The Beta's Young Warrior (Book 2 of Young Mate Series)

Chapter 8- Lizzie's POV

I wasn't able to focus for the rest of the day, the words going over and over in my brain.

'We'll talk more in the car when I come to pick you and the kids up.'

What did he mean? Did he not love me? Was he tired of me and trying to find someone else to fall in love with?

Was I not good enough for him?

These questions and more stirred in my brain, and I could tell that my friends were worried about me. They didn't know what he had said, what he had told me, and I had no idea how they would react to the news of him leaving me.

Was I overreacting?

Probably.

But I had a case to do it. I had four years' worth of reasons to overreact, even though I knew it was because of my dad and trying to keep the other eight safe from the pack that they had been staying at.

But what was the reason this time, and why couldn't he tell it to me over text?

The school day dragged on and on, and with each passing second, my anxiety rose until it almost burst when the bell rang to end the day.

I was the first one out of the classroom, ignoring my friends' startled calls after me because I was never one to push or shove, but I did both because I wanted to get to my mate and see what he had to say.

I had made sure that I was ready to go as soon as the last bell rang because I did not want to wait another second to figure out what my mate meant when he sent that text.

A small sob of relief escaped my tight lips when I saw the gray van that he normally drove parked right in front of the doors in the first spot that was used to pick up kids from school.

How long had he been here?

I shoved that thought down and wrenched open the passenger door, almost breaking it to see my stricken mate staring at me with wide eyes that were filled with pain and guilt.

Axel tried to smile at me, but it turned more into a grimace while he patiently waited for me to get into the car and close the door shut behind me.

"Well?" I asked, not greeting him like I normally would, and pulled on my seatbelt. I looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "What does that text mean?"

My mate sighed and moved a hand through his blonde hair while he shook his head. He cleared his throat and started to drive to the middle school to pick up Lisa.

"Axel," I said and scowled when I didn't receive an answer from him. I scowled again and narrowed my eyes at him. "What does it mean?"

He sighed and shook his head before he moved a hand through his hair again. "It means that I am going away this weekend," he said slowly and didn't look at me. "Your father wants me to do something with him, and he isn't taking no for an answer."

"Where?" I asked, and he shrugged and grimaced, and I could tell that he didn't know. I frowned and kept my gaze on him. "Why?"

"Don't know," he replied. "This isn't the first time that I had admitted this, but I am scared of your father, Liz. I know better than to ask questions when he gets an idea in his head and will follow his lead."

"But you're the Beta," I replied. "He's only the Lead Warrior. You can make him tell you something." I didn't believe what I said, but I didn't want him to know.

My mate snorted and rolled his eyes. He glanced at me with a pointed look that I knew all too well. It was his "ya, right," look that I hated but loved at the same time. "Your dad goes by his own rules sometimes," he said and looked at the road. "He only tells people what they need to know at that second and not a second too soon."

"But that doesn't mean to take someone from their mate," I argued. "What's going to happen to me? And to the kids?"

"I have already asked Caroline and Zeke to spend the weekend there with you all," he replied. "Cage is deciding to take residence there, so..." He shrugged, and I groaned and laid my head against the backrest while I closed my eyes.

"Why did you allow him to have a key?" I grumbled and folded my arms across my chest while I glared at the dashboard. "And do you not trust me with the kids by myself?" I raised an eyebrow, not happy that he didn't ask me to watch the kids by myself.

"If you want to go out and do something, then I want you to go and do it," he replied. "I had already asked Hailey and Chris to spend the weekend there with you, too. They both agreed, but Chris "demanded" that his mate was allowed to stay over, too."

I pressed my lips into a thin line and stayed silent. I knew that he was trying to lighten the mood a little when he said "demanded," but it didn't work. I was still upset that he was leaving without running it by me first.

"I couldn't have said no," Axel said and looked at me. "You know this, Liz. I couldn't have said no to your father. He, of all people, is the one that I have to do what he says, even if he is only the Lead Warrior."

"But what about our plans to go to the beach this weekend?" I asked, and I looked at him with a frown on my face. "Did you tell him you already had plans for this weekend?"

"I did," he confirmed and nodded, and I knew that he was telling the truth. "I told him that I had planned on going to the beach with my family and mate."

"And?" I asked and raised an eyebrow while I cocked my head.

Axel smiled sadly and shook his head, and my heart broke. "He said that, "there are times when plans have to be changed, and this is one of those times.""

"So he doesn't care," I said, even though I knew that was far from the truth. I knew that he cared about me and my feelings. "He doesn't care about my feelings or yours." I folded my arms across my chest and scowled, turning towards the front. I glared at the dashboard in front of me, wishing that it would burst into flames.

Axel sighed sadly and shook his head but didn't say a word. He didn't scold me like a child. He didn't reprimand me and told me that it wasn't true. He didn't do any of that when he could have.

No, all he did was shake his head and said in a soft voice, "that's not true, Liz, and you know it."

And I did know it. I knew that he cared about my feelings and my mates. I knew that he did the best he could to protect me, especially since I was next in line to the throne. I knew that he would do anything in his power to keep me happy, safe, and alive.

However, at that moment, hearing that he was taking my mate away from me, I didn't care. I didn't care about all of that. All I wanted was for my mate to stay and not leave me, especially when we had plans.

So I forced my arms across my feet and turned away from him, scowling. I could feel his worried and sad gaze on my back, but he didn't say a word while he looked out the windshield. "Well," I said, my back towards him. "At this moment, I don't care."