The Twin Alphas Broken Mate

I Won't Try and Change Your Mind

*Nicholas POV*

I swear this all feels like a damned nightmare. The Coles were a good family. Much better than most I had met. I guess this is why I’m still struggling to believe that Jon did this. Even if Mother Gretchen has seen him with her own eyes.

When Noah and I left her room, he was angry. More angry than I had expected him to be. I knew it was bad when he wouldn’t even talk to me.

“Noah, would you f*****g stop? I can’t do this s**t with you right now. If we can’t talk to each other about what’s going on, then who can we talk to?” I called out. I was met once again with silence.

So, instead of wasting my breath, I followed him into our suite. Maybe now that we were out of ear's reach, he would talk to me.

He plopped down into a recliner, and started to brood. I let him be for around fifteen minutes before I spoke up again. We had to talk, and I wasn’t taking no for an answer.

“Are you ready to talk now? I need to know what’s running through that mind of yours. Your whole demeanor changed when Mother said she didn’t agree with Hope’s punishment,” I said softly.

He c****d his head, and his eyes squinted at me. “Do you agree with Mother? Do you think that Hope is fully innocent?” he asked.

The truth was, I didn’t know what to fully think of it. If she truly had no idea what Jon was up to, then yes. I think her punishment and her parent’s punishment were uncalled-for. However, I also knew Jon. He wouldn’t have just kept quiet. He vented frequently to his parents, so I have no doubt that he did with this too.

“I don’t think Hope would lie. From what Gregory told us, Hope told the truth, and even admitted that she overheard him venting. You can’t punish someone for just overhearing an upset family member. According to her, he was asleep on their couch when she went to bed. Something else Gregory said she was being truthful about. If we punish people for simply being related to someone who has committed crimes, then we should be punished for dad’s indiscretions," I replied.

He scoffed and started to pick at his fingernails. A nervous habit he has had since he was a child.

“Nick, I hate that I feel the way I do. However, I can’t change it. I can’t help to think that if she heard him vent, and heard him say that he wanted to kill dad, she should have tried to do something, tell someone, anything. If she had, maybe dad would still be alive,” he said.

I get his point of view, but he had to remember that sometimes, things just aren’t that easy. Even she said it was late at night, and that she only heard bits and pieces.

“I won’t try to change your mind, but at least think about things from all angles. I won’t allow Jeffery to continue to hurt her either. Just like I would allow it with any other of those working in the pack house. What he pulled today can’t happen again,” I replied.

That was one thing we agreed on. The days of the higher-ranked officials taking advantage of the lower ranks were over. Tomorrow, we will meet with the elders as planned, and initiate our oath ceremony. Mate or no mate.

“I’m going to get a shower and head to bed. I’m sorry we aren’t seeing eye to eye on this, Nick. I want to believe her, and even if Gregory says she is truthful, I’m struggling to believe it. Maybe I just don't want to believe it, because if I did, I would have to face what kind of man dad really was,” Noah said as he left the room.

I’d wait to shower in the morning, so I retired to my room and got ready to sleep. As I was brushing my hair, I heard a ping on my phone. It was Jeffery saying he needed to speak with me and Noah as soon as possible.

If I pulled Noah from his plan for the night, it wouldn’t end well for the current Beta. So, I replied to his message and said we would see him in the morning. We have had enough of his bullshit for the night.

After sending the message, I turned off my phone. I would use my current alarm clock instead of my phone, because if I were disturbed one more time tonight, I would probably become more grouchy than my twin.

I had stayed awake until the wee hours of the morning, and even though I had only slept about four hours, I didn’t feel fatigued. I wasn't sure if it was still the adrenaline from everything that happened yesterday, or if there was just so much going on that my brain wouldn't shut down.

Noah was already awake when I came out of my room, and headed towards the shower. It looked as if he had been awake for a while by then, and was working on something on his laptop.

“Did you sleep?” I asked. He nodded as he took a sip of his coffee, and said he had actually slept quite well. I knew he must have taken his melatonin, because sleeping well wasn't something that Noah did without it. He hadn't since our biological mother died.

“Yes. I passed out right after my shower. Hence, the bedhead. I slept pretty soundly with all things considered," he said.

I told him I was going to grab a shower before breakfast, and he threw his hand up to wave me off. I started towards the shower, and remembered Jeffery’s text.

“Before I forget, Jeffery texted me last night. He said he needed us to come see him as soon as possible. I told him it wouldn’t be until this morning, because we were done with the bullshit for the night. To be honest, I think we should wait until we meet with the elders before seeing him. If they are willing, I want to swear in immediately,” I explained.

He laughed and said that Jeffery had texted him nonstop, trying to get a response until nearly 3am. He hadn’t replied at all, and slept through it all for the most part.

I took a quick shower, threw on my favorite jeans, a flannel shirt, and my black cowboy boots. If I had to deal with this bullshit today, I was going to be comfortable. Even if Noah didn’t like it.