Mated To My Best Friends Brother

Anna POV

"Can't catch me!" Anna laughs and yells as she dashes into the forest.

"Oh yes, I can!" Returning the yell, Jake chases after her. Anna and Jake play tag and giggle as they sprint across the forest. Since they were able to walk, they had been buddies. The Alpha of their pack, the Silver Leaf pack, is Jake's father. The Beta's father is Anna. Jake and Anna are close friends with their parents.

Anna keeps running till she reaches the river that abuts the territory of their pack. She pauses, bends over, and touches the water with her fingertips.

"JAKE! ANNA!" A voice yells in her direction.

"That's Ethan." It's not meant for us to be beside the river and not to be this far in." Jake expresses concern.

"Ok, let's head back," Anna replies as she approaches her feet.

"JAKE! ANNA!" The voice cries louder now.

Jake says, "He's coming, hurry."

That's when Anna cries as she trips over a rock. Screaming, she tumbles backward into the water.

When Ethan hears the screaming, he bolts for it.

“ANNA!" Jake lets out a scream.

When Ethan reaches the river, he finds Anna grasping onto a fallen tree in the water. "Anna? Hold on!" As he descends into the tree's trunk and moves in Anna's direction, Ethan screams.

"Ethan, I CAN'T HOLD ON!" Anna lets out a terrified shriek.

"I'm coming, Anna. Just hold on." Ethan remarks. He keeps creeping in her direction.

"Anna, give me your hand!" Ethan makes contact. Anna comes but falls short.

“Anna, hurry up! You're capable of it!" Ethan reaches once more. Reaching out, Anna grabs Ethan's hand. She is drawn to Ethan by him. He places her on his flat back and cautiously approaches the ground. He scales the trunk and moves out of the course of the rushing water. He looks at Anna after taking her off his back. She bats her eyes off the tears. She's drenched with water. Jake approaches them quickly.

"An, are you okay? That was unsettling. Jake says.

How come you two are down by the river? You're aware that you're not supposed to be here." Ethan firmly tells Jake. Anna puts her arms around Ethan's waist while sobbing. Jake's elder brother and the pack's alpha, Ethan, are ten.

"Thank you for saving me." Into Ethan's shirt, Anna sobs. He gives her a back rub.

"It's alright, you're safe now." Ethan turns to face Jake.

"Jake, you need to watch out for Anna. You must look out for your pals and act like a big boy." Jake nods definitely. "Now, let's get you some dry clothes." Jake gives Anna a coo. We'll pretend that we were all at the lake and tell no one about it, okay? And Jake?" Ethan queries both of them.

"All right," they reply as they return to the group.

Jake and Anna at 12yaers old

Anna drops her books and folders down the pavement as she walks home after being bumped by two bigger girls.

Ginny stomps on one of Anna's papers and shouts, "Watch where you're going, stick." Ginny tears the corner as she scratches it on the hard pavement. She laughs as she and the other females leave. From the corner of her vision, Anna spots two large Converse, so she drops to her knees and begins gathering her belongings. It's Ethan. To assist her, he bends over. He reaches over to retrieve her maths folder, opens it, and starts gathering the inside papers. Grinning at Anna, he removes the torn worksheet off the sidewalk.

He tosses her the freshly put-together folder and remarks, "Girls are the worst."

Anna responds, "You know I'm a girl, right."

"Haha, yeah, but you're not like them." Ethan stops, perhaps to add something more, but then he turns and leaves suddenly. He responds, "Keep your head up, kid!" as he makes his way to the football practice field. When Anna turns, she finds Jake approaching her.

"What did Ethan want?" Jake asks.

"Oh, I see. Ginny and her squad felt it would be hilarious to take my belongings from me," Anna said sarcastically. "Ethan was just helping me pick them up."

"Oh," replies Jake. Before Jake can finish his idea, Anna starts. "She referred to me as 'stick,'" Jake and Anna chuckle as they begin their trek home.

"Why don't you just wait for me, and we'll go home together from now on." With worry, he says to her.