Of Rogues & Royals

Mates

CODY POV

What hurt more than seeing Ainsli’s eyes locked in adoration and lust on another man, was the look of pity she shed on my brother and I as the rogue stranger swept her out of our pack barn. My wolf was conflicted. Ranger wanted to recognize the man as a rogue, the enemy….but he also recognized the alpha blood in him and wanted to respect it. Not submit to him, we were royal after all. But where I wanted to be angry, rage-filled, and devastated- I knew deep down that Glamma was working here. The woman of my dreams was mated to another man for the good of the realms. So there goes my happily ever after. Out the door on the arm of a man that smells lightly of death.

I saw my brother’s eyes shoot up and my heart jumped in recognition. I pressed my hand into my chest at the force of its leap and tried to steady myself. That scent….

I felt my mother sweep forward and grab my shoulder, searching my face for the same reaction she saw on my twin’s. My parents’ eyes were darting between Colby and me. I stepped forward, shoulder to shoulder with him. Identical height. Identical frames.

Our eyes scoured the room for the owner of that scent. Lavender and lemongrass. It was faint, but it still grabbed our attention and caused a reaction. Ranger’s ears were perked up and he was pacing, peering through my vision.

Lavender? Cody asked.

And lemongrass. I confirmed through link.

I saw him nod, his eyes never leaving the crowd in front of us. We shared a mate. This was going to be fun.

“Step forward.” Colby’s voice rang out across the barn. Puzzled whispers echoed across our pack. My heart hammered in my chest. I could feel her presence getting closer.

A beautifully tall and thin girl stepped out of the crowd. I had never seen her before. Her deep chocolate brown hair draped past her shoulders in straight locks with bangs that swept across her forehead. Her black dress was skintight and shimmered in the candlelight and hugged every inch of her body. She wore white satin gloves that kissed above her elbows. But her purple eyes locked on each of us in turn, running over each of our strong physiques.

“Mates.” She whispered seductively.

Ranger continued to pace in my mind. I sucked in a breath and let her scent waft over me again. Ranger snuffed, shaking his snout and tossing his head. He was confused.

I broke my stare at the woman in front of me and looked to my brother. His eyes were drilling holes into her. What was happening?

“Boys?” My mother whispered low enough for barely anyone to hear.

Colby nodded sharply again. “Mate.” He said the word pointedly. Distinctly. Her lips curled into a sexy smile, revealing perfectly straight and white teeth underneath.

I could feel my mother’s eyes drilling holes into the side of my face as I trailed my eyes over the specimen the Goddess had blessed me with. She wasn’t a wolf. But she was stunning. She raised her eyebrows at me expectantly. Her bottom lip dropped every so slightly and my d**k reacted in response.

Something was still off.

She slowly pulled her hand out of her satin glove, biting her thumbnail as she studied my features. She crossed the open floor, and I could feel the emotions of the pack stifling the room. Everyone was waiting with bated breath and the tension was pressing on me from all sides. I let my powers slip over her and I was hit with extreme arousal, possessiveness, and victory. I had trouble controlling my breathing as she stood inches away from me, craning her slender neck up to stare into my eyes. She ran her fingertips over my cheek, lightly trailing her touch through the white blond locks that had slipped over my eye. The sparks her contact left in her wake were real.

“Mate.” I confirmed. That sly smile playing over her red-painted lips again.

We need to talk. I linked Colby. He looked at me like I was crazy. Maybe I was.

“Tonight is a cause for celebration, Blue Harvest Moon! Our Princes and our Beta have all found their mates. Along with six other of our new of-age wolves. Let’s show them our support by drinking all of Alpha Ryker’s best booze!” Alpha King Jacob called out.

I could feel my mother practically buzzing behind me. My body reacted to my mate. Drawn to her. But something in me was hesitant. But if my brother was all in, was I just stalling because she isn’t who I thought she would be? Was I just not giving her a chance and ruining my mate bond before it barely even started?

The Luna Queen stepped up between my brother and I and reached for my mate’s hand. “I’m Genevieve, Colby and Cody’s mother. I don’t believe we’ve had the chance to meet…”

“Janessa,” my mate purred, reaching for my mother’s hand in return. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty.” She curtsied gracefully, placing her hand over her delicious cleavage, her ring finger taunting me by dragging lightly over her perfectly soft skin. My body was reacting to her again, barely maintaining control. But my wolf snuffed again, shaking his head violently. I needed to shift.

Colby reached up for our mate’s hand and brought it to his lips. He was hardened and stoic on the exterior. But I could feel his emotions bouncing around as violently as mine were. Did he feel it, too? I needed to turn on the charm to dance us into a better situation. I shook my own head, taking my control back away from my wolf.

“Janessa, please. Let us escort you outside where we might have a little more privacy. My brother and I are ready for our first shift. The pack will join us shortly to witness, but it might be best to step away from the limelight for a moment.” I gave her my most convincing devilish grin and I could feel her melt like putty. She snaked her arm through mine and the sparks of the mate bond lit up once again. Colby took her other side and we swept out of the barn, all the pack members bowing their heads in respect as we passed. She was confident, but shy. She was uncomfortable in this atmosphere.

We found a quiet corner at the treeline, Ranger was eager to shift. I could feel Jarek’s restlessness as well through our bond. But I needed information first.

My parents hung back, giving us a little room to talk with our new mate while still being close by enough to show support. I could see my mother was trying not to use her power, but my father grabbed her face in his massive hands, pulling her attention to him and pressed her into a loving kiss. I could visibly see the tension leave her shoulders. My other dad pulled her hips back into him and kissed along her exposed neck and shoulders in her thin spaghetti strap silver gown. My mother and fathers stopped aging long ago - so they probably looked the exact same as they did the day we were born. Perks of being immortal, werewolf, fae, and part god.

Janessa giggled uncomfortably seeing my parents’ affection. Colby and I were used to it by now.

“What’s wrong, Little Mate- intimidated by how overwhelming two men can be?” I jested, trying to lighten the mood.

“I look forward to handling it.” She smirked, the lust dancing in her eyes.

“Who are you?” Colby ran his hand over her exposed arm, his touch distracting her.

“Janessa. I’m from the Jade Coven. Attending your party at the invitation of my coven mother, Arista.”

“You’re a witch?” Colby asked, his words a little sharper than I think he intended.

“I am. Is that a problem… Your Highness….” She purred, running her long fingers over the exposed skin of his throat and across his jaw line.

“No, Little Mate. I think we are just both surprised.” I tried to cover for him.

“Are you okay with this, Janessa? Being mated to us comes with a hefty responsibility,” Colby questioned.

Her eye twitched. Almost unperceived, but I was trained better than that. I could also feel her falter.

“Yes. I never thought I’d be lucky enough to be granted the blessings every single female in this kingdom has prayed for over the last eighteen years. And yet here we are. And I am very much okay.” There was truth in her words. And as her eyes raked over both my brother and I, the lust she felt for us was very real. But that was the strongest emotion I could feel. And that was what concerned me.

“Brother, my wolf is ready to shift. I think it’s time we called the pack.” I needed to speak to him separately. And I needed to shift per protocol before Ranger took full control.

Up until this point, Ranger and I haven't ever been ones for following the rules. But with both of us so on edge, it was probably best not to shake things up too much. I needed to get to the bottom of this hesitation, and quickly. Because just looking at Janessa now, I was quickly losing control of the primal urges that needed my mate.