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.

I demand, getting quickly to my feet and gesturing towards the two red-faced boys from whom an endless wail sounds. “They’re so

at me. I shove forward my hands, which are

them in pajamas, and wrapped up, and into bed. But,” I admit,

decisive. Then he turns and, holding Ian close to his

drain, letting the tub fill slowly with water. We put the boys on the floor and let them cry it out as we silently go through the calming routines

the bath to make bubbles, adding a little lavender to soothe them. I check the water temperature – a little too hot, I turn up the cold – while

to hum a song – an song that I remember from my childhood, and haven’t

his tears away and stands to watch the tub fill. Ian presses his face to the porcelain basin, watching us work almost without blinking, like he’s afraid we’ll disappear if he closes his

him and sitting him gently in the water. Victor gives

Alvin asking me quietly to use a cup to wet his hair. I do

your song, daddy,” Ian says

sing it to me when I was little, and when I was scared. Do you know?” He says, beginning to

Alvin, laughing, unbelieving.

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

is true,” Victor says, nodding sagely. “But it doesn’t mean I wasn’t afraid. Sometimes we are afraid even when

a little, watching all three, my own fear finally starting to leech from me. I think I needed this too – the normalcy of an evening routine after this horror of

there was something to be scared of.” Ian nods in agreement, pushing a boat along

you think 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 in him, though –

Frank to

continues. The two tell the

and someone

says, looking up at us. “And they smelled

says, his eyes narrow. “We could smell her on their

they put their hands over our mouths so we couldn’t yell