The Beta

XLIV

*Rian*

The grocery store was busier than usual, mostly locals milling about for their common goods. Faye already established our duties for the list: I was the cart pusher and she was the retriever. I liked when she got all bossy. So down the aisles we went. It felt like we had ventured down every aisle, yet there were still three things on the list we hadn't found. Faye scoured the aisle signs, but the grocery store was small and probably didn't have all the items.

"What're we missing?" I asked.

"Granola, olive oil, and kale." She wrinkled her nose. "Your mom is a health nut, isn't she?"

"Maybe."

I could clearly remember all the foods she experimented on me and Thea when we were growing up. In fact, she still liked to try new recipes on me. My father didn't enjoy it so much, but he always went along with her antics.

"Right. So, let's check the store one more time. If we can't find them..." Faye trailed off worriedly, nibbling on the inside of her cheek.

"We'll tell my mother we couldn't find everything." My arm claimed her waist as I pulled her close for a kiss.

A groaned protest leaked from my lips when she pulled away too soon. I tightened my grip around her body to prevent her from squirming away.

"Yuck. We're one of those annoying couples now," she complained. "The ones who make out in public."

"You call that making out? I'll show you what making out looks like—"

"No!" Her laughter broke down my guard, and she used my distraction to wiggle free of my arms. "I refuse to be like everyone else."

"And I would like for everyone to see how happy we are together."

"Who cares what they think?" she demanded, quirking an eyebrow.

I sighed and crossed my arms. "Maybe you don't understand this, but I grew up with these people. They have seen me at my worst. I want to prove that you make me better. I want them to see." Sidling up to her again, I pressed a quick kiss to her eyebrow. "And maybe I'm rubbing it in a little. I'm in love with my anima. Life doesn't get much better."

"I might understand that more than you think," she retorted. "But I still don't want to make out in public. I've never liked PDA."

"Because you're modest and—"

An unusual scent filtered through my nostrils. Instinct forced my body to respond before my brain had even registered the smell. I pushed Faye behind me. She gasped, not expecting the abrupt shove, and fought against my hands.

"Rian, let—"

"Quiet," I hissed.

She would be furious later about how I was treating her, but I couldn't stop myself. The reeking body odor of an Omega hung in the air, so protecting her became my top priority.

The Omega rounded the aisle, his rotten potato stench infusing the air. A shudder ripped down my spine. My body would transition in a blink if I wanted it to. Faye's presence kept me grounded, kept me rational. Otherwise, I would already be on four legs and charging at the unwanted visitor.

Without my notice, Faye slipped out from behind me. She moved to the front of me to get my attention. Apparently she'd been trying to talk to me and I wasn't listening. My arm shot out from my side to grab her, but she dodged me, anticipating my objective.

"Get behind me," I growled.

"What is going on?" She propped her hands on her hips. "If you say it's complicated, I'm gonna—"

"Faye," called the man.

My body stiffened. She turned around, curious. Recognition flickered across her face before being replaced by confusion.

"You know each other?" I demanded.

Faye and the stranger exchanged a look. He moved closer to her, discreetly extending a beefy hand in her direction. She was too busy biting her lip to notice.

"What is going on?" My voice was rising with my temper. The blood in my veins now burned, hot enough to boil. "Who is this guy?"

"Nick," the stranger said. "My name is Nick."

He stood a little straighter when I looked into his eyes, threatening him with a glare. Although he had about fifty pounds on me and maybe an inch or two in height, I was confident I could still take him. I happened to be very good at fighting.

Faye moved to walk over to me, but beefy Nick grabbed her shoulder. That was it. I snapped. Lunging forward, a beastly snarl ripped from my throat.

"Wait!" she screeched. "Rian, wait!"

My transition froze at the sound of her escalated heart rate. I searched her gaze for one good reason not to rip his head off. Something told me to hold off, to wait. I never waited. I always pounced. Here was further evidence that my anima held more power over me than anything else ever had. Even more than my mother.

"Mr. Nick is a friend of my dad's," Faye said quickly. "Don't hurt him."

Then she tried to shake him off. He refused, and she bit back a whimper.

"What're you doing here?" she asked, turning her head to the side in an attempt to see his face.

"Your Pops sent me to fetch you. Said your mom let you go off to Oregon with some kid you barely knew and he wasn't comfortable with it."

"What?" She lifted a hand to her face and sighed into it. "My dad sent you?"

I could care less who this moron was and why he was here. He put hands on Faye. That was reason enough for me to end his measly existence right then.

"Let go of her," I warned. "You don't want to see what happens if you don't."

"Listen, kid, don't threaten me—"

"Mr. Nick, please," Faye pleaded. "Just go. I'm fine. I can handle my dad. Just leave, please."

She sounded scared. It never crossed my mind that she might be scared of me and what I might do to him.

I was instantly at their side, delivering a punch directly into the ugly old guy's nose. He stumbled backwards but didn't release her. My hands grabbed his shoulder before he fell back against the shelf and punched him in the side of the head. Faye cried as she was suddenly dropped to the ground. My free hand caught her and pulled her upright. I failed to notice Nick's recovery.

Stars exploded across my vision from his blow to my jaw. My legs held steady, knowing I could hurt Faye if I fell. I tried to push her behind me, but the stinking Omega had already swiped her from my grasp. A deep, menacing snarl poured from me. My face was morphing into my other side, nose and mouth gathering in a long snout. By the time my hand made contact with his arm, my fingers had sprouted claws. The claws tore ragged lacerations through the flesh of his hairy forearm.

Faye shrieked as his blood dripped onto her legs. The Omega managed to shove her behind himself before he barreled into me, sending us both crashing into the tile floor. Our bodies erupted in a pile of fur, paws, and snapping teeth.