Of Rogues & Royals

"Goddess, Colby. I thought you were going to take Brik's head off in that last spar. What the f**k was that about?" Cody came trotting over to his brother from across the training field, using a towel to wipe the sweat off his brow. Cody and Colby were almost identical twins, save for their hair and eye colors. Both extremely tall, broad, and muscular, putting the rest of the wolves to shame across the kingdom, except for their fathers, of course. Even at only seventeen years and three-hundred-and-sixty-four days old, they were massive, to say the least. "He made a joke about Ainsli. It pissed me off." Colby grabbed a towel from the stack and ran it over his face in both hands, burying his frustration. He tried so hard to be as cool, calm, and collected as his father- but he had been restless recently and not sleeping well. He had just enough of a temper that the edge would slip sometimes and set him off. Meaning a lecture from his dad was imminent - the Alpha King of the supernatural kingdom would definitely be roasting his ass tonight at dinner. "Oh, so we're the only ones allowed to tease the almighty future Beta?" Cody one-handedly caught the towel his brother threw at his face and shook out his white blonde hair. It had gotten longer over the summer as he had spent the majority of it at the beach and working through his sea wolf powers that had recently surfaced, even though he hadn't actually shifted yet into his wolf. They both hit the showers and stood side by side as they dressed again. Colby slicked his black locks back into a cleaner, short-cut style, his aqua eyes searching for where he had stashed his shirt. He ran his hand over a small scrape across his ribs. Brik had gotten one good move in, fucker. But he could feel his wolf, Jarek, starting to heal him already. The twins turn eighteen tomorrow. Even though they hadn't shifted yet, they had both been able to communicate with their wolves for well over a year now. And their connections were getting stronger on the eve of their birthday. Cody's wolf, Ranger, was already proving to be the feisty one so far- and had already managed to get them into trouble here and there... very reminiscent of his father's wolf, Crash. Jarek was more solemn and calculated- like his father, Jericho. As they walked from the field, they accidently stepped through a weird cloud of gnat-like bugs. They both flailed their arms trying to rid the pests of their faces, but it seemed like they were inhaling the little fuckers, regardless of their shooing attempts. "Blagh! Damnit!" Colby flailed his arms again, spitting into the dirt. "f*****g s**t. What the hell was that?" "The great outdoors, my friend." "Hi Alphas...." A group of young and pretty she-wolves passed by, waving seductively, giggling at their antics. The boys couldn't make fools of themselves if they tried. They had several things going for them: royal titles, claims to two kingdoms plus their current pack, talent, intelligence, devilishly good looks, the fairytale family dynamic, and prime genealogy. And they were twins. It kind of wasn't fair to the rest of the single unmated male wolves in the kingdom. Where they weren't saints by any means (Cody, especially, being the one with the charm), the one female that wouldn't give them the time of day was the only one they truly wanted. Ainsli Rome was their future Beta. The girl they seemed to be destined for them from day one. Literally, she was born hours after they were, and they grew up in the pack house together their entire lives. She was a vision with her waist-length fiery red-orange hair that swirled in ringlets down her back. Her kelly green eyes were sharp and observant. She was smart and talented and a fierce warrior. Everything a Beta should be. Her father was their mother's Protector, a blessing granted by the Moon Goddess herself...who just so happened to be the twins' grandmother or "Glamma" as she liked to be called. It was a complicated family tree, but somehow it worked. And yet, Ainsli was too devoted to her work, too devoted to her training, always 'on' with her parents. Even amidst a slew of friends, she was the closest thing they had to a best friend outside of each other. Ainsli had a habit of shutting down their flirtations the minute they started. It was infuriating for two boys who were used to being given any female attention on a silver platter. Cody was watching his brother spiral, emotions bouncing around as they continued their trek, headed back toward the pack house. Along with a multi-species DNA string, Cody had picked up his mother's talent of being able to read and manipulate emotions. Maybe not to her caliber, but he was learning. "Bro." He grabbed Colby's shoulders and wrapped his hand around the back of his brother's neck, locking his aqua eyes to his own ice blue ones. "We'll know tomorrow, okay? Stressing about it won't change anything." Tomorrow, when they turned eighteen, it was also the first full moon of the month. Meaning everyone who had turned eighteen this month would be able to recognize their mates and shift for the first time. So, naturally, with two Alpha Princes and their Beta turning eighteen...there was going to be a massive celebration. If there was one thing that their pack of Blue Harvest Moon knew how to do, it was throw a damn good party. As they passed the barn behind the pack house, they could see everyone was already setting up the decor for the celebration for tomorrow. Normally, this night was adorned in a navy blue color, but with the Alphas coming of age, everything was in black and silver. The twins waved to several of their family friends helping with the set up. Their Aunt Rosalind, the current Beta, was fussing at her mate, Uncle Thatcher - the werebear Protector, to straighten a haybale he was balancing on a fork lift. They weren't actually blood related, but Aunt Rosa and Uncle Thatch were some of their favorite parts of their family. Now, if only their daughter adored them as much as her parents did... "Ah, my favorite grandsons!" Pop was sitting on the back porch observing the craziness and drinking a beer. "Cami is at training, Pop. She won't be home for at least another hour." Colby shot him a knowing look. "I'm not only ever here to see your sister, boys! That hurts!" He feigned an attack, hands clutching his chest. "Oh yeah, Pop... Sometimes, you come to see mom." Cody jested and ducked before Caspian, their grandfather, could pull him into a head lock. "No. You little shits. I came to see you. Big day tomorrow. I just wanted to see what my knuckleheads wanted for their big coming of age." He winked. "Our mate. Or mates." Colby was firm and to the point. Pop gave him an understanding look and sighed deeply. He struggled with being apart from his own mate for the majority of his time. Because even though he was a demi-god and father of the sea wolves, he was mated to the Goddess. And she was.... rather busy and important, to say the least. She wasn't able to spend much time here on earth with the family. "And if we don't get that....then I think a big ass bottle of whiskey might be the best replacement." Cody sighed. "If anyone can tell you this, boys, it's me. Glamma has her ways and her reasons for everything. Have faith. If you do find her tomorrow, count your blessings that you'll have the one thing in this life worth living for, right out the gate. If you don't... continue to make yourself better men so that you're even more deserving of her when she does make her way into your lives. Understood?" They each nodded and gave their Pop a hug. They actually resembled him in so many ways, getting the majority of their looks from their mother. They headed inside, giving the head chef Ms. Boudreaux a kiss on the cheek as they crossed through the main hall. "Don't you worry, my babies. I'll have everything perfect for your big night tomorrow. Fixin all of your favorites!" Her thick drawal bringing a smile to their faces immediately. "You're the best, Boudie. Thank you." Colby gave her another hug. "Don't forget the tiramisu for Ainsli!" "I wouldn't dream of it, My Prince." She winked. "Wouldn't wanna face the werebear's wrath if we forgot his baby girl's favorite!" She was right. Uncle Thatcher was extremely protective of his baby girl. Just as they had been their entire lives. The twins headed upstairs to their room. They had taken two of the rooms in the old Luna quarters and combined them into a joined bedroom. They were probably too old for this now, but they genuinely enjoyed each other's company. They each had a bed on opposite ends of the room, and they simultaneously climbed under the covers. "I'm beat. I'm calling it." Colby huffed. "We didn't even get dinner, man." Cody yawned. But Colby was already out... and Cody was asleep within minutes, right behind him. A few hours later, the door cracked open, and three heads peeked in. The twin's parents were checking on them since they never made it down to dinner. "f**k- it's not even eight o'clock and they're already out?" Alpha Ryker chuckled. "Their wolves are getting ready to surface, Baby. Give them a break. It's tiring being an insufferable eighteen year old." Luna Queen Genevieve smirked back. They clicked the door shut again, sitting in the main room of the old Luna Quarters that they once used as a joint office space. Their twins had quickly taken over these quarters completely once they hit their teenage years. Alpha King Jacob leaned back over the couch, crossing his arms over his chest. The twins both favored their mother's looks, but they each had the striking features and physique of their fathers. Colby with Jacob's dark hair and aqua eyes. Cody's mischief personified, like Ryker, with white blond hair and ice blue eyes. "How do you think tomorrow is going to go?" Jacob's brows were furrowed again with the possibilities swirling. Genevieve touched his arm, sending a wave of calm over her mate. "It's going to go how it's going to go. I know we are all curious. We've wondered since day one. Will she stay a Beta or will she be a future Luna... or Queen?" "Or both..." Jacob shrugged, his intense eyes watching the twins' door. "Only the Goddess knows for now," Ryker sighed, and the three turned to return to their quarters. Each sending up their silent prayers to the Moon Goddess for a successful and happy ending to the Full Moon Celebration tomorrow.