The Assistant (sequel to The Beta's Mate)
Who What?!

Elizabeth was so tired. The drive from Miranda’s house back to the pack house was not long. However, she had been staying up late with her only child. It hurt her to see her daughter cry like that. She had cried herself to sleep on more that one occasion. Elizabeth had spent these times holding her daughter and rocking her to sleep. Just as she had when Miranda was a child. She would really like to punch Donovan right in the nose. Maybe, if she broke it, she would feel some sense of vindication for her daughter, and even herself. No mother wanted to watch their child, male or female, go through such pain. She had stayed at her daughter’s house because she wasn’t eating. In her grief over her broken relationship with that bastard that called himself a man, Miranda had stopped eating and had lost weight that she couldn’t afford to lose. She had always been slender, but with her father’s sickness and death, Miranda had been focused on taking care of her more than on taking care of herself. She had finally gotten her in to a routine and had gotten her to start eating again.

Elizabeth passed through the gates of the pack’s territory, the guards being used to her now. As she pulled up to the small house that Duncan insist she have. Dylan hadn’t liked it at all, but had acquiesced. He had wanted her in the pack house on the top floor. The floor reserved strictly for the Alpha and his family. When Dylan allowed her to move into the small house, surprisingly he and Duncan both had helped her move. But, right now, all Elizabeth wanted was a hot shower and her very own bed. She had been gone for two weeks, roughly, and hoped that all of her hard work in the Alpha’s office was not undone. She understood the idea that he was a man used to having someone to look after him. Still, it only took a small amount of effort to pick up after yourself. Whatever! She was tired. As she pulled up to her small house Duncan stepped off of her porch, out of the shadows.

“Duncan, dammit! You scared me! Why are you at my house, waiting for me at this late of an hour?” Elizabeth got out of her car and walked to the back of it to open the trunk. As soon as she did, Duncan reached in and retrieved her suitcase. “I can do that, you now?”

“I know. I just like helping you. You remind me of a young pup that thinks it’s bigger and stronger than what it is and wants to runs with the big wolves. So independent. So determined and so very prickly about someone helping you. Wolves are that way, Lizzie. We are polite when allowed to be. And almost always are gentlemen. The last time I didn’t open a door for a female was when my mate and I......” Duncan’s voice drifted away when he realized what he was saying and who he was talking about.

“I’m sorry, Duncan. Please, by all means, help me with my things.” She watched him as she unlocked the door and asked him in. ” You miss her very much, don’t you? I know the feeling. Sometimes just talking about him hurts. I still miss him. I am ready to move on with my life, maybe have that occasional date. You now, like we do. But still I don’t think I could go any deeper than that. I think it would have to be someone incredible to turn my head and make me want something more permanent. Does that about sum up how you feel, Duncan?”

Without waiting for a reply, Elizabeth went into the kitchen to make her and her friend some coffee. “Goodness, I know it’s not very late but, I am so tired. Poor Miranda. That bastard really did a number on her. She doubts her worth as a person and her own beauty. Which, I guess I’m biased, but to me she is beautiful. She’s also gracious and humble. Duncan, do you know that Miranda is studying to be a doctor? In fact, she’s looking for a place to do her residency. She has applied to the hospital here in town. That way, we can be closer to each other. Here’s your coffee.”

Just as the two sat down at Elizabeth’s kitchen table to drink their coffee in companionable silence someone knocked on her front door. Duncan took a deep sniff and said, ’Dylan. Wonder what he’s up to. It’s not like him to come and welcome you home. Do you want me to get it, or do you want to do it?”

Elizabeth stood and said ‘I’ll do it.’

“Dylan, why on earth are you beating on my door at seven thirty at night? I just got in and am about to go unpack.”

“With Duncan to tuck you into bed?” He replied with an arched brow.

“That’s none of your business. But just so you and I understand each other, Duncan and I are adults. We have bonded over the fact that we have both lost someone we love that was very dear to us. We are not having an affair. But, if we were, you would have no say in it, Dylan. I am not one of your wolves. I am an employee, and up until now, I thought that I was your friend. Now, say what you came to say and leave. Duncan and I are going to eat then I am coming back here and going to bed.” Elizabeth was furious. How dare Dylan make snide remarks. Quite frankly, they had hurt.

“I’m so sorry Lizzie. I didn’t mean that to sound ugly. I was trying for funny and failed, miserably. I don’t, nor would I care, if you two began a relationship. I think it would be good for both of you. Duncan would certainly benefit from some female companionship. Lord knows, until you came, no woman, human or wolf, could get near him. As head of security, he’s quite the catch, you know? His own home, a large one at that, probably a very fat bank account.....”

Duncan began to growl as Dylan continued on. “Pup, you’re doing it again. Shut up while you’re still ahead and tell Lizzie here why you came out tonight.”

“Oh right. You got a phone call at the pack office a little while ago. It’s the hospital in town. It seems that Miranda had been run off the road.......”

He got no further. Elizabeth grabbed a light jacket and ran to her car. “You’re not driving Elizabeth. You’re shaking so bad, you may have a wreck of you own. Get in my truck an I’ll drive you there.”

Dylan ran around to the other side of Duncan’s truck to pick her up and put her in it. “I’ll be close behind you. OK?”