Zeke

"Zeke!" I think cutting off my ears would be less painful than Amanda's shouting. It's been a few weeks since Isaac was born; and Amanda has been here a single day. The girl is driving me crazy. She asks too many questions about the guys in this pack. I don't even talk to half of these people. But I have to be nice since she offered to babysit Kenny while I took Valerie out tonight. Knowing that she would just burst in, I kept filling out paperwork in my office. "It is extremely rude to ignore people!" Amanda snapped as she barged in. I knew it.

I sighed and put my pen down. I thought she was just here to ask more questions, but when I looked up, my eyebrows furrowed. She had an angry expression on her face, but her eyes told me that she was sad. "What happened?" I wondered, getting up to close the door.

Her face fell as she sunk into a chair. "I met my mate" If she's sad, then he must be a douche bag. "He literally ran from me" Amanda said softly. And now he's gonna be a dead douche bag.

"Who the hell is he?"

Amanda bit her lip and brushed her hair out of her face. "The doctor. I bumped into him while he was training" she informed me.

Pete is a good guy. We've talked a couple times, I helped him train too. He doesn't talk about anything personal. He's really closed off. But he's kind and respectful. I trust him. So it was a surprise to hear that he ran away from his mate. "Help yourself to all the ice cream in the fridge. I'm about to have a talk with Pete" I stated. Without arguing, Amanda left my office and I mind-linked Pete to come see me.

I grabbed my pen and began to work while I waited. Pete walked in minutes later. I glanced up, then looked at the chair. He closed the door behind him and sat down. I continued to work, finishing up the report before putting my pen down again. Valerie walked into the room and froze as she spotted Pete. "You can come in" I insisted. She slowly nodded her head. Instead of sitting by Pete and I, she saw on the couch away from my desk.

"You met my friend, Amanda, today" I stated, looking at Pete. He nodded his head in confirmation. "She is your mate" I pointed out.

Pete frowned. "I can't be with her" he blurted. I raised my eyebrows and rested my elbows on my desk. After having a short staring contest, Pete pulled out his wallet and opened it up. He handed it to me. In the clear pocket, there was a picture. It was Pete and a girl. She was pregnant. He had a hand on her protruding belly as they both smiled at the camera. "Her name was Krysten" I caught the past tense in the sentence. "She was my mate. We were gonna name our son Todd. But she passed away before he was born" Pete said softly. There were unshed tears in his eyes and his lips were curled down in what looked like a permanent frown.

Amanda is his second chance. Well, this just complicates things. I can't beat him up because he has an explanation. "I had a family that I couldn't protect. When they passed away, I stopped working- my Alpha hired a new doctor. I saw them all around my house, all over the packhouse. So when I found out you needed a doctor, I jumped at the chance to leave" he explained. That would explain why he was always staring at Valerie, Kenny, and I. Pete took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut. "I'm sure Amanda is a great person. But I've been through all of this before. I've done all of this before. And I can't do it again" he said sternly.

I nodded my head in understanding. "She's an amazing person- Amanda is. I get that you've had a mate and that you loved her and still love her. I get that you've had and lost your family. It's horrible. But you've been given a redo- a second chance. So take it" I suggested.

Pete shook his head with a sigh. "Krysten is my mate. It's not fair to her if I replace her with Amanda" he mused.

"Amanda is your mate too. Is it fair to her that you don't even give her a chance?" I questioned. Pete opened his mouth, but no words came out. It was a hard choice for him. I could understand his reasoning and hesitation. Even if running away did hurt Amanda, I couldn't be mad at Pete. "Even if you decide not to be with Amanda, you at least owe her an explanation"

He nodded and stood up. After excusing himself, Pete walked out of my office. "Your people skills are very better now" My head snapped to the couch. I honestly forgot that Valerie was sitting there. She got up and moved to sit on my lap. "I never said this before; but I'm proud of you. You've changed a lot since I've met you. And they were all good changes. You're a little bit less of a jerk" she said, smirking at me.

I raised my eyebrows. "Just a little bit?" I muttered. Laughing, she nodded her head. "Well, I think-" The door swung open, causing me to shut my mouth. Kenny walked into my office with a bowl of ice cream. "Hey. Why aren't you eating at a table?" I questioned.

He carefully put the bowl onto my desk and sat at the chair in front of it. "Panda is talking to the doctor. So she told me to come here" Kenny explained. I've let Amanda's nickname slip a few times, so Kenny now calls her Panda. I think the only name he gets right is Sam. "She's sad" he informed me while eating his ice cream. "The doctor is her mate"

I think we need to have a talk about ear hustling. Kenny hears way too many things. One of these days, someone is gonna say something about where babies come from. And I'm just not ready for that talk yet. If it happens any time soon, I'll probably let Valerie or Thalia explain it.

"Valley and I are going out tonight. Panda is gonna babysit you, okay?" I told him.

Kenny nodded his head at me. "Lee-Lee said that he put rubber in your bag for when you and Valley go out" he said innocently.

I choked on air and grabbed my phone. Quickly, I dialed Liam's number. "You told Kenny that you put stuff in my bag?!" I shouted.

Liam complained about my screaming for a few moments. "I didn't tell him. He just happened to be in the room" Liam explained. I really need to talk to Kenny about eavesdropping. "It's not my fault he listens too well"

Rolling my eyes, I realized that Kenny was staring at me. "Why do you need rubber? Is it a rubber bracelet for Valley?" he inquired. Valerie erupted into a fit of laughter. Liam was also laughing his ass off on the other line.

I pursed my lips, having more composure than the other two. "No more talking about inappropriate subjects when Kenny is around" I demanded. Liam groaned before agreeing and hanging up on me. "That was rude" I muttered.

Valerie laughed and shook her head at me. "Kenny, rubber is something that grown ups can use to protect themselves" Valerie explained.

"Can I use rubber?"

My mate looked horrified, causing me to laugh. "It's only for grown ups. It doesn't fit kids" I told him. Kenny nodded his head and finished the rest of his ice cream. "Go put that in the sink and wash up" I instructed. Holding the bowl with two hands, Kenny walked out of my office. "Fucking rubber" I groaned once the door had closed.

Valerie started giggling again. "Where are we even going tonight?" she inquired. I shrugged in response. Everyone I've talked to has told me that I should keep it a surprise. So that's exactly what I'm doing. "Do I have to dress nice?"

I shook my head. I wasn't gonna make her go to some fancy restaurant and have us be stared at all night long. That wouldn't be fun at all. I honestly haven't decided on a restaurant. I have a few in mind- none of which are popular enough to make reservations.

"Are you sure that Kenny will be fine with Amanda? I mean, she's dealing with this stuff with Pete now" Valerie pointed out. I nodded my head in confirmation.

Knowing Amanda, she would probably be happy to babysit to get her mind off of Pete. But I need to figure out what he tells her before I leave with Valerie. I'm a nosy person. And since Amanda brought me into this, I need to know what happens.

Valerie stayed for a few more minutes until she decided that she would go watch Paper Towns again. She is addicted to that movie. She even mouths the words while we watch it. It is an unhealthy addiction. My mate has issues. But I still love her.

Since she was gone, I finished up the rest of my work. I was ahead, so I knew that I could have the next few days work-free. No paperwork, no meetings, no problems. When I finished, I grabbed my phone and called Grams. "Everything is ready" she assured me before she even greeted me.

"Thank you" I said gratefully. "By the way, can you tell Liam to stop talking to Kenny about condoms. He's too young for that" I mused. Grams immediately hung up on me, causing a smirk to spread across my face. It's Liam's turn to get in trouble. Revenge is sweet.

***

"A hotel?" Valerie said slowly as I parked the car. I nodded my head and quickly jumped out the car. I opened her door- like a gentleman. "How nice of you" she teased as she slipped out the car. I rolled my eyes and laced our fingers together while guiding her into the hotel. "Why are we here?" she inquired.

We walked in and I immediately spotted Grams at her desk. "Welcome! You two are my very first guests at this hotel" Grams announced happily. She always loved her job. When we moved to Caleb's pack, she sold her hotel. As we got older, we all started saving money for her to reopen a hotel closer to home. "Here are your keycards" Grams handed me two cards and I passed one off to Valerie. "He got you the best view, darlin'" Grams told Valerie with a grin.

After saying goodbye, I led Valerie to the elevator. "Grams' hotel?" Valerie said, confusion written on her face and tone.

"Grams offered for me to be the first guest, since it was my idea to open this place up. We saved money and put it into this place. I'm the main co-owner with Grams" I explained. Valerie slowly nodded her head, but questioned why I brought her here. "Well, first of all: the view" Grams had given me permission to use the penthouse. Which means we have a balcony- where I plan on having dinner tonight. "Secondly, there's some burger place right next door and Liam swears that they have the best western burger" I paused. There was a third reason. But it's still a weird thing to bring up.

I opted for not saying anything as I pressed the 25 in the elevator. "Only two reasons?" Valerie pressed on the subject. I didn't answer while the elevator began moving. Valerie dropped my hand and moved so she was facing me. There was a teasing look on her face. "It has nothing to do with the beds?" she inquired.

Pursing my lips together, I shook my head. She hummed, not believing me. I don't see why she would believe me. Beds were obviously a reason. "Amanda volunteered to watch Kenny all of tonight until tomorrow afternoon" I blurted. "There's a bag in our room and I brought Liam's present" I grumbled. Stupid rubber.

Valerie began to laugh as the elevator dinged for us to exit. "Okay, so we're going to this burger joint for dinner?" Valerie changed the subject. I shook my head and explained my plan with the balcony. "So we're picking up food at the place then coming back here to eat" I nodded in clarification. "Then we'll be the first people to have sex in this hotel" she declared.

Rolling my eyes, I unlocked the door to the penthouse and we walked inside. I know that the girls had designed this room- and they definitely did a good job. In the living room, there was a large chandelier hanging from the ceiling. As we walked deeper into the suite, I saw the small kitchen that looked expensive- it was a good thing I wasn't cooking. All of the furniture was either dark wood or a light tan color. There was a soft-looking L-shaped couch in the center of the room, facing a large flat screen T.V.

"I have to see the bedroom!" Valerie gushed. Nodding in agreement, I followed her to the master bedroom. Valerie opened the door and wandered inside with her mouth open. The bedroom had a couple paintings of nature things- rivers, forests, etc. The large bed was covered in a black duvet. "Forget the sex, I just want to lie in this bed forever" Valerie stated, jumping onto the bed.

I left her in the room as I went to look at the bathroom. I put in money for this place, but I never took the time to actually look at the designs and crap like that. I'm sure that my money isn't in the wrong hands. Grams will probably have some rich people lining up to stay in this suite. "A stand-in shower!" Valerie exclaimed from behind me. I didn't know that showers could be so exciting.

After exploring the suite for a few more minutes, we headed out to the burger restaurant. Grams waved at us from her desk as we walked out. Valerie thanked her for letting us stay- which ended with Grams thanking me for helping her reopen then she kicked us out to go get food. "Just get two of whatever you're getting" Valerie told me as we entered the restaurant.

I nodded my head. "Hi. Can I get two western burger meals with two cokes and a plain cheeseburger meal with an unsweetened ice tea? To-go please" The worker nodded as he punched the order into the machine. I pulled out a couple of bills and handed it to him. "Thank you. Keep the change" I offered. He thanked me as I walked away.

Valerie grinned at me from where she was standing. I knew what she was thinking. I was thinking the same thing. I've really adapted from before I met her. Everyone has been pointing it out too. I'm basically not an asshole. Some might even consider me nice on a good day. "The cheeseburger for Grams?" Valerie guessed. I nodded in confirmation as I wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She still had a smile on her face as she leaned against me.

We stood in silence as we waited for our food. It didn't take long. I was extremely excited for this burger. Liam said it was the best western burger. It was torture waiting for it. Western burgers are the absolute best. There's onion rings, bacon, BBQ sauce, cheese, a burger patty, and bacon. Did I mention that there's bacon?

Valerie laughed at me when I practically ran into the hotel. I gave Grams her food and got into the elevator. "Stop going so fast. I'm gonna spill the drinks trying to keep up with you" Valerie scolded me. I slowed down so we were walking next to each other to the suite. I unlocked the door, allowing her to walk in first. "Wow. You're on a roll with this nice-guy stuff" Valerie teased. Rolling my eyes, I kicked the door shut and we both went out to the balcony. The sun was setting, creating a soft orange glow around us. "Whoa" she breathed out.

I simply nodded my head as I put the food onto the table that I had Liam setup for us. It was a white table set with cushions on the seats. I pulled a chair out for Valerie and she plopped down. There was a sudden fart noise. Valerie shrieked and stood up. Lifting up the cushion, she revealed a whoopie cushion. I began laughing at her.

Plopping onto my seat, the same noise was heard. "Fucking Liam" I groaned. Valerie began to laugh as we tossed the whoopie cushions to the side. "That guy is never setting up a date ever again" I decided. Laughing, Valerie nodded her head in agreement as we sat down again. We emptied the bag out and began to eat. I took one bite of my burger and I instantly wished that I ordered two for myself. This thing was heaven in a hamburger bun.

"Is it good?" Valerie wondered, holding in her laughter. Nodding, I took another bite. We ate in silence. Valerie wasn't even facing me as we ate. She was watching the sunset. Typical girly shit. It looked pretty, though. I'll admit that. I'm so good at planning dates. "I think majority of our dates, we ate burgers" Valerie pondered.

Well, it's burgers. Who doesn't like burgers? And burgers are always good, especially ones with bacon. Bacon can make anything a million times better. Just imagine bacon with a side of bacon. That is perfection.

We eventually finished our burgers and just continued to sit in silence. We both knew what we had planned next. The problem was getting from here to there. I never did this before. But I don't think Valerie is going to initiate anything. So I'm practically screwed. "Stop being nervous" my mate demanded. Easier said than done. She suddenly stood up and moved in front of me. "Do you trust me?" I instantly nodded my head. Grabbing my hand, she pulled me to my feet and led me into the bedroom.

"Wait. The rubber" I stopped her.

Valerie shook her head at me. "You said you wanted a baby, right?" she asked hesitantly. Nodding my head, I pressed a kiss to her lips. She grinned at me and began pulling me towards the bedroom again. "Let's make a baby then"  

_______________

"I've learned that home isn't a place, it's a feeling"

-Cecelia Ahern

This is the end of Becoming Beta. But there will most likely be a bonus chapter about Amanda and Pete, along with a chapter about Kenny.

Kayyyzzz Byeeezzz

~A.J.