Two Alphas for a Luna

Chapter 7

Sensing her distress, Tertius threw a quick look to the Alpha before crossing the length of the room. Cupping her face, he used his thumb to rub away a lone tear escaping her eyes and travelling down her cheek. Slowly her face leaned forward, resting her eyes against his shoulders, her body tight to the touch when his hands came to rest on her hips. “Hey Beautiful. It’s okay. No one blames you. It’s okay, and it’ll BE okay too!”

Seeing them together like that, had something stirring inside Brad. His eyes softened and he couldn’t help himself being pulled closer to come and stand behind her. With one hand he  rested on her waist, just above that of Tertius, while with the other he started massaging her tight shoulder muscles. “Ya, his right, Princess. We can’t blame you! Although I would like to find out how to fix this. I’m sorry to say, but I’m not one for sharing what’s mine.”

Standing quietly like this the two men waited till she composed herself enough to continue, allowing her space when she stepped away. Brad’s more aggressive wolf however, shuddered when she stepped away, pushing at him to claim her, mark her and make her theirs before the other man could do it. Seeming to sense this, Crystal swung around to face him, ready for another round of word-battle. Holding his hands up in surrender, he stepped back slightly. “Hey, don’t blame the man for the wolf’s actions or in this case, thoughts!”

With a curd nod to him, Crystal turned around. “I can only think of one person that can explain why this happened and how to solve this. It’s our pack shaman, Shaman Kashmiri. She lives just inside the eastern border, near the plagued lands. She is both wise and powerful in magic. She is not a wolf, but she might know how this have come to be.”

”In the past, I have heard of twin Alphas sharing a mate, the Luna, but never in my life, of a grouping such as well, ours.”

Nodding in acknowledgement of his statement, Crystal gave a tired nod. It was apparent to both men that the exhaustion of the previous night’s work, was taking its toll. “So it is agreed then. Tomorrow morning, we three will leave to visit her. If you two wouldn’t mind, I’ll have one of the omega’s of her pack show you to your rooms.” Gesturing to the pack of papers on her desk and smiling ruefully, she continued, “I, unfortunately, have a stack more work that will need to be completed today before I will be able to leave tomorrow.”

With a nod and a tight smile, Tertius left without another word. When Brad kept to his spot, Crystal looked at him quizzically when he looked slightly uncomfortable under her eyes.

“Crystal, I... there is something I would like to discuss. Well, actually more like a boon that I want to ask.”

Realizing how hard it must be for him, a proud Alpha, to not only hear that he is sharing his mate, but also to beg for a favor, especially after being rogue, Crystal took his hand before leading him back to the chairs. Taking a seat opposite him, she waited for him to sit and continue, smiling at his agitated way of running his hand through his hair, so much like her own, trying to suppress the impulse to lean forward and kiss him.

“When your guards caught me, I didn’t just challenge you for the heck of it. I had my reasons for doing so and I...” he stopped talking mid-sentence, as if unsure or uncomfortable in continuing. “I can tell you that it wasn’t that I truly wanted to take your pack from you.

“Well? Why then did you do it? You know, you wouldn’t have spent the last 2 nights in the prison if it wasn’t for that. And if it weren’t that Aiden had decided you really wasn’t much of a threat and had let you out, for which I will still speak with him about; you would probably still be down there.”

“I know, I owe that boy. He talked some sense into me, and I almost messed it up again when I came in and caught Tertius’ hands on you. s**t, this is more difficult than I anticipated. Look, I need your promise that what I’m going to tell you, you going to treat with care and protect with your life. Can you promise me?”

Waiting for her nod, he stalled her when she tried to speak. “Look Crystal, you will understand more later, I can’t explain everything. Some of it isn’t my story to tell. Just, I know I messed up, but I need you to trust me on this.”

A frown appeared above her eyebrows, and she started to shake her head. “Look, nothing you promise will hurt your pack, but other people’s lives are at stake here. I wasn’t alone at the border. By doing what I did, I distracted your guards, while protecting someone else. We had hoped to cross your lands to get to the town for some food and safety. I had to do it! I didn’t know if your pack was one of those ‘kill-on-sight’ packs!”

“You were WITH someone?!” Crystal’s voice was shocked and furious as she jumped up, but before she could take a step towards the door to call the guards, he stalled her by grabbing her wrists.

“Crystal, please! You can call them anytime, I know, even with the mind link. But I need you to listen to me first please! I’ll even tell you where to find her, but please promise me you’ll treat her with care, even if you throw me back in the jail again!”

Slowly he could see his words sinking in, then her eyes going wide before turning to him. “It’s a HER?”

“Yes! Please! And she needs help! I need you or your men to go and get her, she won’t come onto the lands, our link was severed when you put me in jail. Please! I need to know she’s safe!”

Crystal eyes had gone dark, hard as ice when she looked at him again. “You lied to me! Tried to trick me! This time, you better speak the truth. WHERE?!” Her last word holding an unnamed threat, making it clear that no further lies would be tolerated.”

“There’s a cave, about a kilometer away from the Northern border in the side of a hill. It’s not really a cave as such, but it gives protection against the worst of the elements.”

“I know the place.” Crystal answered before her face went blank, letting him know she was communicated with someone else. “Jasz, I need you.”

“Cuz?”

“Northern border, the ditch-cave.” Crystal continued to explain the situation before breaking off the link and turning back to Brad. “My cousin will go get her. I would suggest that you retreat to your room and stay there until requested to exit. We will ensure she is safe, but this I can tell you. Try to deceive me again and I WON’T be showing you anymore mercy! Even if you ARE my mate!” Crystal's voice dripped with fury and venom.

Once Brad had left, Crystal walked over to the window and watched the sandy colored wolf of her cousin disappearing into the trees surrounding the houses’ outer perimeter. Inside, her heart ached. He brought another wolf with him; a FEMALE wolf, and he was protecting her even against his mate! Crystal stood like that, staring out until the same wolf appeared once more, this time with a very weak women on his back.

“Jasz?”

“I’ve got her Alpha-Luna, but she’s very weak, even too weak to shift. She’s a wolf too. And Crys?”

“Yes?”

“She’s my mate.”