Treein

Kestrel was a beta, and an aggressive one that most folks didn't like much. The Empire had picked a future husband for her. This guy was pretty much perfect: born into a high-class family, good-looking, rich, nice, and the envy of everyone around.
People were quick to start whispering.
"Why did such a great guy end up with her? She can't even make tea right and she barely passed her cooking class."
"He won't be able to put up with her for long."
"Right, their love story is a train wreck waiting to happen."
Hearing this stuff over and over, Kestrel started to think that she and her guy, Tarian, were doomed from the start. So, when Tarian showed up with a sweet and pretty girl, Kestrel pulled off her engagement ring and tossed it into the gutter.
From that moment, Kestrel lived free and happy, like a bird soaring in the sky, a fish swimming in the wide ocean.
But a few years into her easy-going life, at a royal shindig, Tarian cornered her. His eyes were all red, and he confessed that he was sorry for everything and that he couldn't stop thinking about her. But Kestrel, wild as ever, wasn't interested in going back to her old life.
Tarian turned white, gritted his teeth and said, "I don't care what you're like, and I can handle your shortcomings. You won't find a more understanding alpha than me."
"Well, I already have a new alpha." To totally shake him off, Kestrel made up a name on the spot. She quickly thought of all the alphas she'd met on the battlefield over the years, and chose the name of a buddy she was tight with, guessing he wouldn't mind.
"He's a good listener, and we're a perfect fit. Plus, he really likes me and doesn't care about my mistakes."
Right after a bummed-out Tarian took off, Kestrel turned around and smacked right into the guy she'd just made up. This guy, a real war hero who'd taken down tons of enemies, turned a bit pink, looked away, and muttered, "You... when did you figure out that I have a crush on you?"

The Beta Dominates Alphas

Despite trying over and over to convince herself to stay calm and under control, Kestrel found things spiraling a bit out of her grip—maybe because the space around them was too tiny, and the smell in the air was overly sweet.

When they first met, Ren was calm and serious, but he quickly became all mixed up after Kestrel kissed him.

He looked so cute reacting this way. At this moment, Kestrel could practically hear the storm of thoughts inside his head:

"Where am I? What just happened? What should I do now?"

Later, Ren seemed to lose track of his thoughts, a blend of fantastic emotions lighting up like a swirling display of colors. Kestrel couldn't figure out what was going through his head, and likely he didn't know either, but one thing was sure: Kestrel knew he was experiencing joy.

A Bite of Ren