Who is Magpie?
Chapter 47- Yeet

He followed her to her room, insisting he should show her the light, heat, and curtain options to make her night more comfortable. She had thought it was a stupid offer, believing she knew how to work such simple machines, but after he started showing her the controls she was sold. He revealed there were second blinds that descended from the ceiling to offer privacy while allowing you to see out. He also showed her the controls for the rooms own heating as well as the heated floors. He concluded the tour with showing her the different lighting options, including the lights the lit up under the bed like a night light to avoid stubbing your toes during nightly visits to the bathroom.

When he was done she walked him out. “Thank you Bronx,” she said last minute as she opened the door and he stepped out. “I… I really needed that. Not the bedroom thing, just someone to talk to, and I know it would have been easier for you to just drag me to bed, but I’m feeling better now.”

He smirked at her. It was a warm smile, usually reserved for when someone had impressed or surprised him. “You’re welcome Jessamine.” She yawned against her will, just barely able to cover her gaping mouth with her hand as it surprised her. “Try and get some rest, I know it’s no cell or attic, but I guarantee that you’re safe.”

She smiled just as warmly in return ignoring the sounds of a door opening down the hall. Bronx stilled as she reached up to brush hair away from his face. “Sleep well.”

She closed the door, locking it loudly, now returning to her bed a little pettier, but also more tired than before. Bronx turned in the hall to go back to his own room, making it one door away from Jessamine’s before he noticed Ezekiel. The men made unyielding eye contact until Bronx made it to his own door.

“What’s going on? Ezekiel demanded.

Bronx hadn’t expected this interaction so soon ,but he had expected him to replace out when he went over the nightly security footage. He shrugged, not surprised by his brother’s possessiveness but surprised he had stood there silently and watched them talk.

“You fucked up bro,” he replied smoothly, opening his door.

“Me?” He growled, but Bronx was quick to shush him.

“I see your fiancé finally made it in. You two get a chance to catch up?” With Bronx’s smirk Ezekiel knew that Jessamine had heard as well. “Jessamine has finally gone to bed, so don’t bother her.”

Ezekiel let another low growl roll free. “You dare tell me what to do with my mate? Why were you in her room?”

“Hush!” Bronx hissed again. “You’ll wake half the house if you keep that up and then what will Jessamine say?” Bronx gave an exaggerated yawn. “If you want to fight me or something can it wait until the morning? I’m beat. Night Alpha, sleep well.”

Bronx closed his door slowly, but on the other side he was ecstatic. He hadn’t been able to truly tease his brother since before he had ascended to a role of leadership. He felt a little cowardly, using Jessamine as a shield, but with that he also felt like he could dream happily.

Ezekiel on the other hand stood in the hallway baffled for longer than he’d care to admit. As it neared two in the morning dealing with either one seemed out of the question. Returning to his own room was just a way to distract himself. He took Jessamine’s pin off the dresser, bringing it with him to an armchair by the window to think.

He flipped it over and over in his hands so much that the scent of lilies was lost and eventually he drifted off in exhaustion. His anger faded out as he grew tired, but his tired mind grew rampant, imagining what the ‘bedroom thing’ that Jessamine had mentioned was. His head knew that his brother would never sleep with his mate, but his head had also used everything he had seen and heard with her in the training room against him.

By the time the sun woke him up Bronx was no longer in bed, making Jessamine’s room his next stop. He walked up to it, ready to just force the doors to open but instead stopped and knocked.

She opened the door slowly, looking like she had just woken up. The pins she still wore stuck out around in her shorter, tangled hair that didn’t keep as cleanly in a braid. Her lilac pajamas were wrinkled, one side of her pants above and the other below her hip, and the top hung low, barely containing her chest.

She yawned in front of him, not covering her mouth at all. “Oh, I thought you were breakfast. My mate had said I’d see him in the morning to eat, let him know I’m waiting if you see him?” She nodded, assuming his answer and moved to close the door.

“Jessa, we need to talk.” He spoke firmly, placing his hand on the door which she quickly spun around and extended her foot into the air to kick off, coming just inches from his face.

“Sorry, that name is out of order for this user, please try again.[SG1] ” She began talking like an answering machine but ended speaking lowly, warningly.

Ezekiel and his wolf took it, incorrectly, as a challenge. “What were you doing with my beta last night?”

She plopped her hand onto her hip, giving him one chance to change his mind on his words. “You sure that’s what you want to go with?”

“He was in your room at one in the morning, and you pet his head!” Ezekiel accused, though he wasn’t sure of what.

Jessamine just rolled her eyes. “I was flipping you off, I could see you lurking down the hall.”

He jut his chin toward her. “That’s not what it looked like.”

She choked a laugh. “Well I am so sorry Mr. Alpha, I’ll make sure I flip you off more directly next time.”

“So are you going to explain yourself?” He demanded, both hands on his own hips. “No mate of mine…”

He was interrupted by a laugh, one he, again incorrectly, thought was mocking him. It was a warning. “Wolves land on their feet right?”

“What, no that’s cats, but…”

“But you’re pretty skilled right? You could fall say two stories and be fine?” She questioned further, looking at his still perplexed face.

“Yea, that’s nothing, but-oof!”

Jessamine took a step, spinning again but this time landing her foot in his gut and sending him flying over the banister into the foyer, one and a half stories below. She walked slowly to the edge, watching his shocked expression turn as he realized he needed to rotate to land correctly. As he touched down, half in his shifted form, clothes nearly bursting off and the tile beneath him groaning under his weight, Jessamine arrived at the banister.

“If you’re hurt, go have your fiancé lick your wounds.” She retorted, going back into her room.

Ezekiel was seething. All around him employees and guards made themselves scarce, two from the kitchen staff rushing back to tell the cook to prepare two large breakfasts just in case. Air seemed to burn in and out of his lungs as his body told him it wasn’t even necessary, that the anger was all he needed.

A booming laugh came from behind him and he whirled around, only to be immediately stopped in his tracks at seeing Willow. “I really do like her,” she said. “So what did you do?”

“Me!?” He hissed, but his grandmother tapped her cane warningly against the ground. “How much did you already gather?”

She chuckled again. “Everything of course, come, let’s walk.”

“She had another man in her room.” He muttered along the way.

She led him outside for a more private conversation. “Do you own her?”

“What? No of course not.” The answer was immediate, no hesitation.

“Good answer, now think long and hard, have you claimed her?” Willow said testing him.

“Well no, the full moon is still over a week away.” This answer was less sure, like he wondered why it was a question.

“But she’s claimed you.” Willow reminded.

He touched the bruise thoughtfully, lovingly. “Ya, yes she did.”

Willow smiled. “And yet you were with another woman, in your bedroom at the same hour.”

Ezekiel’s brows pulled together. “That’s different, Athena has been there before, we practically grew up together.”

Willow laughed again. “So you believe she has no right to be upset that your betrothed was in your room late at night, but you can be seething that your beta, and brother, was with her? Does she know anything about Athena? Or the agreement you made?”

“So you think that makes it fair for her to kick me off the balcony?” He demanded, trying to shift the attention away.

Willow laughed loudly. “Fair? I think its hilarious, it’s something I would have done to your grandfather for crossing me.” He gave her a look of disbelief. “What? I loved the old bat more than life itself, but he had a penchant for getting on my last nerve.” They continued to stroll along in silence for a moment. “You know you must apologize,” she said finally.

“Me?!” He gasped again.

She nodded. “Unless you feel like what you did, from her perspective, should really have been undisputedly acceptable.” She glanced over at him, hoping he was smarter than that. “Then by all means go to Athena, we all know how that woman dotes on you.”

A low growl came from Ezekiel, and without hesitation his grandmother took her cane to the back of his knees. “I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “I didn’t mean it.”

She smiled as she turned for them to walk back. “I know, but that temper will cost you dearly one day. Where is the man that apologize for swearing because he thought it had startled someone dear to him? I’m nearly certain that man wouldn’t have gotten himself yeeted off a balcony.”

He geared himself up to respond but wisely stopped. “I’m going to go have them make our breakfast and apologize.”

“Wise boy, now let’s see if you can return to being that man.” He kissed near her cheek briefly before going inside and the woman toddled off toward the garden, completely satisfied in herself and her keen ability to meddle.