Page 36 of Alpha's Twins
He raises an eyebrow, remaining silent, just waiting for me to continue, offering no judgment, only patience.
"I didn’t sign up for this," I blurt out, the admission raw and unfiltered. “I don’t know how to handle it."
"And Serena?" he asks, his tone cautious, like he's carefully navigating a minefield.
I grit my teeth, the memory of leaving her slicing through me like a knife twisting deeper with every thought. "I don’t know how to handle that either," I admit, the words heavy with regret and confusion, as if speaking them aloud makes the situation more real and impossible to ignore.
"I thought I'd have time to figure this out," I say, my voice raw and exposed. "Time to get used to everything before it got…serious."
Jace nods, and there's a knowing look in his eyes, a look I wasn't expecting. "That's life, right?" he says. "Never waitin' for you to be ready."
I stare at the valley below, at the endless stretch of mountains, and I feel the words bubbling up, needing to be said."What if I can't do it, Jace?" I blurt out, the fear sharp and real. "What if I'm just like Ralph? What if I ruin everything?"
He looks at me, and I see something shift in his expression, a rare sincerity. "You're not him, Aiden," he says, his voice steady. "And you never will be."
"But what if I don't want this yet?" I say, the doubt creeping in. "What if I’m not ready to settle down? To be what she needs?
"It’s not that I don’t want her," I admit, my voice rough with frustration and need. "I just don't know if I can be a father, be better than Ralph, the pack, the threat of Malik. I don’t know if I can do it. Any of it."
Jace laughs softly, shaking his head. "You surprise me, man."
"What do you mean?" I ask, thrown by the glimmer of amusement in his eyes.
"I thought you, of all people, would be excited," he says, leaning back. "You have the respect of your pack, your mate, and pups on the way. What more could you want?"
I stare at him, the words not quite registering. "You’re the last person I would have thought would find that exciting," I say, confused. "Thought you were happy sleeping around, playing the field."
He shrugs, a hint of longing in his voice. "I'd love to find my mate."
"You serious?" I ask, stunned.
"Yeah," he replies, grinning. "Thought that was obvious."
I’m floored. I always thought he had it all sorted, that he was living the life I’d miss out on if I stayed with Serena. "I didn’t know," I say, trying to process this new version of Jace.
He laughs again, nudging my shoulder. "Guess you’re not the only one who can hide how they’re feeling.”
We fall into silence for a moment and my wolf niggles at the recesses of my mind, reminding me that we already have what Jace says he wants. A mate. We knew it that night in the forest when we caught her sneaking out. We knew it during the ceremony when I didn’t feel a hint of fear over taking her as my mate. I told myself it was because it didn’t mean anything, but the reality is that it meant everything. It just felt easy because it wasright.
It’s always been her. It’s always been Serena. I’m just too young and stupid to see our relationship for what it is: fucking perfect.
"What the hell am I doing, Jace? I’ve been acting like an idiot."
He grins, wide and infectious. "Pretty much."
The sky brightens again, the sun emerging, and I feel a rush of urgency building inside me, a desperate need to make this right before it’s too late. I stand, the determination burning in my chest.
"I’ve gotta go," I say, the words a rush of clarity.
Jace nods, a knowing gleam in his eyes. "You do."
I turn, my heart pounding with the need to get to Serena, to tell her everything I should have said before. The wind howls around me, but I barely feel it, my mind fixed on one thing, one person.
"I’ll catch you later," I call over my shoulder, already moving, already running.
"Go get her, and I’d start by apologizing," he shouts, his voice lost to the distance as I sprint back toward the trail.
I shift as soon as I hit the trees, my wolf taking over, the drive to get to Serena more urgent than ever. The forest blurs past me, and I reach the truck in record time. I shift back, my body shaking with the need to get to her, to explain. I pull on the clothes I left by the truck, my hands fumbling in my urgency. I’m an idiot. A fucking idiot. I give myself one last mental slap, and I’m in the truck, the roar of the engine matching the pounding of my heart.
