Chapter 2 As The Beta

“That was a good match. It’s a little brutal for a girl, but hey, it is your debut as a beta. You just have to show the crowd who’s boss.” I have just finished arranging my clothes back on when I heard Max approaching. I fight the urge to roll my eyes when Max comes over to make a comment about my match with Alex. The ceremony for my debut as the pack’s beta finally ended with me emerging as the victor. I know that there will always be lycans who would be opposed to having me as their new beta, but they will just have to get used to it.

Max knows this as well, which I guess is probably the reason why he’s here in the first place—to once again give me his offer of ‘assistance’. 

“Thanks, young lord Max.” I uttered my respect and lowered my gaze so as not to meet his. 

“What’s with the strict formality?” He sounds amused when he asks me this. “You used to call me Max.”

“I am now the beta of this pack.” I tell him strictly, raising my head to see his expression. He wears a smirk on his face, and his arms are crossed over his broad, muscular chest. Seeing that expression gives me a sense of weird feelings inside my chest. Even though I dislike him, there’s no denying that he’s attractive. And with him being the next alpha in line, it only made him more popular with the female lycans. “I should naturally address you with respect unless you tell me otherwise.”

Max raises a hand to his chin like he is in thought. “Poor Belle. You’re still trying to prove your worth to the pack for being different.”

I did not answer him because it is true. I am the only lycan here who can’t merge myself with my wolf. 

This makes me the black sheep of the pack, and that is one thing I am willing to change. I will make them acknowledge me, even if I am an abnormal lycan.

“I won’t be trying for much longer.” I lift my head up and said it with confidence. That made Max throw his head back in a cackle.

“But until when?” He snorts. He places a finger below my chin and forces me to meet his yellow predetorial eyes. “You know that there are other ways for the pack to respect you.”

I feel disgusted and repulsed, but I know that I must not swat his hand away because that would be disrespectful. I am now the beta of the pack, which means that I have to respect my leaders, even if it includes Max.

“This is highly inapppropritate, young lord.” I take a step back and move my chin away from his hands carefully. “You are the soon to be alpha. Your partner should be one that fits you.”

Max sighs and shakes his head. “Belle, Belle, Belle. That’s exactly why I am asking you to be mine. Your beauty can’t be compared to the rest of the female lycans. You’re strong and also the newly appointed beta of the pack. Who else is more fit to be at my side?”

I want to frown. I want him to know how much his words disgust me. I want to punch him so hard that it would make him rethink about his proposal.

There was once a time when I used to like and admire Max. We were friends when we were little, and he would always protect me from other kids because I was different. He was my protector and my only friend at that time.

When we reached our teenage years, that’s when he started to change. The change started after I rejected him when he first offered me to be his mate. I did not think that I was worthy of being by his side at that time, so I decided to reject him. I was only thinking of him when I cast that decision. I did not even think of how it would affect him emotionally.

I honestly felt bad the first time I rejected him, but what he did after that only confirmed that I made the right decision. He became one of my bully’s enablers. 

Being bullied was nothing new to me, but it hurts much more when a friend you once trusted joins them than it does when strangers make fun of you for being different. 

But soon, all those feelings were washed away with anger when he offered me that he would make all the bullying stop if I agreed to become his mate. 

At least that was one thing that remained the same for him.

“Belle Lycansten.” Koffer, the Alpha’s assistant, calls me from a distance. He starts to beckon me over, and I cannot help but feel relieved at the opportunity to get away from here. “The alpha wishes to speak with you.”

“I’ll be right there.” I tell Koffer before facing Max. “Excuse me,” I bowed my head, refusing to look at him before following Koffer.

It should have been resolved after that, but then I hear Max calling out to me.

“You know that I will be alpha soon enough. When that happens, you’re going to be mine either way. I want you to remember that, Belle.”

I feel so pissed off that he needed to say that out loud. I can still feel his gaze on me while I follow Koffer. All that I could do at that moment was to ball my hands into fists. I felt really embarrassed, especially when I caught Koffer giving me a weird stare after he heard Max.

Fortunately, everyone left right after I was declared the beta. I can smell all the bitterness in the air while we continue to walk.

“You should mind flirting with the young lord out in public. Your title as the pack’s beta does not warrant the alpha’s approval for you to become his son’s mate. You should know your place.” Koffer gives me a backward glance, like he is making sure that I am listening to him. 

I want to tell him that it is not the case—that it is Max who is chasing after me, but would it make a difference? 

I don’t think so. 

“It won’t happen again.” Is all I say to make him stop staring at me. Thankfully, he does not say anything more and continues to walk straight to the massive tent built for the Alpha. 

Koffer pauses by the entrance and lifts up the tent’s partition to allow me to enter. “The Alpha is waiting for you inside.” 

I give him a small nod before entering. It is my first time heading into the Alpha’s quarters. It’s decorated with paintings of blood, skin, and heads of the most dangerous prey that he has hunted. Bows, swords, and other weapons of the hunters are displayed in one corner of the room. 

Alpha Lupert stands at the center of the room, admiring his newly skinned bear carpet that I offered him before my ceremony as his beta.

“This gift that you have given me is quite exquisite. Do you think that it would look good as a coat or a carpet?”

“Pardon?” His question caught me off guard, so it took me a while to process what he meant. “I-I mean, the decision is entirely up to you.”

“It is rare for bears to wander into our territory these days. Where did you hunt this splendid beast?”

“It just happens to cross into our territory. I believe that it got spooked by the hunters during their latest attack.” I answer him.

“Hunters.” Alpha Lupert says in disgust. “If we don’t get rid of them soon, our resources are going to dwindle and our people will starve.”

Hunters are humans who are trained to kill beings like us. They are the only barrier that keeps us from conquering other lands. They have built walls to keep us separated from the humans. That would have been fine, but it was an unfair that they locked us in the other half of the land that was dying.

“Alpha, if there’s anything that I can do, just let me know.” I tell the Alpha while I bow my head in submission. 

“Well, there may be one thing that only you can do.” I lift my head up to see that Alpha Lupert is indeed serious, making me stare at him curiously. When he starts to smile, that’s when I figured out that he isn’t kidding. “For the only abnormal wolf in the pack, this is a job that’s perfectly suited for you. As my newly appointed beta, I am assigning you with a very important task where our pack’s future could depend on it. Belle, I want you to interrogate a human prisoner.”