Beauty and The Beta (Bailey)

31

Chapter 31 Ellis

I had been looking for this girl all day. She was like hunting for f**g gold. I thought I had found her when I got told by the doctors she had arrived at the hospital, but by the time I had got away from Miles and reached the hospital, Harley’s parents told me she had left. Telling them she needed some time because she was struggling. Struggling with what exactly I am not sure. I am sure as hell that his parents were struggling a whole lot more. Their son mauled by my older brother to within an inch of his life… not that they knew that part of the story… oh no. I was under strict orders to depict a tale of a rogue attack. Us having been on a run together and finding him. In truth, Miles would not tell me what he was doing there, likely running off his temper like he so often did. His temper was beyond control at the best of times. But, I had been out for my usual training run, and had caught the scent of blood. It wasn’t a small amount either, making me concerned, because neither me nor my wolf could dismiss that as injured prey and continue on with our run like we truly wanted to. Integrity won over and made us go and investigate to find my brother’s wolf, Jet, ripping into the warrior guy. A guy I now know is called Harley. The moment I yelled his name, he oddly retreated like he didn’t expect to be caught in what he was doing, and he ran off for the trees. The blood… was everywhere… his injuries were h**d**s… worse than I have ever seen before… though I have never been in war myself… his clothes were torn, deep wounds littered his body… bites across his body… I was terrified Miles had already killed him… but I had to help. So, I scooped him up in my arms, my wolf pushing forward to lend me his strength, and we ran toward the hospital. Linking forward to allow them to prepare for his arrival. I could see smaller wounds were closing, but the larger ones I think were simply too much for his wolf to heal with the amount of blood he was losing. This guy was close to death. Of that there was no doubt. But, what I didn’t understand was why my brother would attack one of our own pack. He was meant to reign that temper in. Our Dad had told him he could attack rogues if he felt the need to take his temper out on anything larger than small prey… had he mistaken him for a rogue? Yet he

shift and defend himself. This all looked intentional to me. That is what worried me. ‘Leave him to die. Miles’s voice had suddenly come through the mindlink. He did not sound in the slightest bit shaken by what had just happened. In fact, he sounded calm. Collected. Cold. ‘Miles. No. He needs help. His wolf is not healing him. You have injured him badly. Why?’ I asked as I continued the dash toward the hospital, glad of the additional support of my wolf. ‘Why?’ Miles roared through the link. ‘He deserved to die. You had no right in interfering.’ Interfering? How was I interfering? Was I not doing the decent thing and saving the warrior’s life? No man deserved to die at the hands of their Alpha for no reason. And, if I discover there was a logical reason for him to be punished, then he can be punished in an appropriate way when he is healed. If he can be healed… of course. Because the amount of blood that seemed to be leaking over me, was worryingly large. ‘He needed help. He is dying. I am taking him to the hospital. I told him bluntly. ‘Well, you tell them it was a rogue attack. Do you hear me?’ he was not with me, the attem Chapter 31 Elis power over nie, being the next in line. He was trying make me do what he wanted. Trying to make me lie on his behalf. He knew he had done wrong. You want me to lie?’ asked as I got closer to the hospital. ‘He deserved it. That is what I will say. I will explain when you hand him over? So, s**dly, I had done as he asked, I handed him over and the doctors did what they could. He was in a bad way. And when I returned later to the hospital look for Bailey, Harley’s parents were both so grateful to me for saving his life. Yet, in truth, I could not feel like a hero, not when I knew the truth. Not when I knew my brother was to blame. Miles had been

off him. ‘You almost killed him because of Bailey?’ I asked. I was surprised when I learned she had been his fated mate. I was shocked then that she had rejected him, but I am even more shocked now that Miles had

being a risk. I did not like how he was. Miles snarled, his head turning to look at me. “Did you tell them it was a Rogue attack?” he asked, and I began to regret my decision to do as he asked, but I nodded, “I told them we were out for a run, and we found him Said you had gone to check the woods, see if you could see anything. Make it seem more believable.” I explained, hating myself even more, for the lies I had helped my brother create. I did not like the man he was becoming. And in truth, I think I feared for the pack under his control. It was at that point I realized I needed to go and speak to Bailey, which was where my hunt for her had come in. I had