“How are things with Alpha Casey, Alpha Mate?”

Georgie stilled, the bolt of material she had been examining balanced across her palms. With the creakiest of turns, she peeked over her shoulder. “Me?”

Cradling freshly-purchased folds of flower-patterned cloth, an older couple were at her back awaiting her attention.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Georgie smiled obligingly. “I was in my own world there. How are you?” She hoped in turning the conversation back onto the pair of wives they might offer her some hint as to how she knew them. Although if they were calling her by such a title, they probably didn’t… Casey was an alpha but he wasn’t the alpha, and Georgie was an alpha’s mate but she wasn’t the alpha mate. An uncomfortable scrunch through her chest arrived along with Casey’s warnings of butt-kissing.

“We’re very well. Thank you for asking, Alpha Mate,” the woman with the scraggly bun assured her.

Her wife, who let her own grey-streaked tresses hang long behind her added, “Shopping for new curtains.”

“That’s wonderful.” What more could she say to that? “I’m here on my mother’s behalf so I’m not sure what the project is but she wants sunshine yellow cotton.” She rolled her eyes as if this was typical of her mother’s shenanigans and the women tittered.

“Well you did look ever so lovely in your yellow dress for your party,” bun bobber cooed. She leaned into her wife with a giddy smile. “Such a lovely event for the pack, wasn’t it?”

“We need more all-pack events-”

“Ones that aren’t assemblies!”

Long hair bounced with serious nods. “Yes indeed.”

Georgie returned the action, wondering if they were expecting her to take notes back to Alpha Calvin. It was certainly nice to have everyone together, but she had no power to be making demands of lavish parties.

“I hope we can have many more,” she said, watching their expressions to monitor how her non-committal response landed.

“Next would be your ceremony, no?”

Her wife added, “You’ll be doing things traditionally at the temple, won’t you?”

“It hasn’t been discussed yet.” That was the truth, although Georgie knew what hers and Casey’s parents would want. She didn’t mind either way about the rituals and the location, she had too much on her mind with Cove and what that would mean for him. Also, it wouldn’t do to be spreading rumours of what would and wouldn’t be coming as far as pack events. Best to keep her mouth shut and let Alpha Calvin make announcements. “But rest assured you will all be invited to whatever celebration we hold for our soulmate ceremony.”

“Aren’t your parents temple-goers?”

“Y-yes.”

The women approved, tilting their noses up and smiling with their eyes. “And Alpha Calvin and Alpha Mate Lara are diligent attendees,” the bun-wearer hinted.

“I believe so.” Georgie had attended with them plenty of times. Still, it just didn’t feel right to be discussing these things, about people she knew very well, with people she didn’t know at all. The entire pack felt they knew her, though. She was their next alpha mate, she was someone they should feel comfortable approaching if they couldn’t come to the next alpha. However, the upwards shift of the next generation had not occurred yet, she should have some peace a little longer.

“And of course Alpha Casey will continue when he is alpha.”

A trap. “Well, we don’t know that he will be,” Georgie reminded them.

The women shared a knowing look and hushed their tone. “You can tell us, sweet. I’m sure there’s been talks in the big house about who will take the lead since you came along.” Came along? Georgie fought off a frown. She had always been there. “Why would the alpha without a mate be chosen?”

“Unless he has a secret mate!” scraggly bun gasped.

Georgie side-stepped them, carrying the bright bolt of material to the counter. “I’m sorry, ladies, I’m honestly not included in such discussions.” And that was about all she could say honestly. “But I will be sure to pass on your best to Casey.” Before they could muster another inappropriate question, she drew out her list and began reading out the specifications to a man wielding a ferocious pair of fabric scissors.

―

It had been a fair few days of clashing into one another in the pockets of time she and Casey could get. Now that he had a legitimate mate, their own pack members weren’t the only ones pressing on the head family for news. All sorts of meetings and planning sessions were taking place and all Georgie could do was squeeze herself around them, give her mate a kiss and a cuddle and try not to get in the way.

They were almost always hidden away inside the meeting rooms. Just the trio of twins plus Alpha Calvin or surrounded by guards and healers and others who had something to inform and warn them of. Polite enquiries into simple pack news flowed into debate and negotiation. Welcoming small talk to acrimonious arguments hunkered over their notes. Seeing the twins terse was unsettling, especially from Casey. Georgie spent most of her time since their honeymoon with her mother or with theirs. Alpha Mate Lara was experienced with what she called the ‘ebbs and flows’ of leading the pack.

“You go through periods where change is expected, everyone is waiting for your mate’s decision or seeking their advice. They want to know how their lives will be affected even if they’re not connected to the change at all,” she advised, sprucing up her lunch with a sprinkle of seeds over the salad dressing Georgie had whipped together. “And then the tension passes and you almost feel completely unimportant.” The alpha’s inviolable rule held over any and all members of the pack. Short of infallible, although decisions were typically final. “You have to ride the waves and stand at his side and hope he makes good choices.” Georgie nodded at her own salad, realising Lara was referring to Casey.

“I’d like to understand more,” she admitted. “I feel like they’re getting all this training in leadership and I’m still so ignorant to it.”

“You’re not ignorant.” Lara let her sit with that statement for a minute or so, stabbing at the foliage in her bowl. “But I don’t think it’s a bad idea to learn alongside them. Goddess knows they always behaved better with you beside them.”

“Would you say something to Alpha Calvin for me?”

“Even better!” Lara waved her leaves. “I’ll give you my blessing to go ask now!”

Georgie faltered, putting down and picking back up her cutlery. “Can I finish my lunch?”

Lara laughed. “Sure.”

―

Cherry wood chairs carved with leaves of all species of trees gathered around the meeting table. Matching furniture in the central pack building was reserved for rooms they took visitors in. The wolves of Ivy Paw might not care all that much about regularity and order – let nature rule – but they still had pride in the face of other people. They would not be thought of as scruffy mutts.

At each head sat a currently ruling alpha – that of Ivy Paw furthest from her and that of Wild Mew closest. The twins took middle seats opposite each other with what appeared to be guards from both packs filling in additional gaps.

“Apologies for disturbing you,” Georgie said softly. Casey’s adoring gaze was already making her blush above the tray she’d carried with her. “I wanted to bring refreshments.”

Georgie had intended her interruption to be catalytic; a spontaneous excuse for them all to take a well-deserved break where she could find a suitable moment to suggest she learn a thing or two about pack leading too. Instead, she was offered a seat at the table at her mate’s side to soak in the drone of alphas discussing the mobilisation of guards between packs to ensure overlap coverage of territories, with no polite means to refuse. She did learn a thing or two amongst the repetition and mild arguments. And the snacks were eaten. It was draining more than anything, though, to observe domineering wolves do verbal battle. She was physically safe with both her mates nearby, of course. One caught her hand beneath the table and snuck a smile at her occasionally. The other… looked utterly miserable. It didn’t matter what the reason for his bad mood was, it ached Georgie’s bones to see Cove glum. This mate maturity hormonal bullshit sucked sometimes.

“-with that agreed,” Alpha Calvin announced, although as far as Georgie had been following things, no one had actually ceded to anyone else’s points, “I think we would be fools not to up our footfall. Please expect a report very soon of exactly how we intend to organise that extra cover.”

This appeased the Wild Mew’s alpha enough. Perhaps he was just as weary of this debate as she was. “We look forward to it, Alpha Calvin.” He rose, his eyes finding Georgie before anyone else. “And it was a pleasure to meet Alpha Mate Georgie in an official capacity at last.”

“And you, Alpha Bennett. Thank you for letting me listen and learn.”

As soon as he and his entourage had been escorted to the edge of the territory with repeated promises of more meetings soon and gratitudes that each side could find the time for each other, Casey and Cove deflated.

“You’ve done very well today,” Alpha Calvin told them. His pride was glowing from him. It didn’t invigorate the twins.

Cove stretched his hands above his head, dragging his shirt up with it and offering a slice of his toned tummy. “Today isn’t over yet,” he groaned.

“Yes, it is,” his father corrected. “You’ve earned it. Go have some fun with what’s left.”

Casey punched the air. “Yes!” He didn’t pause to say goodbye to his father or brother, snatching Georgie’s hand and staggering away.

Through her giggles she managed to get a grip on his elbow and halt him just out of earshot of the others. “Hang on,” she whispered. “There’s something I need to grab from home. Meet you at your room?”

He pouted like a puppy. A ridiculously oversized puppy.

Georgie pecked at his mouth, using all the extra height she could squeeze from balancing on her toes. “I promise it’ll be worth it. Give me half an hour, I need to use your shower first.”

“Half an hour?” he whined.

“Casey,” she sighed. “Take a second to think about what I might surprise you with after a shower.” She leaned into his chest raising brows and eyes at him.

An alpha with a bubblegum blush blinked down at her. “Oh.”

“Mmhmm.” She used his solid chest as a push-off point and skipped away before she lost her nerve. And before her parents got home from work and found her trying to sneak out with a suspicious gift bag…