Charlie's POV

"Uncle Charlie!" Emilio's voice shrieked when he walked through the door of my parent's flat. I stood up, crouching down, opening my arms wide for him to run into.

He ran into my arms, giving me the biggest hug that he could. "Hello, baby," I replied, kissing the top of his head.

"I missed you." He rubbed his face into my chest; I could tell that he had begun to cry. "Are you staying?" Emilio looked up, and his eyes had a twinkle in them.

"I'm staying for the week, baby," I replied, giving him a soggy smile. "I'm sure I'll get to see you again soon, though; I'm sure my mating ceremony will be soon." I wiped the tears from his eyes. Emilio's bottom lip wobbled, another wave of tears ready to spill.

"But– but you have to stay." He cried out. I pulled him back into my embrace, rubbing his back. I picked him up and began to sway.

"I'm sorry, baby." I kissed the side of his head.

— — —

After a while of trying to calm the toddler down, he fell asleep on my chest. I ran my fingers through his black hair, humming a quiet song to soothe him. My parents were talking with Presley, pestering him with personal questions, including the biggest was why we hadn't had our mating ceremony yet.

Presley blushed, looking down at his lap, rubbing the back of his neck before answering honestly. He had admitted that he had done a pretty bad job taking care of me when we first arrived at our pack. I cut in, telling him that I hadn't told him, so it was partially my fault as well. Then my dad made it a point to tell me that it wasn't my fault at all because all alphas should know to take care of their Luna.

"It's not all of his fault, papa," I mumbled, rubbing Emilio's back, looking over to meet Presley's eyes reassuring him. He gave me a soft smile and bit down on both of his lips.

"You should be treated like the prince you are, though." My papa replied back in English.

"And we've been working through it, papa, don't worry about me. I'm not a kid anymore." My papa didn't like hearing me say that. He immaturely leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms, a scowl settling on his face.

"You'll always be my little bambino." He grumbled.

"You'll always be my papa," I replied.

"Uh, can I please have a couple of moments alone to talk to you, sir?" Presley sat on the edge of the seat; his tone was serious. My papa looked at him, then back at me, silently asking me if I knew what he wanted to talk to him about. I shook my head, shrugging my shoulders in response.

Papa nodded his head, getting up from his seat and motioning for Presley to follow him. My mate got out of his seat and followed my papa out of the sitting room. Karsen also took liberties and followed Presley.

— — —

Presley's POV

I followed Charlie's papa into Karsen's office. The alpha stalked behind me, quickly catching up, clasping his hand around my neck. I couldn't tell if it was a playful or threatening manner, so I let out a low growl. Karsen quickly removed his hand from around my neck and rolled his eyes.

"Can't take a joke, I mean, unless you deserve it." Karsen crossed his arms. We passed by several of their pack members. Dominant, submissive, and omegas wolves bowed their heads in submission to their Alpha. He gave them a gentle smile and nod while we passed them. Karsen wrapped his arm around my shoulder and leaned close. "And we both know you deserve it." He hissed through his teeth, keeping a tight smile on his face.

"If you were to touch a hair on my head or bruise me in any way, Charlie would never forgive you, and you know that."

"Don't threaten me, Reid. I can challenge you during the summit in a few months by council law." He responded.

"And I'll show you why they call me a mean bastard," I responded, through my teeth, mimicking the same look on my face, much like Karsen's. I rolled his arm off of my shoulders, grinding my teeth together.

"Would the two of you numbskulls shut up for two seconds?" Charlie's papa stopped and turned on his heel, looking at us with a menacing expression.

"He's the one who started it by existing," Karsen responded, throwing his hands up in a defensive manner.

"Can't you just fuck off? I asked to speak to your father, not you." I glared at him.

The younger alpha rolled his eyes, "I'm the alpha. Also, I think you forget, anything pertaining to Charlie is also my business."

"You released him to my pack, so honestly, I'm his alpha, I'm his mate, you've been demoted to just his alpha brother," I argued, I could feel my temper rising and my patience thinning with him.

"Stop." Alpha Ethan demanded the both of us. "Not in front of pack members. I thought both of you knew better than to act like two teenage alpha boys with your heads so far up your asses that you can't smell how awful the stench permeating off of you smells." The older man scoffed, shaking his head. "In the office." He snapped, making me lower my head to him.

I may be one of the strongest Alpha's in the world, but I still felt the need to tuck tail to Charlie's father, mostly because I knew that the question I had to ask him was one that had to make me submissive to the older man to get his approval.

We entered the office. Ethan motioned for us to sit down at the couches in the center of the room adjacent to Karsen's desk.

Both of the essential men in Charlie's life sat down next to each other. It was almost uncanny how much they resembled each other, almost as if Karsen was a carbon copy of Ethan. If the elder alpha didn't have aged skin and silver streaks in his hair, it would almost be hard to tell the two of them apart.

"Now you shut up." The elder alpha looked at his youngest son. "Let him talk."

An angry expression took over his features, but he gave a short, curt nod, looking over at me. I swallowed, but I felt as if I couldn't, almost as if I hadn't had anything to drink in the middle of the desert. My hands got clammy. Honestly, I didn't know why I was so nervous to ask Charlie's father to marry his son. But I felt as if it were the right thing to do because I knew it was customary in specific packs, and I wanted to do everything right for my mate.

"What happened to him, papa?" Karsen asked. The anger quickly melted away, almost turning into an expression of pure joy. I could tell he almost wanted to laugh at me. "He looks like he's about to shit his–" Alpha Ethan playfully smacked the side of Karsen's head, and the expression of anger returned to his face.

"I said," Ethan said through gritted teeth. "Shut up. Believe it or not, just because Charlie is your brother doesn't mean you get to disrespect another alpha in our packhouse. Let alone the Alpha that holds the supernatural council position."

I licked my lips, "Uh–" I paused, trying to think of the right words to come up with. I sat on the edge of the couch, my back was straight, and I was tense. "I wanted to ask for your blessing to ask for Charlie's permission to marry him." I gave him a genuine look, relief taking over, finally getting the words I had been so excited to ask since the moment I walked into the door of the packhouse of Charlie's former pack.

Both alpha's responded with the same gestures, leaning back in their seats and letting out a big sigh. "It's better than I thought," Karsen responded. "I genuinely thought you were telling us you had knocked him up before your mating ceremony or some shit. That's pretty taboo in our pack."

"If he was pregnant, I haven't heard a peep from him about it," I responded. "I just felt like it was the best thing to do."

"Why should my papa give you his blessing? You haven't been that great to my little brother." Karsen responded.

"Look, I know I wasn't the best to him in the beginning. I was used to being single for so long, bringing in someone suddenly, and having a set routine that you get used to for several years as the Alpha of my pack. It took him breaking down for me to realize how shit I was as a mate to him. I've been doing my damndest to take care of him in the way he needs since then. I really do love your son Ethan. I just want your blessing to marry him. I want your family to travel with me back home to plan our mating ceremony." I rubbed my sweaty palms on my knees.

"I can't just up and leave my pack with no warning, and you ought to know this," Karsen replied.

"I have your ticket planned for a week before the wedding, mating ceremony." I flattened my lips—the anticipation for an answer from either of them weighing heavy on my chest.

"How long?" Alpha Ethan asked.

"Within the next month? I really want to be bonded with him truly." I met Charlie's papa's eyes. "I know he desperately wants your family there to celebrate with him. I want to give him everything he wants and deserves, but I want your permission first and foremost."

Ethan pursed his lips in thought, unsure what to say at the moment. "The only thing I'm worried about is Emilio. Taking us away from my son for more than a month wouldn't be good. We usually watch him the most while Karsen is working."

"Honestly, dad, I think three weeks away from me wouldn't be that bad," Karsen responded. "Plus, he's missed Charlie more than he misses me when I go away on trips. He's never cried for me like he did for Charlie." The alpha shrugged.

"I don't blame him," I mumbled under my breath.

"Alright, you fucker, you won't be doing shit with my brother if you can't keep your stupid mouth shut." He responded. "Can't marry someone if you're not alive."

Ethan rubbed his face in frustration. "Your father is okay with this? Your pack?"

"If they aren't, then they can challenge me, but I'm sure they wouldn't try. You are the Luna's family. I don't care if they leave the pack for all I give two shits. Charlie is my goddess-given mate, and their opinion does not overshadow mine. My dad is still a little pissed, but my mom has agreed, and his opinion matters the most." Ethan nodded his head. "So please, I ask again, please give your permission. I love Charlie with my whole being." I placed my hand over my chest to emphasize that I loved Charlie until my last breath.

"I permit you to marry my son," He finally said. I let out a breath I hadn't known that I was holding, slumping back into my seat.

"Thank you," I pulled the tiny little box I had in my pocket. I had been carrying it around, waiting for the perfect moment. "This is the ring." I flipped it open, handing the box to him.

"Good craftsmanship." He pulled the ring out of the box, and it looked so delicate in his hands. "It looks beautiful for him."

Karsen grabbed the ring out of his father's hand, and he brought it up closely to his eye. "He'll love that it has an opal stone in it." He nodded, slipping the ring onto his pinky.

My eyes widened, "What are you doing?" I asked, getting up off of the couch. "Don't put it on your fat ass fingers, you moron," I grabbed onto the hand that he had slid the ring onto his finger. Karsen ripped his hand away from mine.

"Don't worry, and I can get it off." The dumb ass replied before trying to pull the ring off of his finger.

"Your brother is an omega," I replied; I yanked his hand back up, grabbing onto the pinky finger. His finger had already started to swell. I tried my hardest not to slap him upside the head. I tried to maneuver the ring off gently, but his fat fucking knuckle was in the way. "He fucking has smaller fingers than you." I strained my voice, trying not to be loud.

"Sometimes I question how I could have such a stupid son when Charlie is so bright," Ethan said in a monotone voice. Yanking his son's hand out of my grasp, he then tried to pry the ring off of his hand, and Karsen's face started to get red from being flustered. "How can you be so daft?"

"What? I just wanted to see how it fit since Presley made it; I didn't want it to scratch up Charlie's finger." He replied. "For all we knew, he put some needles–"

"I think you need to shut up before I punch you in the mouth." I snapped, this time grabbing his hand out of Ethan's; Karsen's finger swelled up more. His finger was now turning purple from the loss of blood flow.

"We need to get to the kitchen or something. Maybe butter and soap can save this." I breathed out, trying to keep my cool. But it was getting seemingly tricky to even bother at this point because I went from relieved to panic in just a few seconds.

"C'mon," Ethan replied, leading us out of the room to the kitchen. I tried to keep my composure, as did Karsen, who had stuffed his hands into his pockets, trying to look casual. Even though inside of those pockets really showed how fucking stupid he was.

We barged into the kitchen looking like the three stooges, and the kitchen staff looked at us with funny expressions on their faces.

"Everyone out," Karsen commanded his pack members. They blinked in surprise before quickly exiting the room in unison. We rushed over to the sink and started to run warm water over his hand, pouring a bunch of dish liquid on his hand to get the ring off his finger.

Just my luck, just the journey to the kitchen, his finger was now fatter and almost had no color to it.

"I seriously fucking hate you, and I want to deck you in the teeth right now, Berger." I spat through my teeth, desperately trying to move the ring even an inch.

"You wouldn't dare," He tried to reply dramatically.

"It's mighty tempting right now, son," Ethan replied, rubbing his finger, trying to get circulation to his finger.

After five minutes of us attempting and failing to get the ring off of his finger, the sound of someone loudly opening the doors to the kitchen sounded.

"Whatever you're doing, stop." Charlie's voice rang out. I clenched my fist. For the love of everything, why now...

My shoulders slumped, and I turned toward my mate. His cheeks were red, probably from running here.

"Yes?" I asked, lifting a brow cooly, trying to seem as if I weren't panicking inside.

"What are you guys doing?" He asked, approaching us, trying to peek at what Karsen was still trying to do.

"Oh, we were just um– Just um–" I couldn't even think of a good white lie at the moment.

"Why can't you get along?" His eyes looked sad. I took a deep breath, letting my stomach drop.

"I–" I tried to muster up words, but it almost felt like I was being caught with my pants around my ankles in front of the kids in school.

Ethan reached out and put his hand on my shoulder as if to tell me it was time to do it because otherwise, we'd have to come up with something stupid. I nodded, yanking Karsen's soapy hand from the sink, and I dropped to one knee, presenting his damn near-dead finger with the ring I had made.

"Well, I wanted to plan something a bit more romantic with you, but your brother decided he needed to try on an omega's ring." I glared up at tweedle dumb. "Charlie Berger, I want to become one with you. Please marry me. I want to complete our mating ceremony, to complete our bond, for you to be my Luna of our pack. I want to be there for everything, from the birth of our children if you so choose to have them, to the points in life, high or low." I came up with my speech out of pocket. My heart had been racing the entire time. Charlie had put his hand up to his mouth, his chest started to heave, and I had become terrified that I had said something wrong.

When Charlie pulled his hand away, I noticed that he had started to giggle to the point where he started to snort with his laughter. "Oh my god, I don't think I'll ever forget this." He put his hand on his chest, doubling over in laughter. "Of course, I'll marry you." He said in between words. "But I think at this point they're going to need to cut the ring off of his finger. No amount of soap, butter, or string will get that off of his finger." He grabbed Karsen's hand gently. "I love it, baby," Charlie leaned down to kiss me on the lips. And for the first time, he said, "I love you, Presley."