Pregnant With Alpha’s Genius Twins

#Chapter 53 – Evesdroppers

I jump as Victor enters my house the next morning. Again, no notice, no knock – just walking straight in. I narrow my eyes at him. “Sure, Victor, of course you can come in! You’re always welcome here.”

“I know,” he says, walking over to me. I shake my head at him and he gives me a charming smile. I will my face to resist a response. “What,” he says, laughing now. “I’m not a vampire. I don’t need an invitation.”

I roll my eyes and turn back to the dishes. “Everyone knows vampires don’t need invitations, not really.”

The boys come flying down the stairs. “Daddy!” Ian yells, his hands in the air. Alvin follows quickly on his heels, a big smile on his face. “Hi, dad!”

Victor kneels to the ground and wraps them both in big hugs. I’m still mad at him, but – I can’t help it – part of me warms at seeing how much he loves them, how much they return it. “It’s so good to see you, boys,” he says. “I’m sorry I’ve been so busy the past few days.”

“It’s okay, dad, we’ve been busy too.” Ian says, beaming at him. “We’ve been learning about dinosaurs in school, we’ve been very busy trying to memorize them all.”

Victor looks up at me. “Memorizing all the dinosaurs? Aren’t they in…kindergarten?”

I snort and return my focus to dish water. “Yeah, in school they’re spending the week on ‘D is for Dinosaur.’ Its these two nuts who have taken it on themselves to figure out every species ever identified and memorize them.”

“It’s fun, mama!” Alvin says.

“Fun for you,” I say, smiling at him as I finish up the last dish. “Torture, for the rest of us. If I have to spell Micropachycephalosaurus one more time, I’m gonna…” I shake my head, not finishing my sentence.

“Gonna what, mama?” Ian says, calling my bluff.

“Gonna BITE YOU” I say, curling my fingers like claws and jumping at him, pretending to grab his arms. Ian squeals and runs out of my grip, Alvin and Victor laughing along too.

“Okay boys,” Victor says, rising to his feet. “Go on and play for a little bit, mama and I are going to have a chat.”

“Okay,” the two smile at us and dash off willingly. I pause for a minute and think. A little too willingly. Victor starts to talk but I hold up a finger to shush him and peak up the stairs. As I suspected, four beady little eyes are peaking down from the landing, ready to eavesdrop on every word.

“Go!” I say, pointing a stern finger up the stairs. “All the way! No listening!”

The boys skitter away to their room. I wait to hear their door close and the television turn on and then nod to Victor. “Probably as safe as we’re ever going to get. Who knows though, they’ve probably got the kitchen bugged.”

the stairs. “It’s not a big deal, they’re going to hear soon

for me to prepare two cups of tea and for us to sit at the table, for us to finish them, for the dregs to turn cold. As far as I can tell, Victor doesn’t hold anything back. He tells me of Amelia’s betrayal, of his poor reaction

apologizes for his rash decision to visit him without telling me. “I’m sorry, Evelyn. I did what was best

was right – almost word for word. I admit, it isn’t easy to hear him recount the meeting with my father and

know if he claims them, if they become the official heirs and property of John Walsh,” I

hand over mine. “I’m going to claim them a week

over mine. It’s warm and steady, feeling strong over my own hand, which right now feels

he truly wanted the boys, he would have just claimed them. You said he ceded the right to you because you’re their father but…in reality, his own pride and heritage mean so much more to him than all of that. If he told you to take the boys and gave you a deadline, there’s

“What do you think it could

looking up into his steady green eyes. “I have no idea. But you

turns his attention back to me, looking at me steadily. “If he wanted my boys as

from my house. She betrayed me, it’s true, but considering the world in which we grew up, considering the obligations we had to obey the men around us…I have long forgiven her. She was always my

down my face. “She’s

Joyce, of all people. I

nod and move to pull my hand away, but Victor holds it tight. I raise my other hand to wipe the tears from my cheeks, ready to move

I say, sniffing and straightening in my chair. I look him directly in the eyes, letting him know I’m serious.

I can’t ignore her claim that she did it for her children. That is…something I very

on the table. “She doesn’t even have kids. How can you let her treat you like this, treat me, treat Alvin

on a tightrope here. What she has done is egregious but…she is my mate.

make peace, Victor. She’s your mate. I don’t have to

Evelyn,” he says, spreading his hands palm-up on the table in supplication. “We’ve got to be a team on this. I can’t be at war with

will always pick her over me. She’s his mate – they have a bond that goes deeper than ours, that always will. I do my best to keep this realization off my face and

I trust you, Victor. Please don’t make me regret

can’t help but smile. Seeing my reaction, his mouth slowly begins

Ian says, his head appearing suddenly where the ceiling meets

say, my voice low with warning. “How long

thirty