Beaufort Creek Shifters (10 book series)
The Wolf’s Secret Twins Chapter 6

Virginia

Grief joined me in the foyer when I closed the front door. Funny how that feeling came along so abruptly. Even during great moments, happy moments, laughing moments, grief had a way of creeping into a place and rooting itself in an empty corner. Maybe that was why I tried to keep myself busy as many nights a week as I could at Jester. Because I didn't want to think about things.

Especially not grief.

But today's grief was different. It was complex. It came on just as I slid the bolt lock in place and observed the normal sounds echoing through the house. Adhara and Anthony were playing one of their favorite video games, skillfully strategizing with each other while speaking rapidly. Sometimes, I wondered if it was their own language because of how fast they could speak to each other without so much as taking a breath. But then, I just chalked it up to their twintuition.

I walked reverently around the fluffy couch and sank into it, inhaling the scents that rose from the fabric where Blake and Troy had sat. Vetiver broke through everything, cutting me right down to the bone. That was why the grief was so heavy. It was because of that

scent.

And it was because of a lot of other things too.

I didn't understand Slater's insistence on helping us. Help was hard to come by these days. And given the nature of my identity getting tossed to the wolves-and bears, crows, rabbits, and panthers just to name a few-I was left scrambling for purchase. Slater had swooped in and offered me his hand without hesitation and without any requirement for repayment.

That made me suspicious.

Yet at the same time, my meeting with the alphas had been spectacular. Both Blake and Troy apologized profusely for allowing such a creepy man to wander the streets. Granted, they couldn't have known that Bentley would turn out to be a creep, mostly because he came from an unassuming family in an unassuming pack that had merged with ours. Blake had a habit of scooping families up and providing them with shelter. It was just the way he worked. Troy was picking up on the habit too.

Charity came with a risk-and that same truth applied to me and my children. What Nathan had originally offered us continued because Blake recognized and respected his father as our previous alpha, regardless of how many problems had stemmed from the end of that leadership.

We all learned from the past. We did our best to make sure it carved the path for the future without taking over completely. And right now, I was resisting the urge to let my past dictate my next set of actions.

But I didn't have time for that when Adhara and Anthony were running spiritedly down the hallway with their matching teal bags. They slid to a halt in the foyer just behind me and stood at attention like soldiers awaiting their orders.

I laughed. "Playing that war game again, are we?"

"Sir, yes sir!" they replied simultaneously.

A sigh propelled me from the couch as I went to check the living room window. "Did Archie say when they were picking you up?"

Adhara procured a pocket watch from the pocket of her jeans. Daisies decorated the denim fabric all the way to the flared hem. I remembered doing the embroidery for it when she saw it on her favorite television show. One of those pop singers was bringing back flared jeans. I thought it was cute.

She showed me her watch. "They should be arriving in three minutes, Mama."

"And did you pack your toothbrush?" Nods from both. "Toothpaste?" Another pair

nods. "Undies? Towels? Stuffies?" Three more nods from my twin children put me at ease.

I smiled and opened my arms. Both children fell right into place, Adhara on my left and Anthony on my right. Together, we made a perfect trinity. We had weathered storms, faced challenges, and were now wading through the flood waters to get back to dry land. While pulling through was the only option left for us, I wondered what else we could do.

We could run.

The doorbell rang before I could let the thought finish out. Muffled voices wavered on the other side of the wood as I peeked out the curtain to check. The twins waited patiently, standing six feet back from the door with anticipatory expressions. When I nodded, they both flew forward and unlatched the door at the same time.

Archie excitedly embraced the twins while Elias extended his hand. I smiled and shook it, feeling a sense of comfort echo from him that reminded me of Troy.

"Thanks for doing this on short notice," he said. "Archie wouldn't stop going on about Anthony's twin sister and how they needed to do a raid or something tonight."

"It's for our country," Adhara stated confidently while holding Archie's hand. Anthony stood on the other side of the bear child, holding his other hand. Anthony nodded proudly and added, "Our platoon is about to reach the border."

"Is that what that noise was all about?" I teased. Elias and I exchanged one of those knowing parental looks. "Well, it sounds like a hoot."

"Mom," Anthony whined in a low voice. "That's such a..." He glanced at Adhara who shook her head. He released a resolved sigh. "Yes, Mama. It's a hoot."

Elias choked on a laugh while I nervously threaded my fingers through my hair. If I didn't know any better, I'd say my kids thought I was a dork for using language like that. Well, they were both at the late stage of being ten. And then in a few years, they'd both be teenagers. And then, to my horrific realization, I'd be dealing with two hormonal children on top of dealing with...whatever this situation would be at that point in time. Fear snaked through my core, making the pit of my stomach drop out. Are we even going to have a home here by then?

Elias smiled warmly as he ushered the kids out onto the porch. "I'll have them both back tomorrow by lunch. I'll text you updates. You let me know if you want to drop by, okay?"

I waved away the offer. "No, it's fine. I-"

He looked at Archie and nodded to the swing. "Hey, sport. Why don't you take measurements of that thing so we can make one?"

Adhara perked up. "I can help."

Anthony ran after them. "Oh, I have a tape measure in my bag!"

Once the three were away from the foyer and occupied by the swing, Elias leaned against the doorframe and casually tucked his hands into his pockets. "It's okay if you're nervous letting them stay over. Francine and I won't be bothered if you want to pick up your kids early."

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Is it that obvious?"

"I used to be a single parent. I know how it can get when you're alone."

"I know the whole Bentley situation is handled, but..." I trailed off, trying to avoid eye contact. If Elias was anything like Troy, then he would be able to practically read my mind. They were all intuitive like that. No wonder my kids got along with Archie. "Sorry, I'm still worried about that man stalking me again."

Elias nodded. "Troy told me about the meeting before he came by with Blake. The security team has everything under control. Everyone in the pack who is capable of defending the pack has a picture and description of Bentley. We even installed a few extra cameras on the streets."

I peered over his shoulder, noticing the way twilight ebbed around the houses. "Is that so?"

"That's so," he replied gently. "Seriously, don't hesitate to text or call. The same goes for Troy. He's a light sleeper."

I chafed my left elbow and then nodded. "Okay, I appreciate that."

He grinned until his eyes closed, then turned to boom, "Let's get this train moving from the station, soldiers!"

Three children fluttered into the room and wrapped me in a hug. I kissed each of them, Archie included, and watched from the door as they skipped off with Elias. For once, things felt normal. Things felt like they would be okay.

I just wished that feeling would last beyond this moment.

***

I woke up with a start-and a loud snort.

When I wiped my mouth, warm drool smeared over my lips, making me cringe as I ran off to the hall bathroom. Sleep must have taken me once the twins were gone. It never occurred to me just how much energy children took until they weren't around. For someone like Francine, I couldn't even imagine what her evenings looked like.

Though with somebody like Elias around-someone strong, patient, kind, and understanding-she probably got plenty of rest. Jealousy clutched my heart as I bent over the sink and splashed some warm water on my face. Comfort came swiftly until the water cooled and my skin got cold.

More water would help. That was the ticket. Maybe a hot bath would be in order along with one of my favorite toys.

Just the thought of some playtime brought with it the scent of vetiver and amber. Gods, how long had it been since I'd actually had s*x with another person? Since Slater?

Four distinct knocks interrupted my thinking session. I glanced at the hallway, staring for so long that it invited another round of knocks, making me realize that it wasn't just my mind playing tricks on me. My heart raced as I shut the faucet off slowly. I lifted a towel from the rack, dabbed my face dry, and quietly stepped around the creaky floorboards in the hallway to get to the front door.

I checked the peephole first. Nothing. The window came next, along with the floodlight I had installed for such evenings. No one was on the porch, and I couldn't hear anything over the roar of crickets.

Son of a bitch, I was losing my mind. Vetiver stole my senses, amber smacked me in the back of my nostrils, and then I was trotting briskly to the back door where I unlatched it and flung it open. Slater stood in the corner of the porch near the hammock with a phone lighting up his dumb face.

He pointed to the house. "I knocked. A few times, actually."

"I heard."

"And you didn't answer?"

I searched the yard for shadows. Nothing in particular stood out. I couldn't hear anything out of the ordinary other than my heart slamming against my ribcage.

I shut the kitchen door behind me as I stepped out onto the porch. "I have a rule about answering the door after a certain hour."

"Because of Bentley."

Sure, that's one of many reasons. I nodded as I played with my hair. "Yeah, well, you know."

"Can't be too careful."

"I wish I didn't have to be."

Pity drifted across his face. He nodded to the hammock as he plunged his phone into his pocket. When I reached him, he opened the fabric of the hammock for me to sit. The handles of the hammock creaked and then the rings holding it into the porch squeaked lightly as I rocked myself.

Slater pulled up a chair. "I thought I'd come back and make sure everything was alright."

"Didn't Troy update you about the whole thing?"

"Yeah, but I had to see for myself."

My heart skipped a beat. Just moments ago, I'd been thinking about a warm touch in the bath with his natural musk in mind. Had he heard my thoughts? It was spooky to find him out here minutes later. "Yeah, well..." I sighed. "I guess I'm just not used to being treated like this."

"I can imagine."

I glared at him in the rusty yellow porch light. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Your granddad was a piece of work, that's what that means, Ginny. He f****d over my granddad, my parents lost their investment, and then our whole pack fell apart."

Shame crept over my skin like hot mud. "I know, Slater. You don't have to remind me."

"They were all idiots."

My head snapped up. "What?"

"Idiots. They were all fucking idiots, Ginny. The Frostcrown pack shouldn't have dropped all their eggs in one basket based on the foolish observation of a drunk."

"Now, listen. You don't have to go and-"

His laugh was sharp and abrupt. "You're really going to defend that old traitor when he drained you of money too?"

I crossed my arms over my chest. Gods, there was so much he didn't know about. "I get it. You don't have to rub it in."

"I'm just saying."

Didn't he get that he'd said enough? It was bad enough to be around a blast from the past. But now everybody knew about it. And I just wasn't sure how I'd survive with everyone suddenly knowing my business.

Maybe it wasn't too late to call Fred. He made those documents pretty quick. I closed my eyes while looking away. And I'm still paying them off. Do I really want to add more debt to my tab?

"Ginny?"

Soft eyes came into view, hardly the frigid blue they typically were-or could become. So many years had passed since Slater had looked at me like I was precious to him. But if that was the case, then why had he dragged the rotting corpses out into the light? They were dead and buried. They needed to stay that way.

Like everything else.

"Sorry, I just..." He shrugged while tousling his hair. "I guess I get in my head about it sometimes."

"I understand."

He hung his head. "I know you do."

"I lost a pack that day too, Slater. I lost everything." I hugged my shoulders. "Atlanta was the only place to go."

His eyes hardened. "Your kid said something about the Silent Pride."

Shit, no. I didn't want to go there. I didn't want to have to lay it all out for him, how I had toiled through labor-through two babies ripping through me-and then had to shack up with some a*****e just to keep food on the table. All because my parents had sold me out. All to survive.

I looked away. "It's ancient history now, Slater. Drop it."

"Not until you explain why you were in the same place as those shitty bikers."

"Slater, shut up."

His expression went grim as he leaned forward and whispered heatedly, "Make me."

Make him shut up? Well, there was only one way to do that.

I had to kiss him.

Before I could stop myself, our lips had crashed together, and I really couldn't tell which one of us had started the whole mess. I could hardly say where my body began and his ended because that was how fast he yanked me into his lap. A haze fell over my mind as memories burst forth, mixing so seamlessly with my reality that I got lost in each sensation.

Heat curled in my core as I cupped his face and rolled my hips. I'd missed this. I'd missed him. I'd missed how good it felt to be wrapped up in his arms and safe, protected, guarded. That was what we did for me. And he was doing it again now. He was bringing me to shore, keeping me afloat with his kindness, sheltering me with unconditional care.

But was it even real?

I broke the kiss, leaning back to stare at him in shock, noticing the content countenance that spoke of his satisfaction with the whole situation. Wait, was this his goal the whole time? Protect me and get laid in the process?

Anger flooded my body as I slid from his lap. I marched to the kitchen door, paused with my hand on the knob, and spat over my shoulder, "It won't work this time, Slater."

And then I slammed the door, shaking the floorboards with my agitation-and with the resolution that I'd never fall for another man like I had fallen for Slater.