One for All and All for One

Beta

I knew as soon as I heard the protective snarls that the person standing over me wasn’t from the pack. I could also gather that the source of the growls didn’t want the person near me. I’d trust any one of them with my life and if they didn’t want the person near me then neither did I. I jerked up and gripped the wrist of the hand that was resting on my back. I twisted it and heard a gasp of pain.

I stood up to my full height at the same time that Hadrian fell to his knees. I didn’t relax my hold on his wrist, choosing instead to keep holding it in the painful position. He looked up at me, his dark hair falling into his eyes.  I lifted my lip in a snarl that he didn’t return. I let my snarl end and continued to stare at him, confused. His eyes looked sad. I looked up at the group who were hovering by the door still. Hadrian made no attempt to move.

The expressions of the group varied from shock to suspicion and I was unsure what to feel.

I loosened my hold on his wrist and when he made no move I released him and stepped back. He looked at me while I stood up and the look made me angry. It was like how you would look at a kicked puppy.

Sam had the same expression when I glanced at him. They’re expecting me to break down again, I realized.  But my moment of weakness is over.

“Why are you still here?” I snapped at him, “I told you to get off my territory.”

Nobody said anything for a while. He just stared at me without saying anything. He looked like he was about to a few times but he never opened his mouth.

Finally, I broke the silence. “Get off my territory. You have thirty minutes before I come after you.”

He simply nodded and walked by me, brushing my shoulder with his.

I was the only one who heard his whispered words as he walked passed me.

“I’m sorry.”

The rest of the week was hell. Pack members kept showing up at my home to make sure I was okay. None of them knew about Hadrian and I’s past and I wanted to keep it that way, so I couldn’t exactly tell them I had broken down because the memories became too much. So instead, I told them that I had come down with a sudden migraine-which I do get every so often so it wasn’t unbelievable.

Not only were pack members showing up, but rogues too. They started coming much more commonly than they had been and it had me and the rest of the pack on edge.

A child, only seven years old had been attacked on Thursday-yesterday, and I’m still furious about it today. My pack is no longer safe and I won’t stand for that no matter what personal dramas I’ve been dealing with. As for Hadrian, I’ve vowed not to cry over him, or at all, ever again and I’m holding strong to it so far. He hasn’t shown up again and I’m not sure how to feel about that, but it’s given me time to think and that can never be a bad thing so I’m going to say it’s positive.

I’ve been thinking a lot too, about betas, to be specific. Sam and I have gone through the whole list of pack members and haven’t found a single one that I think would work out…except of course, Tyler.