Mated to the Alpha Twins

Both Tori and I obliged, clearly wanting to hear more of what she might say.
“Things come to her at random, but do not press her too hard. Simple, straightforward questions. She becomes overwhelmed
easily, and it takes hours to calm her down.” Mera frowned, gazing ahead to where Sabine tiptoed into the kitchen, her
movements smooth and silent. “Just as well, do not say Novak seniors name. It triggers something in her, a vision–or perhaps a
memory. All I know, is it is horrible enough to cause her to harm herself. So, speaking his name around her is forbidden.”
“You’re alright with us asking her some questions?” I asked, just a tad surprised, even with the boundaries she had set in place.
I could feel how much Mera loved her sister, how devoted she was to seeing to her every whim. Sabine had been through so
much in those ten years, most of which I’m sure she couldn’t talk about, and Mera was determined to make up for every second
of it. It was why she let Sabine paint the walls, pouring her emotions into the oils and acrylics, focusing her fear into the coarse
bristles of the paint brush.
“I trust that you will not cause her unnecessary trauma.” Mera said with a strong voice, though not unkind. Her seafoam eyes
flickered to where Sabine stood in the kitchen, standing over a pot of tea as her eyes once again went glossy. Within seconds,
the vision had ended and Sabine resumed her humming. “I cannot begin to imagine what she’s seen, but any information she
gives could provide us the upper hand.
I never had a reason to drink tea before, but with the way Sabine made it, I’d have to look into some myself. Incredibly sweet and
floral, with a fruity undertone. There was none of that bitterness and old leaf taste I had experienced at the restaurant as a
server. Even the lemon juice, which in fact had turned the tea purple, was steeped in sweetness.
We sat out back, where a screened in patio jutted out from the house. Padded chairs with hand painted cushions sat around a
large glass top table, which had thin fines and wispy pink flowers decorated along the top. There were still a few dried-up cups of
paint sitting towards the outer edge. Outside of the patio and down three small steps were a grill, covered in multicolored
handprints.
“It’s nice to meet you, Sabine. All of your artwork is incredible.”‘ I told her in a kind voice once she took a seat at the table.
Alec helped carry in a tray full of small teacups, a bowl of sugar cubes, and other little glass bottles in from the kitchen, flashing
me a wink before sitting down. I knew very little about tea, but this seemed much more complicated than the simple sugar and
water mixture we made at the restaurant.
“We’ve already met, Aurora. Don’t you remember?” She asked, her voice twinkling and soft. Up close I could see that her eyes
weren’t the same shade of seafoam as her sister, but a pale shade of sky blue. They were filled with dreams and nightmares, all
of which were very much real. Her thin lips dropped as she read the confusion in my eyes as easily as I could feel her emotions,
flitting by like cars down a highway. “Oh, has that not happened yet? Or–is it happening now? I apologize, I get so confused at
times.”

“Don’t apologize, my abilities can complicate things too sometimes.” I shook my head, letting a genuine smile form on my face. I
could feel her relax, and marveled at how strange her emotions felt. They seemed to come from nowhere, rushing through her as
fast as those fragmented visions seemed to hit. “This is the first time any of us are meeting you.”
“Ah, this is the first time, then!” She beamed, the wavy strands of her golden hair falling from the clip that held it in place. She
looked so proud of herself, so joyful that I couldn’t dare smother it. She plopped a few sugar cubes into her tea, and added a
splash of cream before continuing. What she said next did nothing to dampen her mood, and everything to dampen my own.
“Good, that’s very good. That means you still have one, two–three days left.”
Mera stilled, her eyes flitting between Sabine and I. Judging from the shock in her emotions, she had yet to hear Sabine utter a
word about this upcoming deadline.
“Sabine, what is happening in three days?” Mera asked softly, reaching out to squeeze her sister’s hand.
“The assassin and her hound will come. Then chaos will follow.” She murmured, pulling her hand away from Mera’s with
downcast eyes. As quickly as they fogged over, it had vanished. She perked right up as her eyes cleared and smiled at all of us,
“Anymore tea?”
“We need connections to someone who was in–Zayne’s father’s pack.” I scowled, catching myself before his name slipped from
my lips.” There has to be a way to find out who this assassin is, and her hound.”
Sabine was out back, painting the pavement patio that made up a quarter of the backyard. I could hear her humming trickling in
through the back door, but still wouldn’t risk saying his name.
“Is there anyone else in town from his pack that might know who Sabine is speaking of?” Kade asked, the depth to his voice
made him come off as a bit aggressive. He cleared his throat and smirked down at me, hearing the big bad monster I made him
out to be in my thoughts. “Anyone we wouldn’t harm by asking?”
Mera and Isaiah looked at one another, their eyes glazing over as their stream of thoughts meshed as one. After a minute or so,
awareness fluttered back into their eyes.
“There might be a few we could ask, but there’s always a chance they won’t respond well.” Isaiah frowned.
“They agreed to join our pack when they stayed, we gave them the choice.” Mera nodded softly at her mate, placing a hand on
his own. He let out a soft sigh, the short strands of his golden hair falling across his forehead. “We can ask this of them.”
Even though I hadn’t noticed before, this quaint little town was full of warriors, most of which were stationed in the surrounding
mountains and forest. It was hard to scent them at first, as the winds were harsh and the forest dense. Scents thinned out easily,
carried off by distant winds. Those who weren’t protecting the town or watching for any intruders were protecting the very house
where Sabine stayed, where we all stayed for the time being.
Isaiah slipped away to place a few phone calls to the houses in town that held previous members from Marcus’s pack. Random
couples and fractured families were placed in large cabins and homes together. From what Mera explained to Tori and I, things
were comfortable here. There had even been a few mates discovered in the process.

Isaiah came back nearly an hour later, his golden eyebrows knitted tightly together. With the way his cellphone was gripped in his
hand, I wondered if he had found anyone we could speak to. When his emotions registered within me, I found myself surprised.
Small fractures of worry cracked at Isaiah’s foundation, spreading until it split off into larger splinters. They buried themselves in
my mind, my chest, and lungs.
“You found out who they are.” I sucked in a sharp breath, feeling my own heartrate increase with his.
“Darling, what did you find out?” Mera frowned, glancing between the two of us. She placed the palms of her hands on his face,
down the light stubble that coated his tanned skin.
“It’s just rumors, stories told in his pack to frighten them all into submission.” Isaiah replied, his voice notably stronger. With a
small smile that spoke of gentle affection, he removed Mera’s hands from her face and placed them against his lips. Once they
were no longer touching, that shadow fell back over his eyes and the worry continued to creep in. “There were three who were
able to give me some insight, though the details change from person to person. The assassin is a white wolf, one with the ability
to resist abilities. Another said she has the ability to steal abilities, but I find that improbable. The hound is just as bad,
unfortunately. They’re a tracker, one that doesn’t miss. Once the hound has your scent, there’s nowhere on earth you can hide.
One went as far to say that the hound could sniff your body from out the bottom of the ocean.”
“How wonderfully comforting.” I said, my mouth dry and eyes wide.
“That can’t be real, right?” Tori scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. Her eyes were concerned, but also held that rigid edge
of fearlessness she was known for. “A white wolf who can resist the powers of other white wolves. What kind of power is that?
She’s just a normal wolf, then.”
“Assuming she’s earned her name, I believe the semantics of her abilities comes in second place.” Isaiah countered, making
Tori’s grimace deepen. “Besides, that’s not the most interesting part. When Sabine said that chaos will follow, she meant: Chaos.
As in, a person. The Assassin, the Hound, and Chaos. They’re who he sends when he needs someone halfway across the world
d**d.”