James' role as Beta was very complicated, and I was soon getting a first-hand glimpse into what it was like to be Beta to a large pack. Hence the need for a Gamma. I also found out in those first few days that being a Gamma was much more involved than being an acting Beta. Not to mention that my previous training had fallen woefully short of what a Beta - or Gamma, for that matter - should be.
I soon got a brutal awakening.
Every morning, I'd wake at 5am and go next door to wake James up. Then we'd go into the forest for training for two hours, and while I couldn't shift, I could still learn a lot about fighting in human form. James had a wealth of experience from helping run Simon's pack, and though sometimes I felt as if I was betraying my family, I nevertheless took the opportunity to learn all the dirty tricks James had to offer. I wondered what my parents would think about me taking tips from their enemies, but at the same time, I knew that sometimes, in order to make it in the world, you had to take tips from those whom you despised.
And I knew James despised me. Despite our supposed "equality", I could feel the disdain coming off him in waves, and the feeling was mutual. He'd nearly killed Doreah during the battle at Stonehenge, and I was not interested in making friends with the man who'd nearly murdered my half-sister.
Training done, we'd return to the packhouse for breakfast, and then we'd join Simon to make patrols. He never disguised how much he hated having me along, evem though he'd been the one to make me Gamma in the first place, and though I'd promised to be obedient in every way, that didn't stop me from glaring at both him and James whenever their backs were turned. I hated them both, and I was so looking forward to the day when I could bring them both down.
After the patrols, James would then take me on his back to talk to other packs allied to Simon. He never hid any information when talking to his fellow Betas, and I made sure never to repeat any of what was said at these meetings. But I did store the information away for future use.
The other Betas were very curious when we stopped by, particularly at seeing a supposedly human girl riding on James' back. Once he'd explained who I was, the surprise turned to disdain, and the Betas soon made their feelings for me very clear. But I refused to give them the satisfaction of knowing their disdain stung me, instead remaining polite and respectful the whole time.
And oddly, it worked. After the first few visits, the other Betas began talking directly to me, and it wasn't much longer after that before they began including me in their conversations. This helped me to develop ideas to help their packs, and though the odd twinge of guilt bit me at times, I shoved it down. It was all an act, I reminded myself. I was still loyal to my birth pack, and nothing anyone said or did was going to make me change that.
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I crouched, breathing heavily, heart pounding as I pushed the sweat-slick hair from my face. It was still cool, but the air was already heating up, warning of a warm summer to come. Light was starting to spear through the trees, and birds were beginning their morning chorus. But it didn't take them long to pipe up as James came snarling out of the trees, fangs bared. I dodged and tripped him, before throwing myself on his back. He snarled and twisted, but I held tightly to his fur, before grabbing him by the nape of his neck and applying pressure. I'd failed the last several times I'd tried this, but today, I was rewarded as James' legs went limp, and he sank to the ground with a dissatisfied growl. "I win," I said smugly, getting up and dusting myself off. "You shouldn't have taught me that trick."
James got to his paws with another growl, and I yelped in shock as he slammed me to the ground, knocking all the air out of my lungs. I was even more stunned when I discovered he'd shifted midway, and I froze when I realised how close his face was to mine. This was the first time he'd been so close to me, and it didn't take me long to get a very personal appraisal of just how bloody fit he was. It didn't help that he was shirtless, and I shivered, feeling a tingle of unbearable heat start up in the pit of my stomach.
It also didn't help that I hadn't found my mate yet. Which meant I was ripe for the picking if James felt that way inclined.
Thankfully he didn't feel that way inclined, and he soon got to his feet, dusting himself off. "Stop being so cocky," he reprimanded me. "You're good, but you're a long way off being as good as I am."
I flushed with shame as I scrambled erect. "Well, you have to admit, it was still a good showing," I said.
James shook his head. "It was passable," he said coolly. "Just remember who is in charge here, Gamma Stephanie."
"Of course, Beta James," I replied, but I no longer bowed my head as I said this to him. He raised an eyebrow, but I held my nerve, meeting his gaze steadily with my own. We held this pose for several moments, before James turned away with a disgusted growl. "Let's go," he said shortly. "Simon is going away, and he needs to do one last patrol before he leaves."
I fell into step with him, my heart sinking at his cold tone. Of course, he was always cold to me, but for some reason, this coldness was even more biting than usual. It definitely dimmed my relief at Simon's imminent absence, and as we reached the packhouse, I decided that tonight, James could fetch his own glass of water. I was going for a swim.
And it wasn't because I needed to cool off from the sight of seeing James shirtless. Nor was it because I needed to calm down after feeling his hard body pressed against mine.
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