The Alpha Twins and their Runaway Witch

26

Alex and August were awoken from their uneasy sleep as they both felt Ariel return to the city. They had started to give chase on their bikes when they realized she had skipped town.  When she had turned around, returning to them, they had also done an about face back to their rented home. Waiting for her to return. Certain the demon had found her first and would take her back under his control.

They had not been expecting to feel her back in the city; Then vanish from their senses. The never ending feeling of being called towards one direction, was just- gone. Alex and August bolted up. Wide awake in the king size bed. Their wolves howling in their ears. Feeling untethered and lost. Set adrift with no sight of where to head to reach land again. They looked at each other and did not need words to express how wrong the world felt without her calling out to them.

Alex was the first to snap out of the shock induced stupor, "It's that fucking demon, he did something to her." He accused to the air with no cause or proof. The Tortise and the hare was a fable with truth to it. Faster wasn't always better.

August didn't react or respond. Alex was too angry. Reacting too quickly. Wasn't considering all the different pieces of this puzzle. Alex thought about himself first. It took him a while to get over himself. August thought about everyone but himself. August was always behind Alex. Which meant August almost never made a move before seeing how people reacted to his brother's reaction. How Alex reacted when he was upset. August learned to think about everyone else to try and temper the tension of the room so make sure everyone had the space they needed.

August had lots of practice studying human behaviour in their busy, chaotic household. You did not grow up with seven siblings, five parents, on a wolf pack without learning how people interacted. Right now was a time to let Alex have a moment to himself to work his way through big emotions. Cassian was much more obvious in his need to rigid conformity to what was expected or traditional with very little tolerance for deviation. Alex just looked better being a rigid sourpuss following rules only he understood, than their dragon brother managed to pull off his own backwards views.

Most of the time at least. Cassian was predictable in what choice or thought he would have. Alex had storms, his highs and lows were worse in some ways to the steady, knowable level of insufferable Cassian could be. You always knew when Cassian would be on the opposite side. With Alex, it was a guessing game what slight could set him off.

Apparently, a demon interfering with their mate was a challenge Alex was going to struggle managing. Pandora wasn't around and never answered her phone for Alex to pick easy fights with like he had done as a child. Alex would be vicious until he got over himself. So August left Alex alone in a room, to shower anywhere else. While hopefully Alex was smart enough to not pick a fight with another of their siblings at a distance.

Just hoping his brother didn't do something too stupid while August stayed out of his way during the first stage of Alex's white hot emotions. Alex rarely stayed in such a mood for long. Would quickly find a distraction to latch on to, to help his mind cool down.

August was enjoying a shower in a bathroom that was perfectly clean, and would be nearly as clean when he was done as when he started.  August enjoyed himself. The home was quiet, everything was fine. He left the shower, dried himself and dressed. Kind of ran his fingers through his hair to arrange some of the shaggy locks and called it good.

August left the extra bedroom. The house was too quiet. He had the distinct unusual feeling of being completely alone in a house. A feeling that was almost entirely foreign to him. You did not get to spend time alone in a house when you had seven siblings and five parents.

August checked in with his wolf. Needlessly as he heard one of the bikes roar to life from the garage. "Fuck." August growled out, running towards the front door, just in time to watch Alex race away down the driveway. Off to make a bad bad decision. A bad decision with a demon tangled into the mix, and the mate that the two of them were supposed to share according to the twisted fucking plan of their goddess.