Stronger as One (#1, Completed)

30. Beta no more

"Oh, fuck this politeness, Aiden. I meant everything I said." The reaction from Rafe was immediate and I was worried how this was going to end.

"Listen up, you prick. I don't need others to speak up for me, so let me lay things out of you. I can take better care of myself than anything that you could ever do for me. I have faced some of the toughest, most dangerous people in this country and have come on top. I don't have a wolf, you say? That's fucking right. But whereas you hide behind your wolf, I have learnt how to fight without one. Weapons, hand on hand combat- you name it, I own it. I am sorry that my human school didn't have classes in defence against magic. Sadly, not every school is Hogwarts. But last time I checked, shifters are not protected from magic either. So take your super speed and heightened sense and shove them up your superior arse. Hell, seeing as how much better you are then the rest of us, you might even enjoy it."

It turned out that I was worrying for nothing, as Riley was perfectly fine to handle Rafe on her own. Yet again I had seen him become speechless in the presence of this beauty and all Lucien, Callum and I could do was to chuckle.

She got up on her toes again and poked his chest hard with her finger. "And one more thing, there is no way on Earth that I am not coming on this rescue mission. The only way you can stop me is if you kill me and I dare you to try."

Well, I'd be damned- there was actually someone in this world that could put Rafe in his place. As I laughed about it in my head, a twinge of jealousy pierced me- could it be that Riley was his mate? Sure, she was a human now but she was a wolf when she was born, so it was perfectly possible that the Moon Goddess put them together. The thought of this left a burning hole in my heart, not because I would not be happy for my best friend if this was the case- not at all. Riley was the only woman that I had ever seen being able to handle Rafe. No, the pain I felt was more at the realisation that she wasn't mine- she was a wolf, or used to be one, and I was a dragon. The Sun Goddess would have given me a dragon shifter as a mate but there were none at the party. But that could only mean that it was one of the other shifter kinds that the Sun Goddess looked after, and wolves were not amongst them.

I found myself surprised by my disappointment but Riley was a remarkable woman, one that I could easily imagine having by my side as I loved and cherished her. Then the guilt hit me- the guilt that I was feeling this way towards someone who was not my mate, while my real mate was out there, waiting for me.

Callum broke the tension in the room. "Right. Well, it seems that it is settled. I am coming down as well- the more we are, the better chances we have of handling whatever is going on in London. And if needed be, Rafe, I will look out for Riley."

I wanted to offer my protection as well but my guilty conscious prevented me from doing so, even if I knew that I would not let anything happen to her. 

Come on, Aiden- what kind of a dragon are you? Dragons protect others, mate or not.

Before I knew it, the words rolled out of my mouth without even meaning to. "So will I."

Rafe was fuming about the whole thing a bit too much even for his usual self, which had me puzzled, but eventually, he gave in before we agreed to leave the following day.

With that sorted, I knew that there was another difficult conversation that I had to have before I left and it was not one that I was looking forward to. I contemplated shifting to fly back to the clan quicker but it was perhaps a bit risky to do so with all of the threats that we had at the moment.

When I finally made it, Cyrus was already waiting for me in his living room, sipping whisky in front of his fireplace.

"I knew you would come, Aiden. I heard that the young Macalister girl is missing and I know how close you are with the family," Cyrus said before I even uttered a word. He didn't look at me though, he continued staring at the fireplace instead.

"So you know that I have to go down with Rafe to help rescue her then," I replied as I moved closer to him, eventually standing next to him.

"That's out of the question, Beta. You are part of my clan, not the Windcrest pack, and as my second-in-command, I cannot let you disappear to save someone who is not even a clan member."

To say that I was surprised by his words would be a lie. I knew that Cyrus would not be inclined to agree to have his Beta take part in any rescue missions but I did hope that he would show some decency by at least letting me go in my own capacity.

"Cyrus, can we stop pretending that our clan exists in a separate universe from everyone else? These attacks are bold and the kidnappers used magic. It is a matter of time before the Clan is under threat as well. We need to work with the other shifters."

"Aiden, Aiden, Aiden. Have you not learnt by now? We protect what's ours, we don't meddle with the problems of others. If someone dares come after us, they will feel the might of a clan of fire dragon warriors but until then, if it even happens, relax and enjoy life. Are your women not keeping you satisfied enough that you need to look for other distractions?" He looked at me with a challenge in his eyes. Usually, I would have said that Cyrus was blind to the reality around us but now I was wondering whether he had another plan that I was not aware of or whether he was just that fucking stupid.

"You can't be serious, Cyrus. You know, I've spent too many years arguing with you on this. If you don't want to involve the clan, fine, but I am going, whether you like it or not." I had already made up my mind so me coming to talk to him was more as a matter of courtesy than anything else.

"You what?" He nearly spilt his whisky as his hand shook with anger. Cyrus stood up briskly and stood in front of me, trying to impose his authority. "Did you miss the part that I told you that you cannot go, Beta? I am not allowing you to. And if you do go, in clear breach of what your Alpha has told you, you better kiss that Beta position goodbye, Aiden."

"At the rate that we are going, there might not be a clan to be Beta of in the near future, Alpha. I became Beta to protect and guide our clan. A clan of warriors, supposedly. Fire dragons. And yet what you want us to do is hide from every fight and problem until it is too late, even for us? That's not me, Cyrus. That's not how our kind is either."

I stopped for a second, giving Cyrus a resigned look. He must have thought that he had won because a wicked grin emerged on his face. It wasn't going to last long though.

"I quit, Cyrus." Three words was all it took to shock the great Cyrus Murray.

"What do you mean you quit? You can't quit, Aiden. Who quits being a Beta? Are you out of your mind?" He was bewildered by my decision, clearly refusing to accept it.

"I'll still be a part of the clan unless you make me choose on that as well, and you know that you can count on me when it is necessary but I will no longer be Beta of the Fire Dragons Clan."

He slumped back on his chair in front of the fireplace and stared into the fire, the flames reflecting in his eyes.

"Goodbye, Cyrus," I said as I walked out of there.