RUNT

I dont want to marry you..

Serenity

I don’t know why Christian is being so insistent that I come to the office today with them, he claims he will be to lonely without me there. Gabriel had told him he didn’t need to come but Christian insist he needs to go help with some things. Something about unwelcomed guest from the king, I really don’t understand what he means but I have a feeling I am about to find out.

I agree though, Gabriel looked overwhelmed last night when he finally stumbled in to find us at nearly midnight. I don’t like seeing either of them suffer so I ended up agreeing to come. I am going to have to work at this mate thing.

They both had already headed to their office incredibly early, leaving me alone to get ready, whatever that meant. I splash some water in my face before staring in the mirror for ten minutes. My puff of black hair sticks out in every direction and the bags under my eyes seem to have lost some of their cargo, not to bad. What am I supposed to do to get ready?

No idea. You look fine just go. My wolf huffs. I want to see our mates.

Okay. I do too. I nod but I am still uncertain. What if I run into someone else? They will probably think of me as intruder or worse a rouge. In a pack like this I would probably be killed on sight. Royals are protective like that.

I carefully tiptoe out into the wide, dark maroon carpeted, hall and head towards the office, but smelling someone unfamiliar I immediately freeze. I listen for a moment, hearing not one but two unfamiliar voices, another male and a child. There is some giggling before I hear Gabriel cry out startled and rapidly moving heavy footsteps. A door flies open down the hall and moments later Christian is picking me up into a tight hug.

“ Little one. Are you up for meeting a few people?” he smiles down at me, a hopeful glint in his red eyes.

I hear hushed whispers from beyond the door but hesitantly nod. I can do this. Right?

He kisses my neck and lets out a soft purr before shifting an arm under my legs and lifting me up against his chest. I can’t help but blush as he walks us into the office. A tall, dusty brown haired, male sits on one of the sofas with his mouth hanging wide open and a look of shock plastered to his tan face as he stared at Christian like he had grown a second head. Gabriel sat at a large desk with a smile on his flawless face, his golden eyes filled with amusement and admiration, beside him a wide eyed boy of about seven or eight with the same silver hair and golden eyes, hid.

The longer he stood their the more embarrassed I felt, curling myself into Christian’s neck. After a moment he comes out of whatever daze he was in and takes a seat on the other sofa not releasing me. He begins to run his nose up and down my neck, purring softly.

“What the fuck is that?” the man with brown hair demands, gesturing towards the two of us.

Gabriel just laughs in response, his eyes glittering in the light.

“Seriously. Christian is a terrifying Alpha, the Alpha of one of the most feared packs in the world….the cold, ice man who would rather kill a woman than touch her…What the hell is this?” the man laughs out in disbelief running a hand through his shaggy hair.

“Its fine. If anything she is just as dangerous as he is…” Gabriel says as he stands and walks around the desk towards us. “Don’t expect this to change the way he treats anyone else, unless maybe they hurt her. Though if someone did I expect they will find something far more terrifying than anything he has done before and I won’t stop him…” he sits next to us on the sofa, running a hand over my shoulders as he sits. “…Most likely I would help. She is ours, our Luna, our perfect mate.”

I feel Christian shift me to sit between them keeping a hand on my knee. Gabriel leans down and kisses my cheek with a reassuring smile. I glance up to the man on the other sofa and meet chocolate brown eyes.

“This is our Beta, Scion. Scion, this is our mate, Serenity.” Gabriel gestures between us as the little boy rounds the desk as well. “And this is our cousin, Derek.”

“Hi.” I squeak out as my eyes dart around nervously.

They both smile at me, the little one even waves.

“Serenity, love. I need to handle something very soon and I want to hear what you think first. Okay?” Gabriel looks me in the eyes as he speaks, his voice calm. I nod and he continues. “While we were looking for you, we were not doing as much of our work as we should have… the king gave us a deadline to find you or…”

“Or what?” I narrow my eyes at him.

“Or else he was going to choose mates for us…” Christian growls out and the boy scurries behind the desk again, obviously afraid.

“Did you not make the time limit?” I force my voice to sound calm but it is hard, my wolf is whimpering inside me scared. “Did…did I come to late?”

“No…. The limit hadn't been reached yet, but our King got impatient, he wants us working again, and so he picked two women from the court to come here…and be our fiancée’s.” Gabriel says with a sigh.

The Beta growls under his breath and I shy back between my protective mates. I can feel my shoulders slump and a ache in the pit of my stomach. “So… What does that mean?”

“It means we need to deal with the situation carefully…” Gabriel groans. “They were chosen for a reason, though I couldn’t tell you what, but they wouldn’t be here otherwise… Also the pack may face consequences if we defy the King….now we wouldn’t exactly be defying him, but he might choose to see it that way..”

“But wouldn’t it be easier just accept them and…” loud growling interrupts me and arms wrap around me, from both sides heads buried in my neck breathing heavily.

“Don't say it!” Gabriel barks out while Christian just continues to growl.

I can feel the anger rolling off of the both of them and I start to panic. I manage to loosen their grip enough to curl my legs up in front of me trying to shield myself from the world. I hear shuffling and the door opening and closing before they relax a bit. I feel a slow forming spot of moisture on my shoulder under Christian and my heart drops.

“I am sorry… I shouldn’t have said that…” I whimper out feeling terrible for what I had just done. I lower my head letting what I had said sink in, I had told them to leave me to maintain their agreement with the king. It wasn’t how I felt but it seemed logical. They needed mates who could deal with court and diplomacy, I wasn’t that. They had an entire pack to protect, I was just one wolf.

I can feel myself shrivel between them, this is my fault. If they hadn’t found me they wouldn’t have to deal with their pack being threatened. I don’t deserve their touch, their affections, I haven't earned them. I can feel my wolf crying inside me but there is nothing I can do. I let out a choked whimper.

“Love?” Gabriel mumbles in a low voice, his nose against my pulse as he takes a long slow breath in. “Don’t ever suggest such a thing again, you are ours and we are yours…. Not those women's, not anyone but you. Understand?”

I nod slowly feeling Christian squeeze me tighter. Feeling wanted was strange, I'm not sure I will ever grow used to this sensation. I have been alone for so long.

“Please little one…” Christian whispers against my ear. “We won’t give you up.”

Gabriel sits back releasing me before growling, “What the hell made the King decide to make us marry? Marriage is disgusting. Bound to some stupid woman for the rest of your damn life. No woman is worth it. Not a damn one. Its a stupid human ritual, it has nothing to do with us. Not once have I ever wanted to get married, normal wolves don’t get married. Just the royals because it gives the court reason to celebrate. I just want to scream in their faces, I don’t want to marry you! I don’t want to marry anyone! I am not here to put on a show for others, I do what my pack needs and my pack doesn’t need me to take a freaking wife!”

He runs a hand through his silver hair as Christian pulls me back into his lap, curling his arms around me protectively. Gabriel looks up as his eyes flash black with anger. I feel a tightness in my chest but it confuses me. Why did this feel like rejection?

“Married… What kind of Alpha is forced into marriage? Not me damn it, certainly not my brother. I never, and I mean fucking never, want to…to…shit…” his golden eyes land on me and regret flickers across his features as he falls silent.

Honestly I don’t know much about marriage. If he doesn’t want to get married, why does he look so hurt? Is it something so important? I know my wolf is hurt by his words, I am hurt by his words. Even if I don’t fully understand them, they hurt. Whatever it was I did understand that I was one of those women, I wasn’t special.

“I.. I didn’t mean that…” Gabriel whispers as his head drops, sadness clouding his face. “I didn’t…”

I feel my body shudder as a tear falls on my cheek. I quickly avert my eyes not wanting either to see but it is to late. Christian felt the shudder, Gabriel saw the hurt and the wetness in my eyes.

“Oh love.” Gabriel whispers under his breath as he reaches for me stopping just before his fingers touch my back. “I shouldn’t have… I am just so aggravated.”

“We have served the king our entire lives, followed his every order. Killed who he wanted killed, saved who he wished to be saved. He will not be happy but I am not budging on this matter, you are our mate and I will have no other.” Christian grumbles out in a deep voice, he doesn’t raise his head though instead staying pressed into my shoulder.

Gabriel finally rest his hand on me and allows his regret, guilt, and sadness pour through the link. I just nod my head letting the room fall into a still quiet. No one moves, no one speaks, we just take comfort in each others presence. 

Then my stomach growls, loudly. Followed by both of theirs. We just break out in laughter, exchanging awkward smiles.

Christian

We ate in silence, a strange cloud of gloom over my brother while our little mate just seemed to be thinking about something. Her brow kept furrowing and then relaxing as if she thought of another possibility but then nixed it.  I think I must have stared through the entire meal, but it was so damn cute I couldn't stop.

I made eggs, bacon, and toast, it wasn’t much but Gabriel could burn water, so it was me or nothing for breakfast since we didn’t want everyone knowing we were back just yet. Soon though, it is what Scion had been by this morning for. It’s not really the pack knowing though, it will be hard to keep them from overwhelming our mate but they mean well, it was our ‘guests' that concerned me.

Guest was a strange way to refer to the women. Pests maybe, unwanted definitely. I don’t know what kind of females our king picked but knowing him I am sure they are high class court ladies who excel in primping and preening, they probably don’t know hardship or battle, they probably have never had to fight to survive or kill in order to live. Women who were related to important officials or the even the Queen.

I am worried.

Of course you are. Our mate…

I know. This will be dangerous. I… we, won't give her up…. Even for the King.

He will understand, after all he has a mate too. The Luna Queen will help ease his anger with us.

You have allot of faith in that? What if he decides that we have failed him?

He would be going against the Moon Goddess. Even the King can't oppose her, right?

I frown to myself, shaking the train of thought from my head. This isnt getting work done. I adjust myself in the chair and grab another letter from the table. I can hear Gabriel ending yet another phone call at the desk, he sounds irritated.
I glance down at the formal letter, an invite to the palace for a celebration. The queen has given birth to twins. We would have to send someone to represent us. Easy enough but one of us would have to contact the royal court to change the attendee, and soon. The event is a month and a half away.

Looking up I catch Serenity laying in the sun in front of one of the tall reinforced windows. She kicks her small legs behind her as she flips through some book she pulled off one of the shelves. I hear a soft giggle escape her and both Gabriel and I's heads shoot up, trying to see what she is so enamored with.

I stand slowly and cautiously approach her from behind as she flips another plastic coated page. Oh Goddess, its our photo album. I shoot Gabriel a nervous look and mouth photos to him. He is on his feet and off the phone in a heartbeat. We both know how embarrassing some of those photos are.

She giggles again and I can’t help the irritation in my voice, “Did you find something amusing little one?”

She flinches at the tone I use but nods. “You were both cute kids…”

Gabriel puffs out his chest but his cheeks flush in a combination of pride and embarrassment. “Love? Where did you find that?”

“Did I do something wrong?” her voice is small, she closes the album and lowers her head before pushing it to my feet.

I step over the book and lift her small form up into my arms. “No little one, just some of those pictures are… embarrassing…”

“Oh…” she mumbles not raising her head.

Gabriel come to stand beside me. “What did you think of the album love?”

“I… I wish I had memories like this…” her voice is cracking as she speaks and my heart melts a little. “I don’t have a single picture of when I was small….”

“Little one?” I softly speak into the top of her head, letting her fluffy black hair brush my cheeks. “Why don’t we look together?”

She looks up and smiles at me, “Please.”.

So that’s what we do for the rest of the day, we show her pictures and she asks questions. We tell her about things we did or games we played. I could catch the sad glint in her eye when we talked of our family but she didn’t stop us or interrupt. Scion brought us up lunch and dinner.

Tomorrow we will deal with our guests. Tomorrow they will leave this place.