Page 125 of The Beta's Heart

“You’re not going to flunk out.” I rolled my eyes as I kicked off my shoes and followed her into the house. “You’re too smart for that.”

“Maybe about some things, but I haven’t had an official class in nearly six years. My math skills especially need work, although I kept up with reading and writing as best I could.” She sighed as she started up the staircase and I squelched along behind her. “I want to improve myself so I don’t shame my mates.”

“Posy, there is no way you could do that,” I assured her. “You could fail every class or run naked through downtown Greenville andthey wouldn’t be ashamed of you. Now stop worrying. Mase was valedictorian the year he graduated, and Jay was salutatorian for his class. Between the two of them, you won’t lack tutors.”

“I suppose you’re right. And I’ll have you and Ty, as well as your friends that you introduced me to.”

“That’s right. Bram, Sophie, and Yola are excited to go back to school, too, so the three of you can hip-hip-hooray all day tomorrow.”

That got a little giggle out of her, which got a little smile out of me, despite the mud sliding out of my hair and into my ears.

#

River

Sun goes down, moon comes up.

Poor Ty-Ty! So sleepy! Mate say Ty-Ty need good rest tonight.

Oh! Idea! Me guard Ty-Ty! Me ask Ty-Ty, and he and mate gives ’mission! Yippee!

Beddah stay away, meanie dreams! Grr! Me rip you up!

Oh, here come mate! Slides on silky nightie, slides into bed.

Me like mate. She good to Ty-Ty, good to me. Likes shiny rocks. Sneaks me treats. Plays in mud wif me and Siddy.

Hi, mate.

She rub my head, and my tail wag.

“Hello, River, my sweet boy.”

You make me happy, mate.Me make you happy?

“You sure do,” she say, her nose on mine. “You make me and Dove both happy.”

Me not always good boy.Me sad now.Get scared. Get mad. Get in drubble. But me try harder. For you and for Ty-Ty and for Dovie.

“Baby, you arealwaysa good boy. You can improve yourself if you want to or feel that you need to, but we all love you just the way you are.”

She hug me, her soft bits all over me, and me stare in her eyes. Dey like night sky, sparkly wif stars.

Me love mate. Me love Ty-Ty, too.Den me whisper dah secret-secret!Me love Dovie most of all.

“That’s the way it should be,” she say wif a smile.

Eyes close. So happy, so safe, so loved.

Will try harder,me make promise to me.Never want to lose dis. Never, never, never.

28. Shell-Shocked

Tyler

The air was thick with the scent of decay and neglect as we approached the old house. Its frame, teetering on its last legs, looked like it could collapse at any moment. a ghostly reminder of a past I couldn’t recall clearly, but needed to understand.

After I told Ash what I was looking to do, he directed me to Roger Poe, the oldest surviving member of Dark Woods, who was able to give me a basic idea of what my old house looked like and where it was located. He did warn me that, as far as he could remember, it was close to the alpha house, which meant it had probably been destroyed during the invasion.

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