NOAH
I hate that we’ve hurt Violet. We all came together so beautifully that afternoon, showing what we could have if not for all our stupid fucking secrets and lies.
I hate that our pack has fractured. But if these are the kinds of things we’ve been keeping from each other, then we were never truly a pack to begin with.
Archer and Miles will get over themselves if given enough time. They’ll forgive Ben and maybe even Violet. But why the hell would they want me back? As a beta, I offer nothing. I’m nothing more than a drain on their resources and competition for their omega’s attention.
And to make matters even worse, I’ve never gotten along well with Archer. As soon as those hormonal supplements started messing with my system, he became the target of all my manufactured rage. Even if I were a true alpha, he’d still be happy to lose me. A pack only needs three, after all.
Whether alpha or beta, I simply don’t fit. Story of my fucking life.
BEN
Instead of going all the way back to Anchorage, we stop off in Talkeetna, a quaint little fishing village with a penchant for the kitschy and bizarre. We need a neutral territory to lick our wounds and regroup. Archer and Miles will probably head back to Anchorage rather than holing up for the night at the cabin, so Talkeetna feels like a safe place for Noah, Violet, and me.
Despite hosting a population of hardly more than one thousand, this is a town many of our tourists want to visit during their great Alaskan vacation. History buffs love that the first time a sitting U.S. president made it up to visit Alaska, he was poisoned at the local Talkeetna inn and died a few short days later. Pet lovers are drawn to the tiny town that elected a cat as mayor and kept him in that prime position until his death nearly two decades later. Even for those who don’t specifically request a visit, Talkeetna still makes a great stop off on the way to Denali National Park.
I point to the Fairview Inn as we drive past. “Believe it or not, this was the site of an assassination that rocked the country. In 1923, Warren G. Harding—”
“Can we not do the whole tour guide thing right now?” Noah asks with a beleaguered sigh.
I turn toward Violet, and she shrugs. “It’s been a long day for all of us.”
I hold back my facts and trivia for the rest of our short drive through town. Violet’s right. It has been a long day. I’ll get another chance to show off my home state later. No matter what happens with Miles, Archer, or even Noah, I am never leaving this omega’s side.
We find a room at a small bed-and-breakfast at the edge of town. None of us have any luggage, but it will have to do. Thanks to its popularity with tourists, Talkeetna has lots of shopping options—or at least enough to buy a change of clothes.
Our accommodations are meager, but they’re enough. Our room for the night has two queen-sized beds in an adjoined bedroom and a sliding glass door that opens to the woods. I wonder if Noah will fight me for the chance to sleep beside Violet or if he’ll always submit now that he’s no longer masquerading as a beta. Honestly I don’t know how to feel about his revelation. I guess more than anything I’m just happy he chose to stick by us when it would have been so easy for him to keep on pretending. Violet and I are probably better off with our third being a beta. It means we won’t constantly be vying for dominance, which is a damn good thing considering the shitshow we just left behind.
“I’m going to take a shower,” Noah announces the second we step foot inside and disappears a moment after. I guess we won’t be talking about his announcement anytime soon. Eh, maybe it’s better that way.
Violet stretches out on one of the beds and closes her eyes.
“Are you hungry?” I ask, suddenly filled with concern for her wellbeing. I’m her only alpha right now, and I’ve brought her to a strange and unfamiliar place. It’s my job to care for her. Noah too.
She sighs. “Just tired. Really, very tired.”
I leave her to her rest, taking stock of our surroundings. The bedroom door sports a deadbolt in addition to the standard knob lock. I click it into place, then move toward the glass door on the other side of the two beds. The plastic handle feels loose in my hand, not fully sealed on the glass. Despite the added security across the room, this lock could easily be compromised if someone outside wanted in badly enough. I’ll have to sleep with one eye open tonight.
The fresh forest air soothes my frazzled nerves as I suck in deep lungfuls and imagine the bad energy leaving me with each exhale. Today was… unexpected. But it will all be okay. I’ll make sure of it.
Just then, a loud snap reverberates through the woods and silence follows as if attempting to smother the sudden burst of noise.
I still, holding my breath as I watch for any possible threat.
A large, knobby-kneed leg steps through the line of trees, followed by a massive head with a full rack of antlers. It’s as though God had been trying to design a sentient snow shovel, and somehow the process resulted in this strange creature. Massive body perched atop legs that look way too weak to support it, the moose snuffles and swivels his gargantuan head from side to side, grazing on the leaves of the forest just outside our bed-and-breakfast.
Moose aren’t predators and they don’t kill for fun, but something about the massive beasts always makes me realize how small I am in the grand theme of things. It’s a humbling reminder after all that’s transpired today.
“Violet,” I say softly, not wanting to startle the creature before she has the chance to behold its peculiar grandeur.
When she doesn’t respond, I turn to get her attention.
But my poor sweet girl has since given in to slumber.
Another time.
We’ll have plenty more chances to make these memories together. I’ll do anything to make sure that happens.