Trinity of Power

This is maddening. I mean, I'm relieved to know that he’s safe. Like, you can’t even imagine how relieved I am, but having no idea where he is. It's killing me. I know that Charlie feels the same way, based on the way that she’s clutching me to her.

I've texted the Alpha Council in our group chat to let them know what's going on and have been giving them continuous updates throughout.

I do feel a little bad for the evil trio. Brandon really sucks in the kitchen. Guy could burn water.

But I'd happily eat only his charcoal burgers and incinerated asparagus for the rest of my life if that meant that we could have him back. Goddess, I needed to have him here right now.

Keep it together, Z. I'll be back soon. Brandon's voice fills my mind through the link.

I've got him, Big Bad. Just get them talking. Charlie links. Charlie pulls me into her arms, holding me to her much smaller frame. I bury my face in her hair, letting her scent wash over me and calm me. Christy stirs in her bassinet, but stays asleep and I hear a low snore from Jerry.

A tear rolls down my cheek as I feel the loss of Brandon even more keenly right now. This isn't right or fair that our mate is missing this time with his new family. I can’t wait to rip CCS apart.

After a few moments of silence, Severn starts to speak. “After we were disowned and run out of the pack, we tried to find other packs that would shelter us. We tried to hide the fact that we were all mates, trios as you call them. But do you know how hard it is to hide your love for someone so that no one else sees? No matter how many combinations we tried, saying that Rin and Case were mates or Rin and me or, hell, even Case and me, it was only a matter of time before the packs figured out that we were all together. We tried saying that whoever wasn't a part of the “couple’ that we put forward was a sibling, adopted or real, and that was why we were all traveling together. But it usually became apparent within several weeks that the “sibling’ wasn't staying in their room and that we all smelled like each other no matter what we did.”

Brandon grunts, not openly hostile towards Severn, but also not expressing his usually inviting and friendly personality. “Makes sense that you guys wouldn't be able to stay away from each other.”

I mean, he’s not wrong. Unless they rejected each other, there's no way that they would be able to stay away from each other for any length of time, especially if they were in such close proximity. Casen breaks into the conversation as Severn begins to press out taco shells and Brandon starts chopping onions. I'm not even there and my nose wrinkles at the intense smell that I know those onions are giving off to a werewolf nose.

With his back still to Brandon, Casen says lowly, “The other problem that we had is that we couldn't hide our auras. I'm an alpha. There's no taking that away, just because our pack didn't accept my mates. Rin’s a luna and was a beta before that. Sev's a lune and a gamma before that. There's no way to hide any of that. Our stories varied: our pack had been taken over and we were kicked out, we were born rogues, we were away from our pack when it was overpowered, anything to explain why three high powered wolves would be seeking shelter. I don't know if they ever really believed us, but many packs took us in, willing to help. Well...until they found out that we were all three mates.”

Casen stops talking, the weight of the world falling on his shoulders as he leans over the counter next to the stove. Severn moves to him, hugging him around the waist and pulling Casen into his chest. They stand like that for several moments, wrapped up in each other, some sort of grief coating them.

I feel a longing from Brandon through the link. Seeing the two mates comfort each other causes Brandon to miss us even more in that moment.

Soon, baby. You'll be back home with us soon. Our parents will take the pups and Zak and I are going to fuck your ever-loving brains out. But right now, you need to get the information we need to get to you and to keep us all safe. Charlie's voice is fierce through the mindlink. And, honestly? I'm fucking turned on.

Brandon chuckles through the link. Tonight, when they go to sleep, I'm going to watch you guys fuck each other. Put a lid on it until then, Z.

I can’t help but laugh. My mate knows me way too well and he knows that this is going to help calm me down. It will be a bit of normalcy when we all so desperately need it.

“What happened?” Brandon asks out loud. “Obviously something bad. I mean, other than the shit that you three have caused. Something made you do this. What happened?”

I hear the rustling of trees and brush, the ripping of roots from the ground. Through Brandon's eyes, I see Corinda walk back into the room.

Her face is flushed and eyes red from crying, though her mouth has formed a snarl. “They killed our pups.”