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

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

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

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Georgie smiled obligingly. “I was in my own world there. How are you?” He hoped in turning the conversation back onto the pair of wives they might offer him some hint as to how he knew them. Although if they were calling him 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 he wasn’t the alpha mate. An uncomfortable scrunch through his 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 him.

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

“That’s wonderful.” What more could he 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.” He rolled his eyes as if this was typical of his mother’s shenanigans and the women tittered.

“Well you did look ever so lovely in your yellow outfit for your party,” bun bobber cooed. Shee 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 him to take notes back to Alpha Calvin. It was certainly nice to have everyone together, but he had no power to be making demands of lavish parties.

“I hope we can have many more,” he said, watching their expressions to monitor how his 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 his and Casey’s parents would want. He didn’t mind either way about the rituals and the location, he had too much on his 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 his 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 he knew very well, with people he didn’t know at all. The entire pack felt they knew him, though. He was their next alpha mate, he 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, he 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. He 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 he could say honestly. “But I will be sure to pass on your best to Casey.” Before they could muster another inappropriate question, he drew out his 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 he and Casey could get. Now that the alpha 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 himself around them, give his 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 his time since their honeymoon with his 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 his own salad, realising Lara was referring to Casey.

“I’d like to understand more,” he 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 him 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 his 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 him 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 him blush above the tray he’d carried with him. “I wanted to bring refreshments.”

Georgie had intended his interruption to be catalytic; a spontaneous excuse for them all to take a well-deserved break where he could find a suitable moment to suggest he learn a thing or two about pack leading too. Instead, he was offered a seat at the table at his 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. He 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. He was physically safe with both his mates nearby, of course. One caught his hand beneath the table and snuck a smile at him 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 Georgie 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 his giggles Georgie managed to get a grip on his elbow and halt him just out of earshot of the others. “Hang on,” he 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 he could squeeze from balancing on his 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,” he sighed. “Take a second to think about what I might surprise you with after a shower.” He leaned into his chest raising brows and eyes at him.

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

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