Reborn To Defy The Alpha-Chapter 84: Gifts From The Beta

Jason froze. "Ellie?" His voice squeaked embarrassingly high.

​Rhea grinned wider. "Yes. Beta Ellie. The one and only. He handed them to me earlier and told me to make sure you got them."

Jason did not move. He did not blink. His heart seemed to forget how to pump for a whole beat. Ellie had bought him gifts.

​Rhea tilted her head, a teasing glint in her eyes. "Have we broken him?"

Tavian leaned forward, a sly grin spreading across his face. "I think so."

​Jason slowly reached for the first box, hands trembling as if the cardboard might bite him. Or explode. Or sprout legs and run away. Honestly, any of those felt more realistic than Ellie willingly buying him something.

Rhea nudged Tavian with her elbow, whispering loudly, "He is going to pass out."

​"I know," Tavian whispered back, equally loud. "This is the best moment of my life."

Jason swallowed and lifted the lid. Inside sat a folded red hoodie, soft and thick. It was clearly expensive, but that was not what made his breath hitch. It was the emblem stitched over the chest: the beta sigil. Ellie’s sigil. The same one Ellie wore.

Jason’s vision blurred. "He... gave me his..."

​"His official beta hoodie," Tavian finished proudly. "Yep. That is not a small deal. That is like... emotional nudity."

Rhea slapped the back of his head. "That is not a phrase."

​"It is now," Tavian grumbled, rubbing his head.

​Jason ran his fingertips over the emblem. His heart squeezed so tight it hurt. "Why would he give me this?"

"Oh my goddess," Rhea groaned, throwing her hands up. "Jason. Sweetheart. Baby lamb of the moon. Maybe because he’s your mate?"

Jason flailed. Actually flailed. "No! No no no, Ellie is not... he isn’t... he... that’s... he’s..."

"Spiraling," Tavian diagnosed. "Terminal case."

Rhea grabbed Jason’s shoulders and shook him gently. "Listen to me. Ellie is not the type to go around giving an Omega gifts. And yet..." She motioned to the hoodie. "He gave you that. He’s definitely your mate."

Jason’s pulse roared in his ears. "Maybe he just... gave it to me because of you?"

"Oh, please," Rhea deadpanned. "He’s your mate, dammit. You just haven’t felt the mate pull because you’re not eighteen yet."

Tavian nodded. "He told us himself."

Jason’s breath caught. His pupils widened. His entire body jolted with the shock. Ellie was his mate. The goddess really answered his prayers. All this time Ellie knew, and Jason had not felt the bond yet because it had not reached the exact time he was born. He swayed, dizzy at the thought of belonging to someone like Ellie and Ellie belonging to him.

Rhea and Tavian watched him with wide smiles. Jason buried his burning face in the hoodie. It smelled faintly of pine, cedarwood, and something warm. It smelled like Ellie. Goddess help him. He was never surviving this day.

​Rhea clapped once. "Next box."

Jason choked. "N-next? There’s a next?"

"Open it before you combust," Tavian urged.

Hands shaking, Jason reached for the second box. It was smaller. He peeled the paper away and opened it. Inside rested a small silver pendant on a thin chain, a crescent moon encircling a wolf paw print. It was delicate and beautiful. On the back, engraved in graceful script, was a single word: Mine.

​Jason’s breath punched out of him. He clapped a hand over his mouth, his chest squeezing. Mine? His knees would have buckled if he were standing.

Jason’s breath punched out of him. He clapped a hand over his mouth, his chest squeezing. Mine? His knees would have buckled if he were standing.

​Tavian nearly exploded. "HE GAVE YOU A CLAIM ADJACENT GIFT?!"

Rhea’s jaw dropped, then she burst out laughing. "Oh, he is not even being subtle."

​Jason squeaked, "CLAIM? No! He... he... already? Did he?"

Rhea leaned forward, eyes sharp with excitement. "Jason. The inscription literally says mine. What other confirmation do you need?"

​Jason made a noise that did not exist in any human language. Then another. He curled forward, clutching the necklace as if it might float away.

Tavian fanned him with a paper plate. "Breathe, Jas! Do not die on us!"

​Jason’s voice shook. "Why would Ellie... why didn’t he tell me I am his mate?"

Rhea smirked knowingly. "Maybe because you were not ready yet."

​Tavian nodded. "Yeah. Maybe he is waiting for you to come of age. Waiting for the moment you start feeling the mate pull too."

"Which is the right thing to do." Rhea added.

Jason stared at them, eyes huge. "I... I cannot believe Ellie has been suffering the mate pull all alone. All this time." That was the disadvantage of having a younger mate, he thought. They do not feel it at the same time as the older mate until they come of age.

And to think, Ellie had been dealing with that all alone. The realization hit him like lightning. Jason shot upright so fast he nearly knocked over his cake.

Rhea hissed, "Fix your hair!"

Tavian shoved a napkin at him. "Wipe your tears!"

Jason did neither. He yanked Rhea’s door open and bolted into the hallway. Rhea and Tavian watched him disappear, jaws hanging open.

​Rhea slowly turned to Tavian. "What do you think is going to happen?"

Tavian shrugged, dead serious. "What else? They’re going to make babies."

Rhea sputtered, actually choked, and then burst into uncontrollable laughter. Tavian joined her, the two of them nearly collapsing from how hard they laughed.

Jason sprinted down the hallway, dodging people along the way. He nearly crashed into an Omega carrying stacks of towels.

"Hey, watch it!" the Omega yelped as the towels tilted dangerously.

"Sorry!" Jason shouted over his shoulder, not slowing even an inch.

Two younger pack members stepped out of a side room, laughing about something, only for Jason to barrel between them like a panicked deer.

"Bro... what the...? Watch where you’re going!"

"SORRY!"

He kept running. His heart slammed against his ribs, not from the sprint, but from pure, chaotic emotion. His thoughts were a blurry loop: I need to see him. I need to ask him.

​He skidded around a corner, nearly wiping out on the polished floor.

"WATCH IT!" someone snapped as he narrowly avoided colliding with a passing sub beta. Jason muttered another breathless apology and kept running.

​"What is wrong with him?" the guy muttered as he turned to watch Jason disappear.

Then, finally, Jason reached the East Wing of the pack house.