The Beta Read online

  The Beta’s Second Chance

  Ezra Dawn

  Cover art created by JeB Designs

  [email protected]

  The Beta’s Second Chance © 2019 Ezra Dawn

  eBook ISBN: 9780463591567

  ISBN-13: 9781795456463

  All rights reserved. No part of this story may be reproduced in any form or by any means without express permission from the copyright holder. This book contains sexually explicit content which is suitable only for mature adults.

  Character Name Pronunciation

  Foreign Terms

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Epilogue

  Playlists

  About the Author

  Other Titles by Ezra Dawn

  Negan Verona (Knee-gan, Ver-oh-na)

  Leland Voss (Lee-land, Voss)

  Mon tendre: My sweet (French)

  Minun kaikkeni: My everything (Finnish)

  I met my fated mate in the form of a human woman in the year 1845. I was twenty years old and our families lived next door to each other. Her dad was a nobleman like mine and were good friends. We grew up together and while her father knew of our kind, the rest of the family didn’t. When I realized we were mates, I got permission from her family to court her. However, it wasn’t meant to be. On the day I planned to reveal my furry side before asking her to marry me, she fell ill and died two days later.

  Because I never claimed her, I was able to survive her death, but I was left with the prospect that I’d spend my long life alone. For a short time, I contemplated taking my own life, but I realized that was the coward’s way out and not something she would want for me. Leaving Europe and meeting Joel McCray saved my life. Becoming his beta has given me a new lease on life. Seeing those around me gaining fated mates of their own makes my heart hurt which is why I’ve buried myself in work. If I don’t give myself any free time, then my thoughts won’t wander, and I won’t find myself longing for another chance at love.

  Hope is a cruel thing and when that hope is crushed, so is the heart. I can’t allow myself to hope. Hell, I can hardly allow myself to feel because falling for someone who probably has a mate of their own out there somewhere isn’t an option. I had my heart broken once and I don’t plan to let it happen again even if it means spending the rest of my life alone.

  I wake up, panting for breath. My sheets cling to my sweaty skin and the scent of fear in the room is overwhelming. Another nightmare. It’s something I’ve been experiencing often. Ever since that night. I led a team on a raid in a lab and ended up getting us all caught in a trap. Our animals took over because of the gas and there was nothing we could do to stop it. For days, we stayed trapped in a room, rage driving our animals. I remember staying in the corner and snapping at anyone who came close, wanting nothing more than for one of them to give me the opportunity to go in for the kill. It’s a miracle we didn’t completely tear each other apart. Had it not been for Belial and the vampires, as well as the doctor from Asphalt Bay, we’d all likely be dead right now.

  I haven’t been inside another lab since. Instead, I’ve taken a step back, focusing more on the planning side of things. While I do accompany a team to the raids, I stay outside at our makeshift command center, taking information from those who have been rescued as well as instructing the team on what to do through com links. Fear has kept me from ever stepping foot inside a lab again but I’m one of the few who returned to the fight. Most of the shifters who had been trapped in that room, haven’t been on another raid since. I have a feeling they’re going through the same thing I am which is why I’ve suggested to Joel that he bring in a psychiatrist for the pack. Someone who can help us work through what happened. He’s currently looking but hasn’t found anyone yet.

  The one good thing that came out of that whole ordeal was learning that demons and vampires were immune to the drug, so we send them in first just in case. Also, recent events led us to vital information about Carmine’s operation and who is working with him.

  Glancing at the clock, I see that it’s still early. Way too early to start the day but I have no other option since I don’t think I’ll be able to get back to sleep. Hmm…maybe I’ll go for a run, let my wolf out for a bit. Yeah, that sounds like a good plan. Climbing out of bed, I strip out of my boxers and shift, padding into the kitchen where I have a doggy door installed in the backdoor. I really should’ve put in one of those doors that had a button I could press with my paw to unlock or wear a necklace that doesn’t choke me when I shift so the sensor on it could open the door.

  Honestly, I can’t count the number of times I walked into my kitchen in the morning and found a skunk or a raccoon just chilling there. Once they sensed my wolf though, they’d scamper off. One time though, the skunk actually sprayed, and it took me three months just to get the stink out of my kitchen. I had to survive off other people’s cooking and takeout since I couldn’t cook in my own kitchen without gagging.

  Stepping through the door, I shiver a bit at the change in temperature. Winter is in full swing and we haven’t had a decent snow yet, but I have a feeling we’ll get one soon. With Christmas and New Year’s right around the corner, I’d love to get at least a foot of snow. I’ve always wanted a white Christmas, but the weather never wants to cooperate. It seems to always snow in the weeks before or after Christmas, never on the day. My wolf loves romping in the snow as much as I do but I know deep down, we’d both enjoy it a lot more if we had someone to share it with.

  Losing our fated mate was hard and while we’d never claimed her, for a long time we still felt the sting of her loss. Time has taken away the pain and made us numb to it, but it doesn’t do anything for the deep loneliness we both feel. For the past few years, I’ve entertained the idea of maybe finding someone I could settle down with. Maybe someone in the same situation as I am or someone human. I couldn’t bear to be with another paranormal on the off chance they might find their own fated mate somewhere down the line and I’d end up hurt.

  But, I know, taking a bond mate isn’t an option. I’ve experienced having a fated mate, even if it was for a short time and no relationship I could ever have, would ever come close. Not unless fate decided to be kind to me and give me another fated mate. It’s not likely to happen though, because everyone knows when it comes to fated mates you only get one. There are no second chances and no amount of wishing will ever change that.

  Opening the door to my apartment, I walk inside and drop my duffel in the entryway and carry my groceries into the kitchen. I haven’t been home in months since I’ve been on a job taking care of a rogue coven for the vampire council. It shouldn’t have taken as long as it did but a few of the vampires got away and we spent two whole months tracking them down. The first month was spent verifying that the coven is in fact rogue before we took them down.

  After putting my groceries away, I check my answering machine for messages. I don’t usually get any because I have a cell phone but sometimes when I’m on a job, I’m completely unreachable which is why I have the landline. Seeing the flashing red one, I hit the play button on the machine.

  “Hello, Leland. It’s Alistair. I tried to reach you on your cell phone, but you must be on a job. Listen, I called because I need some help. If you aren’t taking another assignment for a while, I could use you. If you can’t come, call and let me know, but if you do decide to come, I’ll explain everything when you get here.”

  Deleting the message, I roll
my eyes at my decision not to listen to my messages as soon as I walked in. Now, I have to pack up the groceries I just bought because I have no idea how long I’ll be gone. Thankfully, the drive is only about sixteen hours so, all I need to do is pack the cold stuff into a cooler and once I get to the coven, I can put them in the fridge in my suite to cook while I’m there if I don’t feel like venturing into the dining hall.

  Despite not living there anymore, I still go back for visits, so Alistair has kept my room for me instead of giving it to someone else. Most vampires who become council enforcers abandon their home covens and never return but I’m not one of them. Whenever I have an extended amount of time between when I finish a job and when I start another, I go home to the coven for a visit. In all honesty, I could probably remain there and still be a council enforcer by using the coven’s jet, but I don’t enjoy being smothered by my parents.

  They’ve been part of Alistair’s coven ever since his dad was leader and while I love my parents and know they just want what’s best for me, I’m tired of having my mother set me up with every eligible bachelor she can throw at me. And let’s not forget my dad, who does his best to keep me around by hinting at my coming to work for him.

  It would never happen since I have no desire to be an accountant, but it doesn’t stop him from trying. I have amazing parents, and they accept me as I am, and I know a lot of people aren’t as lucky, so I shouldn’t even be complaining but a man can only take so much before he starts pulling his hair out. I have no interest in dating someone who isn’t my beloved. In my opinion, there’s no point in starting something with someone when it’ll end as soon as that special someone comes along. My mom is stubborn though and she refuses to take no for an answer.

  Which is why, I always suffer through one disastrous date after another. I think my parents are the way they are because I’m the youngest of five. They smother me so much because they weren’t ready for me to leave the nest so to speak and would like to drag me back, so they can take care of me. Not that I need to be taken care of, but I suppose that’s parents for you. Even when children are all grown up, parents don’t stop being parents. They still try to take care of their children even as adults. Which is nice of course, but after a while, it does get tiring. So, while I should probably call and tell them I’ll be visiting, I won’t.

  Grabbing my duffel bags and my grocery bags, I exit my apartment and head for my SUV. I’ll call the council on the way and let them know what I’m doing so they don’t give me another assignment for a while. Whatever Alistair needs help with is going to take my full attention. I have no idea what it is, but it can’t be good if he’s calling in others despite having his own assault team. Honestly, I probably should’ve booked a flight instead of driving but after just getting off a plane, I wasn’t looking forward to climbing on another. It’s not that I’m afraid of flying, it’s just exhausting sometimes. And…I’m complaining again. I should probably stop doing that. It makes me sound like a whiny brat.

  Shaking my head, I find a radio station that isn’t playing Christmas music, and head towards the freeway. I’ve got a long drive ahead of me and I’m hoping refusing to stop for anything other than food, coffee, and a restroom will cut a few hours off the trip. Let’s just hope I don’t run into any snowstorms because that’s the one thing I hate driving in. Even with my heightened senses, visibility in snowstorms is shit. After hitting a patch of black ice during a storm and getting stuck in a snow bank a few years ago, I try to avoid driving in similar conditions because being stuck inside a snow bank is not my idea of a good time. If it was, I’d move to the arctic and live in a fucking igloo.

  It’s still dark out when I arrive at the coven. The drive was long but thankfully the only bad weather I ran into was rain. I’m looking forward to crawling into my bed and sleeping for a while after I talk to Alistair. Parking my car in one of the empty spots in the massive garage, I grab my duffel and my groceries and head inside. Instead of going straight to Alistair’s office I head towards my room to drop off my stuff.

  As soon as I have everything put away grocery wise, I exit my room and walk down the hall to Alistair’s office. Knocking briefly, I wait for Alistair to give me permission to enter before I walk inside. Grinning to myself, I walk in ready to kickstart our usual banter. I spot Alistair sitting on a couch running his fingers through a wolf’s fur and say the first thing that comes to mind.

  “Since when do you keep wolves as pets? You know the council frowns upon that sort of thing.”

  Alistair raises an eyebrow at me and says, “Yeah? Good thing he’s not a pet.”

  “Sure, looks like one.”

  The wolf growls at me and I laugh.

  “I have to ask Lee-lee, since when are you bald?”

  “Since a rogue female ripped a chunk of hair right out of my skull in the middle of a fight.”

  “And you don’t think they’ll go for the piercings too?”

  Shrugging I say, “Eh, they can, but my ear will heal in a few minutes and I can put the ring back in. What I can’t do, is walk around with a patch of fucking hair missing like some kind of misguided trendsetter. All kidding aside though, who’s the wolf?”

  Alistair grins and says, “He’s my beloved.”

  “No shit? Congratulations.”

  “Thanks. Now, let’s get down to business. I need to explain why I called you here. Have a seat Lee-lee, this could take a while.”

  Nodding, I cross the room and sit opposite him trying to ignore the feeling that I’m not going to like what he has to say. As soon as my ass hits the cushion of the couch, Alistair says, “I called you because I need your help. My mate and I have teamed up with the Asphalt Bay Pack to dismantle Carmine Verucci’s operation. We had a whole team of men on it but there was an incident where most of the shifters ended up drugged and trapped in a room for days with their animal halves controlling them. It was as if they’d all gone feral. Since that incident most of the shifters involved have refused to return to a lab.”

  He leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees, steepling his fingers. “We know vampires and demons are immune to the drug, so I’ve been calling in everyone I know who could be of use to take the place of the shifters who won’t return. If you decide to join the fight, you’ll coordinate with my mate’s beta who is overseeing the operation. Negan usually takes the lead on raids, but he was one of the shifters involved in the incident and hasn’t set foot inside of a lab since. Instead, he stays outside, collects information from rescued paranormals and gives the raid teams orders through a comm link.”

  “Are there any shifters who do go in?”

  “Yes, there are. However, with what happened before, we’d like to send in a team of vampires and demons first in case there’s another trap.”

  “Demons? Really?”

  Alistair grins and says, “Yes, demons. It seems one of Lucifer’s princes mated a doctor in Asphalt Bay and when he heard about the situation from Astaroth he volunteered a few others to join the fight.”

  “Interesting. You can count me in.”

  “I knew your love for a good fight wouldn’t let you turn me down.”

  Laughing, I say, “It wasn’t just that. You’re one of my closest friends, of course I’d help you.”

  “Your parents know you’re here?”

  “Nope. I was hoping to have a few more hours of peace so I can get some sleep before they bombard me with questions.”

  “I’ll make sure they don’t bother you until at least noon tomorrow.”

  “Thanks man.”

  “No problem. The raid teams will be meeting on pack lands tomorrow evening at five. Vikan will come get you before then. He and his beloved lead two of the teams.”

  My mouth drops open in shock as I stare at him with wide eyes. “Vikan is mated too?”

  Alistair laughs. “Yeah. Trager is a fixer for the paranormal council.”

  “Damn if everyone is suddenly finding their beloveds, I might have to ta
ke a leave from my job and stay here for a while, so I have a chance to meet my own beloved.”

  “Are you sure you want to do that?”

  Seeing the smug grin on his face, I know he’s referring to what will happen if I stay here long enough. My parents will start trying to set me up with everyone they know again. Shrugging, I say, “I’m willing to risk it if it means I might find my mate.”

  “Then you’d better prepare yourself. I overheard your mother talking in the kitchen yesterday about how she wished you would visit so she could set you up with the nice boy she met at the coffee shop.”

  Shaking my head, I grin at him and say, “Looks like I’ll be doing my best to avoid that conversation.” Then after standing up, I say, “I’m going back to my room now. Call if you need anything.”

  “Will do. Thanks for coming, Lee-lee.”