Page 32 of Alpha's Twins
She watches me, waiting, and I know she’s thinking about how to ask, how to make me talk. The openness in her face, the way she looks at me without judgment, makes it easier to continue.
“He was a bastard, Serena. Didn’t give a shit about anyone but himself. Tough for a pack, but even tougher for a family.” I pause, the memories a tangle of anger and bitterness. “He was especially hard on my brothers; I was more of a general disappointment. Nothing I ever did was good enough. Callum and Tristen got the bulk of his attention, but when he did notice me, it wasn’t exactly pleasant.”
Her eyes are wide, the concern in them raw and palpable. “I’m sorry, Aiden,” she says, and her voice is filled with sincerity. “I didn’t know.”
“Not the sort of thing you advertise,” I say, trying to shrug it off, but she’s still watching me, and I know I can’t. “We’d come out here to escape. Make sure he couldn’t find us, couldn’t pitus against each other.” I look back at the lake, the memories coming thick and fast.
“It’s peaceful here,” she says, and I hear the question in her voice, the unspokenwhy didn’t you tell me this before.
“Yeah,” I reply, my voice quieter. “The only place we felt safe sometimes as pups.”
I feel her hand on mine, tentative at first, then firmer, like she’s trying to anchor me to this moment rather than the memories. “I can’t imagine,” she says. “That must’ve been awful.”
I look at her, the openness in her eyes, and I feel a rush of gratitude. “It was. But we had each other.”
She nods, her expression thoughtful. “It’s nice that you’re still close with your brothers.”
“Yeah,” I say, scoffing lightly. “It’s not always easy, we butt heads. But we’re family, and we’ve made the packs work better than I think Ralph ever intended.” I pause, feeling the weight of the past lift slightly. “I’m not sure he ever really saw me as part of the island’s future.”
She looks down, her voice barely a whisper. “I know how that feels.”
I watch her, seeing the sadness in her eyes. “Nolan’s pack?” I ask, knowing there’s more to her story than I’ve let myself consider.
She nods, staring at the water. “They never accepted me. I mean, we all know why,” she says quietly. “I was different, short and curvy. No wolf. No real use. They didn’t know what to do with me.” Her voice is bitter, and it cuts through me. “I tried to fit in, tried to make it work, but I was always the outsider. Even after my store took off and…”
She trails off for a moment, gathering her thoughts, and I want to pull her close, to tell her that she’s none of those things, but I let her speak; the words start tumbling out like they’ve been trapped for too long.
“They’d laugh behind my back,” she continues, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “Or worse, to my face. And when they weren’t laughing, they were ignoring me. Like I wasn’t even there.”
I feel a growl rising in my chest, a primal anger at the thought of her being treated that way, but I hold it back, knowing she needs to get this out.
“The only reason Nolan didn’t reject me completely was because of a promise he made to my family, and then the money coming into town from my store, and all the shipments. Even then, I was still treated like a burden more than anything else. I never belonged there. They were quick enough to get rid of me when they saw the opportunity.”
“You can belong here,” I say, my voice fierce with certainty. “You belong with this pack. I don’t care if you don’t have a wolf, Serena. I don’t care about any of that.”
Her gaze flicks to mine, and for a moment, time stands still, neither of us saying anything, but the look that passes between us seems filled with so much that should be said, but neither of us does.
Her eyes are wide, her lips slightly parted, and I don’t know what else to say. I don’t know how to make either of us feel better, so I do the only thing I can think of. I kiss her.
Her mouth is soft and warm, and she leans into me, her hands finding my shoulders, pulling me closer. My wolf howls with satisfaction, and I feel the familiar heat rise, the need tohave her, to make her mine. Her body melts against me, and I feel the last of her hesitation slip away.
I push her down onto the soft sand, my body urgent and demanding. Her hands are in my hair, and I can feel the wild beat of her heart against my chest. The lake is a mirror of the sky, and the trees whisper around us, but all I can see, all I can feel, is her.
“Aiden,” she breathes, spurring me on.
I kiss her deeper, my hands sliding under her shirt, feeling the heat of her skin. Her breath catches, and I feel her arch against me, wanting, needing. I groan, my own need consuming me.
“Wait,” she says, and there’s a sudden shift in her voice. “Aiden, wait.”
I freeze, and she pushes gently against my shoulders, her eyes wide and uncertain. “Someone might see us,” she says, but the words feel hollow, like an excuse.
I pull back, breathing hard, trying to understand the change. “There’s no one for miles,” I tell her, feeling the sting of confusion. “It’s just us.”
She sits up, smoothing her clothes and avoiding my gaze. “I just…I don’t know,” she says, the distance already growing, the invisible wall back between us.
“Serena,” I say, reaching for her, but she stands, the barriers as real as if they were made of stone.
“I’m sorry,” she says, and I can hear the tremor in her voice, like she’s already pulling away.
