Two Alphas for a Luna

Chapter 8

It was already past midnight when Crystal finally left her study room. If she was being honest with herself, the only reason she stayed locked in there so long, was to avoid her two mates. Until a few days ago, having a mate was one of the things at the very bottom of her things she wished to have. Now she had TWO! And her body was craving their touch, both of them! And to complicate matters more, there was this new female that Jasz had brought back. Who was she to Brad? How were they connected? Reaching the only room in the hallway with a light still on, she softly knocked on the door, before entering.

Jasz sat on the bed next to the female. His hands kept running gently through her hair, caressing her in a way that made Crystal’s heart ache in longing that her mates would touch her in the same way.

“How is she?” Her voice barely above a whisper. Her cousin’s turned his face to meet her eyes with the tortured ones of his. Immediately suspecting the worse, Crystal knelt in front of him, taking his hand in hers. “O Jasz! Is it that bad?! Is there nothing Trinity or Vanessa can do?!”

“It’s not that, Crys, Vanes actually said she should be fine, given a few days and some healthy eating. She’s just very near starvation.” He cast a quick look at the woman on his bed, before turning back to her, “It’s, she is... she’s pregnant, Crys!”

Crystal’s mind was running at a thousand miles a minute, confusion flushing through her, making her go almost as still as a statue. Then, as if her mind could not process anymore, her body was overcome with soul rendering tiredness. PREGNANT! She’s pregnant?! Why hadn’t Brad said anything?! And leaving her like that in a cave?! How did she connect to him?!

Stumbling upright, Crystal could only give his hand a last parting, reassuring squeeze. “I’ll find out what’s going on Jasz, I promise. But at least she’s going to be okay.  I... We’ll speak again in the morning. Get some rest okay? We’re going to need you in the next few days.”

With a last searching glance at the stranger on the bed, Crystal almost stumbled out into the hallway. Blindly following her instincts, she didn’t notice that, in her total state of mindless tiredness, she was standing next to his bed. She had entered into Brad’s room instead of her own by mistake. But at the same moment his eyes flew open to meet hers.

Grabbing her wrist before she can scramble out of the room, he sat up in a fluent movement. “Crystal! Is everything okay?!”

“I don’t know actually, I... is it?”

With a long searching look, his hand slowly traveling up her arm in a comforting way, he answered her. “You’re tired. No you’re exhausted. You’re not thinking straight. How long has it been since you slept?”

“I’ve lost count. I’m so busy running the pack, and the fire, and you and now the woman you had us bringing in...” Swaying slightly where she stood.

A concerned look crossed over his face before pulling her down on the bed next to him. When she made to stand up, he pulled her down with a little more force. “Look, I know you’re still confused and all that. But I think, both our wolves will sleep better, if you join me for the night? You’re exhausted, your body needs the rest!”

Immediately a fierce defiant look crossed her face. “And why would I be sleeping better next to you, instead of next to Tertius?! You’re both my mates you know!”

“I know, Little one. I really do. But I’m not letting you leave the room in this state. You’re so tired, you’ll fall down before reaching your room. The fact that you’re here, even though you don’t even like me, tells me your wolf has been searching for me, just as much as mine has been craving to be near you!. Please, I know you don’t like feeling like you’re being ordered around, but please, lay down and sleep, you need it.”

“Just sleep?”

“Just sleep, I promise.”

With a last nod to him, Crystal finally put her head down. He was right, just being near him had a calming effect on her wolf. She was already so tired, if she could just have one night without nightmares or worries, it would be so great. She’ll ask him about the woman in the morning. For now, her body just wanted to sleep.

Drifting between wakefulness and sleep, she could feel his fingers running through her hair in much the same way as those of her cousin with the strange woman earlier. Her wolf was purring happily at the grooming and the smell of him on the pillows beneath her head was pulling her into darkness. I wish Tertius was here, Crystal silently told Blue.

Maybe your wish will be heard.

A soft knock on the door had her almost coming back to waking when a whispered conversation reached her.

“What are you doing here?!” Brad’s voice almost lifted her from the fog in her mind.

“Her wolf, it’s calling to me. I, well, I followed her smell. I heard her leaving her study and thought she might need someone after the hard day and then I found her in your room.”

The two men shared a long look, before Brad finally relented. “Very well, if it will south her wolf, give her a good night’s sleep. The bed is big enough for all of us if you don’t mind sharing.

“I thought you’re the one who don’t like to share?”

“For the night. For Crystal.”

The heat of two bodies cushioning her protectively pulled her back into forgetfulness. Crystal was incredibly grateful for the darkness surrounding her and the sense of peace settling over her with her two mates besides her.

Sunlight was already streaming through the window when Crystal woke from a deep, dreamless sleep from the sound of voices and footsteps in the hall. For a moment she felt confused, before realization hit her. She was cushioned between the two men and it was, from the sunlight in the window, somewhere in the afternoon!

“Where the hell can she be Aiden?!” Jasz’s voice sounded stressed through the door.

“I don’t know Beta! From the looks of it, she never slept in her room last night.”

Sitting upright, Crystal immediately knew whom they were looking for. A hand on her stomach tightened slightly as her eyes met two chocolate brown ones.

“Morning, or should I rather say, afternoon, Sunshine? Had a nice rest?”

“s**t! I NEVER sleep this late; they’re looking for me!”

“Let them look for a little while longer.” This time the voice came from her other side and her eyes met those of a bemused Tertius.

“Look, if it’ll make you feel better, I’ll tell them where you are.”

“NO! Hell, do you know what they will think!”

Trying to suppress a smile, Brad lent forward to kiss her forehead. “If it’ll be better for your Alpha-Luna status, I’ll tell your cousin I found you asleep in the hallway and brought you to my bed for the night to watch over you. Then ask him for something to eat for you, okay?”

Tertius’s finger’s was tracing patterns on her arms, softly pressing her back into the pillows and helping her to relax. Suppressing a sigh of contentment, Crystal nodded to the other man.

Watching him through on some sweatpants over his boxers, she blushed slightly, realizing that he was almost naked most of the night next to her. But as his hands reached for the doorknob, she flew upright again.

“Brad! The woman. I... Jasz...” As he turned to her questioningly, she finally felt herself able to get the words out. “Is she your wife?”

His eyes were searching in hers before smiling a tight smile. “No. She’s my sister.”