Alpha Brothers - The Beta (book 2)

Chapter 13

Chapter 13
Archie
I woke to my wolf stirring inside of me. It was pissed. My wolf wanted his mate and he wanted me to kiss her last night. But like I told her, I was trying something different. I didn't want Amy to be like the usual women that I had relationships with. I wanted every moment we had to be special and not just a minute of lust to pass the time. And if that meant waiting, so be it.
I groaned sitting up in bed, feeling my heart ache. I was kidding myself. I was known to always get what I want but now I wanted two different things. I wanted to make our relationship special but I also wanted Amy.
So many things were going through my head. Twice last night I had almost told her the truth about what I was and I knew that if I had, I wouldn't be a bit sorry. I knew the danger but I didn't care.
I groaned again, frustrated with my head. I kept going back and forth from the subject. Yes, it would be a great idea to tell her. No, it's too dangerous to tell her. I should just do eny miny miney mo to make things easier for myself. Even if it meant Liv hating me forever.
I sighed, looking at the clock on my bedside table. Nine-thirty-eight. They would be severing breakfast by now.
Groaning, I stumbled out of bed and over to my wardrobe. Jeans, jeans, jeans, where are you? I thought to myself.
"Found you," I said out loud before pulling out my favourite jeans.
Throwing them on my bed, I got out of my sweat pants and pulled on my jeans. It was too early for underwear.
I then stumble to my draws feeling the bones in my feet crack. Opening up the top one, I fished out the first shirt I saw. Just a blue polo shirt.
Finding this would do for now, I made my way to the corridor.
I struggled down three flights of stairs before I came to the first gallery and turned to my left down the hall. I made two turns before I came to the dining room.
Everyone was in there, well, not everybody. Malcolm's seat was still empty. For some reason, I felt disappointed that he wasn't there. I still hadn't spoken to him like I had promised Callum I would but I had been busy...avoiding it.
"Hello Sleepin' Beauty," Graham greeted way too loud.
"Stop, talkin'," I groaned rubbing my temple where it pounded.
"I didn't even know that you went out last night," Callum stated, as I made my way to my seat across from Amy who was avoiding my gaze like a snake.
"I didn't," I corrected, welcoming the plate that the footman placed in front of me.
"So why do you look like you have a hangover?" Liv asked.
My head automatically looked up at the same time Amy's did. She did a slight shake, sending me a single that broke my heart. She didn't want them to know that she was with me last night.
"I need to stop watchin' Game of Thrones," I groaned, picking up my fork and digging into my scrambled eggs.
"You watch Game of Thrones?" Liv said in the shock but happy tone that Amy should have used last night, "Amy you love that show."
At that, a smug look appeared on my face as I sat back and crossed my arms. I mean, I already knew that Amy loved Game of Thrones as much as I did but hearing Liv rat on her was priceless.
Amy's head shot up and started to shoot daggers at me. It was worth it though.
"I don't love the -,"
Before she could finish, I started to have a coughing fit. I would not allow her to lie about a great show again. Which she knew because her stare harden.
"Sorry," I croaked, "can I have some water?"
As soon as I asked, the footman knelt over me, gently pouring water into my glass.
"Thank you," I croaked, welcoming the cool liquid down my throat.
"I like the show," Amy correct, finding her eyes land on mine again.
I winked winning an eye roll and a scoff from her. This was so fun. At that, I felt the wolf stir inside of me. It hurt so much that I had to groan.
"Archie," Callum started, worry dripping from his voice, "You okay."
"I fine," I muttered, "Just a tammy ache."
That was code and he knew it. My wolf wasn't like Malcolm's but it wasn't like Callum's. We often shared different views. So if I thought something that my wolf wouldn't like, he would attack me like a bad tammy ache.
"Maybe you're pregnant," Amy stated making my grin grow.
"Trust me Princess, there's no way I'm pregnant," I reassured, making her eyebrow rise in interest, "I can prove it if you would like."
"No, we would not," Allie answer for her.
"Yeah, and if anyone's goin' to be pregnant in this family, it's goin' to be Allie."
"Graham!" Allie yelled at her brother, "Why the hell would you say that? Unless you have a death wish."
"What?" he snapped, "You're the only Patterson girl."
"Hey!" Little Liv's turn to snap, "What about me?"
"You're not a Patterson until there's a ring on your finger," he told her.
"Excuse me, I have a bite on my neck that proves otherwise."
"You have a bite on your neck!"
Everybody went quite when Amy spoke. You could cut the tension with a knife. Amy eyes were wide, looking for answers that none of us were giving her. My wolf stirred again. When I felt the urge to be sick, I dropped my head on the table not caring that that hurt just as much as my belly ache.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Amy snapped, frustrated by the quietness.
"Like I said," I groaned, "Tammy ache."
"From what?" she snapped, he voice getting louder.
I lifted my head from the table and smiled, "Are you always this –?"
"Archie!"
The ache became greater, making me drop my head again and groan.
"What are you lot keeping from me?" she demanded.
"Amy, we're not –."
"Don't!" she snapped at Liv as she tried to make things right, "Your supposed to be my sister –,"
"I am your –!"
"Then start acting like it!"
Her yelling wasn't helping, in fact it made it worse. My wolf wanted to calm her and reassure her. But I couldn't do any of that.
Silence consumed the table once again, something I worshipped. But that praise was only for a second before I heard Amy scoff and heard the chair leg move again the floorboards. I lifted my head and eyed Amy's body as she stormed out of the room.
"Amy," Liv called after going to stand.
"No, don't," I stopped her, standing myself, "I'll go."
Worry and gratitude appeared on her face that I didn't think I would ever see again on Little Liv.
"Are you sure?"
I nodded, feeling my wolf settle for the first time this morning.
"Yeah. It might shut my wolf up," I added before walking out of the room.
I caught up to her pretty quickly. It wasn't hard. Amy's legs were short so it didn't matter how fast she was moving. We were just near her room, before I had shortened the distance between us enough that I could reach out to her.
"Princess –."
Pain ripped into my not quite settle stomach before I could even finish. It took me a moment to realize what had happened and by then, I was already hunched over, holding my stomach and backing away from Amy's fist.
"What was –?"
"You know exactly what that was for!" she snapped, "You don't not get to make an idiot out of me, do you understand me?"
The pain hurt so much that I had to sit down and curl into a ball to stop the ache. She hadn't even hit me that hard.
"That's not what I was doin'," I winced, clawing at my stomach.
"Oh really? Last night was a mistake Archie," my heart broke and my wolf howled.
To calm my own thoughts, I allowed my ear to open and focus on the racing sound of her heart.
"What ever happened, it was a mistake, okay," she told me again.
I felt my smile widened as I heard her heart quicken over the word mistake. She was lying.
"Why are you smiling?" she asked, almost out of breath.
Before I could stop myself, I started to chuckle. I didn't even know why.
"Why are you laughing?" she snapped.
"Because you just lied to me," I said trying to contain my chuckles.
"No I didn't!" she yelled, her heart quickening again, "It's all in your head Archie, okay? I don't like you and most importantly, I don't want to kiss you!"
Her heart was now racing with anger and frustration.
"Hey, don't knock it until you try it," I told her watching her eyes blink as she thought of a comeback.
My grin grew, watching her scramble for any word useful. When she couldn't, she groaned and stormed towards her bedroom.
"Princess, wait!" I called, jumping to my feet.
"Go away!" she yelled, not looking back at me.
She was just at her door, when I caught her upper arm and pushed her up against the wall. I got the same feeling I got last night and yesterday morning. The feeling of lust and want all rolled into one big bloody emotion. My wolf burned inside of me, making me press myself harder against her. I wanted so badly to kiss her and I could sense how badly she wanted me too. My mind became fascinated with the thought that we were breathing the same air and for a second, time seemed to slow. I could feel her body tremble underneath me from fear, nerves and lust. Those sorts of emotions were never meant to be controlled. I finally gave in to my control and leaned to her lips.
Her lips didn't feel like lips. They were hard like a cheek bone and smooth like skin.
"Archie," she almost whispered breaking me out of my trance.
I wasn't kissing her lips. She had turned her head and I had gotten her cheek.
"This isn't the perfect time," she said, breaking my heart.
This time, she wasn't lying.
"I thought you said that last night was a mistake?" I asked, backing away from her, confused with her change of heart.
She shrugged, "Are you always this nosy?"
A wicked grin formed on my lips as she tried to contain hers. That has got to be one of the hottest things any woman had ever said to me. She bowed her head and giggled, making me want to lose control all over again.
"Stop looking at me like that," she mumbled like a shy school girl.
"Like what?" I asked, taking a step forward to close in the gap once again.
"Like s-something that you want," she told me, dropping her head again.
She was scared again.
"Why are you so scared?" I asked her, my voice almost a whisper.
"Because your extremely close to me –,"
"Statin' the obvious –,"
"And..." she paused, "And your eyes just flashed gold."
At that, I backed right off. Eny miny miney mo, catch a tinger by the toe – Liv would kill me if I did.
With my back to her, I lied, "It's just the –."
"Don't you bloody dare!" she yelled, catching my attention enough to make me turn around, "Light doesn't make your eyes flash from blue to gold and then back to blue!"
Be charming, be charming I told myself.
"No but bein' crazy might," I suggested wining draggers from her eyes.
Okay, be stupid then.
I sighed, "I really don't know what to tell you."
She huffed, "Of course you don't. No one in this stupid family knows the meaning to truth!"
Okay, I knew that she was angry and frustrated and all of the above, but I never did mind when people talked smack about my family.
"Well, how about you give us a dictionary and look it up!" I snapped back.
"You know what, I will!"
"Good, then maybe you can look up meaning to little Princess, Princess!"
Her eyes widened, "Excuse me?"
"You heard me," I started, taking a step forward, "Your actin' like a little brat right now and no beauty can make up for it."
She scoffed, "Little brat? Your one to talk. You should look up the meaning to thug, there will be a little photo of me by the word pointing straight at you."
I frowned, realizing something.
"Why do we keep coming back to this?" I asked, changing the entire mood once again.
"Back to what?" she asked, looking just as scared as before.
"Back to this. Arguin', yellin', doin' anythin' to get a raise out of each other?"
"You started it," she scoffed.
I opened my mouth to argue when I was suddenly transported to the conversation Callum and I had yesterday. I might have started to fight but Amy continued it no matter how many times I sought out to make a mends. A mends that I could never build.
"Archie?" Amy asked, breaking my thoughts, "What just happened?"
I blinked, trying to find an answer for myself.
"Ahh, you should get some rest," I told her, backing away.
"Archie, it's ten in the morning," she spoke but I barely listened.
"See you later," I said before heading in the opposite direction.
I wasn't even heading in the direction of my room. I had missed the stairs but I just kept going. I kept on walking till Callum came out a joining corridor.
"Hey," he called, making me jump to a stop, "I just got off the phone with our friend Adin Hughes."
"Excuse me?" I snapped, my voice full of air from shock.
He frowned, "Adin Hughes, the new vampire in town."
I felt myself calm as I remembered another part of our conversation yesterday.
"And?" I asked, "What did he say? What did he want?"
"Well, he's very interested in meetin' us as well. He wants us to meet him at his estate."
My heart started to race at the thought. Adin wanted to meet both of us. Some part of his sick game.
"What did you say to him?" I asked, now feeling suddenly nervous.
"What do you think, I couldn't exactly say no."
"Aye, Brother, you could have," I told him, "Goin' into that house will be a death trap."
"Archie, I don't think Hughes would want trouble in his own house," he said, sounding like those idiots in horror movies when they say nobody lives in that house, it's only you and me. It's never just the two of them.
The very idea of Callum going to the estate and being ambushed played in my head and squeezed my brain till it felt like it was going to explode.
"Why can't you meet him here?" I asked, knowing the reason but still thinking it was a better idea. If he met him here, he would have his whole pack to back him up. Adin would have the disadvantage.
"Because, Brother, too many lives would be at risk here. Liv, Amy, you know that," he told me.
I nodded, knowing that he would say that.
"So have you told Liv the excitin' news?" I asked, hoping that if anyone would stop my Brother's suicidal decision, it would be her.
He sighed and dropped his head.
"I'm just about to," he muttered not looking happy to do it, "She's goin' to want to come with me. I can't have her there."
"I know," I stated, even though I knew that he was just rambling to himself, "Maybe you shouldn't go then."
"No, no," he said strongly, "I'm still the King and I'm still Alpha. Liv will understand that."
Before I could stop myself, I scoffed winning a killer stare from him.
"I'm sorry," I chuckled, "But all Little Liv will understand is Callum in danger equals no. She will not understand."
He sighed and nodded. He knew I was right.
"Are you still comin' with me?" he asked.
I nodded, "aye, of course Brother."
A smile slightly appeared on his worried face trying to show me that everything was okay. He had the same face when our parents died and when Malcolm wanted to disappear. He was always putting on a face for us. Trying to be the strong Brother. Trying to be the King.
With a sigh, he pattered my shoulder and turned down into the corridor. Once again, I was left with a bunch of different emotions and in no way of controlling them.

Amy
What the hell just happened? God, I had never had so many emotions in my head at once. I wanted to kiss him, I wanted to yell at him, I wanted to kill him. We were screaming at each other, then almost kissing, then screaming again, the then of course almost kissing again, and then, the bastard just walked away. I had never met a guy so confusing and I had met plenty of guys. He was into me then - god I couldn't even think about it with my head exploding.
"Don't give up on him."
I jumped, two feet high when I heard a voice to the right of me. I turn my head in that direction and frowned when I noticed the brother from the other day. The 'lonely" Brother or whatever.
"What do you mean?" I asked, pushing off the wall and standing on my feet.
"Archie's goin' through some things right now," he told me, "and havin' you around is just confusin' him."
"I'm confused too," I told him, crossing my arms.
He narrowed his eyes at me, "are you?"
"yeah, I am," I scoffed, "or did you miss that part while spying on us?"
"I wasn't spyin' on you," he told me.
I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to will out the truth.
He sighed, giving in, "fine, I may have been spyin'. But you seemed pretty clear of your feelin's."
My eyes widened. He did not just say that. I narrowed my eyes at him, feeling the same anger I felt before. That is the last time a Patterson tells me what I'm feeling.
"I'm getting really sick of men, telling me what I am and am not feeling!" I snapped at him, "I don't feel anything for Archie."
"You just lied."
I groaned, stamping my feet, "stop, just stop!"
"Okay, okay," he said trying to calm me down.
It wasn't working. I wanted to hit something but I felt like chains had wrapped themselves around my arms, holding me to my place.
"Just take a few breaths," he told me.
I would have argued more with him but I wanted this feeling to stop. I closed my eyes and focused on the feel of my lungs expanding and retracting. I didn't open my eyes until I felt nothing but calmness. I opened them at a smirking brother making me frown.
"How did you know that I, that I needed to do that?" I asked.
"It's been the work of a lifetime to control my anger. And though I haven't fully learnt how to do it, I can pick up on it when other people do, trust me."
I sighed and nodded, accepting his answer. Realising that he wasn't all bad, I decided to hear him out.
"What did you mean by Archie's going through some things right now?" I asked him.
His head dropped as he muttered, "I can't tell you that."
I grunted, stamping my feet.
"What the hell man!" I yelled, "why should I give Archie a chance? Why should I even listen to you? I don't owe any of you guys anything."
I turned around, aiming for an escape before Malcolm's voice stopped me, "Olivia."
I frowned and turned, "excuse me?"
"Your sister. I can't tell you why or how but, aye, you owe us for that."
My eyes narrowed at him, only seeing one connection to what he was talking about.
"Are you saying that I owe you, because your brother makes my sister happy!" I snapped.
"No, that not -."
"You Pattersons are all pigs!"
"Oh my God, what's happenin?" He cried.
"What's happening is, first Archie makes fun of me, then he tries to kiss me, then we argue again, then he runs away, like he didn't even care. And then his brother, comes and tells me what I should do," I couldn't hide the creak in my voice as I struggled to speak, too exhausted, "I can't keep doin' this. I just can't. If I do, I'll explode."
I waited for him to say something. To at least say something. But he didn't. He just, stood there, waiting for me to continue. But I couldn't. There was no breath in my lungs to speak and my head was too tired to form words. Instead, I turned and headed in a direction. I didn't know where and I could begin to care.