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TWENTY FIVE
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The Beta's Rebound TWENTY SIX
ELOISEI could hardly believe that I was doing it. Coming out clean. "I don't have a choice," I told Fergus."He's threatening you?"Well, that part was not wrong but I wished that was truly all there was to it. However, that was not the case and someone deserved to know. Now more than ever. The bond between Matthan and I was not something I had intended to hide from my parents but I had believed it would scare them. The concept of mates and werewolves seemed all too complicated but now, that wedge was gone. They knew it all. No point hiding it now."Matthan is my mate," I confessed. It was no easier saying the words aloud than it had been thinking them.I expected some negative reaction; maybe an overreacting gasp but that did not happen. Instead, they simply nodded solemnly as if they already knew."That would explain why the Beta is acting irrationally." Fergus surmised. "Love can make us do crazy things. I assume he is doing this because you want nothing to do with him?"I nodded.
The Beta's Rebound TWENTY SEVEN
MATTHANIt was hell. Knowing I had done something so unspeakable to someone I surely could not leave without. My fascination. My quest to discover who Eloise Carter was and I had left the most important stone unturned. Her father. If I had known, I wouldn't have done it. But what was the point of regretting it now? I had done it. I had to put her in danger. With my own hands, I had sent hail into her life once again. I could teleport to her house and promise to protect but it was crystal clear even for me that she wouldn't want me there. I wouldn't even want myself there. I remained that way for a pretty long time. The curtains were down so I could not tell how much time had gone. Not that any of that mattered much. I just wanted to remain in my bed. Kept alive by misery. Occasionally, it crossed my mind that hurting myself was not going to fix all the things I had broken. Common sense would tell me to think and make an attempt to fix things. My wolf would do the same but he had also
The Beta's Rebound TWENTY EIGHT
ELOISEI don't think I've ever had a lucid dream. Dreams to Eloise Carter were a rare experience. Nightmares and terrors of the night were more of my forte but being completely aware of my actions in a dream was new to me. A wise person once said by embracing your subconscious, you gained a different way of seeing and experiencing. An expanded doorway that explored hidden vices of oneself. I had half expected tonight to be riddled with horrible replays of that unfortunate night but there I was having a heart to heart with Matthan. He looked real. He looked flesh and bone but I knew this was a dream. Since it was nothing but a dream, I didn't hold back. I said every word that lingered at the back of my mind. Things I didn't think I had the guts to say in front of Matthan Gardenia when I finally woke up from this moment. Once I said it all, I left it all. I figured the only way to end the dream was to walk back through the door I had used to come in. I closed my eyes walking through, hal
The Beta's Rebound TWENTY NINE
ALICE I monitored Declan the day after his drunken confession, hoping that perhaps he would realize that I knew his secret but he went about his duties as usual, and now that I knew why the Alpha of the Gardenia pack would never be interested in me. It was painfully obvious that at any opportunity he got, Declan would try his best to avoid me. He would spend his nighttime in his office doing 'official business' and when morning came, he would continue the same thing. It got frustrating and despite knowing the truth, I refused to accept that it was just going to end there for me. I sacrificed my future with Matthan for him. His sexuality sure as hell was not going to fuck up the future I had envisioned for myself. So on the second night after Matthan's party, I wore something slutty. A short and near-transparent dress, grabbed some alcohol, and headed to Declan's office unannounced. I knocked lightly twice and entered as soon as I heard his muffled grunt. Declan was standing behind hi
The Beta's Rebound THIRTY
DECLAN Alice was mad. If I had a choice in the matter, she would probably be six feet under. But she was given to me. The whole pack was expecting that we consummate whatever we had going on all because history had shown again and again that an Alpha was stronger with a mate. It was one of the reasons my parents had forced this arrangement on us. Apart from the fact, that it would align our separate packs to become a single body, it would set their minds at rest that I was not waiting for my fated mate to arrive. I wish I got it honestly. For most of my life, the fated mate concept was what I had used to keep my parents in check but as time went on, they got impatient and wanted things their way. I couldn't say no of course because then they would ask questions. Questions that had answers I knew they wouldn't like. The Moon goddess did not make me wrong. No. I wasn't the first and no one could call me unnatural because if I did find my fated like others like me, my parents' fears woul
The Beta's Rebound THIRTY ONE
ELOISE The morning after my sex dream, I woke up to the smell of bread. You see, my mom had taken this unusual hobby of bread making. You'd see surprised how many kinds there were and the different ways they could be prepared. I was the lab rat used to test the success of her new recipes. However, something was different in the air this time around. It was clear because mom had never brought them to my room.I could see it in her face as she cut a generous slice from the loaf to butter. Mrs. Carter had questions and I had a great inclination as to what her question would be."Good morning mom." I did my best to break the ice. I knew she was hesitant about speaking. She didn't want to spook me."How was your night Eloise?" She asked, handing me the buttered bread."Great." For the first time in a long time, I believe I was being honest. That did not seem to ease my mom however though. I could not blame her. I had said the words great several times and failed miserably at it. Plus Dad
The Beta's Rebound THIRTY TWO
ELOISE There was this glum expression on Matthan's face as he took a seat. He looked stressed. So in a show of hospitality, I did the kindly thing."Would you like a glass of water?""No." He respectfully declined. "I think it's better if we get this over with before your adopted parents get here. I wouldn't want to spook them into believing you are joining a cult or something.""We don't have to worry about any of that. My dad isn't in the dark and my mom is out shopping.""What about him?" Declan asked and I followed his gaze to where my father was talking animatedly to a large, broad-shouldered Clay in a black hoodie."That's Clay. My brother." He's harmless.""Well, your brother keeps staring at me like I'm about to pull out a gun any second now and go wild," Declan said in response. "It is almost menacing."Of course, he was menacing. Clay was probably looking for opportunities to come running at me and ask questions. Considering how things had ended between us the last time, I
The Beta's Rebound THIRTY THREE
ELOISE Clay came over as soon as Declan left my side. They did share another awkward gawk at each other when their paths crossed but that was all there was to it. The trance soon broke and Declan went for the don't while my brother dragged his feet over to my chair."How are you Eloise?" He began. The start of a forced apology. Old me wouldn't have minded a soggy apology but I was thriving for difference this time around, if there was a possibility that after being sheltered, my father could still find me and finish what he started, I would rather have lived a life of no regret and a life like that started with putting myself on a higher bar when it came to Clay."Do you really care how I'm doing brother? Apologies, you probably wouldn't want me to call you that. What matters is that you don't have to do this if you don't want to. I can tell either mom and dad wanted you to come patch things up with me. But it doesn't have to happen if you don't see me as a decent human being worthy
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The Beta's Rebound SIXTY FIVE
ELOISE(A few days later)The full moon did come and when it did. Matthan decided it was time to perfect our bond. He took me somewhere. I wouldn't miss that narrow and crooked road. It was the same path we had taken when he lead me to the tree with a door. This time around, Matthan took another turn and we arrived at a clearing in the middle of the forest."We aren't using the tree door?" I asked getting down. "I thought the mating ritual was supposed to take place in the Gardenia pack house?"Matthan pocketed his car keys and joined me. "Yes. But I don't want us to have a sex orgy. This is special for me. Sacred. I want us to remember tonight sometime in the future."I smiled at him. "You are very romantic, Matthan Gardenia." I teased but my face fell when I saw how serious he looked. I quickly looked away, blushing.We stood facing each other, silent. Matthan looked down at me and then stepped closer until the two of us were touching. He gently placed his hand under my chin and rai
The Beta's Rebound SIXTY FOUR
ELOISE"We are here today to honor..." I tried to listen to the priest as he droned on about his mother but I was distracted. My mind was elsewhere. The words of the priest barely registered as I focused on what lay ahead. It was hard for me to accept mom had died. In fact, it felt so unreal it scared me. I didn't want to let go. But it wasn't like I had any say in the matter. I couldn't bring back the dead. I played with my fingernails as the priest went on to list all the good deeds she did for the church and the people around her. It made it hard to even breathe. She was a good person. She didn't deserve what fate she got.Matthan squeezed my hand in comfort. A gesture I appreciated in ways he wouldn't even understand. He looked over at me and said in a gentle voice, "You ok?"I nodded but didn't feel much better. The only difference was I could stomach it better. Clay stepped out to give his speech. It was long. It was also difficult for him to go through it all without bursting i
The Beta's Rebound SIXTY THREE
ALICE Since I made the call, I hadn't known peace. It wasn't guilt. I very much knew what was going to happen to Eloise and her brother when I informed Judas Carnation about his daughter. The trouble that I faced was when I would hear some tragic news. Judas' main target was his daughter but there was a big fat chance that others would be caught in the crossfire. Some days later, the effort of my hard work came to fruition, the day strings of murders came ringing into the Gardenia house. Someone had murdered some individuals working in a diner at Ashlake. The supposed unfortunate news was followed by another mother. A woman with the surname Carter had been brutally murdered. This time she hadn't been killed with the typical weapon. The stories they spun made me remember who else had died like that. Fadia Carnation. Eloise's biological mother. Joy could not describe the feelings I experienced. My heart was wrung and I couldn't stop smiling throughout that day. An added bonus was Dec
The Beta's Rebound SIXTY TWO
ELOISEMatthan took my hand and led me out into the cool air and towards the woods behind the house where his car was. I looked back and watched as the fire swallowed the house, the last remnants of it fading into a cloud of red smoke. I couldn't help but smile seeing it burn to the ground. I truly hoped no one decided to make this double tragedy another social experiment. The horrors that had occurred in this ground deserved to remain just ash and cinders forevermore.I could hear faint sounds of a siren coming from town; someone must have called an ambulance, but I doubted they'd get here before it was too late. Matthan opened the car door and helped me in, then buckled me in. He sat down on the opposite side of the car, putting on his seatbelt. The moment he clicked in his keys and started up the engine, I looked at the house one last time. I had wanted to stay but Matthan had been against it. Even with many in high places acknowledging the existence of shifters, most still didn't
The Beta's Rebound SIXTY ONE
ELOISE Judas seemed to become smaller in my eyes. My bones cracked and twisted. I expected pain. True undiluted pain but there was nothing. Only rage. There was something else too. The shock in his eyes was almost liberating. As if on instinct, I grabbed him by the throat and threw him against the wall. He dropped like a broken toy. The air felt strangely stale around us. I felt different. The air I was taking in didn't feel like fire anymore. The choking had stopped and even though the fire that now engulfed the room singed my body, I was strangely unaffected. My attention wasn't focused on the burning wood that collapsed here and there or the exploding window frames. I had my eyes only on the cowering man."You will never hurt anyone again," I told him. "Tonight will be the last day you terrorize my life and all those innocent people."Judas must have seen an opportunity because the color of his eyes shifted into gold and claws grew from his hands and feet. His skin became grey, cov
The Beta's Rebound SIXTY
ELOISEMy body hurt all over. He had broken something. The sting surging to my brain like a radio signal was a dead giveaway. I also could barely move. I wanted to run. I just couldn't do it. No matter what I did, I couldn't move a single muscle. It felt as if someone had stuck needles into all my muscles with a blunt object and twisted them around until they were stretched tightly and painful beyond description."Let's go back to your mother's room," Judas said, seizing me by the hair and dragging me up the stairs. I cried out in pain but it didn't make him stop. As we ascended the steps, I screamed at him, and tried kicking him but nothing worked. I couldn't fight him because every movement sent pain shooting across my body. "Do not be difficult Eloise. I do not want to hurt you now." He didn't stop until I was back in the room. I obeyed him. I stopped being difficult. Not because he had asked and it definitely wasn't because of the pain that assaulted my body with every movement tha
The Beta's Rebound FIFTY NINE
ELOISE I walked through the streets of Marblefay with nothing but questions in my head. I wondered if Judas would even be there considering I might now have the upper hand with the help of teleportation. I could also be wrong. Maybe Judas wasn't working alone. Maybe he had people on his side who were just as sick as him. A man like him couldn't have survived all by himself, right? When I left Matthan's house, the sun was out. When I reached the house I was born in, the house my father burned to the ground, the sun had become a pretty orange hue, and the birds sang. I could smell flowers blooming in the gardens of the home I grew up at, hear cars passing by on the highway, and feel the wind that brushed against me. This was not how it happened. The house I stood in front of looked exactly the same, though. That renovator kept to her word. The house looked nothing like it should be. It looked beautiful. I stayed outside, wondering if people had already moved in. A quick g****e search to
The Beta's Rebound FIFTY EIGHT
ELOISELike clockwork, the door unlocked and out of it appeared Matthan. It was a strange thing to admit but seeing him made things a bit easier."Your place or my place?" He asked."No one will be barging your place anytime soon," I replied. At least, that wasn't a lie.True." Matthan took my hand and led me towards the door. I looked back at my room one last time. There was a possibility this was the last time I was going to see it. I had been afraid of telling myself that since I had made the Carter home my home but now that it was happening, I wasn't so scared anymore. I looked forward, trying not to think about what could go wrong. We both walked through the door and I shut it. Now wasn't the time to think. I needed to act. I knew Matt would ask questions. Many I wouldn't want to answer and the last thing I wanted was to recruit him to die along with me so before those questions could leave his pretty mouth, I grabbed him by the shirt and kissed him hard on the lips.He was taken
The Beta's Rebound FIFTY SEVEN
ELOISEI don't think I was able to cry. The numbness overpowered all my other senses. It was like an out-of-body experience where you could see it all happening but there wasn't much you could do about it. I dreaded what was to come. I dreaded passing by the sign welcome to Ashlake and eventually getting home. By the time we arrived, I could already hear the wails of sirens and the chatters of passersby. No miracle was happening. I looked outside the car window and that was when the numb feeling exploded into something I knew like the back of my hand. Men dressed like paramedics carried a big black bag from the house as they loaded the body inside the ambulance."It's not real," I told myself, and how I wished that were true. What I would have done to let that be my truth."Miss, there is–" I didn't even let the butler finish before I opened the car door and stepped outside."Tell Orla that I am grateful for everything she has done for me." I managed to say while holding my tears. Tha
