The walk back home was filling with little giggles and funny stories from Desmond's and Osiris's childhood. All the stories were before their rough upbringing; when they were still living within a pack.

I threw my head back and laughed when Desmond told me about the time he an Osiris was in elementary school. They were walking back home when Osiris decided to make the walk home from school a competition.

It was supposed to be a simple race between two little boys. Osiris was winning obviously older and much faster than Desmond, but that meant little to nothing to his untied shoes. Poor Osiris flew forward off his feet face planting against the hard gravel of his parent's driveway.

I couldn't imagine the scare or pain that had to have caused.

"I won the race after that." Desmond chummed as if he had just now won a raise against his brother.

I giggled. "Duh, I think that's pretty obvious when your sibling's face smacked the ground."

He rubbed the back of his head, I could tell he was reminiscing on the memory, the smirk on his face his nothing. He liked one-upping his older brother, gave him a sense of pride.

"So what are your plans for the rest of the day?" I wondered opening the front door of our cabin.

I was trying to bring up the topic of moving into one bedroom. I had been here for over a month now and though Desmond and I hadn't exactly gotten to know each other on a level that satisfied me, I still felt it was time for this step. We were a bonded pair.

Normal werewolves would have marked each other and sealed the bond. Not us, we were still living as roommates and it bothered me.

As I opened the door to the cabin Desmond leaned over me, his hand planted against the door to push it wider. The heat of his body radiated into my back as he shuffled closer to me.

I move my hips back, yearning for more than just his body heat but as my butt brushed against his body I was tugged through the threshold.

Tingle erupted against my skin, the world felt like it was spinning for a moment before I gathered my balance.

"Jesus, Oz you'll rip her arm off like that."

Desmond's tone was sharp and it was enough to get Osiris to relax his grip on my arm. I tugged back but it only earned me a warning snarl.

I froze. I froze up not out of fear but out of the delightful shiver that fluttered down the column of my spine. Who knew an alpha's growl would make your insides seemingly melt.

My eyes travel up the middle of his chest until they locked onto his. He stared clear over my head, Osiris was zeroed in on his brother.

The tension of his muscles and hitched breathing told me Desmond had done something to piss him off.

"She's not a rag doll Oz, stop pulling her around like she is one."

Osiris moved me to the side as he took a dominating step toward Desmond. His finger poked at the middle of his little brother's chest as his eyes beamed.

"I thought I made myself clear Des." Osiris's tone was low and stern. How Desmond could just stand there and cross his arms with a huge smirk on his face was beyond me. The man lived for the moments he could piss off his brother.

Desmond leaned against the doorway with a carefree attitude. "As did I, Oz."

The corner of Osiris's lip twitched at his words. His eyes fogged over as did Desmond, when they snapped back out of it Desmond scoffed with a roll of his eyes. He stormed into the cabin slamming the door shut.

The cabin walls shook at the force and in utter shock I gulped. What the fuck happened? We were having such a great day, how did we end up here?

"Then you explain the shit to her, I'm fucking over this bullshit." He yelled over his shoulder making his way up the stairs.

I started to move toward the stairs wanting nothing more than to comfort my mate and ask what his temperamental brother did to upset him, but I did get far. Osiris grabbed the shoulder of my jacket holding me in place as Desmond rounded the top of the stair and slammed his bedroom shut.

That just left us, me, and the big bad wolf behind me.

My nostrils flared at the familiar intoxicating scent. Lucky had to have put some sort of air fresheners around because I'd never smelt such a delicious smell.

"Phina-"

I snapped my head around gathering my bearings. I wanted answers. After Osiris so rudely brushed me off last time I asked questions about that sensation he most definitely felt, and admitted, I was determined not to let him off the hook so easily this time.

"You said you felt off the other day."

He let out a deep sigh. "Not this again."

"You're hiding something from me. I want to know what."

"You're making stuff up." He accused.

My stomach coiled with his snipped tone. I wasn't making it up. I felt it, he reacted to it too, this wasn't a figment of my imagination. The fact he was trying to throw it in the face like I was so lunatic stung.

Why did I care so much if he did feel the same way? What exactly was I trying to prove?

Seeds of doubt and hesitation grew and soon my driven attitude plummeted.

"I- but you were surprised I heard you." I pointed out remembering the sheer surprise on his face when I clearly heard him whisper.

"You were probably right, I spoke louder than I thought." He admitted.

Osiris stood motionless as he scanned me up and down. His eyes were meticulous as he tried to absorb every detail he could on my face. His hazel shadowy eyes cause my heart to quicken. A flutter in my stomach caused a rush to travel from the center of my chest down between my legs.

Not a good time Sera.

I wasn't sure why but something in his tone or something in his eyes just screamed "I'm lying".

"What's so bad about admitting the truth?"

Osiris's eyes grew wide, he was stunned. I had dared to press him on a subject he so badly wanted to drop.

His mouth opened and closed before he let out a sigh. His eyes squeezed shut, a poor attempt and trying to piece together his words. He was trying to come up with another lie to deter me from truly understanding the truth. What was so awful about the truth?

My ears pick up the creaking of the upstairs floorboards. Without looking over I knew who it was already and the wince in Osiris's eye when he looked over my head solidified who I thought it to be.

"Tell her, Osiris." Desmond's voice was monotone leaving little emotion detectable.

I turned to face Desmond a more than a puzzled expression on my face. "Tell me what?"

"Not now, Desmond." My head snapped back towards Osiris, his eyes were slightly brighter as anger began to grow in them. "This isn't the time nor the place I thought we were on the same page."

The same page? They were both keeping something from me. Nausea grew at the intrusive thoughts that build inside my mind. They were keeping the same thing from me, the same information.

I heard Desmond scoff, I didn't have to look at him to know he was scowling down at his brother.

There was a sudden shock to my system when Osiris grabbed my shoulders to capture my attention. He wore a deep frown as if whatever it was he was about to spit out pained him. I could have cared less if what he was going to say was painful to admit for him, I deserved to know, especially if my mate is telling him he should come clean.

"I will tell you everything that you need to know, just"- He let out a harsh breath of air as he struggled to explain.

For some reason the longer that I watched him struggle the more I want to comfort him and ease whatever stress he felt. I shouldn't have felt like this but it was all that I could feel for him.

My hands moved on their own accord as he rested on top of his that held my shoulders. The tingles that once were so foreign to me felt warm and natural; it didn't come as a shock to me this time. In fact, I opening invited the sensation of finding my own comfort in the feeling as it dazzled a pattern from my shoulders to my spin and down to my toes. They curled at the sensation.

"Just, not now?" I finished for him.

He nodded his head pursing his lips into a thin line.

"Is there a reason why you can't just tell me now?" I questioned finding the secrecy odd and unnecessary. Was the information that serious? If so why would Desmond see to it that I know about it too? But then again, I wanted to know for myself. I wanted to know what it was that Osiris went to the ends of the earth to conceal this entire time.

"Now isn't the best time, trust me." Beseeched Osiris, his eyes darting between myself and Desmond above us.

He looked to me, searching for some kind of approval, either from me or Desmond; it was unclear which.

"Why isn't it a good time?" Worry began to bubble up on the side. "Is this about Philip? Has Philip done something to my parents? Is he threatening the pack over me? A-am I the issue?"

The questions flew out of my mouth faster than I could register the words. The panic that was attached just to the man's name alone made my stomach churn. This nauseating man just couldn't leave me alone. He went from hating me to tormenting me. It was an obsession I wished he didn't have.

Osiris gently cupped both sides of my face. My eyes begged for me to let loose the tears that my rising urge to cry screamed for. I blinked the impulse away.

I'd cry behind closed doors; not now.

"Seraphina, relax. This has nothing to do with Philip." He tried to assure me.

Desmond, however, let out a humorless laugh. "This has everything to do with Philip."

My heart hammered against my rib cage. So this was about Philip. Philip was creating problems for the, Philip's obsession with me was causing probably an endless amount of problems for Osiris.

Suddenly, my stomach dropped. Was that dead wolf Osiris mentioned the other day because of Philip? Had he done it? I knew that Philip hated me but to kill someone? It sounded bizarre and disproportionate.

Osiris growled in a thunder-like volume. I flinched at the noise as I closed my eyes to focus on my breathing. I needed to get my mind off this sickening feeling.

"You aren't helping Desmond."

"Isn't it obvious I'm not trying to help? At least I'm not trying to help you." Desmond seethed back. "You told me to fix things, you didn't specify how or when." His voice grew nearer and as I turned my head to see, I watched the tail end of Desmond sliding down the staircase railing. The railing creaked with the abusive weight of a full-grown alpha male. "I choose now."

Desmond crossed his arms across his chest as he eyed up his older brother. There wasn't an ounce of fear beneath his eyes but I guess I shouldn't be surprised, he was part alpha after all.

"What is he talking about Osiris?" I quickly turned back to Osiris who had seen removed his hands from my face.

The comforting feeling was dissipating quickly replacing itself with panic. "If someone doesn't start explaining soon I'm going to lose my damn mind. What is he talking about Osiris?"

I grabbed onto the tiny table in the hallway for support, my legs had become jelly since the start of this. I needed to lean on something or else I was going to fall over.

I was glad I was holding on to something because the next set of words Osiris spoke left me empty. It wasn't at all how I was supposed to feel and I guess that's why I felt empty and numb.

"You and Desmond are not mates. We are."

🥰.