Beyond Beta's Rejection

Chapter 53

(Harper’s POV)

I walked up the path and saw Colton smiling at me. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. The idiot really did still think he had some sort of chance with me. His smile widened, and I shook my head.

“What do you want, Colton?” I asked, making sure I kept away from him. I might have warrior training, but he still had brute strength on me, and he had caught me off guard more than once. He gave me a confused look and then scowled.

“What was last night all about?” he shot at me. I didn’t know what he was talking about for a second, but then I remembered briefly seeing faces at the pack house when Elias carried me in. I couldn’t have said whose faces they were. I guessed one was Colton. 

“It was personal,” I said and shrugged. 

“I don’t like the way he thinks he has a claim on you,” he said, and I rolled my eyes again.

“Did you just pull me out here to criticise my love life?” I said and smirked as his face turned red as he struggled to hold back his fury.

“Well, from what I heard, you haven’t really been into anything love-related for quite some time,” he snapped. “I heard you were more than willing to spread your legs over at the council. What makes you think I am going to believe that this thing with Owens is anything other than that?” I laughed at him, and his face turned a deeper shade of red.

“And yet, despite all that, I still won’t open my legs for you,” I said. “Clearly, even I’m not that desperate.” I wasn’t about to tell him that he was the reason I refused to let almost anyone get close. Other than Aaron and Nathaniel and a few of the female warriors, I didn’t trust anyone with anything as important as my heart. 

“Maybe I should have come to the Council sooner, I was told to wait, but If I had been there, I could have shown you how amazing we could be before you allowed those disgusting mutts to take pleasure in your body.” He really did have some deluded warped sense of belief. I could imagine him chasing me around the Council grounds with this type of rambling crap. I laughed at the thought of it, or mostly as Sydney, Tuka, and Kay, the warriors I spent the most time with, would have suggested finding him a cactus to deep throat, just to shut him up. 

“Do you mean rather than you allowing Damien and Alex, and probably who else you thought of, to use my body instead?” I shot back, and he cringed. 

“That was different,” he said, and I shook my head.

“Yeah, sure it was,” I spat, and then it occurred to me what he had just said. “Wait, who told you to wait? And where the hell were you getting the information about what I was doing at the Council?” He just smirked in response.

“Oh, Strawberries, you wouldn’t believe where I have eyes working for me,” he said, stepping closer to me. “I have known every single thing you have done since you left me.” I stepped back away from him and glared at him. I didn’t like the idea of being spied on at all.

“Anyway,” he said, his mood suddenly shifting and an easy smile on his face. “That doesn’t matter now. You came home to me, and I am willing to forgive your past. Just as soon as we get rid of the nuisance in the town, and I get my rightful place.” 

“I came back to town, not to you,” I snapped. “I’m never coming back to you, Colton. When will you learn that?”

“We’ll see about that,” he said, and I growled at him. I was starting to get annoyed.

“There is a safe,” he said, and I stared at him, confused.

“What?”

“A safe in Owens’ office,” Colton clarified. Oh, so we were talking business now. Geez, this guy was giving me whiplash with his moods.

“What about it?” I shrugged.

“That is where you will get the evidence the Council needs to take down Owens and his men.” I flinched internally at what he said. Taking down Elias meant taking down his people, including Marcus. It was beginning to get hard to think of Elias as the bad guy in all of this. The thought that Marcus was wrapped up in this as well made me feel sick. 

“What’s wrong?” Colton asked. “You look sad,” he stepped closer again, and I glared at him.

“Step back,” I warned, and he actually had the balls to look hurt. 

“Fine, the safe,” I said. “What’s the combination?” He looked at me like I was stupid. 

“If I knew that, I would have opened it already,” he scowled at me. “I’m sure you can get it out of him, though.” I rolled my eyes again.

“What, by opening my legs again?” I said sarcastically, and he glared at me.

“Fine. I’m sorry I said that.” 

“I don’t really care,” I said. “I’ll get the combination and the stuff in the safe. And then I can get my ass out of here.” 

“Back to your boyfriend?” he spat, and I looked at him, confused. “I saw him drop you off.” Oh, he meant Aaron. I didn’t need to tell him that he wasn’t actually my boyfriend.

“I guess you don’t get all the details from your spies then,” I mused, more to myself.

“Well, since Owens turned up, I’ve been watched. Harder to get information.” 

“Hmmm, good point. Where is that weasel of a non Alpha buddy of yours?” I asked, and he just smirked.

“I’ll tell you for a kiss,” he said, and I stared at him

“Yeah, not that important. But if I see him, I will kill him for what he did to Louise,” I then stepped forward and glared at him. 

“And don’t think I won’t pay you back for what you did to her, and Katie too.” He looked shocked and then looked at the floor. 

“You don’t understand,” he said. “I was hurting, you left me, and then Canyon left me when you accepted the rejection. I felt alone and angry and had no way to let it out.”

“What?” I didn’t know that his wolf had gone too. “You lost your wolf?” he shook his head.

“No, he abandoned me,” he whispered. “Told me I had caused it all and that I didn’t deserve to be a werewolf, much less a Beta or Alpha. He shut me out for three months.” 

“Three months!” I exclaimed, and he looked up with tears in his eyes. I didn’t care. I was furious.

“Three months. I hadn’t heard from Maya in ten years.” I shouted at him. “Because of what you did to me, I haven’t been able to shift since before I turned eighteen!” He looked at me with sadness in his eyes.

“Harper, I am so sorry,” he said, and I scoffed. “You don’t have to accept my apology, but I would go back and change everything if I could. I would have claimed you that night instead of rejecting you. I would have worshipped the ground you walk upon.”

“Well, you can’t,” I spat. “And I don’t accept your apology.” I turned to storm off.

“You said hadn’t,” he called after me, and I turned and looked at him again.

“What?” I asked.

“You said you hadn’t heard from your wolf, not haven’t. Have you heard her now?” 

“Yeah,” I said.

“When?” he asked. Although, from the pained expression on his face, I could tell that he already knew the answer.

“When I met Elias,” I said, and he nodded sadly. I turned to go again.

“What about the other one?” he called again, and I sighed.

“What?” I snapped 

“The other part, the an-”

“Harper!” I looked towards the new voice in the woods and saw Marcus rushing over

“Did he hurt you?” he asked, putting himself between Colton and me, and I smiled. 

“No, Marcus, we were just talking.” Marcus glared at Colton and then looked at me.

“Out here in the woods?” he asked and then glared at Colton again. “Did you follow her after I told you to stay away from her after the Alpha told you to stay away,” he growled at Colton, and I sighed.

“Marcus, one he didn’t follow me. I followed him.” Marcus looked at me again. “I wanted to warn him that I would be kicking his ass about Louise and Katie.” Which was technically true.

“And two, I can look after myself, I told you!” 

Marcus huffed.

“And I told you that I’m Gamma, so I protect the Luna.” 

Colton growled at the mention of Luna, and I rolled my eyes as both werewolves glared at each other.

“I’ve had enough of this,” I said and walked off. It wasn’t long before I heard footsteps coming and Marcus appeared next to me with a big grin on his face. I rolled my eyes again, and we walked the rest of the way back to the pack house in silence.

It was early afternoon by the time we got back. I found a note under my door telling me that Elias expected me in his room for dinner at 5 pm and to dress comfy. Let’s hope he didn’t have any more demolition plans for me this time.

Chapter 58 - Beyond Beta's Rejection