Accepting My Twin Mates
Chapter 55

Badru

“Those files come through ok?” I jostled the phone from my shoulder, setting it down next to me on speakerphone.

I was busy being an actual Alpha, while Astennu was off on his stalker mission. How had the two of us switched places? I hac become the ultra-responsible one and my twin was now the galavanting impulsive it, albeit for a few hours at least. And wherever he had gone, he was drawing nearer. I could feel our twin bond growing stronger.

“Yeah, your wolf runner just dropped off the flash drive,” our Delta, Elan, spoke, the clacking of his keyboard could be heard in the background. “This one's gonna take me a while to get through, maybe a few months? I hope that's ok”

“It's over a decade of financial records. I'm more surprised you'll have it done in just a few months,” I reassured. It wasn't as though we were in any rush for an overview of financial records dating that far back.

He had completed the last batch we delivered when we visited with Evie, but we must have missed some figures as there were random parts that didn't fully add up. On paper, our pack was earning more than what was adding up and because the discrepancies were far and few between, I must've made an error when I had compiled the files. It was another kick to the rear that I needed a better grasp on our paperwork; an area I never excelled in and my brother did.

“And congratulations, again,” I added before I hung up. “I know you and Hazel are gonna be awesome parents.”

It was still early and they weren't telling many yet, but Elan’s newly-wed wife had found out she was pregnant. The honeymoon gift to Hawaii Astennu and I had given them must have done the trick. He thanked me once again and hung up. The mention of reproducing had instantly triggered my wolf's instincts, imagining scenarios of pups everywhere. I, however, was a little more terrified. I could barely keep a handle on myself. How could I be responsible for another life? A tiny life? One whose survival depended directly on me. I did want pups, but I was more inclined to wait a little longer than Baniti, whe was practically picking out names already.

“You still awake over there?" I called out to Lucy, who had her head buried in paperwork.

She had offered to stay and help me rearrange border patrols. Her organisation skills had been fantastic so far, proving to me she would make an excellent head of house, if she ever wanted the position. She had also been listening in to the most tedious conversation possible between Elan and me over allocations for pack funds to our infrastructure; even I had almost fallen asleep.

“Ym fine. I've had my espresso and all of this is helping take my mind off of things” her knees bounced rapidly where she sa cross-legged, and not from the caffeine either.

“You know he can't get to you now?” I looked up from my laptop screen. “And you're free to have a warrior as a guard any time you want, day or night"

“I know...” she chewed on her bottom lip, tracing a finger on an invisible pattern on the carpet. “It's still hard to accept that the one person I should have felt safest with, has me looking over my shoulder”

An arm gripping around my waist automatically took my attention. To work, I had slipped under the covers and sat with my back to the wall behind me, wanting to be as close to Evie's bare skin as possible. A quiet, sleepy moan left her parted lips a her fingers bunched in my long-sleeved t-shirt. My palm ran the length of her arm, following its path up to her cheek.

“I should get going” Lucy suddenly announced, pushing herself up from the floor.

She tried to force a smile, but it was strained and did nothing to hide the glisten in her eye. A pang of guilt rippled down my spine. In front of her, I had unintentionally rubbed the mate bond in her face, showing her the care she had been denied. Just as she stood, the keypad on the lock rattled and the door opened to my naked brother, obviously having just shifted back.

Lucy squeaked once more, slapping her hands over her eyes. “I'm enforcing a pants rule with the two of you."

For a tiny Omega she-wolf, she had no problem scolding us like children. She stumbled from the room, almost catching herself on the corner of the mattress if not for Asteenu quickly grasping her elbow. She mumbled a thank you, keeping her eyes closed.

“Have fun?” I cranked my laptop back open to get to work and sent one of the updated rotas via email to our father.

“I know exactly where he's staying, for now at least” he grabbed his pants where I had dumped them on the floor. “Need an address for those fingers after all”

I groaned loudly, throwing my head back against the wall. I was beginning to wish I'd just regurgitated my stomach up.

“I still think you should send them back steaming, Baniti hadn't moved in his pride, even if the whole thing was an accident. “How's the beast?” I changed the subject. I could smell he had been to the stables on his return. He had that horse stink all over him.

“He's fine. I ran the paddock with him for a few minutes,” Astennu headed straight for the bathroom. “And quit calling Heru a beast! I will fight you.

Once he was showered and dressed, Astennu settled himself on the other side of Evie, choosing to work one-handed and rested his other hand on our mate's bare hip.

With Evie's files not stating anything we didn’t know already, I began an internet search for “lycans’ Aside from what was taught of werewolf history in school about lycans, which was a vague myth at best, knowledge on them was fairly basic. I certainly never thought I would have to know anything more detailed.

They were said to be a pack that had cut themselves off from the rest of the werewolf world centuries ago somewhere in Russia. And from my search, the Kamchatka peninsula was supposed to be the most likely location of their pack. They had supposedly begun reaching out to the outside world from their pack 40 years ago, and had vanished I0 years later. Those I0 years of contact were the only reason there was any whisper of them to begin with, and why they were considered a myth, a wolf that walked on two legs.

The fact that one was currently fast asleep, in her shift torpor, beside me, had upgraded the “myth’ to “very much real’ How the lycan pack had vanished and why Evie was here in Washington when her pack was a whole continent away, was starting to give me a headache figuring it out. So much so that Astennu gave it a break for now, saving what we had for when our mate woke up.

The one person we hadn't expected to pay us a visit in the evening, was our mother. And neither was it to check on us. She had come, not only to ask how Evie was doing, but to extend an invitation to thanksgiving dinner that was fast approaching. Normally, our pack leaders and their families would celebrate together. Kate, for obvious reasons, would not be joining us this year and Tamlyn would be visiting family in Opal Sun. Whether it was a miracle or not, I was relieved that our mom was making some effort to let go of her past.

Night had drawn in quickly and between the two of us, Astennu and I had completed all our security updates and changes. We had put ourselves down for one of the new early morning patrol runs along the southern and eastern borders; lead by example, my brother had said. Tamlyn had agreed to watch Evie for us. Neither of us wanted her to wake up alone, which she may very well do tomorrow.

My twin had fallen asleep almost immediately at our mate's side, lying on his front and his arm over her waist. My mind wouldn't switch off, and I took the gamble to look through the things Astennu had brought, hoping he had remembered my go-to distraction. Sure enough, he had grabbed one of my small sketch pads and my charcoal pencil. OF course he had. We knew each other inside and out.

I switched the side lamp on, setting it to its lowest light level, and flipped to a clean page. I could draw Evie from memory, but I had never gotten such a close-up study of her to sketch. It was a shame her eyes were closed. They were mine and Baniti's favourite part of her. Those stormy-blue irises that flashed in varying shades depending on how much I pissed her off; her steely shades were the ones I lived for.

As sketched, I could feel its effects begin to work and my eyelids steadily became heavier. I had most of her face captured: her plump lips parted, her hand curled against her chin, a few strands of hair draped over her nose, her cheek slightly squashed and cushioned from the pillow beneath and her lashes fluttering against her skin.

Like Astennu, I knew I loved her. But unlike him, I had the good sense not to f****g mind-link it to her. I knew she was fallin; for us, too, even if she hadn't said the “U word yet. Maybe being a lycan, they felt the bond differently? Perhaps for them, it didn't send them into an obsessed frenzy and their love was earned the harder way, with patience. Patience was never my virtue, but for her, I'd wait as long as it took.

Evie

I felt as though I had the world's worst hangover. Even my eyes throbbed when I tried to prise my lids apart to take in my surroundings, uncertain as to what truly happened.

“F**k me sideways, I feel rough; Ewa crudely groaned. “Wait... did we get f****d sideways? Or was that one of your s*x dream again?’

“twould be more concerned about whether we actually shifted, but you go ahead and think with your v****a again, I rolled my eyes at her and quickly regretted it at the slicing pain it induced.

“If you have to question whether that sort of pain was real or not, you are officially the densest muffin to walk the planet, Ewvars clear wolf image in my mind stood and stretched... on two legs... s**t, we were a lycan.

“Can you freak out after you've peed? There's a lot backed up in here!

I managed to gain some focus. My skin tingled everywhere, pressed between two incredibly hot bodies with a heavy muscular arm thrown over me. My mates, they hadn't left me. I cracked open an eye, greeted by the soft light of my side lamp. The next sight that greeted me was Badru's abs, not a sight I would ever complain about. But the true gem lay higher. He was sitting upright, his head hanging forward with mouth open and a sketch pad clutched in his hands.

“Look at that nugget, catching flies; Evva chuckled with adoration.

I shifted my weight, taking a peek at my sweet goober behind me. He lay on his front, weirdly contorted with his arm bent ug and over the back of his head.

Just another day in paradise with wingus and dingus!

“And here I thought you would've missed them; I snorted at my wolf's stoicism.

Iwas being sincere; she grew defensive. “Sorry if it sounded sarcastic!

“sarcasm is all that comes outta your mouth.’

“That's because I'm you, she deadpanned. “So, holding a giant f*****g mirror up to that one’

Astennu's fingers twitched, tickling his nose and jolting him awake. He groaned as his eyes fluttered open and a small sleepy smile spread across his lips before some shock overtook him.

“Evie! You're awake!” He grabbed onto me with fierce strength, pinning me to his chest.

“Oh, baba... we are revisiting this later’

There went my wolf and her v<***a led mind again.

“Wha?!” Badru jolted awake at the sudden commotion, his sketch pad thrown to the side.

He blinked his eyes clear of sleep and when his gaze zeroed in on me, that huge boyish grin cut through his features. He didn't say a word as he snatched me from his brothers hold and smashed his lips to mine.

“How long was I out?” I panted when I was finally released and allowed to come up for air.

“A day” Astennu leaned in, pressing a kiss to my lips, slower but just as sensual. “You feeling ok? You still look a little tired.” “There's the confidence boost I needed. Usually, it's him sticking his foot in it, I thumbed at Badru.

“You're awake two seconds and already giving me s**t?" He pawed at my hips, trailing his nose against my neck.

“Making up for lost time," I shook free of his hands. “We'll get into it in a second. Right now, I really need the bathroom.”

I attempted to stand, feeling a little shaky, but I managed to hold it together enough to stagger my way to the bathroom, despite the two of them insisting on trying to help me. They soon stopped when I slammed the door in their faces. I hadn't reached that level of comfort with them yet. After relieving myself, I detangled my bird's nest hair and released a huge sigh under the hot stream of water in my shower.

One thing I had found strange, that I had expected to change and hadn't, was their scents still held no increased sway over me, even now with my wolf senses fully awake. The tingles felt a little stronger, their features were just as jaw-droppingly handsome. And yes, their scents of tree sap and spices, especially combined, were wonderful, they didn't have the same effect on me as mine did on my mates.

Was it because I was a lycan?

How was I ever going to figure this out alone?

“Alone? You forgot about wingus and dingus camped at the bathroom door, Evva threw her paw up to the said door in exasperation. “I can feel their stare on it. It's like it's about to burst into flames.

“I know we have Aste and Ru, ahbil, I was beginning to absorb the twins’ more colourful Arabic terms. “I meant that we don't have anyone to go to. Where's the other lycans that we can ask questions to? Our mates can only do so much

She grumbled an unintelligible string of growls, not wanting to admit I was right. If this was the other way around, she'd be rubbing it in my face about being stubborn.

“Would you quit with the holier-than-thou attitude?’ She sassed. “And get out of the shower already, we're starting to prune. Once I was dry and with a towel wrapped around me, I opened the door only to be almost flattened by a huge Alpha. Luckily Badru managed to catch himself on the doorframe.

“Why do you keep leaning against doors!” I chided.

“Where else am I supposed to wait?” He said it as though there were no other options. Astennu quietly shook his head, laughing as he stepped into his pants.

“Goddess, you really are like a Labrador”

“If that's the case, if I drop and show you my belly, will you rub it?" His arm slipped around my waist, trying to find the hem. I reached around behind me, feeling for his ribs to pinch. He soon let me go with a jerk to his side. “Belly rubs, indeed” “Didn't think that one through,” Astennu threw a pair of pants at his twins head and leant down to lightly kiss me. A kiss so soft and fleeting it had me following after his lips when he withdrew.

I dropped my towel, doing my best to ignore the hungry growls and stares of my mates, and slipped on a pair of skinny jean: and my hoodie from Badru. Sitting down on my mattress to brush my hair, I spotted the sketch pad open showing an astoundingly detailed charcoal drawing of me, asleep.

“So, did you draw me like one of your French girls?” I grinned at Badru, my eyes flickering down to the pad.

“I'told you we could be the Rose to his Jack, Evva fawned.

“I don't have any French girls!” He exclaimed, looking like a deer caught in headlights with his pants halfway up his legs.

I held my head in my hands. “How have you done it this long?” I pleaded to Astennu.

“A lot of patience,” he shrugged into his shirt, playfully grabbing his twin around his neck.

“Can you stop making fun of me, in front of me?” He pushed Astennu off.

“You picked up on that one? Personal growth.”

“Just to confirm,” I began dragging my brush through my hair and rubbed in a little hair oil. “I didn't imagine anything when I shifted, right?”

“That was all real’ Badru smirked, sitting beside me and pulling me into his lap. He hadn't even buttoned up his fly. “And I can’t wait to try that again’

“I was thinking before that. You know, the part where I experienced the worst pain imaginable and shifted into a lycan,” I tried and failed to get out of his lap, feeling his erection growing under my a*s. “Keep your mind out of the gutter”

“So that's permission to stick my mind elsewhere?” His tongue lapped at my neck, weaving a hot path across my skin. “Behave!” I reached back to lightly slap the back of his head and clench my thighs at the moisture pooling.

Astennu chuckled, kneeling in front of me to pull me to him. “You know that makes him worse?”

“I hope we didn't cross a line, but we asked our dad about what happened when you were found as a baby. Unfortunately, it's just as your file states. I wanted to wait till you were awake, but Ru being Ru-*

“Why is this suddenly a saying?” Badru cut in, his mouth set in his trademark pouting tight line.

“Because you're an impatient nugget,” I smirked over my shoulder. “And everyone knows it.”

My past was no secret, to me or the pack. I was the rogue baby found in a meadow. And I knew what the salacious whispers about the woman that was thought to be my mother were. A rogue she-wolf, with a newborn and no mate in sight? The elitis mindset of Two Moons had very few innocent explanations.

“There was one thing our dad knew that wasn't in your file,” Badru slid off the bed and slowly rubbed my shoulders. “Your mother, she was burned at Reflection Lake."

Waves of unknown emotions flowed through me, compressing tightly within my chest, mixing and churning together. A relief that she had been afforded the proper respect. A realisation of why I always felt drawn to that place. A heart-wrenching sadness that she was truly gone... that I would never meet her. And a reverence that she had endured such an attack to keep me safe, something that I would never get to thank her for.

“I've always been worried to ask! I uttered in a small voice.

“In case she had been buried or just left there?” Astennu tilted my chin up with a gently curled finger. Badru wiped a tear that had rolled down my cheek.

I sniffled, “yeah.”

Ignorance felt far more comforting than knowing.

“Hey, now we know you're a badass lycan, we should get you started on wolfsbane training when you feel ready,” Badru distracted. “Turn you into a real unstoppable warrior Luna.”

“Is it bad?" I had heard some of the higher-up warriors’ comments when they were being initiated.

“The higher doses suck, I won't lie!” Astennu’s brows furrowed. “But it'll be worth it. We don't know if someone's out there after you.”

Wolfsbane training was reserved for the pack leaders and top warriors and trackers. It was a controlled substance and while not deadly to werewolves, as it could be in humans, it could cause us serious issues. The intense burning sensations that accompanied the toxin were of least concern compared to what else it could do. Because it severed the link temporarily, all of our werewolf abilities were dampened: our mind-link was cut, our rapid healing was suppressed, our strength waned, it left us disoriented and it could take hours for the effects to flush from our system. Without our healing, in a fight, we were defenceless. Wolfsbane training gave the individual a much higher tolerance to the toxins and a faster recovery of the effects. Both Astennu and Badru would have been enrolled in the training as soon as they shifted, Tamlyn too.

My bedroom door abruptly opened and Tamlyn strode in.

“You two haven't left yet?” She seemed surprised. “First shift on the new rota and you're late.”

“Alama!” Badru leapt up. “Yallah, Aste!”

He gave me a quick kiss and threw a sweater and coat over his shoulder, shoved his feet into a pair of boots and rushed to button up his pants.

“'m regretting putting our names down first.” Astennu sighed, looking uncharacteristically calm given he was running late. H grabbed a tablet. “We looked up lycans as best we could last night and saved a few links we found. Sorry we can't go throug it all with you”

“It's ok," I pecked his lips. “Alpha responsibilities never sleep.”

“And thank you, for doing all this and staying with me’

Badru’s head popped around the doorframe, all traces of his rush disappearing.

“Like we would have gone anywhere else, his expression soon changed when he looked towards his twin. “Do I need to chok hold you? Yallah!”

How Astennu rolled his eyes, I could practically hear his inner thoughts. “Drama llama’ was definitely ringing loud. “Remind me when we get back to tell you about thanksgiving. Our mom actually came to invite you!

And on that bombshell, he pulled on his coat and left. Suddenly, it was far easier to believe I was part of a thought-to-be- extinct race of werewolf, than to hear Luna Qamar was showing me some courtesy.

“Clearly, we suffered a head injury. Because we can't have heard that right, Evva sarcastically rationalised.

Astennu

“We aren't skipping breakfast,” Badru growled. “You wanna listen to me b***h and moan about being hungry for the next k-knows how long?”

“He got us there, Aasim huffled. “Feed the diva and keep him happy. It's easier than the alternative.

I had argued that if he was in such a rush to get to our patrol, we didn't have time to stop for breakfast. Now, I realised the reason he was rushing so much was to get to the food first.

With some food to go down him, my brother's irritability eased, though it didn't entirely vanish. A shared sentiment. Neither of us wanted to leave Evie behind when she had just woken up. But like an i***t, I had to be the responsible one and give us the first shift of the new rota.

We set out on our patrol of the southern borders, heading eastward. With time alone, just the two of us, my mind wandered back to our conversation with our father.

“What did you think, yesterday with dad?”

“I know he was telling the truth...” Badru began.

“But there was something he didn't say," I finished. “I can't think what it would be, though?"

He hadn't covered anything up, so why that pause?

“Alphas?’ We were mind-linked.

I recognised the voice. Damian. The guy that Evie had sparred with... the one who tried to push himself on her when they were I4. My mate may have put her issues with him to rest. Mine were another matter and the abject rage I felt still echoed and hammered in my brain.

I must have growled down our mind-link because when Damian continued, his voice held a hint of submission.

I thought it would be best to notify you directly since you're probably closest. I haven't mind-linked Alpha Isaac...

“Well? Spit it out!’ Badru snapped.

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