The Beta

XXXIV

*Rian*

Rosco's eyes burned into mine as I glared at him. We'd been encountering more rough patches more frequently than ever. Some days it got so bad that I caught myself dreaming of ways to expedite his impending death. While I had a reputation for being ruthless, I'd never killed a pack member, a fellow brother or sister. Michael was the only one I'd ever even dreamt of choking out, and he didn't have half the influence over me that Rosco did as my uncle and Alpha.

My temper was getting worse. No matter how many patience exercises my father made me do or how much harder Rosco pushed me, I lost more of a grip on my humanity. My wolf was consuming me. Lately I'd spent more time running on four legs than two.

"If you never practice," Rosco told me, gaze icy with authority, "you will never grow out of this."

"Faye did for me what you could not do in two weeks!"

"That's because you aren't trying." He was getting annoyed with dealing with me.

Well, then he shouldn't have brought me back here.

"I don't care about being Alpha! I told everyone that!" I raked my fingers through my hair. The impulse to transition was already working it's way up my spine. "Nothing will work. I need Faye."

"We gave you the option, Rian. You refused."

"Because kidnapping her won't solve anything!"

"It should calm you down if it worked before."

I took a deep breath. For Faye's sake, I needed to focus. "How much longer?"

"Until?"

"Until Alpha training is over?"

Another stern look was directed at me. "It goes on for your whole life, Rian. You never stop learning the trade."

"You know what I mean," I hissed coolly.

"Well." He cleared his throat. "You've hardly mastered the basics. If you would've been more obedient, it wouldn't be taking so long."

"If you hadn't taken me from my anima, I would be able to focus."

"You never mentioned an anima to Michael. We didn't know."

"Would it have changed anything?"

His face softened.

"I didn't think so," I growled. "Just tell me what I need to do, so I can leave."

"You're not leaving, Rian. We will lock—"

"I will be leaving. Either we hurry this training or I will leave on my own accord."

"Do not use that tone with me."

We were back to glowering at one another.

"One more week," he finally said. "Then you can retrieve her. But there will be conditions."

"Such as?"

"Titus will be joining you—"

"I don't need a babysitter."

"—and you will have one week to convince her to come back. If she doesn't do so willingly, Titus will have orders to bring her back by force." He growled at me when I attempted to negotiate. "Is that clear?"

I clenched and unclenched my jaw a few times. "Yes, Alpha. Perfectly clear."