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

Coffee Break

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

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

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

Darcy told him he was fine. He was just tired. He was adjusting to full-time work.

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

If he 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 his friends to visit him, but he could get beta permissions to meet up with them off pack grounds. His working hours were technically 24/7, but Luca had asked on his 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, he was just glad to be able to finally catch up with his friends face-to-face. He had a lot to tell them.

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

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

With three coffees and a corner table secured, they got to gossiping. Darcy recounted his first few days in the Pearl Claw and Melody reassured him 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 his best friend's special lady, yet. Alpha Nico had kept him more than busy. He promised he would make an effort next week to hunt her down and get some details, but he 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 his seat. "That’s fantastic!" he 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 his 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. He didn't want to be condescending, but mate maturity hit your heart like a train. He was certain that Reece would wake up with an entirely different mentality on his eighteenth birthday. It wasn't like Darcy’s 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 his 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 him.

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

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

There was only one other person in sight. The owner of the voice, he 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. Darcy decided he must have been addressing him.

"Whose attention?" he asked cautiously.

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

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

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

Darcy thought back to his last year of high school, and how all he had wanted was to take his alpha assistant role and hide within his pack for the rest of his natural life. "You have no idea how much I do," he replied. Maybe not Alpha Nico's assistant, though. Alpha Marshall wouldn't have treated him 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 his life? By his 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," he said tightly. "Trust me."

“But will beta be enough for a hungry omega looking to claw his 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.” He turned away and continued on his way down to the kitchen. Irritation bubbled under his skin. “Please, excuse me.”

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