Gerry's Hostility

Gerald
The longer I sat quietly watching my woman interact with Scarlett and Osprey, the angrier I got. I didn’t like liars, and currently I had two of the biggest ones sitting in my living room happily carrying on with my mate, like their sole purpose for showing up today wasn’t to destroy my relationship with Annie. What pissed me off the most was that they were laughing and joking with her like they didn’t have a care in the world. My hand tightened around the bottle in my hand as Scarlett slammed her hand down on the table, making Annie jump in surprise before giggling. Annie put her hand over her heart, staring wide-eyed at Scarlett.
“Goddess, Scarlett. You hit that Jack so hard you almost cracked the table in half,” Annie laughed.
“Well, this Jack didn’t pay his rent on time, and it was about time someone showed him the error of his ways!” Scarlett said seriously before giggling just as uncontrollably as Annie was.
Osprey stood up, eyeing me. “Wanna go grab another beer with me?”
I slowly raised my current beer to my mouth to take a deep swig before rolling my shoulders back. “No, Osprey. I already have another one,” I told him, gesturing to where the rest of my six pack of beer sat at my feet. “I want to stay here and watch my mate.”
The tension between me and him immediately rose as he absorbed what I said. His eyes flickered to Annie, earning a low, threatening growl from Kraven before we turned our attention back to Annie, who was staring at me in complete shock. After I finished my beer, I set the empty bottle down on the end table to my left before narrowing my eyes on Osprey.
“What, ‘brother?’ Nothing to say?” I growled.
“Who’s your mate, Gerry?” Scarlett asked soothingly, letting her Alpha Sow aura out in an effort to keep me calm. My eyes snapped to her face as I bared my teeth at her.
“Annie is my mate!” I snarled.
Osprey shifted slightly to position himself more in between Scarlett and me, making me even more furious. Even if I did attack her, in the mood I was in, I would kill him alongside her.
“Annie is your sister. She can’t possibly be your mate,” Osprey said rationally.
I reached down to pick up another beer, easily biting the twist cap off. “Annie is my mate. And I’m hers.” I met Annie’s terrified eyes. “Tell them how we marked each other, baby. Tell them how every night we sleep in the same bed and make love. Tell them how perfect we are together,” I ordered Annie.
Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly, while Osprey and Scarlett looked between us several times. Scarlett leaned across the table to take Annie’s hands.
“Is this true?” She asked softly.
Annie burst into tears, nodding as she lifted her damp face to mine. “I-I’m sorry. I just…”
She jumped to her feet and began to rush out of the room, but I jumped in her way, easily catching her in my arms. I wrapped my arms around her waist, holding her tightly against my body as I glared at both Osprey and Scarlett over her head.
“It’s okay, Banannie. That’s nothing compared to what they’ve done,” I told her.
She raised her head a little, sniffling. “What did they do?”
“Yes, Osprey, Scarlett, what did you do?” I repeated Annie’s question to them.
“We didn’t do anything!” Osprey roared as he stepped fully in front of Scarlett.
“Mhmmm. Nothing.” I looked down at Annie as I tipped her face up so I could look into her eyes. “If nothing means that the only reason they came here was to take you away from me so they could introduce you to your mate in the hopes that you would leave me.”
I turned my head to stare angrily at Osprey, who was tense, and I knew Godric was just below the surface, waiting for me to lunge at him. Scarlett tried to step around him, but Osprey kept himself firmly in front of her, shielding her from my view.
“Annie, that’s not true! I really did want to take you shopping for your new home!” Scarlett said tearfully.
I rolled my eyes. “Then why was the bookstore the only store where you weren’t by her side the entire time? That’s where she met him, you know?” I scoffed. “Of course you do. You set it up. You didn’t care how Annie felt about it. You didn’t care that she was anxious. All you cared about was ending our relationship. Well, let me tell you something: Annie is mine! You can’t take her away from me.”
“But how do you know she doesn’t want him, Gerry?” Scarlett said, trying to reason with me. “When she ran past me, she was aroused. That means something. Don’t you want her to be happy? You will never be able to make her as happy as her fated mate can. Please, for her sake, let her go,” Scarlett begged. “I’ll help you find your mate. She’ll make you happy in a way that Annie can’t. Don’t you want that for yourself?”
“No! I have what I want! Annie is what I want! She is what I deserve! Shouldn’t you, as our Alpha Sow and sister, want us to be happy? You know I would never hurt her. I would never let anyone else hurt her either. Why is it wrong?” I genuinely inquired.
“BECAUSE YOU’RE SIBLINGS!” Osprey roared. “THIS IS WRONG! YOU TOLD ME THAT YOU FOUND YOUR MATE! HOW DO YOU KNOW SHE WOULDN’T CHOOSE YOU?! YOU HAVEN’T EVEN SPOKEN TO HER TO KNOW FOR SURE! YOU JUST WROTE HER OFF BECAUSE SHE WAS WITH SOMEONE ELSE! YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW IF THERE IS A REASON THAT SHE WAS WITH A MALE! HE COULD HAVE BEEN HER BROTHER OR SOME OTHER FAMILY!”
Annie burst into tears in my arms. “You found your mate? When? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Annie, I—”
My excuse instantly died on my tongue when her hand connected with my face. She started to furiously struggle in my arms, trying to escape from me. Movements over her shoulder drew my attention to where Osprey was trying to discreetly lead Scarlett out of the room. I cursed under my breath before pinning Annie’s arms to her sides and letting out a loud growl that shook the entire room. Both Annie and Osprey froze while Scarlett tried to hide behind her mate. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down enough to be able to talk to Annie. I tucked her hair behind her ear while she trembled in my arms.
“I did find her, Annie. And just like you, I was initially attracted to her. But just like you, I walked away from her. For you. You really are the one that I want,” I told her quietly.
“But you didn’t tell me,” she whispered. “Why not? Are you lying about walking away from her? Are you secretly sleeping with her?”
My chest tightened as I looked into her heartbroken eyes. “No, Annie. I haven’t even kissed her or anything.”
“Who is it?” Annie questioned. When I didn’t immediately respond, she tried to pull away from me again. “I know her, don’t I? That’s why you won’t tell me, isn’t it?”
I groaned before nodding. “Yes, baby. You know her,” I admitted.
“Who is it?”
“Giselda,” I murmured softly as I looked into Annie’s eyes. “I met her when you introduced us. I have been with you ever since.”
“Giselda?” Annie repeated. “My new friend, Giselda?”
I sighed as I nodded. “Yes. That Giselda.”
A whimper drew my attention back to my brother and his mate. Scarlett had grabbed Osprey’s arm, staring at me in shock.
“Did you say Giselda?” She asked. “‘Sprey, he said, Giselda. Oh, Goddess.” Sadness crossed her face. “Everything makes so much sense now. He did say that she came home depressed. Now, we know why.”
I narrowed my eyes on her. “Who said that about Giselda? That male she was with?” I spat angrily.
Scarlett’s eyes widened as Annie tore herself away from me. “YOU DO WANT HER!” She screamed. “YOU ARE SUCH A LIAR!”
I reached for her, and she took a step back toward Osprey. “Please, Annie! That’s not true! I chose you! I came home with you! Annie, please, I’m begging you. Please believe me.”
She turned her head to look over her shoulder at Osprey and Scarlett. She sniffled once, wiped her nose, and lowered her head.
“You lied to me, Gerald. I didn’t lie to you. I told you as soon as I found him. You obviously don’t feel the same way about me since you hid your mate from me,” she whispered defeatedly.
I took a step forward with my hand outstretched again. “Annie, please. Let me explain. Giselda—”
“Will you take me to him?” She asked Osprey.
“Annie, please—”
She shook her head as she wiped at her face again. “I don’t want to be with you anymore, Gerry.” She lifted her head, and my heart stopped beating when I saw the hollowness in her eyes. “I want to leave. Are you going to force me to stay after you said you wouldn’t?"