Our parents left to go have a private meeting in Alpha Odin's office fifteen minutes ago, leaving the rest of us alone to sit in the living room in silence. I can feel Maddox's stare on me, but I won't meet his gaze. After his mom revealed that he had a brother, I demanded answers, but he wouldn't give them.

Maybe it's not a big deal, and I could be overreacting, but I won't start a relationship full of lies and secrets. Even small ones.

"Poppy," he whispers.

I turn my head to face my brothers, positioning myself so that my back is to Maddox.

"So boys, how are the mates? Keeping you assholes in line, turning you into functioning members of society?"

Elm and Ash immediately start gushing about their new mates. I laugh as they continue talking over each other- taking turns has never been a strength of theirs. I catch Basil staring uncomfortably at his hands as Ash and Elm ramble on and on about how amazing their mates are and how much we'd all love them.

Something is definitely bothering him.

"Basil, can I talk to you outside for a second?"

He looks hesitant, but eventually nods and follows me out the back door. We walk to a small garden far enough away from the house so that no one will hear us.

"What's going on with you?" I ask him softly.

He puts his hands in his pockets and stares at his feet. Basil had always been the quietest of the group. He was always sitting on the sidelines while the rest of us fought and annoyed our parents to no end. Quiet wasn't unusual for Basil, but something about his silence now was... off.

"You and I have always been closer than the rest of the family, right?"

His question is timid and unsure.

"Yeah, of course. You're the only one that doesn't piss me off on a regular basis," I smirk.

Basil at least has the courtesy to attempt a smile at my joke, but it doesn't reach his eyes.

"What is eating you up so bad?" I push.

"I-I found my mate," he finally admits.

I squeal with joy, wrapping my arms tightly around his shoulders. He hugs me back with equal fervor, but I realize when I pull back that he's not as excited about this news as I am.

"Why aren't you smiling? This is great news, Basil! You finally found your mate!"

I push the sides of his mouth up to force a smile, but it drops once more as soon as I pull my hands away.

"I haven't told you who it is yet," he says bitterly.

I pull away slightly to frown up at him.

"I'm sure whoever it is is lovely. They're your mate. They're meant to be compatible for you in every way. They wouldn't be your mate if they weren't perfect for you."

As I tell him this, I'm reminded of a very similar conversation I had with Lennon not too long ago, when I was nervous about finding my mate. The frown on my face deepens the more I think about it.

Perfectly compatible in every way. A match made in heaven in every sense of the phrase. So why is my mate keeping secrets from me?

"August," Basil says, pulling me back to our conversation.

"Beta August? What does he have to do with any of this?"

"He's my mate. I've been feeling on edge all day, and when he walked in to dinner tonight, I knew instantly."

My mouth pops open into a surprised 'O,' but the excitement begins to bubble inside of me, threatening to explode. Not only does my best friend have a mate in my pack, but now my brother does, too.

"What the fuck are you moping about then? August is a great guy, I couldn't have picked a better match for you if I was the moon goddess herself! And besides, that means you get to move here and be with me and Lennon. You'll already have family here to make the move easier."

They really were perfect for each other. I'm surprised I didn't realize it sooner. They were both kind, quiet souls in a sea of crazy.

"You don't feel weird about having a gay brother? Hell, I don't even know how I feel about it. I never expected... I mean I guess I had my suspicions, but I thought I was just confused, I just..."

His voice breaks and the distraught look on his face has my heart breaking for him.

"It's the twenty-first century. Why would I care what parts your mate has as long as they're good to you? I just want my big brother to be happy, no matter who it's with."

"What about the rest of the family? They're all over the moon about Ash and Elm's new mates, and yours, too. I just don't know that they'll be as receptive and welcoming to my mate when they find out."

I hold his hands in mine and look at him sympathetically.

"Mom and dad will think the same way I do. Their only priority is your happiness, always has been. And as for our brothers... I know they only have about ten brain cells to share between the three of them, but they mean well. You're still their brother and they'll love you regardless of who you love."

I watch as the tension in him seems to ease away and he becomes far more relaxed. He smiles down at me, finally allowing himself to fully feel the joy of finding his mate.

"Thanks, sis. You know, I don't care what Willow says, you're pretty alright."

We both laugh as I continue to poke fun at our idiot brothers.

"Hey guys," August appears from around the corner, looking shyly at us.

I wag my eyebrows dramatically at Basil as I pull away from him.

"Speak of the devil. You lover boys have fun, I need to go have a very stern conversation with my own mate."

"Go easy on him, please. I don't think I can handle being an Alpha if you kill him," August yells after me as I make my way back to the house.

"No promises!"

That boy is going to tell me everything, no matter what it takes. No more secrets.