Kaizen: The Unruly Beta

[2 years ago…]

“You are sure?” Aysel asks me for the hundredth time. I place the gray, threadbare t-shirt inside the duffle bag and turn to look at her. She pointedly stares at me, arms folded. I sigh before removing a few clothes from the bed that is strewn along with other essentials and make her. She doesn’t protest, only continues staring at me expectantly. I sit beside her, balancing my elbows on my knees. 

“The money…”

“I fucking know that you are going there because the pay is good, but you know they will grill and roast you, and treat you like a slave if you don’t meet their expectations and even if you do they won’t be ready to accept and-” I place a hand on her knee, interrupting her rambling. 

She deflates, her shoulders sagging. 

“You know me, Ella. I’m not someone who will just bow down to anyone.” Aysel doesn’t respond but nods slowly. I can practically feel her apprehension. 

“Don’t worry,” I say, nudging her shoulder. Aysel doesn’t smile at that. 

“This will help mom and dad,” I finally resort to the only option and Ella also knows that. She looks at me immediately, her gaze filling with mild reproach. 

“Dad has not been in the picture since we began high school and you know that very well, Kai. Stop bullshitting me. Just because mom believes in him, doesn’t mean we do as well.” I exhale slowly. Patience, Kai, patience.

“Ella, you know that I need this job so that you can complete your medical school, right?” I ask her. Can she not understand our financial condition right now? Even her scholarship won’t help.  Aysel averts her gaze. 

“I have been looking for a job-”

“No.” I stand up. 

“You will not do anything other than study and complete your degree, get it?” When did she begin to think that her brother was useless enough to not be able to afford her school fees?

She looks up at me, her eyes are glistening. “Think about it once more before going.” She stands up and moves past me. Great, now she is annoyed even more than she was before. 

“Ella-” I call after her as she storms out of the room, slamming the door shut. 

~~~~~

“Give this to mom,” I say, handing her the packet containing this month’s expenses. 

Aysel gives me a dry look. “Seriously? You know the nurse.” I close my eyes before speaking. Sometimes my sister just gets on my nerves. 

“Ella, she is our mother. I know you hold resentment towards her, but that doesn’t entitle you to treat her like shit.” Aysel flings her arms up exasperatedly. 

“Well, why not? She left us and said her health was bad, but then what do we hear? She has hooked up with some guy,” she says contemptuously. I heave a sigh. It was true. Even though her health was downhill, she was not ready to stop living her life on her children’s money. But she is dying, that is true, and I do not want to have regrets. 

“Give it to her,” I say, placing the packet on the coffee table. I hitch the duffle bag before moving forward and engulfing my sister in a hug. Who knows when I’ll see her next? I pull away and ruffle her hair. She swats away my hand. 

“Be good. Don’t neglect your health and don’t do anything to make mom mad.” Aysel promises nothing, but she remains silent. 

“When will you return?” she asks, her tone glum. A small smile tugs at the corners of my lips. 

“I will look into that. Get your degree quickly so you can join me as well.” Her head snaps up and slowly, understanding dawns upon her. Her lips stretch into a wide, hopeful smile as she gives me a nod. “Yes. I will.” 

~~~~~

“Ya know this place is not for stray dogs, don’t you?” Gracia, a gamma comments, loudly chewing gum. I remain silent as I complete another rep of bicep curls. My gaze darts towards her where she is stretching or more like trying to be provocative. I won’t say it’s not working, but for now, I need to secure my position. 

I stand up from the bench and place the dumbbells in their allotted place. 

“I know but I don’t care,” I murmur over my shoulder before leaving the dingy basement gym. I feel frustrated. It’s been two months and I am still given menial jobs that even an omega can do. No wolf is willing to spar with me and I know this is because of their noses stuck behind their asses. Gyming is not even doing half of the work that sparring does. I sigh, clenchin my teeth. 

Another month, and I will leave. As I am walking towards the main office, my phone rings. I rub my sweaty palms against my sweatpants before fishing out the device. Aysel’s name flashes across the screen. I contemplate whether to answer because I know her questions and she probably knows what answers to expect. I am about to swipe the call to answer when-

“You must be the new trainee beta?” I turn, pressing the power button to silence the call. The alpha stands a few feet away. 

I nod. “Yes, why?” 

I feel the familiar irritation roil in my gut. Another alpha, another menial job. He raises an eyebrow as if not expecting this kind of response. Well, he clearly hasn’t met them all. 

“Spar with me,” he says after a beat of silence before turning back and walking away. I stand dumfounded because what the fuck just happened? However, he hollers again, “If you don’t want to, then continue slaving away for the other morons.” I compose myself and hurriedly follow him. 

~~~

Within the first 10 minutes of sparring, he has already defeated me twice. I pant, lying on the dirt ground while he gazes down at me. “You are not in good shape.” He walks to the small table that stood inconspicuously at the far end of the arena and picks up a bottle while I sit up. I wince as I stand. 

“Yeah, no one wanted to spar with me.” I sound petulant, but it might also be due to the fact that I have hardly been in proper training ever since I turned 15. This guy seems like someone from the royal family. 

He offers an unopened bottle to me which I take gratefully and chug down the contents in a few gulps. 

“You need to train better. From now, you’ll be training with me at this time. You are just a bit rusty, is all.” Without expecting any answer, he begins to leave. I frown. Why is this guy being so nice to me?

“Who are you? No offense, but no one, not even a gamma has agreed to spar or train with me, forget about an alpha.” He turns to look over his shoulder. 

“It’s because they are all my father’s lackeys. I am the black sheep and I am not doing you any favors. It’s for my benefit. If you want to become a royal beta, then show up tomorrow or pack your things and go back.” He leaves without another word while a thousand questions swirl in my mind. 

That was Alpha Azriel, wasn’t he? I let out a chuckle. So I have been picked up by the most dangerous member of this royal family, huh? Interesting.