Between 2 Kings

"Come on, get up" my mother called as she hurried around the room getting herself ready. I turned to look at my alarm clock. The startlingly bright red numbers read 4:30AM. I sat up stretching and tied my blonde curly hair in a high pony tail. "I'm up" I yawned. Sliding my legs out and pulling my boots on without zipping them up. I picked up my toiletries bag and headed out towards the bathrooms. We lived in a small room in the packhouse, my mother was too proud to accept anything more. Actually with our 2 small beds, bedsides and trunks in opposite corners, the room was so cramped it looked like a storage cupboard. I began brushing my teeth at one of the basins, I always hurried in the bathrooms because warriors and guards could show up at any time returning from, or going to shifts and none of them cared that they were naked around me coming off a shift-shift. "Why do you wear that rag?" An annoying voice drawled from behind me. One of the warriors was in a shower washing himself casually watching me "there are many things you could wear to bed that would be better than that" he called still watching. My pyjamas were a black t-shirt with some band logo printed across the front, it was so large it almost reached my knees and elbows. "It was my dads" I replied. I liked to imagine it still smelled like him, but honestly all traces of him, and everything our lives had been was long gone by now. My dad had been in line to be alpha of the next pack over but gave it up when he met my mother. She refused to leave her parents. They were all gone now, except mum. Her parents died when I was little and my dad was in an accident two years ago on his way to pick me up from school. Mum went off the rails, I'd never known grief could be like that, it tore everything apart. We lost everything and I was too young to hold it together for her. Alpha Cyrus stepped in then to intervene, offering a room in the packhouse and giving my mother a purpose which she had to accept, that or we'd be completely lost. "Good man" he sighed and went back to his shower. My dad had worked closely with the warriors, the guards and the alpha of Valley Green, our pack, before his death, he was well respected and people tell me all the time how hard it was to watch my mother fall once he'd died. She was a pretty lady my mum, absolutely tiny, but pretty with thin, straight, brown hair, hazel eyes, a button nose and a perfect pink pout. I looked just like her aside from our hair. I rushed back to the room, zipped up my boots and threw on a bright yellow sundress and my apron before taking the stairs two at a time. By the time I reached the kitchen mum was already at the centre of it yelling commands to her small team. Hastily, I took piles of plates, cups and cutlery to the dining room. Then pitchers of juices, water, iced tea and coffee and finally trays of food, bacon, eggs, waffles, fruit. As I was placing down the last things the hoardes of men began filtering in from all doors. In a fluster I ran back to the kitchen almost tripping and being caught by one, he sniffed me deeply before winking and placing me back on my feet to hurry off. I sat on the floor in the furthest corner of the kitchen reading my novel and eating a bowl of fruit. "You can't just live in your books Lux" my mum called hurrying people about to clean up their stations "there's a whole world out there" she gestured wildly around her. "There's a whole world in here" I mumbled back at her. "It's not even useful" she shot back and I tucked the novel back in my apron retrieving a chapter of my chemistry book instead. I had to buy textbooks now because I had a horrible habbit of tearing the chapters apart at the spine so I could carry less. My mum laughed and flicked a teatowel at me. "Go make yourself useful! They're finishing up" she chuckled shooing me up and out of the kitchen. I hurried into the dining room and stilled at the door, I hate when they're still here I stood barely taller than they were whilst sitting and they were all heavily muscular, some naked, some half naked, others clothed. They laughed spoke and even whistled loudly. Hands reached out to touch me as I passed and one set grabbed my waist pulling me onto a lap. "Not today please" I sighed. "When baby?" The gruff voice demanded. "Not today" I stated again. His hand moved to my face "mum!" I called "ma!" I yelled again.any other day she'd have come storming out with her rolling pin, face red with fury at whichever one had grabbed me. "No, but you can call me daddy" he whispered and I shuddered. "Shall we all call you daddy now then?" A deep voice called from behind him. He whipped around launching me off his lap. "No sir" the warrior stated looking cowed. "Lux should you not be getting to school, last day of the term" Alpha Cyrus smiled at me "I'll take you" he said calmly taking long strides from the room as the men snickered. "Sorry" I muttered. He waved me off "go get your things" he shooed me upstairs and moved to the kitchen to speak to my mother. The drive to school was mostly quiet and when we parked he stopped to look at me "the twin kings" he sighed "they will arrive tonight, I trust no one else but your mother and you to wait on them" he looked sorry. "They are demanding and cruel, I am sorry that they must meet on our land as the neutral territory between their two sides" he looked older and more tired suddenly. Valley Green did not belong to either king as it was the one territory that was to remain neutral specifically so that they could meet. It was designed that way by their father when all territories were one but the birth of twin kings meant dividing the lands. Everything to our west was King Paxton and to our east King Williams. "I'll be back around three, right here to collect you" he took a deep breath lifting his gaze to me and smiled "oh and happy birthday" he reached into his glove box over me and pulled out 2 books handing them to me. I threw my arms around him and instantly withdrew to sniff the books as I cracked each one. He laughed and shooed me from the car. --- "Miss Porter!" My teacher screamed and I looked up from my book "the bell has gone, you need to leave" she admonished. I stuffed my things in my backpack and ran, knowing now that I'd made the alpha wait. I reached the spot only the find a warrior in his car staring me. "I was sent to collect you" he called out the window and I groaned climbing into the car. "King Paxton has arrived early" he stated speeding off to the packhouse. I stayed silent for the drive and rushed from the car towards the kitchen. "Mum" I called wandering into the packhouse. "-stupid woman" a cruel baritone scolded and as I entered the kitchen my mother was shaking as a huge man berated her, he lifted a hand to lash out and I smacked the side of his head from behind. "You will not raise a hand to my mother" I screamed "or any other woman you feral pig of a man!" I reached around him for my mother's hand and hissed pulling her from the kitchen. Once around the corner I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding. I'd never so much as frowned at anyone before, I definitely never yelled and never even imagined I could hit someone. My mother had gone sickly pale looking at me and the man then slammed the kitchen doors open following us. I took her hand and ran. "The king" she whispered "you struck the king" I stopped in my tracks at our door "and he knows your my mother" I choked out. I knew the consequence would be horrific and sat my mother on her bed. "Lux!" I heard alpha Cyrus call "Lux" he popped into our room "the kings are now both here in the meeting room with a dozen warriors. We need drinks please" he stated before running off. My mum hadn't moved an inch. I straightened myself up and closed the door behind me to go collect scotch and glasses. When I made it to the meeting room on the third floor with my basket I placed all the glasses on the table in front of each senior warrior, the alpha, the beta and froze at the kings. I couldn't tell which I'd slapped and neither looked at me. I moved around the table pouring the scotches and reached one of the kings when a hand moved his glass further, I reached and they moved it further away. Looking up I spotted the marrior from this morning staring at me hungrily. I reached again leaning over and he pulled the glass away again, with a huff I leaned over the table almost flat on my stomach, sure he was trying to glimpse down my top. A large firm pair of hands grabbed my hips and tugged gently. I stilled and the men in front of me looked almost panicked. I felt something warm press right into the crotch of my panties from behind and heard a deep inhale. Everyone was staring silent now. "Delicious" a silky deep voice whispered "and who are you?" He asked "my queen" warm breath tickling my thighs. I turned my head over my shoulder to look and saw that the King with longer hair had his nose pressed into my panties and I began to hyperventilate. "She's a child" Cyrus bellowed "leave her!" This is why we were neutral ground Cyrus was of their bloodline and chose to focus solely on the elite training of warriors. It was the one place the Kings couldn't conquer. "She is mine" he purred withdrawing his face from me "my wolf and I, we want her". He stood and leaned over me to grab the glass for me and my eyes stung with tears "do you not smell me little one? Does it not call to you like it did me?" He asked softly. He quickly realized how scared I was and stepped back. "She is only 17!" Cyrus bellowed. "She has a strong pull, but no mate bond yet, no matter, I will take her" he stated. "You will not" I snapped turning to him and I heard the sharp breaths catch around me but he looked amused. "Why not little one?" He chuckled "You cannot have her. She is mine" his brother stated plainly from behind me "she has struck me and I shall do with her as I see fit" he flicked his hand as if to move the others away. "You're a big boy, you'll live" the first one stated pulling me to his lap as he sat and I stilled. "She will be leaving with me" the one across the table stood "Paxton you know the laws as well as I, she has struck her king" "I won't go with either of you" I interrupted quietly "I'd rather be banished. Do with that information what you will." I stood and patted down my dress picking up the scotch to leave "No!" They both shouted "Everyone out!" William snarled loudly "now!" I tried again to leave with the others but was grasped by the wrist. "I'm sorry" I murmured when the room emptied and the silence fell heavy as they glared at each other. "I found her first" William snapped "I smelled her in the kitchens this afternoon" he pounded the table and I snuck a glance before returning to looking at the bottle in my hands. "I claimed her!" Paxton growled back. "Do I get a say?" I asked quietly. "No" they both snapped. My face burned with anger. "Neither of you get me! I do not feel anything for either one!" I screamed "I do not know you." William flew at me "you do not reject us!" His voice was a cruel cold whisper. I threw the bottle at the ground by his feet "you are not my mate... either of you, I feel nothing!" I screamed "do not threaten me". Paxton spun in his chair and reclined "it is because you're young" he stated "closer to your first shift you will know." He stated calmly. "And what I pick one?" I laughed. They turned to each other serious and clearly mindlinking as their eyes glazed. "I cannot have two mates" I stated "it's not a common thing. You'd have to be true identical twins-" "-of alpha blood" William finished smiling at me self satisfied. "Have you have your first heat?" Paxton asked I looked between them both and felt tears stinging at my eyes again. Their faces dropped. "They said you were cruel but this isn't funny, this isn't ok. I don't believe either of you." I hissed not sure if I was angry or sad. "Have you had your first heat?" Paxton asked again. "No!" I snapped "I don't know what you're talking about! Why are you doing this to me?" They were silent staring at each other so long mindlinking that I began picking up the glass smashed on the floor and turned to leave and get a broom. "When did you turn 17?" William asked. I stomped my feet at them "Why?! Please I have been yelled at, laughed at, harrased and just pissed off all day. What do you want?" "We can smell you because it's coming" William stated standing and grabbing my arm. "What is!?" I asked. Paxton stood to throw me over his shoulder. "Your heat, we must move you from this place" they both strode from the room and made their way to the top floor. Paxton paced me on a huge bed "when did you turn 17?" He asked more desperate. "Today, just today" I snapped then I felt myself begin actually crying. "What are you doing? Why?" I asked. "You are unmated?" Wiliam asked getting on his knees in front of me. I raised my hand to slap him and he grabbed my wrist "you will not strike me" he stated dangerously. "I'm not like this, why am I doing this. What's happening?" I mumbled. "Our presence I think. Our power and the fact that there's 2 has brought on heat, quite early" "You keep talking about that but I don't know what it is!" I whined at them and Paxton too dropped to his knees in front of me both of them looked concerned and they again looked to each other silently mindlinking.