Page 1 of The Beta's Heart

1. Wrenches and Reflections

Tyler James

The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, glinting off the tools and engine parts scattered across the concrete floor. Hunched over a vintage Mustang with a wrench in one hand and a rag in the other, I shook my head with a frown.

“Someone sure messed you up, didn’t they, baby? But don’t you worry. I’m going to have you running like a dream again before you know it.”

Then the front door opened with a loud bang, followed by Gamma Landry Benson’s voice echoing through the cavernous garage.

“Yo, Ty! You here, bro?”

“Where else would I be?” I called back, setting the wrench down and wiping my hands on the rag.

Strolling over, Gamma Lan tossed me a bottle of Arizona Sweet Tea, otherwise known as manna from heaven.

“Brought you a snack.”

“Thanks, man.” With a grin, I cracked open the bottle and took a long swig. “Ahh! That hits the spot!”

“And in case you skipped breakfast.” He tossed me a bag of chips as he plopped down on a nearby stool, the springs groaning under his weight.

“Charlie Nelson let one of her babies leave the O without breakfast?” I made a shocked face. “Come on, now.”

Along with thousands of others, Charlotte Nelson had been widowed in the shifter sickness six years ago. Left with two little pups and one on the way, she’d needed a job to provide for them as well as something to keep her too busy to grieve for her mate.

As a delta, she was a rare she-wolf of power, and the alphas at the time decided to promote her to den mother of the pack’s orphanage, and I for one was glad they did. She was organized, had a lot of common sense, and took care of me and the other three orphans as if we were her own.

“Yeah, you’re right. Don’t know what I was thinking,” Gamma Lan chuckled, then gestured towards the Mustang. “This one’s a beauty. New, ain’t she?”

“Yep. Got her in yesterday, and she’s going to be a tough fix. The wiring is a flat-out mess, and pretty much all of the interior is shot, but her body’s rust-free and all original.”

Setting down my tea bottle, I opened the bag of chips. I was still as full as a tick from Charlie’s breakfast of pancakes and sausageless than an hour ago, but I wasnevergoing to say no to barbecue chips!

“You’re lucky, bro, getting to work with these old muscle cars all the time.”

“I know it. Alpha Jayden keeps offering me the job at the alpha library—”

“Probably because you’re there all the time,” he snorted.

“Yeah, and I love reading and researching, but I think I’d get bored doing that all day every day. Even though the pay would be better and it comes with a nice apartment, I’m leaning toward staying here at the Busted Knuckle,” I said around a mouth full of chips.

“Then tell alpha that.”

“I don’t know if I can,” I admitted. “I don’t want him to feel like I’m slapping his hand away when he and the other alphas have been nothing but kind and generous to me.”

“Alpha Jay wouldn’t think that.” Gamma Lan shook his head. “None of the alphas would. They love you like a kid brother and want you to be happy. Besides, I can’t see River being content to guard a bunch of dusty old books for the rest of his life.”

I nodded, polishing off the chips. He was right about River. Beta wolves were driven to protect, and mine wasn’t any different. Right now, he was content to be the guardian of the orphanage, but that would change when I turned eighteen and moved into the packhouse.

Unless I’m blessed with a mate. Then home will be wherever she is. I only hope she doesn’t reject me. One look at my back and she might run, and those are just the visible scars...

Stopping myself before my thoughts turned any grimmer, I chugged the rest of the sweet tea, then let out a sonorous burp that Gamma Lan applauded. As I gave him a little bow, Nathan Barlow came out of his office.

“Why are you two still here?” he rumbled. “You’d better skedaddle before you’re late to school.”

“Lost track of time, boss.” I shrugged as I tossed my trash in a nearby can. “Don’t worry, we’re fixing to leave now.”

I’d worked for Mr. Barlow ever since I turned fourteen, caught a ride into the garage with him every morning, and sparred with him at fighter practice throughout the week. Over the years, I’d come to respect him immensely. The man might have a foul mouth and a devilish streak a mile wide, but he also had the patience of a saint and a heart of gold.

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