The Beta

XIV

*Rian*

'Moron' was an understatement. I was a complete idiot. How did I expect her to handle my unexpected visit? She didn't know who I was to her.

Yet.

In spite of my flush of anger, a smile rose to my face. I would have to tell her. Not immediately, but soon. Perhaps the idea of a soul mate would enthrall her. Even if her soul mate was a wolf. A wolf with transition issues and a hankering for fights.

That part of myself reminded me of why I had shown up at Faye's school in the first place. The craving had started slowly in the beginning, scorching its way up my spine. Then it gained speed as it nearly fried my self-control.

Rosco told me the withdrawals would be bad. He'd warned me. Although the behavior anomaly wasn't genetic, he'd seen it occur in other wolves. Watched it destroy them. Watched them break away from their packs and turn into murderous rogues.

Tidy Heights was supposed to cure me of my ailment. Thea and Michael were supposed to be my small support group, helping my humanity return in the hopes it would squash my other side. Never did I think my anima would be here. She served as a constant reminder of who I really was, of the monster who ate away at me.

But even an entire universe of resentment would never change our circumstances. In my moment of weakness, I had panicked and followed the pull to where Faye was. I'd convinced myself that only she would settle me down again.

Fortunately, I had been correct. Just the sight of Faye squelched my violent impulse. Then I had realized how insane it was for me to randomly show up at her school. Faye didn't trust me yet. She never would if she thought I was creepy.

Thea would be thankful I hadn't shredded her house, though. Even if my actions made me seem like a total weirdo to my anima. We would end up together somehow, right?

"Rian?" my sister asked from the foyer. "You home?"

"In here!" I hollered.

She strolled into the kitchen a second later. Her eyes were bleak from fatigue and her mouth, identical to mine, was turned down in a grimace.

"Rough day?" I sipped on my water.

"You have no idea."

"Work-related?"

A glum nod was the response.

Unsure how to help, I just sat at the kitchen table and watched while she poured herself a glass of wine. Drinking was common amongst wolves, so it didn't surprise me at first. Until I remembered this was Thea Whitewater and she wasn't a wolf nor a drinker.

"When did you start doing that?" I asked.

She collapsed into the wicker chair beside me, groaning. "Too many questions." Her heels clapped against the tile floor as they slipped off her feet.

"Okay." I surrendered and finished off my water. "Need anything?"

"A foot massage would be nice."

My eyes sent a glower her way, making her chuckle. "Isn't that why you have a boyfriend?"

"Dave won't rub my feet. He's too manly."

"Uh huh," I grumbled, rolling my eyes. Once I'd gotten up from the chair and stretched, I moved to the fridge to refill my glass.

"So, when are you going to get a job, ya bum?"

The question pricked my pride. I spun around to face her. A playful smirk curled her lips. If she was a man, I would've punched her.

"I'm just playing," she said. "But really. How long are you going to be lazing around for?"

"I don't know." My tone sounded a bit too sharp.

"Defensive, are we?" One of her manicured eyebrows arched while she swallowed down a swig of sweet alcohol. I could smell the sugar from here.

"It's a delicate matter, Thea. You don't understand."

"Then explain it to me."

I clenched my fists angrily. "I'm not stable enough to be around people for eight hours a day. The withdrawals are setting in."

"It doesn't have to be a full-time job, Ri," she told me, shrugging. "I just think it would be good for your mental health to get out of the house for awhile."

"And what job am I supposed to get? I have no job skills whatsoever." Thinking about this always infuriated me; I was just as bad at life in the human world as I was in the pack. I didn't fit in anywhere.

Thea finished off her glass and poured a second. "Look, don't get all hot and bothered. I'm just making a suggestion."

We were past the point of apologies. My temper had been sparked. I slammed the glass down on the kitchen island and it shattered everywhere. Glass shards spewed out in a thousand directions, mostly getting stuck in my palms. The rage bleeding into my veins dulled the pain.

I didn't miss the fear on Thea's face before I stormed out of the house.