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.

quickly to my feet and gesturing towards the two red-faced boys from 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 calm them

Victor snaps at me. I shove

and into bed. But,” I admit, lowering my arms. “I don’t think

says, decisive. Then he turns and, holding Ian close to his chest, carries him upstairs. I pick up

bathroom Victor turns the tap and plugs the 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

while I run some soap into 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

that I remember from my childhood, and haven’t heard since then. An

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 blinking, like he’s afraid we’ll disappear

“Up and in,” I say softly, lifting him and sitting him gently in the water. Victor gives Ian the same treatment, and we kneel

Ian dunks his own head, but Alvin asking me quietly to use

Ian says quietly, looking up at

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

says Alvin, laughing,

Ian says, circling his own eyes with his fingers like spectacles. “You can see in the dark! And bite whatever is

“But it doesn’t mean I wasn’t afraid. Sometimes we are afraid even when

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 through the bubbles

soap and shampoo bottles so that the boys don’t see how intensely he is focused on their answer. I

Beta Frank to get cotton candy, Amelia said we

ahead of Frank because we were hungry,” Alvin continues. The two tell the story together, each picking up seamlessly where the other left

and we turned around, and someone had hit him, and

at us. “And

his eyes narrow.

they put their hands over our mouths so