Their Mate And Luna

CHAPTER 3

SERIOUSLY?

"That was so good...how you put that weak omega in her place," Billie started, in a tone dripping with condescension, her arm as usual latched round Vance's arm. "Who wants to know about her pathetic eighteenth birthday?" A smug grin plastered on her face.

Vance's shoulders stiffened at the mention of Nicole's name, and a shadow of discomfort crossed his face briefly.

The alphas, Ashton twins and Tim were out of the dining hall and walking the girls home.

Tim, frowned at what Billie had just said, "I don't think it's nice to speak ill of my mate's cousin like that." He scolded her with a disapproving look on his face.

But Billie, confident that Vance would support her, continued her tirade. "It's not like she's anything special. Why would she and her friend make a spectacle at dinner?" Pouting and waiting for a reassurance from Vance, who didn't immediately disapprove of her words.

Tim turned to Vince, his eyes asking for support. "Aren't you going to say something?"

"Relax, Tim. She's not saying something that's not true. Your mate's cousin should learn not to draw attention to herself." Vance shrugged.

"You're not serious, right? How is she drawing attention? And even if she did is it enough for your girlfriend to speak about her like that.?" He turned to Vince. "Aren't you going to say something?"

Vince, lost in his thoughts, blinked as if emerging from a daze. His reluctance to engage in the conversation was evident on his face. "Did you say something?" he asked in a detached manner.

Tim's frown deepened. "Didn't you hear what Billie just said about Nicole?"

Vince's reluctance to get involved shocked Tim. "I don't want to know because it's never anything good. They both seem to dislike her, I guess," he responded.

"You're right about that." Millie giggled, about to hold Vince's hand but he stopped her with a mean glare that had her pulling her hand back, her smile disappearing from her face instantly.

"And you're okay with that?" Tim went on.

"Just let it go, Tim. There's nothing we can do about it." Said Vance said in a bored voice. Beside him Billie smirked at Tim.

Tim stopped dead in his tracks. Did he just hear Vance right?

"Don't be shocked by his words." Vince tapped him on the shoulder as he brushed past him.

Vance and Billie stood outside the door of the Ashton's talking then started kissing. Millie stood beside them, trying not to get noticed.

"You probably should kiss Millie too. To balance this equation," Tim remarked with an arched brow as he stood alongside Vince, both of them waiting for Vance to conclude with Billie.

Vince growled at him in irritation.

Unfazed by the growl, Tim continued,. "Why the growl? The pack knows about the four of you."

"They can say or think what they like. I am not with Millie, never have been and never will be." Vince declared with a heavy frown on his face, clearly agitated.

Tim scoffed. "You'll need to call a pack meeting to change people's perception of that, especially when all four of you always are together. And Millie..."

"Stop talking." Vince warned as his frustration with the situation grew.

"I think you should say that to the girls. They're the ones talking about being the next Lunas of the pack." Tim crossed his arms over his chest.

"What?"

"I am not talking anymore." Tim said before walking off ahead of Vince. Vance having finished with Billie, approached them.

"What's with the face?" Vance asked his brother.

"Tell your girlfriend's sister to stop telling people that she's going to be my Luna. And I mean it." Vince gritted out in annoyance.

Vance was about to reply when their father's mindlink reached them. "What's taking you so long?"

The twins quickened their steps toward the nearest border to supervise the first batch of patrols for the night.

AT THE ALPHA'S OFFICE

Drake and Malia were kissing on the couch, her legs straddling his laps, when the knock came on his door. "Come in," he said.

The twins entered and stopped abruptly. "Should we come back?" Vince asked.

"No need, have a seat," their father replied, helping his mate to sit up. "Comfy?" He asked her, kissing her cheek when she nodded.

"So sweet," remarked Vance with a dreamy look in his eyes.

"When you find your mate, you'll know how it feels." Alpha Drake said sweetly, but his eyes said otherwise. "Care to tell me why you pulled that stunt tonight at dinner?" He got straight to the point. "That's Nicole for crying out loud. She's Oscar's niece. Have you two forgotten that?"

The twins' demeanor immediately changed from relaxed to tense at the mention of Nicole's name.

"We just wanted he...them to not disturb dinner." Vince said stiffly.

Drake furrowed his brows as he blinked, trying to process what his son had just said. "Disturb dinner? How were they doing that?"

Vance ruffled his hair and looked away from his parents." She...they were...her friend made a noise..."

"What noise? The whole place was full of people eating and talking." Drake interlocked his fingers together. "Is there more to you two and Nicole that we need to know?"

The brothers exchanged glances. "No." Both of them said

"Has she ever done anything to both of you? Like insult you?" Their mother spoke for the first time. "I highly doubt that because I know her to be one of the most polite people in this pack."

"No." They both shook their heads.

"So, we should believe that what happened tonight was solely because Nicole and her friend were disturbing the others?" Drake asked, shifting his gaze from one son to the other, sensing they weren't telling the truth. "Sons?"

"That's the truth, Dad." Vance mustered his best smile at his parents.

"That's the truth?" Drake echoed Vance's reply. He sighed and went on. "So, this has nothing to do with how neither of you seems to want her anywhere near you?"

Shocked, Vince exclaimed. "Who told you that?"

"Is it true? That you don't want Nicole near you?" Malia asked her sons, equally sensing the absence of truth in their words.

"Of course, it's not true, Mom. We have nothing against Ni...her." Vance's voice wavered as he replied for the two of them. "She's a pack member and we treat her just like every other member."

Drake broke eye contact with his sons to look at his mate.

"Is that all?" Vince asked, eager to leave

Malia stopped him with a raised finger. "Not quite." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Have you noticed how the Ashton girls treat Nicole?"

Both brothers shared a look again. "How are we supposed to notice? It's not like she's friends with them or anything, other than all of them still attending school?" Vince said in frustration.

"We have a reliable source who tells us that the girls have been bullying her for years. That today they told her she doesn't deserve an attractive mate." Drake said, studying his sons for any signs of lying.

"That's childish and stupid." Vince laughed, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"It's not funny, Vince. You both know that I have zero tolerance for bullying and I have made it known throughout the pack. Nicole is like a daughter to me, and I will not stand for her being bullied by your girlfriends. If I receive any more reports about it, I will not hesitate to punish them. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Dad," both chorused.

"I will speak to them about this. I also expect you two to speak to them about it. I mean it when I say that I will not tolerate any form of bullying in my pack." His determination was evident in his grey eyes. "It's the foundation I met, I have upheld and expect you to start upholding and continue to uphold when you take over as alphas." He finished with his fist lightly banging the table.

"We understand, Dad." Vince replied, nodding his head.

"How's everything out there?" Drake asked.

"Good. Everyone is in place. The first watch just began," Vance replied.

"Great. You may leave."

Both brothers kissed their mother goodnight before leaving.

Drake and Malia resumed kissing, pulling back for air.

"They're lying." She said.

Nodding, "Tiger sensed it." He sighed deeply and rested his head on Malia's bosom. "What are they hiding? Why are they keeping things from us?"

Stroking his hair, Malia said, "They're men now. As much as it tugs at my heart, we need to understand that they're no longer boys."

"Don't they know that they can trust us? What do you think they might be hiding? Could it have something to do with those girls?"

Malia frowned, gently pushing his head away from her chest, "hey, don't ever think your sons don't trust you...us. Don't also assume that those girls are the reasons why they're hiding anything from us..."

"I am just saying. They're always with those girls. Dean could..." he started to say, but she stopped him.

"Stop, honey. You're an Alpha. He can't do anything."

"What if he has something on them? You know he's been planning to..." he was cut off again by his mate, this time with a kiss.

She pulled away from the kiss. "Tomorrow we're going to speak to the girls about what they said to Nicole and address the entire school about bullying. Now, stop thinking like an alpha and start thinking like a mate." She curled her lips up into a smile and winked at him. Her eyes flashed gold, revealing her wolf's presence. "Mate needs to be cared for."

His wolf, Tiger, sailed forward too, grunting, "Tiger at your service, mate."

She giggled as he leaned in for another kiss.