Accepting My Twin Mates
Chapter 61

Evgeniya

“I do not think I could ever accept another, not after Heathe-"

“Dad?” I shook my father's arm, confused as to why he had stopped, not only, mid-sentence, but mid-stride.

And growling, in a low rumbling timbre? What had he seen? He was frigid in his stance.

I followed his line of sight to the lakeshore... to my friend Lucy... who turned her head away from gazing out at the early morning mist upon the water's surface to stare wide-eyed back at my father.

Oh snap; Ewa looked on in my mind, stunned even more so than I.

What strange universe had I slipped into? My father and my friend? My best friend of five years, with whom I shared everything, who was also a year younger than me? And just to confirm this bizarre turn of events, I heard my father mutter “mate’ under his breath and saw Lucy mouth the word in reply.

The moon goddess had to be shitting me...

“She must have given him a thing for redheads too; my wolf nervously chuckled.

Now I thought about it, it was obvious. Both my mother and Lucy had gingery red hair, hazel eyes, and Lucy had always been an old soul and the “mom-friend’ of the group.

I could practically hear all the step-mom jokes already.

And as if on cue; “looks like Lucy's gonna be calling him daddy, too, Badru mind-linked.

“So it begins... Evva slapped her paw down her face. And if there had ever been a time I wanted to slap that nugget, now would be that time.

I swear to goddess; I silently retched. “You ever say those words again and I will chokehold you!

Is that a promise?’ He smirked down at me from the side, a genuine fire of excitement dancing within his pulsating sapphire eyes.

“When that brain cell of his dings the horny switch, it dings it hard; Eva pinched her brow in exasperation.

Without warning, Lucy suddenly ran, bolting through the trees. The woollen tribal print wrap around her shoulders billowed behind her, fluttering to the ground and a faint choked sob rang out. My father’s figure twitched, wanting to give chase, but ultimately remained fixed in his spot, not knowing how to proceed. I was about to run after her, when his quiet voice stopped me.

“You... know her?"

“Yeah,” I winced. There was no easy way to say this other than to be direct. “Lucy Maddrell. She lives across the hall from me. And she's been my best friend for a while... and she’s about my age...”

He gave a curt nod, swiftly avoiding my eye contact, and I could swear I spotted a hint of blush under his beard.

“I need to go after her; I began moving forward. “She's not had the easiest time recently. You're both each other's second chance mates. Her first wasn't good to her... it ended in a rejection. Astennu and Badru will fill you in”

“You're just gonna leave us to deal with the awkward bomb that went off?’ Astennu made a pleading face.

It's a conquer and divide approach to the awkward bomb, and you seem to be forgetting I'd be eternally grateful!

That was the only promise needed to have my mates’ faces light up and their lips twitch in glee, the pair of them becoming sidetracked so readily. It appeared they shared that horny switch, and my father was too distracted to reprimand the volchata (little wolves).

I took off after Lucy's minty berry scent, following it to a craggy clearing where she sat on a rock with her face buried in her hands, her body folded in on itself as violent sobs wracked her. I dropped in front of her, on my knees, peeling her hands away. I thought I had seen her broken before... but this sliced at me in new ways.

“I heard him..." she wept. Each word was laboured and fought through her sobs and heaving breaths. “..'m not fine... I can't do this again... be rejected... I feel like I'm dying inside...

I didn't know what to say or do except hold her close, my eyes welling up and stinging. I knew she wasn't fine, I knew it had been a lie, but I didn’t know it was to this extent. And neither did I know what my father would do. He had shown nothing but devotion to my mother's memory, his mate... would he truly be able to let go of that loss, after holding onto it for so long? “And with your father?!” She pulled away, sniffling and screaming into the air. Her eyes a deep red. *“..What was the moon goddess thinking?!”

My father's hand sliding across the back of my shoulder jolted me in startlement. He held out the woollen wrap Lucy had dropped as she fled.

“Maybe she thinks two broken souls need each other most."

Lucy stared up into his eyes, her sniffles beginning to calm. She clutched her hands to her chest and slowly reached out to grasp the fabric offered to her. Their fingers must have brushed as they both tensed, Lucy's sharp inhale virtually ricocheted around the crags.

I stood to the side, unsure whether I should leave or standby for emotional support for one of them... both of them? What would I even say or advise?

I don't know, but I can taste the awkward; Evva muttered flatly. “Maybe just back away slowly.

It's ok... Ill try and talk; Lucy nodded to me with a teary smile.

And as my wolf suggested, I backed away, albeit in a more speedily fashion, back to my mates.

“I don't wanna discuss,” I strode straight past Astennu and Badru. “They're together right now, and we'll leave it at that” They caught up and I could feel the questions swimming around in both of their heads.

I silenced them before they uttered a word, with a sharp look. “I mean it! I will mentally deal with the fact that my father and my best friend, who is my age, are second chance mates later.”

“So...she is calling him daddy, then?” Badru just couldn't help himself.

“What did I just say?!” I leapt onto his back, slapping my hand over his mouth. “just zip."

He laughed under my hand, grabbing my thighs to keep me in place on his back.

“Does this mean she'll have the power to ground you now?” Astennu slapped my rear, making me squeak at the contact. “That's it, 'm done" I groaned into Badru’s neck, gripping my arms around him. “The next one of you who makes a step-mom joke is on a b*****b ban."

They both fell silent, instantly. “Yeah, that's what I thought”

Astennu

We ambled our way back to the pack house, since our initial plan had been rendered pointless. Neither I nor my twin had any other plans and, for once, he was choosing of his own free will to go to the stables with Evie. Not that he would be going anywhere near Her, though it was still surprising that he put up little resistance.

That's because it's mate asking; Aasim huffled. “Like it or not, we're replaced as his partner in crime’

I would have much preferred to go too. However, there was another minor issue that I hoped to settle first.

“rll meet up with you later. I need to speak to mom about Thanksgiving; I glanced towards the door to our wing and settled back to gazing at my ammar. “Things have changed a little since our mom invited you."

“If we're even having one now," Badru muttered, frowning.

That was the answer I needed to find. Because I simply didn't know anymore.

“Regardless, I don't want to see anyone excluded,” all that would do was further sow discord. “But given that the last time our fathers were around each other and it almost ended in a death match, I have no clue whether it's wise to have them in the same room."

“Family fights and brawls are what Thanksgiving is all about,” my twin half shrugged

“Yeah,” I drew out. “Only with our fathers, it's likely to end in the morgue, not the pack hospital.”

“Please, Ru, for the love of goddess, I beseeched my brother. “Don't start things up with Evie. This is gonna be difficult enough, without feeling you two fooling around!

Tll try, but I make no promises!

Entering my soon-to-be former home held a strange sensation. It had always felt like home and, no matter what, I had always loved coming back to it. But now? It didn't feel very much like home. It felt like hard work, as though I was constantly about to set foot in a battleground. I felt more at home in Evie's small, modest and cosy room, filled with her wonderful scent that was a warm welcome, a haven.

I made sure to slam the door closed behind me, not out of anger, but to announce my presence. I heard the rustling and quiet giggles from the living room. I didn't need the visuals of my parents canoodling on the couch.

My mother looked flushed, her hair in slight disarray which she tried to smooth down into her polished form. I could see the irked look on my father's face that he had had whatever he was doing, interrupted.

"Hey!" I awkwardly greeted, pretending not to notice anything amiss. “I'm glad I caught you both."

“Tm not. I could've done with another half hour, my dad frowned, confirming what I didn’t need confirming.

“Of course my habibi (darling), if my mother noticed my dad sulking, she didn't let on.

She stood to usher me to the two-seater, taking the empty spot beside me and completely ignoring my dad. “What is it” “It's about Thanksgiving. and instantly, the temperature dropped. “With it only being two days away, I wanted to ask whether that invitation to Evie, extended to Konstantin?”

And possibly another.

I hadn't the faintest clue what would happen between him and Lucy. But I wanted all bases covered if the greatest miracle actually occurred.

Any sliver of hope that I held on to was snuffed out the moment I felt the vibrations from the held-back growl of my father. “You might as well get used to itt" I snapped in his direction. “The man is my father-in-law and he's going to be part of this family whether you like it or not.”

“I am not apologising for refusing to hand over a child to a rogue that could have been the very reason her mother was dead,” he was already repeating his argument's defence I had no interest in.

I exhaled, wearily and loudly, wiping my hand down my face.

“Dad...” I was about to start, but my wolf cut in through my thoughts.

“Save it. We're flogging a dead horse on this subject. He's never going to admit he f****d up. He's too proud and stubborn! “You know I hate that idiom.

“If you want to continue having that man around, when it physically hurts your mother, fine" he stood, striding angrily to exit the wing.

just as my mom was coming around, now my dad had to begin with the issues. Goddess willing, if I ever had my own pups, this example my parents set would play at the forefront of my mind every single day. No matter who my pup's mate was, whoever their family, would be accepted unconditionally. Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ FɪndNøvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

He did what he thought was best to protect a child,” my mother whispered, wringing her hands together.

“You know, you and Konstantin have a lot in common,” I nudged her knee.

Her eyes widened in utter disbelief that she could have anything in common with a “rogue’.

“His home was taken from him when he was just I6, and then his mate... and because of what our dad did, his daughter was taken from him too."

I took a deep breath before I asked a question that had been eating away at the back of my mind for some time.

“Mom, what happened to you? In Egypt?”

Her lip trembled and she quickly looked away, taking a deep breath to compose herself, the poised mask fixed firmly back in place. When she fought to look at me, the heavy glisten in her eye hadn't been erased.

“Nothing you ever need to hear,” she stroked my cheek. “Here, let me get you something to eat. I made tamiya yesterday evening, let me get you a couple. I keep making so much more than I should out of habit."

She was up and striding over to the kitchen before I could stop her, fusing and distracting over feeding me as she usually did when something bothered or stressed her.

“Mom,” I followed after. “Have you ever spoken to anyone? A therapist?”

“I don't need to speak to some psychiatrist as though I've gone off my rockers. What happened, happened. I've dealt with it’ she bustled around the kitchen, tense. “Where did I put those tupperware tubs?”

“Mom, it's not healthy to keep this sort of thing in-"

“Astennu! Enough!” She slammed the glass dish of tamiyas she had grabbed out of the fridge onto the kitchen counter, shattering it and denting the granite worktop. *..Please.”

She croaked, then sobbed. I hadn't ever seen her breakdown like this. I gripped her tightly in a hug, letting her tears dampen my chest, until her sobs became tiny hiccups. I would drop it for now, but maybe one day soon, she could be convinced to deal with this properly.

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