Adele had Georgie’s cake handled. She was the best baker in the pack, as decreed by Georgie and the twins when they were maybe eight years old. She had no need to defend her title, her bakery filled the air in every direction with the scent of fluffy bread and buttery pie crusts. The cake for Georgie’s twenty-first needed to offer enough servings for at least half the pack, what with his being the next alpha mate. At least, the only alpha mate they knew of thus far. It would be built of trays and trays of flat, rectangular sheet cakes lined up to create the perfect chocolate ground to sprout a fondant forest from.

It was not a cake check-up that had his dropping in to Adele’s temple of treats. He was in need of marble cake, a thick slice of it; the end piece, preferably.

The day was early enough that there were still plenty of racks of treats open for purchase, and Adele’s baking brigade were all hard at work behind the counter. Georgie didn’t recognise the wolves milling about, making their choices, but many noticed him, sometimes with nods and murmured words. Casey had opted against keeping his mate a secret. That was, the announcement had burst out of him like a breath he couldn’t hold. It would shock Georgie if any member of Ivy Paw wasn’t aware of their future alpha mate’s name and face at this stage. It draped a light layer of pressure over him when out amongst them, to seem worthy and benevolent. A drop in the ocean that Casey and Cove were paddling in, he couldn’t complain. Georgie made his purchase, smiled sweetly to everyone who met his eyes, and hurried out.

Casey and Cove shared a bedroom, had done since birth, and it was still Georgie’s first stop in a search for them. After Georgie’s mate maturity, their separate suites should be finished. The original plan had been for them to be arranged after the twins’ mate maturity but… there was always something more important to get done in the pack. And they didn’t mind, what was a few more months on twenty-one years? It wasn’t like they ever fought or stepped on each other’s toes. Until Georgie’s mate maturity, neither of them had need for privacy either.

And that was why he was on the hunt. It was the day before his twenty-first birthday, and he and Casey wanted to share his bed for the big night. Not to do anything mature. To be cuddled up together as the day broke on the beginning of the rest of their lives together.

The room was empty. Georgie frowned in the doorway at the pair of double beds, one made neatly and the other clean but crumpled. The connecting bathroom door was open showing no alpha hiding in there either. He sniffed the air. Only old, embedded scents from years of passing through met his nose, nothing fresh for the last few hours. Taking time to lock their door again, he juggled his options: Alpha Calvin’s office, the scrap library, the kitchen, really any of the central pack building that held the alpha family’s personal quarters alongside official meeting and greeting rooms.

He skipped down the stairs towards the second floor and was halted at the sight of his target stepping up. Cove froze. He was most unimpressed with Georgie’s appearance in his path and made sure he could see it plain in his face. Dusky pink lips pursed and lost their light colour. Georgie grinned. Cove kept his disapproval. Slow and cautious, Georgie finished his descent. Cove stepped back and waited for him to pass him round the bend to the next set of stairs. Instead, he blocked the bottom step with another attempt at a big, winning smile. He held out his palms to him. Wrapped in brown baking paper, with a twine bow Georgie had added himself, was the marble cake slice. With a single sniff Cove knew exactly what he was presenting to him: his absolute favourite treat. Coffee and marble cake were Cove’s two weaknesses. He used to have three until his brother became its mate.

“I know Casey might have already asked-”

“You want to sleep over for your mate maturity,” he drawled.

“Please.”

“No.” He stepped back to retreat back the way he came.

Georgie followed him, pressing out his palms. “It’s one night. It’s the night.”

“No.”

He huffed his shoulders. “Wouldn’t you choose to wake up next to your mate on the morning of your mate maturity?” It was a genuine question, and it silenced him.

Maybe it wasn’t anger in his eyes. It was almost fear. Not that Cove had anything to worry about from little ol’ Georgie. There would be no revenge even if he stuck to his refusal.

“No sex,” he said finally.

“Of course not!”

“Even if you think I’m asleep.”

“Never!”

“Even after midnight.”

Georgie rolled his eyes and squeezed up his shoulders to plead his innocence. “Cove, please, I swear we would never do that.”

He looked down at the bribe again. With a sigh that stretched into a groan he lifted it from his hands by the bow-tied twine, not a ghost of a touch between them.

“Thank you!” Before he could brush his off, and taking advantage of his full fingers, Georgie dove in for a quick hug. Cove was a rock in his embrace. It didn’t make his scent any less comforting. It had been so long since he’d squeezed him like he used to. Even this was nice.

“Yeah,” he grunted. He didn’t move to remove himself from him, that was a win. There was also no twitch to touch him.

Georgie pulled back when even he could catch on that it was getting uncomfortable. Still, he beamed up at him all his gratitude. Cove’s regretful frown in reply drove him away, running too quick for him to change his mind.

―

“Was the gold… your choice?” Alpha Calvin asked, prodding at the pile of balloons that Georgie’s parents were puffing up.

Georgie laughed, it came out with a breathless snort. He’d run out of puff himself a few minutes earlier. “No, that was all Casey. I added the yellow to soften it all…” It all, his birthday decorations, had become a bright, burning display. Sunshine shades filled the room where his parents, and Alpha Mate Lara, were preparing for the big party tomorrow. Streamers and bunting and paper plates and cutlery – it all glowed.

“It’s… bold.”

The alpha’s mate chuckled. “How diplomatic, my love.” Her fingers were entangled in paper chains that the pups in the play centre had coloured with daisies and… possibly bright yellow bogies.

Alpha Calvin raised a gold banner, curved it into the air and lined it up with Georgie’s hair like a crown. “Shall we call you the Golden Boy for the day?” The structural integrity soon gave way and the paper pieces fell from his hands.

Georgie shook his head with a smile. “No, thank you, Alpha. I’ve had quite enough of the attention already.”

“And you’re not even an alpha mate, yet,” Lara reminded him. “You’re blessed to have this preview.”

“Blessed that Casey couldn’t keep a secret if it threatened to kill him,” Georgie corrected. Not that he would have preferred they kept it a secret. It had been nice to be welcomed even deeper into the family than before, to prepare himself for their lives together, and to have the alpha and his mate throw him such a big party for his own mate maturity. The whole pack was invited. It was almost more of a pack party than a birthday party, a celebration for everyone that their next generation’s alpha had found his mate.

Casey’s parents shared a laugh at the memory of their son’s immediate exclamation. They had been thrilled at the reveal, as had Georgie’s parents. They’d all grown up together – what could make a better match? If only Cove could be so lucky, Lara had lamented at the time.

“It’s getting late,” the twins’ mother hinted softly. “I think Georgie should enjoy his last evening while us mature folk finish the decorating.”

No one disagreed with the alpha mate, although only Alpha Calvin had the right to even try to anyway. Georgie’s bashful slinking from the room was followed by the adults’ laughs. Once out of sight he upgraded to a dash.

“You’re running the wrong way!” Casey snatched him up from behind and swung him by the armpits for a circle and a half. “I’m right here, my mate!”

“You should be waiting in bed for me with the covers pulled back a bit!” Georgie demanded through his dizzy giggle.

Casey smooched around the edges of his face until he turned to face him. Then he kissed him hard, walking him back into the wall behind, long fingers finding their way under his top. He broke the kiss only to rub his neck into his, spreading his scent liberally.

“I thought you’d at least wait till morning,” Georgie laughed, muffled by his shoulder. He’d got his unique brand on him plenty of times before, not so sloppily. A few strokes now and he stank.

“This isn’t the half of what I’m gonna give you in the countdown to midnight.”

“Then please get us somewhere more private,” Georgie begged, dopey grin still in place. Tonight was the night and he wanted to be tucked up in his mate’s bed! Almost-mate. In just six hours he would be.

“You left your stuff up there already?”

“Yup.” An old t-shirt of Casey’s to wear as pjs, toothbrush, fresh undies, all the good stuff.

“Then hold on!” Lifting him by the backs of his thighs, Casey hiked him up his body. Georgie wrapped his arms around his neck and clung on when he ran through the building and up the stairs, all the way to the twins’ suite.

They tumbled inside, giggling into each other’s mouths. Casey’s bed was further from the door and he carried him straight past Cove’s (with the man himself draped over it) and dumped him onto his duvet with their tongues still locked. Casey did have the manners to pry free one arm to wave a brief greeting to Cove. Georgie couldn’t do the same, he was utterly squashed under what felt like a half-tonne of alpha.

He wriggled and giggled until a growl against the corner of his mouth stilled him. A shock of arousal flooding him. He hadn’t reached the age for this yet! So close, but not yet!

“Lemmeup!” Georgie garbled.

Casey backed up, letting him sit upright with great reluctance.

Georgie pushed him a little further. “I need to freshen up.”

“I disagree.”

He ignored him and slid off the end of the bed, snatching his bag from the floor. The little bathroom attached to their bedroom had a shower but he opted for a sink wash. As much as he wanted to be immaculate for the special night… he was also eager to lie down and close his eyes and hurry along the morning. This must be how humans felt on Christmas Eve.

Georgie returned, a little cleaner and dressed only in Casey’s t-shirt that fell to the tops of his knees plus the necklace he’d given him. He pretended it was a nightdress, an old-timey one that hung off him like he was a doll. He hoped he looked more cute than creepy to Casey. He watched him approach from his bed, already in his own pajamas.

Cove was a dark force on the opposite side of the room. He glowered at the book gripped between his hands. There was no way to turn the page when he was squeezing it so hard. Still, Georgie smiled at him as he passed. It wasn’t returned. As expected. It hurt. As expected.

“Get in,” Casey chuckled, holding back the covers. Georgie dove under. The toasted scent of his favourite alpha surrounded him until his head popped up to the pillows. Casey awaited him there, his own head propped on his elbow. He kissed his crown, then smushed his cheek along his with more overt scent-marking that, with Cove so close by, was a little mortifying. Under the blankets, his hands were cupping his throat, stroking his underarms, rubbing his belly, coating him. Georgie squeezed his eyes shut and swallowed the whiny noises that were trembling in his chest.

“Cut it out,” Cove growled. Georgie’s eyes startled open.

Casey didn’t stop. His fingers traced Georgie’s creases down and down until he was at his groin. He wasn’t allowed beyond that… Still, the tingles his touch brought on snuck deeper between his legs. “I want my mate to wake up mature and scent-marked.”

“And I was promised no sex in here tonight.”

“It’s not-”

“Where are your hands?”

The red hands retracted. Georgie didn’t need to look back to know Casey’s smile would be sheepish beside him. He waved them in the air for a moment, proving his innocence at least for now.

Cove tossed his book to his night stand and smacked the switch on the wall between their beds. “Go the fuck to sleep.”

With a sigh, Casey curled around Georgie’s back. “I guess that’s good night, my mate.”

“Good night,” Georgie whispered. “And to you too, Cove.”

Cove made no noise in response. Casey nuzzled the back of his neck comfortingly with his nose and settled for sleep. Georgie followed. The sooner he drifted off, the sooner his mate maturity would arrive.

Before he closed his eyes for the last time as a boy, he was certain he saw Cove watching him through the darkness. Grim-faced. How he missed his happiness...