Processes and procedures printed and stored in binders that could break brick stacked across the table. Only at the very centre was there a pop of colour – a vase of flowers. Pink snapdragons, to be particular. One of Georgie’s favourites. They grew in spritzes at the borders of the herb and vegetable gardens. Alpha Calvin sat at the head, Casey and Cove at his sides facing each other. Georgie presented her tray of offerings with a polite smile. She and their mother had baked the morning away. Now she smelled more strongly of cinnamon than the cookies cut into maple leaf shapes.

Alpha Calvin had always had a direct hand in the twins’ tutoring (he’d taught Georgie her first letters and numbers, too) and in the last few years as adulthood rushed towards the young alphas he had incorporated intense training in what it took to lead a pack. This meant lots of long sessions at long tables with long scrolls of historic decrees and battle recordings.

Casey complained regularly (to Georgie) of her desire to escape out to the forest. Like Georgie, it was her favourite hiding spot from life. However, she was twenty-one now, old enough that she was expected to act the alpha she was and sit in on important meetings, shadow her father as much as possible, be a symbol for the people of the pack to follow. And for Cove, the same applied. Although their parents had worked hard to keep too much pressure from falling on their shoulders too early – this being their reasoning for never declaring who entered the world first – one of them would take their father’s place one day. That is, unless someone could find another way to fairly incorporate both twins as alphas. It was unheard of, and yet Georgie had come up with plenty of ideas over the years. They could halve their alpha duties between them and rule the pack together, they would make a great ‘good cop, bad cop’ as the humans liked to say. They could split the pack into two pieces and rule side-by-side. They could do a fortnightly shift and then Casey and Georgie could spend her weeks off in the woods.

Unfortunately, a common suggestion from the lower ranks of Ivy paw was that Alpha Calvin should have the twins fight or trial in some way. The loser must leave and begin her own pack from scratch. To split them apart, permanently, gave Georgie a sickly feeling in her stomach. It was wrong. Unnatural.

“They will be free for lunch shortly, Georgie,” Alpha Calvin said with a twinkle in his eye and a biscuit between his fingers. He had always seemed grandfatherly to Georgie, maybe it was the white hair. On his daughters it was crisp and youthful. “Maybe we could extend our lesson with this sugar boost…”

Georgie reached to retract the plate with a silly smile. “In that case-”

Alpha Calvin, and Casey, laughed. “If this is a biscuit hostage situation, I shall have to concede. Go on, girls.”

Casey and Cove stood without pushing their chairs back, taking no time to say goodbye to their father, and fled. An arm hooked around her front stole Georgie while Casey used her other hand to snatch a couple of biscuits. Georgie’s feet flopped behind them both as Casey ran them to the kitchen. She clung to her front and giggled the entire way, her voice bouncing when she did.

Their mother had handled the mess of the morning’s baking. Not a crumb had been left behind in the enormous communal kitchen lined with cabinets and multiple fridges and a collection of odd stools. Cove had come and gone when the mated pair arrived.

“Sandwiches?” Georgie asked, her body horizontal across Casey’s.

Casey flipped her upright. “I’ll cut the bread!”

“No, you won’t! We’re not having bread bricks either side of a measly slice of chicken again.”

She laughed as though Georgie had made a good point but was already reaching for the bread bin and the jagged knife.

“Cut it how you normally cut it for yourself and then cut those two pieces in half,” Georgie ordered.

“Yes, Alpha!”

Georgie stuck out her tongue before turning to the fridge. There was little in the way of cut meats so she opted for a hunk of cheese, a jar of onion chutney, and some salad. Checking the container told her the greens had been harvested from the garden the day before. They only needed a handful each.

Their teamwork made for two thick (and slightly wonky) sandwiches that took some extra tough chewing. Of course, this meant the alpha finished first.

A cheesy exhale blew back Georgie’s bangs. She pulled a face up at Casey, displaying her disgust. Casey grinned and blew at her face again, deliberately this time, sharing her stinky lunch.

“Has mate maturity made you think that’s sexy?” Georgie snorted. “If I gave you a whiff of my morning breath would you be all over me?”

Casey licked her thumb, removing the last of her sandwich crumbs. “I’m always all over you.” As if to prove her point she snatched her up by the waist, off the stool, lifting her to her height. Georgie kicked her feet and wrapped her hands around Casey’s wrists. She had complete faith that Casey would never drop her despite her pretend struggle.

Casey’s teeth found her neck, teasing a bite and leaving her scent instead, all the way up to the round line of her jaw. She kissed both her cheeks with loud smacking noises. Then, suddenly, she squeezed the chubby flesh between her lips in a mock chomp. The darkening of her irises from jade to fern when Georgie whimpered filled her with a flush too hot to handle. She wasn’t prepared for this – she was too young! Not too young for love… too young to keep up with Casey’s mate maturity. Casey released her skin and licked her lips. Her eyes dropped to Georgie’s.

“You don’t have time to play that game,” Georgie mumbled. Staring up at her, she fought the urge to lunge and snatch her mouth into hers. She still looked hungry. Let her eat all she wanted of her.

“You’re right,” she said with great strain. “I should… go and get ready.”

Georgie nodded encouragingly as Casey pulled away with an awkward jerk and put her back down on her seat. “I love you,” she whispered at her back.

“I love you more!” Casey bellowed as she left.

Georgie covered her face despite there being no one around to be embarrassed in front of. The blush burned regardless.

―

The twins would shadow a meeting that afternoon between their father and the alpha of Fanged Fjord who was visiting from the other end of the country. Something about imports through their waterways. Georgie often nodded along with the things Ivy Paw’s alpha said to appear polite at Casey’s side. Regardless of what was going to be discussed between high-powered werewolves, it meant the twins needed to dress up. At least for the first greeting.

Identical young alphas stood over a low table, reading last-minute facts from a printed sheet. The flower vase had returned, balanced between them again. Their suits matched, leaning into the twin novelty. The wolves of Fanged Fjord might have met twins before, but never alpha twins. Only through spending her entire life between them could Georgie tell them apart. Even their scents were similar, the tang of alpha overpowering the subtle notes that denoted them as separate beings. Frowning in concentration down at small print it was especially difficult to the naked eye. To Georgie, it was more of a sensation just above her skin that let her know who was who. Maybe that was her mate maturity lying dormant...

They glanced up to her in sync. Casey smiled. Cove stilled.

“I wanted to see if you needed anything before the big meeting,” Georgie said, creeping in closer.

Cove pushed the vase in her direction. “You should take these, they’ll get thrown away otherwise.”

“Oh, thanks!”

Cove shrugged and looked away as though Georgie had already lost her interest again. Casey scoffed.

“I like the suits,” Georgie offered quietly.

Casey pulled a pose and grinned. “Yeah?”

“Yeah, you look all grown up.”

“Maybe we should get you one too, then.”

Georgie smirked. “At least I would wear mine properly.” Casey’s tie was askew, Georgie abandoned the flowers to fix it, pretending to push it all the way up to her neck for a moment. Casey mimed gagging.

“One minute,” their mother called through the door.

The twins replied with perfect synchronisation, “We’re coming.”

Georgie buttoned Casey’s waistcoat, looking up at her with all the loving exasperation in her heart, then reached for Cove’s. When her knuckles bumped her stomach, Cove lurched back like the points had poked her painfully. It roused Casey’s eyes up from the fact sheet she had been taking a last peek at on her way out. She looked curiously to her sister.

“I’ve got it,” Cove snapped.

Georgie couldn’t keep her eyes off the ground as she swallowed the admonishment. Half a year ago she would never have taken that tone with her.

“Don’t be rude.” Casey was at her back, staring her sister down over her head. Half a year ago she would never have taken that tone with Cove.

A silent showdown that lasted all of seconds. Cove turned away for the door. Casey pecked a kiss to the top of Georgie’s hair and followed her. Georgie lingered in the room, alone, wondering how late their meeting would keep them locked away and what mood the pair would come out of it in. Actually, just Cove. Casey was dependable as the lap of lake water.