Accepting My Twin Mates

2 months later

Evgeniya

With a sigh, I closed my phone and zipped up the dress cover bag over the evening gown I had chosen. Bastiaan took it out of my hands and folded it over to stack with the other two that contained my mates’ suits alongside our other small travel bags. His own baggage was downstairs by the main door, waiting on Astennu and Badru to return home so we could get underway to Kentucky.

On top of all the other wrongs of their father my mates were trying to right, one still lingered at the top of their list. Wesley Lennox; the former Gamma whom Tamlyn took over from when he was asked to choose between remaining in the pack and keeping his position, or exile with his rogue mate. How easily would his mate have ended up like all those other rogue she wolves, had he not chosen her? Would Astennu and Badru have pulled her out of the club in Toulouse?

“I take it from your sigh, the Alphas were unsuccessful?” Bastian asked, picking up the rose gold ballet flat I had dropped. As my stomach swelled, I had to concede that anything that fell to the floor belonged to the floor from then onwards. “Yeah” I exhaled a breath of disappointment and relief.

“Maybe.”

- 000h, and bacon! Well, I'll have your bacon” I slapped the back of my hand against his chest, remembering he didn't eat meat.

“You can cook me a double portion to treat yourself to. It can nourish your glo-"

I paid no attention to her hormonal grousings. By this point,

I was used to it and had learnt to tune it out.

The last of the bags thudded in the hallway beyond the kitchen archway, and Bastian wandered through, catching me cramming a half-torn piece of bread slathered in hummus into my mouth.

“Have you eaten it all without me?”

“Very nearly” I said with my mouth full of food as I turned off the pan and grabbed a fork for my meat.

“Your nursery looks beautiful, by the way” He gave me a sheepish smile. “I hope you don’t mind that I stole a peek”

“Peek at it all you want” I slid the plate of warm flatbread across the breakfast bar with the hummus for him to dig in. Perhaps one day he would adopt like his mentor, Barend, the red-haired vampire who adopted two orphaned sister pups. “How's the construction going? Barend's two girls are liking their own bedrooms finally?”

I hadn't had the chance to go see the first of the newly built coven homes, but they were well underway. Two of the nine had been built so far, with Barend's being the first.

What were yours like?” I hesitated to ask.

He mentioned them rarely, and when he did, it was only in a fleeting passing. I knew their names and that was it.

“Ym guessing you messed with your brother a lot?”

“How old would he have been now?”

“50 you were the baby of the family.”

At ninety one, I used the term “baby’ lightly with Bastiaan.

But in all honesty, he barely looked a day older than Lucy or me.

“I was a surprise to my parents, yes."

“How old were you when you... ran?” I said, for lack of a better word. The day he lost his home, his family...

“50, he pretty much raised you?" I took a slow bite of my bacon, realising it had been dangling and growing cold on the end of my fork for over ten minutes.

tried to juggle two things at once: hook in my delicate flower-ring earrings and pull down the stubborn hem of my dress at the back that was determined to remain caught up in my underwear. I was all for feeling a breeze, especially in the humid Kentucky summer air, but that was what air conditioning was for.

Astennu sauntered up behind me to untangle my dress, squeezing my rear and whispering low in my ear, “Are you showing off that cute ass to all the boys, ammar?"

I flustered, feeling as sexy as a baked ham. “No one wants to see my flesh-toned granny panties.”

“d watch you waddle about in them all day, my nour el-ain.

* Badru's dopey grin watched me in the mirror as he swung his dark grey suit jacket over his very well-fitted black shirt and matching vest. “You could even choke me with “em.

“Can we just go down already? The others are gonna be waiting."

The air conditioning lowed, yet my skin was lushing with heat from my loveable, dumb nugget growing excited from Eva's threatening grow and from my goobers possessive hands cupping beneath my belly, peppering his mark with whisper faint kisses.

“The sooner we head out, the sooner we can get back here, and you can flash us in nothing but those big panties of yours” Astennu fisted my hips, nipping at my neck.

I sighed, growing hotter with frustration. “Would you stop pawing at my dress? You're gonna wrinkle it"

As we approached, we caught the tail end of the conversation between Tamlyn and Bastian. “-Gamma from Ashen Star pack I should introduce you too. He's a vampire and werewolf hybrid."

“I'll be sure to look out for him.”

“Trust me, you can't miss him," Thiago interjected from the side.

“Are you guys ready?” Astennu was about to lead us all away, until I abruptly grunted.

“Are you ok?" Badru asked worriedly, and he was already wanting to take me back to our room.

“I swear, if you're giving birth, I'm getting barbecue first,”

Tamlyn deadpanned.

“Ym fine" I tried to stop my mates from pulling me back”

Your son just headbutted me in the stomach, that's all... actually, I do feel a little sick”

“There is a seating alcove just ahead,” Bastiaan said from in front, where he lent his arm to Tamlyn. “And no one appears to be using it”

I lowered myself to the plush corner couch, reining in my desire to starfish out like a slob. I reached for one of the scatter cushions at my side to stuff behind my back for extra support at the curve of my spine.

“Do you want us to bring you something to eat?” Tamlyn fished her foldaway guide cane from her purse, which was wrapped with a hot pink ribbon to match her hot pink satin wrap dress.

“Not yet. I want to let my stomach settle first. But you guys should go get some food; you gotta be hungry. i'll mind-link if I change my mind."

“Ill remain by her side," Bastiaan reassured when he saw the hesitation of my mates to leave,

Just as our group was about to leave, Astennu muttered under his breath, “Alama (dammit)

“What?” I struggled to see what had gotten his hackles up.

It's Morgan Anderson from Ashen Star, Badru clarified

Ah, now it made sense.

“Come on." Thiago slapped Astennu and Badru on their shoulders. “I'll come with you as backup. Unless you want me to call’Adrian and fly him down here for you, Aste?”

“Absolutely, f*****g not!” Astennu bit out between gritted teeth. There was no love lost between those two.

“There better not be a fight. I like this tie," was the last thing I heard uttered by Badru as the three of them disappeared into the crowd.

“So, Bastiaan.” I patted the seat next to me for him to join, and get to the matter at hand. “You see anyone who looks familiar?”

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“Dat kan met.” he mumbled words I didn't understand, most likely in Dutch, and his eyes focused in the opposite direction from where my mates had gone

He uttered nothing more and, without explanation, shot off towards whatever captured his attention.

“Yeah, our ass isn't getting up without a winch. Eva was equally agitated.

- only a shade darker - and the same porcelain pale skin that swirled with muted hues. He was a vampire?

“Broertje” the man sniffled as he wiped both their faces.

The realisation hit me, and I had an inkling I knew what Bastiaan had muttered in a stupor because the same thought ricocheted through my head.

it couldn't be possible.

Bastiaan gestured his arm towards me, turning as though he were about to make an introduction. His face fell as he took in my ruddy complexion, winded from effort.

“Evie!” Bastian hurried back to me, easing me up as though I weighed nothing. “I'm sorry.."

“It's fine” I held the pressure under my belly and faced the unknown man, who I was sure had to be his brother.

“Evie, this is-"

“Christopher,” I made my guess. It had to be.

“This is your soulmate? You're having a child?”

Christopher's deep, baritone voice softened, his gaze falling on my large baby bump.

“Goddess, not” I exclaimed, slightly horrified and grimacing.

“Bastiaan is like my uncle. And I have two marks from twin Alphas.” I pointed to either side of my neck.

“Then I owe you a great debt, Luna, one no deed on my part could ever repay."

“Ym Jude? The man took his cue and stepped forward, lacing his fingers with Christopher's. “Ym this one's mate and husband."

“Husband?” There was little surprise in Bastiaan's tone."

Your old obsession with wolf males makes complete sense now.”

“Was my plant boy a bit of a flirt?” Jude's teasing smirk broadened, pinching his husband's cheek.

“Jude!” the vampire hissed, batting his hand away and pinning him with a glare.

Bastian's crooked, sly grin grew. Taking delight in his brother's embarrassment, he repeated, “Plant boy?"

“I got a few more, right, Kitte-"

“Behave, wolf’ Christopher stretched his syllables, his face flushed pink and his eyes flashed and swirled with a brilliant golden glow.

jude smirked in response, choosing not to utter another word

“I see why he was fated to you, brother. The moon goddess truly adores testing that patience of yours, doesn't she?"

“To answer your question, yes, my brother was quite the flirt in his day. Though he was not as bad as I once was..” Bastian sighed with a heavy deflation of his chest. I knew whose face was intruding into his mind.

“If you're married to a wolf, which pack are you living in?" I slid myself down to the couch’s edge, ironically breathless from trying to stand up.

“White Tree pack in Maryland” Christopher lamented, knowing full well the distance between our packs.

“Where are your mates?” He tactfully switched topics. “I should like to offer my profound gratitude to them personally.”