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

Dating was awesome. It helped people figure out what was sweet, what was cozy, and what happiness really was.

Even now, thinking about the fireworks and last night's kiss, Ren still had a unspeakable feeling in his heart.

It was a first for him, his very first date.

Looking back, Ren saw that a lot of his "firsts" in life had happened with Kestrel.

But for some reason, mixed in with all that sweetness, he felt kind of weird.

Ren went over every single word Kestrel said last night, every moment she smiled under the fireworks, and every feeling they shared in the psychic landscape. Finding no red flags, he finally chilled out a bit.

Plus, Kestrel promised she'd never leave him alone again.

Still, Ren couldn't get rid of this uneasy feeling. It was like Kestrel hadn't really promised him anything solid—like spending their lives together.

Feeling shaky, Ren couldn't sleep and woke up super early.

The Next Queen (1)