#Chapter 223 – Brothers

Evelyn sits in a comfortable, slightly musty old armchair pulled close to the fire with one arm wrapped around Alvin. With her other hand, she idly breaks one of those delicious muffins into pieces, occasionally raising a chunk to her mouth to chew.

Alvin naps peacefully against her chest and Evelyn stares into the fire, thinking about Victor, about their life together, about what she wants. She knows, deep down, the answer to the question.

She dreams, passively, of her stomach swelling with something besides food. Imagines the tense expression on Victor’s face as he waits the agonizing two minutes for a pregnancy test to develop – something they’d do together, this time. Of the way a baby feels inside of you, the little flutter of first movement. The wonderful secret of something coming to life.

She smiles, a little, idly, and allows herself, in the safety of this little cottage – where she feels warm, and fed, and lovely – to hope.

But suddenly, a sound breaks the stillness of the air, in which previously there had only been the crackle of flame.

A yip – out in the woods –

A familiar noise – one she’d felt echoing in her soul all day. Alvin stirs against her, having heard it too.

“Mama,” he gasps, coming quickly back to consciousness. “Mama – did you hear it?”

“Yes, baby,” I say, tense in the chair, looking towards the windows. “I –“

A howl splits the silence, confirming for both of us – a feral, joyful thing that sings out, quite clearly, despite the lack of words –

I found you!

Alvin gives a little whoop of excitement as he leaps off of Evelyn’s lap and heads for the door, his mother chasing at his heels. He yanks hard on the door’s handle, pulling it open and stumbling out onto the porch where –

Two wolves sit in the grass in front of the cottage, their tongues hanging heavy from their mouths, joy and pleasure and accomplishment in their eyes. Evelyn laughs to see them, taking in the sight of Victor’s powerful wolf form, which she hasn’t seen before. Slowly, she walks down the steps to meet him in the grass as Alvin runs to his brother.

Victor’s wolf is larger than she thought he’d be – gigantic, really. He’s tall enough to press his face flush against her chest as she reaches out to bury her fingers in the warm fur of his neck.

“Hello, you,” she murmurs, scratching his fur, marveling at the softness of it. “We’ve missed you.”

He gives a wolfish little huff of a laugh and leans into the pressure of her hands, cherishing the feel of her.

There’s a little whine at her feet and then Evelyn feels a sudden scratching against her legs. She laughs as she turns to the pup there, jealously begging for her attention. “And you!” she says, falling to her knees and taking her son’s little wolf face in her hands, rubbing his silky ears between her fingers. “What a handsome wolf you make – you be careful, or you’ll make your father jealous, he’s not nearly as good looking as you –“

little, lowering his face and nudging her shoulder. Evelyn laughs harder, the sound ringing cheerfully out

next to her, her little boy sitting on the ground

it, then. She

pulling her into

Evelyn cries, putting her hands over her face, embarrassed. “I’m sorry – I’m just so sorry about everything that happened

pulling him into her lap. Victor, still laughing a little, completely happy, reaches

too,” Victor replies. “Both

chimes in. “And we had to follow your stinky scents to come and find

same time.

frankly, I think we all are, after so long in the

have them all close. She tilts her head up, pressing a kiss to the line of Victor’s jaw, and then she turns to press another kiss to the top of Ian’s head. Just as she does so, though, she

to his, then, kissing her soundly with an intensity that makes clear everything he learned about himself out in

looks up at his parents kissing for a moment and

he murmurs, catching Alvin’s

Alvin says, glancing at his parents, a little alarmed.

away from his brother, running out into the woods a little way away from the cabin. Ian follows him

other,” Alvin says, panting a little after his run as he looks over his shoulder.

think they do,” Ian replies, looking in their direction as

stopping and

day?” Ian asks, standing close to his brother and crossing his arms as well. Their twinness has never been more obvious than it is right now as they stand together in the forest

says simply. “The cabin has so many

it, suddenly

back towards the cabin. “You can have some, if you

looking back at his brother and grinning wolfishly. “We did running. All day. It

you show me?” he asks quietly. “Sometime soon? How to turn into a wolf

he says, moving closer to his brother so that

smiling at him.

Ian,” Alvin says, his face very serious. “I love you so

and holding him close. “I love you too,” he says, his head tucked against

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