"I hope it's nothing serious." Cari said once again as she looked around their bedroom.

She was already dressed and he could think of nothing else that she might need but she couldn't seem to keep still. He stopped her and took hold of her upper arms and she met his eyes. "Breathe." He told her and watched as she took in a deep breath. "Good. Dani is at the door and we can't keep her waiting any longer."

The anxiety in her eyes cleared a bit but she still looked frazzled. "You're right. But what if something is seriously wrong?"

"Then keeping her waiting won't change that. Besides I believe she would've mindsent the details if that were the case."

"Right. You're right." She held herself up more. "So lets go see what she wants. Then I can kill her."

Andre laughed at that. He wondered if his mate was any good at fighting. Even though she was of beta blood it didn't mean she'd be a warrior. Though the mountain packs tended to breed warriors on every social level.

"Everything is going to be fine." He soothed.

"I'll hold you to that." She grumbled as she let him lead her out.

He hoped he was right and it was nothing too serious. He rather doubted it since her cousin had seen fit to interrupt them. Andre doubted Dani was the kind to do that on a whim. She'd struck him as someone who'd be standing between them and anyone wanting to disturb them. Which meant this had to be something.

His mate went before him to open the door and he waited behind her. He didn't sense any danger and Dani's scent with its familial undertone was singular. As much as he wanted to protect his mate the last thing he wanted was to suffocate her. Which was what his instincts and wolf were urging. He needed to start learning to hold back early on otherwise he never would.

"Sorry guys." Dani said as soon as Cari opened the door. "The last thing I want is to disturb you."

"Is anyone hurt?" His mate was quick to ask.

"No, it's nothing like that."

Andre stood behind Cari near the opening to the rest of the cottage from the entryway. With Cari at the door, he couldn't as yet see her cousin. From their one conversation he had in mind a spitfire of a female who took no nonsense from anyone. He'd been looking forward to meeting the one female he knew was wholly on his mate's side.

"Well, come on in." Cari invited in that dry tone that let you know it was the last thing she wanted but she felt she had no choice. The kind of tone one used on someone they were close to and knew would let it be water on a duck's back.

His brow rose in surprise as Cari got out of the way to reveal a female who looked a lot like her. In some way she looked a lot alike to Cari than her own sister. Maybe it was their coloring.

Dani had a skin tone as dark as Cari but with a reddish tint and while her hair was as ruler straight it was black instead of chocolate. She was of the same height, about five feet eight, rather short when the average female of their race was five feet eleven. Dani was also just as curvy and though her face was more angular, she had the same high cheekbones and small nose with a slight upturn at the tip.

Though her looks gave the impression of warm softness just as his mate did, there was a stubborn set to her jaw and her eyes were incisive as they settled on him. He got the impression of being sized over, rather quickly, before she gave him a stunning smile.

"You must be Andre." She stated as she came towards him and held her hand out. "Nice to meet you."

He returned her smile as he took her hand. "Pleasure." He replied.

Cari came to stand besides him then she gave her cousin a glare. Though she didn't seem too serious about it. "What do you want Dani?" She demanded.

"Is that how you greet your favorite cousin after being MIA for eight days?" Dani asked with mock hurt.

"Daniella!" Cari was exasperated.

"Fine," Dani drew out. "I was just trying to lighten the mood. You might want to sit down for this." She ended on a serious note.

Andre stood straighter, his wolf becoming more alert at that ominous statement. Besides him Cari took a sharp breath and he heard her heart stutter before she took it under control. He took her hand and squeezed then led them to the sitting room.

He took the loveseat and pulled her to sit on his lap. Cari met his gaze with her shy one as a blush stained her cheeks. She gave him a pleased smile before turning to Dani who'd taken the armchair across from them.

"Well?"

"Okay, so Bimbo Barbie is pregnant." Dani informed.

Andre's arms tightened around his mate at that. A need to protect her from this latest blow from her sister. For his part he didn't care. He was rather glad at the turn of events that further removed him from her grasp but then he'd been ready to let her go for so long. Cari on the other hand had held her sister to a different standard, still loved her. It'd be natural for her to be upset.

"I wish you wouldn't call her that." His mate admonished her cousin.

Andre frowned at a reaction he hadn't expected. She didn't seem upset at all. "You knew?" He asked.

"Yes," Cari confirmed. "She confided in me about a month ago."

"Are you kidding me?" Dani demanded her anger full on. "She steals your true mate, lies about Andre being dead and low key rubs it all in your face! How many times has she 'confided' in you all these years?"

"It doesn't matter Dani."

Dani sat forward with a dark glare. "Of course it matters!"

"I'm happy now Dani. There's nothing she can do to change that. If you ask me I dodged a bullet with Xander."

Hearing her say that pleased him. A part of him had wondered if there was a piece of her that ached to be with the second alpha. "As did I with your sister." He informed her.

"Well I'm so glad you're both pleased with how things worked out." Dani stated with a heavy dose of sarcasm. He turned a raised brow to her. "But there is something your sister can do."

He felt his mate stiffen in his arms. "And that is?" He questioned.

"Claim that you two getting hot and heavy is endangering her unborn child."

Fury washed over him at that and he stiffened just as his mate deflated against him. "What?"

"Right?" Dani agreed with his angry outburst. "She claims the pain is more than her delicate state can endure. The queen sent me here to tell you guys to temporarily break it up."

A frown marred his forehead at that. Why would his grandmother give in to that conniving witch? Claire hadn't shown them any consideration over the years so why would they? And yet as a prince he knew he had to 'do no harm' to his people. Above all, he was expected to follow royal orders even against his better judgement.

"But..." Cari protested. "...I thought once Andre and I marked each other we wouldn't be bound to them anymore."

"Cari, when was the last time anyone rejected their mate? It's like a myth or something. Remember when we though your mate marking another would sever their bond with you?"

"Yeah." Cari agreed in a subdued tone.

Looking at the duo, Andre got the feeling he was missing a lot in this conversation. If he had to guess, he'd say it had something to do with Dani since Cari hadn't been able to tell anyone about her situation. She looked subdued and his heart went out to her. He didn't know her enough to inquire so he decided to bring the discussion back to the issue with Claire.

"Twins are the only ones that can switch mates without any problems." He informed. "There may not be many instances of rejection but that is only because the royal family refuses to allow them."

"Why?" Dani asked, her mood restored.

"Mates are predestined from the beginning of time. They are made from the same root soul and from birth they seek to reunite. No other soul will ever be enough to soothe that need."

Cari stiffened in his arms and he kissed the top of her head to reassure her before he continued. "Twins, whether fraternal or identical, are from one half of that root so their mates end up being cast from the quarters of the other. Which means even after being paired by destiny, they can choose the other. The key is the choice, which has to be agreed on by all parties."

"Xander never wanted to let me go." Cari said.

Andre held her closer, his wolf growling at the idea of that weak alpha holding on to his mate. "Even if he had, it wouldn't have changed anything. Werewolves are creatures of magic, powerful, so there needs to be a fine balance to offset that power. The four of us have to be in perfect agreement before these bonds are broken."

His mate groaned at that as Dani swore. "Xander thinks his power will diminish without that bond to me."

"And the bimbo will never truly agree to what she'll see as Cari winning." Dani added.

"I wish you wouldn't call her that."

"Never gonna happen cuz. If she acts like a bimbo then she is a bimbo."

"She's still my sister."

"And she clearly doesn't hold the same sentiment."

That seemed to shut his mate up. He shifted her to sit besides him and turned her so they could face each other. Taking her hands into his. "I'll go and talk the queen, see if she can clear this issue up for us."

She seemed to shrink in on herself ay that. "Oh, I'm sure she's busy. I don't want to bother her. Xander and Claire can't want to spend the rest of their lives feeling this pain anytime we touch anymore than we want to when they touch."

At that Andre realized he hadn't told her who he was. Even though he wanted to keep that information from the packs until his mating with her was complete Cari was another matter. He hesitated, wondering if this was the right time to tell her. Then again when would the perfect time be when he should've told her from day one. He'd just lost himself to the two of them that nothing else had mattered or been real. Now reality was quickly intruding.

"Ah, yeah, so the queen is sort of my grandmother." He told her.

A shocked gasp sounded from Dani but his mate blinked up at him, her face serene and blank. His heart beat faster, anxiety unlike he'd ever felt holding onto him. Nothing had ever felt as important as her acceptance right then.

After what felt like an eternity she withdrew her hands from his grasp. Andre wanted to grasp them, to stop her from pulling away but he doubted she'd appreciate that. "I guess she'll be expecting you." She said.

"Cari..."

"You should go." She stated, still too calm for his liking. "I need to think."

At a loss, he turned to Dani who looked shell shocked. She cleared her throat. "I'll take care of her."

The last thing he wanted was to leave her, not when he had no idea what she was feeling and wouldn't talk about it. Still, if that's what she wanted then he'd give it to her. He leaned over and gave her a kiss, his heart soaring as she accepted it. "I'll be back soon."

The king and queen had been given room in the main packhouse which was a distance from the mating cottage so Andre turned into his wolf to take the run. His wolf turned to the cottage window through which he could see his mate with her cousin sitting besides her. He howled to get her attention and when she turned their eyes held for several moments before he turned and ran.

The freedom of running in his wolf from never got old. Strength even his human form could never hold flowed through him. Stamina that could allow him to run for weeks without tiring. He stretched his body as he leapt over the ground and the trees were reduced to blurs.

His muscles worked in synchronity as he reveled in his strength, in his power and the joy of knowing he was in his element. Too soon, he was at the packhouse. It was a pristine turn of the century mansion that stood out against the lush forest and had beautiful lush gardens framing the front. A mountainous backdrop stood out behind it to give it a timeless elegance.

He shifted before making his way up the the driveway. There were a lot more guards along the way than before and they watched him as he approached the door. Inside, he was frisked over, which he endured. The royal party, and the alpha family, were the only ones living in the house with the rest having evacuated. Security was there fore very tight.

Though the royal guards standing besides the pack guards allowed his access and after a whole lot of bother he finally stood before his grandmother. She sat by a neat side table set up for tea in preparation for him. The last thing he wanted was to sit to high tea and exchange pleasantries.

She smiled up at him. "Darling!" She enthused. "Please sit."

Andre drew closer and after kissing her proffered cheek he sat down across from her. "Grandmother." He greeted then took up the teapot to pour.

"I assume you're here to talk about Clarissa and her request?"

Andre breathed a sigh of relief that she wasn't going to keep him trapped with chit chat. "Yes, I don't understand why you'd indulge her grandmother."

The queen smiled. "Far from it darling." She demurred. "This is the chance we need to truly get her out of your life."