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 him.

“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 his belly, but he ignored that. Georgie sniffed back and tapped his 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. He gave leisurely chase, following the careful retreat of Cove’s backward-shuffling.

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

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

Fresh air. Georgie took a light tread down the stairs. Fresh air would make him feel better. Then he could return to Casey’s new suite and help him decorate. Cove hadn’t invited him 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 he could tell, although his concentration was pretty intense on the catalogues he’d been scribbling in and presenting to Georgie for a second (far more important) opinion. His suite would be Georgie’s suite one day, best they get it perfect now. Casey liked random individual items, Georgie tried to steer him towards cohesive pieces, it was a work in progress. Cove’s suite should be his, too, but he wouldn’t even let him inside!

He started a loop of the building, breathing in deep through his nose and then out softly through his 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 his back to the house, anger burning his 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 him. He simply would not allow it. Gritted teeth and curled fists trapped his agitation, holding it as he let the decision settle in his chest. They were both his mates, he had every right to demand protection from either for the other. He was the alpha mate, regardless of the alpha. He would not be told no.

Casey was boggled but not unhappy with his 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 his rage deflate just yet, he barged into Cove’s suite next and asked the same of him. He didn’t care how irritated he looked at his 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 his anger was intimidating… or maybe he had misunderstood.

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

Cove stared his 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-” Cove was already pressing him back with his body, walking into the centre of the door frame and forcing him out of it. Every brush of him, even just his warmth through his clothes, was accompanied by a lovely rush beneath Georgie’s skin. The door closed before he could leap forward and make himself the stopping block.

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

I’d let you free.

Free from what? Georgie slid down to his knees, feeling his forehead drag back on the wood. He would love to be free of the animosity, of the silent fury of his 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 him.

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

Lara put out her hand, Georgie let himself be lifted to his 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 his own sheepish smile back. He 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 his cheek and watched the creamy tea swirl between his hands. “Do you believe they’ve come back?”

“I believe we are safe here,” Lara assured him. “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 his tea a little closer to his chest, comforting himself 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 his throat. Could he trust his own eyes? What if they’d missed something? He 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 he was so worried he should check their maps… Maybe he would.

“Something wrong?”

“No,” he 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 his mouth with milky tea.

―

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

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

Cove snatched himself back, keeping him 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 him 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. He was innocent! And didn’t even really want to be! This punishment was ecstasy!

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

Cove lowered him, slowly, sliding him between the brick and his body. One side cold and one side warm, both firm against him. “I know you can’t resist me either,” he panted into the crown of his 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 him. The moment he stepped back a smidge, Georgie squirmed free and fled back to the mate that would hold him gently. If he had even slightly tried to stop him, he could have; his alpha strength was unbeatable.

He didn’t.