Page 15 of Alpha's Twins
I glance over at Callum and Tristen, who are unloading their trucks with strollers and bags, and wince. I had no idea babies required so much stuff.
“Are you guys moving in?” I laugh, and Ava hits me on the shoulder playfully.
“You wait; this will be you one day,” she chuckles, following Emily.
I scoff, but as the morning wears on, the grill is lit, and others arrive with their pups, and soon the house is filled with laughter. Suddenly, the idea of my own pups feels less and less ridiculous. Still far-fetched, though, given Serena shows no signsof letting me near her. Standing by the grill, I’m half-listening to Callum explaining his new marinating recipe for the meat, but my attention is firmly on the other side of the garden.
Serena is with Ava and Emily, and she’s actually smiling. A proper smile. She’s come a long way from the girl who could barely look at any of us on the day of the mating ceremony. I watch as she tucks that same stray piece of hair behind her ear, but this time it’s with laughter, not as a nervous gesture. She was shy at first, standing a little apart when they first arrived, but then something clicked. I watch now as Ava says something, and Serena’s laughter rings out, surprising and bright.
I have to look away for a moment. The sight of her fitting in so easily does strange things to my insides. My brothers’ mates have always had a way of making people feel at home. Serena is no exception, and I feel a rush of gratitude toward them. I might not always agree with how my brothers do things, but they’re family.
The kids are running back and forth, Harper leading the charge with her usual energy. Serena kneels down to talk to her, and I can see Harper’s animated gestures as she chatters away. Harper is showing Serena something, and from here it appears to be a tiny bunch of wildflowers. Serena nods and then holds out her palm. I suspect what’s coming as others gather around. Even Callum and Tristen turn to watch as the tiny bunch of flowers multiplies and blooms in Harper's hand, and she squeals with delight. The blossoms twist and turn until they form little bracelets of flowers that break off. Harper holds some in her other hand, which she hands to the other children.
“Hell of a party trick,” Callum says with genuine surprise in his voice. “Not sure I can beat that in Harper’s eyes.”
Tristen laughs, “No way can a bit of fire or wind beat flowers like that when it comes to kids.”
“Or our mates,” Callum replies, indicating how Ava and Emily are dancing around in surprise at the display. Then he asks, “What else can she do?”
I shrug slightly. “She doesn’t think it’s all that impressive. I’m hoping she’ll talk to Emily about it. I think there’s more there.”
Tristen nods. “I agree. I’ll see if Emily talks to her later.”
I watch them all for a moment longer, then hear Callum clear his throat. “And the other thing?” he asks, his voice low, and I know he’s talking about Malik.
I sigh. I knew this conversation was coming; I was the one who wanted to have it, but I was enjoying the afternoon.
“We can’t let him keep pushing us. I know it’s him,” I say. “He’s growing stronger, and we’re sitting on our hands waiting for what?”
Callum shakes his head. “Aiden, it’s not like that. We’re still not one hundred percent sure it is Malik, and our packs have been through enough. I don’t want to scare anyone.”
I snort and look at Tristen, who shrugs. “Don’t look at me, I’m all for taking the fight to him.”
“See?” I say, “Tristen gets it.”
“I just think we need to be smart,” Callum replies. “We can’t rush into this.”
“We can’t afford to keep doing nothing,” I say. “Not with these fires.”
“I know,” Callum replies, his face grim. “I just don’t want to lose anyone else.”
I hear the pain in his voice, and I know he’s thinking of the friends we’ve already lost. I soften a little. “Neither do I,” I say. “But we can’t let this go on.”
After a brief silence, Callum nods, and Tristen slaps him on the back. “I tell you what,” he says, “I think Malik thought we were easy pickings after Ralph died and divided us. That we were too young and stubborn to lead our packs right, but he was wrong. Hell, Ralph was wrong. We’ve got this.”
We all nod, and the afternoon fades into early evening, having gone much better than I anticipated. Tristen’s words keep ringing in my head about Ralph being wrong. As I find myself increasingly drawn to Serena, I wonder what else Ralph might have been wrong about.
Chapter 9 - Serena
I know I agreed to this, but now that I’m actually walking out of the house and toward the main row of small stores that make up Main Street, I feel sick to my stomach. Last night, I spent nearly an hour on the phone with Hannah talking about the store and ways to make it work, desperately trying to remind myself that I am a businesswoman. I have built a successful business that supplies across the mainland. Icando this.
The owner of the local bakery wants to talk about flower displays for the upcoming pack fair next month. Sarah and Cate arranged the meeting; all I have to do is turn up. While I appreciated all of Hannah’s motivational words about building something here, I just feel so out of place. I wish more than anything I were back in my store. Talking to Hannah made me feel more homesick than ever for it. What I don’t miss, though, is Nolan and his betas. I always knew they didn’t treat me well, and I worked so hard to build something in an attempt to make them accept me. To make them want me. And in the end, despite everything, they were happy to hand me off without a backward glance.
I walk past the small park in the center of the square, its benches dotted with people chatting and sipping from paper cups. I know they all belong here, in this pack, in this life. Most of them nod or smile at me as I pass, and I nod back, unsure if they know me, if they’ve heard about the new woman, the new luna, who doesn’t quite fit. I hate that I’m worried about what they think of me. I hate that I care this much.
I must admit, the town is like a postcard, the kind you’d send to make someone jealous of your vacation. I didn’t expect the island would be this pretty after everything I’d heard. Small stores with striped awnings line the street. A barber shop witha proper old-fashioned pole, a diner with a gleaming jukebox visible through the window, a boutique with the mannequins beautifully dressed, and a tempting bookshop line the street. It’s charming, it’s perfect, it’s everything I’m not. I should be grateful to be here after everything, but I can’t shake the feeling that I’m an outsider, a guest who’s going to overstay her welcome or just not fit in.
The bakery is on the corner, its sign hanging above the door, swinging slightly in the breeze. I see Cate’s vibrant hair first, bobbing as she talks animatedly to Sarah, who stands with her arms folded, a small smile on her face. They look so settled, so right here, it makes me want to turn around and run in the opposite direction. I should be grateful. Sarah, Cate, and some of the other women have gone out of their way to make me feel welcome, but the doubts linger—has Aiden put them up to it? Are they just doing it to be polite? Do they pity me or know I can’t shift?
