Beta

by Edugardo Gilbert X

  "Why did he leave my mom," he demanded to know.

  I wouldn't show him how deeply that statement cut. I fought back tears for his sake but I felt a couple strays roll down my cheek. I quickly wiped them away before he ever noticed.

  "I am his mate."

  "You made him leave her!" He accused loudly as we stopped in front of my office.

  He threw the car door open and ran inside without waiting for me like he normally did. As much as I tried to control myself, I was in a losing battle. I fished my phone out of my bag and called Titus to let him know what happened.

  "Hey, Lizzy. How was Christian's first day?"

  "He, um, he knows I'm not his mother," I said quietly. I tried so hard not to cry but I couldn't help it.

  "How?" He demanded to know.

  "One of the girls in his class told him. He accused me of making you leave his mom and then he ran inside my office. I don't know what to do," I said, helpless in this situation.

  "Okay, love. It's going to be okay," he said in an attempt to soothe me, "Why don't you grab Christian, send the rest of your patients to Anne, and meet me at home."

  I nodded but realized he couldn't see me, "Okay. I'll be there in a few minutes."

  "See you then. I love you."

  "I love you, too."

  I hung up and looked in my mirror to fix my face. When I felt ready, I went inside to my receptionist and sent my last two patients to Anne, the other pack doctor, whose office was connected to mine. We figure being the only two pack doctors that we would make it as convenient as possible for clients and put our businesses together.

  I walked back to my office to find Christian face down on my couch. I hesitated but approached him and placed my hand on his back.

  "Come on. We're going home."

  "I want my dad," he responded. He sounded angry but I knew he was crying.

  "He's going to meet us there."

  "I'm not supposed to get in a car with someone that's not my mom and dad," he repeated the words I had told him a thousand times.

  "I may not have given birth to you, Christian, but I am your mother," I said firmly, "Now let's go."

  He drug himself off the couch but still wouldn't look at me as he trudged down the hall and into my Range Rover.

  The entire car ride was silent except for Christian's occasional sniffling. The fact that he was upset made me upset. I never wanted to see my son in pain, especially emotional pain and knowing that I had caused it was the worst feeling of all.

  When Titus and I bought this house, we were looking for something big enough to raise our entire family in without ever having to move. However, I thought this was slightly over the top. We only used two of the seven bedrooms and more often than not, when Titus wasn't home, Christian never left my side. Most of the time it was just me and Christian in the house and we would watch movies in the in home theater or go swimming.

  I parked in the large garage; Titus's matching SUV was already parked in the garage which didn't go unnoticed by Christian. He jumped out of the car the second I turned it off and ran inside. I gathered my purse and made my way inside.

  I crossed the giant slate tiles through the kitchen and went into the living room where Titus and Christian sat on the leather wrap around couch. Titus offered me a sad smile as I sat on the other side of Christian. I knew he didn't want me to sit next to him but I wasn't going to let him think I didn't care about him. I wasn't giving in that easily.

  He buried his head in Titus's side in an attempt to get away from me. I tried to hold a blank expression but I couldn't do it. The best I could do was keep my tears silent and as minimal as possible.

  "Christian," Titus said firmly as he adjusted slightly to pull Christian out of hiding, "Why are you upset?"

  "She made you leave my mom," he pointed at me, "I want my real mom."

  Jesus, he didn't even know how hurtful his words were. He was just a boy but I knew this was something I would never forget. His betrayed eyes would haunt me for the rest of my life.

  "That is your real mom," he motioned to me, "Do you remember another mother?" Titus asked.

  Christian shook his head timidly.

  "Because there has never been another one. The woman that gave birth to you is not your mother. Why would you think she is?"

  "Brittany said my real mom loves me and Lizabeth made you break up with her," he said on a shaky voice.

  The way he said my name was unnatural. He had called me mom or momma ever since he could talk.

  I sighed, "Christian, your father and I have been together since you were two months old. Before that, he had help from Sarah."

  "Brittany may have been right about your mom not giving birth to you but she is definitely your mother and nothing will change that."

  "But if she didn't have me, she can't love me," he protested.

  In that moment, I knew he wasn't angry. He was afraid that I couldn't love him the way a mother that gave birth to her child could.

  "Has there ever been a time you didn't think I loved you?" I asked.

  He thought for a moment but shook his head.

  "See? You are my son, Christian, even if I wasn't the one that had you."

  He nodded sheepishly and wrapped his arms around my waist as he buried his face in my stomach. I looked to Titus who appeared to be angry though I knew it wasn't directed at me. He was probably mad at the parents of the girl or maybe he was mad at the girl herself. I couldn't tell but as long as it wasn't directed at me or Christian, I would join him in his anger.

  "I'm sorry, Momma," he mumbled, "I love you."

  I placed my hand on his little blonde head, "I love you too."

  "Christian, why don't you go get a snack and head upstairs for your nap," Titus said.

  Christian ran off to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water and a pack of apples and peanut butter before running up the stairs.

  Titus ran a hand through his hair and exhaled roughly, "Are you okay?"

  I nodded, "I'm fine."

  "Are you sure?"

  "I just can't believe someone would say that to him. Where would she even learn something like that?"

  "I don't know but I'm going to put a stop to it," he said.

  I knew there was no stopping him now. He was on a mission because someone had upset his wife and son. Titus was territorial and possessive and would protect us at any cost even if it was only emotionally.

  *******

  I leaned against Christian's door frame and watched him nap. I couldn't believe the morning I had. I had to tell Macy she couldn't have children, I am going to learn everything I can about fertility treatments, and my son found out he wasn't biologically mine. When I woke up this morning, I never would have guessed my day would be this rough.

  Titus came up behind me and wrapped an arm around my waist, securing me against his rock solid body. He rested his chin on the top of my head as I absently ran my fingers over his forearms.

  "He felt betrayed. That's why he reacted like that," he said quietly.

  "I know. Still, it was hard to hear."

  "I know, love. Come on," he said as he pulled me down the hall towards our room.

  I smiled lightly as I turned into his arms but that didn't stop him from getting me to his destination.

  "Titus," I said in an attempt to get him to stop.

  "Don't bother trying to talk me out of it," he smirked.

  "Christian will be awake soon," I reminded.

  "I guess I'll have to make this quick then."

  I laughed at his clear determination but I couldn't deny that I loved it. I loved that he was still this attracted to me. True mates were rare these days and I was lucky to have met mine. I couldn't imagine my life without him and I never wanted to think about what would happen if something happened to him.

  He closed our door behind us quietly so Christian wouldn't wake up. Even though we had been together almost five years, he never pushed me far sexually. I was a virgin when we met so he t
ook that as he needed to go easy with me but I had just about enough of that. I knew he was always satisfied but I wanted to blow his mind. I just didn't know how to do that. I thought about using my mouth but what if I did it wrong and he didn't like it. I knew I was safe with everything we had been doing for half a decade but I didn't want him to lose interest in any way.

  "Lizzy!" Adrian's voice sang from downstairs.

  Titus groaned in frustration but released me. I laughed lightly and kissed his cheek.

  "I'm sorry. I forgot he was coming over today," I said.

  "Yeah, yeah," he said, disappointed.

  I kissed him one last time before making my way downstairs with Titus following closely.

  "Hey, Adrian," Titus greeted before turning to me, "I have to get back. I'll see you in a few hours."

  I nodded and watched him leave through the garage.

  "A little midday hanky panky?" Adrian teased.

  I laughed and shook my head, "I wish that was why he was home."

  "What happened?" He asked as he sat next to me.

  "Christian found out I'm not his biological mother."

  "Oh my God. Tell me everything."

  I settled in and retold the entire story. With Adrian, I never left out a single detail. He was my best friend and for a long time, he was my only family. Adrian is like the sister I never had but in male form. He was even closer than that though.

  "What a little bitch," he said as he took a sip from his wine glass. After the morning I had, I had earned a glass of wine before five.

  "So is Titus pissed?"

  "To say the least," I said taking a sip.

  "Better make sure he doesn't do too much to the parents."

  "I know... I have a question for you," I said slightly nervous.

  "What's up?" He asked curiously.

  "Have you and Liam done a lot?"

  I felt my cheeks burn slightly since sex was never something I would openly discuss.

  "Oh my God, Lizzy! Are you asking me for sex advice?!"

  "Sh!" I scolded, "You'll wake Christian!"

  He laughed quietly as he covered his mouth but he looked excited to have this conversation.

  "Girl, grab the whole damn bottle because we're gonna need it," he said with a laugh.

  I went to the kitchen to grab the bottle of Chardonnay from the wine fridge under the marble island and went back to the living room. Adrian filled up both of our glasses and turned to me with a huge smile.

  "Okay so tell me everything you've done," he prompted.

  "Um, well just normal things I guess."

  He rolled his eyes, "Details, Lizzy."

  "Seriously, just normal things. He seems satisfied every time we have sex but I just want to do something more special for him, you know?"

  "How often are you having sex?"

  "Almost every day except on the full moon."

  "Hm. How often do you blow him?" He asked bluntly.

  I damn near choked on my wine, "What?"

  "How often do you blow him," he asked slower.

  "I heard you the first time... I've never actually done that," I said as I looked down.

  "No way! You've been together for five years! He's never even asked for it?"

  I shrugged, "He's hinted at it but I don't know how to do it. It's not that I don't want to. I mean, I think that's something I want to do."

  "Okay so when he comes home tonight put Christian to bed and take him in your room. Get a sexy shower going and get on your knees!"

  I laughed, "But what if I hurt him?"

  "Hurt him? I'm sure he's going to be so happy, you could grind your teeth on him and he would still love it."

  "You think so?"

  "Trust me. Just don't use your teeth unless you're skimming."

  "What are you going to use your teeth on, Momma?"

  I whipped around to see Christian coming down the stairs, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He quickly made his way to the couch and climbed in my lap. He only ever did this when Titus wasn't around. I think Christian wanted to be what he perceived as more of a man around Titus. Even though Titus never scolded Christian for wanting to be close to me, Christian saw the way his older cousins acted towards their mothers and wanted to follow suit.

  "Nothing, sweetheart. Did you have a good nap?"

  He nodded, still sleepy, "Hi uncle Adrian."

  "Hi Christian. How was your first day of school?"

  "Good. I made a friend."

  "Oh yeah? What's your friend's name?" I asked.

  "Kyle. His dad doesn't have a rank though. Is that okay?"

  I laughed lightly, "Of course that's okay. As long as he's nice to you, you can be friends with him."

  Christian nodded quickly, "He is. Can I invite him over to go swimming and watch movies?"

  "Of course. We'll talk to Dad about it when he gets home."

  Christian ran upstairs and Adrian and I burst into laughter.

  "Well, Liam and I have dinner plans so I'll talk to you later," Adrian said as he got up to leave.

  I followed him to the front door and hugged him goodbye.

  ********

  I put the finishing touches on the steaks and plated the food I made for dinner. I set two glasses of red wine at the table and smoothed the front of my dress. Titus's brother couldn't have asked to take Christian at a better time. They were going to dinner and a movie which was perfect. Christian missed his cousins even though he saw them at least once a week so he was excited to hang out with them and I was excited for my evening alone with Titus.

  I heard Titus pull into the garage; my nerves instantly got to me despite my earlier confidence. Adrian was right. Titus would just love that I tried something. I hoped.

  "Hey," he said as he tossed his keys, phone, and wallet in the bowl on the kitchen counter.

  "Hey. How was the rest of your day?"

  He snaked an arm around my waist and kissed my forehead before looking me up and down. A light frown touched his lips as he clearly wondered why I was dressed nicely.

  "I'm not forgetting anything, right?" He asked carefully.

  I laughed, "Am I not allowed to dress up?"

  "You look beautiful," he commented, "but really, am I forgetting something?"

  "Nope," I said as I turned out of his arms and led him to the table.

  "Where's Christian?"

  "Derek picked him up. He's taking the boys to eat and see a movie."

  "So we have some time alone?" He asked.

  "We do. Sit."

  "I'm not a dog," he said, playing offended.

  "Sometimes I wonder," I responded as I crossed into the kitchen.

  I brought his plate back and set it in front of him before taking my seat next to him. I planned on getting just enough liquid courage in me before attempting my little stunt. I was naturally an uptight person and a glass or two of wine would unwind me.

  "This is great, Elizabeth," he said appreciatively.

  "Thanks. So you didn't tell me how your day was."

  "It was okay. Spent most of it at the site."

  One of the many things our pack was involved in was a construction company owned by Titus and Zac. They designed and built luxury homes as well as large commercial buildings. They only hired werewolves from our pack to work the sites which kept our unemployment very low.

  "Are you tired?"

  He smirked, "Not too tired for what you have planned."

  I almost choked on my food as my attention shot to him, "I don't know what you're talking about."

  "Right. You're like an open book, Lizzy."

  I rolled my eyes, "Whatever you say."

  We finished eating and just sat at the table to finish off our glasses and talk for a few minutes. This glass mixed with the few I had earlier with Adrian had me feeling pretty relaxed and a little flirtatious. Titus always loved it when I flirted with him and I did too. It certainly kept things interesting.

  "Come on," I said coyly as I pulled him to the stair
s.

  He needed no further incentive to follow me upstairs. I led us into our master suite where I let go of his hand and walked into the bathroom. Adrian would never steer me in the wrong direction so I was taking every bit of his advice.

  Honestly, our bathroom was my favorite part of the entire house. I couldn't deny that when we bought the house, I was a little skeptical. It was very cookie cutter and while it was still nice, it was boring. The six months worth of renovations Titus put into our home made it unique and ours in every sense. He definitely had me in mind when he created this bathroom. The giant slate tiles on the floor had heaters underneath so the floor was never cold. The shower alone was phenomenal; the front was all glass with the inner walls being a stone to create the ultimate spa experience and to top it off, the rainfall water system he had installed ensured there was never a cold moment.

  I started the shower with Titus leaning on the door frame, his perfectly devious smirk playing on his lips.

  "I need help," I said as I pulled my blonde locks over my shoulder and turned my back to him.

  He slowly unzipped my dress and brushed it off my shoulders before placing his lips where his fingers caressed.

  I let the black silk hit the floor as I walked over to the shower. Of course, in typical Titus fashion, he couldn't wait to see what I had in store and threw his shirt to the ground as he came up behind me. He rested his hands on my hips, barely squeezing, just enough for me to feel it. For some reason, knowing what I was going to do was kind of a turn on. He used his skilled hands to completely undress me before placing his hands back on my bare skin.

  "I knew you had something planned," he said with a light smile.

  I couldn't help the smirk when I stepped in the shower because he had no idea what I had planned. I kissed him deeply before moving my lips to his neck and eventually his muscular chest. I undid his black belt and tugged at his dark jeans to drop them just outside the shower. Once inside, I made him sit on the stone bench as I went to my knees. The look on his face was somewhere between shocked and excited. It was like he didn't know whether to be happy or to stop me but luckily, he let me do what I wanted.

  I kissed my way down his solid abdomen, only hesitating a moment before taking him in my mouth. I knew I couldn't fit him all but he seemed ecstatic with what I could do. His hand tangled in my hair but he didn't force my head down which I was thankful for. I wasn't sure I would be happy with that. I took a peek at his face to see if I was doing it right but his eyes were closed and he looked like he was concentrating but not in a bad way. He looked like he was trying to control himself.