Ruby

It's not that I'm afraid of my dad but I got up at 3:30 and was showered and ready well before 4AM.

Shadowing Dad... not as much fun as I thought. He does alot for the pack. By noon he had called each sector leader for an update, met with the patrols during shift change, updated the pack records, ran a few laps around the pack boundaries, spent 2hr. In fight training, and now after lunch we are meeting with Alpha Aaron. I am beat.

"Afternoon Aaron." Dad says as we enter the office. "How are your boys coming along?"

"Good... we're sending Malak back to Red Rivers tomorrow so he can train in his pack... Lilly is going with him." Alpha responds.

"Not again! You don't plan on running over there every day again do you?!" Dad asks.

"I think I'm too old for that now Clayton... I'll see her every weekend... you boys get the weekend off you should be happy!" Alpha says.

The twins look at each other but don't respond. Looks like they've had a rough morning too.

"How you guys holding up?" I link them.

"This is nuts!?" Ti says.

"History, physical training, paperwork, it never stops!" Malak adds.

"I know right?! Did you know our dads did all this EVERY DAY!?" I ask.

"No idea!" they both link.

"How would you boys like to do some endurance training together?" Alpha Aaron asks.

"Ummm... define endurance training." Malak says.

"Don't Ummm me boy!" Alpha yells then begins  to explain "endurance training will be pushing yourselves beyond what you think you can handle and further... makes you stronger."

"Well at least we get to hang out." Ti says and both our fathers laugh.

●○●○●

"Keep running boys!" Dad says as he runs ahead of us. I am dying! This is oddly like Uncle Rhy's punishment but I did nothing wrong!

"You gonna let a couple of old farts like us show you up? Seriously boys?!" Alpha yells.

"I'm done!" Ti flops on the ground. Malak falls on top of him.

"Me... too!" He pants.

I stop by them gasping for breath when our Dads come back to us.

"Come on boys you aren't finished yet!... get up Ti!" Alpha orders.

"Noooo!" He groans.

"I think they need some... motivation!" Dad grins at Alpha Aaron and they both shift.

"You boys better run!" Alpha links us and we all jump up.

"Or what?" Ti yells glaring at his father. Alpha nips at his hand "owww! Seriously Dad!"

"Start running!" Alpha links again.

We look at each other then take off with two massive wolves nipping at us.

"You... guys... suck!" Ti pants as we get back to the pack house.

Dad and Alpha walk up to us in loose shorts laughing as we lay in a heap.

"Not... funny... Dad!" I say panting for breath.

"You know my brother was right! It's fun to train people like this!" Alpa tells Dad.

"Kinda is!" Dad smiles. "Come on Alic. Ruby will be home soon."

We head back to our house to find Ruby already there.

"Bout time you guys show up!" Ruby runs up and wraps us in a hug. "Geeze Alic you stink!" She backs away smiling.

"Yea yea... love you too." I tell her and we laugh. She pauses and starts to smell the air. "What's that smell?"

Knock knock knock.

We all three look at the door.

"I got it!" I yell. I open the door and Alpha, Ti, and Malak stand at the doorway.

"Welcome home Ruby!" Alpha says.

Malak pushes past me to Ruby.

Ruby's POV

"I knew it!" Malak says in an amazed whisper standing a few inches in front of me staring at me.

"Hi Malak... I missed you." I respond avoiding eye contact.

"Look at me!" His hand grabs my chin moving my head to meet his eyes. That small touch sent waves of electricity through my entire body.

His intense green eyes bore into me and he growls placing his forehead on mine. I can feel the eyes around me but the only ones that matter are the green ones looking into mine.

"Hi" I whisper.

"Hello Ruby." He growls. Oh my. I can't believe I ever left him... "let's go!" He says taking my hand and pulling me out the front door past his father and brother.

We walk into the woods for a few minutes before he stops and turns to me.

"You left me." He finally says looking at the ground.

"Yes." I respond. I don't have a better answer.

"Before we were 18... before I could know you were my mate... you left me." He says still not looking at me.

"I know." I say. I can't argue with him... it's the truth.

"Stop agreeing with me!" He yells.

"Do you want me to disagree with you?" I ask. He finally looks at me.

"No! I want you to explain yourself! You left! You didn't answer my calls! You wouldn't come home! Why?! I want to know why?" He yells. I can see tears in his eyes.

"I had to... I needed to find out who I am... away from my brother, my dad. I needed to find myself where people only know me as me." I tell him.

"You could have waited! You could have left after we found out! You could have saved me from three years of pain not knowing who my mate is! Hoping it was you! Keeping an eye out in case it wasn't! Worrying that you would find someone else!" He rants.

"Do you really think your wolf would have let that happen? That he would be ok with me, his mate, unmarked, living in another state. In another pack with a bunch of males you don't know. In a place you can't be around me... for years. My wolf wouldn't like it she would have tried to keep me here!" I respond. He pauses a moment. I'm guessing his wolf is talking to him.

"Your right... he says he would have had you locked in a cell if you tried to leave." He starts to laugh and I give him a questioning look. "Sorry... he's backpedaling now... saying how it would be a nice cell... that he'd treat you like a queen... just a captive one."

I have to laugh at that. My wolf likes his protectiveness.

"I just don't understand why you had to leave. Am I that bad? Does a life with me appall you so much you had to run? Do you really hate me so much that the idea of us being mates would send you as far west as you could get? I thought you liked me!" He looks so defeated. It had nothing to do with him. He is back to looking at the ground.

"Malakai... look at me." Its my turn to touch his face. I lay my palm on his cheek moving his head so he has to meet my eyes. "This had nothing to do with you. I needed to get away but not from you. I needed to not be the miracle boy's sister or the Beta's daughter. I needed to be me... just me. For that I had to leave. I am happy you are my mate."

"You didn't answer my calls, texts, letters, emails. You talked to Alic, Markie, your dad, even Ti but you didn't talk to me. That seems like you were trying to escape me." He says.

"I couldn't... I wanted to... I just couldn't... if I would have talked to you I would have come home. I had to finish what I started or I knew I'd have regrets. I didn't want to resent you for keeping me here. I thought it was for the best." I tell him.

"For you maybe... but I can see how you thought it would be better for me too... you are wrong but I can see why you would think that... one question... I need to know just one thing before we move on... are you going to leave me again?" That's what he really cares about and I know it. Not the time passed but what I plan to do now.

"Malak... I'm not going anywhere." I say.

"Promise me." He responds.

"Malakai Maverick Rose... I have no intention of leaving you now or any time in the future. I promise." As soon as the words leave my lips his are on me. He has me pinned against a tree in a kiss with one hand behind my back and the other holding my head. He pulls his head away. Keeping me pinned he looks me in the eye.

"Mates Ceremony! I can get my dad and mom. Call grandpa and Uncle Carson. We could do it tonight!" He grins.

"Woh! Aren't you an impatient pup!" I laugh.

"Babe the fact that I didn't hunt you down and drag you back here kicking and screaming for three years proves that false. Believe me I thought about it... alot!" He grins at me eyes focused on my lips. "I found my Luna!" He kisses me again and this time I pull away.

"Luna?" I ask... "wait you got the Alpha!" I am so happy for him. "How's Ti taking it?" He sighs obviously upset I stopped the kiss.

"Fine considering he is an Alpha too." He says and my jaw drops. Malak laughs and explains "he got Dad's I got Mom's so I will be Alpha of the Red Rivers pack."

"That's so cool... I didn't know that could happen!" I say.

"Yea cool." He says sounding uninterested as he moves his head closer to me. He starts kissing my neck moving yo my collar bone.

"Malak no...STOP!" He pulls away looking at me. "You are not going to mark me in the middle of the woods! We will have a ceremony we will invite Pops and my Uncles. We will not rush this!" I tell him.

"Ruby... I've loved you since I could walk. If we are rushing then glaciers should be Olympic sprinters." Dang he is cute.

"I want my family here. I want your family here. I want to do it right. I love you and always have but we are going to do this right." He sighs at my words and backs away.

"Fine... I want to thank you." He says.

"For what?" He's been yelling about all the crap I put him through and now he thanks me?

"When we were 13 you said you wanted to wait for your mate. You said it was unfair to him for you to be with another guy. That you refused to have anyone to compare your mate to. You wanted him to be your one and only. It helped me not go mad while you were gone. I knew the only way you would be with another guy was if he was your mate. I always hoped my mate would have the same mindset. That she would want me to be her only everything. And I got my wish! You are my only. The only one I've kissed. The only one I think about. The only one I've ever loved. You are my only." He answers.

At that I dive for his lips and am pinned once more. After a while he pulls away taking my hand.

"We should be getting back." He says pulling me towards my house.

Alic's POV

"About time you two get back!" I yell as Ruby and Malak enter the room holding hands. They have been gone over an hour. Alpha, Dad, Ti, and I have been sitting in the living room talking since that left.

"Hay Malak your lips look swollen you get stung by a bee?" Ti says messing with his brother. We all know what happened.

"And Ruby you look awfully red... heat stroke?" I add. Ruby buries her head in Malak's shoulder.

"You two got something you want to tell us?" Dad asks.

"You all know very well what is going on!" Ruby yells and we all laugh.

"We do." Alpha agrees. "But we still want to hear you say it." The four of us look at the two grinning ear to ear.

"We're mates." Ruby whispers.

"I'm sorry I didn't quite get that." Ti teases.

"She said we're mates you Twit!" Malak yells throwing a pillow at his brother who catches it laughing.

"Did you mark her boy?!" Dad booms. Que the overprotective father. Dad rushes over to them.

"No Daddy we are going to have a ceremony in a couple weeks. I want Pops, Uncle Rhy and Uncle Fen there. Raelynn and Rachel will want to come too which means Ryan will come. Uncle Fen will probably bring Francis and Felix... so yea all the cousins... plus Aunt Shelly and Aunt Tibby. We are going to do it right." Ruby says. This should be interesting the whole family here.

"And you are going to let them all stay a few days right dad?" Malak asks. Alpha Aaron rolls his eyes.

"I don't hate Rhydian so I guess if I had to have an extra Alpha around it might as well be him... he's kinda family now anyway." Alpha responds walking towards Malak. "And since you aren't an Alpha yet you dodged the bullet of having to invite all the Alphas so that is a plus... two weeks and my boy will be mated... good luck son!" Alpha Aaron hugs Malak. He then hugs Ruby and looks at my dad."We're gonna share a son and daughter here soon Clay!" He grins putting an arm around each of them.

"We've shared just about everything since we were pups why not a couple of kids... and grandpups!" Dad smiles at them.

"Too soon Dad!" Ruby squeals and Dad laughs.

"Come on boys let's get home." Alpha says turning to leave.

"Bye Malak." Ruby whispers. He kisses her and Ti starts Oooing at them.

"Cut it out!" Malak yells putting Ti in a head lock. Alpha just laughs.

"Bye Clayton, Alic, Ruby." He says pushing his boys out the door.

"Look at my big sister all flustered over a boy Awwww!" I elbow her laughing.

"Put a sock in it Alic!" She yells and runs upstairs.

Well it's about time!