BETA ANTHONY LORENT

9 FEBRUARY, TUESDAY, CONT'

Anthony stepped in looking very sullen. And then he stopped. He just stopped and stared. I had to look down at my skirt to check myself, just in case.

"Don't just stand there, child. Announce me." Lady Amber scolded gently.

"Aunt Amber is here." Anthony announced.

"Thank you, child. But you must announce me with my title. I am your aunt, but I'm certainly not Alpha Kingsley's aunt, am I?" Lady Amber corrected.

I stiffled the urge to snicker.

Ben coughed, just very quietly.

Anthony looked furious for a moment, but only clenched his fists and nodded wordlessly.

Lady Amber did not fail to point out, "You have made a mistake, Anthony. You need to make your apologies."

That was the last straw, "I'm the Beta! I don't have to apologize for anything!" And then he turned and headed straight out the door. He shut it with a resounding slam.

"Oh dear, that child." Lady Amber shook, her head. She bowed politely towards us, "Good evening Alphas and Lunas."

I stood up, because she was my elder and officially my mentor, "Good evening, Lady Amber."

"Yes, good girl." She smiled pleasantly at me, and then she turned to my parents, "You've brought her up so well. It shames me that my own nephew behaved so disgracefully."

Mum quickly shook her head, "He's still young."

"He's 16!" Lady Amber protested.

"I'm told girls are generally better behaved." Mum added, determined to graciously excuse Anthony's earlier tantrum.

"Well, his sister is worse!" Lady Amber shook her head, she waited patiently for me to sit before sitting herself daintily next to me, "You don't need to tell me differently Luna, I know my late brother's children well. They have been spoilt rotten by him, but they are also trying their best to cope without their father now. Suddenly, they have to stand on their own without their father's protection."

"Poor children." My mum's heart went out to them.

"They will learn. If Anthony wants to survive in this pack he will have to earn his place as the beta." Lady Amber said, "He's too stubborn and proud to take instructions, but I doubt young James will overlook even the slightest mistake. And his late father certainly had his share of enemies who would like nothing better than to have his remaining family expelled from the pack. His family's fate is suddenly on his shoulders, the odds are stacked against him, and he isn't ready at all. I worry to no end for him."

"Have you met Ben?" Mum suddenly asked, she turned back to wave Ben forward.

Ben stepped forward with a polite bow.

"This is our own young beta, Ben. Beta Lucas' son. Perhaps if they were introduced, Anthony might find a beta friend around his own age." Mum offered.

"I was trained by Harvey." Ben offered helpfully, but only because he didn't want to deal with Anthony himself. Hahaha.

"Oh yes, Harvey. Harvey is turning 18 this year. He is the Morning Light's young Beta." Mum introduced, "He has been a very good influence on both Sam and Ben."

Seriously? Was that how Mum thought of the good beta?

"Sometimes being a beta is very lonely work. Making friends with other young betas will allow for mutual understanding and learning." Mum tried to explain.

Okay, this part I could vouch for. I've seen how Matt, Jules, Marcus, Peter, and my betas got all chummy and exchanged numbers before you could say "bromance".

"You show so much care for your betas." Lady Amber nodded approvingly.

"Betas are family too." Mum repeated her mantra.

"These boys are like my own sons, well, or at least my dear nephews, I cannot take credit for the sacrifice and hard work of their own mothers." Mum laughed a little at that.

Both Harvey and Ben bowed together at that point, "Thank you, Luna."

"Such good boys." Lady Amber praised. She sighed, "It puts our Lorent boys to shame."

I shook my head, "They're just in beta mode now."

Don't be fooled. They're big bad wolves!

"At least they have a beta mode." Alpha James grumbled good naturedly.

Mum, Lady Amber, and Luna Edith all laughed at that.

There was a knock on the door. It was the distinct two raps that confirmed my beta's presence on the other side, but he hadn't had to, I knew he was here, and so was mate. {MATE!}

Harvey and Ben had stepped back. Lady Amber rose from her seat and I stood up automatically. Oh wait, why did I get up? Technically, I should have remained seated.

But mate! The moment the door opened, I flew into his arms.

He caught me around my waist, just like he always did.

I was just so happy and relieved and happy to see him. Did I mention I was happy?

"I missed you!" I told him.

Yay! Mate! Safe! No more being stared at by men I didn't know or being told I was enchantingly beautiful or vavavoom or made to feel uncomfortable anymore.

It was strange, I had not realised how uncomfortable I felt about the stares I've been receiving until I was with Mate.

Safe.

And happy and relieved.

The adults laughed something about how cute we were.

"Sam!" Mum scolded, but she was laughing too.

"She's still young." Lady Amber smiled, "It's good to see them happy together."

Well I WAS happy. Mate was wearing his usual stony expression. He actually looked annoyed when he caught me, as if he had been forced to carry me. But when he put me down and touched my hair, brushing it away from my face tenderly, his expression softened, but only for a second.

And then he straightened and glared around the room, "Where the hell is Anthony?"

Mate didn't bother to greet anyone in the room either.

"He went out for something." Lady Amber tried to cover up for her nephew, "Why are you angry?"

At this point, Anthony returned. He still looked sullen, he still didn't knock, but he bowed in greeting before coming over to his Aunt and sitting down next to her.

I'm not sure if he noticed that none of the betas were seated.

Bell blew his lid, "Don't sit! Aren't you on duty? What kind of beta are you? You left my princess and her family out waiting on the porch for full 15 minutes before opening the door, and then you dare leave them in the hallway on their own."

Bell's low voice reverberated with anger, "What do you think would have happened if Ki had not woken up in time to cover for you?"

"What kind of beta naps in the afternoon?" Anthony retorted.

"The kind who was up all night working!" Bell's volume dangerously lowered, "My beta has better things to do than clean up your s*** all the time. There is a f***ing..."

"James, stop." Lady Amber said sternly.

To my surprise, Bell did stop.

"Anthony, was that true?" Alpha James looked stern now. He didn't raise his voice, it was the firm but reasonable tone that I recognized he used when bringing his wolves down to task.

"Ki was snitching behind my back again!" Anthony whined.

"I think I would expect to be informed if my princess was left outside after dark in the cold..." Bell growled.

Alpha James held up his hand to stop him, "Son, he is my beta. I will handle this."

"F-" and then Bell caught himself at his aunt's sharp glare. He switched to Lycan instead.

"My goddess!" Lady Amber gasped, "James Lorent the Third, I can still understand you, young man! That is no way for a young alpha to speak, nor the future Luna of the green packlands either."

"I speak as I please." Mate told her. He had spoken quietly, respectfully even.

But Alpha James slammed the coffee table and stood up growling at that.

"Alright, we are all tired and had a long day. Anthony was wrong. Anthony, please apologize and we can all proceed to dinner." Lady Amber said.

"I'm not apologizing." Anthony sulked, "I'm the beta. I don't have to apologize."

I could see Harvey and Ben exchanging looks with each other, but they held their tongues, at least their physical ones. The mindlink was a different matter. I didn't listen in, but I was sure Ben had some scathing opinions to air.

Bell on the other simply said, "Anthony, you will stand on the porch after dinner and remain there for the rest of the night. Do not come in till the sun has risen."

"What? That's not fair!" Anthony whined.

Wow.

"Shut up before I send you out immediately." Mate said.

"Aunt Amber, see how James bullies me!" Anthony complained, "How could you ask me to put up with it?"

Mate looked at Ki who smiled and nodded.

Immediately, Neil and Jax stepped forwards, "Come on then. Let's go Ant."

"Don't call me Ant!" Anthony screamed.

And then Neil simply picked up the kicking and screaming teen like one would pick up a small tantruming kid and hoisted him over his shoulder.

"Shut up, Ant." Jax said as they left the room, "We have to stand outside too you know... Unless we tie him to the beam. Do you have rope, Neil?"

Anthony screamed bloody murder.

Hahaha.

Lady Amber looked concerned though, but she wisely held her tongue.

It was mum who spoke, very gently, it's her voice of reason, the one she uses to change Dad's mind, "He's just a child, Bell. I feel sorry for him."

To his credit, Bell produced a tight smile, "Luna, he had it coming. I've already given fair warning."

Alpha James seemed to agree with Bell too, "How old is Ben?"

"I turn 14 this year, Alpha." Ben deadpanned.

"How were you trained? Tell me. We have been training Anthony since he shifted." Alpha James said, "But tonight the gap between my young beta and you puts me to shame."

Ben shrugged, his words unflinching even in his monotone, "I was trained to run with my alpha. I will run fast so that she does not need to stop. I will hit hard so that she does not need to slow. And I will take every hit so she does not have to fall."

"We could also just dodge together, you know." I narrowed my eyes at Ben. I think the constant exposure to the Lorent drama here was rubbing off on him.

Ben shrugged again, but didn't correct himself.

"Yes, but I meant your training, Ben." Alpha James asked again, "Who trained you?"

"My father. And Harvey and Ki." Ben answered.

"Just them? How did they train you?" Alpha James said.

"Gave me s*** work, criticize everything, gave me more s***, criticize everything." Ben deadpanned, "They're still giving me s*** and then criticizing it."

"Language, Ben." Harvey warned him with his usual wry smile.

"See." Ben nodded to the Alpha he was speaking to, "I don't get let off for even the slightest s***."

Harvey hit Ben on the back of the head, "Apologies, Alpha."

"See." Ben said again.

Alpha James did see, "You are saying that I let Anthony off too lightly."

"That would not be in my place to say, Alpha." Ben answered.

"It's true, a good beta would never criticise his alpha." Lady Amber nodded her approval.

"But I let Anthony off too lightly." Alpha James concluded.

"And Ki, how were you trained?" Alpha James asked, "You were never like this before either."

"I trained my skills in the Lorent Pack, the same as Anthony." Ki answered mildly, "But I am like this now because I also want to run next to my Alpha."

"To run next to your Alpha, what does this mean to you" Alpha James asked.

Harvey stepped forward, "A beta wolf was made to run next to his alpha. It is a natural wolf-bond that binds us. I was told only the mating bond is greater than a beta's to his alpha. And the moment the bond is established, the beta becomes the alpha's extension."

And then because my good beta was long winded this way, he had to continue, "An ancient alpha once wrote to his beta, "My right hand is very skilled. It is more skillful than my own." To which his beta replied, "If your right hand was not attached to you, for all its skill, it would be as good as dead." This is what I was taught from a young boy."

There was a silence.

I'm not sure what they other adults made of this, my personal takeaway was how cruel it was to tell a young beta boy in a alpha-less pack that he was as good as a dead arm.

Lycan culture was not historically very child friendly.

"That was beautifully said, young Beta." Lady Amber applauded his Lycan enounciation, and then she turned to her brother, "We have to do something about Anthony, not just for his sake, but the sake of our pack."

Alpha James nodded, "I understand what we must do. Our Lorent pack is in dire straights. We have been crippled without a beta at helm. It was my own fault that I've lost my right arm, but perhaps for the sake of our future generation we need Night Leaf's help."

"What do you propose, Alpha?" Dad asked.

"As you know, we will meet the leadership of the Lorent pack later, both the current leaders and the future leaders. The Lorent pack will belong to Sam eventually anyway. So perhaps you might choose a beta from our young leaders. Anthony would be the only one with a beta wolf, but I will not force your hand. Only please pick your beta from within the Lorent Pack. When you have chosen, I will give the wolf to you to train as you see fit." Alpha James said.

"Maybe if Anthony runs with your betas, he will learn to be a good beta too." Lady Amber asked hopefully on behalf of her nephew. I could see her love for Anthony. It's not that she did not see how obnoxious he was, but that she could also see his potential. (Even though I certainly couldn't.)

Fine. My wolf was reluctant though. (Which was always a hint that I was making a bad call), but I said anyway, "If Anthony would swear his allegiance to me as his Alpha, I will take him in."

None of my betas protested, not out loud anyway. But I could see it in the way their face froze, and then the mask of indifference/calm/perfected smile they wore to cover it up. I could sense it seep out of their beta bonds. The dread and misery and fury. Wow, they liked Anthony less than my wolf did.

I felt a bit bad to saddle them with Anthony, but he was Bell's family. I can understand how hard it was to watch the one you love self destruct.

Well, not by personal experience, but I remembered the desperation of Priscilla for her son about to turn rogue, the same desperation that Lady Amber bore for her whiney nephew.

Every wolf deserved a second chance right? From fight dogs to spoilt brats. If Anthony chose to run with me, I would protect him, and everyone would be happy right?

I looked up and met Mates eyes. It had turned dark caramel gold. Otherwise, his face was the usual expression of stone. Specifically, marble which meant he was less hard than granite. Hahaha. His bond was blocked... again. Keeping me out. He only watched me. I blinked. What? What did I do now?