“There’s the prettiest thing this side of the Mississippi.”

I’d been standing in the back of the crowded room, my arms crossed as I waited for Mateo and the council to take the stage for the big announcement. Although, I already knew what it was and was still trying to come to terms with everything myself.

My older sister, Gillian, who’d been “mated” to Mateo for as long as I could remember, had just informed me that things between her and Mateo had been a lie, and that she’d found her true mate in Maximus.

It wasn’t that I didn’t love Maximus like a brother, because I did… And, it wasn’t that we had been raised knowing we were intended to mate with an Alpha. I believed we should all be free to love who we love… No, it was the fact that she’d lied to me all these years. Me. Her sister.

It stung that she hadn’t trusted me enough to confide in me.

I pulled myself from my pity part to see who’d approached me, and went from feeling down to thrilled in a matter of seconds.

“Brick,” I cried, hurtling myself into my little brothers’ arms.

Little in age, not in size.

We hugged each other tightly and I felt the burning of tears threatening at the back of my throat. My brother was away at college, and it had been years since he’d been home. Not because he lived too far away, but because since he came out to our parents, he’d no longer been welcome in their home.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, after hugging him fiercely, then stepping back to look up at him.

He tugged my short hair lightly, grinning broadly as he looked down at me with his beautiful face.

“I came back with Gilly,” Brick answered. “I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see mom and dad’s reaction when she told them she was in love with the Bravo and not the Alpha as instructed.”

“Gilly’s back?” I asked, turning to search the room for our sister. After she’d told me, Gilly had left town, not wanting to be here in case there was any fallback from the news of her, Mateo, and Maximus.

“Yup, she decided she needed to be here to face the music with her man.”

“And, how did mom and dad react?” I asked, although I could guess.

Brick shot me a wry expression and said, “Almost worse than when I told them I was gay. Gilly is their pride and joy after all, the one who was supposed to give them the status they think they deserve.”

“How’s Gilly doing?”

I suddenly felt awful for my own reaction to her news. I should have known she’d have to deal with not only backlash from the town, but resentment from our parents.

“Our big sis is doing just fine. She’s a woman in love with sexy man who knows her worth,” Brick said as he leaned back against the wall, then his eyes came to me and he said, “Looks like the fate of our family now rests on your shoulders.”

“Great,” I muttered, hating the fact that he was right. Our parents would now look to me to mate with an Alpha and fulfil our family legacy.

Dread filled me as I worried that they’d try and send me away. Mateo and I had been around each other forever, and he was definitely not my mate. Not only because I’d always thought he was intended for my sister, but because, as my future brother in law, we’d hugged on several occasions, and even shared a few kisses on the cheek on holidays.

If we were mates, we’d already know it.

No… I hadn’t met my mate yet, which meant it had to be an Alpha of another pack.

I pushed those thoughts aside as everyone took the stage and the meeting started. When they brought Gilly out after announcing that she was not with Mateo, but with Max, looking nervous and unsure, Brick and I hugged each other and grinned wildly at her, trying to convey that she had our support, no matter what the rest of the pack thought.

Luckily, after a few murmurs, when Max took Gilly’s hand in his and brought it to his lips, the crowd went wild. The love they felt for each other was palpable, and with Mateo standing at their side, obviously accepting, the pack was willing to accept this new development with open arms.

After the meeting adjourned, Brick and I stayed back waiting to see Gilly. While we waited I asked him how classes were going.

“Hey,” I heard Gilly call, and when I turned to see her happy face, guilt crushed me and I ran to take her in my arms.

“I’m so sorry, Gilly,” I cried, hugging her as hard as I could.

“No, I’m sorry, now you’re going to get the brunt of parental pestering,” Gilly said, her tone conveying her worry.

“Don’t worry about that,” I said, pulling back to look at her. “I can handle mom and dad, even though I don’t know if I even want to. I hate what they’re doing to our family. First pushing Brick away, now you… I really don’t understand.”

“Well, you can bet that they’re sole focus is going to be on getting you mated to an Alpha, whether they try to push you at Mateo, or send you somewhere else. I wouldn’t be surprised if they ordered all the Alpha’s in the State to come by the house and set them up to some sort of machine to gauge their feelings upon touching you.”

“I wish they cared about their children as much as they did some damn family trait,” Brick muttered from behind me.

“We still have each other,” Gilly promised with a smile.

“Nothing will ever change that,” I agreed.

“I know,” Brick said softly, but his unhappiness was apparent in his tone. I hated that it was a result of our parents’ ignorance.

“What do you say to some barbecue, beers, and good conversation?” Gilly said, changing the subject and putting a smile back on our brothers’ face.

“I should get back to the bar,” I said, thinking I’d been gone too long already.

Gilly and I ran Howlers, the pack bar and grill, and with her off trying to deal with pack business, I’d been left to oversee everything.

“Who’s covering?” Gilly asked.

“Taylor.”

“She’s dependable, she can hold it down for a few hours at least,” Gill said, then cajoled, “Come on, just for a little while?”

I’d never been able to deny my siblings, especially when they looked so cute while begging.

“Okay, but only for one beer and one burger.”

“Deal. What about you?” She asked Brick.

He shrugged and said, “I’m at your mercy until you decide to take me back home.”

“Good, you’re coming with us to Mateo’s then.”

“I’m sorry I got mad at you,” I said softly, needing to get it out. “Seeing you and Max together, I totally get it. You never lit up that way around Mateo.”

“Thanks, Tash,” she said softly, leaning down to kiss the crown of my head. “That means a lot.”

“Okay, my beautiful babies,” Brick said, pulling us apart and throwing an arm around both of us. “Let’s get this party started.”