Promised To The Alpha Twins
Chapter 31

Friday was approaching, I could see it with every sunrise and every new sun that rose on the horizon, the date of my next life change was getting closer.

I was grateful that Stacy left for school earlier, that she had gotten ready earlier, that she had also had breakfast earlier, and that, ultimately, I didn’t have to cross paths with her in the morning because I was sure I would have ruined it, and it was a day with a beautiful blue sky that didn’t deserve it. Instead, I was grateful that Annabeth slept in late and that I didn’t have to encounter her either.

Axel offered to give me a ride to school, but as I said before, I didn’t want to ruin that beautiful day, so I lied and said I would take the bus because I had already decided to walk, even though my ankle hadn’t fully healed yet.

Well, I couldn’t ask for a miracle for everything, and a thousand times over I preferred the magical fix of my face over my foot.

The day at school went by normally, and this time I attended all the classes so as not to give Axel or Lia a reason to surprise me. I found it strange that the twins kept their distance, although I knew they never took their eyes off my back, but their behavior was, in the middle of the day, a relief because I didn’t want to face Chloe and her mean girls.

Gea was also calm, although she didn’t miss the chance to insist that I should approach Ethan and Liam, that they were the only ones who could protect me from Chloe, but I insisted, first, that she was crazy and that I would shut her up with some medication, and second, that they were the ones responsible for Chloe and her gang hating me.

Once at work, just when I thought I would have a perfect day, Ethan and Liam entered the restaurant, alone, with their gaze fixed on me. I slipped into the kitchen and, in collaboration with Jeniffer, managed to hide from them until Angelo had to intervene and, with his “don’t bring your personal problems to work” look, forced me to attend to my section of the dining area.

I hurried through the service, and just when I thought I had dodged the twins, I felt a hand grabbing my wrist. I knew whose it was just by the touch of their skin on mine. As they did that, I spilled the tray of drinks I was carrying at the moment towards the kitchen. I was grateful that at least the glasses were empty and only had a little ice and something other than soda or juice.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Liam said as he leaned down to pick up the tray I had dropped. Ethan did the same, but with the glasses.

Even though there was hardly any liquid left, my waitress blouse got stained, and it was the last clean one I had. I had no choice but to leave it on.

When they got up, our gazes met, and I felt a strong shiver running up my spine. Despite my mind warning me to stay away from them, the sensation had me captive because I knew they were exploring every inch of my body with the warmth of their eyes, which I could almost feel like a dew of warm water. They were concerned about me, and I knew their concern was sincere.

“Thank you,” I said with a somewhat trembling voice.

Their gazes pierced through me. They contained much more than questions and worry. They delved into my soul, penetrated it, and shook it forcefully, as if they knew I was hiding a thousand secrets they wanted to bring to light because they were obsessed with me. In my mind, the words they would have told me earlier echoed: That I belonged to them.

“But they are ours too,” murmured Gea. “Remember that they are ours.”

I didn’t pay attention to her because immediately Ethan asked me a question that made me shudder.

“Who was the man you were with earlier, darling?”

My lips parted, not because I felt tempted to respond quickly, but quite the opposite. I got scared. I didn’t know how they would react to what I was about to tell them. It was the same shake I had already felt in their gazes. They were interested in everything related to me, and that excited me, even if it was terrifying.

“Well, um…,” I stammered because I both wanted and didn’t want to tell them. I knew that by answering them, I would be opening a door to my privacy, a door through which they would enter without hesitation. Although a part of me was cautious and wanted to keep them out, another, stronger part longed for them to burst in forcefully. “He is my father.”

I surprised them more than I had anticipated, and I could see it in their gazes, which felt more attached to me in a much deeper and stickier way than anyone had ever looked at me before.

“Your father? That was your father?” Liam asked, equally surprised as his brother.

“Yes, unfortunately he is. He has decided to enter my life at this moment,” I replied, ashamed of the secret that was no longer a secret to them. What awaited me now that the twins were beginning to delve into my privacy, into the door that led to the basement of my past?

“You’ll have to forgive us, darling,” Ethan said. “We would like to know more about that, but it will have to be at school. Don’t miss tomorrow.”

I didn’t know what Ethan meant by that, but it seemed like an answer he had agreed upon with his brother for the sole purpose of extending me an invitation not to be absent the next day. I couldn’t help but wonder what the twins’ eagerness was for me to go to school without fail. It was fine that they cared about me, but why did they insist on me going to school?

Did they want to repeat what had happened in the classroom?

I shuddered just by remembering it.

All I could do was nod, like a little girl being asked by an adult to be diligent and not skip her duties. They turned around and left. I wanted to follow them, my mind projected towards them, wanting to go in their company.

I let them go while the word “Friday” kept repeating in my head, Friday, Friday, Friday.

Aly took me to Axel’s house when her shift ended. I saw her surprised when we arrived.

“So, they finally finished this house,” she said after parking. “You…, I mean, Axel had to wait several months for this place to be finished.”

I raised an eyebrow, confused.

“What do you mean? Axel arrived just one or two days ago,” Aly turned and looked me in the eyes.

“No, it can’t be. My mom helped decorate this house, and I know it’s been under construction for several months. He’s been planning this place for much longer than just a few days,” she said.

I couldn’t believe it. If that was true, then Axel had been planning his appearance for much longer than just a few days. It could even be that he had it prepared for at least a year because he had to take into account not only the construction time but also the purchase and preparation of the land, the planning of the house, the blueprints, and so on. It wasn’t something you did in a few days.

Did he even know I was coming here?

Or was it just a matter of coincidences?

I felt a huge void in my chest and got out of the car, as if fearing that with each new word from Aly, more secrets would pile up.

As I entered the house, the first thing I saw, after being amazed by the decoration in the foyer, was Axel. He was sitting in the living room, holding a glass with a dark drink whose smell immediately filled my nose. It was an alcoholic substance, there was no doubt about that, and despite Axel’s lack of resemblance to Dub, the sight of liquor in his hand in the living room of the house sent a shiver down my spine.

“I was waiting for you,” he said as he searched for my gaze amidst the surrounding shadows.

“You didn’t have to,” I replied, with a hint of coldness in my voice.

“But it’s necessary,” Axel replied after looking into my eyes and taking a sip of his drink. “This goes beyond what you want or don’t want because I must tell you what I’ve hidden from you for seventeen years. The time has come.”

It made me angry to think that Axel now wanted to reconcile with me and probably assumed that after telling me the reasons he abandoned me, I would throw myself into his arms and forgive him for the pain he had caused me all that time. He was completely wrong; I didn’t even want to give him the chance to do it.

“Can’t it wait until tomorrow? I’m tired now, and I just want to go up to my room…”

“I have waited for seventeen years, Sussan,” Axel interrupted. “It has to be now.”

I bit my l*p, and I must confess that I wanted to know whatever he had to tell me, but pride prevented me from doing so.

“Okay,” I finally said after a debate between my reason and emotions, “but before you say anything, there’s something I want to ask you.”

Axel took another sip of his drink without taking his eyes off me. There was something strange in his eyes, and for a moment, I felt like he was observing me with the same intensity and determination as the twins did earlier in the restaurant.

“Fine, although it’s very likely that with what I have to tell you, that question will also be answered, but I’ll let you ask whatever you want, Sussan.”

I pursed my lips. Something told me he was going to avoid answering my question, at least directly, but I also assumed that maybe he was as cautious with me as I was with him because I hadn’t even approached the living room, and he was still talking from the foyer. Still, I asked my question.

“This house,” I began, “Is it true that you’ve been preparing it for a few months?”

From Aly’s words, I felt compelled to know what was going on in Axel’s mind, or rather, what might have been happening since that time when, apparently, he had been preparing for the moment that now brought us together. I saw him raise his eyebrows, and at that moment, I knew he wouldn’t answer my question.

“Well, you see, Sussan, my family, or in other words, my species, is very different from humans, even though we have some similarities with them, and now you see me as one,” Axel said after licking his lips, unsure if it was to taste his drink or because he was aware of the nonsense he was telling me. “Usually, hybrids like you don’t develop their wolf side, but now I realize that your case deviates from the trend.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, and it was Gea who triggered the memory of the scene in the forest when the two black wolves approached me while I was resting on the fallen trunk.

“The ones you caressed that afternoon, Sussan, were two werewolves,” Gea said after realizing she had provoked that memory.

“This is complete madness. Am I losing precious minutes of sleep to listen to this nonsense?” I replied to Gea, while giving Axel an incredulous look. “It’s nothing more than my proven craziness.”

Before Axel could add another word, I burst out laughing.