BETA LANCASTER

PART 4 - MY MATE, THE BETA

HARPER

Present day

This is a fucking nightmare.

This was not the plan.

"Harper, are you FUCKING serious?" My dad growls down the phone as I bite my bottom lip, pressing my forehead against the wall.

I knew he'd be mad. My dad's always been overprotective of his children, especially with myself and my little sister. Being an Alpha naturally makes him more possessive than most wolves anyway. However, running away from his pack last week was one thing, but having to tell my parents I'm not coming home because I'm now mated to a complete stranger isn't exactly one of my finer moments. He's rightfully pissed.

"She's just like you were as a teenager. Out of control, stubborn." My dad fumes to my mother who must be sat next to him back home in the pack house.

Damn dad, mums not gonna take that well.

Right on cue, I hear my mum and dad arguing between themselves as I puff out some air and wait for them to calm their shit before my mum finally takes charge and comes onto the line. I hear my dad storming around in the background no doubt trashing his mini bar where he's trying to pour himself a drink of whiskey to calm down but with the amount of broken glass that's shattering, I wouldn't be surprised if he's broken his entire liquor collection.

"Baby girl?" My mum says softly.

As soon as I hear her gentle voice, I break. Tears start to roll down my face and I take a big gasp of air and trying and cover my sobs.

"Hey mum." I whisper back.

"Oh Harper. Are you safe? Do you need us to come get you. I don't care who he is, or what pack. We'll start a war to bring you back baby. Mated or not. We'd come for you." My mum says firmly.

Her words only hurt my heart more because I know they would. They're good parents, they don't deserve such as reckless daughter. I take another big breath, before I shake my head even though she can't see it. I love my pack. I love my family, but compared to the Lotus Moon pack we'd not stand a chance if the two packs went to war, the Red River Pack is not in the same league. I couldn't do that to them. No one gets hurt because of my mistakes, I can't exactly see my new mate taking too kindly if I ran off leaving him, it's just a risk I can't take.

That's what a good Luna would do, put the pack first.

"No mum. I'm staying." I say quietly as I look over my shoulder through the window to where the brooding Beta is sat in a booth in some local diner on his own cell having what looks like an animated conversation of his own to his brother. Two untouched coffees sit in front of him. From the looks of it, he's getting as much shit from his family as I am from mine. For a split second, our eyes collide, and he stops talking as he spots me staring at him. His jaw tenses up and his eyebrow furrows into a scowl before I turn quickly away and rest my head back against the wall that I'm leaning on for support outside.

He's terrifying.

Like I said, this is a fucking nightmare.

"Harper, I know you struggled with seeing Avery with... him. But to do this baby... oh Harper are you sure we can't come and get you."

The mere mention of my little sister makes my wolf growl in my head and my fist curl into a ball with anger. As far as I'm concerned, she betrayed me... she knew I loved him... that I'd always loved him, but it didn't stop her from taking Jackson Eastwood as her mate the same day he became Gamma to my family's pack.

Watching them together just became too much. Everyone was so happy with the union, the perfect-fucking-couple, but inside I was screaming. So, I ran. Determined to make Jackson regret not picking me over my sister. To prove everyone back home that I deserve only the best for a mate... and the best was widely known to be Alpha Christian of the Lotus Moon pack... a notorious bachelor that had been on the market for years. I foolishly convinced myself I could seduce him, make him mine. I just didn't count on meeting his fucking brother first.