Beta

Chapter 18

He felt his bond mark burn as a dull pain hugged his gut. 

He needed to find Shiro.

He ran through the halls, checking the bedroom and training deck only to come up empty handed.

He bolted past the control deck trying desperately to find the distressed male.

He found his mate, curled in on himself on the couch, balling his eyes out. Ugly sobs filled the room.

Keith rushed to his side, pulling the larger man into his lap, trying to find some sort of wound.

What he didn't expect was for Shiro to jump off his lap and yell at him.

"How could you do this to us- to me! He's threatened by you!" A new wave of tears and snot rolled down his face, "you need to fix this! This is your fault! He won't let me touch him, hold him. How do you not understand that your actions affect me too!"

Keith stood stunned, "S-Shiro I don't understand."

"Of course you don't! You're so impulsive!"

Shiro pulled up the bottom of his shirt, wiping his face, "you need to control yourself. Are you going to loose your temper when our pup throws a fit? Will you throw them against the wall like you did Pidge? Will you yell at them like you did Lance?"

"Of course not! I would never hurt my family!" But he already had yet he was too proud to say he had. He couldn't give up his status to admit his wrong doings.

Yeah, he hurt Pidge, but he wasn't his pup. He was just a team mate that Lance favored. Plus, Pidge forgave him so everything should be fine.

"You idiot! Pidge IS Lance's pup! That makes Pidge our baby. We are supposed to protect him!"

Shiro was absolutely baffled with Keith's reaction to all this. The younger was only nineteen, still a naive kid who thought the world revolves around him. However, if he wanted this relationship to work, he had to grow up.

Keith had to take a minute. He couldn't understand what  Shiro was saying.

"Shiro, calm down."

"Calm down?  You want me to calm down when you  hurt our child, almost killed our mate with your alpha command, and then thought everything was fine again? No! You need to grow up! Get over your ego and grow the fuck up!" The fight quickly grew heated.

"I'm not the one sobbing! I was just trying to comfort you and you started yelling at me! Where did this even come from? I felt your pain and now I'm being attached? I'm the victim here! Not you!"

By now, they had a crowd. Pidge stood in the door way, along with Allura and Coran.

"Neither of us are the victim! Pidge is the victim! Lance just tried to protect his pup! And now he doesn't trust either of us because you can't control the knot in between your legs!"

"What the hell are you on about? I didn't-"

Pidge had enough of the yelling, "Will you two of you shut up! This is ridiculous! I'm fine! Lance is fine and you two need to act civilized!"

The room grew silent, the air tense. Shiro wiped his eyes, taking a deep breath. Keith glared at the floor, trying really hard not to yell at the beta in front of him.

Shiro wrapped his arms around himself, trying to sooth away the hiccups from his crying. He was embarrassed that he had caused such a scene. He was supposed to be a pack leader and keep everyone in check yet here he is creating the chaos himself.

"Pidge. I'm sorry you had to see that. It was inappropriate of me to bring my personal problems into such a public space," Shiro locked eyes with Pidge, "I'm sorry for what happened earlier too. I should have been there for you."

Tears had started to fall again. He felt so bad that he didn't protect a member of his pack. He was even more upset that he let his own pup be hurt. But he was completely mortified that he let his mate hurt his own pup. He was sobbing again at this point, pain swelling in his head and chest.

Being tortured by the Galra was a holiday compared to the mental pain Shiro was in. He wanted to hurt his mate fore hurting his pup. But the thought of hurting his mate saddened him further.

Keith was clutching his chest, teeth gritted in pain from how torn up Shiro was. He still didn't understand what he had done, but he knew that this was a serious problem; Shiro never cries, let alone full on breaks down.

Pidge took quick steps towards Shiro, pulling Shiro's arms from around himself and burrowing into the alpha's chest.

Tears sprung to his eyes.

Never in his life had he ever seen someone so upset over his well being before. He knew Lance had attacked Keith for him. He knew that Lance cared but someone breaking in front of you is a completely different ball park.

Shiro continued to sob, clinging desperately to the boy in front of him. He could smell Lance on him, but he could also smell the beta.

Even though Pidge wasn't blood, and he had only known the boy for a short few months, he knew that he cared deeply for the beta. His mate claimed him as a pup and Shiro would never deny anyone that Lance had found worthy of his time and energy.

As he held the boy- his pup- a flood of relief hit his system. Pidge had excepted his apology, and hopefully the embrace also meant he excepted him as a sort of father.

Shiro began to calm down, pressing his face into younger neck, taking a deep calming breath of his scent before holding the boy out to look at him.

"Thank you, Pidge. This means a lot to me." A warm smile made its way onto Shiro's face.

Pidge returned the smile, letting out a small sound of agreement before wiping his own eyes.

At some point during the moment, Allura and Coran moves to help Keith.

The red paladin looked weak from emotional excursion even if it wasn't his own. He was scared shitless to say the least. Shiro had never been this upset before and for it to be towards him terrified the younger alpha.

Shiro and him locked eyes. A glare met a plea full stare.

"You're sleeping on the couch tonight."