Page 6 of The Beta: Part One

He shrugs, “Guess you better clean it all again if you can’t see it. It’s right there.” Then he turns away and saunters off.

Now I have two choices. I can clean the entire kitchen again because that is obviously what he wants me to do, or I can ignore his bullshit and go back to my room because there is no fucking spot. I check the time. It’s after midnight, and they like an early breakfast. I learned earlier that early means five in the morning. I take a few breaths and decide to clean the kitchen again. I’d rather be tired tomorrow than be kicked out in the first twenty-four hours for ignoring a command from a pack alpha. I’m glad I remembered to bring my ear pods, music will make this significantly more tolerable.

I wasn’t late getting breakfast before the alphas needed to leave after the fiasco following dinner last night. Even if Trent’s bullshit had me recleaning the kitchen into the early hours. Nathan stayed home today, I’m assuming it’s because they don’t trust me here alone.

Jasper wandered downstairs around eleven and opted for lunch rather than breakfast. He did make himself a coffee while I was putting together his pasta and I’m pretty proud that I kept my disapproval to a minimum. He didn’t miss it, though, because he sneers at me and asks if I have a problem.

I weigh telling him the truth and upsetting him against lying now and hopefully easing him into less caffeinated choices over time. Considering I get to stay. I opt for the lie, which is, of course, a mistake. “No, I don’t have a problem.”

“Why are you lying to Jasper?” Nathan asks with more accusation than curiosity. I sigh. Alphas can scent lies, I just hoped he wouldn’t since it was just a small one made with good intentions. Jasper’s green eyes are looking at me with disdain, and it actually hurts me to see it. I don’t like him looking at me like that.

“I didn’t want to upset him unnecessarily,” I say. Nathan scoffs and Jasper rolls his eyes.

“Please. I’m not as fragile as I obviously look. What are you lying about?”

I reply without meeting Jasper’s eyes, “Coffee, caffeine in general, is disruptive to an omega’s system. It can alter the heat cycle and block the absorption of nutrients. It is also damaging to an omega’s sleep quality and cycle. You obviously very much enjoy a coffee when you wake up. I lied when I said I didn’t have a problem because I didn’t want to upset you. I hope I can eventually convince you to enjoy other, less caffeinated things. There are tons of teas that efficiently help wake you up without any of the negative effects of coffee.” Hopefully neither of them will find fault with that. Every exchange I have with one of these guys gives me the distinct impression that they are looking to find any fault they can.

Neither of them say anything and I look up to find Nathan looking hard at Jasper. “Is that true?” he asks.

Jasper tilts his chin up, “Coffee isn’t good for anyone.”

Nathan doesn’t like that, at all. “But it is especially bad for you, isn’t it?” Jasper huffs at him and shoots me a glare. “And you didn’t mention it to us, not this whole time?” Jasper keeps that glare leveled on me and I show him my neck. I didn’t mean for him to get into trouble with his alpha. I really, really didn’t.

“If you knew the potential negative effects I knew it would be banned. You’re all so protective over me, I’d never get another coffee again.” He sounds sorry that he got caught, not sorry that he’s intentionally putting toxins into his system, no matter the small amount.

“Jasper,” Nathan sounds completely exasperated, but he pulls him into a hug and kisses his temple; I’d swoon if I wasn’t so on edge about watching my every move. They are adorable, gigantic Nathan with his long, caveman hair and dimples snuggled up against Jasper the nymph.

“Can these teas be bought at a regular grocery store or will we need to order them?” Nathan directs the question at me, and I’m glad I have an answer. My mother shoved gallons of teas meant for omegas into me in her crusade to turn me into one.

“I can go pick up a large selection this afternoon,” I say to Nathan, and then to Jasper, “I’ll make you a different one each morning, if you want, until you find the one you like,” and I offer him a smile. A small smile, but a smile nonetheless; which is more than I attempted to give any other member of nearly every other pack I’ve ever attempted to become a part of. It feels awkward on my face, and he must see it because he agrees.

“I’m finishing this coffee now, though, since it’s already half gone.” I’m surprised when Nathan doesn’t pour it down the sink, but he just ruffles his omega’s curls.

I don’t encounter another problem until I’m folding laundry after I get back from the grocery store. I saw the towels folded yesterday when Kaleb showed me the linen closet, but seeing them and being shown are two different things; and there are no examples in the laundry room. Should I risk folding them the way I think they’re to be folded, or should I bother Jasper to come show me?

In a house without an omega this wouldn’t be an issue. As long as they get folded and put away or distributed, nobody cares; but in an omega’s home the towels being folded correctly is intensely important. Anything with a soft texture that could ever potentially be used as nesting material has to be handled appropriately depending on each omega’s preferences. It can ruin a day, or a week if the omega decides that all the linens and blankets and probably every other thing in the house made of cloth that isn’t pinned down needs to be rewashed, refolded, and rehung until it’s all perfect.

My mother washed and folded until the skin on her hands was raw on more than one occasion when a well meaning beta or very helpful child folded things wrong. Yeah, I don’t want to spend a week doing that, and more importantly, I don’t want Jasper to have that level of anxiety. He shouldn’t mind showing me how he likes them folded, so I send him a text asking him if he minds taking the time to show me how he likes them done.

A short time later he’s bouncing down the stairs. His hair is rumpled and his lips are swollen, making it obvious what he and his alpha have been up to this afternoon, and he’s so adorably sexy that it’s hard not to mention it. I actually want to squeeze him in a hug or rub against him.

What is wrong with me? He hasn’t even been nice enough to me to merit that type of response. So far he’s been the polite side of indifferent. Maybe it’s his scent. I’ve been around male omegas before and haven’t been this affected by their scent, though. He is by far the most beautiful omega I’ve ever seen, so maybe the combination of scent and appearance are causing me to be this enamored with him, even if it’s completely out of character for me.

“Hey. I’m glad you’re asking me about this. It’s such a small thing, it’s embarrassing how upset it makes me when they’re folded wrong.” He sounds genuinely relieved, and maybe a bit embarrassed.

I give him another small smile, “It isn’t small. Everything in an omega’s home, especially the linens and towels, needs to be exactly the way it should be for that omega. I hope you’ll show me everything.” We spend the entire afternoon and into the evening folding laundry; and honestly, it’s the most relaxing chunk of hours I’ve had in at least a year.

A pattern is developed over the next few days. Meal prep, cleaning, laundry, checking in on Jasper, with runs and my regular training exercises sprinkled between. Things aren’t settled enough for me to even consider the possibility of staying, but it isn’t awful.

The alphas are the exception. They seem determined to make me feel unwelcome and unwanted. Outside of the afternoon folding laundry, Jasper has remained mostly aloof and distant. He has dutifully been trying the teas though, and I think he’s almost sold on a mint variety. I don't have any serious trouble until I find Devon flipping my room one evening when I climb the stairs to retire for the night.

“What the fuck?!” It comes shooting out of my mouth before I can stop it. He sends a terribly satisfied smirk over his shoulder.

“Room search. We run a tight ship here. And we don’t trust you just yet,” he informs me, and proceeds to inspect every single thing I have up here, which isn’t actually that much. I hope he doesn’t demand to search my car. I don’t have anything illegal in there, all my weapons are officially registered in my name and my personal belongings are mostly the rest of my clothes and other tactical gear.

Most of my gear is custom made because I’m small for a beta, and I’d rather not have to explain every single difference that had to be made. I don’t want to spend my night repacking my car, this room, and potentially being embarrassed by the big black vibrator he will absolutely find tucked into the hollowed out bottom of one of my gun cases.

This is just another attempt to trigger me into having the outburst they so clearly expect me to have. I simply will not have one. So, I don’t do a thing but sit on the top step to wait it out. He can search to his heart’s content. I won’t have a single reaction.

After a few minutes of continued shuffling and banging he finishes and doesn’t say anything to me. He doesn’t look smug or sour when he steps around me to stomp back down the stairs. My room is in total chaos, cot flipped, drawers emptied, clothes tossed, the contents of my satchel dumped out. There was nothing for him to find, he just wanted me to be angry. I am, actually, but I won’t act on it.

I can, and have, stomached much worse than this. Random room checks for new members are completely acceptable in a lot of packs. Especially in a COT unit. I’m not doing anything to lose my placement here. I can tolerate these alpha pricks. I repeat my mantra to myself, I need a pack, this is my last chance.

I also feel so drawn to Jasper, in a way I’ve never been drawn to anyone before. Just the thought of leaving him, regardless of how one-sided or ridiculous it is, is enough for me to feel deeply unsettled. I feel like I’m meant to be here with him, and I intend to prove I’m worthy of the position I’m trying to fill.

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