Beauty

pter 12 Bailey

I adjust my skirt as I look out across the party wishing I could be anywhere but here. My Dad had requested us all attend with him. Represent him as a family. Goddess knows why, but that is what was asked of us. The party of a former Alpha of a pack on the edge of our region. Yet all we had done so far was follow my Dad around looking like weirdos. I was sure of it.

“Heard you been causing sh it with Miles again.” Jordan said quietly as my Mum and Dad stood together chatting having a drink together.

I gave my brother a dark glare. I had managed to avoid him since the incident in the Alpha office, so he hadn’t had a chance to say anything about it, but I could only imagine his best friend would have had something to say to him about it. “Not going there, Jordan.”

“Oh, I can imagine.” Jordan shakes his head while looking ahead. “You know you are pushing your luck with Miles. His Dad will only protect you for so long. He changed the conversation to mindlink, I assume, so nobody else could hear him.

“Not going there, Jordan.” I repeated.

‘You think you are better than us all, do you because you have a degree? Sorry to disappoint you Bailey, you are below us all, because we have titles. What are you? A Beta’s daughter, and a f**king pathetic geeky one at that, one that nobody gives a sh it about. One that best watch her back before she gets kicked out of her pack!

I bite my lip to stop the tears that are threatening to come. My brother is not going to get the better of me. He is almost as bad as Miles. You would think as my brother he might want to protect me… haha, no. It seems he enjoyed seeing me suffer as much as Miles did. Saw me as nothing more than an embarrassment.

I could see my Dad chatting to a man I did not recognize. Though reading their body language and the friendly way they are chatting to one another, I would say they are familiar with one. another. They are laughing and talking, both seemingly happy to see one another. I looked. around the party, wondering why my Dad needed us here. We don’t know anyone.

-Bailey, come here please.” Dad called me over. So I walked over to where he and my Mum were stood talking to a man dressed smartly in suit trousers and a gray shirt. He had to be my Dad’s age if not a little older.

I smiled politely as I reached them, and my Dad placed his arm around my shoulder in what felt like quite a proud gesture. “Bailey, this is the former Alpha of Autumn Valley Pack, Isaak Garcia. Isaak, this is my eldest daughter Bailey.”

I smiled politely again, offering my hand to him to shake. “Pleased to meet you, Alpha.”

“No need for that dear.” He says with a wobbly smile, making me wonder if he has had a little too much to drink. Though this is his birthday party after all, so I am sure he was entitled to a few drinks. “Isaak is fine. Or Mr Garcia.”

and thin and nod. “I was just telling Isaak that y

are a teacher Bailey.” My Dad interrupts,

I smile and the moment he says that, I feel my hopes begin to build. Has my Dad found somewhere that

may be able to offer me work? All my recent job applications seemed to have gone unanswered. I was truly beginning to wonder if Miles was somehow having some effect on them.

“Ah, yes, I am. Are you looking for a teacher, Mr Garcia?” I asked, going for a formal title, seeing that I was asking about employment, and he did ask me not to call him Alpha.

“I think we could be. Are we?” he asks me, and I hold back the smile that is threatening to come. I definitely think he may have had a few too many drinks.

My Dad chuckles. “Is Alpha Caleb around Isaak? Maybe we could let Bailey talk with him?”

“Caleb is here somewhere. But it is Beta Asher who is fixing jobs I think.” The older man says, though he looks at my Dad like he is asking him a question. I don’t think we are going to get much sense from him, and I am beginning to lose any hope I had of finding work with them in their pack.

“Asher!” he suddenly yells, making me jump out of my skin.

‘Sh itting hell! What is wrong with the old man?’ Akira complained, and I have to say, she makes a valid point. That came from nowhere, and I have no clue who he was yelling at! It could be anyone that was here… one thing that he had caused was many people to turn and look at us… lots of which were smiling affectionately at the old guy. He was clearly much loved, even if he seemed a little crazy after a few drinks….

“Asher, there you are, boy…” he spoke again in close to a yell, and began to walk at somewhat an unsteady gait across the party. He definitely did not have the ability to walk in a straight line anymore, only further solidifying my thoughts that he had been drinking. I glance at my Dad in uncertainty, who simply shrugs before quickly following the former Alpha with a smile.

“Asher!” he yells again. “I have someone I need you to speak to.” He declares, but this time he has stopped in front of a tall man, his skin decorated with many tattoos. Almost collar length black hair with a slight wave to it. A muscular man, and at first glance, a f**king scary looking man. He looked moody as all hell!

This man, who I can only assume is called Asher, raises his gaze to look at the former Alpha. He has piercing green eyes. Yet his gaze somehow remains dark… “Uncle?” he says, looking more than a little confused.

Uncle? If he was calling the former Alpha his Uncle, did that make him related to him? Like a child of one of the Alpha’s siblings? Or was he his Uncle like the Alpha was mine? I pondered…

“Asher! Where have you been?” the former Alpha greeted the man with a slap to the back, and even I winced at the sound of the impact.

“I have been right here, Uncle. Watching you enjoy your party. Is everything okay?” This man I assume is called Asher, looks at my Dad before he looks at me momentarily before looking away again like I was meaningless.

“This is a teacher!” Isaak said with a smile, and Asher looked confused.

“Right?” he urges, like he needs further information.

“Your Uncle was coming to introduce my daughter to you, Beta Asher, because she is a newly qualified teacher. He said you were looking for a teacher for your pack, and as it happens, Bailey is looking for a job.” My Dad took over, which I have to say I am a little embarrassed about, because it makes me look like I am incapable of speaking for myself. And I don’t think I want to put that impression across, especially not in front of this man.

Beta… okay, so that makes sense. Explains his bigger build too. He looks to me with critical eyes. “So you are the teacher?”

Wow, this guy is friendly… “Yes, Beta Asher. I am Bailey West from Lotus Shadow Pack.” I informed him, smiling politely, and he nodded.

Just as I was about to begin explaining a little about my training, he interrupted me with a cold. glance. “Arrange a meeting with the pack, we will speak with you and decide if you are suitable. I was just about to leave, and a party is not a place to be discussing work. Beta Asher says as coldly as he looked at me, like even talking to me was an inconvenience.

“Oh, okay, I apologize.” I muttered, unsure what to

man was looking like he wanted to kill someone do or say, especially as this moody-looking

“What for?” he rolled his eyes, like he thought I was st*pid. “As I said, contact the pack, an appointment can be made, and we will discuss things then. Goodnight.” And with that the Beta walked away without even a second glance in our direction.

“Well, he was a friendly fella!” My Dad said with a chuckle.

I nodded, attempting to smile, trying to be as lighthearted about it all as he was, but I was beginning to wonder if I would want to work for someone that angry and moody. He seemed to have some serious darkness lingering over him…