Page 21 of Alpha's Twins
I stumble to a halt as Aiden and his patrol come crashing through the trees, the sudden sight of them stealing my breath.
They’re all wide-eyed, staring at me, the flowers, and the chaos. I must look like a wild thing, hair tangled with leaves,eyes bright with fear. The betas exchange glances, mouths open in shock. Aiden’s face is a mix of anger and something else, something raw and fierce.
“Serena,” he yells again, his voice cutting through the stillness. “What the hell are you doing out here?”
I can’t speak. I can’t even breathe. The relief of seeing them, of seeing him, is overwhelming, but it’s tangled with shame and confusion. I just stand there, frozen.
He strides toward me, and the other shifters hang back, unsure. They’re all looking at the flowers, at the way the forest seems to pulse around me.
“Do you have any idea how dangerous this is?” Aiden grabs my arm, his grip tight but not painful. “Malik is out here, Serena. He could have—” His voice breaks off, and the fear in his tone is unmistakable.
“I-I…” I trail off, not knowing how to explain any of this.
His eyes soften slightly, but only slightly, and he reaches for me, pulling me closer. “Let’s just get you home, okay?”
I nod, determined not to let his betas see how wrecked I feel inside, despite how evident my turmoil is reflected in the forest around me. Something about the word ‘home’ settles me enough to let Aiden walk me back down one of the trails toward the town.
Home.I can pretend, at least.
Chapter 12 - Aiden
“And you’ve basically locked her in the house?” Callum asks, reiterating down the phone what I’ve just said.
“She’s not physically locked in,” I snap. “She just knows not to leave, and I’ve got someone watching the place when I have to go out.”
“Oh boy,” Tristen mocks with a low whistle. “Wait until Em hears about this, or Ava.”
I want to say, I don’t give a fuck. And truthfully, I don’t. But I do love my brother’s mates, and more importantly, so do they, and if I said that, all hell would break loose on this call.
“It’s for her own good, you just don’t get it,” I grind out.
“Pissing off your mate just to try and protect them?” Tristen laughs, “Oh, I get it alright, I just know it doesn’t end well.”
“Yeah, well,” Callum says, “we’re just saying, you might want to try a different approach, Aiden. Give her some space.”
“She’s got space,” I insist, my wolf beginning to seethe. “She’s got the whole damn house.”
Callum sighs, and I can picture him pinching the bridge of his nose, sharing a look with Tristen like they always do when talking down to me. “How’s the search going?” he asks, seemingly trying to change the subject. “You want us to come help? We can get a team up there, search the whole mountain.”
“I’ve got it covered. Don’t you think I’ve already searched my own damn mountain?” My voice comes out sharper than I intend, but I don’t care.
“We’re just offering—” Tristen starts.
“And I’m saying, I can handle it. You concentrate on your own borders; Malik has struck your sides, too,” I remind them pointedly.
It’s silent on the line, the kind of silence that makes my skin itch, makes me feel like I’m fourteen again, tagging along, trying to prove I belong, which is ridiculous considering I’m the alpha of my own pack now.
“All right,” Tristen says finally, a note of resignation in his tone that only pisses me off even more. “But Em would really like to come visit. Talk to Serena about her magic. Could be helpful.”
I almost say no, just because I hate the way they’re ganging up on me, but if Serena’s magic is as confusing as it seems, maybe Em could help.
“Fine,” I say. “Send her.”
“Great,” Callum says, and I know he’s smiling, that placating smile that makes me want to throw my phone out the window, even when he’s not here to see my reaction.
“Talk soon,” Tristen adds, and I hang up before I lose my mind.
My wolf paces beneath my skin, a low growl simmering, clawing up my throat. They never think I can handle anything. The mountain, the pack, Serena. Always with the advice, the suggestions, the patronizing sighs. My wolf is furious, but beneath that, curled like a fist, is the feeling that no matter what I do, it’s not enough. I breathe, trying to let the anger out with each exhale, but it sits heavy, like a stone.
