My Alpha and Beta

Ch. 71 - Betrayal

Liam POV

I heard Jax leave with Riley and didn't move for a long while. Lindsey was in my office going over contracts and helping me to reorganize some of our pack. We needed to send more members to Danny's and I half considered spelling a human psychiatrist to stay with them.

I was in way over my head with all this. I had enough of my own problems and now I needed to try and help an entire pack that witnessed the people they grew up with raped and killed before their eyes.

Demetrius had Freya spell the entire pack to stand in their training grounds frozen. Demetrius walked the line, slaughtering one weak wolf after the other, stopping occasionally to take a desirable man's or woman's body, or forcing them to kneel before him to pleasure him.

Everyone watched as he picked through the herd and determined each of their fates. Everyone watched frozen and helpless, unable to even scream or cry at the horror. As he took one life after the other every pack member felt a link break and strength within them diminish. A pack was only as strong as each member. I hoped when I linked them to my pack it would help strengthen them all. There was no way to remove the mental damage done though.

We have known peace for decades among the packs. There was still crime and violent killings, but nothing like what happened to them. Demetrius has even killed entire packs before, but he never left any witnesses.

I focused on Danny's pack as much as I could to lessen my own torment inside me. I did love Jax, possibly even Riley. I knew they were only leaving for a night, but I liked having them close to me.

I like smelling them in my house and my child growing inside her. It gave me a comfort that I could cling onto until they would let me feel them again. As long as I had Riley's wolf it would be hard for them to deny me for too long.

Tonight, was the silver moon, its highest peak over my pack beginning at 10:42 pm. I planned to mark Lindsey then lock myself in my own cells. I wanted to take many lovers tonight. My wolf was already on edge to fill many with my seed, but I didn't want to give into this primal need. I definitely didn't want to chance knotting in Lindsey after I marked her either.

Marking her will cause a rift with Jax, getting her pregnant will push him away forever. I knew I would probably have to let him go. I swore I wouldn't let any kind of hope creep inside me, but I did secretly pray Jeremiah killed Demetrius, and soon.

I could reject Lindsey and beg for Jax's and Riley's forgiveness. It was a long shot, especially if Riley took her Lycan from me. I fear most of all that once I lost that part of me, neither would ever want me again.

Until that time came, I couldn't dwell on it. My only concern had to be surviving Demetrius. His only demand was to mark Lindsey. She would lie and say we had mated my times if he comes to visit. It would give us the two months we need. Two months and my daughter would be born and I really fucking hoped Demetrius would be dead by then.

"Are you ok, Alpha?" Lindsey asked. I had been staring out my window for too long. The skies were already turning dark and I felt like it brought death with it.

"Fine!" I answered with anger. I didn't like how I felt. "Finish these charts and make sure we have at least fifty capable warriors to send to Danny's pack to train them properly."

"Yes, Alpha." She nodded her head to me and grabbed the book I was working on. I clenched my jaw watching her. She was obedient. She made my life easier in so many ways. Maybe if I give Riley her Lycan back I wouldn't crave for them so much anymore. Maybe I could be happy with Lindsey as my Luna and nothing else.

I stomped out of my office and went to Jax's room to lay in his bed. It smelt heavy of both of them. They hadn't mated in here this morning though. Their arousal was already washed from the room and I hated it.

I closed my eyes remembering how we all slept here. How at peace it felt to wake with them both in bed with me. I needed to please them more than anything. I needed to feel like I was enough for them.

I laid there a long while, fighting the growing desire inside me as the moon rose higher above us. I growled looking at the time. It was a little past 10:00. I needed to mark Lindsey and then I needed to lock myself away.

I wished I was with them though. They probably spent the last few hours tasting every inch of each other's skin, waiting until the moon hit its peak to mate and Jax to remark her.

I wanted to see him sink his teeth into her skin. His eyes would be navy blue as Brutus took control, marking her and filling her with his seed. I wanted to be there too, but I was here. I pushed the palm of my hands into my eyes, suppressing the tears that wanted to fall. If I mark Lindsey, it will hurt Jax.

As I moved to walk out, to go to Lindsey and get this over with before I changed my mind, I saw a single piece of paper on his desk. It drew me towards it. Why did he leave it there and what did it say?

As I read it, I howled in pain, then as if even the moon was against me, I felt the pain. Jax was rejecting our pack, just as he wrote he would. His voice echoed in my head and I gripped my hair in my fist.

"No! He can't do this!" I growled then sobbed. He rejected our pack. He left me.

"Alpha!" Lindsey came running in the door and knelt beside me.

"Get away from me." Maverick was taking over and I wanted to kill everyone.

Every single person I ever known, I wanted to rip their spine out of their body. I trembled as I tried to push away the pain, the betrayal. He didn't trust me; he didn't want me. He had his mate and they would have a child. Not me, not my child, I was nothing to them.

"Alpha, let me help." Lindsey spoke so softly it was barely a whisper.

"Help! They fucking left! Jax rejected my pack, rejected me as his Alpha." I screamed as spit spewed out from my lips. I was losing control. I wanted to lose control. Maverick wanted to taste blood, but mostly he wanted to chase them down and mark them both. They belonged to us.

"I'm sorry he betrayed you. I know how much you love Jax and Riley. We can't disobey Demetrius though. Please, Alpha. You don't know how cruel he can be." Her eyes filled with tears as she spoke. I wanted to smack her for being so weak, but I felt that same fear. I had that same weakness. I was a coward when it came to Demetrius.

Jax and Jeremiah would protect Riley and our baby. I knew Star was with them too. Maybe this was for the best for now. I stood, trying to push away the emotions. I needed to mark this woman. Jax begged me not to. He said he will always love me, but not push him too far. I wasn't sure what I should do anymore.