Pregnant With Alpha’s Genius Twins

#Chapter 21 – Bath Time’

Tires screech as Victor swerves into his driveway, throwing the car into park and jumping out the door almost before it stops.

“Victo-“ Amelia says, just starting to unbuckle her seatbelt. But he’s already moving around the house, heading for Evelyn’s cottage out back. Amelia slumps back in the seat, watching him go. He didn’t say a word to her the entire ride back. Instead, he made a thousand calls, shouted at Betas, ordered more security for the house. He didn’t even look at her.

f**k.

Amelia crosses her arms over her chest and stares silently out the windshield, planning her next move.

Victor bursts into my house through the back door, coming into the living room where I’m working to wrangle two sobbing boys into their pajamas. They cried the whole way home and, while I don’t blame them, my head is pounding.

“Are they okay?” Victor asks as he approaches, looking over the boys.

“They’re fine,” I say softly.

“Boys, what happened,” Victor asks, staring at the twins who lay on the carpet sobbing their little hearts out.

“Victor, I think we should –“

Ian crawls over to Victor and raises his arms, asking to be picked up, still screaming with tears. Victor complies, cradling the boy in his arms. Alvin sees this and works his way over too.

“Ian, tell me what happened, who took you?!” Victor insists, turning Ian’s head to face him while Alvin screeches, demanding without words to be picked up like his brother.

Ian doesn’t reply, just cries harder. “Boys,” Victor says, his voice deepening with command. “You must tell me what happened.”

“Victor –“ I start, but he shoots me a glare. This sends me over my tipping point. I lose my temper, raising my voice to say “Victor, they can’t right now –“

“Don’t tell me how to talk to my sons,” he growls.

whom an endless wail sounds. “They’re so freaked out, they’re not going to be able to tell you anything like this! We have to

do that?!” Victor snaps at me. I shove forward my hands, which are clutching two

up, and into bed. But,” I admit, lowering my

nods. “Baths,” he says, decisive. Then he turns and, holding Ian close to his chest,

drain, letting the tub fill slowly with water. We put the boys on the

I check the water temperature – a little

from my childhood, and haven’t heard since then. An old song, about wolves running under the night

their cries lessening to whimpers, their eyes drying up. Alvin brushes his tears away and stands to watch the tub fill. Ian presses his face to the porcelain basin, watching us work almost without

Alvin. “Up and in,” I say softly, lifting him and sitting him gently

head, but Alvin asking me quietly to use a cup to wet

liked your song, daddy,” Ian says quietly, looking up

at him for a moment – I’m not sure he even knew he was humming. He laughs softly and says, “thank you. My grandmother used to sing it to me when I was little, and when I was scared. Do you know?” He says, beginning to rinse the suds from Ian’s hair. “When I was

laughing, unbelieving. Victor

you have wolf’s eyes!” Ian says, circling his own eyes with his fingers like

Sometimes we are afraid even when

my own fear finally starting to leech from me. I think I needed this too

moment of silence, Alvin quietly says, “I was scared today. But I think there was something to be scared of.” Ian

you could…tell us what happened?” Victor says, organizing the soap and shampoo bottles so that the boys don’t see how intensely he is focused on their answer. I can see it

to get cotton candy, Amelia said we

went ahead of Frank because we were hungry,” Alvin continues. The two tell the

around, and someone

says, looking up at us. “And they smelled like her,”

says, his eyes narrow. “We could

their hands over our mouths so