Chapter 5 Beta's Decision

• Kade's POV
• I watched Beta hesitate at the doorway, his stomach twisting with dread. Good. The hesitation meant he was finally starting to understand the weight of what was happening.
• “Sit,” I said, my voice calm but firm, a command wrapped in gentleness. He needed to know his place. He needed to understand.
• Beta stood there for a moment longer, stiff, but eventually pulled out a chair and sat down. His hands clenched in his lap, betraying his nervousness.
• I let the silence stretch, watching him closely. The rain pattered against the windows, the wind howling outside. It felt like everything in the world was pushing against him, but I was here to guide him.
• He just didn’t know it yet.
• Across from him, my daughter, Alice, she was sharp, always too curious for her own good, looked him over with those eyes that never missed a thing.
• “You’re Beta, right?” she asked, her voice soft but laced with something colder.
• Beta nodded, unsure of how to respond. It was to be expected. This wasn’t exactly a warm welcome.
• “Don’t mind her,” I interjected, cutting through the awkward silence. “She’s just... curious. We all are. This is a big change for you, I imagine.”
• Beta’s throat tightened, his discomfort obvious. “I don’t belong here. I don’t even know why I’m here.”
• I smiled, though there was nothing comforting about it. “You don’t know? You’re here because the wolves have chosen you.”
• “Chosen?” He laughed bitterly. " I didn’t ask for this.”
• I leaned forward, my gaze locking with his.
• “You didn’t ask, but you’ve been running from this for years. Haven’t you?”
• I could see the confusion swirling in his eyes, but I wasn’t going to let him squirm away from the truth. “You’ve been searching for something. Your father’s death. Your mother’s betrayal. You’ll never be free of that until you understand what you’re a part of.”
• My daughter leaned in, her eyes glinting with something mischievous.
• “Maybe it’s time you learn the truth, Beta. The wolves are more than just animals.
• They’re... family.”
• His mind was racing, I could see it. He couldn’t wrap his head around any of it. It was too much, too fast. The wolves, the pack, the idea that he was caught in something much larger than himself. It was all happening too quickly for him. He couldn’t accept it yet.
• Before he could respond, the door opened, and another alpha walked in. Tall. Intimidating. His presence filled the room like a storm. He nodded at me. “Kade,” he greeted, his voice gruff. “Is this the boy?”
• I nodded. “Beta. The one I’ve been telling you about.”
• Beta turned, his face pale. “What the hell is going on? He asked nervously.
• I stood up, slowly, my eyes never leaving his. “What we want is your acceptance, Beta. You have a place here. Whether you want it or not.”
• He stood up suddenly, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. “I don’t want any part of this!” He was angry and frustrated. Good. Let him feel it.
• I stayed calm, unaffected by his outburst. “You’ll come around, Beta. We all do eventually.”
• The tension in the room was thick, and I saw the anger in his eyes. The frustration, the pain. “Why? Why did you take him from me?” He blurted, his voice cracking. “Why didn’t you save him?”
• I could feel the shift in the air. The room went quiet. Even the wolves, who were usually so calm, seemed to pause. They were waiting.
• I took a step forward, my voice low and deliberate. “You think we’re gods, Beta? That we could have stopped it?” My words weren’t harsh, but they carried weight. “The wolves don’t save people. They take. And they give. It’s the balance of nature.”
• He recoiled from my words, the anger rising again. I could see it in his eyes. “You’re no different from us,” I continued, my tone darkening. “You’ll learn that soon enough.”
• The air was thick with tension. Beta’s hands trembled. I knew he was struggling to process all of it, his mind racing, emotions torn between anger and disbelief. The storm outside was nothing compared to the storm raging inside him.
• My daughter spoke again, her voice sharp, cutting through the quiet. “Are you really prepared to face the truth, Beta? Or are you going to run away like your father did?”
• Beta’s eyes snapped to her. His voice was low, confused. “What the hell does that mean?”
• I stood up, my smile returning. This was the moment. He was already too far in. He just didn’t realize it yet. “It means you’re already too far in. You’ll never leave this place. You might as well accept it.”
• The words hit him like a weight. He couldn’t escape. He never would. And I knew that was starting to sink in.
• The room was silent, the wolves watching, waiting. Beta stood there, trapped between his past and his future.
• Then, Buford, the Alpha that walked in earlier, clapped his hands, breaking the silence.
• The room plunged into near darkness, the only light coming from the flickering candles and the wolves’ glowing eyes. The air shifted, a sharp chill running down Beta’s spine as others began to file in. They carried different dishes, setting them down in front of the others around the table.
• Beta stared at the plate in front of him. His stomach twisted. “What... what is this?” he whispered, his voice barely audible.
• Across the table, the tall, broad-shouldered alpha with the scar running down his face looked at Beta, cold smile in place. “Eat. It’s our custom.”
• Beta's POV
• My hands were shaking, but I couldn’t look away from the food. The scent was wrong, like something earthy and my stomach churned. The fear gnawed at me like a living thing.
• I glanced around the table, my eyes flicking from one face to the next. Every person was starting to eat. Their eyes... Their eyes were glowing. The same yellow glow that the wolves outside had.
• I blinked, my pulse quickening, my heart pounding in my chest. It couldn’t be real. The eyes were too bright, too inhuman. They glowed like the wolves. Like them.
• The tension was thick, like the air itself was holding its breath. I had to ask, had to know.
• . “Why... why are we eating in the dark?”
• The response was immediate. Every single person at the table turned their faces toward me. It was like a choreographed movement, And then I saw it again, those eyes.
• The same sickly yellow glow as the wolves.
• I couldn’t breathe.
• “What is this?” My voice cracked as the words left my mouth, thick with fear. “What am I supposed to eat?”
• The room went deathly silent. I could feel their eyes boring into me.
• I needed to understand.
• Then, I felt it. A cold weight of realization. Kade was watching me too, and I could feel the power in his gaze.
• This was the moment I either chose to step into this world. or I got swallowed whole by it.
• Kade's POV
• I leaned forward, my voice low. “Quiet, Beta. You’re safe here. Don’t let fear rule you.”
• But I could see it in his eyes. He was struggling, fighting it. “I... I can’t eat this,” he stammered, looking down at the strange stew before him.
• “Why?” I asked, my voice turning sharp, my patience wearing thin. “You are one of us now, are you not?”
• Beta opened his mouth to protest, but no words came. His eyes darted around, to the others, to me. His fear was palpable, thick in the air.
• I leaned in, my voice low and dangerous. “Eat, or there will be consequences.”
• Beta swallowed hard. He could feel it.
• “I need to go home,” Beta whispered, almost to himself. “I can’t stay here. I need to go back to school... tomorrow.”
• The room went deadly silent. All eyes were on him, watching.
• “You think you can just leave?” My daughter’s voice cut through the quiet, laced with amusement. “You think you can just go back to your normal life?”
• And in that moment, I knew.
• Beta was never leaving.
• Not now.
• Not ever.