And Then She Was Gone

Home Sweet Home

"Joseph is fine, he's just a little shaken up. He couldn't really provide many details of the events, but I sent him on a mini-vacation for some R&R. He felt terrible you got hurt, and just needed a little escape." Mark said with a smile, which turned into a smirk as he saw Jason's eyes glaring daggers from the rear view mirror. The Alpha still was not over his desire to rip Joseph's beating heart out of his chest, and was rather annoyed that the Betas had intervened and prevented him from his doing so.

"I'm so glad he's okay. He's the closest thing I have to a friend here." She said with a sigh of relief as she looked at the passing landscape it becoming more familiar to her, showing that they would soon arrive at the house.

She failed to notice Jason's intense look he gave to her as she spoke of her fondness of the guard. It only fueled his desire to kill Joseph more, and he felt the resurgence of jealousy begin to bubble in his chest. He found himself having to immediately beat it down with clear constructed thoughts reminding him that she was just hospitalized and it was best to not say or do anything to cause further turmoil. Mark's eyes looking in between the two and finding the scenario oddly hilarious.

He never had seen Jason so bothered by a woman. Jason was not one for commitment, and he held no affection for the many females he had previously bedded. While he enjoyed their company, their company was for the night and then the next day it would be business as usual. Seeing a seething jealousy rise in the Alpha without even the smallest bit of real provocation was humorous to say the least.

"Well, I can be your friend." Mark shrugged with a grin. " I can be down with gal pal time. Painting nails and shit."

Elizabeth emitted a small laugh at his comment. Even though she wasn't particularly fond of Mark since he played a hand in capturing her during her little cross country run, she was unable to ignore his humorous nature. Jason however did not find him humorous and sent another death glare through the mirror at the Beta who only gave him a further irritating wink in response.

"Can we get something to eat when we get home? I'm so hungry." She said looking over to Jason with wide eyes, as if he would not feed her if she didn't ask.

"Oh thank Fucking God you said something. I'm fucking starving." Mark chimed in. "What're we having Alpha?"

"I'll talk to Mary when we get home." Jason said, his right hand moving from the steering wheel and placing it on her thigh giving it a light squeeze before resting it there.

"Fuck that. I'm texting her right now. I want food." Mark whipped out his phone and rapidly tapped at the screen with his thumbs to let the chef know to be prepared for their arrival and to have 'hella food' ready.

"Are you working with Jason today at the house?" Elizabeth asked, turning her head to look back at Mark.

"Yup, and spending the night. We'll do facials and eat popcorn and have pillow fights." Mark said looking up from his phone with a grin.

"Can you be a little less annoying?" Jason looked at the beta again through the mirror.

"I think he's quite funny." Elizabeth said with a soft smile which was only returned with a frustrated side eye glance and a huff from Jason.

"You haven't known him long enough." He said bluntly, as he made the last turn that would lead to the long driveway towards the home.

"He's just jealous." Mark said further prodding the Alpha indirectly. "He doesn't want to share his best friend." A smirk on his face as he leaned back in the seat in satisfaction.

"How long have you guys known each other?" She  asked in interest looking in between the two.

"Too long." Jason's response being short and holding the tone of annoyance.

"Since we were in diapers. We trained together and got into so much shit you wouldn't believe. Luckily, we had Jacob. He's a smooth talker and has saved our asses many of times." Mark laughed as he fondly recollected their stomping ground days.

"You were trouble makers?" Elizabeth asked with a small smile her eyes showing a real interest as she was getting a little background on Jason.

"Oh yeah. Jason was the worst. I should have known he was going to be alpha one day." Mark snickered in the background.

"Oh you were, we're you?" She said smirking over to Jason who looked further annoyed, but also showing a bit of lightheartedness in his eyes as he recollected some of their pursuits of youth.

"We were very lucky to have Jacob." Jason said confirming Marks accounts.

"What type of training did you guys go through?" She asked, trying to gather more information on the man she knew little about.

"Warrior training. Jason was the head of the class." Mark said slapping a hand on his shoulder with a humorous pride. "But that should be obvious now that he's Alpha." 

"So you can fight really well?" She asked to Jason who only gave her a side glance.

"Well?" Mark laughed. "He's fucking brutal."

"Mark, shut up." Jason warned the beta, not wanting to give Elizabeth another reason to be afraid of him.
"It's true though." Mark said with a shrug before falling silent.

"Why did you challenge the other alpha?" She asked her tone going lower, not knowing if it was appropriate to ask.

"He was hurting the pack, hurting the people within it. Doing things that caused irreparable damage." Jason said with another side glance, his hand leaving her thigh to shift the gear into park as they had arrived at their destination. 

"Irreparable damage?" She asked not truly understanding with his vague answer.

"He started raping his own daughter towards the end." Mark said without his usual casual tone as he exited the car. Quick steps leading to her door so he could open it for her with a hand extended to help her out once she unbuckled herself. "He said she looked like her mother."

"Mark, enough." Jason said, arriving quickly to replace the betas hand on Elizabeth's, with a less than careful shoving of the beta away from her.

"He raped Amber?" Her stomach suddenly clenching as she recalled her request for the secretary's dismissal.

"Let's eat." Jason said as he began to guide her into the home.

The sound of excited barks from the side filled the air and Elizabeth whipped her head to the side seeing the bounding shepherd who was exhuming an overwhelming amount of excitement at seeing her owner, slowly trailed by the maid Claire.

"Shelby!" She said running away from his grasp which seemed to loosen without his direction.  "I missed you!" She said as the shepherd tackled her over onto the grass and began to lick her face emphatically.

Jason cringed and withheld his desire to rip the animal away, recognizing the joy it brought to Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth, let's go in and get something to eat." He said after allowing a few moments of time between her and the dog.

"Just one more minute, please." Elizabeth said as she basked in the sunlight and enjoyed her dogs frantic excitement.

"Jason.." Mark said the Alphas name again, calling his immediate attention. "Let's go inside. She'll be okay." The beta said quickly, as his hand loosely grabbed at the shoulder of the Alpha.

"Have you been good?" The young blonde asked to the tail wagging shepherd.

The two men walking away and leaving her to greet the dog at her hearts content. Jason looking back as he walked into the front door and still struggling internally to let her out his sight.