The Mark of a Beta

four

I finish dinner by myself, which only takes me ten minutes. I have a shit ton of homework to do, but I really don't feel like doing it. It's Friday, for fuck's sake! I can't do homework on a Friday or else I'm basically declaring myself a nerd.

I know I'm a nerd, but I shouldn't act like one all of the time. I'm the weird kid that likes science and experiments and blood and guts. It's the one thing my parents never understood. They wanted their children to be strong pack warriors to fill them with pride. They got that with Sarah. With me, they got the brainy kid who watched Bill Nye the Science Guy in his free time.

Fuck, that guy is cool as shit.

I'd love to be a pack doctor when I'm older, but I don't know if that's possible with the way my life is looking right now. I would have to go to a normal human institution and earn my degree, then I would have to come back to the pack doctors and train with them to learn about the differences in wolf anatomy.

It's a whole process.

My issue is that my parents don't support it, and wouldn't pay for me to attend college- they wouldn't pay for my room and board, my food, my textbooks, or my tuition.

Their thinking is that Sarah didn't go to college and she's thriving in her life with her mate- and now she's pregnant with a pup. I tried to tell them that her life wasn't for me. My mom smacked me in the head and told me to grow up.

That's the last time I brought it up.

I decided a long time ago that I would just go to college in August after I graduate. Maybe I would take a gap year and save up some money. I can't work right now because I'm up to my ass in assignments and papers and worksheets and so much shit that I'm stressed the fuck out and I'm always doing some type of school-related activity.

It's so fucking frustrating.

So here I am, on a Friday night, trying to convince myself that doing my homework is what a fucking nerd would do. I should do something that someone my age would do.

My mind drifts to the mysterious Beta of the Dark Wood Pack. Shit, I really want to figure him out. Is he hot just like his Alpha? He's 20 years old and a dude, and he's powerful if he's the Beta, so my guess is that he's hot as fuck.

One peek wouldn't hurt.

I'll just go upstairs and hide in a random room until the meeting is over. Our pack leaders will leave the room, and I can catch a glimpse of the Beta.

Yeah, I like that idea. I'm not fucking anything up with this plan and I still get what I want.

I want to invite Thomas to join, but I have no idea where he went. He's probably hiding somewhere like a little bitch. If I were in his shoes, I would want to listen in on all of the gossip from other packs. That shit is so cool!

I rinse my plate and place it in one of the three dishwashers in the kitchen, then head towards the other side of the pack house to where the stairs are situated. I wait at the base of the stairs for a few seconds to make sure I'm not followed. I don't want anyone to see me going upstairs and think I'm trying to eavesdrop on important and confidential pack business- I also don't want to have to explain that I'm not betraying the pack, I'm just horny as fuck and want to see if their Beta is hot.

I probably shouldn't know half of the shit that Thomas told me, but that's the benefit of having a Beta's mate as one of your best friends. I'm also nosy as hell and need to know everything.

I'm about to go up the stairs when I hear a voice that sends panic through my brain, creates a knot of fear that rests in my throat, and makes my knees shake unsteadily.