Curled ferns seemed to be turning up their lips at them. Georgie tapped them as he passed, knocking rogue raindrops from the tips.

“We’ll need to find higher ground than usual,” Casey said thoughtfully, scanning the path directly ahead as though it would open up to the perfect location for him. “Maybe that hill just before the start of the lake?”

“Sounds good, not too sharp of an incline but less puddles!” They couldn’t let rain put them off this rare opportunity to get away. As it was, Casey only had the afternoon off from his work. He had come bounding on all fours to Georgie, hunting him with his nose, to announce they were off into the woods immediately. Come morning, he would be expected back at his father’s side. Cove had more to finish before he was released for the day, which meant they could avoid inviting him without feeling guilty. Which suited Georgie especially today. He needed to talk to Casey, alone, preferably out in his happy place.

Casey kissed the top of his head cheerfully. “Exactly.”

As soon as camp was erected, Georgie pulled Casey down to the log they’d rolled up next to the fire. The hill they were perched on had a wide, flat top and plenty of room for them to spread their supplies. If it weren’t for the water level to compare to not far away you wouldn’t know you were up high at all.

“I’m so glad we have this night, just the two of us,” Georgie said softly.

Casey beamed. “Me too!” He swung his leg over the other side of the log, straddling it and leaning in to kiss him.

Georgie pecked his lips and pulled back. “There’s something I need to talk to you about and I couldn’t do it in the pack.” Casey’s eyes dropped to his stomach. “No! Not that.” He pouted and Georgie huffed at him, feigning exasperation. “We’re too young for that so don’t look so sad.”

“What is it then?”

“It’s-” Georgie’s mouth stayed open and his eyes strayed all around Casey’s head. “I-” He had had the whole hike to come up with the right words, and now he had no idea where or how to begin. “Something h-happened when I reached mate maturity.”

Casey frowned, leaning in. “Something happened?”

Oh Goddess, he had made it sound dark and disturbing. “I- No-” He sighed and scrubbed his face and… realised he could sense something. The approach of his mate. Only, his mate was right here in front of him. “Oh shit. Okay, I need to just spit it out.”

“Please do,” Casey laughed, bewildered.

“You and Cove are both my soulmates,” he blurted. “I don’t know why or how and my only guess is it’s something to do with you being twins but I can’t find anything about anyone else being in this same sit-”

Casey stuttered through a, “What?” There was disbelief and humour in the crinkle of his brows.

“I know. It sounds insane.” And he could feel the oncoming storm that was Cove pounding paws through the forest. “But I can tell you I can literally sense him coming.”

“Cove?”

He nodded. “Sometimes I get these senses, about where you are or how you’re feeling or-”

“Me too! Me too!” Casey waved his hands between them.

“For Cove?”

“No!” he scoffed. “For you!”

“Okay, so you believe me?”

A dark shadow fell over his face. It was wrong. It was the beast inside stepping out. “You’re serious,” he growled.

Georgie croaked, “Yes.” And Cove is about to-

An enormous white wolf burst over the hill crest. Casey launched himself onto all fours before Cove could reach their camp, slamming into his brother and sending them rolling back down through the muddy grass. They fought like dogs, snarling and snapping at each other with teeth that terrified him.

“Stop it!” Georgie screeched, scrambling to the edge. “Casey! Cove! Please!”

Casey kicked Cove away. With the advantage of some distance, Cove leapt back onto two feet, his muscles sweaty and bunching, and lunged at his twin again. His face was twisted with fury and it pierced Georgie’s heart to see. Casey met him upright, grappling them back to the ground. Cove was ever so slightly stronger these days, but Casey fought wildly. Some of his moves were just plain weird, according to the brother he’d practised them on growing up. He was unpredictable, ballsy, it certainly gave him an edge.

“Please stop,” Georgie begged. He scooched through the soggy grass on his butt, chasing them down to the river bank. “Please. It’s no one’s fault!” He staggered upright and ran to them, flailing his arms between them like an awkward dance move. “Blame the Goddess!” he shouted. The pair stilled. “Blame-” He stuttered through a big breath. “Blame the Goddess…” he panted. Their bare chests heaved against him, aggressive alpha scent clouding the air and putting his short hairs on end. They stared each other down over his head. Then dropped their eyes to his. Then back to each other’s. Georgie kept his own eyes up; there were penises he could accidentally make eye contact with if he dropped his gaze and now was not the time.

“You told him,” Cove seethed.

Georgie withered under his anger. “I had to.”

“Is that why you followed us?” Casey barked, his chest bumping Georgie back into Cove. “To stop him from telling me?”

“I didn’t know he was planning that.” Cove looked down at him accusingly as he spoke. “I just felt my mate wandering off with some other alpha-”

“Some other alpha?” Casey roared. Georgie barely ducked away as he flung himself at Cove. Then he kicked himself for it, his mate would never put his in harm’s way, he might have made a decent blockade between them. They were already tumbling away from him, snatching at each other’s limbs and necks.

Georgie chased after them again, his feet sliding in the mud. “Enough!” They ignored him, slamming into one another and covering their naked bodies with dirt and leaves and chunks of grass. “I said, that’s enough!” Fists and feet swung, connecting with wet, blunt noises. “Fine. I’ll just walk into the lake and not come back if you two are going to be so-” A grunt cut him off as Casey kicked Cove over his head and rolled over his own shoulder to throw himself down on top of him, chest-to-chest. Cove shoved him off, too strong to be caught out if Casey wasn’t quick. Georgie blinked, realising he’d gotten distracted watching them like a wrestling match, and marched off to the water.

From the first step into it he regretted not shifting first, but then his point wouldn’t be as clear. The cold pricked his toes as he waded forward, his back to the brawling brothers. By the time he was waist-deep his frame was racked with shivers and he could no longer hear his mates trying to tear each other apart. He took a long breath, closing his eyes, and put his palms to the water. They would feel his discomfort. They had the same senses for him that he had for them. They would come. There were no more fighting sounds.

Splashing followed him, along with grumbling. He wondered for a moment if he had made a mistake leading them into an environment they could drown each other in. Opening his eyes on a sigh, he turned and began to walk backwards, facing the two alphas sloshing through the lake to reach him.

“You both need to cool off,” he said quietly. “Fighting isn’t going to change anything.”

Their shoulders were shaking with rage rather than from the chill. The space between them churned where they shoved their way through the water as though it gave no resistance at all. It was high enough to Georgie now that he could let himself float a centimetre or so off the ground, tilting himself back a bit to look at the darkening sky. The stars looked their loveliest out in the woods, no chimney smoke to muffle their shine. He stopped his paddling and they halted a few feet from him.

Cove still looked furious. Casey just looked hurt. Georgie knew which was far worse.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice thin and raspy. “I should have told you the day I found out.”

“He should have told me too.” Casey looked to his twin with sad eyes and a tense jaw, like he couldn’t decide whether to cry or punch his brother in the face.

Cove growled, “And what good does that do?”

“I wouldn’t be left in the fucking dark about my own mate, Cove.”

“But now you know, who else has to know? Where does it end?” Cove huffed. “We can’t tell the pack.”

Casey considered this. “No, but I’m not just some other alpha or pack member.”

“I don’t think anyone would believe us anyway,” Georgie murmured.

“I… barely believe it myself,” Casey admitted. “Just once I thought I had something that I didn’t have to share.” He looked to Cove again. “I thought he was all mine.”

Cove ground his teeth. “Yeah, well I’m not fucking thrilled about it either.”

“Thanks.” Georgie pouted at the pair. “You don’t want me.” He pointed at Cove, flicking him with water droplets in the process. “And you don’t want to share me.” He did the same to Casey. Neither flinched. “And all either of you care about is the other. What about how I’m feeling about all this?”

Casey closed the gap between them, cutting the water with his hands until he could gather Georgie in them. “Sorry, Georgie.” He held his waist and lifted him from the water a little, keeping his chin above the surface.

“I love you both,” Georgie whispered. When he looked to Cove he was sneering at him as though he didn’t believe a word out of his mouth. He returned his gaze to Casey, who looked at him like he was the Goddess herself. “And I feel my soul being literally tugged back and forth between you. And… I don’t know how to be a good mate to you both.”

“Oh, Georgie.” Casey kissed his forehead again and again, ever so gently. “Don’t ever worry about us.” His lips against Georgie’s skin warmed him along with his words. “It’s our job to take care of you.” He hoisted him up onto his shoulder. “And that means not letting you freeze to death. Come on.” He wasn’t sure if those last two words were for him or for Cove, but the other alpha followed them back to the shore regardless.

―

In the tent, dried and warmed by the fire, Georgie watched through the opening as his mates worked in awkward silence to prepare supper. A stomach-turning tension fizzled between them louder than the meat on the skillet.

Casey sprinkled a handful of seasonings over the food. “We have no choice but to share, you know that, right?” It was the first thing either had said to each other. The whole way back through the lake, up the hill, and drying off they had only spoken to Georgie directly. Cove stared at him as though the idea was both ridiculous and obvious. Either way, he was looking down on his brother for speaking it aloud. “Soulmates are soulmates,” Casey added.

Cove looked away, prodding at the fire.

“You think this is what I would have chosen for us?”

Cove ignored him.

“Fine. Don’t want to claim him then you don’t get to have him.”

A flash of anger enlarged Cove for a moment, his expression flaring. “Soulmates are soulmates,” he spat.

“Then we share,” Casey insisted, his fists clenched with sprinkles of herbs still stuck to them and his teeth gritted.

“We share,” Cove retorted, as though it were an insult to Casey.

“We’re good at it,” Casey said on a sigh, moreso to himself than Cove. Already he was walking away to collect something from his pack, complaining under his breath. “Been doing it our whole damn lives…”

Cove turned to peek in at Georgie through the tent flaps. Georgie frowned, he wished Cove would make any kind of effort to make this easier for Casey. Cove turned away immediately. Casey kept grumbling to himself as he cooked, but at least the meal turned out well. Georgie praised him plenty as he ate, hoping to boost his mood at least a little. See? He hoped to convince him, this can work, it can be nice… the three of us. Cove glowered over his bowl and only remembered his manners when Georgie demanded them.

They retired to bed early, squeezing in tight. Georgie took the middle spot this time. Casey slapped Cove’s hand off his side. Cove smacked him back. Georgie snapped at them both when he got caught by someone’s swing.

“Sleep,” he ordered. “We’ll work out the rest tomorrow.”

The twins obeyed, begrudgingly, although Georgie could tell they were faking slumber just like he was until the sun came back again.