A Wolf Among The Sheep

Immediately Luana's shoulders tightened at his remark about Leah, guilt twisting her stomach at the image he had painted in her mind. It didn't sound great, when he put it that way. However she didn't ask Tate to do such a thing. She had given him the opportunity, walked away to allow him that space to breath and make his decision. Hell, she didn't expect him to break up with Leah before going fishing with them yesterday. Yet, for some reason, she was receiving the blame for it. But, instead of biting back at Lyle in her defence, which - from the nervous look from Chester and the expectant glance from Ronan - she seemed expected to give, Luana bit her tongue.

"S'fine," she mumbled quietly, brow furrowing as she kept her eyes on Tala, but fell silent again as he continued. Finally, she looked in his direction, the frown deepening as she tried to get her head around how suddenly sincere he had become. It wasn't a situation she had anticipated, that was for sure, having expected both twins to make a few more jabs before reluctantly conceding her presence wasn't going away any time soon.

She floundered for a moment, uncertain how to respond. A sarcastic response was on the tip of her tongue, but a simple look to Tate had that dying out before she could even really consider uttering it. She had made a promise and she wasn't prepared to break any more in the following years to come.

So, she quietly nodded to Lyle in acknowledgement to his awkward but surprisingly kind words. Clearing her throat, she focused back onto Tala, the tension in her shoulders having dissipated only slightly.

Her stomach tightened at the mention of Ronan next, but she didn't allow herself to react as if the question was a big deal, continuing to feed and murmur to Tala to keep the toddler distracted as Tate struggled to provide an answer. At the observation from Lyle of who Ronan really was to Anders, Ronan finally looked up from his oatmeal, chewing slowly as the belief of who he was sank in.

"Lover is a bit of an understatement, if I can interject 'ere." Ronan answered coolly, lowering his spoon into his bowl and leaning back against his chair. His gaze flickered between the two younger men, his arms moving to slowly fold across his chest.

Chester snorted, stirring his spoon within his breakfast and glanced from his brother to Tate and then to Ronan, "So you ain't goin' to deny it anymore? I thought I recognised your scent the day he got close enough to deck ya. S'from when you were tied up after that attack, weren't'it? It was faint on 'im then, but I recognised it."

Ronan shrugged, keeping hidden the fact that the twins had figured it out was actually a major relief. It meant he, Teddy and Anders were all one step closer to being together. Being a family.

"Why'd I deny it? You guys knowin' means I can spend time with my daughter. Be an actual dad to her when you're around. You have any idea what that's like? To be so close to your kid an' not be able to be the person she wants you to be?" He questioned, leaning forward and resting his folded arms on the table, "An' for the record, Anders an' I are mates... not just lovers."
 
"Alright, chill dude, I'm not havin' a go at 'ya. I don't really--"

"You aren't going to sit there an' spout off insults, Lyle. They're together, they're mates, it's... not a big deal," offered Tate with a firm nod, deciding to interject before the twins began to dismissively comment on a loving relationship they knew nothing about. Perhaps it wasn't fair for him to assume that his brothers would immediately embark on criticism - but he couldn't honestly believe they would be able to shrug off the news without making some confused remark on it.

Anders' relationship wasn't one that usually occurred within the closed environment of the pack, where norms were followed and anything that dismantled that traditionalist stance was -Tate could assume- kept to the individual. Anders can't have been the only member of the pack to feel the way he did, after all; it was ridiculous to assume that everyone born and raised within the community had found themselves agreeing with the heteronormative traditions it had often proudly boasted.

And as the pack's alpha, that wasn't how Tate wanted the people he cared for to feel. He would never push Anders to make a decision to be transparent with the peers he evidently distrusted, but he could at least provide some openness of his own to them; to appear less closed off and more... understanding of whatever plight they were dealing with. He was trying to adopt that openness in his own relationship with Luana, but extending that to the pack, allowing them to feel less judged, could only be a good thing.

Especially if it helped prevent them undergoing the years of stress and struggle Anders had put himself through - and still was enduring to this day.

So, fearing Lyle was about to spout off some unashamedly bigoted remarks in his confusion or disbelief to hear the news of Anders' relationship confirmed, he felt it important to jump in and defend it; to put action to his earlier promises... however premature (and ultimately incorrect) it might have been.

"Why would I insult 'im? 'Cos Anders is gay? Chester an' I have known that since the kid was, like, 14 or somethin'. It ain't been that subtle. He'd go all bashful over the fuckin' hunters, eye 'em up all the time. It ain't my fault if you've not been observing that. I've known years, just figured I'd let 'im tell me first. No point putting him on the spot about it," the younger brother shrugged, his expression both amused at the fact he and Chester had seemingly been in possession of knowledge nobody else had figured out until now (when he thought it had been pretty obvious) but also slightly irked that Tate would believe he would be cruel enough to start muttering out unnecessary insults.

On the contrary, he had figured everything out years ago and not only had he kept the secret, he and Chester had accepted it without hesitation.

"If you can help cheer Anders up an' break him outta the funk he's been in, why would I kick up a fuss about you comin' with us? It's cool with me; I just want 'im to get better. Havin' his mate there's obviously gonna help, ain't it? That's just obvious. I ain't gotta have a mate to know that shit."
 
In all honesty, the result of the conversation surprised Ronan and Luana as much as Tate. To hear that they had their assumptions regarding Anders' sexuality from an early age but had kept it to themselves truthfully went against what Luana had in her mind about the twins. They had teased Anders about his relationship with her, and she had no doubt in her mind that they had continued to tease him - as brothers would - throughout the years. However, with this knowledge came a new sort of respect for the twins. They had kept their brother's secret, and not pressured him into telling them anything before he was ready, nor did they tease him about boys in a way that perhaps would have made Anders uncomfortable before he came to terms with who he truly was.

"...I think he needs to know you all know." Luana murmured, stopping Ronan from replying before he could, his own look of surprise still present on his features, "He... he doesn't think it'll go down well. He needs to know you all know an' will support him through it."

Her observations, while maybe not observations but rather an opinion, had to be said. Luana suspected Anders may feel hurt that he hadn't been the one to say anything, and that the secret relationship he and Ronan had had slowly been found out or told by Ronan personally, however, it was a secret she could see wasn't helping matters. It wasn't healthy, for him or for Ronan... or for Teddy.

She glanced to Ronan, who in turn was already looking at her, "He's afraid of what'll happen when it all comes out. With what happened to me... he don't want that happenin' to you, or to Teddy." She confessed, rubbing the back of her neck before taking Tala's empty bowl away and allowing the youngster to scramble down from the chair to grab her toy.

"What happened to you?" Chester questioned, eyes narrowing briefly. The wound at her eye had pretty much healed nicely by that morning, with the swelling gone and just a simple, faint redness remaining. Barely noticeable and not worthy of asking about. Luana shook her head, "That can come later." She waved it off.

Ronan sank back into his chair, pushing his hand through his hair with a harsh exhale. Eventually his eyes turned onto Chester and then to Lyle, pausing momentarily, "Thank you-- I know I shouldn't have'ta say it but... thank you. Knowin' that his... family knows... an's'alright with it... it'll help. A lot."
 
Lyle's own eyes narrowed in conjunction with Chester's, the vagueness of Luana's remarks catching him by surprise and inevitably piquing his curiosity. Just because things were still rocky between them, still precarious, didn't mean that he was able to denounce caring about her completely. Not only was she his brother's mate but she was also his niece's mother - and though he might not have known Tala long, and interacted with her even less, the toddler was family and the love and protection he had for her was instantaneous as a result.

He couldn't love and care for Tala whilst simultaneously despising her mother - it would only end terribly and cause the uncle-niece bond he hoped to form with her to dismantle and disintegrate over time.

Whether he currently liked it or not, Luana, undeniably, was family... so putting aside the two years of ire and hatred was something he knew he had to work on - and thus, hearing something had happened to her, something currently masked by purposeful vagueness, was worrying. It might not be the priority at the current moment, but helping her with whatever had happened was, at least, a good way of proving with actions that he wanted to make things better with her.

However difficult the process of regaining the trust might be, she was family and that was something Lyle would always seek to protect.

"We ain't letting that go, you know. We can talk about it later 'cos-- we wanna be kept in the loop, Cl-- Luana," murmured Lyle, correcting himself before the other's old name could leave his lips. It wasn't particularly easy for him to refer to her by the name she felt most connected to these days when he had always known her, and bonded with her, by the name Clarissa... but adhering to her choice was a matter of respect, and he wasn't such an asshole that he would disregard that.

Setting his now empty bowl aside, he spent a moment casually observing the two cousins babbling eagerly amongst themselves with a faint grin at how adorable the scene was before Ronan spoke and grabbed his attention instead. The grin remained in place at the words - not necessarily the gratitude (which was genuinely quite sweet) but more so the fact that not all the family were aware of his relationship just yet.

"You know we've got another brother, right? I'm gonna assume you ain't told Gio yet 'cos that guy's too busy with his lil' family to really have time to keep up to date with new developments an' all that shit. But he'll be fine with it. He's a big teddy bear, really, 'specially since becoming a father," he shrugged as he ran a hand absently through his hair, the free hand supporting his chin as he leaned forward, voice lowering

"What's the plan then? To just storm on into the hut and confront 'im? 'Cos as harsh as it sounds, some sternness ain't a bad idea. He'll only deflect if we go in, tiptoeing around the actual problem, y'know?"
 
Ronan hesitated, having forgotten about Gio considering the guy hadn't been around much. While Luana had asked Sasha and Daisy to make sure he knew she was grateful to him for helping make the safety of the hut happen during the storm, neither had seen the new father since their arrival. Luana easily put it down to just him needing to help look after his son, plus whatever roles Tate had him picking up in his free time. Ronan, on the other hand, had no clues as to the other brother except for what Luana had told him.

He grimaced slightly at that realisation, eyes dropping to his forearms which remained propped up on the table, "Maybe it'd be best to just... tell 'im before we go in an' talk to Anders, so he ain't blindsided. Besides, he's goin'ta need a reason why I'm goin'ta be there. If the rest of you know, ain't no point in lyin' for no reason."

Luana, having chosen to ignore Lyle's words, focused on the dilemma of needing to bring Gio up to speed, reaching out to rub the spot between Ronan's shoulder blades in a reassuring manner. "S'goin'ta be fine." She murmured, glancing up to Tate as she patted Ronan's back and withdrew her hand. After watching her mate for a moment, she looked back to Lyle at his suggestions, shrugging quietly, "Can't see why you can't do that-- like y'said, he'll just try an' wriggle his way out of it all if you go in half-assed." She agreed, reaching out to pull her own bowl of oatmeal toward her finally, now able to eat her meal.

"I don't wanna scare him off though, either, y'know? We go in there all guns blazin', he may just shoot right back. He's a softie but we know how he gets if he feels hard done by." Ronan tentatively put out there, fingers drumming against the surface of the table, "...Some sternness ain't a bad idea though... he needs to know we're serious."

Taking in a deep breath through her nose as she chewed on a mouthful of oatmeal, Luana looked between the four men in front of her, "You lot'd better get a move on then. Before he ends up slippin' away from his hut an' your chance to do this has gone. 'Specially if you're needin' to bring Gio up to speed with all this too. I'll finish breakfast an' head over to Sasha with the li'l ones once I'm done." She told them, a nervousness bubbling in her stomach for them, "I expect a full report when you get a chance."
 
"Yeah, I'll fill you in when we go huntin'. It'll be fine, I, uh... I'm sure of that," concluded Tate as he sensed the time to head out and get the answers he knew the family were now desperate for had arrived... though he didn't care to disrupt the optimism and confidence by clarifying that they didn't really have a chance other than to make some progress with Anders; that that aim was something they had to achieve.

The risks of Anders pulling further away from them, embarking on behaviour that continually concerned them and potentially the pack at large, were too high to be waived aside for another time. The pressure of knowing he had to get some answers, some clarification, from Anders was immense and almost crushing - but he couldn't allow himself to feel any other way when that pressure was a huge reminder of what lied at stake.

Either they helped get to the root of Anders' problems and alleviated him from whatever thoughts were plaguing him and causing him to act in such an uncharacteristic, troubling way... or they failed in that endeavour and risked letting him drift further and further from the brother, mate and father he had come to be.

The thought was horrifying, understandably, and though Tate felt the nerves start to gnaw uncomfortably at him, he put on a brave smile and exited the hut - albeit not before offering his daughter an affectionate kiss to the forehead and Luana one on the lips, deciding that after the night they had shared cuddled up in one another's embrace, offering that affection (at least in the privacy of his family's presence) was acceptable.

Only when Gio had been brought up to speed (as he had a right to be, considering the other siblings were all clued up on why Ronan was present) did Tate lead the journey across to his old family hut; the home he had been raised in as a young boy and only left when he became the alpha, having given it up for his siblings. He had, after all, assumed he would be alone his entire life so saw no need for the largest hut in the pack to be his.

Even if those ideas of solitude had changed, he could hardly force the siblings that remained in the hut out when his own, though smaller, was still large and comfortable enough to raise his own family in.

The nostalgia that hit him upon entering the hut was strong and he spent a second quietly observing the interior, memories rising of running around the couch chasing after Gio, the twins play-fighting amongst themselves, Anders a toddler cuddled up on their mother's lap as she simultaneously breastfed an infant Daisy. The fondness that rose in his chest made him smile, though devoting minutes to those memories was impossible when peering up at the bunkbed that Anders still slept in, the space having been his since he was old enough to make the move from a crib.

"We gotta wake 'im up, I ain't standing here watchin' him sleep." Lyle grunted as he leaned against the wall behind the others, his eyes focused on Anders' sleeping form beneath the blankets he had swaddled himself up in. "Whack him; he's a heavy-sleeper. An' he's a big guy, he won't go waking up at a little nudge."

"I ain't whacking him, that's hardly gonna put him in the right mood for this, is it? Jeez, Lyle," chastised Daisy with a shake of her head, the girl hesitating a moment before leaning up on her tiptoes and gently offering her brother's shoulder a shake. "Anders? It's Daisy-- it's all of us, actually. We gotta talk to 'ya so... so wake up, okay? S'important."

The movement was enough to stir Anders, though he pulled himself out of his slumber grumpily; groaning irritably with a cuss thrown in for good measure. His eyes slowly peeked upon to take in what had disturbed him, blearily waiting for the figures in front of him to become clear.

"What the fuck's goin' on? I'm-- tired, I wanna sleep," he mumbled, voice deep from sleepiness as he grabbed a pillow and pressed it over his eyes to block out the light. "I ain't hungry, if this is about fuckin' breakfast. I'll eat lunch later or somethin', just-- go an' keep it down, yeah? I'm tired--"

"You're always tired, that's the fuckin' problem."

"...We're worried about you," murmured Daisy with more tact than Lyle, though didn't care to chastise him this time - the blunt approach had caused Anders to remove the pillow from his eyes to stare over at his family, the dawning realisation that this was an intervention regarding his behaviour starting to settle in. Sensing that, Daisy quickly continued to avoid him interrupting the flow. "All of us 'ave seen you act... weird, Anders. It's worryin'. We think you're-- you're like Tate was, feelin' low an'-- if you open up to us, we can 'elp."

"You... You're in on this too, yeah? You must 'ave really begged to come here, Ro, 'cos there's no reason for you to be here unless--" Anders began in an attempt to purposely avoid answering Daisy, though the distraction, the effort to divert away from an awkward question, only became awkward in itself when another realisation sunk in. Panic started to bubble in his chest as he sat up from the bed, his jaw clenched tight as he observed the faces of his siblings closely. "...You all fuckin' know, huh? About me and Ronan? He-- He fucking told you?!"
 
Gio had been much in the same situation as Tate. He hadn't noticed the subtle hints that the twins had picked up on regarding Anders' youth, and thus didn't suspect anything about Anders' sexuality. Deep down, Gio wasn't even really that surprised. While he hadn't noticed the same things the twins had done, he was aware of Anders' lack of interest in girls. He had just put it down to him just not being interested in relationships and sex as much as the other pubescent teens his age. But that didn't matter to him - just like the rest of the family, all that mattered was his brother's happiness. If Ronan lived up to his promise to care, love and look after Anders, then that was the most important thing.

Knowing that he had the support of Anders' family meant a lot to Ronan, considering the lack of understanding and help he received within his own pack and family. It was enough to make him even a little emotional, but he swallowed that back, knowing that he couldn't focus on that right now. There was something going on with his mate, and that was what they needed to get to the bottom of.

Luana was left in the hut with Sasha, allowing the two women to catch up and for Luana to meet the newest addition to the Rivers family. They would look after the three children together, and while Luana was disappointed about missing out on being there for Anders, she knew it was more important for the siblings to be there together.

Ronan had hesitantly taken a position towards the front of the group alongside Tate and Daisy, although it still felt wrong to do so. While he was Anders' mate, they hadn't really been together for that long a time and thus their bond was still fresh, still new. He felt as though he ought to be more towards the back, and let the siblings deal with the situation. But at Chester and Gio's encouragement, he had put himself towards the front.

However, he started to regret it the moment Anders turned his attention onto him, feeling nauseous the moment his mate began to realise what was going on, but the sensation intensifying as it dawned on Anders that his family knew the extent of his and Ronan's relationship.

"They... they ain't stupid, Anders. They figured it out for themselves." Ronan answered quietly.

Chester nodded, piping up from just behind him, "The guy didn't have to tell us anythin', Anders-- fuck's sake, I mean, Lyle an' I have had our thoughts for a while. We'd just hoped you'd tell us when you're good an' ready." He hesitated, glancing to his twin before looking back to Anders, "But like Dase said, we're worried about you. We-- we seen what happened with Tate... we don't want another brother feelin' that way."

Ronan swallowed thickly, head turning back to face his mate after he had glanced towards the twin, "They've all picked up on thin's over the last few months, Anders an'... an' Lu told us about your talk with her yesterday... I... we just wanna know what's goin' on. I-- I already almost lost ya once, I ain't... I don't wanna go through that again."
 
The realisation that all his family knew about something he preferred to keep to himself (at least until he felt comfortable discussing something so personal and important to him out loud in the company of others) was hard to accept without feeling alarm wrap itself tightly around his chest, constricting his ability to even breathe properly for those few seconds.

And when they proceeded to, effectively, call him out on his strange behaviour as of late, including his propensity to push them away and considerably distance himself from their presence, it was all but impossible for him to remain entirely present. He felt himself dissociating from the conversation, wrapped up in the swarm of anxiety and fear-inducing thoughts on just how badly things might go if he was to include them in on what was going on.

Or conversely, how badly things might be if he pushed them away more. Their concerns about his current state were obvious - and he couldn't face putting them through all that worry when simply telling them what was going on would alleviate those darker of thoughts from continuing further.

He wanted to pinch himself, to ensure that this wasn't some horrific nightmare placing him in the most difficult of positions... but he knew it was useless; that this, to his consternation, was reality.

"I ain't... feelin' like Tate was, that's-- not what's-- that ain't what's happenin'," he attempted weakly, despite knowing that that clarification was hardly enough to satisfy their concerns, though there was nothing more he wanted to add as he awkwardly let his gaze fall to the pillow in his arms. "I ain't saying anything else so-- so you can go now, I wanna get some rest--"

"If that isn't what's going on, you gotta tell us more, Anders. You can't just expect us to believe you aren't feelin' like that when-- y'know, evidence sorta suggests you do. You've been actin' weird, sleeping all hours of the day, distancing from us. You can talk to us, y'know? If I'd spoken up, I might not 'ave... done what I did." Tate interjected, forcing himself not to let the desperation to get those answers from his brother to seep too much into his tone. He knew it would only result in him shouting at Anders, screaming even, to force him to give them something... and that wasn't helpful; it was better to approach gently than with forcefulness. "...Somethin's troubling 'ya, that's obvious."

"An' if it was, why would I tell you? Any of you? You all gossip about me behind my back; if I say stuff, the pack'll know about within the week. Luana's goin' about talking about me, you've been-- discussing m-my sexuality without me present, like-- why would I ever think I could trust any of you?" The younger brother countered with an abrupt injection of ferocity, his teeth ground together in the effort to keep back the more... unflattering insults he felt linger on the tip of his tongue. "Ain't nothing I wanna say to you; 'specially you, Ro. You know I wanted to-- keep stuff between us private, but nah, you chose to confirm their suspicions a-an'... an' bombard me with all this. That's out of f-fuckin' order."
 
"...Anders... why... why..." Ronan stared at his mate, dumbfounded by the reaction that was being provided. He knew to expect a pushback, but to hear his mate question the need to trust his family, to listen to what he was feeling and to see how he was holding himself back from saying more was not easy. "I didn't need to confirm nothin', an' I ain't goin'ta potentially start a new life here on a bunch of lies. T-They ain't been discussin' anythin', Anders. Not about your sexuality, not about us... they... they all thought nothin' of it, so what more is there to talk about if it's accepted?"

It was especially painful to see Anders pushing away his family even more so now that they knew and still loved him. "Why-- why are you pushin' them away? Y-You have no idea how... just how lucky you are to 'ave your family 'ere, carin' an' concerned about ya. Your family-- your family loves you, Anders, an'--an' you're pushin' 'em away. D-Do you have any idea how much I wanted that for you after what I went through? What's fuckin' out of order is you expectin' me to be okay with not bein' able to show my daughter any ounce of love an' affection. What's fuckin' out of order is y-you puttin' all this on me an' not seeing just how fuckin' lucky you are to have a family that's standin' with you an' acceptin' you for who you are. A lot of people ain't got that luxury."

Ronan's brow had furrowed into a deep frown and his eyes narrowed slightly in the attempts to force back the tears that were beginning to wet his eyes, the lump forming in his throat making it more and more difficult to speak.

He sniffed harshly as he felt a hand land briefly on his shoulder, clearing his throat afterwards before turning his narrowed gaze onto his mate again, "If we've been talkin' about ya, then it's cause we're fuckin' worried about ya, Anders. Not because of your sexuality. Not because of me an' you. But because you've been actin' weird, if Daisy an' Lyle an' Chester've had anythin' to say about it." His voice, while still thick with emotion, became sterner in tone, "So stop fobbin' us off an' just bloody tell us what's goin' on."

In a bid to try and have Anders feel less crowded, Gio gently tapped Chester and Lyle's arms, motioning for them to back away and sit on the nearest pieces of furniture, including the bottom bunkbed opposite and a chair nearest the door. The second eldest brother and Chester moved to occupy both those areas, with space on the bed beside Chester.

"C'mon, let's talk. W-We said we weren't goin' to be quiet with each other again, so let's get it all out there. All this worsened yesterday, so-- so issit me? 'Cause... 'cause if you are havin' second thoughts here, Anders, then... then just tell me. We-- we all love you, we just wanna make sure you're okay."
 
"...D'ya really think I like keeping 'ya at an arms' length, Ro? Do you really fuckin' think I take pleasure from Teddy questioning me about why she can't play with you like her friends do with their parents? Do you think I-I'm that cruel that I-- I would purposely keep dragging this out? I just-- wanted time to think, Ronan! T-To-- To get shit sorted out in my head, with stuff I'm dealing with. I don't think it's right th-that the chance to come out to my family was f-fucking taking from me. I'd have told 'em eventually, I just-- had other stuff that-- needed prioritising," he countered sharply, even if the sight of the other's watering eyes and unsubtle wavering of his voice made his own desire to snap at him fade.

How could he continue to angrily yell at Ronan, tone sharp and cutting, when his mate was hurting as much as he was? Anders might be angry, furious even, that something so important had been taken out of his hands because his family had all proceeded to discuss it behind his back without his knowledge... but that anger could never take precedence over his mate's pain.

He could be irritated, and he was... but he couldn't cling to that feeling when Ronan was bearing his heart to him in front of Anders' siblings, being as open as he dared to be in contrast to Anders who had only seemed to retreat further from any confession. He had alluded to there being an issue (though he didn't really need to confirm that, given just how obvious it was with his abrupt behavioural changes) without offering up or divulging any details - but the unfairness of doing so had never been more apparent than when he was forced to acknowledge Ronan's emotional distress.

Awkwardly casting his siblings a glance, he put aside the genuine anxiety that hit him at the prospect of showing intimacy to Ronan in front of them but when his mate was crying out for some reassurance, making that step to finally show the love he had for the man was something he had to do. He knew his family supported him (or Ronan wouldn't be present) but confirming that he was dating the man was another thing entirely.

But he had to do that eventually, to take that step forward and at least open up the possibility of being free to show him affection... if only in his family's company, and now seemed as good a time as any to do so.

"I ain't doubting what we have, Ro. I mean, I-- I guess I just doubt the chance of having something in the pack, that's all. I wanna be with 'ya, just-- this place, it... it ain't good. It's not full of good people. Some of 'em a-are fucking bastards who'll-- hurt people they don't like or don't agree with. I don't want you being one of 'em," he muttered under his breath as he turned to sit at the foot of the bed, his hand having moved to gently cup his mate's cheek and tilt his face upwards to meet his eyeline. The affectionate moment might appear to be minimal, but when their entire relationship had been kept so tightly secret, it was monumental for his confidence, as his growing smile proved.

"I promise, I ain't... gonna dump 'ya or anything. You're kinda stuck with me for the rest of our days, Ro, you ain't getting rid of me anytime soon, alright? I just-- want to come out to a pack I trust, who I know will support us an' wouldn't-- hurt us for not confining to their traditions, y'know? An' I don't trust this lot, I don't."

"...Why not? 'Cos of what happened to Lu? 'Cos they hurt her? It wasn't-- all of the pack, Anders. It was one or two, right? And-- that doesn't explain the months before Lu's arrival; you've been actin' weird a while."

Daisy's addition to the conversation caused her brother to freeze up again, his lip twitching at the irritatingly good points she had made. He rested his head back to peer up at the ceiling above his head, trying to desperately conjure up an excuse to explain his behaviour - though when none came to mind, he exhaled sharply and shook his head.

"Nah, I... I can't, Dase. Just trust me, please? I'm fine, I really am, I just c-can't-- trust the pack, an' that's why I can't say shit to you right now. Makes no sense, I get it, but trust me. I can't say anythin', even if there was somethin' to tell. I can't do that to her, she needs me an' she ain't got anyone else--"

"Who needs you? Who hasn't got anyone else?" Tate quipped quickly, sensing that the other had let something slip he hadn't meant to - as Anders' widened eyes and panicked expression proved. "Who are you protecting, And? You protectin' someone from... what? The pack?"

"...Nobody. Don't make me say anything else. Don't f-fuckin' pressure me, I-- I gotta stay quiet on this," he mumbled as he pressed his fists into his closed eyes, angrily groaning under his breath for his loose lips and stupidity. "I'm fine, that's what you wanted, right? To know if I was alright? I told 'ya, I'm fine, s-so drop it - please?"
 
At the gentle touch to his cheek, Ronan startled, clearly not expecting such displays of affection while his mate was in his heightened state of annoyance or while they were in the presence of his family. He suspected it would take longer, much longer, for Anders to feel comfortable acting like a mate around his family after hiding it for so long - with and without Ronan in his life.

His eyebrows knitted together as he looked up at his mate, the confusion at the affection evident but not unwanted, proven as Ronan's own hand reached up to rest over Anders. He quietly closed his eyes and tipped his head into his mate's hand, breathing out a shuddering breath of just pure relief at Anders' reassurances and purely at the first, proper, solid touch from him in days. The last time being when Anders had stormed into the hut, furious, only to melt and them ending up kissing.

"That's my choice to make, though, Anders. You can't take that away from me-- I-- I don't care about all that bullshit. I'd take on anything just to call myself your mate. We've had two years of hidin' an' bein' apart an' bein' afraid... I... I don't want that for us anymore." Ronan answered quietly, slipping in his response just before Daisy piped up.

He reluctantly allowed his mate's hand to drop from his cheek as he looked up at the ceiling in exasperation, Ronan's own expression turning from imploring to concerned once again.

Tate hadn't been the only one to pick up on the wording, Chester also perking up at the accidental slip and looking to Lyle and Gio, the latter of which slowly sitting up in his chair as it seemed as though Anders' walls were finally crumbling and they were getting somewhere.

"Well technically we came in here to make sure you were alrigh', yeah, but also to find out what was goin' on with you-- so really we've only got the one thin' we came 'ere for." Ronan retorted, now his turn to reach out to the other. He softly took hold of Anders' wrists, pulling his hands away from his eyes, revealing the disgruntled and frustrated expression on his face that only served to deepen Ronan's frown. "Anders... please..."

Ronan kept his eyes on his mate, thumbs lightly stroking the inside of his wrists as he held his hands down from his face, looking up at him since the other was on the bunk, "Don't shut us out, let us help. You can't... you gotta trust us. Why've you gotta stay quiet on this? I'm your mate, this is your family... we can tackle this together. Whatever's happenin'... we can handle it together. Please, please just tell us what's goin' on."
 
The more Anders seemed to urgently protest against revealing anything to them, the more desperate they seemed to become, and when that desperation provoked tears and words laced with wavering upset, how could he continue to stubbornly deny them what they needed to have their concerns erased; to feel some comfort that they didn't need to worry about him?

Yet, for a moment or two, even when he knew he had slipped up and indicated without any shadow of a doubt that something was being kept back from his family, Anders felt no option other than to present that stubbornness regardless of the consequences... because the alternative was the truth, and when he had spent so many months successfully shielding someone from exposure, keeping her safe and earning her trust, the last thing he wanted to do was betray that.

Especially when the person at the centre of the story was scared; racked by constant fears and realisations that her life, as she had once known it, was irreparably altered. She couldn't return to her family in the knowledge she would be killed upon sight; she couldn't seek comfort from Anders' pack when an unknown figure (or several) were the reason for the disruption in her life.

She only had Anders to rely upon for every single need in her life, from food and water to clothing and company. Trust had been hard to build but months of sneaking out of pack every night to check in on her, ensuring through actions rather than words that he could be relied upon, had managed to gradually build it up.

And the thought of breaking all that progress, tearing it into smithereens, was horrifying. He wanted to desperately maintain that trust, prove to the girl who was just a child that she hadn't been incorrect or naive to place that belief and assurance in him.

But he also couldn't face looking at the broken expression on Ronan's face, nor the desperate pleading unsubtle across Daisy's eyes. He couldn't even bear to take in the rest of his siblings, assuming that they too wore similar expressions of desperation and concern at how dedicated he was to his secrets.

And so, despite the nausea rising in his gut at having to betray someone he had come to care a great deal about, it was the only option he had left. The confessions fell from his mouth hurriedly, nervously, his eyes averted to hands that wrung awkwardly together as everything finally spilled out after months of withholding. From finding the young girl on the verge of death deep within the woods, as close to being torn apart (by members of Anders' own pack, no less) as a living person could be, to carrying her to the safe space in the now abandoned human village, tending dutifully to her wounds and her needs every single night for the last six months - everything came rushing from his mouth, unable to hold back on the details now he had the freedom to finally speak them.

"She w-was-- god, she was-- a-almost ripped a-apart, it was-- horrifying. An' she's human - or was human, back then; she's been raised to hate our kind, like-- she couldn't go back to her family, they'd kill her. An' she couldn't come here, not when t-those fucking... bastards did this to her. They targeted a f-fucking child an' left her for dead; turned her into one of us, l-like-- she's 15. She's a kid. And they did that to her - an' I'd bet my life on them being the assholes that hurt Lu too. An' 'ya wonder why I hate it here; why I'm so-- so intent on just... distancing myself from them? I dunno who I can trust in this place," he seethed once everything he had held inside for so long had finally been released, the heaviness of his sighs indicative of the weight he still felt on his chest.

Just because he had let them know about why he was distant and why he was always so tired (sneaking out each night deprived him of sleep, after all) didn't mean the pressure was suddenly off him. He still lived in a pack he couldn't trust; he still had the girl to look out for, to protect, from werewolves and humans alike.

The latter was a fear that Tate had always held, his disdain of humans having always been deep-rooted within him. Wiping out the nearby village had afforded him some security, a relief of the fear that his pack would be hunted down like animals... but knowing there now existed another tribe of humans with actual knowledge -and expertise- in hunting his kind was hardly the sort of news he wanted to be faced with. They would inevitably come searching for the girl (they had obviously yet to discover she was no longer human) and that brought the risk of them discovering the pack; of wiping them out viciously, without remorse--

"Did she give any details about... her family; the tribe?-- We gotta plan for this, Anders. You shoulda fucking told us this shit m-months ago, you idiot--"

"That's not really a... a priority right now, Tate. Discuss it later. What matters right now is that child's safety, first and foremost. And rooting out the thugs responsible from within the pack; I don't feel safe living amongst monsters who do that to a child - and to Luana. It's-- not right," warned Daisy, shooting the eldest brother a glare - his sharp, cutting words had only caused Anders' shoulders to slump, guilt staining his features.

"I-I-- I know, I know I should've, b-but she was scared; she is scared, an' I just... wanted to protect her. They'd kill her, Tate. An' she couldn't come 'ere, I thought-- I thought I was doing what was best--"

"You've given those humans a fucking six month headstart," growled Tate once more, incapable of heeding Daisy's warning when his irritation with his brother had flamed. "I know you ain't the smartest, Anders, but god, I didn't think you were this stupid. You've given those humans six months to make progress, to-- to venture closer to us. We coulda spent months plannin' for this, making sure we were ready f-for 'em possibly finding us. Now we ain't got that time, you get that?! They're hunters, Anders! They could come by later today and obliterate us."

"...'m sorry. I... I didn't... think, I... I..." came Anders' whispered response, his panic rising at the consequences of his secrecy being flung at him so harshly. He peered to Ronan in hope of some support or, at the very least, some understanding, unsure if he would get that from his siblings right now. "You-- You're not mad at me, are you? I... I'm s-so sorry, Ro."
 
"Tate..." Gio warned quietly from where he sat near the door, having sat up with one hand pushing against his knee and the other elbow resting on the other knee. He could understand his eldest sibling's frustration and anger, but he also could not see what good it would do now. The six months were already long gone, and the secret had been kept. What difference did it make? Not to mention, getting angry at their baby brother would not help matters.

Chester, on the other hand, sucked in a breath through his teeth, muscles tightening at the mere prospect of humans who knew how to kill there kind, "Fuck me, Anders... Tate coulda been nicer about it, but fuck, you shoulda said somethin' sooner." He pushed himself to his feet to move around, unable to stay still now. Tate's words laid heavy in his mind, those suggesting that those humans - the hunters of their kind - could be well underway in their preparation to exterminate those in their camp.

"Chester, that ain't helpin'." Gio muttered, eyes having moved to the other brother as he stood to pace, frowning as he watched.

The younger male scoffed, rubbing the back of his neck, "Don't pretend you don't think the same-- you've gone all soft since Benji arrived. Tate's just sayin' what we're all thinkin'."

A soft rumble of further warning vibrated from Gio's chest as he stared his brother down, only turning his attention back onto the bunk once the twin had reluctantly sat back down on the bed. The tall, rather hulking, figure pushed himself from the chair and moved to stand behind Tate, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"We can still prepare, put measures in place to make sure no attack happens without us knowin'," he reassured his brother, "...But Daise's right, Tate. The girl... the girl'll need some help. Think of 'er, goin' through all this practically alone, becomin' everythin' she's been taught to fear... your anger ain't goin' to help reassure her if we get involved in this."

At Tate's anger, Ronan had subconsciously moved closer to his mate, even going as far as to stand between the two brothers with his upper lip twitching with a suppressed snarl. He knew he wouldn't beat Tate in a fight, but there was no chance in hell he'd allow his mate to be spoken to in such a way.

"If they ain't come yet, you still have a chance to prepare. Calm the fuck down-- just because he's offerin' the girl a better chance to adjust to this new life unlike what ya offered Lu. Draggin' her 'ere an' killing the only family she did know." Ronan retorted, in his desire to defend his mate, spitting out some harsher words than he intended. Things were going well with him and the family, even looking up between him and Tate, and while Ronan knew he'd apologise later, he wasn't about to allow Anders to get scolded for something that really, in a different situation was the right thing to do.

"That girl is goin'ta've experienced exactly what her people warned her about, an' Anders' is tryin'ta get her trust. He's takin' care of a pup whose been caught up in a situation that you as an alpha should've made sure never 'appened in the first place. Stop rippin' into him an' start gettin' angry at the bastards that did this in the first place - they're the ones to blame. If they hadn't attacked her, they you wouldn't be in the position of worryin' if her people know where you are."

He glared heatedly towards Tate, lingering with that stand-off position for a moment before turning to face Anders. He reached out to press a hand to his mate's face, the scowl turning into a small smile, "'Course I ain't. You don't need to apologise, Anders. Your 'eart was in the right place, I ain't mad an' you don't need to apologise neither."
 
Tate's anger was already rising before Ronan's remarks. Between Gio's attempts to calm him down (which only served to have the opposite effect) and talk some sense into him and the continual apologetic pleas from Anders, the eldest brother was struggling to fully comprehend the situation he suddenly found himself in without growing more irate by the second. With his siblings' chatter amongst themselves beginning to become nothing more than an incoherent cacophony, the alpha pressed his head into his hands in an attempt to block them out; to focus on the potential danger his pack was in.

Regardless of whether the humans knew of their existence and location within the woods or not, they would inevitably discover them at some point, whether it be soon or at an undefined point in the future. No matter when it was, they would arrive onto the scene eventually; it was inevitable, particularly if they were prepared to comb through every inch of the woods in search of the young girl Anders had chosen to shield away from anyone's knowledge for six months.

The thought of humans stumbling upon the pack's existence and slaughtering them all while they slept was a horrible one, with Tate unable to prevent torturing himself with the mental images of Luana being dragged out of bed away from him, killed before his eyes; before he could sufficiently protect her and his pack as a whole.

So he couldn't see the emotional state Anders was gradually falling victim to the longer the seconds ticked by. Not when his brother was at fault for withholding vital information from him for six entire months; time that could have been spent preparing for any threat that lurked beyond the camp... though proceeding to verbally tear the younger man apart when he had struggled balancing both parts of his life for that time was something he found to be unfair, even amongst all the anger.

...But then Ronan spoke up, words coated in surprising venom being shot at him without much warning. His eye twitched as he fully comprehended the remarks and the context beneath them, his mind inevitably travelling back to the day he had met Luana - snarling angrily as she cowered beneath her bed, fearful of suffering a fate dealt to the rest of the village. Countless humans had been slaughtered unceremoniously, the alpha having embarked on a plan to wipe them out before they could do the same to them one day; a plan he still stood by even if he was less proud that his first meeting with the love of his life had taken place amongst so much bloodshed and violence; a memory permanently scarred by such brutality.

And to have that thrown in his face by Ronan when his pack had been guilty of equally cruel and unwarranted acts would have been laughable... if it didn't greatly offend him, at least.

"Just because I extended the fuckin' olive branch to you doesn't mean you get to speak to me like that; you don't get to snap at me like I'm your inferior, 'specially when you go spouting bullshit. You weren't there, you don't fuckin' know why I did what I did. You know those humans in that village weren't good guys, don't you? Or has Anders not told you that he almost died 'cos of 'em sticking a goddam pitchfork into him when he was a teen? Huh? No? Thought not - so keep your mouth shut on shit you have no idea about, Ronan. I ain't lookin' for a fight but best believe I'll make you realise with force that you don't speak to me like tha'."

"He was just defending me, it-- it's what mates do. You wouldn't speak to Sasha like this if she defended Gio," muttered Anders as he slipped down from the bunk to take Ronan's side, a moment's hesitation waived aside in order to take the man's hand - a physical show of support to accompany the verbal one. "I said sorry, I-- I just wanted to protect a child from... being scared an'--"

"You've already said. Doesn't mean I gotta accept that, And. You fucked up, royally. I ain't in the mood to hear you or your fuckin' boyfriend try and defend that. If anyone dies, if anyone hear gets killed, just know you coulda prevented it. It'll be on you." Tate snapped, words he would come to regret later on but in the heat of the moment, riled up as a result of a plethora of things... spitting out those comments at least made him feel a little better. That didn't mean he could even look at the two without feeling that anger spike once more, his glare landing on Ronan in continued disbelief at behaviour he saw as not only disrespectful but downright hypocritical too.

And that couldn't be dismissed as easily as he would have liked. Continuing to brew tension in the small hut, amongst family, wasn't ideal - but Tate wasn't the sort of man who could walk away and take the high road. His stubbornness, time and time again, prevented such a thing.

"You got anything else to say to me then? Seeing as we're all being open and honest right now, 'specially with Anders finally spilling the beans after six months, you might as well tell me what else you think about me, Ronan. Don't bottle it up like my idiot brother did - if you got anything to fucking say to me, go ahead and say it," he challenged with abrupt ferocity, the suddenness of the snarl within his tone causing even Lyle (who had been muttering to Chester) to fall silent, eyes wide in recognition of the bristling storm beginning to stir. "C'mon, you've got a big mouth on 'ya. Don't be a damn coward now."
 
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"Now you're being un-fuckin'-fair." Ronan seethed as Tate put any potential deaths on Anders' head, knowing that would only serve to make his mate feel worse and ultimately land him with guilt that wasn't necessary, "He knows he's fucked up, but don't go actin' like you're fuckin' perfect an' haven't made mistakes yourself before. He ain't an alpha, he doesn't think like you-- fuck, I doubt anyone does."

Anders' hand slipping into his own helped the red mist momentarily fade from Ronan's vision, and the deep breath he took in was a physical show of that. He gave his mate's hand a gentle squeeze, but kept his eyes focused on Tate as the other male remained stood before them both.

If this had been an act of confrontation between alpha and inferior, Ronan would have bitten his tongue and bowed his head with reluctant submissiveness a while ago. The comment about Lu wouldn't have ever escaped him, and he was certain the confrontation being experienced in the hut would have dissipated a while ago.

But this wasn't an insubordinate simply defending himself. This was a mate fighting for his own. For the love of his life, and reacting to that harsh, cruel words that were being spat in the direction of someone who held a piece of his heart and soul.

"I don't think there's enough time in the day to get into the issues I have with you, Tate." Ronan retorted coolly, the composure he showed all thanks to the hand he held within his own, "But what may come as a fuckin' shock to you is that this ain't about you-- s'about Anders, s'about this kid we now know about."

Behind Tate, Chester quietly looked to Lyle and Gio, fidgeting uncomfortably on the spot until a single squeak of a floorboard had him freezing. Gio had lowered his gaze to his feet, his arms folding across his chest tightly. Clearly an uneasy and awkward time for them all.

"So, maybe instead of callin' me the coward, you should go find the actual pathetic mongrels that tore this girl apart and also attacked your mate, yeah? An' stop makin' your brother feel like shit for keepin' her safe." Ronan then glanced to Anders, his eyes softening slightly, "We should go-- Lu's got Teddy with Sasha."

With the hand of Anders that was within his own, Ronan gently began to led his mate towards the door of the hut, only to halt and turn to face Tate again. "I will say this though-- you may have spoken to Anders like this before, but it fuckin' stops now. Your threat of force doesn't scare me in the slightest, Tate. I ain't havin' you speak to my mate like this, not when he don't deserve it." He paused, allowing his gaze to flicker over the other brothers in the room, "That goes for all of you. I mean it."
 
"You don't-- you can't speak to me like that. I can talk to my brother how I fuckin' well want to--" began Tate in a weak effort to respond, the tough stance, hardened by venomous words, falling apart far quicker than he would have liked it to. Such behaviour wasn't a bravado, though the way he had so visibly retreated from the action, verbally as well as physically, made it appear as though his confident swaggering, the intensity riddled through expression and words, was little more than a pretence of strength and of bravery.

It might not be the case, with the shock at Ronan's response ultimately being the cause of how fast his acrimony abandoned him, but the siblings in the room weren't to know that; they weren't in Tate's head.

He imagined (regrettably) that all they saw was how their brother, their alpha, had approached Ronan with fierce anger and yet, when challenged, stood back with no response. It was particularly embarrassing, especially at his feeble efforts to defend himself and his stance. It left him cringing in annoyance with himself - his anger towards Ronan had only intensified, but he had no way of verbalising that when his words failed to leave his mouth, stumbling over one another in the astonishment that the other, a newcomer to his pack with a less than glowing past, had spoken to him in such a manner.

Might it be understandable when it was provoked by that innate desire to protect a mate? Sure - but that didn't mean Tate appreciated being talked down to in front of his siblings. He half-expected Anders to acknowledge that disrespect and reprimand his mate for it, the alpha's eyes quietly drifting to his brother whose silence he mistook as awkwardness; embarrassment, even, at Ronan's behaviour.

But Anders apparently wasn't that easy to read. Seeing his brother and his mate at one another's throats wasn't entirely enjoyable to watch, and naturally, his silence was initially out of awkwardness... but he decided to keep his words to himself the longer the interaction went along.

He figured his siblings, Tate especially, might not appreciate him gushing over Ronan's protectiveness. It was why he forced his expression to remain neutral, deadpanned - smiling like an idiot at having Ronan so firmly in his corner, willing to stand against the group of siblings, might not go down too well either.

He clutched onto the man's hand tightly as he allowed himself to be led out from the hut, avoiding the glances of his brothers as best he could. There was no privacy outside the hut, not with the pack gathered about tending to their morning responsibilities... but Anders, in that moment, failed to care. It wasn't how he wanted to come out and find that sense of freedom, but when his mate had just defended him so effortlessly despite the potential for consequences, how could he not show him his appreciation?

How could he continue to act as though the man at his side was little more than a friend and not, in truth, the love of his life; the person who he admired, respected and cherished?

It was why, without a second's thought, an arm wrapped around Ronan's waist to pull him closer, the other tilted at the elbow to allow a hand to rest on his mate's cheek tenderly. The moment of affection (open for all the pack to witness, as they did in their dozens) was completed with a kiss; not just a quick peck that could be brushed aside but a deep, longing expression of the love he harboured for him.

"...You, uh... you did something brave for me, so-- so this is my something brave for you. Like a, uh... a thank you, or whatever, I dunno. I love you, so... so obviously I...can kiss you anytime, I just... I just really love you," he mumbled, the brief explosion of uncharacteristic confidence dwindling slightly in the aftermath of the kiss, the silence in the pack becoming deafening - though for his own comfort, he declined to look in their direction, keeping his gaze firmly set on the man in front of him instead. "You really-- I mean, I shouldn't be glad that you an' my brother got into it like tha', but-- you were fuckin' great, Ro. You put him in his place an' I-- I like havin' someone in my corner like that."
 
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There were two things that Ronan had been occupied with upon leaving the hut: calming himself down and also preparing himself for the inevitable emptiness that would briefly ache in his chest when Anders let go of his hand. The fresh air had woken him up to the realities of what had just happened; now they weren't inside the relative safety and privacy of the hut where everyone knew their secret, undoubtedly Anders would slip his hand free and they would leave for Sasha and Gio's hut together.

But that didn't happen.

In his battle of wrangling his anger, the innate desire to protect his mate and also shield his own heart from the pain he expected to feel, Ronan startled at the feeling of an arm slipping around his waist. Briefly, his mind dared to think that it was Tate and the other male was holding true to his word about using force. But then came the hand to his cheek, and the overwhelming scent of his mate.

Ronan blinked, his eyes which were once glazed now were wide with shock as lips pressed against his. With firmness, surety, passion and love.

When Anders pulled away to begin his stuttered explanation for that very obvious and very public display of love - basically claiming Ronan - the other male could only stare at his mate, lips slightly parted in raw, unbridled surprise at what just happened. He truthfully barely heard what Anders had just said, only picking up bits and pieces, but it wasn't long until a lopsided, goofy smile came over his expression and he stepped forward.

Both his hands raised to cradle Anders' cheeks, caressing the skin softly with his thumbs before leaning to mould his lips to his. Just as Anders had done a moment ago, Ronan poured the love he felt for his mate into that one kiss. He knew there would be many more in the future, but this one meant something. In front of all his pack, it was a statement, a very open announcement of what was really going on.

Too soon for his liking, Ronan pulled back, not as deterred by the lingering gazes as Anders since he had long since learned to not give a fuck but knowing when enough was enough. He grinned broadly at his mate, hands still softly cupping his cheeks as he stood there for what felt like the longest time.

"You're a bloody marvel, y'know that?" He murmured, moisture beginning to wet his eyes as emotion began to thicken his voice, "I'm always goin' defend your corner, Anders. You're stuck with me. I ain't goin' anywhere. I'll keep fightin' for ya even when death comes to take me, I won't ever go down without a fight when it concerns you, understand?"

With a final peck to his lips, Ronan pulled back to swing an arm over his mate's shoulders, a drunken smile still playing on his features, "Let's go get our daughter now, hm? Then you can tell me more about this girl you found-- another lost stray for us to adopt?" He teased, the heaviness from the tension with Tate a distant memory now.
 
Though he was absolutely determined not to let his fear of the pack and their reaction ruin what was undoubtedly one of the favourite moments he had shard with Ronan (given everything it represented, it was hard not to comprehend a more important moment in their lives together), it wasn't easy to ignore the overwhelming desire to peer across at the faces of the community.

These were people who he had come to display cautiousness and even vehemence towards in recent months, unsure just who within the close pack could harbour such evil within them that brutally attacking a literal child and leaving her for dead was a perfectly reasonable course of action... but they were still his pack; still people he had grown up around; people he called family.


The sight of befuddled expressions was understandable, hence the silence that continued to reign amongst them, but the intermingling expressions of disgust and dissatisfaction at something as natural as two mates kissing started to increase that anxiety he had desperately forced down. How could he not react to disapproving glances from those who had, until now, always supported him?

Before that anxiety could slither around his ribcage and crush any sense of joy he wanted to cling to, Ronan's reciprocation of affection prevented it. Any fear, any anxiety, that he might have been on the verge of caving to immediately disappeared; it was the sun parting from behind the clouds, immediately brightening Anders' mood and eradicating any storminess that had threatened to dominant him. The pack and their horror at the display might come back to affect him later on, inevitably when he would have to hold a conversation with them about what they were witnessing, but that could wait - he wasn't going to allow them to dictate how he led his life, not any more.

And like hell was he going to allow them to prevent him from making the most of this moment when it meant the world to him.

"I... I know. An' you gotta know that I'd do the same for you, right? That I'd... take on the fuckin' world if it meant protecting you, Ro. I know I ain't the most, ah... the most fearsome or, like... threatening or whatever, but I got a mean right-hook on me. Ain't nobody gonna get away with hurting you, not if I can help it, so... so just know that, alright? This, what we have... it's special to me, I'll protect that with my life. I'll protect our family, 'cos that's what we are, ain't it? A family," he replied, taking a moment to mull the word and its importance over before laughing, reaching to wipe the wateriness from his own eyes. He hadn't thought that he would be able to admit aloud the love he had for Ronan in public like this, nor make references to the family they were building together. He knew they were a family but admitting it so brazenly with all to hear... it made it more concrete; solidified it into permanency.

And for once, he wouldn't apologise for the tears that had arrived, knowing they were entirely justified in this case.

"Y-Yeah, let's, uh-- let's go an' see Teddy. Just-- later on, would you maybe... come with me to see the girl? The more help I can get, the less tired I'm gonna be. The less moody an' all too. I figure I've...been pretty moody lately, huh? But it's pretty amazing what a kiss from you can do, Ro, I'm feelin' much better already. Guess that means you're just gonna have to kiss me a lot more, don't it?" He countered teasingly, the flirtatious lilt to his tone as unsubtle as the inward pressing of his body into his mate's, determined to capitalise on the closeness while he could. Now he had put the fears of the pack's reaction to the back of his mind for now, nothing was there to stop him from confidently displaying how he felt for Ronan... as the flirts, so bold and unashamed, served to prove.
 
With Anders leaning further into him, Ronan was more than happy to reciprocate the movement and pull his mate closer to him. He chuckled, clearly amused and not ready to be so easily dissuaded from his good mood by the stares and reaction from the pack, shown even further by the light kiss he pressed into the side of Anders' head as they walked away from the family hut.

"Imagine just how much better you'd be feelin' if it was more than a kiss." Ronan whispered playfully into his mate's ear, grinning teasingly back. There was no rush, at least on Ronan's side of things, to hurry their relationship along. They had been separate for two years, and while that had been hard and the innate desire to have his mate at his side in each and every way was strong... Ronan was just as eager to take it all in. He didn't want to ruin the sensation of having a mate, something he wasn't sure he'd ever have. He wanted to savour the moment, bask in it, and take things slowly for Anders sake too as the other became accustomed to it all.

Accustomed, that was, to the reactions of his pack. He didn't want to pile on any additional worries, anxieties or pressure onto his mate while he was still going to be worrying about those he once felt like he could trust and rely on. After two years apart, Ronan was merely happy to just be there with his mate, enjoying his presence and partaking in the flirtatious banter.

"I know you got me covered-- we're always goin'ta have each other's backs, Anders. That I don't worry about in the slightest, like ya said, we're a family... an' family looks out for each other." He smiled after, the arm around his shoulders moving to allow his hand to tangle into Anders' hair, gently combing his fingers through the back of his head, "I feel like I could take on the whole fuckin' world with you by my side." He added, the happy-drunk glitter back in his eye.

Eventually he allowed his hand to fall back down over Anders' shoulder, pulling his mate back close to him as they walked and neared Sasha and Gio's hut, which wasn't too far from the family home.

Briefly, his mind wandered to the girl that Anders had found and helped nurture back to health, the smile fading for a moment as he considered the situation again now that they were out of the tension within the family hut. A poor girl, a child, had been attacked by someone - or even people - within the pack. It began to rile and anger Ronan up that that same person - or people - were going about their daily chores in that moment, acting as if nothing had happened. Not caring they had left a child to die.

" 'Course I'll come visit her with you... so'long as you don't think that'll... hinder what progress you've made with her." He told Anders after a pause, looking back down to his mate after casting a weary gaze over the pack that watched them in return. "Maybe you ought to get Lu to come an' all-- she's got experience with the more... abrupt introduction into this life, ain't she? She might be able to help. That way you get more helpin' ya, an' ya get more time to sleep."
 
Of course, Ronan knew there was no rush to head into everything they could enjoy together now he had taken the much-needed step to put their relationship out into the open. He knew that despite the two years apart and the additional pressure he had undoubtedly put Ronan through by making him adhere to the policy of secrecy, there would be no pressure to immediately explore the intimacy that was now possible for them to enjoy without fear of being caught. They could take things slow, enjoy being in one another's company and getting to get to know all the personal details that mates ought to know about one another.

Though just because they could take things at that slow pace didn't mean Anders felt the desire to do so. Between the moments of physical affection offered to him and Ronan's teasing words hinting ever-so-unsubtly towards those new possibilities now open to them, Anders wasn't entirely capable of waiving them aside as though his mind hadn't been enflamed by desire for the other. He wanted nothing more than to pull him into his arms and enjoy the feeling of being with his mate - especially when he had yet to mark (and be marked by) Ronan.

He wanted to see the man sport that mark; to be claimed by him and to allow their exiting bond to be cemented. He knew without a doubt that Ronan was his mate - making that fact permanent was a desire he could now genuinely consider. As concerned as he was about the pack, there was a great sense of freedom that had risen within him; a relief at no longer having to remain in the background, depriving himself of something as natural as holding his own mate's hand.

Naturally, he wanted to further consolidate how he felt about Ronan by marking him... but he knew such a matter would have to wait for now, if only until later on when they would, hopefully, have the privacy of the hut to themselves for a little while. It would be something he would have to bring up with Luana, making a note to himself to hold that conversation with her.

As his thoughts drifted towards Luana, it was serendipitous that Ronan brought her name into their conversation. Admittedly, Anders had been drifting off from their discussion, far too caught up in the reverie of walking at the other's side and openly sharing in affection with him, but he dragged himself out of that depth of joy to give the serious words his full focus.

"...Yeah, she should come. I mean, I don't wanna go overwhelmin' the girl, but... I've told her about you guys so... I'm sure it'll be alright, yeah. Lu should be there. I trust you both more than anyone else so... it makes sense. I just want the kid to be okay, she-- she's gone through so much an' she's scared an'... Lu knows how that feels, I guess. She could be a real help, I-- I should 'ave told her about this," he grimaced as regret hit him hard, so abruptly that he had to take a moment to overcome the guilt starting to encroach him once more. He cast the door to Gio and Sasha's hut a wary glance, suddenly aware that the confessions would provoke an anger in his best friend like it had in Tate and the twins.

And the idea of Luana being that furious with him for withholding such important information from her made him feel physically sick.

"She won't be mad at me, right? For not saying anythin'? 'Cos I can't cope with that, Ro. She's-- my best friend, I can't 'ave her hatin' me too."
 
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