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

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

While he dozed, they’d fought in whispers, occasionally rousing him enough to realise they were bickering. They pretended to make up for him, then found something else to butt heads over when he 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.”

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

Cove apologised to neither of them. They walked on and Georgie bit his lip in hopes of not stirring any more aggravation between them. Every interaction he had with Cove felt like a roll of the dice, and with Casey nearby, it became even riskier. He couldn’t make sense of what Cove was feeling, couldn’t really read him. He wanted Georgie, he lusted after him, but he treated him like he hated him. Maybe both could be true. And then there were Georgie’s feelings: he loved Cove, he couldn’t help it, he was his soulmate and he felt it right down to the deepest parts of him. He craved his attention, sometimes even the negative crumbs he sprinkled to him. 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 his chin and kissed him, soft and speedy, before taking off on all fours, leaving tatters of clothes for him to scoop up. As he straightened, another large hand was reaching for him. His flinch cut regret across Cove’s face. Georgie’s mouth stammered without words.

He didn’t mean to.

He surprised him.

But he had already fled.

―

“Georgie!”

“Alpha!” He returned the jolly energy and hopped up from his seat. He 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 his excuses. “The boys can handle themselves.” Georgie didn’t correct him that they were men now. Great, big, hulking alpha men. “And Goddess help anyone who tries to trouble you with them about!”

Georgie smiled queasily. Alpha Calvin 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 his dearest friend these days…” He leaned his hips against the island and looked down into his cooling chocolate, ashamed that he hadn’t managed to hold onto Cove through their circumstances. They had once been inseparable, as much as he had thought twins were.

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

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

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

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

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

“Big pack assembly tomorrow, Georgie,” Alpha Calvin announced as though he hadn’t noticed his son’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 his mate was already pulling him from the kitchen. He waved behind him and staggered along in his arms.

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

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

Georgie restrained his 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. He 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,” he rushed to reassure him, stroking his upper arms with his 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 his arms, covering his hands with his own. “If he’s that worried…”

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

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

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

Georgie jerked back. “Casey!”

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

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

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

“Yo-”

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

“What?”

“This attitude.”

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

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

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

“So you may as well stop caring?”

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

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

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

Georgie turned his face away, panting. “Casey!” he gasped.

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

“Don’t be,” Georgie croaked, cradling his head in his 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.” He mouthed the words against the pendant he’d gifted him.

Georgie couldn’t help how his 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.