Mated to the Alpha Twins

“You'd be correct. | can tell that you're both being honest, and that you're very protective of whatever it is you're hiding.” |

nodded, glancing between the two of them. It was an invasion of privacy, but one | couldn't turn off. | could try to ignore the

emotions | felt around me, but they washed down my shoulders regardless. A smirk formed on Mera’s face as | continued,

matched by my widening smile. “Actually, it was your general hatred for Marcus that piqued my interest in you both. | might have

never noticed you if | couldn't feel what you were feeling. It gavehope that there were at least another pack who saw him for

what he was.”

“I told you this girl will change things.” Mera grinned wildly at Isaiah, who gavean apologetic smile.

“I am not an optimist.” He admitted reluctantly, sighing when Mera began to laugh. “Not like Mera is.”

“I'm not an optimist either. I'm a realist, darling.” Mera chided her mate with an intimate smile. She looked towards me, and kept

her gaze locked on my own. “Sooner or later, Marcus was going to ¢***h and b**n. After everything he has done, that much

negative energy won't just knock him down a peg. It'll obliterate the ladder entirely.”

This was the first t| had been up in the mountains. Each steep incline and decline had my blood pumping, but it was the

rocky slope of the cliff a few feet away that hadbreaking out in a cold sweat.

Over the course of an hour, every single car on the highway had exited. Just as | thought the forest and highway would never

end, we took an exit towards Vail.

The exit led onto a small two-laned road, which lead through the forest and deeper within.

Both Tori and | audibly gasped when we finally made it into town. Mera and Isaiah radiated pride and | could clearly see why.

The streets were cobblestone, rounded and smoothed without any wear or tear. Robust streetlights dotted the strip of road we

were driving on. The speed limit slowed drastically, givingplenty of tto absorb everything. A few men and women walked

down the wide sidewalks, towards the smaller shops that sat along the road. Behind those shops | could see mountainous walls

climbing upwards, capped with snow.

They towered over us, caging us in. Oddly enough, instead of feeling trapped, | felt protected.

The only grocery store in town was a relatively small building, but its huge windows let in copious amounts of warm sunlight, and

the clerk had been one of the nicest women | had yet to meet. There were two gas stations, a quaint coffee shop with a large

chalkboard sign, and even a small hair salon.

We continued through town where the shops and street lamps thinned out. Forest once again surrounded us, but | could now

make out the houses within each cluster of trees. Sof the houses were larger than others, and sat towards the forests edge.

Others were smaller, but had winding driveways that led deeper into the forest.

Finally, it was our turn to venture down one of these driveways. The guard driving maneuvered the SUV over the rocky path,

towards a little two-story house just a hundred feet into the forest.

The outside of the house had initially been a light shade of baby blue, but whoever lived here clearly had a fondness for painting.

Slashes and platters were painted across the house, porch, and even sof the windows.

There were vines of twisting flowers, curls of starving flame, and waves of cobalt and sea green. Most of the slashes and paint

marks made no sense, but somehow seemed to cohesively go with the house. The front door, which had once been white, was

now various shades of red and gold.

Off to the side of the house was a huge garden, the star of the show being at least a dozen fully ripened tomato plants.

We exited the vehicle as it rolled to a stop just in front of the wrap around porch. Mera led us up the stairs, but stopped at the

front door.

“This place is incredible.” | told her, glancing around at the thick trees that shot far into the sky.

“We have been working on this for the last ten years.” Mera smiled proudly.

“You've been working on the house for ten years?” | questioned, trying and failing not to give her a strange look.

“No, the town.” She chuckled, shaking her head.

“I thought the town was the capital of your pack?” | replied, looking between both Mera and Isaiah.

“No. For all intents and purposes, this place does not exist. While you four are here, you do not exist either.” Mera said with a

proud smile, and though the way she said it was a bit ominous, it was exactly what we needed.

“I am trusting you with this, not only because | hope it can win us this war, but because | would very much like to be friends in the

future, Aurora. And the sgoes for you, Tori.” Mera smiled softly, though | detected just a shred of nerves. Whatever she was

protecting, it was very important. “I did not tell you the entire truth when we first met. Marcus did take my sister when she was

thirteen, but it was Jaspar Fox who helped get her back, ten years later. It was a favor he owed me, one of my choosing.

Rescuing Sabine—it nearly had him caught.”

“He rescued your sister from Marcus, ten years later?” | couldn't keep the h****r from my words, not with the way Mera’s heart

ached and her throat burned from guilt and shame.

“She is not the sas she once was.” Mera said softly, clutching the doorknob in her hand, pushing it open. “Apart of her has

never cback from that place.”

The soft sound of singing trickled through the house, sounding towards the back. We found the source as we ventured into the

living room, and stepped on the thick plastic sheets that lined the floors.

Standing across the room, with her golden hair pulled up in a bun, was Sabine. Much thinner than Mera, Sabine had a wispier

form. She was singing to herself, her eyes closed as she slashed and swiped with the paint brush. She made broad strokes

down the wall of the living room, mixing pinks with blues and greens with yellows, as she painted in a language only, she

understood.

“Sabine, | told you | was bringing guests.” Mera said softly, though Sabine still jumped at the sound. Pain passed through Mera

as she recognized her sister's reaction. “I absolutely love what you've done with the walls. The blues and pinks are just stunning,

like a sunset.”

She hid the emotion well, but | could feel the stab of sheer terror that wrapped itself around Sabine’s neck the moment she had

been startled. For that split second, she hadn't been rescued. She was still right where Marcus wanted her.

Sabine turned to the four of us, her face slim and cerulean eyes unnaturally bright. They weren't quite looking at any of us—more

like, past us.

“One Luna has twins, and the other Luna has the cursed son.” She said in a dreamy voice, her pale lips opening and closing. |

could feel Tori tense, and just when | thought Sabine might continue, she blinked with surprise. “Oh, would anyone care for some

tea? It has butterfly pea flowers. They turn purple when you add lemon juice. How wonderful.”

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