Beauty and The Beta (Bailey)
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Chapter 1 – Bailey

I looked at the clock on my bedroom wall. I think I have delayed the inevitable for as long as Iphysically can. I should go to the packhouse to go and wish our pack’s upcoming Alpha a happybirthday. The bane of my life. My brother’s best friend. One day to be Alpha Miles. Today he will turn17, and meet his Alpha wolf. In all honesty, he was egotistical enough, thinking the world revolvedaround him, without him adding to that by finally gaining his wolf. Not your run-of-the-mill werewolfeither. Oh no, Miles Davenport was destined to be an Alpha, so he would have a strong andpowerful Alpha wolf, only adding to his arrogance and strength.

The crazy thing is, Miles had once upon a time been one of my closet friends too. In my youngerchildhood… Friends, that kind of thing comes when your father is the Beta to the Alpha. Thechildren spend a lot of time together, and become friends. My older brother, Jordan, became thewing-man to Miles. His closest friend and ally, who as his Beta when the time came, was only right.But as the years went on, the friendship between Miles and I changed.

Friendship faded as he grew into a more popular sports star of our school. At the end of the day, hewas always going to be popular, he was the upcoming Alpha after all, but as one of the top sportsstars too, he was idolized. As was my brother. All the girls in school flocked around them like theywere pop stars or something, and it was bizarre. I was nothing more to him now but a source ofamusement for him and his sports buddies. A geek. Not one of the beauty queens who followed himaround. Simply someone to make fun of.

I had gone from enjoying time with my one-day Alpha, to hating him, in the space of a school year.He thought he was g od’s gift, and in all honesty, if he was, he is a gift I would return…

“Bailey!” I heard my Mum call from downstairs, telling me I was definitely running it close now fortime. I know Jordan had already headed over to the packhouse a while ago with my Dad to meet his

friend and our Alpha.

“I know.” I yelled back, looking at the books on my desk, desperate to continue with the assignmentI was working on. I would so much rather continue working on the assignment and gain theadditional credit available, work toward going to the college I want to go to instead of going to aparty for the big-headed bully, I got to consider almost family, considering he was the son of myDad’s best friend.

I stood from my seat, and walked to my mirror, adjusting my black skater dress I had chosen towear today. Something plain and simple, easy to blend into the background, but a dress all thesame if anyone asked why I hadn’t made an effort. Along with my chunky black sandals, I lookedpresentable, not that anyone would be looking at me. Today, all eyes would be on the birthday boy,as they always were. He would make sure of that. I flicked back my curly brown hair, before Iwalked out of the door, already dreading the hours that lay ahead…

My Mum pulled the car into the parking spaces outside the packhouse, while my younger sisterMorgan was flicking at the curls around my head, simply trying to irritate me. She knew I wouldrather be anywhere but here right now, and was loving every last moment of it. “Aww, you want togo home Bailey-boo?” she teased.

“Stop you two, come on, your Dad is waiting inside. Let us go and replace the birthday boy.” Mum says,sounding cheerful, completely oblivious to the fact how horr endous this party had the potential tobe. She, too, worshiped Miles. Having seen him grow up alongside my brother, she seemed to thinkthe sun shone out of his rear-end. It had always driven me insane.

“He won’t even notice us there.” I muttered under my breath as I followed her up the steps of theback house, shaking my head at my sister and how overdressed she looked. She definitely lookedlike she was out to impress someone today. A small part of me wondered if she hoped she might bethe fated mate of Miles. After all, he was meeting his Alpha wolf today. He will have shifted for the

first time today, and today could potentially be the day he can sense his fated mate out there waitingfor him! There had been so much buzz around school about this, so many of the girls were excitedabout the potential possibility they could be his fated mate. The one chosen for him by the moongoddess. The one destined to be with him. So many of them are desperate for it to be them. Whilethere I was desperate for anything but. I could think of nothing worse! Yet, looking at the amount ofeffort my younger sister had made today, I am beginning to think she was one of the many she-wolves that was holding out that hope…

We walked through the corridors of the packhouse, and it was filled with various pack members.Today was a day of celebration within pack, the birthday of the upcoming Alpha. And not just anybirthday, the day he came of age. The day he met his Alpha wolf. The walls of the packhouse wereadorned with decorations, music was blaring from various speakers dotted around the multiplerooms.

“Ooff, sorry!” a giggling she-wolf said to me as she nearly knocked me off my feet as she knockedinto me. I would rather be anywhere but here right now. This was far too hectic and far too loud forme. I simply glare at the back of the girl as she moves away from me, not a care in the world.

I followed my Mum and my sister, who was almost sk ipping as she walked, toward the main loungearea. I can only assume my Mum had mindlinked my Dad to let him know we had arrived, and hesaid they were there, or else we could spend all day looking around for them! It appeared almostevery member of the pack had turned up to celebrate the birthday of Miles f**king Davenport.

The lounge area was laden with people, music truly blasting, and everyone seeming to have a goodtime. Everyone but me. I caught the eye of my brother, leaning against the wall of the lounge, thefurthest away from the door we had just walked into. He nodded in my direction before simplyturning away.

‘Could have made an effort, Bailey.’ he mindlinked. ‘It is a birthday, not a funeral, you know?’

I felt my heart sink at his words. Great, the insults were starting already, which meant it would onlybe a matter of time until Miles started too. The two of them seemed to like working together like that.Finding great enjoyment in harassing me. I was only a year younger than both of them, and haddesperately hoped the name-calling and insulting would ease off as they got a little older, but ifanything, they seemed to get worse. All because I wasn’t like the girls they were interested in, I wassure of it. I wasn’t like the other girls. Made myself an easy target, my Mum told me, all because Ienjoyed studying. Liked reading and learning. Said, I only made it harder for myself. The plan wasto make it easier for myself by replaceing a way out…

“Jordan says your dress looks like you are going to a funeral, Bailey.” Morgan teased, fluffing up mycurls again. My long brown hair fell in thick, unruly curls down my back. They drove me mad attimes. Especially when my brother and sister decide to mess with them.

“Oh well, I wore a dress, like you asked.” I snapped, moving away from them, feeling angry already,so tempted just to turn around and walk home, only to be pulled back by my Mum.

“We are going to wish Miles a happy birthday. You will stay for a while at least. I do not need to beexplaining to your Aunt and Uncle yet again why you have walked out on a social event, Bailey.”Mum warned me, her tone sounding grumpy, I swear she had to have read my thoughts on leavingthe party already. I am sure she hated having me as a daughter, likely wishing for one that wasmore sociable, and one that enjoyed being a part of everything, instead of one that would ratherhave her head in a book.

“Awww, Happy Birthday, Miles!” I heard my sister squeal from by my side. I swear she spoke at apitch so high only dogs could hear. Goddess knows why she is so excited. It is only his birthday. Helikely doesn’t even care, he never normally does…

As I looked up, his blue eyes were locked on me, I raised my gaze to meet his, and could see hiseyes shift to a darker blue… was that his wolf? I see a snarl across his face as he suddenly storms

from the room. What the hell was that about?

‘Get out here.’ Miles is suddenly mindlinking me, and I have to say he sounded far from impressed.That, combined with the angry expression on his face, told me something was off. Would he haverather I had not come? Well, he was not the only one…

‘What?’ I questioned, completely confused. Was he annoyed over how I had dressed too? Jeez, itwas just a dress. Does it really matter? I would go home if it was.

‘Outside now.’ He demanded once more, sounding even more irritated this time, making me realizeI had little choice but to follow his orders, so I snuck away from the ongoing party back to the doorsof the packhouse.

Only to replace Miles pacing along the bottom of the steps, looking a mixture of confused and angry. Sowhy did he need me here? Someone to take his anger out on? I was not willing to be that, I wassure about that… Just as I was about to walk away, he looked up.

“F**king took you long enough.” He snapped.

I frowned, unsure what this was all about, but it was making no sense to me as I looked downtoward him from where I stood at the top of the packhouse steps. His blue eyes shifted to the darkblue once more, like they had inside, taking me by surprise. His wolf is clearly lingering…

“What is wrong, Miles? Do you want me to get Jordan?” I asked.

“No I do not! I do not want anyone knowing this.” He snarls, a growl slipping from his lips, thoughwhether that was aimed at me or whether his wolf was angry at him, I do not know…

“I don’t think I understand…” I began.

“You soon will.” He sneers, and I simply look to him in confusion. Nothing he says makes sense tome. Until he continues. “Only today did I realize. The thought makes me sick. Why our own moongoddess would play a trick like this on me, I don’t know. I am an Alpha. A f**king Alpha. I deserve astrong mate. A beautiful mate to be proud of. Not some feeble pathetic wallflower.”

My body trembles at his words. No. I had yet to gain my wolf. I did not know this yet. Why… Whyhim of all people? “I am your fated mate?” I question with a shaky voice. “Are you sure?”

“Are you f**king doubting me?” he yells. “And you won’t be. The moment you have your wolf, I willdecide when the time is right to reject you.”

My heart twists and contorts at the thought. Rejection was meant to be the most painful thingpossible. Why would he want to reject the mate chosen for him by our own moon goddess? Am Itruly so repulsive?