Heavy steps, laden with storage boxes, approached. Georgie could tell by smell that it was Cove even when all but his legs were covered. Light sweat had gathered from his hard work, wafting to her.

“Can I help?”

The grunt that came from behind the boxes was negative. Georgie held strong in his path, refusing to clear the way if he refused to even use his big boy words. They learnt to talk together, for goodness’ sake!

A growl shook the boxes. It also shook something deep in her belly, but she ignored that. Georgie sniffed back and tapped her foot.

“Move.”

“Or what?” He won’t hurt me. He won’t hurt me. He won’t hurt me.

A pause. Of consideration or growing frustration?

“Cove?”

The boxes backed away. A noise of indignation squeaked from Georgie’s nose. She gave leisurely chase, following the careful retreat of Cove’s backward-shuffling.

“You’ll fall over,” she scolded. “Or worse – down the stairs.” She was expectedly ignored.

He made it all the way back to what had been the shared suite for the twins, dropping the boxes and shutting the door in her face. Georgie smacked her hands against it, pretending to try and beat it down. She wouldn’t really force her way in – what was the point? So they could argue some more? She sighed and stepped away. He didn’t change his mind and rush out to apologise like she secretly hoped he would.

Fresh air. She took a light tread down the stairs. Fresh air would make her feel better. Then she could return to Casey’s new suite and help him decorate. Cove hadn’t invited her into his yet. It was an exciting few days with them finally getting their own rooms, Alpha Calvin had given them time to sort them out and arrange new decoration and furniture and everything! It was particularly generous of him when Wild Mew were back for another meeting. Their neighbours from over the mountain hadn’t given a whole lot of notice to their visit, and they hadn’t brought much of an entourage. Locked away with Alpha Calvin, Georgie couldn’t help but wonder if they were here for something more serious than trade agreements and neighbourly pleasantries. Casey wasn’t worried as far as she could tell, although his concentration was pretty intense on the catalogues he’d been scribbling in and presenting to her for a second (far more important) opinion. His suite would be her suite one day, best they get it perfect now. He liked random individual items, she tried to steer him towards cohesive pieces, it was a work in progress. Cove’s suite should be hers, too, but he wouldn’t even let her inside!

She started a loop of the building, breathing in deep through her nose and then out softly through her mouth. Thick bushes leant in towards the red brick, creating wild canopies that parted at random. Georgie hoped that Alpha Mate Lara would forget to have someone trim them back-

“-point spending pack funds on fancy furniture when one has to go sometime!” a woman’s voice huffed haughtily.

The other walking beside her, making their way towards the gardens, agreed with a cruel laugh. “What a waste! When will he just make his choice and send the other one-” Their voices faded into the wind and their figures disappeared.

Georgie kept her back to the house, anger burning her body full of colour. Both twins were worthy of spending money on, worthy of keeping under the alpha’s roof, worthy of remaining in the pack. It was not any pack member’s decision to make but the alpha, and when one was chosen the alpha, they would never toss aside their brother. A furious resolution overtook her. She simply would not allow it. Gritted teeth and curled fists trapped her agitation, holding it as she let the decision settle in her chest. They were both her mates, she had every right to demand protection from either for the other. She was the alpha mate, regardless of the alpha. She would not be told no.

Casey was boggled but not unhappy with her storming into his suite.

“Of course I would keep Cove in the pack if I was made alpha, you know th-”

“Good!” Georgie could not let her rage deflate just yet, she barged into Cove’s suite next and asked the same of him. She didn’t care how irritated he looked at her uninvited arrival.

It was a long showdown of staring before he answered, “If that’s what you want.”

Georgie frowned. That seemed too easy. Maybe her anger was intimidating… or maybe she had misunderstood.

“So you’d let him stay?” she clarified.

Cove stared her down again. Georgie matched the look. His lost its anger. It was almost… sad. “I’d let you free.”

“Free?”

The melancholic look hardened. “Go play house with him. I have shit to do.”

“But-” He was already pressing her back with his body, walking into the centre of the door frame and forcing her out of it. Every brush of him against her, even just his warmth through his clothes, was accompanied by a lovely rush beneath her skin. The door closed before she could leap forward and make herself the stopping block.

She rested her face against it and pouted. There was no noise on the other side but he could surely smell her. Was this a productive form of protest? Probably not. Still, part of her wanted to dally there all day until he had no choice but to face her.

I’d let you free.

Free from what? Georgie slid down to her knees, feeling her forehead drag back on the wood. She would love to be free of the animosity, of the silent fury of her other mate. How wonderful it would be if they could all just get along again...

“I hope you’re not praying to that boy,” Lara chuckled behind her.

Georgie jolted, bumping her nose and falling backwards. “N-no! I was- I-”

Lara put out her hand, Georgie let herself be lifted to her feet gratefully. “Calvin needs to see them.” The way her expression wobbled worried Georgie. “The representatives from Wild Mew just left.”

“Oh?” Georgie swallowed.

“Let’s take tea while they convene, hm?”

“Y-yes, of course, Alpha Mate.”

Lara cracked a half-smile. “Don’t do that to me, Georgie.”

“Sorry.” Georgie turned up her own sheepish smile back. She rushed away to boil water while Lara ordered her son to attend the alpha’s office.

―

“Mountain clans?”

Lara nodded over her teacup. The twins would be receiving the same news from their father in his office just one floor down. “It could be folk tale mania – there have been resurgences of these stories every few years – but for Wild Mew to come here and suggest it themselves…”

Georgie chewed her cheek and watched the creamy tea swirl between her hands. “Do you believe they’ve come back?”

“I believe we are safe here,” Lara assured her. “And Calvin has agreed to be on watch. More importantly, we need the boys to be on the look-out – they spend the most time nearest the mountains.” Aside from Georgie, that was, but Lara didn’t say so. “If things escalate he may even consider placing guards at Borderwatch.”

“Is Borderwatch really ours to be guarding?” It had always been talked of like a buffer between Ivy Paw and Wild Mew, empty since the last war except for the ghosts of mountain clans… They weren’t real… Not any more.

Lara hummed. “Without Wild Mew’s input it would at least look suspicious if we suddenly filled the mountains with guards.”

“Like we were spying on them.”

“Mmm. But if they really have seen something…”

Georgie clutched her tea a little closer to her chest, comforting herself with its warmth. “You think they have?”

“I think that you and the twins have never mentioned anything amiss out there.” She winked kindly. “I trust your young eyes.”

Georgie groaned non-committally from the back of her throat. Could she trust her own eyes? What if they’d missed something? She thought of the island walkway… That could have been them misremembering what the area looked like, it had been a while since they’d walked that section. If she was so worried she should check their maps… Maybe she would.

“Something wrong?”

“No,” she lied immediately. “Just… tracing my steps.”

“Don’t worry yourself over it,” Lara cooed. “Let the alphas concern themselves with myths.”

Georgie forced a smile and filled her mouth with milky tea.

―

The twins were in with their father much longer than Georgie was seated with their mother. Finally, after she had even taken her dinner at home and wandered back to the main house, she spotted her mate as she slipped into the kitchen. Georgie slammed into the back of him, arms around his waist, and immediately smelled her mistake.

Cove spun in her grip and snatched her by the front of her tee, lifting her a little from the floor. He shoved her into the nook between fridge and counter and kissed her like he could put her clean through the wall with his lips. His hips followed, grinding into her, shocking her with a pleasure that almost hurt. Her thighs shuddered open, begging for him to ride himself that tiny bit deeper against her. He could crush her and she would keen under it. More of him, any more of him she could get. Georgie squealed at the bite he dug into her lower lip. How awful and wonderful it if left a mark-

Cove snatched himself back, keeping her pressed into the wall with his hands and a good few inches between the rest of their bodies. The bunch of his biceps told Georgie of the fraction of power he was using to hold her up. He snarled, “I can’t trust myself to even be in the same room as you and you-”

“I got mixed up!” Georgie bleated. She was innocent! And didn’t even really want to be! This punishment was ecstasy!

He covered her mouth with his own again, prying her lips open and tying her tongue up with his. Less a dance and more a fight, only Georgie was constantly conceding. Let him have her, her body screamed. There was a reason she should stop him. Someone who shouldn’t see this. She hated the idea of it, of having to choose between this and anything else. The kiss broke again and she whined pitifully into the air between their faces.

He lowered her, slowly, sliding her between the brick and his body. One side cold and one side warm, both firm against her. “I know you can’t resist me either,” he panted into the crown of her head, as though it were a charge of something dirty.

“Then why does it have to be a secret?” Georgie croaked against his chest.

He stilled. “You know why.”

Georgie looked up. The accusatory anger in his eyes unnerved her. The moment he stepped back a smidge, she squirmed free and fled back to the mate that would hold her gently. If he had even slightly tried to stop her, he could have; his alpha strength was unbeatable.

He didn’t.