had about returning to the Bayou. Becoming Alpha again wasn't just a title.I was supposed to lead, guide, and protect these people, but I could barely keep my head above water.Cassy sat in the passenger seat asleep. She was getting more tired by the day, and I'd noticed it even before this. Those babies were already demanding so much from her. She'd still managed with such grace. She always had this way of making everything seem manageable, like no matter how bad things got, she'd find a way to pull us through. I envied that.Vivi nestled against my side, tracing little circles on my arm. Her soft touch was usually a comfort. Today, though, it felt like a drop in the ocean. Teddy's hands were tight on the steering wheel, his eyes locked on the road. He was lost in his own world, just like I was in mine."You good, frère?" h
Beta - The Bayou Boys 89
I stood in the middle of the room, shoving clothes into the duffel bag. The walls felt like they were closing in, my decision squeezing the air from my lungs. This house had been my home for such a short time, but it now felt like a cage I was desperate to escape. Teddy walked up behind me. "I don't understand why you're doing this, love. Je ne comprends pas." I kept packing, unable to look at him. "Because it's what's best for the pack. You offered Phin your support. I thought you were accepting this?" "For the pack? Or for you?" He stepped closer. I spun around, the bag half-packed. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" "It means you're running, Cassy." His green eyes burned with anger. "You're scared of what the pack needs from you, so you're backing down." "Backing down?" I threw the bag aside. "I've been carrying this pack since I took over! You think I don't feel the pressure? You think it's easy?" "You're not the only one who feels it," he spat. "But this pack needs
Beta - The Bayou Boys 90
PHIN - Teddy left with Cassy, and the house felt quieter without them. The healers insisted Cassy's pain was from the title shift, but nothing more. She'd be fine. But that didn't make me feel any less restless.I needed to move things forward. "Set the master suite for me and Viv," I ordered the Omegas, watching them flinch at my tone. "But leave the room next to Marilee's as is." They exchanged glances, but nobody questioned me.Except Viv, of course.She leaned casually against the doorway. "Why both? We're taking over the master suite now that you're Alpha again, right?"I looked back at her, trying to keep the storm of emotions under control. "One for sleeping," I muttered, "and the master for... other things."She laughed, stepping closer until she was right in front of me. "Do we need both, really?""Yes. For...other needs," I cut her off sharply. Her laughter was infectious, but my mind was already racing ahead, buzzing with an energy I couldn't control. She always had this
Beta - The Bayou Boys 91
KNOX -I pulled into the driveway and turned off the engine. Oxxy was still fast asleep in his car seat. His checkup had gone great. The doctors were thrilled with how well he was doing. His surgery to fix his cleft lip and palate had been just a month ago, and every day since, he was healing stronger. It amazed me how resilient he was. He took everything in stride, without a single complaint.I sat for a moment, watching him. Essie had let me adopt him without a fight, and I was grateful for that. She still came around and saw him when she could, but I could tell it hurt her. Oxxy wasn't just a little boy to her. He was a reminder of things she wanted to forget. I knew she hated herself for it. Every time she saw him, she'd tell me that. But it didn't change the fact that he was born from something terrible, and she couldn't get past it. It made me sad for her. It made me sad for him, too. He deserved better than to carry that shadow.As I stepped out of the truck and quietly unb
Beta - The Bayou Boys 92
PHIN - I couldn't just apologize. Saying sorry would be a cop-out. Something lazy, something too easy for the mess I'd made. I was the one who pushed her, who kept going until she shut down. Hell, I hated myself for it, and not just for hurting Viv, but for becoming the very guy I swore I'd never be again. That guy who was more like my old man. The guy who shoved everything onto others, expected them to carry his load while he wallowed in his own misery.I'd seen the looks already. The pack was scared.I wasn't just breaking down. I was dragging them all with me already. And I hated that. I didn't want Viv tied to that man. The man who couldn't control himself, who lashed out because he was too damn stubborn to confront his demons. I didn't want her stuck with that version of me.I had to do something, but I couldn't figure out what. Saying sorry wouldn't cut it. I'd said it before, too many times. This time, I had to show her."Run." The word crept into my thoughts. It was ridicul
Beta - The Bayou Boys 93
TEDDY - We hadn't stood there long when a noise echoed through the trees. Crashing, banging, something big tearing through the brush. I tensed immediately, my instincts kicking in as I exchanged a look with Knox. Then, something streaked past us. A blur, fast and low to the ground. A white blur."What the hell was that?" Knox asked.I didn't wait to answer. My wolf surged, pushing me forward, and I took off after the white blur. Knox was right on my heels. Whatever it was, it was moving fast, darting through the trees like a flash of lightning.The chase lasted for miles. We ran hard, faster than I'd run in weeks, our wolves pushing to keep up. My muscles burned, and every sharp turn through the woods made my mind race. The scent it left behind was faint but undeniable. Wolf, but something else too. Something unfamiliar.It wasn't until we were halfway to the Bayou land that the thing finally slowed. We cornered it near a narrow clearing, and I shifted back to human, my lungs burnin
Beta - The Bayou Boys 94
PHIN - I couldn't get enough of her. After all the shit I'd said, all the ways I'd made her feel small, the only way to make it right was to show her how much I needed her. Not as some quiet background presence but as my equal. My everything. So I worshipped her the way she deserved. Her every curve fit perfectly against my body. This was me making up for every stupid remark I'd ever said. Her chestnut hair spilled over the pillow as I traced her skin with reverence, trailing kisses over her neck and down. I could feel her surrender, but it wasn't submission It was trust. Trust I had to earn back. "Je t'adore," I whispered. "You're everything, mon cœur." (I adore you... my heart) She let out a breath, arching into me. This wasn't just about sex anymore. This was something primal that connected us on a level I couldn't explain. As we moved together, I felt her wolf. It was faint, like an echo, but she was there. Viv hadn't heard her in so long, but now... Now she was stirrin
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