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!?”

farmers for generations. They’re not exactly profitable,” he says,

of apples,”

Victor says passively, following the boys. He nods to a man at the entrance of the

incredible time, meeting animals 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 from

ride cows,”

I ride it,” Ian says, a little mania in his eyes, which makes me laugh and worry

down amongst the rabbits and the chickens, letting them eat feed from his hand and

“time for lunch!” I need to get him out of there before he gets attached to every small, furry creature and has a

The gnarled trees stretch for what looks like miles. Though they are planted in neat rows, the branches defy their boundaries, reaching out to touch each other across the dirt lanes between them, creating a delicate arch over

here, Victor,”

it. These trees are over

says, tugging on Victor’s pant.

“There’s a little

old apple tree that seems to stretch itself as high as it is wide. Victor

leaves just showing a hint of red

the farmers planted generations ago,” Victor says. “But this one

and Ian pull themselves up

I call after them. “Not too

tree,” Victor says, staring up after them. “It brings me a lot of joy

lay out the blanket, spreading out the picnic for

up here?” Ian

house. I’ll show it to you some day soon.

ride the horses!”

nods, but I can see it in

whistles through the branches of the ancient tree. There is something special about

we hear a soft bark in the distance. Then,

and see a black-and-white shepherd dog pacing up the path towards us. Behind her stumble a litter of puppies, all matching her beautiful shaggy

Ian asks, already starting to run towards

up.

that’s just Swift,” he says, laughing. “I can’t believe she’s still around, and still having puppies.

anxious, I call “Let her sniff your hands first! Before you pet her!” The boys comply, and then sit down with the puppies, letting them climb all over

I say. Victor nods and laughs along