Beta Bully (F/M) - Chapter 40 (Early Access) (Patreon)

Coffee Break

For someone who had requested that Darcy stay away from her as much as possible, Alpha Nico seemed capable of finding never-ending tasks for Darcy to do. All with incredibly short deadlines that had her running to and from the alpha’s office all day long.

Every time Luca asked her, sugary sweetly, how her day had been, she was tempted to word-vomit at him how much she was hating every moment. It had barely been a week, though. She had no right to be complaining about his alpha, and his pack, and her place within it. Luca would be crushed if Darcy announced, just five days into moving in with him, that she was having a horrible time. That she wanted to go home.

He could tell something wasn’t quite right, though. When she was in a particularly bad mood from Alpha Nico’s demands he would sniff around her more than usual and check in with her multiple times through the night.

She told him she was fine. She was just tired. She was adjusting to full-time work.

Surprisingly, he didn’t accuse her of lying. As her soul-mate, he could probably sense it, but he seemed to be giving her the benefit of the doubt for now.

If she could stick it out for a bit longer, maybe it would become the truth.

When the weekend finally arrived, Darcy couldn’t get alpha permissions for her friends to visit her, but she could get beta permissions to meet up with them off pack grounds. Her working hours were technically 24/7, but Luca had asked on her behalf for a few hours off to recuperate.

Alpha Nico had agreed. Only because Luca had been the one to ask, Darcy was certain. Either way, she was just glad to be able to finally catch up with her friends face-to-face. She had a lot to tell them.

Luca drove her into the nearby town and promised to return in a couple of hours to collect her. Melody and Reece were awaiting her in their preferred coffee shop.

Darcy burst in, full of excitement, and crashed into the pair in a group hug. They squeezed her tight and it seemed to heal at least one of the tiny cracks that stress had brought upon her.

With three coffees and a corner table secured, they got to gossiping. Darcy recounted her first few days in the Pearl Claw and Melody reassured her things would get better. Melody babbled about the dreams she had been having about her soul-mate. The one she had spotted for all of two minutes at Luca's birthday pool party and had been too tipsy to approach. Darcy hadn't had a chance to look for her best friend's special lady, yet. Alpha Nico had kept her more than busy. She promised she would make an effort next week to hunt her down and get some details, but she didn't have a great deal of description to go off.

A tall, dominant woman with long red hair in French plaits. Not exactly distinctive.

When asked what he had been up to, Reece shrugged with an even more intense frown than he usually had plastered on his face.

"Why so glum, Reece?" Darcy teased lightly. It felt like Reece had been particularly grumpy for weeks. But he never gave a solid reason as to why. "Exams are over, the sun is out, what more could you want?"

Reece took a long sip of his iced coffee. Avoiding the question.

Melody rolled her eyes and answered for him. "He found his soul-mate. Or rather, his soul-mate found him."

Darcy gasped and wiggled in her seat. "That’s fantastic!" she exclaimed. "Congratulations!"

Reece grunted in response.

"What am I missing here?" Darcy asked wearily.

"I think he was hoping for someone within his own pack," Melody suggested, slightly awkwardly. "Someone low-key that likes to live a quiet li-"

"It’s your alpha," Reece announced monotonously.

"M-My-" Darcy babbled. "Nico?!"

Reece jerked back a little in his seat. "No!"

Melody snorted. “You’ve settled in quick, haven’t you?” she teased.

"Your old alpha," Reece corrected, appearing mildly traumatised at the idea of being Alpha Nico's mate.

“Marshall?” Darcy whispered, suddenly cautious of ears all around. Nico may not be the socialite type, but Marshall was the boy-next-door alpha heir that everyone in the area knew. The one they all wished was theirs. Never in trouble. Never rude. Nothing more than a mild smile and polite words. No known personality traits.

Reece nodded stiffly.

"I’m still not sure what I’m missing," said Darcy slowly. "Alpha Marshall is a nice guy from what I know."

The alpha’s odd behaviour post-party suddenly made a lot more sense. Marshall wasn’t trying to get on Darcy’s good side for Luca, he wanted Darcy’s help with Reece. He must already be aware that Reece was less than impressed with him.

"He’s just…" Reece took another sip of his coffee before continuing. "He’s not what I hoped for myself. Anyone with a secondary gender title is literally born into their job, it becomes their whole life." His eyes met Darcy's momentarily and he added, "No offence." Darcy shrugged her understanding. He wasn't wrong. "I know some people hope for a beta or an alpha mate because they’re important and they have flashy stuff. That’s just not what I wanted. I wanted peace and quiet, not standing at my mate’s side being secretly judged for my outfit while he makes a speech."

"Maybe you’ll feel differently after your birthday," Darcy suggested. She didn't want to be condescending, but mate maturity hit your heart like a train. She was certain that Reece would wake up with an entirely different mentality on his eighteenth birthday. It wasn't like her situation, Alpha Marshall was a good guy. "It’s coming up soon."

"Six weeks. Then he can force me into into his pack," Reece replied glumly. He fiddled with his straw, looking into his cup as though it had caused his problems.

“It’s a nice pack,” Darcy offered awkwardly. “My parents will always be there for you if you need them.”

Reece sighed. "I don’t think there’s anything they can do for this, Darce."

“Let’s change the subject,” Melody suggested. “Wallowing in your misery isn’t helping.”

Reece nodded, allowing Melody to Launch into a tirade about a recent shoe shopping experience.

Back home, Darcy was immediately put to work again.

Alpha Nico was expecting lunch at her desk within half an hour and Darcy was at the top of the building, hurrying down to the kitchen on the ground floor.

A soft, unfamiliar, voice called into the corridor behind her.

"It’s so cute how desperate you are for her attention."

Darcy half-turned, uncertain if the voice was speaking to her.

There was only one other person in sight. The owner of the voice, she presumed. A young man, leant against the left-hand wall with the confidence of a tenant. But Darcy knew he didn't live in the main pack house, because only the titled members and their family did. There was no way he could be related to Beta Oli or Alpha Nico, not by blood at least. Platinum blond hair was intricately styled with mini braids along the sides of his head and soft, wispy strands that had been deliberately coaxed out and around his face. Clearly submissive, and doing everything in his power to appear even more so. With a heart-shaped face and a slender frame, he held a delicate beauty out for anyone to view and appreciate.

His almond eyes were set on Darcy, a hint of mischief sparkled in them. She decided he must have been addressing her.

"Whose attention?" she asked cautiously.

The young man's mouth twisted as though she had just asked something so ridiculous he could only laugh at her. "Alpha Nico, of course," he answered.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," Darcy said, stepping hesitantly back down the corridor. She had work to do, she didn't have time for strange conversations with even stranger people. "I’m her assistant," she added. "I do the jobs she gives me."

"But you don’t want to be the assistant forever, right?" he coaxed. Darcy frowned, she didn't understand where exactly he was trying to lead the conversation. It felt as though he were trying to draw a confession out of her, but for what, she wasn't sure.

Darcy thought back to her last year of high school, and how all she had wanted was to take her alpha assistant role and hide within her pack for the rest of her natural life. "You have no idea how much I do," she replied. Maybe not Alpha Nico's assistant, though. Alpha Marshall wouldn't have treated her this way.

"Oh?" he cooed with a stiff head tilt. Everything he did seemed to be an act, a poorly written play. "You want to be assisting Nico for the rest of her life? By her side forever?"

Darcy blinked slowly. "I’ve found my mate already, if that’s what you’re hinting at."

"Oh, yes," he drawled. "The beta. You are quite the climber, aren’t you?"

Darcy felt a tension headache coming on. "You can’t choose your mate," she said tightly. "Trust me."

“But will beta be enough for a hungry omega looking to claw her way to the top of the pack?”

“You’ve got me,” Darcy huffed, heavy with sarcasm. “Next on my to-do list is world domination, right after I make Alpha Nico a cheese sandwich.”

“You don’t have to pretend in front of me, Omega.” He chuckled. “I won’t judge you.”

“I’m judging you, actually,” Darcy replied. “Really hard. In fact, I’m judging you so hard I can feel it burning calories. I’d better go make those sandwiches for both of us.” She turned away and continued on her way down to the kitchen. Irritation bubbled under her skin. “Please, excuse me.”

The young man said nothing, but she could feel his eyes on her back as she descended the stairs.