Sixty-five.

Colt hadn't slept well at all. But, she didn't know of anyone who did sleep well when they were in a strange bed. As such she had spent the night tossing and turning, unable to get comfortable, or warm enough to rest. But, that may have been down to Calum's absence, as opposed to the large draughty bedroom she was in.

In her mind Calum was the lucky one, he got stay at home. Despite Colt's argument that Ardair House was his families' ancestral home, the fact it was currently fully occupied by her family meant she drew the short straw, and had to spend the eve of their wedding there, alone.

Suffice to say, she was rather grumpy when she was awoken by a persistent knocking on the door, after feeling like she had only closed her eyes ten minutes ago.

"Yes?" She called out, attempting to hide her irritation, but holding onto the sneaking suspicion she had failed completely.

The door opened a crack, and her brother Mark popped his head around.

"Can I come in?" He asked cautiously, while hiding the rest of his body behind the door.

Colt sighed, as she sat up and stretched out, marvelling at the incredibly large walnut four-poster bed as she did so, it was ridiculously sized, yet still seemed to be lost in the huge bedroom.

"Of course, I promise I'm decent. Well, if you count fleeced pyjamas covered in penguins, decent?" She laughed awkwardly, "Damn, it's cold in this house, I had to sleep with socks on, Mark! Socks!"

Mark laughed, walking in to sit on the edge of the bed, "Well I hear, Uncle Colin, and yes he has requested we call him that, which is not weird at all," Mark stated sarcastically with widened eyes, before continuing, "Anyway, he says, he can't wait to see all the modern changes you will bring to the place, I presume an upgraded heating system will be one?"

Colt rolled her eyes, before flaring her nostrils in annoyance, "That man just doesn't give up. We will not be moving in here, and Calum has made that more than clear, to the jumped up old goat!" Colt growled out, "I swear when I get my hands on him..." She began, getting up to pace the room, "I knew he wanted everyone here for a reason, that slimey, self serving, son of a..."

"Whoa, calm down there," Mark laughed, "Do you really think any of us believed him? That our heat seeking sister would move into a large draughty Scottish mansion. Please, we aren't idiots. Although, Scott and Lewis are running odds on when you take over from spite, and turn the place into an award winning hotel. Just, so you know my money is on never."

Colt feeling reassured, calmed at his words, "Sorry, Mark." She said with a weak smile, "I'm just tired, and stressed. Plus I slept horribly last night. Also, you can tell those two, I won't be turning anything into a hotel, because we will not be moving here." Colt shook her head, her fight draining somewhat, as she began rubbing her arms.

"Do, you know, I never thought I would see the day, you were nervous," he smiled, "It suits you." He added, gesturing to her fidgeting hands.

"Not possible, I don't have cold feet, Mark," Colt said pointing downward, "I told you I slept in socks. So Shush!" She growled out playfully.

"And, here I came to tell you, Paul made everyone breakfast, so you should get your ass downstairs before it's gone," Mark laughed out.

"Paul, my amazing chef brother in law, has cooked breakfast on my wedding day?" Colt double checked, excitement seeping into her voice and her stomach beginning to growl at the mere thought.

"Yes," Mark nodded boastfully.

"You are definitely my favourite brother, if for no other reason than access to your mate's cooking," Colt laughed unashamedly, as she darted out the door, running towards the smell of food the sounds of rowdy laughter.

All but flying down the corridors to hit the grand staircase at a gallop, Colt had managed to avoid bumping into anyone else and rounded the corner into the large kitchen finding it filled with laughter; both her other elder brother's were there, with their mate's and children, her parents and younger brothers not yet around. The smell in the kitchen though, was to die for. Colt hadn't even acknowledged her family members in the kitchen, when she grabbed a hot buttery croissant from a cooling wrack and began eating; ignoring how it seared her throat on the way down. Her throat still burned as she swallowed the last bite, moaning her enjoyment out, before turning around to see Harris and Asher smirking at her.

"Do they not feed you in this country?" Harris laughed out, while Zoey sat shaking her head at her husband's teasing of his little sister.

"Shut up," Colt growled, as she took another croissant, adding it to a plate with a large helping of bacon and scrambled eggs. "Thank you so much, Paul, this smells delicious," She smiled genuinely at her brother in law.

"Happy to help, Flower," he responded, before turning back to the stove.

"How come he gets *nice* Colt?" Asher asked, with his arms folded across his chest, abandoning feeding his daughter in her high chair, to be tended her mother.

"Because he isn't an up himself ass, who teases me at every opportunity," Colt replied flatly, then added, "Plus, I like him. He cooks," she added with a shrug, making Paul laugh while the others frowned at this response.

Colt wasn't behaving how they expected at all. In fact she hadn't been since they arrived. She was snappy and grumpy, lashing out at every chance with venom. She seemed constantly on edge, as if she was readying herself for a fight, and the whole family had noticed.

Both of her brothers frowned, before coming to the same conclusion; striding towards her, they grabbed an arm each. Her plate was only half empty, and they knew there would be hell to pay, but enough was enough, they wanted a word in private, and it definitely couldn't wait.

"I swear, you better step the hell back and let me eat my breakfast, or so help me I will tear you apart," she hissed, only confirming her eldest brothers suspicions.

"You are coming with us, now!" Harris stated, the demand echoing around the room.

"Get your hands off me. I am going nowhere," Colt challenged him straight back. Never one to submit to a demand.

Both Asher and Harris ignored her, and plucked her out of her seat, holding her aloft as they walked straight out the back door, and headed towards one of the glass houses, down the path.

Colt was furious, and her body thrashed between them both as she took painful shots, kicking at both their knees and trying to free herself.

"Shit!" Harris cursed, as Colt's heel connected fully with his knee, just when they reached their destination. "Damn it, Colt, enough! We only want to chat." He added, dropping her on the ground as Asher did the same.

"And what? Asking, or even letting me eat my breakfast first wasn't a fucking option?" Colt hissed. "For the love of all that is holy, I'm shoeless and wearing pyjamas!"

"Where would be the fun in asking?" Asher smirked.

Colt lunged at him, claws extended while Harris grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back.

"Not helping," Harris scolded, moving himself between his siblings before releasing Colt and whacking the back of his Asher's head.

Colt smirked at this, retracting her claws.

"Yeah, that she smiles at," Asher scoffed, flapping his arms in exasperation.

"Well, it was funny," Colt sighed, before sitting down on the edge of a raised flower bed, her burst of anger settling down. "So, what are we chatting about?"

Harris came and sat beside her, sighing softly. "What's wrong, Colt?" He asked gently, "You're not yourself, haven't been for a while I'll bet."

Colt tipped her head back to look straight upwards, taking several breaths to try and steady herself and stop the tears from building behind her eyes.

"You know, Iona, told me about your wedding dress expidition?" Asher probed, with a small smile, biting on the inside of his lip to prevent himself from laughing out loud.

Colt laughed awkwardly, "Okay, admittedly that was not my best moment," she answered her brother, with a roll of her eyes.

Harris looked between the two of them before asking, "What exactly did you do?"

Colt sighed, "I may have called Calum, and threatened to call off the wedding. But, only if he didn't rein in his mother's attempts to get me to try on the ugliest dress that has ever existed," Colt explained, biting her lip and scrunching up her nose.

"You did what!" Harris exclaimed, utterly shocked that Colt would threaten her mate in such a way.

"I mean, in my defence, the dress looked like it was made from the recycled table cloth of a smokers lounge, with way more frills than should ever be legal," Colt shuddered, recalling Maria's attempts to pressure her that day.

"But, to threaten your mate with not marrying him, Colt?" Asher pushed, coming back to the point.

Colt's eyes were welling up, heavily now, "I just," she sighed, "I was stressed, okay, and pissed. Calum has left me to fend off his Mother and Uncle at every turn, I felt like there was no support, because he was always on his damn boat, fishing. He hasn't shown an ounce of interest in any of it. Then, when Mom arrived, I thought I would get more support. But it has all been about who can out do who, between her and Maria, and I just snapped. I feel guilty enough as it is, and all this extra crap I could really do without. I just wanted a simple wedding, no fuss. Yet here we are in a fucking makeshift castle with half the county coming to watch, and what's worse is, I have gotten next to no sleep, and now my two bone headed brothers have kept me from my breakfast as well!" She ranted, the tears free falling down her face.

Asher and Harris both waited, feeling awkward while their sister cried. But neither wanting to leave her side; apart from anything else their parents would kill them if they broke their sister on her wedding day, and at least didn't attempt to fix her.

"And to top it all off, I just miss him," Colt sobbed out, "I know logically, it's just an awkward work commitment, but sometimes I feel like he was more interested in me, when I was potentially a bloated corpse at sea."

Colt dropped her head in her hands and sobbed uncontrollably, until Asher crouched in front of her.

"Colt, this kills me to say, because you're my little sister, and its completely gross. But, you are so off the mark right now, and I think you need to hear it," Asher began, "Calum is a good man, and my lungs and nasal passages would have to be smothered in vapo rub to not smell how much he wants you when you walk in the room. He is always paying attention to what you are doing, always positioning himself to make sure he can see you, reaching out to touch you, as soon as you are within his vicinity. Believe me, he is plenty interested, it's honestly quite disgusting."

Colt snorted, with the sudden burst of laughter that escaped her throat, seeing how uncomfortable her biggest brother was, before she responded, "None of you have a leg to stand on, after the noises I had to endure hearing last night," she scoffed, wiping at her cheeks. "Thank you, Asher," Colt conceded, pulling him closer for a quick hug.

Harris suddenly frowned, when the words from Colt's rant caught up with him. There was more going on.

"Colt?" He began, waiting for her to turn to him, and hating the aura of vulnerability that was coming off of her, "What did you mean, you feel guilty enough, already? About what exactly?"

Colt froze, this was not something she wanted to discuss.

"It doesn't matter," she shook her head, hoping to blow the whole thing over, "I'm just stressed out."

"Colt, either you tell us, or that good man of yours going to think you have ran out on him, with how long we sit here, waiting for you to talk. Bottling it up is not doing you any good." Asher threatened her.

Colt looked at the ground, her face marred with her conflicting emotions, while her mouth felt like it was full of glue.

"Come on, Colt," Harris spoke softly, "We want to help."

Colt sighed, trying to find the words, "I feel guilty because of Elijah," she whispered, both her brothers sighing collectively, knowing somehow the damn wolf would have something to do with it all.

"Colt, he made his bed, you have shown him more kindness than he deserves by keeping him alive. You have nothing to feel guilty about," Asher stated with more force than necessary.

"Look, it's not like I want to be with him, but he is trying to be a better person, and I'm here moving on, and being happy." Colt answered her brother, "I just feel bad that he is alone, and I'm happy in my mate's arms every night."

"So, what's the alternative?" Harris asked without missing a beat, "I mean if you say the word, we will get in the car and drive, you can all be miserable, Elijah, you and Calum. Is that the answer?"

Colt tilted her head, before whacking her brother in the chest. "Shut up. I am just showing compassion. I am marrying my mate today, and no one is going to stop me. Not even you two idiots!"

"That's more like it," Asher smiled, "Come on then, you need to wash the snot off your face, its disgusting."

"Oh is it?" Colt responded, before leaping on her brother out of nowhere, and wiping her damp face on his t-shirt. "Thanks, Asher, it would have been so embarrassing to walk back inside covered in that." She stated, before running back out the glass house, laughing as her brother growled behind her.