Page 6 of Convincing the Heartbroken Beta

Chapter Three

Sascha shivered beneath the parka Cameron had given him. His designated protector had also found him a baggy sweatshirt and pants to wear. In addition, two thick pairs of woolen socks covered his feet, since no shoes even close to his size could be located. Sascha mused that the clothing probably belonged to Cameron. Ever since Sascha had been rescued, he’d been going out of his way to cater to Sascha’s every need.

Sascha screwed his eyes shut but they flew open again almost immediately. Whenever he closed them, all he could see were the screaming omegas, the terror in their eyes, blood splattering as they were murdered right next to him.

His emotions were a jumbled, mangled mess. Relief, guilt, fear and rage all mixed together to try and make him crazy. He didn’t know if he should laugh or cry. In a bizarre twist, his friend Jasper’s rat bastard of a father had probably saved his life. Not because the asshole actually cared about him, though. No, all he’d been concerned with was the cash Sascha’s pregnant body could bring. But because he’d grabbed Sascha out of the way, he and his baby had survived when others hadn’t.

The realization that someone who’d been instrumental in trying to destroy his life had inadvertently saved it wouldn’t leave his thoughts. However, Sascha resolved to never tell Jasper. His friend had enough bad memories of his father as it was. No need to add to them.

Sascha brought his knees up to his chin and wrapped his arms around his legs, hugging himself. He couldn’t tell whether the shivering was from the cold or his nerves that were still all shot to hell. After being in that frigid cell for so long, he wondered if he’d ever feel warm again. But he suspected his uncontrollable shaking was more likely the result of both the surroundings and his stress.

Sascha glanced at Cameron who stood with his back to the truck, his stance rigid as he remained vigilant. He wasn’t sure what to make of the beta. Cameron had been so nice to him yet had seemed very nervous when Alpha Brandon had shown up. Since then, he’d barely said two words to Sascha and had remained outside.

Then there was Alpha Brandon. Sascha’s lower lip trembled, but he swallowed hard, fighting against the tears he didn’t have the luxury to indulge in. While the older shifter was great eye candy and seemed sincere about making sure Sascha was safe and cared for—meeting his fated mate for the first time had lacked the oomph he’d always fantasized about. The Alpha hadn’t seemed that thrilled either.

It’s because of the baby. I know it is.

Sascha supposed he couldn’t blame an Alpha for resenting that he was stuck with a mate who was pregnant with someone else’s child. He’d assumed as much from the moment he’d realized who Brandon was back at the prison. But what was worse was that Sascha had no idea who the baby’s father was. And trying to get the Alpha to believe he was still a virgin? What a laugh. He still didn’t understand everything that had gone on during his captivity, but somehow, he’d been one of the lucky ones who hadn’t been raped.

More tears threatened to spill as his thoughts once again landed on his friend, Jasper. He didn’t know what Jasper had been through before he escaped. Any time the prisoners were caught trying to communicate with one another, they’d be beaten. He could only hope that Jasper had also escaped being sexually abused.

Sascha straightened in his seat as Cameron came around to the driver’s side and opened the door. He poked his head in.

“Everything okay in here? Can I get you anything?”

Sascha gave Cameron a shy smile. He really did like the beta. After all, Cameron had been so good to him already and seemed like an easy-going, friendly guy.

“I’m all right. But could you sit in here with me for a while? I’d like to ask you a few things. I mean, if you don’t mind.”

“Oh.” Cameron glanced around the area as if checking whether they were being watched. “I guess that’d be all right.”

A thought occurred to Sascha. “Did he say you’re not allowed to speak with me?”

He wasn’t about to let some stranger, fated mate or not, start bossing him around. Being forced to do the bidding of the Deltas and scientists was all the bullying he could handle for one lifetime.

Cameron furrowed his brow. After laying his rifle across the back seat, and pulling out a side arm, he climbed in the truck then shut the door. “I better keep this closed because of the cold. Otherwise, I’d totally leave it open.”

Sascha blinked a few times, trying to figure out what Cameron was getting at. “Why would you want to leave it open? Unless, you know, it was really hot out.”

Cameron fidgeted with the zipper of his jacket. “Uh, I don’t want your mate getting the wrong idea.”

Sascha huffed. “So he did say you couldn’t talk to me!”

Cameron’s head jerked up. “No! He never said anything like that. I’m just trying to be respectful, that’s all. And I know you went through a bunch of awful stuff. I don’t want you feeling uncomfortable being alone with some strange guy.”

At Cameron’s words, Sascha’s eyes became misty again. What he really wanted to do was see his mom. He was her only child, and his dad had died long ago. She was alone. It wasn’t fair to keep him from her.

“I’m not worried about that. But thanks. That was cool of you.”

Sascha tried to take Cameron’s feelings into account. Maybe he didn’t want to be on guard duty. Maybe he didn’t like Brandon. Maybe he’d just lost someone in battle. Sascha didn’t know a thing about him, so he shouldn’t judge.

Cameron shrugged a shoulder. “S’nothing.”

Sascha hadn’t been around a lot of betas. Very few of them had lived in the Yukon Delta Pack, and they weren’t highly regarded. The Deltas had always sneered at the betas who were there to guard and protect. They’d instead used them for grunt labor. As far as the pack was concerned, they’d insisted they could take care of themselves when it came to fighting. Sascha imagined that in general betas got pushed around quite a lot.

“Well, I appreciate it all the same.”

Sascha reached for the water bottle he’d placed in the holder of the center console right as Cameron did. Their fingers brushed together, and Cameron yanked back his hand.