by Susan Bliler
Bad Beta
By
Susan A. Bliler
Copyright © 2016 by Susan A. Bliler
www.susanbliler.com
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Cover fonts, spine, and back cover done by:
Cindy Hubbard
www.cind-e-designs.com
Images courtesy of Shutterstock
As always thanks to my Beta, Cindy.
I couldn’t do this without you.
Thanks for believing in me when no one else did.
;o) ting
This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidences are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from Susan A. Bliler.
DEDICATION
For my readers who aren’t operating at one hundred percent.
Sending you my best wishes.
I hope this book brightens your day by even the slightest fraction.
You got this, my wolves.
Know you are strong.
Know you are loved.
Stay the fucking course!
Chapter 1
Please don’t die, please don’t die, please don’t fucking die!
Emma pulled her muddy black truck to a stop just in front of the sign that read, ‘No Trespassing’. She sucked in a fortifying breath and put the truck into park, reaching over to rub her black and white border collie between the ears. Ruby looked at her with eager eyes.
“No, girl,” Emma leaned forward to eye the ominous looking forest she faced. “You wait here.” She left her window rolled all the way down, knowing that if Ruby got too bored, she’d just jump out and make the trek back home. They lived on the neighboring mountain, just beyond the valley.
Standing outside the truck, Emma pulled the front of her jean jacket tighter. It was late fall now and there was at least three inches of multi-colored leaves covering the ground.
Again she eyed the mountain. “You can do, this Em.” That’s what her husband Dean would tell her if he was still alive. She didn’t now, nor had she ever had the confidence in herself that he had in her. Still, she took a step and then another and kept right on hiking until the ‘no trespassing’ sign was far behind her.
It was a dangerous game she was playing, going onto Voshall pack territory, but things had gone too far and it couldn’t be helped.
A few hundred yards in and the fine hairs on the back of her neck were on end. She’d intentionally left her rifle back at the farm. She didn’t need the Voshall’s thinking she was trespassing on their land with bad intentions.
Earlier she’d been a little cold, but now as she hiked and adrenaline flooded her, a fine sheen of sweat covered her brow.
The snap of a twig had her tensing, but she kept right on walking. She didn’t know how far the pack compound was from the road and she didn’t care. She’d hike all day if she had to.
Jerking out of her jean jacket, she curled it over one arm and cursed the bright red button up shirt she’d chosen for the day. Nothing like declaring your presence from a friggin’ mile away.
A few more steps and she came to an abrupt stop when she casually looked up from her path and her eyes snagged on a mountain of a man, staring down at her from up above, arms crossed over his massive chest and a dark scowl marring what could be handsome features. It looked like his body jerked and she tensed thinking he was going to attack. He didn’t.
“What do you want?” he growled viciously without preamble. His eyes narrowed to thin slits, almost accusing in their intensity.
Emma took a deep breath both in an attempt to calm her nerves and to slow her heart which was pounding triple time. “I,” she swallowed hard. “I need to speak to your leader.” She didn’t know about pack dynamics and wasn’t certain what they called themselves in their hierarchy. She hadn’t much cared until two days ago.
The man snorted but otherwise didn’t move. He looked pissed and though his arms were crossed, his hands were balled into white-knuckled fists. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Leave!”
She knew that shifters liked to keep their identities and abilities secret, but she’d known about them from the time she was born. The farm she lived on had been in her family for centuries, and for as long as she could remember, shape shifters had occupied the neighboring mountain. She knew of them because her mother had told her about them. Not much, just that they existed and that they wanted and deserved to live in peace like everyone else. Emma had followed that same philosophy and had left them alone…until now.
The man had dark scruff on his jaw that matched his coal black hair, which was shorter on the sides and longer on top. A swath of bangs covered one eye but had no hope of making him look boyish. He was too rugged, too imposing for that to ever work. His arms were thick, and where her Dean had been chiseled from the efforts of keeping up the farm, this behemoth looked like a damn body builder, his poor thermal shirt straining with the effort of covering him. She could practically hear the seams screaming with their efforts. His sleeves were pushed up and she could see words tattooed all over both of his forearms. She wondered what they said.
Emma kept her forest green eyes pinned on him. He stared back and while his eyes were narrowed to slits, she could just make out what looked like sky blue. “Are you the leader?”
His jaw clenched. “I said leave.”
She decided to try a new tactic. “My name’s Emma.” She jerked a thumb over her shoulder. “I live across the valley on the eastern slope.”
He simply canted his head. “Don’t care.”
“Been having some trouble as of late and…”
He cut her off. “Don’t. Care.”
Annoyed now, she grabbed her jacked off her arm and slammed it onto the ground, earning her an amused eyebrow quirk from the jerk. “Well you better start caring real quick. I’m having trouble with one of you and it’s trouble I don’t need. I’ve let you all live here in peace and now it’s time you return the favor and call off your dog.” She cringed inwardly at her choice of wording, but it was out now and couldn’t be helped.
Her words however didn’t seem to offend. The jerk uncrossed his arms. “What do you mean trouble with one of us?”
“One of your men came over and threatened me.” She eyed their surroundings, “This mountain is big enough for several hundred people. You don’t need mine too, and you won’t get it! That land’s been in my family for as long as I can remember. I-I don’t want a fight, but if it comes to that…” She left the threat unsaid because honestly how were one lone female and her dog going to fare against a pack of shifters.
The jerk’s eyes narrowed even further and he lifted his chin as if he doubted her. “What’d he look like?”
“Blonde hair, too blonde, almost white. Not built like you,” she let her eyes rove his frame and swallowed. “Skinnier. Much skinnier. Tall. Pale.” They guy hadn’t said he was a shifter, but she wasn’t blind and it didn’t take a genius to figure out what he was with the weird way he dressed and spoke, not to mention his odd looks.
“Not one of us,” the man crossed his arms again. “Leave.”
“How do you know?” She peeked behind him, unsure of just how many shifters resided on his mountain. “Maybe…”
“He’s not one of ours!” He jerked his chin back toward the road. “See ya.”
“That’s it? No offer of assistance? That’s not very neighborly.”
He shrugged nonchalantly. “We’re not fighting your battles for you, lady.”
&
nbsp; “I’m not asking you to,” she snapped. Stupid jerk! “But as neighbors we could hold a united front. She pointed toward the neighboring mountain. “Assholes occupying my land won’t help you and yours out any. Maybe they come after your mountain next.” She waited, but her little speech didn’t sway the jerk. “Fine!” Emma bit out, bending to jerk up her now leaf covered jacket. “Just tell your leader I’m having trouble with one of you. See if he cares. Like I said, my name is…”
“Emma.” He cut her off.
“And I live on…”
“Eastern slope,” he cut her off again. “Got it.”
It was official, she hated him! Stupid, stupid, STUPID JERK!
Not sure what else to do or to say to sway the man, Emma stared at him for long moment before giving a frustrated sigh and turning to trek back down the mountain trying to hold back the defeat that threatened to swamp her. She wasn’t giving up, not yet!
Chapter 2
Hayes detested humans, all humans, and he certainly didn’t care about no damsel in distress, no matter how beautiful she was.
Stupid human!
What he did care about was the fact that the woman had traipsed uninvited right onto their territory and worse, she knew what they were! She had to know. Who else approached a family and asked to speak to the “leader”. Worse her, “I’m having trouble with one of you” told him two things. One, the woman knew too much and two, there was a rogue in their territory.
That was all worrisome, sure, but what in fuck had happened to him? He lifted a hand to his forehead. Am I sick? Of course he wasn’t sick, shifters didn’t fall ill. Yet, something had happened when he’d met the woman and it’d hurt like a mother. If he was a lesser wolf, he’d have curled up on the ground like a baby. Hell, the need to take a knee had been strong, but he wasn’t about to show weakness to an outsider. Still, jitters were blasting through him even now as his skin prickled with goose bumps. His thoughts went to the hind end of the elk his wolf had found in the woods last night and had devoured. He wondered if it hadn’t been older than it had smelled.
Leaves crunched under his booted feet as he stalked back to the compound to share the information with his Alpha, Jaxon, as he absently rubbed at his belly.
As Beta, he was entitled to withhold information from the rest of the pack until Jaxon deemed it necessary to divulge.
The compound came into view and Hayes took in several details all at once. There were six members in his pack, two females and four males. Right now, there were only three trucks parked in front of the compound, which let him know that three of his pack mates weren’t on site. Jaxon’s blacked out truck was there though, and right now it was the only one that mattered.
The pack compound was a two story structure with way more rooms and bathrooms then they actually needed. It had been built by their great grandparents and improved upon over the years. The fact that it had too many rooms for the pack now was testament to the fact that shifter numbers were dwindling. They were an endangered species and all of them knew it. They all felt it. His pack needed to procreate and they needed to do it soon.
Funny, that thought should make him think of the woman, Emma. Her chestnut colored hair, pulled back in a loose ponytail had looked damn soft. So had her skin. It had been fair and slightly flushed from her jaunt up the mountain. He’d watched her from the time she’d parked her truck. She’d been in better shape then he’d expected for a human, and she was fully human, there was no denying it. Her scent confirmed it and that wasn’t all Hayes had picked up on her. She had a dog, a female, and she did in fact live in the mountains if the scent of sap, smoke, and sweet sweat was anything to go by. He’d also scented great sorrow. The woman had suffered a loss recently, and it was the kind that went to the marrow. It had a bit of guilt gnawing at him for his brusque treatment of her, but outsiders needed to know they weren’t welcome, regardless of their looks or losses.
What had intrigued him the most about Emma, besides her looks, was his reaction to her. The whole pack knew he hated humans, but he hadn’t expected such a reaction when she’d finally locked eyes with him. His gut had clenched and he’d felt nauseated. He’d broken out in a sweat and aside from perhaps eating a bad elk the only other logical answer was that his wolf—who also despised humans—had been repulsed in her presence.
He shook it off and made his way to the compound. The outside of the compound was comprised of vertical lengths of pine board, it blended well with the forest. Udara, the pack Omega had spent countless summers planting flowers and shrubbery around the compound until even Hayes had to admit she’d done a good job. The place looked amazing and never ceased to have pride swell within him.
Inside, everything had been remodeled over the past few years. New tile lined the kitchen floor and all black appliances accompanied by dark wood cabinets gave the kitchen a warm feel. Marble countertops gleamed and Hayes glided his hand over one as he rounded the kitchen island and made his way down the hall toward the den. Upstairs, the long hall was lined with ten rooms. Four were currently vacant and being used as either guest or storage rooms. Because the compound was built by shifters, for shifters, each room had an ensuite. There were also two bathrooms on the main floor, but they were only permitted to use one of those thanks to the time Aden took a shit in one of the upstairs guestroom ensuites. Bay hadn’t discovered it for weeks and blew her top. Now there was a strict bathroom policy. Everyone cleaned their own, and they all took turns cleaning the only one they were allowed to use downstairs.
Hayes found Jaxon just where he’d expected. The Alpha was sitting at the small desk in the pack den. Leather sofa’s sat in a U shape in the middle of the room over a burgundy rug with native designs. The U faced a large hearth and there was a large flat screen TV that could drop down from the ceiling.
Jaxon’s desk sat to the right, nestled in a nook in the wall. Hayes knew it was so the Alpha could work and still feel like he was partaking in pack movie night or other events that revolved around the fire or TV.
“’Sup?” Jaxon greeted without looking up from his laptop.
“We’ve got an issue.”
That had Jaxon’s head slowly lifting. “We or me?”
“We.”
Jaxon closed his laptop and rolled his head on his shoulders. “Shoot.”
Hayes explained Emma’s visit and relayed her word verbatim. They had Jaxon frowning. “He’s not one of ours.”
“No.” Obviously. There were no pale, rail thin, tall shifters in their pack. As a matter of fact that description didn’t fit any wolf shifter that Hayes knew.
Jaxon sighed and re-opened his laptop. “Go to her tomorrow and get more details. Sniff around a bit too. See what you can find.”
Huffing, Hayes was shaking his head. “You’re kidding right?”
Blue eyes looked up from under blonde brows. The pack always teased Jaxon that he was a Brad Pitt look alike. “Do I look like I’m kidding?”
Hayes snarled, “Why? Let the humans deal with their own shit!”
“If some shifter wants her land than it’s our problem too.” He frowned hard. “You know that! Why am I having to explain this? She nasty or something?”
No. Fuck, no! But Hayes wasn’t admitting that. “Fine. First light I’ll go over. Any message.”
Jaxon’s nose was back in his laptop. “Not right now, just find out what you can find out.”
Hayes nodded.
“Tomorrow, I’m taking Udara into town. She needs to do some shopping and Vance and Aden can’t go.”
Hayes simply nodded. Jaxon didn’t like their dark skinned Omega going into town alone because one, she was an Omega and more submissive than the others and two, they lived in Montana and the local small town wasn’t known for its acceptance of people of color. Least that’s what Jaxon wanted everyone to believe, but Hayes knew that over the past few years since Udara had joined them, Jaxon had grown more and more protective of the female. It made Hayes wonder if there wasn’t something
simmering between the two, which would be great. Each of the pack members was in their prime and ready for creating or bearing cubs, but none of them had mates. That didn’t bode well for pack numbers and was something Jaxon was always harping on.
“Tomorrow then,” he offered and left the Alpha to his work.
Chapter 3
Emma huffed as she hoisted the ax and used all her might to swing it down in a wide arc. It didn’t cut clean through the log she had on the chopping block, it never did. Even after the past three years, she couldn’t split wood like her Dean used to.
She swiped at her brow and planted a booted foot against the log trying to pry the ax free for the second chop that would surely split it. All while she worked she tried not to think about Dean and how much she missed him. It’d been three years since she’d buried him just beneath the tall hill out in back of their property. It seemed like a fitting place. They’d spent countless hours up on that hill nestled tight in blankets with mugs of hot chocolate and counting the stars. She loved that he’d been such a hard worker, fiercely devoted to their homestead, and yet still made time to romance her. There was no counting of stars now, no romance in her life. No, by the time her days were finished, she was damn lucky to be able to make herself something to eat before taking a shower and crawling into bed exhausted and worn.
Life’s not supposed to be this hard. Is it? Finally yanking the ax free, she situated the log and took another swing. It split on the second whack, but the muscles in her lower back bunched in protest and she dropped the axe with a gasp as she pressed her fingers into the muscles that had seized.
Through the pain she sensed someone watching her, goose bumps rising on her flesh an instant before Ruby left her spot on the porch and raced to Emma’s side, barking and snarling.
“Back so soon,” Emma asked in a tone she had meant to sound angry but fizzled to tired sounding. Turning, she froze at the sight of the jerk from yesterday.