Accepting My Twin Mates by Unwise Owl

Accepting My Twin Mates Chapter 73

AMTM chapter 70 – Tea?

Evgeniya

The plummet back to reality had to come around eventually. Neither of the three of us could hide away forever in our bubble in the mountains. I was eager to return to see my father, to make sure he was doing ok, but I was dreading it in case anything had happened to him and he was keeping tight-lipped.

‘I’m fairly certain that if he and the Alpha had another smackdown, wingus and dingus here would have been mind-linked,’ Evva pointed out.

‘I guess…’ I mumbled, not terribly convinced.

“You ok back there?” Astennu turned in his seat from the front passenger. “You’ve got that deep thought crinkle going on across your forehead.”

Badru had jumped at the chance to drive. It gave him the sense that he was taking care of me and it meant his hands were busy elsewhere to perform their usual wandering. He had pouted that I had climbed in the back, no doubt hoping that I would have been upfront and within range.

“Yeah,” my wavering tone gave my real thoughts away. “It’s just… I’m starting to worry about my dad. I mind-linked him that I was coming back and he said he’s been fine… but, I don’t know. I guess I’m tense in case we’ve been intentionally left out of things.”

“I doubt it,” Badru flashed me a comforting smile in the rearview mirror. “When I grabbed supplies to come up to the lodge, I asked Tam’s mate, Suzanna, to keep an eye out and report anything to us, no matter the time. She hasn’t mind-linked once.”

“Oh… why didn’t you say something before?”

“Are you serious?” He almost careened off the road, snapping back to glance at me. “I’ve had other things on my mind for the last three days and none of it involved thinking about your dad.”

Touché.

“Maybe you could spend the rest of the day with him? Providing Ru doesn’t drive us off the road,” Atsennu chuckled, earning a small growl from his twin. “What about taking him into town, if he’s comfortable with it?”

“That sounds nice,” assuming I was successful in talking him into it. “Sure you two can stand being away from me all day?”

“I’ll have to stare at the door and pine till you come back,” Badru playfully pouted, turning the Jeep into the stables to drop his brother off.

“Or you can come see Heru with me?”

“I would rather eat my own arm.”

“You mean you didn’t want to come out on a ride? I could call Catalina, instead,” Astennu snorted. “I’m sure she’d looove to come keep you company.”

“Sure, I’ll tell her to bring Adrian. The two of you can f**k around with horses to your heart’s content!” The two of them bickered.

“Why do you have to hate all my friends?” I sighed, slouching back in my seat in a huff.

“Not all of them. We like Lucy,” Astennu half grinned.

“Yeah, even though she’s your mom now,” the other finished the wisecrack.

“Ok, I think we’ve roasted each other enough for one drive,” I noticed the pale gold stallion out in his paddock stomping the fenceline. “You better get to Heru before he leaps out.”

“Here,” Astennu fished in his pocket before he got out, pulling his wallet free. He was giving me his credit card? “I know you’re proud and you’ll fight me on spending our money, but please take it. Anything you need, use it.”

I did want to fight him on it. I wasn’t used to being given things and I certainly wasn’t used to spending other people’s money like some trophy wife…

‘Quit being a stubborn muffin and take the damn card,’ Evva huffed. ‘It’s not a chain dependency you’re undertaking. He just wants to help and reconcile with some of the misdeeds done to our father.’

“Thank you,” I surprised my mate by taking the card, slipping it into the slot on my phone case, and not digging in my heels and bunkering down to argue. “Sneak Heru a few treats from me.”

“I will,” he leant in between the gap and pecked my lips in a lingering kiss. “I’ll see you later.”

Pulling up to the main entrance of the pack house, a steady stream of pack members were coming and going about their day. Badru and I drew a few curious looks, and I could tell from the direction of their eyes, they were prying in their gaze to see if I was marked. By the hushed mutters and flicker of brows shooting up in surprise, they were expecting to see one gracing my neck.

Instinctively, I folded in on myself, despising the scrutiny and being the topic of gossip. I knew I would have to get used to it; I was now thrust into a public standing. The knowledge made it no less comfortable to digest.

‘Hey,’ Badru grasped my hand and feathered a gentle kiss across my knuckles. ‘f**k their whispering.’

‘Should I tell them in those words?’

‘If you don’t, I will,’ and he set a rather seething glare at a small group flashing me with some disparaging looks. “You got time to stand around and talk about s**t that’s none of your concern, you clearly got time for double patrols. So step the f**k off.”

group scarpered in every direction, bar the pack house, as though a cattle prod had been flung at

out Ru being spicy,’ my wolf melted in a puddle of

flush igniting my cheeks

eyebrows puckered, seemingly completely unaware of how his

nugget,’ Evva sighed longingly. ‘The world is right

threaded my hands with his, holding on just that

my father, my feet hurrying up the steps two at a time. My

his

expecting a bone-crushing hug, but I was pleasantly surprised by his gentleness,

smelling?” He pulled back, holding me at arm’s length. “What is

my heat. Aste and Ru liked it,

Evie,” a voice I would know anywhere,

Lucy.

was further into the room, I could detect her scent was far heavier than if it were from a mere visit. There were

Ask. For our

I needed

it you made the most out of your mates?

be quiet… my father did not need to hear what went down, not

long. I thought you might like to come

pack is,” he

to,” I embraced his hand, squeezing

need to learn with this,” he gestured at nothing in particular, but I

take him yesterday, but he wasn’t about to be persuaded,’ Lucy mind-linked, sliding her hand up

the mom friend,’ I sent her a little smirk, grinning wider when she blushed

father leaned down to her, not wanting to see any glimpse of him and Lucy locking lips. Resting my hand in the crook of his elbow, I steered us out of the pack house and down the snowy pathway past the training centre that led into town. There were several settlements throughout the pack lands,

doing… well?” I fumbled my phrasing, awkwardly, wanting to shove my head into

chuckled in his deep timbre. “She feels as though lost piece has… vernulsya…

about you

“Maybe…”

*

*

*

my coat tighter, I nestled further into my father’s side, warming my hands around my large cinnamon-spiced hot chocolate with lashings of whipped cream and chocolate shavings. After trying

set low before we even left the pack house. My father was definitely going to be one of those wolf men that relied on the women in his life to buy him clothing rather than look for any on his own. Despite his rather adorable grumblings and frowning, I had managed to get him a couple of staple pieces. As time had gone on, I began to see the heavy similarities of his grouching

house. The sun was slowly fading to orange as it set and the first of the trumpeter swans that wintered here were beginning to fly in to roost for the night. Soon, this entire lake would be a cacophony of their honking

you like it here at all?” I decided to be direct. Like me,

lake, watching the white swans land, a pensive expression clouding his eyes. “It is not as bad as I thought. Most have avoided me, but a few pup warriors were keen

warriors? How did

in dining hall,” a tiny smile crept under his beard as he drained the last of his hot chocolate. “For some reason, they thought I had much I could

a few things that you’ve learned over

from your mother. She was great warrior in Tundra River,” he said proudly.

is your opening, ask him!’ Evva

more to offer than you realise and I’m not the only one who thinks it,” I took a deep breath and went for broke. “You know that Astennu and Badru’s last Beta didn’t work out. Now they need someone who they can trust, someone who’s been on the outside and can see what needs

was leading the conversation. The same fear flashed in his eyes that I had experienced when it dawned on me

have to take and it’ll be a while

Beta…” he flustered. “How would I lead anything? I may speak

of people around you to help. You’re not on your own,” I squeezed his hand. “Astennu and Badru think the world of you. And besides,

standing to offer his arm to me to walk home and picking up the bags so

Fire Mountain, chose their leaders, right?” My father nodded as we walked along the pathway home. “They definitely

is your mother. Heather stood

“What was she like?”

like you,” a rueful warmth swept through his eyes. “You look like

here I thought I was more like you,”

tone in you, but

drifted to my chest automatically, only to be left disappointed wishing I had worn my locket. “How

lines as though he

it a love-at-first-sight