Interstellar

The Alphas’ quarters remained quiet for the remainder of the evening. Stella and Leon had dropped the youngest pups at Mina’s for a sleepover before visiting Cohen and Elise. They remained with their Betas through the night, unsure of how long the meeting would take. Orion remained with Salem and Laken, the young wolves blissfully unaware of the situation unfolding within their family yet not oblivious to the somber air that had settled in the house. They were easy enough to distract with a quick meal and some light training before sleep took them. Orion slipped out, gently latching the door behind him, before heading to the front porch. After returning from patrols, with Leon and Titan nowhere to be found, Cohen had canceled sparring and given everyone the rest of the afternoon off. Orion was eager to take the opportunity to squeeze in a nap, but from the comfort of his bed, he could not block out the shuttering breaths from the room next to his. He had kept his distance from Nova for the past season, casual greetings and shallow smiles the extent of their interactions, but he felt her pain through the bond he shared with his twin. It was so much brighter than the tumultuous riptide within Titan, each wave of her confusion and guilt stoking the fire that burned within her. Her fire didn’t settle until Titan returned, extinguishing all of her negative emotions with the comforting weight of his presence.

As the morning sun began her ascent, she cast a warm glow across the quiet village, stirring the inhabitants from their slumber. It wasn’t long before the joyful sounds of pups playing flooded the clearing. The older kids and young adults gathered for their morning drills, further filling the still air with comfortable conversations and laughter.

Titan had been hesitant to leave Nova, but her soft reassurance bolstered him enough to crawl out of bed and dress for morning drills. He was ready when Orion sharply knocked on his door, half expecting his brother to barge in as he always did when Titan was running late. When the door remained shut, Titan pulled it open and faced his brother with a smirk, “Didn’t want a free ticket to the show, eh?”

Orion threw a quick jab, lightly catching Titan’s shoulder with his fist, before turning to walk away. He called back over his shoulder, “Maybe next time. Just wanted to let you know I’ll be taking your spot in formation again.”

“No you fucking won’t!” Titan shouted through a competitive grin, breaking into a run moments before his brother.

Orion watched his brother sprint out the house before he returned to the open bedroom door, leaning against the frame but looking out the window opposite where Nova laid. “You could join us, you know. For training.” He waited a few seconds for a response that never came. “I don’t know what you two have planned, but I don’t want to lose my brother.”

Nova sat up and held the blankets up to her chin. “I don’t want to take him from anyone.”

They shared a few somber moments of silence, both knowing that the deciding factor was the Alpha. Orion turned to face his brother’s mate, his sad smile a poor disguise, “I don’t recognize the people my parents have become, and I have no idea what decision they will settle on. But I do know that, regardless of where you two end up, my brother needs you at his side. No better time to start than now, right?”

Orion turned to leave, a barely audible “wait” halting his step. He reached behind him and grabbed the door handle, pulling it closed after saying “We’ll walk out together.” He leaned against the wall until Nova slowly opened the door, walking out in one of Titan’s training outfits. She’d found a cord to tie back her hair, a few errant curls framing her face. Orion waved an arm in front of him, gesturing that he would follow. He recognized her insecurity and gave her back a soft nudge, the brief touch offering a moment of reassurance.

Titan stood on the front porch, listening to the soft conversation between his brother and mate. He sprinted for the training field, hoping to get far enough away they would not realize he’d been listening. He settled into the first conversation he encountered between his peers, easily integrating like he’d been there the entire time, his automatic responses stirring laughter around him while his focus was undividedly watching his mate’s slow approach. She walked casually beside Orion, who offered fleeting touches to her shoulder each time her confidence was rocked by the overwhelming uncertainty of her life. When Nova drew close enough to catch Titan’s gaze, her entire energy changed. He sensed her heartbeat quicken and felt a hard tug deep within his core. Their eyes remained locked until she was near enough to touch, and as he reached for her, his father’s commands began ringing through the air.

“Cohen seemed to have forgotten your sparring drills yesterday, so we’ll resume where he left off. Break off into pairs,” Leon watched as Titan reached for Nova, steeling his nerves against the anger slowly bubbling up within him. He approached his son and jerked him back by the shoulder. “It would be an insult to allow you to spar a stronger opponent knowing you could not give your all.” Leon’s soul was soothed at Nova’s nervous laugh. His eyes darkened at the thoughts of her overpowering him, but he was quick to shake the memory of her supple figure lording over him from his mind’s eye.

Titan tensed under his father’s grasp and huffed, “Like you would, either.”

“I know what she is capable of, pup,” Leon smirked as fury shrouded his son. He turned to Nova, her expression a combination of embarrassment and defiance. “Indulge me in a single match.”

“And if I refuse?” Nova tried desperately to see anything other than a jealous attempt to touch her in Leon’s actions. All emotion dropped from Leon’s face at her response. She had expected anger or a possessive glare, a pleading glance, anything other than this vast emptiness that spread across him. Nova shivered, chilled by the intimidation she felt at the void of a man before her, and her resolved was crushed. She sought her mate’s face, pulling on their bond for reassurance, but the fear in his eyes told her he recognized his father’s look. Defeated, Nova returned her gaze to Leon, her tone one of acceptance, “A single match.”