Page 62 of Her Second-Hand Mate

“Thank you. He must take after his uncle Isaac,” Penelope joked, and Isaac puffed out his chest, which caused my wolf to growl.

“Sorry, too soon,” Penelope grinned.

“And what a beautiful outfit you have,” Isaac continued, talking to Gabriel, ignoring me completely.

“His mom made it. She’s really talented,” I said proudly, and Isaac shot me a look that I interpreted as awho-are-you-to-tell-me-about-my-twinlook.

“Since you two are with him, and he ate 20 minutes ago, I’ll go take a shower,” Penelope announced. “You don’t mind, Isaac, do you?”

“Are you kidding? My wolf just wants to nuzzle and smell my nephew. Go!” Isaac smiled at her.

Once she was out of earshot, he turned to me and frowned, “Nice to see you’ve gotten your head out of your behind.”

I couldn’t take him seriously, not when he saidbehindinstead ofass. Penelope probably never let him curse while they were growing up. The notion caused a warm, tender feeling towards both of them to take root in my chest.

“Yeah. I was an ass.”

He chuckled, “Yeah.”

A few moments later, he continued.

“I’m not an idiot, you know. She never complained about you, but I could tell. She just never looked like she was loved the way she deserves to be.”

I swallowed the lump of regret that threatened to choke me, and I gently ran my finger over the soft spot on my son’s head. I was fascinated by it, especially when it pulsed.

“I hope I’m not too late.”

Isaac, the dick, just hummed noncommittally.

???

The next morning, he was back on our doorstep, disheveled and grinning.

“I met my mate!”

Penelope let out a squeal, and I lifted an eyebrow.

“Who is it? When? How? Tell us everything!” Penelope pulled him into the house.

“Yes, do tell us, Isaac,” I drawled as I set Gabriel down on his tummy time blanket on the floor.

He hated it, poor pup. I glanced at the clock. Perfect, in a minute, he’d start crying, and then I could take him to the nursery while the twins continued their heart-to-heart.

“Her name is Ekaterina,” he said with a dazed expression on his face, “her parents are pack members here, Sonya and Nikolay. I met her on the street after I left your place yesterday.”

“Smirnova? Sonya’s daughter?” Penelope turned to me with her hands clasped together in excitement.

She loved Sonya.

“I know her, she studies in Russia, doesn’t she?” I asked Isaac, and he nodded.

“Physics, in Tomsk. Luckily, she only has her thesis left. I don’t know what I’d do if she needed to go back to Russia,” he shuddered.

“Sonya kept calling her Katya when she mentioned her in the past,” Penelope frowned.

“Yeah, that’s her nickname. It’s like a Catherine being called Kate.”

“Oh. Interesting. Just remember what we talked about, Isaac,” she shot him a pointed look, and he lifted his palms in defense.

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