Beaufort Creek Shifters (10 book series)
The Wolf’s Secret Twins Chapter 2

Virginia

"What's a Walsh?"

"Why does she look like she's hiding a terrible secret?"

"She's the Walsh? No wonder no one is sitting with her!"

Great-today just had to be awful. Adhara was running a low-grade fever from her ear infection, Anthony was sharing that pain because of their twin-tuition thing they had going on, and I was feeling under the weather from that cold I had last week. My throat was still scratchy. My chest hurt. Juice didn't taste the same.

I coughed. "Alpha, please-" But it was more of a croak than a plea.

A pathetic, useless attempt at begging like that wouldn't get me any kind of mercy from my alphas. Blake was frozen on the stage. Gods, if he could just move an inch, if he could open his mouth and clear up this mess, then maybe my twins and I would have a chance at survival here.

Nope. It wasn't happening. The cacophonous horror that had become the recreation center was growing louder by the second as people clamored to verify who I was, why I was a single mother, and why in the world a Walsh, of all people, would be hiding in plain sight in such a peaceful pack.

Peaceful. They said it like I was the one who had made this shitty storm happen. Disdain stabbed me from every direction like sharpened talons ready to gut me. My kids, my poor children, were suffering the crushing weight of my shame as I hugged them to my chest and covered their ears, trying to shield them from the hatred slowly coming to a boil.

Nothing could stop this tide once it started. I knew from personal experience. That was why we'd come here in the first place. Refuge was our only option to make sure things like this never happened again. So much for safety.

Through the mess, I spotted Bentley standing proudly at his table with his arms crossed over his chest and a triumphant smile planted on his face. Of course he was happy about this mess. Because creating a mess like this meant that I would be left for the wolves- literally.

Please, don't. Begging wouldn't get anything done. I knew too well how pleading wouldn't work. How many nights had I done much the same only to find pain on the other side of my frantic requests? I hung my head. I was failing my children, and most of all I was failing myself.

It might be time to visit Fred again.

I glanced at the stage where the alphas were stepping into the crowd and gently nudging people aside. As they made their way across the room, each person they came in contact with eased back, eventually returning to their table with solemn expressions. No one truly knew how to react to this. It wasn't like we had a set of laws or guidelines on the matter.

We. I used to think I was part of this pack. Protected, safe-but those were just fantasies. I realized that the life I had tried to build for my darling twins was just a lie, something I'd made up to help them sleep at night. They were such good children. They got along so well with Fred, and they loved their new names.

This wasn't what I wanted for either of them. But how could I make it better when an entire pack-minus the alphas-was against us? There wasn't much hope left, especially with that eerie expression on Bentley's face, and the undoubtedly awful things he had planned for me later.

I shuddered to think where he would pop up next.

"Alpha, please," I managed to whimper as Troy drew closer. "I can't...I won't..."

Troy touched my left shoulder. "You're alright, Virginia. At ease-you'll be okay-that's it-keep breathing now."

Just one touch from my alpha zapped a third of my fear. Tension reduced to mere twitches, and I found my children calming down as well, their silent tears staining my shirt and the skin beneath. We were all soaked in sobs at this point. Couldn't these people see what they were doing to us was pure poison?

I looked at Slater who hadn't moved from the center of the aisle, his blue eyes narrowing in my direction and then falling on my kids. I hugged them harder.

Equal was the ire I spat back at him. Whatever I could muster within my soul was returned tenfold, more than just a pair of eyes casting evil upon him. Energy bubbled around me as I felt my hackles rise, a growl already itching to crawl up my throat. No, I couldn't give in to his crap like I had in the past.

He wouldn't take hold of me again. I'd make sure of it.

Yet the longer I stared at him, the more I was reminded of his previous form, the man from ten years ago who didn't care that our families were at odds. There was a once-upon-a-time when we were Romeo and Juliet, just without the poison.

Unless you count his betrayal as poison. My features stiffened with contempt. He poisoned me. He poisoned us. He sent us running to Atlanta.

Memories came crashing into my mind, confusing my reality with things I didn't even want to think about.

Adhara lifted her head and wiped the tears from my left cheek. "Mama, don't think about that right now."

I cleared my throat. "Sorry, buggy. I'm just..."

Troy massaged my shoulder. More comfort came into my immediate awareness, chasing the shadows of my past back to their cage. "Virginia, my deepest apologies. I wasn't aware of your association."

"We were supposed to be kept safe here," I stated bitterly. I focused on Blake who gave me such a mournful expression of remorse. "You promised. Your father promised."

"I'm sorry, Virginia," Blake said, bowing his head. "Troy didn't know. He's new to this process. He had no idea what he was doing."

Bentley stomped forward. "Aren't you going to send her off?"

Blake spun around on his boot and towered over Bentley. "Go to the basketball court. I want to speak to you in private."

"But, Alpha, I just saved-"

"Now."

Silence ruptured the room. Nobody dared to speak. Shoot, I didn't think anyone would dare take a breath with how thick the anger was in the air. One inhalation would have certainly brought on hell from the Beaufort Creek alpha. While his temperament was much calmer than his father's, he still retained the rage. And boy, was it a deep rage, a volcanic river that would burn anything with the molten flames of justice.

Part of me was satisfied to see such support from my alpha. But there was still uncertainty. There was still the matter of what the hell we were going to do now that the secret was out. Would I be forced to mate with someone else? Or would we be sent away? Worse, would we be subject to the cabins located beyond the gardens of the mansion? Isolation never did me well in the past. My children didn't need to suffer such ire just because this pack was prejudiced.

I chewed on my lower lip. Everyone kept looking at us like we were fruit bats performing tricks at the supernatural flea market. I couldn't take it anymore.

I stood up and collected my kids. "Alpha Troy, I'm so sorry for this mess. I-"

"No, dear. You do not owe us an apology. We owe you an apology."

Someone from the back scoffed.

Troy glared in that direction, everyone in his way ducking as if his eyes were spewing death rays. Anthony clutched me tightly while burrowing his face into my belly. The poor dear was just beyond exhausted from this ordeal. Blake waved his hands, causing Bentley to flinch. "Friends, please forgive Alpha Troy for his mistake. We're co-leaders and it's our responsibility to share important pack information with each other." He turned to me with another apologetic frown. "Again, I'm deeply sorry, Virginia. We'll speak soon."

Troy gestured to the rear exit. I was being shuffled out the back door again. What a way to live these days.

With my head held high, I scooted past Slater in the aisle, knowing intimately how much hostility he carried for me-and caring so little about that fact. If he hadn't reacted to me the way he had in the past, this wouldn't be happening right now. I wouldn't be ducking away from him any time he wandered the neighborhood streets. I wouldn't be dying my hair wild colors and wearing t-shirts to cover my identifiable tattoos. I wouldn't be hiding.

But that wasn't how my life had shaped up.

He had gotten everything he had ever wanted. He had a house, doting parents, and an entire pack at his back supporting him. There wasn't a thread of a rumor anywhere about him. If I had to guess, he barely ever made mistakes, or was perceived as so perfect that mistakes were merely hiccups.

Single mothers like me didn't receive such luxuries. The terror of that realization made me wince from the emotional pain of his gaze boring into me. Something seemed to pass between us as my shoulder knocked into his. And honestly, it wasn't very clear which one of us did it, or whether it was an accident. Because how it happened was irrelevant when the result was electrifying.

Bolts coated my torso and zapped every sensitive area of my body. I grabbed Adhara's hand, and she grabbed Anthony's hand, and I tugged them along like a train, trying to get past Slater as fast as I possibly could. Confidence just went right out the window when we touched like that. It was unreasonable.

It reminded me of our old pack days.

I shook my head as I followed Alpha Troy. Alpha Blake was right behind us, instructing the gawking crowd to disperse as today's meeting was officially over. Most people were fine with that while some were disappointed-I supposed they had expected more mate announcements.

Many people had yet to be paired. The Beaufort Creek Pack had absorbed many new members since the war ended, including the Bravecrests. Tons of potential pairs were out there. And while I had no interest in ascribing to such fantasies, I knew the importance of safety and protection.

I knew it so well that it made me ache inside to realize I was losing mine.

My heart shuddered. If Bentley hadn't said anything, then I could have spoken to Slater privately. I could have worked something out.

I glanced at Anthony who was wiping fresh tears from his face. The sun glistened in those tears and then I was crying all over again, choking on sobs like they were dry cotton balls clogging up my throat. I stopped in the middle of the road, dropped to my knees, and hugged my kids.

Troy rubbed my shoulder over and again. "Take your time. We'll keep the others at bay."

"I'm sorry-I'm so sorry-"

What else could I say? This was my fault. It had started with those filthy Duffs like Slater, but ultimately it was my choice that had gotten us into this mess. If I had just listened to my parents-

I wiped my face. "Okay, I'm good."

A smile erupted over my lips, cool and calm like I had practiced in the mirror. I turned it to my alphas as I took my children's hands, encouraging them to move forward. "Just keep swimming, right?"

"Like Dory," Adhara said with relief. "And Nemo. Can we watch that later?"

"Ugh, again?" Anthony whined. "Can't we watch Five Nights like you promised?"

I chuckled. "You said you got nightmares the last time you tried that one."

"But it's just a video game, Mom."

"It's a video game with scary stuff."

He huffed and pouted slightly. As much as he tried to hide his pout, it still came through, and it was something that always made my forced smile turn genuine.

I ruffled his hair. "How about we try watching it with the lights on?"

"Can I watch it too?" Adhara asked. "I'm good at watching scary things. I've watched every backroom video on YouTube."

I froze in the middle of the road. "You've watched what?"

"They're just short scary stories, Mom. Don't have a cow."

Both alphas seemed like they wanted to laugh but didn't want to undermine my authority. While I appreciated the gesture, I was still flustered from running into Slater, being outed by my stalker, and having to deal with crying on top of everything else. Anthony sighed while Adhara cheerfully bounced on her toes. "Deal!"

I sighed, resolving myself to the whim of my overly curious and brave children. "Alright, we can just...watch something. But the moment the jump scares start, I'm totally out and we're watching Nemo. Deal?"

Troy smiled brightly. "I'm sure my cousin Elias would love to host you for a movie night sometime. You know my nephew Archie, right?"

I nodded. "Actually, that would be lovely. I can't imagine we'll have much good reception after-" I glanced over my shoulder to the people pouring from the double doors of the recreation center. "Anyway, that would be nice."

Blake opened his mouth to speak, stopped for a second, and then met my gaze boldly. "I'm sorry again, Virginia. You'll probably understand when I say it's absolutely forbidden for you to mate with Slater."

I stared at him. "Alpha, why the hell would I ever mate with Slater?"

"I know your history is-" He gestured to the twins. "-Well, it's complicated, isn't it?"

My heart clenched in my chest. "Right. I understand."

He nodded, glanced at Troy, and then focused on me again. "When you're ready to speak the truth, you have my full support. However, a bond between the two of you simply wouldn't work."

"It's not like it'd cause a war."

"Maybe not a war, Virginia, but it'll split our pack. We've barely recovered from the war. I don't want anything to fracture us."

He meant me. My alpha was talking about me. A lump formed in my throat as I attempted to grasp what was quickly becoming a direct order from my leader. While Troy was granting me sympathetic glances, he leaned into Blake's decision on the matter. And why would that bother me? It wasn't like I wanted to be with Slater, to begin with.

"Do you understand, Virginia?" Blake asked in a gentle tone. "I just want to make sure we don't have any loose ends here."

"I understand, Alpha."

Voices rose from beyond the doors. Shouts erupted. People clamored around the doors and crowded the exit, blocking other people from exiting. Chaos was about to explode.

Understandably, the alphas dove into action. Their pack was like this because of me. I knew my presence was agitating things, so I turned around with my kids and rushed them away from the scene.

We weren't wanted here. So, why the hell should we stay?