Alphaholes
Kodi:Is this shit catching?
Kari:What shit would you be referring to?
Ranch life had turned out to be much more interesting than any of them could have imagined. They hadn’t separated him and Bowie, although that wasn’t what made it interesting! Ruesneaking off with Monty into town, getting up to God knows what with the guy at Ranch Down, the bar in town. Then Silas pulls a fast one and drops a clanger when Kari wasn’t around.
Kari had snuck off to retrieve a parcel that arrived. One sent to the main house so he could hide what he’d ordered for Bowie from his brothers. While he was sneaking off, he missed all the fun! Silas had announced that he and Ziggy were engaged. Kari had figured out the relationship part, but engaged? He was blown away, like his brothers, by that news. Especially when it seemed Silas had told Laken before Booker. On what planet did that ever happen?
The shocker was how glad Kari was not to have been present when his initial reaction was envy at Silas being able to share the news that he was in a loving relationship. Taylin, Booker and now Silas were all able to be open about their relationships. It was fucking wearing being the brother with a special someone he couldn’t talk about. It hurt his heart after spending a week on the ranch, watching Bowie and falling deeper for him. He was such a precious human, who had found such joy in the simplest of things. Being around the smaller animals, Bowie was an utter delight.
On their afternoons, when they had more free time to do their own thing, more often than not Bowie gravitated to the hen houses. Kari witnessed Bowie fall in love with the tiny chicks, which he was super careful with. The affection he shared with them was just too damn adorable. So much so, and because there was no way he could give Bowie the real thing, as much as he wanted to, he’d searched online for a stuffie that looked like one of the tiny chicks. Kari had found a cute one and had it sent to the main house, which was why he had missed the big announcement.
Kodi:This romantic crap that seems to be spreading like shit on a stick.
Laken:Ever the romantic Kodi!
Kodi:How is it romantic to blubber all over the damn place? Silas… fucksake, when does he blubber like a baby? WHEN? In what universe does my big brother turn into a crybaby?
Silas:Popi was upset. I got upset. Simple as that, you asshole.
Kodi:Those tears had fuck all to do with Popi. So don’t go blamin’ him. You’re as bad as Taylin. Only you haven’t been daft enough to mate Ziggy, so there is that.
Dad:Are you saying I was daft to mate with your popi?
Silas:Sits back with the popcorn and pats the damn fucking seat in the peanut gallery!
Kodi:I wasn’t talkin’ ‘bout you and Popi, Dad. Jeez, I was just making a generalization.
Laken:I’d stop digging now if I were you, Kodi.
Rue:Come on, Silas lost his shit and was cryin’ louder than Emmy. I mean doesn’t he deserve a little ribbing for that, Dad? We’re brothers, it’s our job to keep it real.
Dad:Just remember all this when the shoe is on the other foot. The kicking back will be your own fault.
Rue:Ain’t gonna happen.
Silas:I said the same, and so did Booker. Love is a sneaky fucker and captures you better than a lasso you didn’t see coming. Once it’s around your heart, there ain’t nothing that removes it.
Kari read what Silas wrote, and tears welled in his eyes when it resonated deeply for him. Where love was concerned, he didn’t want to remove it or sneak around. But he couldn’t put his damn heart out there to show everyone. He was nothing like Kodi. And though his brother was deflecting for him in the group chat, acting like Kari was the same as him, Kodi was hiding just as much as Kari. Just for different reasons. As much as Kari wanted to deflect right now, he couldn’t when the envy was real. A green-eyed monster that wanted out more and more, the harder Kari pushed it back inside the box it was contained in, all in the name of protecting Bowie.
It was a double-edged sword, and Kari didn’t know how to stop cutting himself on it, again and again and again. Would his love bleed dry by the time Bowie made a decision? He shuddered violently at the very thought when it felt selfish.
Dad:I couldn’t have put it better myself, Silas.
Rue:Then I better get eyes in the back of my head, cause if it turns grown alphas into crybabies, I want no part in it!
Jupiter:Preaching to the converted.
Dad:There is nothing wrong with tears. They aren’t weakness. They show strength of character, and your Popi has cried with all of you. For you. Think on this, do you believe him to be weak or strong?
Kodi:Ah fuck, Dad.
Silas:You’re cryin’ aren’t you…
Kari, sitting on the edge of the bed, shut his eyes, releasing a groan of distress. The conversation made it harder for him to shy away from what he wanted. Popi was the strongest of them all and had taught them all how vital love was. How it should be givenwith no strings. Then why did he feel so wrapped up in them suddenly?
He wiped at his cheeks reading what Dad had written, feeling an ache develop in the center of his chest. Love? Gods, it defined a person. He had so much of it for Bowie… yet, why wasn’t it enough?
