"What are you doing?" Orion asks, watching his Beta with a perplexed expression.

Kieran is stood in front of the large mirror that hangs in the sparse Ironhill pack house. He's wearing a shirt with a collar and has combed his hair, which Orion finds odd in itself, but he is also wriggling about like he's having a seizure.

"Practicing." Kieran says, his hands never faltering as he continues to wave in front of the mirror.

"Practicing what?" Orion asks, baffled.

It looks to him like some sort of strange, ritualistic dance.

"Sign language." Kieran says, giving up as he finally turns to face his best friend.

Orion's expression scrunches for a moment.

"Why?"

"Because Bluewood's Beta is deaf." Kieran says shortly. Orion feels himself shrugging.

"So? He can read lips, right?" Orion says, although he suddenly can't quite meet Kieran's gaze. His own words taste sour in his mouth.

"He deserves the same chance to communicate as everyone else, doesn't he? He didn't ask for this, to be born this way. It's selfish to expect him to adapt just so that he can do something as basic as communicate. Step up." Kieran says bluntly.

Orion raises an eyebrow, his temper bristling at the tone of his Beta. Alpha's shouldn't be spoken to like that. His father would have...

Orion takes a deep breath, attempting to settle himself. Kieran is his best friend first and foremost, his Beta second. And more importantly, Orion is not his father. He can't be. He couldn't live with himself if his reflection were to show the man that came before him.

"Watch it." He mutters.

Kieran rolls his eyes, turning away.

Orion sighs heavily. He wishes that his Beta wasn't right.

"Teach me?" He asks, an attempt to appease his second in command.

Kieran glances over his shoulder, finding his Alpha looking genuinely apologetic, and smiles.

"Sure. It'll be good to have someone to practice with." Kieran says, his mood completely changed.

A knock interrupts them and Kieran's expression lights up impossibly, his feet carrying him towards the door immediately. Orion finds himself doing the same thing, his eyes narrowing somewhat at his Beta's eagerness.

His own interest in whoever is at the door is renewed when he smells the silky, enticing scent of his soulmate, Orion's heart now thrumming in his chest.

Kieran has already opened the door, signing hello as he says it.

Orion's eyes find Dylan's immediately, and automatically the heavy weight that had been sitting on his shoulders lifts. He feels refreshed, revived. Dylan appears stiff and stressed, his under eyes dark and shadowy.

Orion bites his lip, knowing the pain of the withdrawal from your mate only too well. The stiffness, the inability to sleep, the constant, dragging ache that seems to hold you down until you feel unable to breathe. He winces at the physical evidence of Dylan experiencing all this too.

Their Betas are already signing, and Orion's chest swells a little with pride when he sees Sam's bright smile at Kieran's efforts. He makes a mental note to try a little harder to accommodate the Bluewood Beta in the future.

Kieran leads them into the kitchen, a pep in his step as his smile never lessens.

Orion watches as Kieran signs something. Sam scoffs almost immediately, but his cheeks are pink and warm. Kieran continues, a wry smile on his face when Sam smacks his hand, a loud thwack resonating through the room. Kieran laughs openly at this, pinching Sam's cheek. The Ironhill Beta looks so carefree, his expression youthful and relaxed for the first time in years.

Orion looks on, somewhat disturbed at the change in his best friend.

"They're always like that." Dylan's voice murmurs.

Orion looks away quickly, his heart racing all of a sudden as his mate stands just inches away, sorting through the paperwork he had brought with him on the kitchen counter.

The sight has an almost dream like quality to it. How long has Orion imagined bringing Dylan home? Having him in his house? And now here he is...in his kitchen...

He shakes his head. It's dangerous to dream, he's known that for years. Just because he has suddenly found himself in this position, doesn't mean anything has changed.

"Are they...sleeping together?" The Ironhill Alpha asks quietly, bashful all of a sudden. He can't tear his eyes away from his mate.

Dylan hums unhappily. He glances up at the Beta's, his fingers absently fidgeting with something in his right hand.

"I hope so." He mutters.

Orion does a double take, his breath catching in his throat.

"What?" He asks, his throat closing as crystal blue eyes meet his own.

"What?" Dylan asks.

Orion shakes his head, trying desperately to clear his mind.

"Why do you hope so?" He asks, his voice audibly strained now.

He takes a deep breath, resisting the urge to groan out loud at the scent that all but assaults his senses. Has Dylan always smelt this good? He thinks so.

"Because if they're not, then they're mates." Dylan says grimly, pressing his lips together.

Orion glances back at their Betas, shock coursing through him.

Mates?

"That doesn't make any sense." Orion says, scoffing. He folds his arms against his chest tightly, resistant to the very idea. But as each second ticks by, the idea seems less and less ridiculous.

"You don't know Sam." Dylan mutters, glancing at the man in question.

Orion looks too. The young Bluewood Beta is smiling a small, soft smile, his eyes shining as he corrects one of Kieran's signs. He doesn't miss how Sam's hands linger on Kieran's, their touch suddenly seeming like the sweetest caress.

"He's loyal to the bone. He would never fool around like this if it didn't mean anything, it wouldn't be fair to Beth."

Orion frowns.

Who the fuck is Beth? His stomach churns as he glances at his Beta. He hopes to god that Kieran hasn't heard that. The thought of his best friend being rejected is enough to have him momentarily furious at this Beth.

"He also knows what I'd do, if he told me." Dylan says quietly, his voice just audible as he turns away from them.

Orion watches his mate closely, his brows drawing together.

"What would you do?" Orion asks and Dylan sighs.

"I'd let him go." Dylan murmurs, his eyes fixed on the paperwork in his hand.

Orion feels the blood in his veins go cold, his chest aching at his mate's seemingly endless selflessness.

"But he's your Beta." Orion says, his argument weak in tone as well as meaning.

"Nothing could induce me to keep them apart. He deserves the chance to be happy." Dylan says sharply.

Orion's eyes sting at the meaning of his mate's words that have remained unspoken.

Sam deserves the chance that Orion had never afforded to Dylan.

Dylan finishes sorting through the papers on the counter, stacking them together neatly before walking out the way he came, unwittingly taking Orion's heart with him. Sam watches his Alpha go, his expression creasing immediately as he turns and follows him. His hands are moving a mile a minute, his attention completely diverted.

Orion looks to see Kieran's expression crumpling, his hands raking through his hair as he watches Sam leave with his Alpha. As soon as they've left the building Kieran is by Orion's side.

"Who is Beth?" He asks urgently, attempting to keep his voice nonchalant.

Kieran knows he's being too obvious, but he can't help it. This is his mate. He needs to know.

"I don't know." Orion murmurs.

He ignores the crestfallen look on his Beta's face.

Orion looks back at the paperwork on the counter, and notices a small, round object sat on top. It's a small, perfectly smooth pebble.

Orion picks it up, his fingers trembling as a forgotten memory floods his body. He grips it painfully, tears biting the back of his eyes.

"God, what a fucking mess." Orion whispers, resting his face in his palms.