Looking up into the sky, I wonder about what Mom had told me earlier in the day.

"Noah, you need to be careful out there. Watch yourself. Some alphas aren't as nice as the ones you know." He had reached into his pocket then, pulling out a small dagger. "So I want you to have this with you tonight. If anyone tries to do anything with you that you don't consent to, use it."

His words still whisper through my mind, even more so when I feel the dagger pressing against my hip with every step I take.

The ceremony had started over an hour ago, most of the evening light having disappeared. Most people are probably already settled, and the only reason I am still moving is that I am too nervous to stop.

This whole night has my stomach in knots. The what ifs keep running through my mind. What if my mate doesn't like me? What if I don't have a mate at all? What if my mate is...dead?

And no matter how hard I try, I can't get those thoughts out of my head.

That has been one of my habits, ever since I was little. Whenever I am in an uncertain situation, my mind thinks of every possible bad thing that can happen. Usually, Beckett is able to easily explain away all of my doubts.

But Beckett isn't here right now.

Because he is off finding his own mate.

That thought has my stomach twisting even tighter, the pain so much that I stop to lean up against a tree for a moment. I know it's wrong, the feelings I have for him. We have been brothers, ever since we were born. I can't feel this way about him. What would Mom and Dad think? I am not even biologically theirs - even though Mom always says that it doesn't matter- they could be disgusted with me.

The thought of them not wanting me due to my love for my brother has always motivated me to keep my feelings secret. Too much is at risk, and I am not willing to lose any of it.

Finally, after what feels like forever, I push myself to keep walking. Looking around, I see that I have made it to a familiar part of the forest. Even through the darkness, I can see the familiar tree only fifteen feet in front of me.

As quickly as I can, I make my way over to the tree, pulling the carefully hidden rope that lets down the rope ladder to the tree house.

This will be the perfect place to hide away, where I can sleep off my heat. Because it is just starting to get to the point of uncomfortable. My clothes are starting to stick to me from my sweat, and I can tell that my skin is completely flushed.

While the rope ladder would be a hassle for anyone else, I am able to quickly climb up and make my way into the tree house. It is comforting to slip inside. It is relatively big, but so is this tree. Alpha Seren had gone a little overboard, and I appreciate even more so now than I did when I was younger.

It is easy enough to stand up and walk into the only room in the place. There is a mattress in there, one that takes up the majority of the room in there. There are toys strewn across the floor, from when some of my younger siblings had been up here.

It takes me a minute of stumbling around in the dark to finally find some candles and light them, giving the room a soft glow.

All of this is enough to have me relaxing, some of the tension I had been carrying melting away. My heat is really starting to build though, so I slip off my shirt and pants, leaving me in just a pair of briefs. The soft breeze coming in from the open window feels amazing on my overheated skin, and I am just starting to doze off when I hear the hatch door open.

"What the hell?" I murmur, scrambling up into a sitting position. Leaning over, I quickly snatch up the dagger that Mom had given me, leaning back against the wall and holding the dagger tightly in front of me.

The hatch door closes again, and soon enough, footsteps make their way across the floor, before the curtain that acts as a make shift door to this room is pushed aside.

"Beckett?" I ask, letting my dagger fall onto the mattress. "What in the hell are you doing here?"

He doesn't say anything, instead just raising a brow before turning around to lock the hatch door. His scent catches on the breeze that drifts in through the window, carrying it over to me. By the time he is walking back into the room, my skin feels like it is on fire.

"Being with my mate," he finally says, his deep voice sending shivers down my spine.

It takes me a minute to process his words, but when I do, my eyes shoot up to meet his. He just meets my gaze, not hesitant in the least as he crosses the room to sit on the mattress.

"I-I... Beckett, we can't do this," I whisper, forcing my eyes closed and trying to push back the want growing inside me. It is taking everything I can to keep the brief bit of distance between us. All I want to do is tackle him to the bed, have him kiss me, strip him of his close, and have him inside me, knotting me.

"Why not?" he says, not sounding in the least bit offended; more like amused.

"We're brothers."

"Not biologically."

"Mom and Dad will hate me."

"As if that's even possible." He pauses, and I can feel the mattress shift as he moves closer to me. His side is pressed up against mine, the heat almost overwhelming. "This is right, Noah. We're mates. We both know it." His hand comes up to rest against my cheek, his thumb ghosting against my bottom lip. "I love you."

Those three words are all it takes for me to open my eyes, my heart beating faster than before. "You do?"

He smiles then, a soft one that I have only ever seen directed towards me. "Of course I do."

"I love you too," I whisper, before finally leaning over and sealing my lips over his.

This kiss starts out gently enough, but with me in heat and Beckett in rut, things were bound to get heated pretty quickly.

Sure enough, Beckett is pushing me back down onto the mattress, breaking the kiss for only a moment as he slips out of his own clothes. "I've waited for so long to do this," he whispers against my lips, carefully pulling down my briefs.

My cock is hard as a rock, and looking down between us, I see that Beckett is not doing much better. His hand wraps around my cock, giving me a long pull, something that sends shocks of pleasure running through me.

My head falls back, a gasp of pleasure leaving my lips before I can stop it. Beckett is watching me intently, the candles reflecting off of his dark blue eyes. The want is clear on his face, and I can't help but run my hands through his brown locks, tangling my fingers in his hair and pulling him back down into a searing kiss.

"Beckett, I- I need," I whimper, not able to get an entire sentence out, but he seems to understand me.

"I know," he whispers, hand leaving my cock just long enough to rummage in the pocket of his discarded pants, pulling out a small vial.

The stuff inside looks familiar, exactly like the lube that I had scored at the market. The sight of it in Beckett's hand has me melting back into the mattress, spreading my legs even further to fit him better. "Yes, yes."

He smiles at me, pulling off the stopper and pouring a small amount onto his fingers. This is going faster than I ever thought, but the need is growing inside me. All I want is for him to be inside me already, his knot keeping him locked inside.

The first press of his finger against my hole has a shiver of pleasure running through me. Biting my lip, I try to stifle my moans, but this just has Beckett shaking his head. "I want to hear you."

And then he is pushing the first finger inside. It is uncomfortable at first but no pain. I have done this enough to myself where I am somewhat used to it. "More," I whisper, knowing that Beckett will go as slow as possible, just to make sure that I am not feeling the least bit uncomfortable. While I appreciate the sentiment, I just want him inside me already.

Just when I am tempted to take over, he slides another finger inside me, only a twinge of pain this time, but it disappears quickly. He doesn't wait as long to press in a third, and then, finally, he pulls his fingers out of me, replacing them with his cock.

The first press of his cock against my hole is slightly uncomfortable until he finally presses inside. His cock is definitely bigger than his fingers, but not absurdly so. Enough to have my toes curl in pleasure as he pushes completely inside, the base of his cock already starting to swell.

Wrapping my legs around his waist, I pull Beckett closer, leaving no space between us. "Please, Beckett," I whisper, lips brushing against his, "fuck me."

This is all he needs to hear, apparently, before he pulls back and pushes back inside. Every thrust has a curl of heat running through me, the pleasure of him hitting the certain spot inside me causing moans to fall from my lips. It is better than I could have ever imagined, our bodies fitting perfectly together.

"You're so beautiful," he whispers, giving me sucking kisses along my jaw and down to my neck, where he bites gently against the cords of muscle. "So fucking beautiful."

His thrusts are speeding up then, his knot starting to catch on my rim.

"Noah, I'm about to knot," he says, words coming out harsh. "Are you sure-?"

I cut him off with a kiss, before pulling away. "Knot me, fill me. I need you."

And we both know what will happen if he comes inside me, especially if he knots me. We both had to take the same awkward sex ed class from Avery. But I don't care, and the thought of me getting pregnant just seems to turn Beckett on even more.

"God, yes," he groans, before pushing inside me even more, his knot catching and keeping him inside me. He reaches down between us, wrapping his hand around my cock as he grinds against me. All of this is enough to tip me over the edge, calling his name as he bites onto my neck as he spills inside me.

The pleasure rips through me and I feel as if I am floating on a cloud. Somehow, during that time, Beckett had managed to get us on our sides, me lying across his chest as his arms wrap tightly around me.

It feels perfect, all so perfect.

A smile spreads across my face, and the doubt slips out of my mind as I drift off to sleep, Beckett still locked inside me, setting our future into stone. But, for the first time, I don't feel anxious when I think about my future, I just see hope in the form of a little girl or boy with Beckett's everything. Yes, happy future indeed.

*****

Waking up the next morning is hard. A warm body is pressed along my back, a blanket pulled up to my waist. It takes a minute for me to realize that the arm I am using as a pillow belongs to Becket.

My heart gallops as I remember last night, flashes of the three different times my heat had flared up, and Beckett had been right there to help me. In fact, he is still inside me from the last time he had knotted me when the sun had first started to rise.

Stretching, I wince at the soreness in my muscles and let out a quiet hiss as Beckett slides out of my completely. He grumbles in protest, burying his face in my neck and wrapping his other arm tighter around me.

As much as I would love to stay here all day, I know that we can't. The sun has already been up in the sky for hours. We should get a move on before our parents come looking for us. And knowing how protective they can be, I wouldn't be surprised if Mom came looking for us, dragging Dad behind him.

Beckett grumbles again when I turn around in his arms, making me smile. Dark lashes rest against the top of his cheekbones, his plush lips slightly parted in sleep. Reaching up, I run my finger along the ridge of his nose the one that looks identical to Mom's- before trailing my finger down to his lips.

The nip against the tip of my finger startles me, and looking up I see that Beckett is watching me with half-lidded eyes.

"Good morning," he says, voice slightly raspy from sleep. "What are you doing up already?"

Raising an eyebrow, I draw back my finger, letting my hand drop down onto the mattress. "The sun's shining directly in my face. Besides, we need to be heading back soon."

He gives a small nod of his head but doesn't let me go. "You don't regret last night, do you?" His voice sounds neutral, but I have known him since birth. I can hear the worry underlying his voice that he is trying so desperately to hide, and it makes my heart ache.

"No, never," I tell him.

He relaxes slightly, and I take the opportunity to scoot closer to him, pressing a soft kiss against his lips. He takes the opportunity to deepen it, threading his fingers through my hair. Just as things are about to get interesting, though, I pull away.

"If you get us started, we won't be leaving here for another hour."

"I don't see anything wrong with that," Beckett says, lips trailing from my lips down to my neck.

"We can't stay up here all day," I say, words coming out slightly strangled as he sucks a bruise into my neck. "Mom will come looking for us."

That has Beckett pulling away, his eyebrows scrunched in disappointment. "I would argue, but I know all too true that statement is."

"Mmhm, so let's get out of here. I don't want Mom or Dad to see us naked together."

Beckett just nods his head in agreement, giving me one last kiss before letting me go. We spend the few minutes it takes to get dressed and climb out of the tree house in comfortable silence. Beckett has always been a man of few words, so I am used to it by now.

The walk back is nice too, not too hot out yet since it is still morning. It is only interrupted when we are nearing the clearing. Rosalie and Henry are standing close together, whispering quietly to one another.

Henry has his arm around her waist, their foreheads pressed together. It is clear as day that they are upset about something, Rosalie's eyes bloodshot while Henry looks as tense as a rock.

Before I can think better on it, I find myself walking over to them. Rosalie never cries, I can't ever remember a time where she did. So something terrible must have happened. "What's wrong?"

Rosalie looks up at me then, her blue eyes shiny with unshed tears. Her mouth opens, but no words come out, instead she just sobs. Henry pulls her back against him, rubbing her back as he tries to calm her down.

Finally, he turns to us, not letting Rosalie pull away from him. "Rowan rejected us."

"What?" I breathe, eyebrows rising in skepticism. Beckett comes to stand behind me, his hand resting on my waist as he pulls me to his side. "Why would he do that?"

Rosalie pulls away from Henry, rubbing her eyes with shaky hands. "H-he said that h-he's in love with someone else."

Henry just gives a small shake of his head. "He's gay, he didn't feel the pull as strongly as we did. He just apologized and then left."

"Shit," Beckett mumbles, and I nod my head in agreement.

A loud bell tolls from the clearing, not more than fifty feet away from us. Beckett gives my side a squeeze, silently telling me that we need to get moving. The bell tells us that we are supposed to head back.

"What are we going to do," Rosalie whispers, looking up at Henry.

"Let him go," he says, tucking Rosalie against his side as he starts walking in the direction of the clearing. "We can't trap him in a relationship where he would never be happy."

We follow behind them, making it to the clearing in less than a minute. It seems that we are one of the last ones to make it back. Everyone is already standing there, waiting.

Beckett nods his head to the left, and I follow his gaze. My eyes widen when I see Matty standing next to Rowan, their hands clasped tightly together. They both look terrified, taking comfort in one another.

"Oh wow," I breathe, my eyes flickering back over to Rosalie and Henry. They are both frozen to the spot, staring at their mate holding hands with another person. "That has to hurt."

A cry of our names causes me to look away, and I am grateful. It is hard to watch my friends in pain.

Mom is racing towards us, wrapping us in a tight hug. "Oh, I knew this would happen. I'm so happy for you two."

"You knew?" I say, voice not coming out as strong as I hoped.

He pulls away, hand coming to rest on my cheek. "Of course I knew, peanut. You guys have been glued at the hip ever since you were born."

"He has been talking my ear off all night about you two, worrying that you wouldn't find each other or something else terrible would happen," Dad says, my two youngest siblings in his arms. The twins are only two, a bit of a surprise for all of us when Mom told us he was pregnant with them.

Wyatt reaches over for me, always eager to get in a cuddle, and Reagan only comes along because he can't let his brother do anything that he isn't doing. Dad hands them over, giving me a grateful look while shaking out his arms.

"I was just worried," Mom says, finally pulling away and allowing Dad to pull him against his chest.

"Um, Noah, can I talk to you?" a hesitant voice comes from behind us. Turning, I see Matty standing there, looking unsure.

"Yeah, of course," I say, untangling myself from Beckett.

"I'll just go get us registered," Beckett says, taking the twins from me before leading our parents away.

"Is this about Rowan?" I ask once the others have wandered far enough away.

"Yeah," Liam says, eyes flicking up to me. "We don't know what to do."

Leaning over, I wrap my arms around my closest friend. We have played together since we were little, both of us eccentric. This lead to many fights when we were younger, but somehow we grew out of it. I couldn't be more grateful.

"It's going to be alright," I tell him, pressing a kiss against his hair as he buries his face in my neck. "Even if the others may be upset for a while, you two deserve to be happy. Rosalie should understand that better than anyone. Her parents aren't mates."

"I don't want to lose him," Matty whispers. "I love him so goddamn much."

"You won't," I tell him, giving him a soft squeeze. "He wouldn't have made this choice if he didn't love you too." Pulling away, I wait for him to meet my eyes before saying anything else. "Like our parents always say, fate likes to play tricks. We don't always think we are going to get what fate hands us, but we manage it." Brushing his hair away, I give him a soft smile. "Everything will work out, Matty. Just allow yourself to be happy, alright?"

He gives a small nod of his head. "Okay."

Looking over his shoulder, I let out a soft chuckle. "Brace yourself, your Mom is coming over and looks in full Mama bear mode."

Matty lets out a small groan, but when Liam makes it over to us, he crumbles into his Mom's arms. Liam leads him away, murmuring softly to him while rubbing his hand along his arm.

"Do you really believe what you said to him?" Beckett comes to stand in front of me, a soft smile on his face. "That everything will work out."

Leaning forward, I press a soft kiss on his lips, not bothering to stop the grin from spreading across my face. "Yeah, I do."

*****

That's it! This series has come to an end! Thank you so much for reading and going through the characters' journeys. It means so much to me to see others falling in love with my characters as well.

After talking to quite a few people, I have decided to add a few short stories to this series. One will be centered around Noah and Beckett, while the other will focus on Rowan and Matty (with a lot of Rosalie and Henry).

Thank you.