Page 24 of Alpha's Twins
“I’ve wondered if she could be part witch, but it doesn’t feel clear,” Emily says, her voice tinged with excitement.
Marian’s eyes narrow, sizing me up. “It’s possible, though I doubt either of your parents were witches,” she muses, more to herself than to me. “Feels older. More latent than obvious.”
My heart stutters, a mix of hope and disbelief. “But I do have a wolf? I can’t shift, but my parents were shifters, but my mother had no wolf, but my father did, so I must have one,” I say, almost defensively.
Marian nods, not missing a beat. “You do. But the magic is stronger. Your mother’s side then…but not a witch.”
Stronger. The word echoes, full of promise and hope, but equally a strange sort of dread. I think of Aiden, of how important it is for a shifter to fit into their pack. How much I’ve always wanted that. “Could I have my wolf instead?” I blurt out, my voice betraying my longing. “Couldn’t this be…I don’t know, suppressed?”
Emily frowns as if the thought is foreign to her. However, Marian just laughs. It’s a strangely warm sound, but a cackle at the same time.
“Why would you want to?” she asks, her eyes crinkling with amusement. “Your gifts are rare. Appreciate them. Our world is full of wolves. Too many, really. Wouldn’t you say, Emily dear?”
Marian giggles slightly, and I catch Emily rolling her eyes, knowing she’s mates with Tristen. I assume Marian likes to push her buttons, judging by the dynamic between them. I lower my gaze, unsure how to respond. The world is full of wolves.
Emily squeezes my hand reassuringly. “I think what Marian is trying to say,” she says kindly, “is that your gift is clearly very special and you should be proud of it.”
“Special,” Marian agrees, her eyes still watching me, too perceptive. “Not every day we see something like this. Truly.”
I nod, still uncertain. I know they mean well, but they don’t understand. They don’t know how it feels to want something so desperately, and to have it turn out to be something else entirely. Something that you never even imagined.
“Thank you,” I say, not sure if I mean it, not sure if I don’t.
“Serena,” Emily says, her voice gentle, like she knows exactly what I’m thinking. “It’s a lot to take in. I know. But…”
Marian stretches, a cat-like motion, and I can see the edge of exhaustion in the lines of her wise but somehow still youthful face.
“I think we need some more coffee,” I say, not wanting Emily to continue when I can feel the emotion threatening to overwhelm me. “Shall I put a fresh pot on?”
Emily nods, and I stand, brushing imaginary dirt from my skirt. “Let’s have a break. I’ll be right back.”
I can feel them watching me as I walk back into the house. I fight the urge to keep on going, to escape my own thoughts and the heaviness of the day. But I know I’ll stay; I don’t want to be rude to Emily, and I definitely don’t want to be rude to Marian. I don’t want to seem ungrateful.
I just need a moment to breathe. I fill the kettle, hearing the faint murmur of their voices through the window, and I stand at the counter, letting the sound of the coffee pot settle me. The suffocating quiet of the large house presses in around me, and I think about what Marian said. Stronger. Special. It should feel like a gift, but instead, it feels like a burden I didn’t ask for.
I liked working with the flowers, creating displays, and making people happy with my pretty blooms. It did feel like a gift then, or at least a consolation for not having a wolf. But this—this is different. It’s wild, uncontrollable. And to think that perhaps my wolf would be present if it weren’t for the magic just feels cruel. I should be able to choose, shouldn’t I? All my life, I would have given anything to be like the other shifters. If I didn’t have my magic, would my wolf make me more accepted? I’d still look like this, short and curvy.
I’d still be me, wouldn’t I?
I can’t help but think of the way Aiden slipped into my bed last night, his touch gentle, his breath warm against my neck. I’d expected him to stay out longer, maybe all night, after the way we left things between us. I pushed him away because I was angry, but most of all because I felt lost and afraid. Instead, he came home, the smell of alcohol on his breath, and slipped into my room like he couldn’t stay away. I didn’t know what he wanted, didn’t know if he’d try to sleep with me or want to talk about it, but instead he took me by surprise and just held me. The thought of it now is enough to make my pulse quicken and make the hope I’ve tried so hard to suppress come rushing back to the surface.
It felt real. It felt more dangerous than the night he took my virginity, more dangerous because it felt like more than just sex.
More dangerous because I think I want it too much.
The pot clicks off, and I pour three mugs, the warmth soothing my hands. As I’m about to head back out, the door opens, and Aiden is there, filling the space, his sudden presence making my heart jump.
“Hey,” he says, his voice more tentative than usual. He looks at me, searching for something in my face. “How’s it going out there?”
“Overwhelming,” I admit, before I can stop myself. I tighten my grip on the mugs, steadying my voice. “Marian’s intense. You really don’t want to join us?”
He laughs, a dark sound. “I’m not afraid of her,” he says, but there’s a flicker of something in his eyes, a shadow, and I can’t help but smile. “Okay, maybe a little,” he concedes. “But only because she’s unpredictable.”
“And terrifying?” I prompt, and he smirks.
“Fine,” he laughs, “and terrifying.”
There's a pause, and I can tell he wants to say something. His eyes catch mine, and I feel the heat rise in my cheeks. “You’re not mad about last night?” he finally asks, and there’s an edge to his voice, a vulnerability I’ve never seen before.
