Three Alphas, Three Mates

Chapter 31.1 - Refugees

A/N (2/18/18) - It's another brothers' POV ^^ It's kind of short (okay really short), but it'll be like a "preview" in a way of what's to come (kind of like 21.1).

Another note. We're reaching the homestretch guys! I'm expecting the story to "end" in the 40s maybe. Probably definitely by 50. IKR, heartbreak, but I'm going to make sure that the remaining chapters have a great balance of plot and love and family time and friends and side plots and everything will be completed, and if it's not by the projected chapters, the story will continue until it is.

This also means that soon I'm going to request oneshot requests for couples. I know Michonai/Onaichael will be one lol. I'm also thinking OnaixMia. Beyond that, start brainstorming. I think I'll do 7. That's always a nice number. And three fluff chapters for the brothers on top of that.

Thank you guys as always! I can't BEGIN to express my gratitude for every single one of you. You guys are just... so awesome T-T Okay, let me let you read this thing already xD Thanks again! I hope you enjoy~

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Axel's POV

"What the hell is going on?" Michael asks.

Mia glares at him from the passenger's seat. "Michael," she warns. "Let me handle this." She looks back at me and glares. "What the heck is going on, Axel? And I swear if you lie..." I see even less of that beautiful brown.

Her eyes stop me in my tracks ever time, but... it's not always a good thing. Right now, I'm just scared to death. I can't go through another one of her interrogations. Please, just no, Mia. Please don't ask me any questions, I cry internally.

I think a misconception I personally had about imprints was that I'd automatically love everything about my mate. I thought we'd always get along and everything would be perfect and joy and happiness and peace for all.

The truth smacked me in the face real quick about the first time she called me a dirty liar. Mia drives me crazy, especially when Aiden and Carson are involved. But it's like... a good kind of crazy? Like I love it somehow? I don't know.

It's just, with most people they want a nice story, but Mia just wants the truth. I wanna give it to her. I wanna give her everything she wants, but I don't know how. Besides, she needs to focus on her health, not this. But if I keep anything else from her, I might have to sleep with one eye open.

"Is it the Bloodmoon Pack?" she asks.

If it were only that simple. "Yeah... but not exactly."

Carson's POV

There's a quote that goes something like this: if you let all your friends get the shit beat out of them, don't be surprised when you're next and, surprise, no one helps you.

Try to tell Aiden that.

"No," he says for the third and final time.

"She's his sister, Aiden," I say, running after him. "How would you feel if--"

"I would gladly allow Christine in, but we can't afford her entire pack, let alone his. It would draw too much attention."

I sigh. "They're not asking to be refugees." I look into his eyes. "They're asking us to stand beside them, while we all still have a fighting chance."

"While they still have a fighting chance," Aiden corrects.

He's making me crazy. Why can't he just see that I have a point? Like I always do. "Christine has the third strongest pack. Zack has the fifth largest. If we aligned with them, we'd be unstoppable. We can't let this opportunity go. We don't have the luxury to."

"This opportunity to what? Involve ourselves in an unnecessary war?" Aiden asks, still darting through the forest at top speed.

I scoff. "We have more than enough reason. They keep invading all of our lands."

"Whose land was it to begin with?" he asks.

Silence.

I'll admit, that shuts me up. We stay in silence for a while. I check on Brittany and Krys, Onai and Ethel. It looks like the school evacuations and border shutdowns are all going well. So far at least.

That makes our job easier, in a horrible kind of way. But there's no point in thinking that now, because we'll just keep doing it no matter what. We don't have a choice. It's not our war apparently.

"If it comes to that, if war is inevitable, I won't ask anyone to fight," Aiden says out of nowhere. "We might win by a landslide, but there will be casualties. There will be at least one, and I can't guarantee it won't be Mia, or you, or Axel, or Ethel, or Onai, or Krys, or Brittany, or Coach Kenet, or...." He slows down for just a second. "I won't ask. I can't."

"That's fine. I will," I say. "I'd be the one going out there anyway. You declare the wars. I fight them, remember?"

Aiden shakes his head, scoffing. "You really are crazy."

"Why?" I ask. "Because I'm not afraid?"

"Because you think I'd let you die out there alone," he looks at me.

I double take. What? Aiden showing... kindness? Is it the blue moon or what? I check the sky even though it's not night yet. I need to check his pulse.

He shakes his head, giving me a disapproving look. "You plan on letting me be the only one in the office who gets assassinated slowly while you die quickly on the battlefield? Please. Sell that deal to someone else."

Well. Can't say I'm surprised.

We finally reach our destination, and when I see the faces at the border—the women, the children, the husbands. My eyes scan over all the families, and the elderly, and the people... I don't know how to do this.

Aiden's POV

I know Carson can't do it. He can't send people back to a war zone knowing he didn't do anything to help them. Knowing they'll definitely die.

I know Axel can't do it. He can't even see it without trying to turn our entire territory into a refugee camp.

That's why I do it. But the truth is, I don't know how I do it. I keep telling myself this is the only way, because to take in refugees is to declare war on the opposing nation. These people are still connected to mindlink. They're basically walking piles of confidential information that their existing packs are no doubt, coming to eliminate soon.

On top of that, there could be spies among them. Assassins. Or just bad people. We can't just throw our doors open to them.

"Please," one woman cries out, pulling away from the arms of her husband. "Please, just take the children. My daughter. My son." She gestures towards the baby in her arms and an older girl standing beside her.

Behind her jet black hair, the girl's ice blue eyes pierce into me with no hope left in them. I'm reminded of my mother, in her last moments. She knew, and this girl does too. I think, what if someone had helped us then?

I understand now why they didn't. I shake my head. I won't risk it. I could, but I won't.

An old woman moves to the front of the group. She has a limp, but she walks strong against her cane. "There's been talk that the luna of the Silvermoon Pack has been discovered." She speaks quietly, but the force with which she does it could be mistaken for the loudest scream. "Where is she now? Let me speak to her." Sounds of agreement fill the crowd.

I look at Carson. He looks back at me, already calling for backup. The twenty or so people we brought with us clearly won't be enough.

"Does she know what her alphas are doing?" the woman yells, slamming her cane down on the dirt. "No luna would ever accept this. Let me speak to her. She'll take the children."

By the time it's over, and all of the people are gone, I turn to Carson. I can't even look at him. "I'll hear what the Dusk and Moonlight Packs have to say."

He pats my shoulder and nods. Axel voices his agreement through mindlink.