Page 2 of Just a Beta (Betas in Waiting)
A familiar person stepped away from a chair in the corner.
Em croaked, “Hey, Luna.”
Luna stepped toward her and looked for a spot that hadn’t been bruised.“Em.Oh, you said it was bad, but we didn’t see it.”
“I know.No one ever does.Change the outside clothes for inside clothes, serve the omega, and I won’t get hurt, but she makes ways for me to get hurt.”She swallowed.“They take my money, and I don’t have a way to get a new apartment.Can you help?”
Luna swallowed and nodded.“I can help.What else do you need?”
“I don’t know if I managed to get out with my purse.I need my ID, birth certificate, passport, and bank card.Lip gloss.”
Luna smiled.“Right.You don’t need your makeup kit?”
“Nope.That was all for Augusta.She took an inventory of it weekly and got her guys to take it out of my hide if anything was missing.Even if she took it.”
Luna shuddered.“We had no idea.You didn’t mention it.”
“I mentioned it once, and another newcomer said I was just trying to act abused, so I stopped.I am not one of the special ones, so there was little point in it.Getting them to call you was a last-ditch effort.”
“What would you have done if they didn’t get me here?”
Em chuckled.“Start from the bottom and get the hell out of this city.I don’t belong here.”
“Why do you say that?”
“There is something rising here, and it has avoided me, so I am going to go somewhere that I just feel normal, not like a bug.”
“What do you mean?”
Em’s voice was hoarse, and she explained about using every means at her disposal to get enough money for a birthday lunch at Halor Denith, and when she had arrived for her reservation, the hostess had taken one look at her and denied her entrance.She had been turned away, humiliated, and a group of dark elves had just walked right in.She sighed.“Big hint that I know I don’t belong.”
“Was that the only time?”
“No.It was the last time.After that, I had one obligation, and it was to help with choreography, and that was what I was doing last night when Augusta threw her tantrum.”She laughed softly.“I am just glad I worked on my window before last night.I nearly didn’t make it into the motion camera coverage for the neighbours.”
“With that in mind, the police are here to take your statement.There wasn’t a member of the pack that didn’t have your blood on them.”
“Yeah, that’s what it feels like.All those ruined shoes.”She sighed softly.
Luna sighed.“We will help you and get you safe.”
“Great.Thank you.I will be out of your frosty hair before you know it.”She couldn’t smile.Her face was too swollen.
“Frost?Why would you say frost?”
Em sighed.“It’s all over you.It glows on your back and runs down your arms.Frost and babies with some lingerie.That’s you.”
Luna stroked her forehead lightly.“How can you see that?”
“I see everything.I see the faces that hide, but my face is the same.”She was going to say more, but more medical staff, two uniformed officers, and a detective, who had fins and a tail in her vision, came toward her and began asking questions about what happened last night while the doctor watched over her reactions.
When every punch, kick, and scratch was described, the detective looked like he wanted to hit someone, and the other officers looked ill.
She said, “There is video of the entire thing.Would that help?”
The detective nodded.“Yes, it would.”
She looked around.“Does anyone have my phone?”
