The following morning the announcement was made to the pack as a whole that there had been mountain clan sightings, that everyone should be on alert for anything amiss, that the alpha and the guard teams had this all under control. Looking over the pack, its future guardians were stoic. Georgie caught Casey’s eye and smiled his silent encouragement. He returned a grin and their audience softened. Who could worry when there were three alphas facing them with confidence? Well, Cove was unshaken in appearance, that was good enough.

Wolves meandered from the room, gossiping and speculating, and Georgie and the alphas watched them leave with their assurances. Only once the last had left did they vacate the stage.

“I want you both working closely with the guards, together they make up our first and last line of defence.”

“Yes, Alpha,” the twins chimed together.

“And any of those little slip-aways you like to do with Georgie, you keep your eyes on the mountains.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

“And Georgie?”

Georgie started. “Y-yes, Alpha?”

“You be extra careful. While I still don’t think the issue is as dire as Wild Mew would like me to believe, it never serves to let your defences down.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

“Why would Wild Mew exaggerate something like this?” Cove questioned.

“They want our reinforcement. Or, more exactly, they want us to declare ourselves as their reinforcements so they look like they have a much larger force at their disposal.”

Casey asked, “What if the mountain clans really are harassing them?”

“Then, we help our neighbours.”

The boys mumbled a chorus of, “Yes, Alpha.” They didn’t check each other’s faces but Georgie could sense they wanted to. Looking to their brother for their reaction was instinct.

“I won’t get in your way,” Georgie hinted, stepping away from the trio. “Let me know if there’s any need for recon out there, though.” He grinned at Alpha Calvin. “I’d love to do my part for the pack!” The alpha chortled and moved to ruffle his hair before thinking better of the action. Georgie was a man now, and his mate would not appreciate such gestures. Still, he couldn’t think of himself as an adult the way Lara or his parents were… he and the twins were in some in-between space still. Figuring it all out.

Casey caught Georgie by the waist before he could leave them to it. “What will you do today?” he asked poutily.

“I was going to take a walk in the forest, do some journaling… then Lara invited me to join her in the library to help a group that Missie formed to mend items and offer them to others.” Goddess forbid anything ever got thrown away, ever. Georgie wasn’t particularly handy, unless it was for wilderness wandering, so he expected to be darning a whole lot of socks.

“Bring back something for the suite,” Casey said softly.

Georgie laughed, “I’m not sure you want anything I’ve tried to fix!”

“I heard most of the junk they get just needs a good scrub.” A rare, grunted, comment from Cove.

“Yeah, give it some elbow grease, Georgie,” Casey teased, his grin wolfish.

“I would honestly prefer that to being trusted with any kind of needle or nail.” He backed away, taking his humble leave.

Casey chased him for the first two steps to kiss the crown of his head in between his farewell words. “Enjoy the walk. Howl if you see anything amiss. Don’t glue your fingers together. Love you. Bye.”

He finally escaped his pecking and ran out the door, giggling and waving behind him at Cove and Alpha Calvin.

With his journal and his crayons, and tea supplies in a bag tied around his waist, he plodded past the boundary line. He was going off the beaten track somewhat, and the trees were much more grabby. Twigs tacked to his clothes as he ploughed on, determined to stay on two feet. He’d only managed to take two rubbings when one snagged his top before he could slow. Georgie pouted at the rip in his sleeve. At least he knew where he could get help mending it later today…

He moved to continue, only, he had a sense that someone was watching him. Without his own lumbering noises, he focused on all he could hear around him. A branch snapped and he spun. Metres from him, his mate trekked through the undergrowth.

“We have perfectly good paths, you know,” Cove grumbled.

“I wanted to explore.” Georgie tucked away his supplies. “Get some rubbings from trees I might not have met before.” Turning his wrist, he evaluated the tear. “I don’t think the trees here like me, though...”

Cove sighed and thrust his hand beneath his nose. “I’ll sew it up, hand it over.”

Without considering the consequences, Georgie yanked his top off by the bottom hem and gave it to him. Cove’s lecherous look had him scrabbling to cover back up. All he had were his hands, he wrapped them over his chest and scowled.

“I’ve seen them plenty of times, my little half-twin.”

“It’s not about you seeing them, it’s about how I feel when you look at them.”

Cove’s cocked brow and sly smile proved his point immediately. His nipples pinched and puckered beneath his wrists. Touch them, pull them, suckle on them.

Cove ignored his pathetic lust, and that was exactly why Georgie didn’t like to put himself in these positions. He was the one who was unable to hide his arousal. The tin in Cove’s pocket held a number of survivalist items that he kept ready for any of their many minor disasters out in the woods. From it he plucked a needle and thread and took to stitching together the two sides of the tear.

“Thank you,” Georgie mumbled.

“Don’t thank me yet, you haven’t seen how crappy it’s going to turn out.”

“You can’t make it any worse…” He trailed his boot toe through the dirt, scuffing up the leaves into lines.

“You don’t know what I’m capable of.”

“Yes, I do.” The energy between them was suddenly charged. It wasn’t intentional, and he blinked above the blush at his own accidental innuendo. His nipples ached. “I mean-”

Cove shrugged his words off, turning his attention back to the sealing magic his sewing was working. “I know.”

Goosebumps prickled up under his fingers, reminding him of the chill in the air. Georgie pretended not to notice. If he was that cold he could shift, but he didn’t want to. It was hard to sketch without thumbs…

“There you go.” If only the tree had snagged it deeper… “And where’s your jacket?”

Georgie blinked stupidly. “Don’t have one.” He was a wolf, he didn’t need a jacket.

“Take this, I have to head back anyway.”

Reflexively, he opened his mouth to refuse. Then… he wondered why. Cove was just as much his mate as Casey, and if anyone asked it was easy to believe his brother would be looking out for his mate. What kind sibling wouldn’t? Georgie put out his palms and toppled forward a little when Cove’s hoodie flopped upon them.

“You won’t stay for tea? I don’t mind sharing.”

It wasn’t intended as a dig, but he realised immediately that even saying ‘the s word’ had agitated him. He turned away, no goodbye, and stalked back through the trees.

―

Allowing Lara’s naturally nurturing nature to soothe him, Georgie attempted to settle into the tasks at hand. It almost drew him into a new melancholy – wonderings of when was the last time he sat beside his own parents and took part in a family activity. He hadn’t officially moved out, and they weren’t pressuring him towards taking himself to Casey’s suite permanently yet. There were no nights he could remember that he hadn’t slept over with his mate recently, now that he thought about it… Maybe they would if he offered them more than a passing few minutes of his time. Perhaps he could admit he feared what they had to say if they caught him. Mostly a fear of being questioned over the expected mate ceremony. He glanced at Lara’s kindly face and wondered if she had bumped into his mother at the temple recently; if they had discussed dates or lamented the lack of gumption their children were showing to get tied together under the Goddess’ gaze.

“What do you think of this jumper for Casey?”

Georgie tilted his head, sizing up the woolly item. “It might just fit him. Does he need more clothes, though?”

“Well, he must not have enough to share with you, hm?”

“Oh!” Georgie awkwardly laughed and stammered through his explanation, “I was out on a walk in the woods and ripped my top and Cove saw me and offered his hoodie because it’s cold and-”

“Georgie,” Lara chuckled. “I’m only teasing you.”

Georgie blew out a long breath through pursed lips. “Please don’t, my stress levels can’t handle any more.”

Lara’s look was curious now, but she said nothing more, returning to her felting. Georgie cleaned the crevasses of old toys and tested plastic wheels and hoped the rest of the room ignored him.