Mate ...s ?!?!
Chapter Ten

[Jace’s POV]

The room was silent as we all sat around the kitchen table. Even Orion’s soft sniffles had stopped at some point. My little Mate was slowly falling asleep against Cassie and I felt a pang of jealousy fill me at the thought. Orion’s words hung in the air as my parents took in what he said. I kept glancing between Jax and Orion, who sat in Cassie’s lap, almost asleep. He was so damn adorable and I cursed myself for ever letting him hear those harsh words come from my mouth. I could never bring myself to forgive what I had said to Kin that night, let alone ask my own Mate to forgive me for them. I had been so far gone in my own head that I had forgotten who I really was that night. I had let Kinder talk me into a lot of bad things

“I know that the next words from your mouth will not be ones that I want to hear, Orion, however as your Alpha I need to hear them. I respected your mother and father. However, I never even knew of your birth. You were meant to have a better life. I need you to tell me what happens in your day-to-day life.” Dad said his voice very soft and gentle but still gruff at the thoughts that must have been plaguing his mind. His head was bowed, so he couldn’t see the half-asleep Omega.

Orion’s parents were some of my dad’s closest friends. They had all grown up together and they had fought in many Rouge attacks and face many challenges. This was not something my father had been prepared to deal with. His age was showing.

That’s when Cassie straightened in her seat, Orion still snuggled in her arms, “I’m sorry Alpha, please forgive my rudeness, but I will ask you not to push him on this. Orion suffers from a brain injury caused by something that happened at his house. I still do not understand all of what happened to him there. However, when he is asked to think or talk about these things in detail, he starts to collapse in on himself. A panic attack would look mild in comparison.” Cassie quickly explained as she began to rock Orion again, dipping her head close to his ear to whisper something to him. Orion shook his head quickly and she kept whispering to him, rubbing small circles on his back. It was so aggravating to watch because that should be one of us not her. However, because of my dumb ass Jax and I had to keep our distance from our own Mate.

“I’m sorry child but I don’t think we ever got your name.” mom said looking at Cassie thoughtfully as she kept trying to calm Orion. Interrupting dad from raging at Cassie for basically telling him she wasn’t going to allow Orion to answer him. That was a no-no in Pack society but the way Orion was behaving Jax and I would have backed her. He looked so frightened.

Cassie smiled, “It’s my fault ma’am. I am only here to help Orion. My name is Casidelia Fawn Sanchez, but most people call me Cassie.” She said making me and Jax look at her in shock. That was one hell of a name. She had never given us her full name like that.

“Casidelia?” Jax questioned, trying to hold in his laughter. It was quite the mouthful.

Mom smiled and winked at Cassie who returned the smile, “If you did your homework like you were supposed to, Jaxson Sawyer you would know that Casidelia was the name of the very FIRST Werewolf Luna. It was said that she was a powerful witch that fell in love with a Wolf and with the permission of the Goddess together they created the Werewolf species. Your friend has a powerful name, but it does not surprise me.” mom said flicking Jax in the ear making him flinch.

“Why is that dear?” dad asked curiously, a tired sound to his voice. Like he already knew what she was going to say.

Mom looked at him sideways, as if she could hear a leering scorn in his voice no one else could. “If she is Damis Gold Sanchez’s daughter than I am fairly certain she comes from a damn good line.” She said looking to Cassie who just nodded her head and blushed a little. It was clear Cassie was a strong Beta but to come from the Sanchez line was … almost chilling.

“That’s my momma. She was never one to sit still though.” Cassie said thoughtfully. A sad look coming to her face. Damis had been one of the many casualties 5 years ago.

“No child your momma was one of a kind. Has Orion’s injury been looked at by the Pack Doctor?” mom asked swiftly changing the subject as only my mother could. She was trying to get the information we needed just not from Orion, like the smooth Luna she was. She was making sure to only ask Cassie not Orion the needed questions.

“No, Luna. His parents refused to allow him to go and Cilla took him from my house before I could get him the right type of help. We had just been kids and I had no idea what to do when he had shown up all bloody in my window.” Cassie admitted, getting a whimper from Orion and a very loud growl from three very pissed off Alpha Wolves. No one should deny a child medical attention. Orion could have died because of the abuse he faced from his family.

“How many days does he stay at your home with you? The two of you seem to have a very secure relationship but you are not Mates.” Dad said a curious look coming to his eyes as he watched Cassie baby Orion a little. She was slowly rocking him in her lap, just like a mother with her pup. Our own mother was watching Cassie with our Mate very closely, just like the rest of us, but her eyes showed understanding.

Cassie shook her head, a smile still on her face for everyone. “I know our relationship is strange Alpha, but Orion is more of a child to me. He is like my son not a love interest. I may be older than he is by only three months but to me it never mattered. Orion is my child. Ever since the injury to his head that is how I have seen him and how I have had to handle him at times.” Cassie explained as she shifted a now sleeping Orion into her arms, so that he was more comfortable. With his head cradled against the crook of her arm and his legs over her lap. He looked so small and angelic.

My twin and I whimpered a little, getting Cassie to look at us sympathetically. “Let him get used to your scent.” She said waving her hand to us, telling us to come closer to her. “It will help him to reach for you instead if he knows your scent better. Right now, this is all still too new.” She added softly, a kind smile on her face as she looked at us. Cassie looked down at Orion and it was clear to our parents that she was Orion’s mother, just like she had said.

Cassie did not fucking have to tell us twice. Jax and I swiftly were out of our seats and sitting on either side of Cassie as she gently rocked our little Omega in her arms like a small pup. “Thank you.” I whispered, as I reached out for him, before pulling my hand away quickly. I wanted to touch him so badly but I didn’t want to scare him, he was far too precious to me for me to want that.

“For what? It is the job of any good Beta to watch out for those who cannot watch out for themselves. Kin was lost the day Kelani died, he just never realized it. When Orion could talk about her, he would tell me about how sweet Kelani had been. She was all the good Kinder could ever have and without her he never stood a chance. I will say this Alpha, his father never hit him. The only two people that I consciously know of that hit him on a regular basis are Cilla and Kinder. I think his father is still just too numb to see much of anything inside of his home. Orion’s other brothers usually just tend to ignore him. From what Orion has said Gabrial is the only one to have ever truly cared about him aside from Kelani. I am not sure of what goes on inside that house because I am not allowed inside, but Orion is in a bad way there.” she said truthfully. I could hear the sadness and longing to protect Orion in her voice as she looked at my dad dead in his eyes. She was not backing down from her words and she was not showing signs of weakness in the eyes of her Alphas. It was an admirable trait in the future Beta of this Pack.

I heard dad sigh, “Jace, Jax, take them to a guest room. The two of you are not allowed in the room without Cassie around. Cassie, please convince Orion to stay here with us, it is obvious he trusts you more than my idiot sons for some reason. It goes against Pack Law and I cannot let an Omega return to an abusive home regardless of who he is to them.” dad said getting Jax and I to look at him happily. He was going to let him stay!!! That made me so damn happy!!!

It brought us that much closer to redeeming ourselves in Orion’s eyes. Hopefully we could take Cassie’s place one day and he would let us hold him like that when he was scared. It gave me a chance to fix my mistakes. To prove that I was not an asshole to both my Mates.

[Orion’s POV] The next morning

When I woke up the next morning, I found myself facing an unfamiliar ceiling. Then I remembered that my alarm didn’t go off to wake me before everyone else. I was so confused that I leapt from the bed and fell flat on my face when my foot got caught up in the blankets.

“Bish, you make too much noise in the morning ” came Cassie’s familiar voice from the other side of the room I was apparently in.

I searched for her quickly, replaceing her buried in a heap of blankets on another bed. Being the brat that I am I pounced on her, getting a growl and for her to flip me so that I was cuddled up next to her under the blankets.

I was laughing as she tried to go back to sleep. “Cassie,” I said pulling on her hair a little. “Cassie...” I whined when she didn’t answer me. Then I did what I usually do to get her attention I worked my way under her arm and nuzzled myself right against her getting her to laugh. “Momma, don’t ignore me” I whined as she laughed and pulled my hair a little and hugged me tightly.

“I’m not ignoring you, stardust. I’m just tired.” Cassie said getting me to blush at her nickname for me.

“Where are we?” I asked softly as I played with a red curl.

“In the Alphas house.” Cassie replied getting me to squeak and jump up again to rush into a corner, taking her blanket with me as I tripped over it. No! I was supposed to go home last night!

Cassie was right behind me, her protective motherly instincts already kicked in. “It’s all right pup, you have nothing to worry about now.” She crooned as she tried to get closer to me. “No one is angry with you.” She tried, knowing that was one of my fears.

I growled at her and shifted into my Wolf form. Effectively shutting her out. Rain didn’t talk to anyone, but me. Right now, he had pushed me to the back and took over, seeing me unable to take any more of this insanity that was now becoming my life. He was not going to let anyone close to us. Well at least not Cassie, and not at the moment.

“Pup, don’t you do this. Let Orion back out.” Cassie said earning a growl from us. “Damn it!” She snapped before I could hear her getting dressed and stomping to the door. “Final warning pup. Let Orion take over again or the two of you will not like my next actions.” She said in a warning tone. I wanted to listen but Rain pushed me back further, he was not having it.

Rain growled and just shifted so that his back was even more to her. Cassie huffed and then stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. I whimpered a little, I didn’t like that sound.

‘Rain...’ I thought softly, Cassie was mad at us.

′No, she let us stay here. Cilla is going to end our lives now!!′ Rain said he was just as worried about all of this as I was. I had no answers and no way to fix any of this. Cilla was probably fuming right now.

‘Rain, we can’t do anything if we keep hiding from everyone.’ I thought softly. I was just as scared and terrified at what could happen but I didn’t want to go back to that house. I didn’t want to be beaten and starved anymore. I wanted to have a better life and I was old enough to be on my own now.

Suddenly, I heard the door gently open and the scents of my Mates came drafting toward me. Rain whimpered and I couldn’t agree more. Cassie went and got them for what reason I’m not sure. Maybe she thought they would change our minds.

I could hear them shuffling around in the room and a few muscled grunts that almost had me and Rain glancing back at them just to see what the heck they were doing. I felt fur pressing up against my own and it made us both whimper. It wasn’t expected and while it wasn’t something, we wanted right then it was what we both needed from our Mates right then. It was something we secretly craved.

We wanted their touch. Their love. We were just terrified of them taking it away from us. Of them showing us the greatest kindness only to snatch it away.

I could sense Jax’s Wolf pawing gently at my mind, he wanted to link with us but we had blocked everyone. Rain and I had built an inner barrier stronger than most and nothing could break through.

I could feel Rain slipping though. He wanted to just curl up with them like a puppy and let them love all over him. Not that I would protest either but that fear was still there. I knew, though that if we never tried to go anywhere we would be stuck in this nightmare world filled with fear. I let go in my mind and Rain could feel me surrendering to the gentle pawing at our mind. I could feel his reluctance as he pulled his barrier down, letting both Jace and Jax’s wolf into our mind. Their warmth filling us instantly

‘Pup, please tell us what wrong.’ a gentle deep voice called in my mind, Jax’s Wolf. Soft, yet very commanding. He was the Alpha over Jace, it was in his Wolf’s voice.

‘We are scared,’ Rain thought softly not moving us an inch but letting our Mates comfort us.

‘Of what, sweet one? We cannot help you with your fears if you do not tell us what’s going on.’ a wispy voice came, its tone gentle like the first but he was a different kind of gentle. Jace’s Wolf. The gentle Twin.

I knew whose wolf was who’s but I did not know their names yet. I wanted to know them so much better than I did. I wanted my Mates to know me and Rain. I wanted a happy life but they were Alphas how could they love me. Then, I thought of their mom. She was an Omega too and their dad hadn’t rejected her. They had seemed to love each other more than anyone I had seen. I wanted that. I wanted to be just as loved and cherished by my Alpha Mates as their mother was by their father. However, …

‘I am scared of being left behind because of being so small. I am afraid that Cilla will come and take me from here like she did with mommy Cassie.’ Rain thought sadly, his own fears were the same as mine but I was afraid of so much more. I knew there was something more to me they may not accept, that they may not want in a Mate, but I was still scared of that part of my own mind.

‘No is going to take you from here, pup. We are here to protect you now. That’s why you are here to begin with.’ Jax’s wolf said softly, pushing up against me gently.

I shook my head at them, they didn’t know Cilla like I did. I wanted to believe that more than anything but my biological mother came in the middle of the day while I was unconscious from the blow to the head either she or Kin had caused and taken me from the bed Cassie had me in. She hadn’t cared about my health nor the fact that she had walked into another’s home without their permission with them being there to take an injured child. I had fallen asleep in Cassie’s bedroom and woken up chained to the walls in the basement of my house. Cilla had starved me and beat me for a month for that.

‘She always comes for me. I am her worst mistake and she can’t let people know I’m hers.’ Rain admitted as we curled in on ourselves. We never should have been born.

‘You are not a mistake to us, little one. You are the most precious thing in the world to us.’ Jace’s wolf crooned, as he turned to lick the top of my head affectionately. No one has ever said those words to me in real life. Only in my dream have I heard those words.

‘I am afraid of you leaving me if you tire of me. I … Orion doesn’t function like a regular person and I couldn’t heal us the right way.’ Rain thought getting a soft whimper from me in the back of his mind. I hated that I could be the reason we were left all alone.

We both knew that my childish ways would end up being a hinderance to more than just Cassie over time. I had no way to break the problem. I was unable to function like a normal 18year old. I needed child things to keep me soothed and it wasn’t something I ever allowed around me unless I was at Cassie’s house. I had enough problems at home without trying to seek my only comfort.

Jax’s Wolf pawed at us until we turned over to face them. They had come to lay right up against us, that is until Rain had said that. At the moment we were facing our very intimidating Alpha Wolf Mates and I was shocked to see them.

Golden Wolves.

Two of them.