The Pregnant Mate

17: Sibling Rivalry

***Tom***

Grudgingly I put Maggie down in a kitchen chair and turned to make our plates. Mom had beat me to it placing two loaded plaits on the table and taking the seat to Maggie's left. Charlotte passed me with her plate and a glass of orange juice. Placing the juice in front of Maggie she claimed the chair on Maggies right. Griping the plate and grinding my teeth I can't help the frustration and anger that's clouding my mind.

"Calm down son." Dad gripped my shoulder. 

"But I want to sit by my mate," I said through gritted teeth. 

"Well, you can't so deal with it!"

"What would you do if it was mom?" I look him in the eye.

"I would make sure that my mate had something that she loved." He held up a half-used jar of blackberry jam. Nobody in the family liked blackberry jam except mom. 

"Did you bring that from home?"

Dad just winked at me taking his coffee and mom's jam to the table before coming back to make his plate. I fill my plate with eggs, and bacon topping it off with a homemade waffle with butter and blueberry syrup. When I picked up the coffee pot I remembered something. "Dad, could you take my plate for me?"

"Shure thing," he takes my plate along with his to the table as I make two cups of coffee. 

Placing the small cup in front of Maggie I press a kiss to the top of her head breathing in her scent before taking my seat across from her.

"What is that?" Charlotte sneered pointing at the cup.

"Coffee," I said.  

"What are you thinking! Coffee is bad for the baby!"

"Relax, hon," Mom said eyeing the cup. "It's a tiny cup of coffee. No harm will come from it."

"Mom! Realy!"

"Don't take that tone with your mother!" Dad said staring Charlotte down.

"Let's just forget the coffee," Mom said. "What are everybody's plains for this weekend?"

"I got us a reservation at that restaurant that you wanted to try," Dad said between bites.

"You mean The Bistro?" Mom's eyes got big as dinner plates when she said this.

'What's going on this weekend?' I mind link my Dad.

'Valentine's day.' 

'SHIT!' I start coughing on my eggs.

"Easy there," Dad said pounding his big palm on my back till I spit out the offending bite.

"Are you okay?" Maggie stared at me white as a sheet.

"I'm fine," I say giving her lopsided smile. 'WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? ALL MY PLAINS ARE TRASHED!'

'First off, DON'T YELL!'  I flinch as Dad's bellow echoed in my head. I deserved that.

'Sorry.'

'Don't worry, now about your problem, orde some food in and have a picnic in the living room. If you ask your mom she will gladly help you.'

'A picnic? That's a great idea! Hey, Mom?'

'Of course, I'll help you,' Mom smiled at me. 

'You were listening?'

'Not the whole time. Your dad blocked me when you raised your voice.'

"This is bullshit," Charlotte mumbled throwing her fork down.

"What was that dear?" Mom said taking a sip of her coffee.

"This is BULLSHIT!" Charlotte yelled standing up.

"Don't talk to your mother like that!" Dad growled.

"Why do you guys always take HIS side!" 

"What?" I ask confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Everybody is against me!" Char growled. "Even Maggie is against me!"

"What?" Maggie asked.

"Don't lie! You accepted that coat form him and I have been trying to get you a coat for months!"

"It was a gift. It's rude to refuse a gift." Maggie whispered.

"What about the COFFEE!" Charlotte yelled.

"The coffee that I haven't touched?" Maggie asked. My Maggs is either strong or stupid to stand up to an enraged she-wolf. 

"Why are you smiling?!" Charlotte yelled at me.

"Was I?" I just managed to duck as scrambled eggs flew over my head.

 "You KNOW you were!"

"Mr. Hunt, I seem to have lost my appetite. Could you help me back to my room?" Maggie asked pushing her half-eaten plate away.

Dad's stood and gathered her in his arms. "I think I'll join you two," Mom said following her mate down the hall.

"What the HELL is your PROBLEM!" I gripped my fork and knife so hard that neither would be the same again. 

"YOU ARE MY PROBLEM!"

"What are you talking about? How am I your problem?"

"MAGGIE CHOSE YOU OVER ME!"

"Why does that matter! She's not your child or your mate and she is not family to you!"

"But... she's...."

"Your surrogate only," I growl out. "Maggie is my mate!" Standing I slowly start to stalk her around the table but Charlotte matches me step for step. "Do you know how frustrating it is to be here! In another man's house, on another pack territory, while my UN-marked mate carries another man's child! I want to kill him and you!" I growled out.

"But I... you... we..." stumbling over her words she takes a half step back, eyes wide ready to bolt if I do or say anything threateningly. But this is my sister, the one who defended me from older kids who wanted to humiliate me because I was the alpha child. 

"I'm not going to hurt you," I breathe out trying to calm down. "But when Dr. Applewhite gives the okay I'm taking my mate home."

"But my baby!" she cries out.

"Char, the Evergreen Pack is your family. You are welcome to come home with us if you like." 

"But Bart!"

"Is doing something to you! Maybe he has gone crazy and is pulling you in with him? I don't really know but the Charlotte that I know wouldn't be picking fights with a pregnant girl and her mate!" I say. She stopes lost in thought as I circle the table. She jumps when I touch her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," Charlotte said while staring down at her egg covered hands. "Do you hate me?"

"No," I pull her into a hug and whisper "I miss my confident sister. Come home with us, get your mind straight and become the fearless Alpha mother you were born to be." Her hands twisted in the back of my shirt as she cried into my shoulder. Patting her back I try to calm her. "Hey, let's go get dressed for the day," I suggest when her tears subsided. Charlotte just nodded, we walked down the hall to our rooms. 

Dad stood outside of my room. when he saw us he held his finger in front of his lips telling to be quiet. 'Your mom is helping Maggie get dressed,' he mind liked us. 

'Why do we need to be quiet?' I ask.

"What do you mean?" we heard mom ask through the door.

"It's like I'm a toy that they are fighting over," Maggie said. "I just want to go home and forget that this happened."

'We did this to her?' Charlotte asked. We looked at each other in shock.