Page 21 of The Beta's Heart

“Theyhurtyou?” Alpha Ash rumbled.

“They restrict how far I can stretch. It’s like a band is pulling too tight for me to move in certain ways. And…”

“And what, Ty?” Alpha Jay demanded, Quartz underscoring his voice and putting all of us on edge.

“One bothers me with nearly anything I do, and one gets touchy if I move wrong.”

“Which ones?”

I turned to show them my front and waited for them to take in those scars before I pointed to the long line running up my arm.

“This one bothers me the most. It’s tender most of the time. I can handle the pain, but my arm gives out on me every once in a blue moon because of it.”

Alpha Ash clenched his fists as he stared, and Alpha Jay’s jaw tightened until I thought he’d snap his back molars.

“This one,” I ran my fingers along the ridge cutting across my pec, “just twinges every now and then, but it fights me when I’m working out or sparring.”

“Well, I’m not surprised about that, given how severe they are,” Dr. Myers sighed. “Definitely dug deep into nerves and muscles on your arm there. Good news is, I can work with River to improve your range of movement.”

“Thatisgood news,” Alpha Jay and I agreed at the same time.

“Why didn’t River heal them any better than this, doc?” Alpha Ash demanded. “Even made with silver, they should have healed to thin white lines, not this shit!”

I froze, my spine going rigid, and I fixed my eyes on the wall.

“He didn’t mean it like that, Ty,” Alpha Jay’s soft voice came from right beside me. “You’renot shit. Your woundshealedlike shit.”

“Sorry, Ty. I’m upset.” Alpha Ash plowed his hands through his dark brown curls. “Not thinking before I open my mouth.”

“And that’s different than usual how?” Alpha Jay snarked.

Before Alpha Ash could zing him back, Dr. Myers cleared his throat, regaining our attention.

“I need to know what caused them before I make any guesses.” He glanced at me, concern in his eyes, then looked at Alpha Jay. “Can you control your wolf long enough to tell me?”

“I can, and I will.” Alpha Jay’s expression hardened, his eyes flicking back to me. “I don’t know how much you remember about the night your father—”

“I know which night you mean,” I said, a chill running down my spine. The memories I’d repressed these past six years threatened to resurface, and River whimpered in the back of my mind, scared and distressed. “Be careful, though. Riv’s already … reacting.”

“I’ll try my best,” Alpha Jay said with a nod. “You were pretty out of it when we found you, so I never thought either of you remembered much, if anything, but maybe he does.”

“It was the day after my twelfth birthday,” I said. “Riv was so traumatized by everything that had happened in those twenty-four hours, I’m not exactly sure what he can recall with any clarity, and he gets too upset if I ask him.”

“Riv, it’s okay. We’re all here for you,” Alpha Ash soothed my wolf. “Jay will tell us what he knows so you don’t have to, buddy.”

Otay, Alpha Ashy. Tanks you.Even though it was said in a shaky voice, River’s cute reply made us all smile.

“Quartz was out on a run when he stumbled upon your father,” Alpha Jay began, his voice steady but filled with anger. “Seymour was slicing you with a silver knife. Quartz took him down without hesitation, but the damage had already been done.”

My breath caught in my throat, and I had to clench my fists to keep from shaking. Memories slammed into me, a blur of pain and fear all tangled up with Mom’s pleas and Dad’s crazed eyes and the flash of moonlight on a silver blade.

You’re not there. You’re not there. You’re not there—

“Ty?” Alpha Ash waited until I looked him in the eyes. “Okay, he’s back. Go ahead, doc.”

Blinking, I turned to see Dr. Myers waiting and realized I’d zoned out for a moment.

“Did a delta ever give you a reason for your wolf being the way he is?”

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