Mated to the Alpha Twins

Chapter 112

The plan since arriving in Mera and Isaiah’s pack had been to get the four of us back home safely in time for the inevitable war, which could easily happen at any second. Now that not one, but three deadly werewolves were coming for me, we had a time limit to our plans. Three days, we would have to leave in two.

That meant not only coming up with an evacuation plan, but Mera and Isaiah had to make plans of their own. Danger and d***h had followed us, putting all of these white wolves at risk. An entire city dedicated to their safety, to remaining invisible. Ten years of blood, sweat, and secrets–and it had all been jeopardized in the span of an hour.

“They’ll find you no matter where you go.” Mera shook her head, seeing the war brewing in my eyes. For a moment, I wondered if she could feel emotions too, or if she was truly just that in tune with everything going on around her. “These people live here knowing it is their safest option, though not infallible. They understand that it’s discovery could happen at any moment.” “If we leave in two days, is there a chance that your warriors can divert the trail so that they go around the town?” Alec asked, a million idea’s running through his dark eyes. “We could leave tomorrow, just as the sun sets.” “It is possible, but the most important part is ensuring you four make it back to your pack.” Mera squared her shoulders and turned her eyes to me. “Every single person in this town knows who you are, and they would all willingly sacrifice their lives if it meant getting you out. I understand that you do not want your life put before anyone else’s, but you are the head of this movement. Packs that have remained quiet for decades are finally speaking up. They’re finally stepping forward and it’s because of you. If you d*e, so does the courage that many of these packs are experiencing for the first time. You are hope to them, someone too strong to be controlled.” How far things had come, from a mundane human to a hunted fugitive. Mera’s words followed me, echoing in my ear as her, Tori, and I left the house. Sabine’s humming sounded oddly like a f*****l dirge

as I descended the porch steps with a weight in my chest. We had no time to relax or reoperate. Isaiah and the twins were staying behind with Sabine, to figure out a plan on getting us out of here safely. Contacting anyone outside of town wasn’t possible, not without risking exposure. Mera and Isaiah could mind link the rest of their pack members, no matter how many miles away. With Mera at the wheel, we drove into town and pulled into the parking lot of a modest looking building. Made from red brick and rectangular windows, a handmade sign read “Public Library”. “We won’t have all the answers, but there might be something that can help you.” Mera explained as we entered, listening to the little golden bell attached to the door ring. We were enveloped in the comforting smell of rose incense and warm tea. She made no move to head to the front desk, where a woman in her fifties smiled warmly. Mera made a beeline for a door that read, “employee’s only”. “Marcus also likes knowledge, which means restricting it from everyone else. This is the only safe place we have for our pack’s collective knowledge. Everything we know, passed down from countless generations.” We headed down a set of metal stairs, into a dark and damp basement. Another door led us to an old meeting room. There were shelves lined against the walls, full of books both dusty and old. Two wooden tables held multiple books on top, some pried open with tools smoothing down the pages. “We try to preserve the older ones, and repair them when we can.” She explained, gesturing to a wall full of small boxes, “Most of these boxes are official documents, but there’s also news articles going back at least a hundred years.” “Are all of these recounting from your pack’s ancestors?” Tori marveled, eyeing a book case full of journals. Most of the covers were peeling and the pages stained yellow, but I could only imagine the wellspring of information inside. “Many of them are, that was how we recorded our history.” Mera nodded, “You’ll find some scientific journals as well, but I’m not entirely sure if any are on the subject of white wolves. You both may take as long as you need. I am going to coordinate with some of the other pack members on how they might aid us with your evacuation.”

“It would take weeks to go through all of this.” Tori shook her head, trailing her fingers over the dusty journal spines. Her eyebrows were furrowed, and I knew that part of her mind was somewhere else entirely. “Unfortunately, we only have a few hours, but at least I have the best assistant a girl could ask for.” I teased, smiling when some of the worry faded from her eyes. “Assistant!” She scoffed, precariously pulling a few journals from their shelves before setting them down on the nearest table. Her flaming hair bounced as she plopped down, gingerly lifting the cover with her finger nail. “Now that I know Luna’s can have a Beta, I think I’d like to request a raise.” It was my turn to be surprised, completely caught off guard. I mean, I had thought the same thing, but I knew how rocky things were between her and Zayne. If there was ever that chance that they could be together, I could never hold her back from that. For a moment, I wondered if Tori had temporarily taken my abilities, because she read the look in my eye for exactly what it was. “I know, I think the same thing sometimes.” She hummed softly, glancing down at the journal in front of her. “What if’s and all of that. It just hurts more to think that way, to plan some kind of future with him when he clearly doesn’t want me there. I can’t put my life on pause for him, and if that means never becoming a Luna–well, there’s a lot of good I can do as my best-friend’s Beta. Don’t you think?” “I think that was well said.” I mused, unable to help the smile that overtook my face. I grabbed a few journals as well, crinkling my nose when the scent of dust and cracked leather fluttered into the air. “Besides, he doesn’t dictate whether or not you’re a Luna. You might have the official title as a Beta, but you’ll always be more than that.” “So does that mean I got the job?” She smirked, wiggling her eyebrows in a much more Tori-like fashion. “Well, I’m not sure yet.” I shrugged, tapping my chin. “There’s a lot I’m going to need from you. References, a d**g test, past employers–“ “I’m pretty sure none of those things matter now that we’re fugitives.” She smirked, emerald-colored eyes warm and light for a change.

We laughed and joked for the next few minutes, stealing back some normalcy from the man who had threw both of our lives through the blender. Through the bleary-eyed chuckles, we could almost forget where we were, even with the scent of old books lodged in our heads. We got to work right after, wiping trading laughter for quickly exchanged comments on what we were reading. The clock in here had long expired, and ticked away even though the hands never once moved. I knew time was creeping by as my eyes began to dry and the small spot between my eyebrows arched. “There were so many white wolves back then, with so many different powers.” Tori said softly, both amazed and horrified. “There still are white wolves, just as many.” I said what we both knew, “They’re just not free.”

I swapped between musty journals and brittle feeling newspaper clippings about pack politics and even a few murders. Things were a lot different when white wolves roamed freely, lived freely within their packs. As there always is in life, there were white wolves who craved destruction and violence. They did as many humans do; they m******d and stole, took what they wanted from whomever. The difference was that these werewolves had magic, an advantage that made them more dangerous than a common m******r. There was always a price; a price for freedom. This was that price, that the white wolves let out into the world wouldn’t all be peaceful. I knew that this was the first thing I would do once stepping into power. I would make sure that we survived, that our kind truly began to flourish, and that those who wanted to hurt the innocent were removed from the equation. I trusted that my absolute lack of experience would be mitigated by the knowledge of my mates and family. I trailed my eyes over what felt like the hundredth journal. The tiny black script made my eyes ache, and felt like agony as I arced and curved over their p’s and q’s. It was a single phrase that caught my eye, one I had almost missed. © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

1512 I saw her with my own eyes. Lady Anne healed the blacksmith’s boy. The village crone had fixed his broken and brittle body after a fall from a great tree. A scream of fright was not foreign, especially one from a child. The plague and dysentery s*********d our villages, devoured our young and rotted them before our eyes. We felt the loss less than the mortals, though still as deep when our devout were among those diseased. Initially, I had planned to turn around and walk in the opposite direction as the ill child. Having children of my own and two lost to the creator, I could risk no more than anyone else. Lady Anne held no home, no devout bonded to her soul. Long had the village been waiting for her d***h, waiting for disease to claim her. Lady Anne was among the seldom few who had not felt it’s cold touch. Not one knew her health was a curse from the creator. I knew it as I turned, as I watched Lady Anne approach the boy’s broken body. Cartilage and flesh, bone and sinew. A b****y canvas highlighted by the boy’s melancholy song, which now was nothing more than a whimper. The way her eyes grew bright when she touched the boy, the way my own life flickered and ebbed. Lady Anne was cursed with devouring life, my own life. It was that very life she was then giving to the blacksmith’s boy. My breath fueled his heart, the blood in my veins knitting the wounds on his skin. I blacked out shortly after, hearing nothing but the rush of blood in my ears. I had not seen Lady Anne since that day, but have long watched the boy grow into manhood, free of illness and plague. “I’m not sure how this helps us, but I think I’ve found something about my abilities.” I frowned, glancing up at Tori. Her hair was a tangled mess from how many times she ran her fingers through it, meshing the curls together. “It’s kind of discouraging.” Tori had just enough time to skim the delicate hand writing before the door was wrenched open and Mera came through. The sharp edge to her worry had me standing from my seat, grabbing Tori’s hand to follow her without a single word.

“Somethings wrong with Sabine.” She said through clenched teeth as we sped through the center of town. There weren’t many cars out, as the sun had already begun to set. It was easy enough for her to weave in between traffic as we coasted forwards. “She has episodes, which is understandable considering everything she’s been through. Sometimes they are worse than others, when vision’s flood her too fast for her to process.” We swung into the driveway, kicking up dirt and gravel as we clamored from the SUV. A quick patter of feet on the porch and we were all inside. Admittedly, Sabine’s episode wasn’t what I had expected. It was quiet in the house, eerily so. It was when we came upstairs that we understood what was going on. Alec and Kade both leaned against the wall outside of what looked to be Sabine’s bedroom. Both pulled me into their embrace, but quickly let me go as I noticed what was going on. A door of pure white painted in splashes of pink and swipes of neon green. The door was open, showing Sabine and Isaiah inside. Isaiah stood off to the side, pleading with his eyes while gently speaking to Sabine. “What happened to her?” Mera asked fiercely, following Isaiah from the hall. “She has never acted like this, even when you slipped up and said his name.” Sabine made no move to show that she had heard Mera. She stood in her room, coated in dark colored paint as she furiously splashed and swiped away at the walls. Colorful art was covered in splotches of black and blue, walls of pure crimson. Her movements were twitchy, her eyes wide and glossed over as she swiped and slashed. “Is she having visions?” I asked Mera, stepping into the bedroom to get a closer look. Her eyes were clouded, pools of blue that seemed just a tad too hazy. There was some awareness there, but not much. As for her emotions, they were a whirlpool. Fear, disbelief, h****r, outrage. A festering mess of negative emotions that rushed by her all at once. I stumbled back, feeling my head pound and my vision blur as all of those emotions passed through me. Delicate sparks trickled up my wrists and arms as I felt the touch of both Alec and Kade.

“You alright, doll?” His words were tinged with worry, whispered down to my ear. “It’s her emotions.” I shuddered, stepping back into both of their warm embraces. Alec with his spicy scent, and Kade with his rich one. Both masculine and delectable, but noticeably different. “I understand why she has these episodes. It’s like she feels everything from her visions, but it’s all at once. Anyone would get overwhelmed if they were constantly being swarmed all of the time.” I stood back with Alec and Kade as Mera entered the room, walking up slowly to Sabine. Her sister made no notice, still scratching and slashing at the paint on the walls. Covering bright pinks and purples with darkness and blood. “It looks like a warzone.” Kade shrugged, making an offhand comment that seemed just a tad too true. The slashes of crimson over top the black, it did look like a warzone. Both Tori and I jumped when Sabine’s scream filled the room and hall. Mera had placed a hand on her shoulder, tearing Sabine from her vision as she stumbled backwards with her hands raised. “Do not touch me.” She hissed, colliding into the corner of the room where she remained rooted in place. I wasn’t sure what compelled me to move forwards. Perhaps it was the mind-splitting fear Sabine felt, and how her psyche seemed to be in two places at once. Or it could have been my own inner compassion, I wasn’t sure. All I knew was that one moment I was standing with Alec and Kade, and the next I was just two feet away from a very terrified Sabine. I glanced between the two sisters’ reading the very different fear in both of their eyes. I felt both equally, and for that brief moment, I was both older and younger sister. Terrified for my life, and the life I had thought lost. Mera’s eyes hardened when she met mine, and finally, she gave me a firm nod. I seemed to have some inkling of what that meant, because I took that as my ‘okay’ to move forward. “I could never understand what you went through, but your sister-these people here, you can protect them. You can keep him from them Sabine, but you have to tell us what you saw.” The words came from my mouth smoothly, despite the obvious tremor in my hands. I placed my hands on Sabine, and felt my knee’s buckle as her fear washed over me. Years of it,

stacked on top of one another until details and memories became warped and fuzzy. She was neither here nor there, but everywhere at once. Trapped beneath Marcus’s thumb, a child thrown into a cell, an adult finally freed, a sister–after so long of being alone. Surrounded by real people, flesh and blood instead of that of her visions. The text about Lady Anne briefly ran through my head, and I wonder if it was that or past theories that forced my next actions. Much like feeding from someone’s soul, this held that similar connection. Only this time instead of pulling and tearing with vicious claws and sharpened teeth, I was giving. Claws and teeth retracted, nothing but flesh and smooth skin. Energy passed through me in a flood of warmth, resonating in my chest as it thrummed down my arms and into Sabine. She was no longer screaming, her eyes frozen but not clouded. Slowly, she blinked a few times. Her eyes darted around the room, at the painted walls and canopied bed, at her sister who she looked at for the longest. Finally, her eyes traveled back around to me. “They found out you knew they were coming. Plans have changed, the three will be here in one hour, and he’ll be here in five.” Her voice wasn’t weak nor were her words whispered. They were spoken with clarity, and not that dreamy tone she had been using when we first met. “What did you do to me? I couldn’t tell the difference between what I was seeing, what was real. I can separate them now, the visions and…and memories. You’re her, you have to be. The girl with eyes of earth and water.” A spasm of panic settled in my chest at what I might have done to her, and the h****r that it may wear off, but when I saw the blossoming joy and fear on Mera’s face, I couldn’t bring myself to fracture that. “I think I am.” I replied, my voice just a tad pained. I stumbled backwards as I let go, wondering how much energy I had given Sabine. There was something nagging at the back of my mind, something I had to ask her. “How did he know that we found out? I thought he didn’t know you were here.” Sabine was silent for so long that I wondered if she might not answer the question, or if she’d sink back into her trauma and the memories and visions that once flooded her. “My daughter knows.” She finally whispered, a shaky hand coming up to cover her mouth. ” She works

for him.” Alec caught me as I stumbled back, his hands gripping my hips as he all but kept me standing. Kade frowned and closed in as well, but it was Mera who first spoke up. “I have heard the whispers, but I prayed they weren’t true.” Her voice mirrored her sisters, horrified at the thought of Marcus having her niece, and fearful of the woman she has become under his influence. “We will do what we can to help her, but for now we must take action.” “What the h**l are we supposed to do? If they’re an hour away, that means they know this place exists.” I frowned, leaning into both of the twins as I mustered up the strength for the upcoming hour. “Trying to evacuate the town in time will not work.” Sabine spoke before Mera had the chance, earning another look of stunned surprise. Her voice still held that distinct swell of kindness, a trait I was relieved she kept despite the h****r she went through. “They have other’s following close behind, enough to cause much d***h.” “Then what are our options?” Mera hissed, though not at anyone in particular. She glanced at Isaiah, whose eyes were just as pained. “We will fight, and use that diversion to get Aurora, her mates, and friend out safely.” Isaiah said with finality, giving his mate a long look that made pain sear beneath my skin. “You and Sabine will go as well.” “Nonsense.” Mera spat, eyes hardening. “If you are staying to fight, I am as well. We go together, Isaiah. Do not forget your promise to me. Sabine will go with them. I will not have her anywhere near that man, never again.” “I am sorry, Mera.” Sabine whispered, eyes shimmering like sapphire water color. Whatever I had done to her, it cleared the fog from her mind and brought her back to the present. I hadn’t healed her of those invisible wounds. Of the bruises and slashes that trauma leaves, that remain open, manifesting themselves in your dreams and thoughts. I hadn’t healed that part of her, and I wasn’t sure if I could. “I don’t want to leave you again, but I cannot go back there.” “Do not apologize to me.” Mera shook her head softly, taking Sabine’s hands in her own. Instead of cringing away, Sabine returned the smile. “Stay alive, and free. You have spent long enough in a cage.”

The very thing that keeps this town safe from outsiders is the same thing that risks its exposure. Located in the middle of the forest, nestled in the mountains, there are at least six different ways for Marcus’s people to infiltrate the town. Within half an hour, the entire town understood what would soon happen. That they would play diversion while I escaped with my mates, best-friend, and Sabine in tow. Rather than send warriors out to defend those six entrances, everyone pushed further to the center of town. There they would fight against any of the white wolves Marcus had sent with the three. “I trust you will do everything possible to keep her safe.” Mera whispered into my ear, wrapping her arms around me in an embrace that smelled of sunflowers and shea. “I do hope we meet again, Aurora. Preferably in this life.” After a teary goodbye between Mera and Sabine, she and Isaiah left ten minutes later. They planned to converge with the rest of the town, at the center where they waited for Marcus’s white wolves. With Mera wearing my clothes and Isaiah wearing the twin’s, they carried our scent throughout the town with them. There would be backup coming in around an hour or two from now, from the nearby cities within Isaiah’s territory. Marcus now knew that without a doubt, Mera and Isaiah were involved in the resistance. From this point forwards, war would be declared on their pack as well. Should I fail and Marcus win, there would no longer be a place for them in the world. Right on the hour mark, warning bells sounded throughout the entire town, echoing down deserted streets and back roads. Long and monotonous, they were the exact opposite sound of what my heart was making. Two conflicting beats that both carried the same amount of foreboding. We waited ten minutes before slipping out the backdoor, keeping behind houses but out of the forest as we progressed further from town. If I listened hard, I swore I could hear the sound of snarling as white wolves fought one another to the d***h. Each of us had showered before leaving, changing into clothes that didn’t carry our scent. It was a bit more difficult for Sabine, who had lived in the house long enough for her scent to reach just about everything.

I knew something was wrong when we were half an hour away from town. Sabine had stopped in her tracks, her eyes going foggy for just a few short seconds. She blinked a few times and looked around, fear creeping and growing with every second. “What?” I asked, taking her hand even though she hardly knew me. I couldn’t help but feel she might’ve known me fairly well, considering she’s been seeing visions of me since she was a child. “What is it? What did you see?” “I shouldn’t have come with you.” Her voice was feather soft, broken and fractured. That flicker of hope had burned out before it had the chance to become anything more than a small ember. A crack sounded in the forest, making Kade whip around. “They’ve found us because of me.” The first thing I smelled was body odor, masculine and thick with sweat. It was overbearing, and I understood why when a towering figure emerged from the forest. He was easily six foot tall, though completely b**e in the muscle department. Shaggy bark colored hair hung down to his shoulders, greasy and poorly brushed. Patchy stubble coated his chin, and sweat stained clothes hung from his body. He was one of the least intimidating men I had ever met, but the Hound wasn’t meant to look threatening. “He caught my scent.” Sabine croaked, her entire frame trembling. I turned my head to Tori just as another figure emerged from the forest. “Get her out of here when they a****k.” I told her, my voice low and just barely audible. When I saw her eyes widen, and turn defensive, I harshened my tone even further. I knew she could see it in my eyes, that I wasn’t asking. It was her first test as my Beta, the first test to see if she could suppress those Luna instincts and listen to a direct order. “I mean it, Tori. Focus on her, not me.” Both Tori and I moved in front of Sabine, making sure she stayed behind the towering forms of the twins. I could feel her trembling and taste her fear from the few feet away we stood. The next to emerge, coming to a stop just a few feet closer to us than the Hound, was a petite looking girl. She was young, with rounded features that could easily pass for eighteen. Even though there was a certain kind of youth to her, I did not miss the thick muscles along her arms and legs. The last to step out was Chaos, who would have easily been one of the most beautiful men I had ever

seen, if it weren’t for the sinister light to his eyes. It had nothing to do with the fact that they were a rich shade of crimson, which stood out brightly from his onyx hair. It was the glint of satisfaction in them when he noticed I wasn’t alone, that there would be others to take out before grabbing me. A washed- out band t-shirt and some torn jeans completed the look, though there was nothing salvageable within this man. A sociopath through and through. Just as Sabine had said; the Assassin and Hound had finally come, and Chaos followed.