The Broken Mates

Chapter One.

Chapter One.

The rain dripped down the window of the Royal Crescent Moon pack house leaving long streaks that distorted the reflection of the half-moon that peaked from behind a big grey cloud. It was early in the morning, too early, only the sounds of Alisha asking Asher if he was sure that their daughter would be okay filled the air.

Rebecca did not mind the early morning, or more like, the middle of the night wake-up time. She rarely slept anyway. Her dreams are plagued by the desperate cries of her ex-mate’s wolf to reject the man. Or the vision of Hamish, her baby brother, lifeless on the hospital bed, as she kissed his beautiful face, begging for him to live. Yes, it all turned out okay in the end, but when she closed her eyes, she was right back at that moment. Nor was she bothered that both she and Alisha would be flying to Denmark on a commercial flight, rather than in her father's private jet. Asher would need that for his visit to London later that day, to meet with the human King of England. She may have been born with privilege, but she was not as spoiled as some people would have you believe. Her parents were down to earth, despite being the first King and Queen of werewolves for a generation. Rebecca and her siblings had all earned the value of the pound when teenagers, as they would work in local businesses, for minimum wage, and had to learn how to manage their money. She also helped out at the Omega Centre her family had set up, where those Omega’s who had suffered at the hands of an unscrupulous Alpha and their family could find refuge. Although incidents of that behavior have been infrequent since her parents took over the crown years before, some of the Omegas affected preferred life in the shelter than risking going back to a pack. She enjoyed helping out, and would often be seen cleaning floors, in a pair of designer jeans, her purple hair scraped back, as she worked.

She turned from watching the dreary weather, and grabbed hold of her three extra-large suitcases and smaller cabin bag, pulling them both to her door.

“Woah Becca, you are only going for a week!” Asher teased his sister, a mischievous grin on his face.

“Yeah, but we don’t know what events we are going to. Or what will the weather be like? It pays to be prepared,” Becca shrugged, as Alisha giggled, looking up at her mate as if he hung the moon and the stars.

“Are you sure, Hope will forgive me for going and leaving her?” Alisha asked Asher, clearly not for the first time, as he looked down at her.

“Certain. Now, I will come to the airport with you,” Asher announced.

“Oi, no need. We will be okay,” Becca said, not wanting the three-hour journey to Edinburgh airport sitting with two love-struck mates. Yes, she loved her brother and best friend, but the pair of them were love's young dream, and she could not help but feel the sting of what could have been, if she had never been mated to that rogue, enter her heart.

“She is right. It will be a six-hour round trip. We will be fine,” Alisha smiled lovingly up at Asher.

“Just you drive carefully,” Asher pointed at Becca, who nodded her head.

“Yeah, yeah, I will not go above 100 miles per hour” Becca teased him, his face dropping, as he scowled at her.

“No more than 60 or 70 on the motorways,” he all but growled.

Alisha giggled, placing her hand on Asher’s chest, telling him that Becca was only teasing. Giving the pair of love birds some privacy, Becca lifted her cases out of the pack house, and piled them into the back of the black SUV Range Rover, before heading back in the house and grabbing Alisha’s bags, which were a lot smaller than her own. The fleeting thought that maybe she had overpacked entered her mind, but not for long. She loved clothes, and at the moment, she clung to anything that gave her a little bit of joy.

Becca climbed into the driver’s side of the Range Rover, as Asher walked Alisha to the door, baby Hope strapped to his chest, then pulled her in for another passionate kiss, that clearly had her best friend panting. As Alisha finally got into the car, Becca looked at her flushed cheeks, and then shook her head.

“Mates” she declared, before shifting the gear stick into first, and driving out down the long-graveled driveway to the gate.

They both waved to the warriors manning the border and pulled onto the small country road that would lead southeast, towards the larger roads, taking them to the airport.

Alisha attached her phone to the sound system, and hit play, as music filled the SUV. Both of them singing loudly and out of key at whatever was on her playlist.

“I’m on my way,

Driving at 90, down those country lanes,

Singing to Tiny Tempa, “ Alisha bellowed at the top of her voice.

“What are you singing?” Becca laughed at her best friend.

“It is Tiny Dancer,” she corrected Alisha as she sang along to Castle on the Hill by Ed Sheeran.

“No, it’s not, it is Tiny Tempa,” Alisha responded, a furrow on her brow.

“It’s not, play it back,” Becca demanded, as the pair playfully argued over the lyrics of the song.

The chorus played again, and Alisha looked at Becca with wide eyes.

“Why am I just finding this out now? I have been singing it wrong for years,” Alisha declared.

Becca laughed. Yes, coming on this girl’s trip was just what the doctor would order, she was already beginning to feel more like her old self again.

They finally pulled up at the airport, parking the SUV in the long-stay carpark, before lifting their cases out of the boot, and pulling them along to enter the building. As they stood in line at the check-in desk, they placed the bigger cases onto the belt, as the air hostess weighed them, put stickers on, and the girls watched their luggage disappear.

“Let’s hope they meet us at the other end,” Alisha laughed.

It was always a possibility that luggage would go astray, especially as there was no direct flight to Copenhagen, and they would need to transfer flights at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

“Have you packed essentials in your carry-on?” Alisha asked as they cued up for security.

“Yes, I have clean knickers and a couple of outfits,” Becca smiled. She may never have flown anything other than her father’s private jet, but she knew enough to know that you needed spare clothing just in case the main luggage went on a world tour before reaching your destination.

As they rounded the corner, Becca saw the large x-ray machines, as the many passengers loaded their cases onto it, then stripped off their valuables, placed them on the large plastic tray, and walked through a metal detector.

“What is that?” Becca whispered to Alisha, suddenly very anxious.

“The x-ray machine, to make sure you don’t have any explosives in your bag,” Alisha laughed. She herself had never travelled far or used public transport. They kind of relied on Liane, the Montseny Pack Beta, who was a gifted transporter wolf. But she was always being called on, and Alisha had decided that she wanted the whole experience of travelling with Becca.

“s**t,” Becca whispered again.

“What, you don’t have anything that could go bang in there do you?” Alisha asked, shaking her head.

“No, but I do have something pink, 6 inches, which goes 'buzz' in the night,” Becca gritted out.

Alisha’s eyes widened as she rolled her lips, attempting not to laugh.

“You have seriously brought that thing with you,” Alisha exclaimed.

“What can I say? It helps me sleep” Becca shrugged, but her cheeks flushed pink, as the man behind the x-ray machine took a double take at the image, then looked at Becca and winked at the gorgeous girl.

“Get me out of here quick, he is looking at me funny,” Becca mind-linked Alisha.

“I am not surprised,” Alisha linked back, but was unable to contain her outward laughter, as the other passengers all gave them weird looks.

They quickly made their way through passport control, then towards the many shops, waiting for their gate to be announced. Becca picked up some different shades of make-up that she believed would suit Alisha’s colouring, before heading to the next shop that had some women’s clothing in it, picking out an array of outfits she thought looked cute.

“There will be no room in your case on the way back,” Alisha laughed, seeing her sister-in-law’s arms filled with clothes.

Becca huffed slightly, Alisha had a point, and returned one of the outfits to the rails, not that the solitary dress would make that much difference to the haul she had gathered in her arms.

Alisha giggled; she knew that Becca would not be able to part with any clothing she had set her heart on. She also understood that shopping was therapy for her sister-in-law, and it transported her to a happy place. Alisha sighed, she would give anything for her best friend to find true happiness, not the fleeting kind she got by purchasing new clothes and make-up.

Finally, the announcement sounded for their gate, and the girls made their way towards the aircraft.

They took their allotted seats, and both grinned at the other, as it hurtled down the runway, the engines roaring as they took off.

As the plane climbed to the skies above, Alisha grinned at Becca.

“Denmark, here we come,” She laughed, as Becca smiled, and nodded her head. Yes, she really was looking forward to this week's break away.