Accepting My Twin Mates

Astennu

Back in my room, Eve's spiced vanilla scent seeped into my soul once again; she had been in here too. Her scent was like physical tendrils that reached out, wrapping around my body, pulling me in whatever direction they wished and I was powerless to stop it, not that I would ever want to.

There was a basket of laundry dropped all over my floor. This must have been where she figured it out and then went running to my brother's room for confirmation.

I picked through the items, piling what belonged to Badru to the side out of what our mother had sent off to be freshened up in our absence. I always told her it wasn't necessary, but she always insisted, no matter what. One item, in particular, caught all my attention, a white dress shirt of mine that had the faintest hint of Evie's scent on it. I hung that one aside to be worn tonight. It wasn't much of her scent and my own would soon cover it. But my wolf was doing circles to wear something that had her smell, to feel marked by her in some way, like we were claimed... Aasim truly was clutching at straws. Goddess, hoped I hadn't messed this up for him.

Before I showered, there was one place I needed to go first, to see someone of great importance.

out in his field, I could tell when he spotted me. His ears and tail twitched and swished. Heru soon came galloping over in his winter jacket, whinnying in excitement.

“Hey, boy I stroked up the side of his face and patted his neck, pressing my forehead against his.

He became restless, nosing at my pocket insistently.

“Can't hide a thing from you, can I?" I handed over the apple from my pocket I grabbed from my family’s private kitchen.

He was always so well looked after while I was away. I didn't get down here like I used to before my duties as future Alpha started to pile up and I missed being able to look after him myself. Heru was accustomed to my wolf form too. He and Aasim would chase each other around the paddock and on the mountain trails.

The sun was starting to dip beyond the trees, so I opened the paddock gate to let him trot off. Instead, he walked by my side to his stable. Once I had his blanket off and fed him, I was about to leave, but I spotted a stable hand.

“Welcome back, Alpha,” the Omega bowed his head respectfully.

It was rare that I ran into anyone here. I usually stopped by when no one was around, so I decided to ask who took care of Heru so well; it was impressive that my horse had taken to someone else.

“Hey, who takes care of Heru when I'm away?"

“Most of us pitch in as we all do with the other horses, Alpha. But, uh, he can be a little picky with people,” he eyed Heru warily.

I flashed a little grin at my horse. He could be temperamental when he wanted to be, but that was if you approached him incorrectly. He had to come to you and didn't take kindly to being pushed into things. What he needed was patience.

“..I think it's that tall Omega she-wolf, Evie, that looks after him the most. She's the only one he lets get close,” the Omega continued.

I'turned to look at the stable hand, stunned. “Really?”

He hummed in confirmation and walked away to carry on with his duties. All this time, and I had no idea.

Heru lifted his head from his food. If it were possible, I could swear that animal was smirking at me. It seemed my own horse had a better chance with my mate than I did.

Back in my room, once I was showered, cleanly shaven and dressed in my deep blue suit, I strode across the hall to Badru’s room with his laundry. He had moved himself from his “pit of despair’ on the floor, to a “pit of despair’ on the bed, albeit a showered and dressed “pit of despair’.

“will you stop being a drama llama for once?” I dumped his clothing on his bed.

He sat up glaring at me for using his well-earned nickname.

“I'm being serious, we need to go down. So quit sulking and put your jacket on,” I threw his black suit jacket at his head. “You know you're older by six minutes, not six years?” He raised his brow at me, sliding his jacket on and gathering his loose hair behind his head.

“This is coming from the grown man that faceplanted the floor?”

“Maybe cut him a little slack. He's facing a genuine crisis. His anxiety is making me feel ill, Aasim shed a brief moment of sympathy for our brother.

Walking down to the large events hall that sat behind the pack house, I could sense our parents were already inside. We eac took a deep breath, preparing ourselves to face a huge crowd later in the evening, with a whole host of unmated she-wolves that our mother had most likely arranged in hopes of us finding our mate. Unbeknownst to her, we had our mate and on Evie's demand, we couldn't relax and cut loose with her. We would have to spend the whole evening simply looking at her from afar, no different from before, but now we knew she was ours. And combined with her strong pheromones, it was t***** to be around her and not reach out.

As we were psyching ourselves up, Badru began tugging on my arm furiously and I followed his line of sight, noticing his eye were pure black and his breathing ragged. My eyes landed on his fixation, now sensing her bond yanking at me... Evie.

.. Dear goddess above, she was a vision... and we were in deep trouble.

Evie

Oh... this dress was gorgeous!

This was a uniform?

Itwas a stunning and chic little black dress, with an exaggerated sweetheart neckline and cap sleeves. And a pair of black suede pumps 00? Great, I didn't get enough stares already. They were only two inches, but still enough to make me self- conscious.

Lucy left me to get ready, but not before she loaned me a little make-up; I wasn't one for wearing much, so my selection was limited. I showered away the twins’ combined scent from my skin, secretly hating that I couldn't keep it. Their parents would identify it before they even saw me and I was not about to come out as their mate yet. My makeup was light, just some of m, own BB cream and powder, some mascara, blush and a red lip stain. And my hair I braided in a dutch braid, starting at one side that came around to my shoulder, draping down my chest. I wiggled into the dress, which was on the smaller size, but the stretch of the fabric helped though it did feel shorter than it should be. I quickly looked over my appearance in the mirror and my eyes widened.

“You scrub up pretty well. We could almost pass for a lady; I wasn't sure whether Evva was throwing me some snide shade of whether she was actually impressed.

The dress fit my every curve like a glove and it ended mid-thigh. Where I'm sure it would look elegant and sophisticated on others, on me it felt far too sexy and sultry. These were not traits I was used to. I was a sarcastic bigmouth with zero class and little etiquette. Thank goddess, I would be sat playing piano for most of the evening and drawing little attention to myself, or so I was praying.

I stared at the heels, grabbing them and slid on my pair of black, and slightly beat up, ballet flats, hoping that I could get away with them for tonight.

“You ready?’ I mind-linked Lucy, closing my door behind me.

“Yep,” she burst out of her door, stopping dead in her tracks. “Oh piss off!"

She looked me over head to toe, “those Alpha twins are going to be holding onto their jaws all night.

“Very funny, I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly feeling too little covered.

“0k, don't do that because your ts already look fit for popping out. But seriously, you look stunning. They won't be able to take their eyes off you. Good luck keeping your throuple-thing secret, she mind-linked, and slid her arm through mine. Compared to Lucy next to me, I felt woefully inadequate. Her dress ended just below her knee and fit her perfectly, with her red hair pulled into a high sleek ponytail; she looked the epitome of what a Luna should be like. The future Beta truly was a i***t for passing up on a she-wolf like Lucy. He would regret it in the end. I just knew it.

As we arrived at the prep kitchen of the events hall, Luna Qamar was just leaving with Alpha Isaac.

“You head in, Luce. I want to see if I can get out of wearing these, I indicated the heels in my hand.

“Luna Qamar! Luna!” I called out after her.

She signalled for the Alpha to continue on without her and turned with grace and poise, but with an edge of irritation. “Yes? “Uh, the heels? Can I skip these and just wear my flats?"

“It's just for one evening and you'll barely be in them while you're playing,” she said in a weary tone, casting a disapproving glance at my current shoes.

“Yeah, but... I tried to argue.

“No buts. I'm sure you'll carry out your duties without hindrance in them.”

That was easy for her to say. She wasn't the one that had to deal with everyone doing a double take. And not because they thought I was some rare beauty, but because I was an abnormal giant, a spectacle to gawp at.

“Evie,” the Luna sighed, growing frustrated. “There are she-wolves that would ill for your height. Maybe show a little more confidence in your carriage instead of complaining and fighting your attributes?”

I couldn't tell if that was a compliment, encouragement or whether she wanted to shut me up. Either way, she walked away before I could argue anymore.

“My personal opinion and, I can't believe I'm saying this, is I agree with the Luna; Eva interjected. “just strut. Plus, heels would make our a*s look phenomenal, which will drive our mates a little crazy and I am all for that

“I thought you said you weren't about to roll over and accept them?’

“I'm not, this is us using our pure s*x appeal to have them on their knees, begging’ I could almost see her mental smirk, her wolf image almost starting to form a dark golden mass in my mind.

“Fine, you won me over

Inside the kitchen, a mix of Omegas and some young warriors and trackers, earning a little extra cash for the evening, were busy flitting about putting the finishing touches on the items that had been sent over from the main kitchens. The other she wolf servers were wearing the same attire as myself and Lucy. The wolf males were wearing immaculately fitting black shirts that held a shimmer in their threads and form-fitting black slacks. They looked sophisticated and professional, and I still fel as though I looked like I was hitting up a bar.

I helped Lucy and another wolf male server plate up and arrange the hors d'oeuvres, noticing Janet, the head housekeeper, busy bossing and bustling others around. I suddenly heard her after a few minutes, grilling an Omega at one of the hobs for leaving the saucepan and almost burning its contents.

Oh hell not Not when she was the one who sent the poor girl off to do something else in the first place.

I marched over, not about to stand by and watch Janet bully another yet again. “You sent her on your errand and didn't cove her station. That's on you."

“Then she should have said," Janet glared up at me. “How would the Luna take to you undermining authority again?"

Ileant in and down, having enough of her s**t. “Go ahead,” I challenged, Evva growling lowly with my words.

Janet's eyes widened and she backed up on instinct, backing off to busy herself anywhere I wasn't.

“Total Luna move, Lucy grinned my way like a mad woman.

“See?’ My wolf added. “just. Strut’

“Thanks,” the Omega girl mumbled and I gave her a slightly awkward smile, unsure how to be comforting or pleasant. Ilooked around at hearing the kitchen fall into complete silence, the entire staff looking at me in a way I couldn't decipher. “What? Get back to it! We got wolves to feed and s**t" I clapped my hands to emphasise my point, sending the kitchen back into action again.

“Less Luna-like,’ Lucy chuckled.

I narrowed my eyes at her. “If the moon goddess didn't want a crass a****e running this show, she would have fated me to some other poor wolf male!

After receiving a mind-link from Luna Qamar to come through and take my place, I slipped my flats off that I had been keeping comfortable in and slid on the surprisingly cushy pumps. I asked Lucy to hang onto my ballet flats, in case I needed some relief for later.

I went through the side door that led towards the main entrance, wanting to see if Astennu and Badru were waiting outside or if they were in the hall. I knew they were close, I could feel the bond's excitement with their near proximity. I spotted ther just away from one of the large double doors and approached, entranced by how devastatingly handsome they looked in their suits.

Was it really necessary for them to look this fine?