Pregnant With Alpha’s Genius Twins

#Chapter 35 – Under the Apple Tree

“So,” Victor says awkwardly, clearing his throat. “How did your date go last night?”

“I didn’t think you cared,” I return. Victor is driving us to a little farm upstate, just for the day. He came to my house yesterday, returning the boys, and asked me to take this little trip so that the boys could get some fresh air and we could “have a little chat.”

I admit, I’m a little nervous to find out what this little chat is about. But overall, I’m happy on any occasion when I get to take my boys somewhere they’ve never been.

He shakes his head. “I’m trying, Evelyn.”

“It was nice,” I say, softening. “We had coffee in town.” He nods his head and the awkward silence returns. Sick of walking on eggshells, I decide to break it.

“You know, I’m not sure I knew you could drive?”

Victor frowns, glancing at me, and then quickly returning his eyes to the road, ever-responsible. “What do you mean?”

“Usually you let the Betas drive,” I say, shrugging as I tease.

“Just because I can afford not to,” Victor says, smirking. “Doesn’t mean I can’t.” With that, he hits the gas and we fly down the road. I laugh and the boys raise their hands in the back seat like they’re on a roller coaster, shrieking with joy.

That’s something about all of us wolves, it must be something innate in our DNA. We love to go fast.

As we pull up to the farm, Ian presses his face and hands to the window, fogging it with his breath. “Wow,” he says, “I can see it. I can see the orchard, I can see…a cow! A chicken! A whole bunch of chickens!”

“Let me seeeee” Alvin whines, pulling against the seatbelt that holds him into his booster seat.

“Calmly, everyone. You’ll all see it soon enough.” Victor pulls into the gravel lot set aside for parking and we both smile as we unpack the car, releasing the boys and gathering up the picnic basket that I’ve packed for the occasion.

“This is amazing,” Alvin says, looking around with wide eyes, hardly knowing where to look first.

“Animals first,” Victor directs, pointing towards a barn. “Then we’ll pick apples and have lunch.”

The boys run off towards the barn, laughing with excitement. “This is so cool,” I say, hoisting the picnic basket higher on my shoulder. “How did you know about it?”

“Actually,” Victor says, grimacing a little. “I kind of…own it.”

“What!?”

an old family property; we’ve leased it to these farmers for generations. They’re not exactly profitable,” he says, shrugging, “but they’re good people, and they make

buy a lot of apples,” I say. “To

apples you want,” Victor says passively, following the boys. He nods to a man at the entrance

they have only before seen in books and on TV. Alvin is more timid than I expected him to be, refusing to pet the cow, but Ian we have to stop

cows,” Victor

says, a little mania in his

responds more when we meet the smaller animals, sitting down amongst the rabbits and the chickens, letting them eat feed from

“time for lunch!” I need to get him out of there before he

neat

beautiful here, Victor,”

always loved it. These

Ian says, tugging on Victor’s pant. “I am hungry,

further,” Victor says, nodding his head forward. “There’s a little hill up here I want you

a gigantic old apple tree that seems to stretch itself as high as it is wide. Victor walks right up beneath it and plucks an apple from one of the

I say, staring upwards through the leafy branches, the leaves just showing a hint

farmers planted generations ago,” Victor says. “But

it!” Alvin says laughing as he and Ian pull themselves up into the branches,

I call after them.

staring up after them. “It brings me a lot of

them advice on how to climb higher, and lay out the blanket, spreading out the picnic for the four of us to

did you grow up here?” Ian asks,

I’ll show it to you some day soon. But we came

want to ride the horses!” Alvin

just have a nice day.” Alvin nods, but I can see it in his eyes – he’s hooked

the breeze, listening to it as it whistles through

in the distance. Then, Ian gasps.

up the path towards us. Behind her stumble a litter of puppies, all matching her beautiful shaggy coat and

Ian asks,

up. Victor puts a hand

it’s okay, that’s just Swift,” he says, laughing. “I can’t believe she’s still around, and still having puppies. She’s an old friend, she won’t hurt

her sniff your hands first! Before you pet her!” The boys

going to be trouble,” I say. Victor nods and laughs along with me, scratching Swift when she comes over to say