Lonely No More [Werewolf Romance]

Chapter Thirteen

~COPYRIGHT 2013~

*Reed's POV*

Goodbye Reed, I hear echo through my head before I feel the burning pain in my bones. Wait, why is Parker saying goodbye? What is happening?

My eyes widen as I realize why I am in such pain. My Beta is in trouble. He is dying.

I rush to where I know he is, in class with my beautiful mate. The moment I get there, the room goes silent. The crowd departs and I notice the two bodies on the floor. One is Parker, his skin pale, his eyes open and glossy, dry blood around his mouth. My eyes tear up. My Beta, my best friend, is gone. I will no longer be able to talk to him about relationships, no longer be able to plan pack activities with him. Why? Why did Janie have to do this to him?

"R-R-Reed," a voice murmurs from beside Parker.

I look down to see Ella's head lifting from the floor. Our eyes lock and I drop to my knees, bringing her head to my chest. She wraps her arms around me and grips the back of my shirt, desperately trying to hold on. The moment she begins to shake in my arms, I know she is crying. That's when the dam breaks down and for the first time in a long time, I let loose, crying for the loss of my best friend.

~♥~

I didn't part from her for a long while and when we did, the room was empty all except for us and Parker.

Mitch, I need you down in classroom 189 C. Bring help. Parker has passed; I call for my third in command, now my new Beta. Within mere seconds, he is there along with a couple of members of my pack.

"Please bring his body back home and have it prepared for burial. I wish to have his funeral tomorrow," I order them. They nod and get to work.

I pick up my now sleeping mate whose arms are still wrapped around me. She snuggles impossibly closer to me and sighs. I smile despite all of the sadness and carry her to her dorm room. Maia sits up straight the moment she sees Ella in my arms.

"What happened?" she asks.

"My Beta has passed. She experienced it right in front of her eyes. She needs to rest," I inform her. "I am sure she will sleep through the night. She will not be attending school tomorrow. I would appreciate it very much if you inform her brother and I would love it if the both of you would attend the funeral with Ella tomorrow. You are close to her and she will need you."

"Of course, sir," she responds.

I smile. "Maia, you are a friend of Ella's. You may call me Reed. Just because I am an Alpha does not mean that you need to call me sir. I am not your Alpha."

"Will you be?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"I love it here in this town and after I graduate I do not wish to go back to my old town, to my old pack. I am pursuing a major of culinary and I would love it if I could work as a pack cook in your pack after I graduate," she says.

"I would be honored to have you as a cook in my pack," I say. "But does Eric know of your wishes? He may want you to go back with him to his pack."

She bites her lip. "Well, I think he was considering joining your pack because of Ella but I don't know for sure..."

"We will sit down and talk about this after the funeral," I reply. "Make sure you, Eric and Ella are ready for noon. I will be here to escort you to the funeral. Thank you and goodnight Maia."

"Goodnight Reed."

With that, I leave her dorm room and head over to my own. When I arrive, Mitch is standing in the middle of the room.

"It is finished Alpha. The pack will be ready by noon as you have requested," he says.

"Thank you Mitch," I breathe out. "How are you taking it? Are you alright?"

"I'm alright at the moment Alpha."

"Cut the formal bullshit, man. In this situation, I am not your Alpha, I am your friend."

"Reed, man, I'm alright. It still hasn't quite hit me yet that he's gone," he sighs, shaking his head. "It's really a shame that this had to happen. And it's all Janie's fault. If she hadn't rejected him, he'd be alive and perfectly well."

"Well, we can't do anything about it. Rejections are rare, but they do happen. And when they do, the results vary. Clearly Parker was one of the unfortunate ones. It's really is a shame. He was a good Beta to this pack. But I know that you will be a great replacement."

"Come on, don't say that. I'm not replacing him. I'm simply finishing something that he couldn't. Don't make it sound like we are going to forget him."

"I surely will not forget him."

"None of us will," he says. "Well, I think it's time for me to get some shut eye now. Tomorrow is going to be a long day."

"Yes it will. Once again, thank you for helping out Mitch. I can never thank you enough," I tell him.

"It's no problem, Alpha. That's what pack members and friends do for one another. Goodnight Reed," he smiles and leaves the room.

I flop down onto bed and stare at the ceiling, thinking about all the good times we have had together. There's no way I'm getting any sleep tonight.

~COPYRIGHT 2013~