Two Pups (bxbxb)

Peaceful Times

Tate's POV

Alpha Zander got in between us...again.

I could tell that Elliott was at his wits end. The moment I broke the news to him, his irises flashed red and he stalked off to the bedroom to be with the kids.

"This is the last one," I decided out loud.

Oliver looked up from his video game. "Huh?"

I just barely stopped myself from shaking him. "The last meeting, dimwit. You know, the reason Elliott is hiding from us right now?"

Oliver blinked sadly and stared at the staircase. "Aw, I thought he was tryin' one of those face masks that he likes."

I unplugged the tv and ignored Oliver's yowling. "Shut up. We have a meeting to go to and a mate to soothe."

"Didn't Elliott scare Zander into shuttin' up?"

That's what I'd thought, too. 

"The email says that he wants to discuss a compromise that he discussed with Alpha Liam."

Alpha Liam was the leader of the Bay Pack and Elliott's former Alpha. He and Zander also hated each other, so I was interested to hear about their decision.

Ollie groaned and hobbled off the couch. "Let's do this fast."

I shuffled over to the bottom of the staircase and reluctantly called out, "You gonna kiss your mates goodbye?"

The silence was long enough to seem like he was ignoring me. And then he yelled, "Oh, I have mates? I thought I was a single father!"

Oliver flinched and dropped his gaze to his shoes. "It's not our fault," he mumbled, far too quiet for Elliott to hear.

I rested a hand on Oliver's shoulder and yelled up to Elliott again. "You're not a single father! You're a drama queen."

"Oh, funny!"

"Love you," Oliver added.

A door slammed.

I met Ollie's wary gaze and shrugged. "The faster we leave, the faster we can come home."

The ride to the meeting place was no fun. I kept thinking about Elliott and Oliver kept looking at his phone, probably debating texting Elliott.

Finally, he turned his sad gaze on me. "Ya think you were a little mean?"

I bit the inside of my cheek and ignored the flash of doubt that cut through my chest. "Not really. This is tough for all of us. He doesn't have to blame us."

Oliver looked out the window, fiddling with his hands. "Well...well, maybe he's just mad in general, an' he's taking it out on us."

I sighed and pulled into the lot. "Maybe. I don't know. As soon as we're done here, we can go back there and smooth things over."

He held up his phone, eyebrows drawn tight together. "I hope so. I texted him that I loved him and he said, 'No shit, stupid'."

"That's rough, buddy."

Oliver scowled.

I hopped out of the car and set my shoulders before walking through the door of the building. Sometimes I felt like being an Alpha was like dressing up as a superhero for Halloween. Despite it being my birthright, I didn't quite feel deserving.

Even more alarmingly, a quick glance at Oliver confirmed that he felt none of these fears. He walked in with a glare and a confident swagger. As much as he claimed he hated it, being an Alpha certainly came naturally to him.