Anxious, trembling tension mounted as Georgie walked. Wedged between her mates she was perfectly physically protected, that wasn’t what she feared. Another bust-up felt on the brink.

She’d slept most of the day away, catered to by Casey, on her mound of bedding. Cove burned her with her eyes whenever she was near. When Casey was doting on her, touching her, doling out her affection by the spade, Cove found something to do with herself that involved being at least four paces from their camp but no further than ten. One mate to love her and one mate to… observe her?

While Georgie dozed, they’d fought in whispers, occasionally rousing her enough to realise they were bickering. They pretended to make up for her, then found something else to butt heads over when she was just getting to the good part of a dream. Usually one where was stretched across the laps of two alphas… being shared without conflict.

“Do you want me to explain to your dad-”

“No,” Cove huffed. “Let us deal with him.”

Her tone drew a hard look from Casey. “Don’t speak to your mate like that,” she whispered, sounding more heartbroken than angry.

Cove apologised to neither of them. They walked on and Georgie bit her lip in hopes of not stirring any more aggravation between them. Every interaction she had with Cove felt like a roll of the dice, and with Casey nearby, it became even riskier. She couldn’t make sense of what Cove was feeling, couldn’t really read her. Cove wanted her, she lusted after her, but she treated Georgie like she hated her. Maybe both could be true. And then there were Georgie’s feelings: she loved Cove, she couldn’t help it, she was her soulmate and she felt it right down to the deepest parts of her. She craved her attention, sometimes even the negative crumbs she sprinkled to her. Anything.

When the open pack lands came into sight, they agreed that the twins would go to their father and Georgie would sort the dirty backpacks. Casey cupped her chin and kissed her, soft and speedy, before taking off on all fours, leaving tatters of clothes for her to scoop up. As she straightened, another large hand was reaching for her. Her flinch cut regret across Cove’s face. Georgie’s mouth stammered without words.

She didn’t mean to.

She surprised her.

But she had already fled.

―

“Georgie!”

“Alpha!” She returned the jolly energy and hopped up from her seat. She had been nursing a hot chocolate in the kitchen, awaiting Casey’s return so they could take to bed together. They had trooped home with the sky burning orange, now there was only starlight outside.

Alpha Calvin rested his fists on his hips and shook his head, tutting. “I was worried when you didn’t come back this morning.”

“Sorry, Alpha-”

He waved off her excuses. “The girls can handle themselves.” She didn’t correct him that they were women now. Great, big, hulking alpha women. “And Goddess help anyone who tries to trouble you with them about!”

Georgie smiled queasily. He couldn’t know about them both. Not unless they’d cracked in his office. Their first agreed rule couldn’t already be broken: no telling.

“Casey’s mate and Cove’s dearest friend – what worse duo could you pick a fight with?”

Georgie swallowed, only momentarily relieved by his words. “I’m not sure Cove would call me her dearest friend these days…” She leaned her hips against the island and looked down into her cooling chocolate, ashamed that she hadn’t managed to hold onto her through their circumstances. They had once been inseparable, as much as she had thought twins were.

“You’re her only friend.” Alpha Calvin sighed. “Always have been.”

“And Casey,” Georgie argued weakly, knowing she didn’t really count.

The woman herself burst into the room with a beam. “Telling my father how much you adore me?”

“Always,” Georgie cooed, swinging around her father to fall into her arms. Casey rested her hands suspiciously low on her back. “Don’t touch my butt in front of him.”

“Sorry.” The hands slid up an inch and cradled her hips.

“Big pack assembly tomorrow, Georgie,” Alpha Calvin announced as though he hadn’t noticed his daughter’s dog-like behaviour. “Make sure you both dress nice for the stage, hm?”

“Yes, Alpha.”

“And none of that while you’re up there, hm, Casey?”

“Yes, Alpha,” Casey chuckled. “Good night, Alpha.”

Georgie called a farewell, too, but her mate was already pulling her from the kitchen. She waved behind her and staggered along in her arms.

As soon as they were clear of Alpha Calvin’s ears, she asked what the assembly was for.

“Mountain clans,” Casey murmured, unusually cryptic. Only once they were behind her suite door did she continue, “He wanted to know everything about our trip, what we saw and what we didn’t see.” She shucked off the shirt she’d put on since getting back, baring the taut lines of her torso.

Georgie restrained her fingers from tracing them. For now. “Why?” They hadn’t seen anything while they were out, and hardly got that close to the mountain ranges. She supposed Cove might have swum out closer but it wasn’t likely...

“Wild Mew have been putting the pressure on about these mountain clans. Not that there’s any proof they’re still out there,” she rushed to reassure her, stroking her upper arms with her thumbs. “He even started to worry they’d got us when we didn’t come back when we said we would. So worried he didn’t even get mad that we were late!”

Georgie crossed her arms, covering her hands with her own. “If he’s that worried…”

“It’s fine.” Casey pulled them free and took her face between her palms. “You’re in no danger with me, my mate.”

“I know… what about the rest of the pack?” She cocked a brow. “Your pack?”

“When they make me alpha they can look to me for answers,” she scoffed.

Georgie jerked back. “Casey!”

“What?” She stepped away to inspect her empty pack. Georgie had already put everything away. Next she meandered to the laundry basket and tossed her hardly-worn shirt in along with her trousers.

Georgie stood still by the door, watching her with rising concern. “I thought your dad was choosing his successor?”

“Who told you that?” She hopped into the pj pants that had been hanging from the end of her bed, then scrabbled into the tee.

“Yo-”

Casey shook her head and her white, tufty hair bounced back up where the collar had flattened it. “We don’t know how it’s getting decided either.”

“You think he’d put it to a public vote?”

Casey shrugged. “Why not? What difference does it make?”

Georgie watched her fluff the room for a few moments, wondering. There was nothing to clean, she had already tidied while Casey and Cove were in their father’s office, explaining themselves. “This is about sharing with Cove, isn’t it?”

“What?”

“This attitude.”

She straightened, her hands on the bed covers, and forced herself to soften, her easy smile appearing much more worked-at now. “What attitude, my mate?”

Georgie mimicked her, “What difference does it make?”

She shrugged again. “I have no control over the outcome, so-”

“So you may as well stop caring?”

She rushed her, a short surge of defiance that put Casey hooking over her. “I can only care so much, Georgie,” she pleaded, dropping the fake grin. “Please just let me care about you and fuck everything else.”

Georgie drew in close, peering up at her with a gentle frown. Casey was too kind-hearted for all of this. Guilt bit at her for being the bringer of this pain. “That’s not the Casey I know,” she whispered. “She would never-”

“I’m sorry, Georgie. I just-” She snatched her upwards by the collar of her t-shirt, kissing her hard, knocking her nose into hers, biting her lips, growling into her mouth.

Georgie turned her face away, panting. “Casey!” she gasped.

“I’m trying to share,” she groaned into her cheek. “I’m trying to only have half of you and that takes twice the effort from me. I’m sorry.” She kissed her ear. “I’m sorry.” Then, her neck. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Georgie croaked, cradling her head in her arms. “Let’s just go to bed, please. It will all be okay but… I don’t have the answers right now.”

“At least I have you right now.” She mouthed the words against the pendant she’d gifted her.

Georgie couldn’t help how her heart suddenly ached for Cove. “Yeah.” It was barely Day One of sneaking around under everyone’s noses. It couldn’t be this hard forever.