In Love With His Brother’s Mate

Her moans were a siren’s call, pulling him deeper and drowning him in the sound of her pleasure. His lips moved against her skin, reverent yet insatiable, trailing kisses down the curve of her neck, over the swell of her breast, and down the taut plane of her stomach. Every inch of her, he worshipped. Every gasp, he devoured. "I’ll miss you," he murmured, his voice rough with need, his breath warm against her inner thigh. His fingers gripped her hips, holding her steady as he descended, his mouth claiming her in a way that made her body tense, and then melt. A shuddering cry escaped her lips, her hands twisting into the furs beneath them as he took her apart with his tongue. He worked her skillfully, his pace relentless, savouring every drop of her pleasure. His name spilt from her lips like a broken prayer, trembling and needy, and it made his blood roar. "Look at you," he rasped against her, pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses to the inside of her thigh, feeling her quiver beneath him. "So beautiful. So perfect." Her body bowed as another wave of pleasure crashed over her, his strong hands holding her down, his tongue coaxing every last bit of ecstasy from her trembling form. She reached for him blindly, fingers tangling in his dark hair, pulling him closer, needing more. He obliged, moving up her body, capturing her lips in a deep, hungry kiss, letting her taste herself on his tongue. He aligned himself, pressing against her, his body thrumming with barely restrained desire. The world narrowed to her soft skin beneath his calloused fingers, the way she trembled at his touch, her lips parting with a sigh as he sank deep into the warmth of her body. He pressed his forehead to hers, panting devotion into her mouth. "I'm yours," he whispered, dragging his teeth along the delicate curve of her throat, revelling in the way she arched against him. "Always yours." Her fingers curled into his back, nails raking across his skin as she gasped, shuddering beneath him. He rocked into her, claiming, adoring. Each thrust, each touch, each broken plea from her lips tethered him to this moment, to her. "I love you," he whispered, eyes burning into hers. “I’ll always love you.”She sobbed his name as pleasure overtook them both, his grip tightening as he buried himself inside her one last time, his world fracturing and reforming in the shape of her. ~~~~*~~~~ Aeron's eyes snapped open. The scent of sweat and leather replaced her perfume, and instead of the warmth of her body, cold wind howled against his skin. He was no longer buried in her embrace, no longer feeling the sweet pulse of her pleasure around him. Only the memory remained, cruel and vivid, tormenting him as it had for four long years. The rolling hills of the western territory stretched before him, leading down into the heart of his pack’s land. Aeron reined in his horse, letting the wind rush over him, heavy with the familiar scents of home—pine and wet earth, hearth smoke and fur. How many times had he dreamed of this view during the long, bitter nights at the academy? Two years in the southern academies, two years in the brutal war in the lowlands... The world beyond had been cruel and endless: wars fought over old grudges, blood spilt for forgotten causes, endless drills and cold beds. Strength was survival. Emotion was weakness. And yet, despite the victories he had claimed, his mind had never strayed far from his home. From her. His beloved. Aeron had left her behind, promising to return, promising that nothing—not time, distance, nor duty—could sever the bond they shared. He had dreamed of this day, of cresting the hills and running straight into her arms, of taking her into his bed once more and making up for every moment lost. He had clawed his way through it all with one thought beating in his chest: home.
Her. His throat ached with it.
Lifting his head to the sky, Aeron let loose a long, piercing howl. For a moment, the hills swallowed it whole. Then, answering, howls rose from the valley, dozens of them, strong and sure, rippling across the village. His pack. Aeron kicked his horse into a gallop, his heart pounding harder with every stride. He was almost there. He had missed so much—his family, his people. He had received a letter once. Months after the silence that had nearly driven him mad. It said his brother had married. He had felt guilty for not being there, for not witnessing the union, but he had written. He sent word when he could. He never really got a response. His brother had found a mate, and Aeron had been happy for him, even if a small part of him ached that he was not yet able to do the same. Soon. The next full moon, he would bring his beloved into their family, and all would be right. The village appeared over the next rise, smoke curling from stone chimneys, the sturdy timber houses tucked close together. Faces turned at the sound of his approach — young and old, warriors and healers, pups clinging to their mothers' skirts. Shouts went up, calls of welcome, and Aeron was grinning before he could help himself. He barely managed to dismount before they swarmed him.
Claps on the back, fists to the heart, warm, rough embraces.
He caught flashes of faces — old friends, distant cousins, the ageing warriors who had trained him as a boy. So many familiar scents he thought he'd forgotten filled his senses, dizzying him with memory. He allowed himself to be led by the crowd to the pack courtyard. His father stood on the steps of the central hall, arms folded across his broad chest. Tall, iron-backed, with silver streaking his dark hair — the Alpha. His sharp eyes swept over Aeron, taking in the scars, the harder edges war had carved into him. Pride flickered in his gaze. Aeron bowed his head.
"Father." Without a word, the Alpha clasped his forearm in a firm warrior’s grip. "Welcome home, son," he said, voice rough with feeling he would never show. He barely had time to straighten before another figure barreled into him — his mother, all warmth and chiding hands.
"My boy!" she cried, reaching up to cup his face, her fingers trembling. "Let me look at you, oh, you've gotten thinner. They don't feed you out there?"
Her voice wobbled, and she fussed over him, brushing invisible dust from his shoulders, checking for hidden wounds like he was still a cub. "I'm fine, Mother," Aeron said, smiling despite himself, allowing the gentle scolding. A shuffle of boots drew his attention.
He turned—and there stood his brother. Theron. Older by two years, his blond hair now pulled back in the style of the mated.
His face, so familiar, was guarded — a flicker of surprise passing over his features before it smoothed into something cooler. Distant. "Brother," Aeron said, stepping forward.
He gripped Theron's arm and clapped his back in greeting, though Theron only returned it stiffly. "Congratulations. I heard the news — marriage suits you." Theron hummed, pulling away from his grip with a frown. "You didn’t mention her name in the letters. Forgive me for missing it." Theron stiffened slightly before forcing a tight smile.
"You were away," he said. "It couldn’t be helped." Their mother, ever the peacemaker, fluttered around them.
"Yes, yes. Important training, building our future leaders. How could he leave before the wars ended? Besides, there will be time to celebrate now." Aeron laughed softly, feeling the knot in his chest loosen.
"I’ll look forward to meeting your wife," he said. "Where is she?" Theron hesitated before glancing toward the longhouse behind them. "She’s coming," he said. Footsteps echoed from the house, light, quick. Aeron turned toward the sound, his mouth already curving into a polite, welcoming smile—and the world stopped. She stepped into the sunlight, cradling a small bundle against her chest.
A slender hand brushed back a lock of hair from a face he knew better than his dreams. Aeron’s heart stopped. Her scent slammed into him, ripping the air from his lungs. The scar on her throat gleamed under the sun — a mate’s mark. Theron’s. Nestled against her heart, a child—small, dark-haired, bright-eyed-the child of the brother who now stood silently at his side. The joyous chatter of the village faded into a dull roar, drowned out by the shattering of his heart.
He stumbled back a step, the earth tilting beneath him. She looked up.
Their eyes met —hers wide and stricken, his full of ruin — And the last fragile pieces of Aeron's world crumbled to ash.