My mouth falls open and then I’m laughing, my shoulders shaking almost with hysteria, and I put my head in my hands.

Twins. Twins!

Again, twins!

Oh my god.

I’m still processing the news when I feel warm hands on my shoulders. I look up, then, into Victor’s serious face. “Please, Evelyn,” he murmurs, putting pressure on my shoulders and I realize that he wants me to lay back.

“What?” I ask, leaning backwards a little but not understanding.

“I need to –“ he doesn’t finish his sentence – apparently can’t finish his sentence, he’s too swept away by his emotions. Still not understanding, I oblige him and lay back on the bed, looking over at my sons who apparently understand.

“Here, papa,” Alvin says, hopping off the other bed and coming to point at my stomach. Then, as Victor lowers his head to my lower abdomen and presses his ear against me, I understand. And I’m suddenly quite jealous.

“Hey!” I cry, sitting up a little, “no fair! No one else gets to hear if I can’t hear – I can’t bend like that!”

Ian, apparently coming up with a solution, runs away from the bed while Victor murmurs “please, Evelyn, quiet – please, I’m begging you -” and closes his eyes, apparently listening very hard and training all of his wolf hearing onto my stomach.

I keep my neck bent, my eyes on him, watching and…I see the moment that he hears them. I gasp myself, seeing him go perfectly still.

“Oh my god,” he murmurs, rigid with shock for a moment, “Evelyn…I can hear them…”

Then he whips his face up to me, his eyes wide, more surprised and overwhelmed than I think I’ve ever seen him. I honestly – I don’t know what to do – but a smile spreads on my face despite me.

“Well?” I say, spreading my hands out desperately. “What do you think?”

other arm around my shoulders, pinning me to his chest. I can feel him shaking against me, can hear the little desperate laugh that finds its way out of his chest. I pull back a

by the look on his face. The broad, disbelieving smile, the wide

feel tears instantly spring to my eyes as I

still laughing a frenzied little laugh. “Twins!? Twins again?!” Then he squeezes me back against him and I find myself

it – not…truly. Not yet. No – I wanted this moment –

just never thought that my clever boys

then, smiling at them as well and see Ian standing next to me, holding out the toy stethoscope from his doctor’s play set. “Here, mama,” he says, apparently forgiving me for keeping a secret in the excitement.

a little, though he doesn’t let me go far. “Does this actually work?”

little. “I think so.

my ears. Then, bending over, I place the round chest-piece of the stethoscope low on my belly. Alvin comes close to

mama,” he

you know that?” I ask, remembering

just shrugs and smiles at me. I move the stethoscope to where

moving very

my god…” I murmur, starting

It’s truly

Twins…

against him again, burying his face in my neck, apparently unable to let me go far. I hug him just as close, again overwhelmed. Next to me, I feel two little boys press against my side and release Victor with one arm so that I can bring them in to

the closeness of Victor’s body – “I didn’t mean to keep a secret – or, well, I did – but I

of his hand. I press a quick kiss to his mouth, my hand on his check, touched by how overwhelmed he is. “I understand

words than the boys probably understand. What he’s also saying behind those words is that he’s excited because he gets to be here for it this time – that he missed the first pregnancy, and the birth, and the early days with the boys. But now…he gets to do

so am I, to be able to do this

Alvin whines, pressing himself against me. “Stop

curious. “What?” I ask, “I’m sorry baby

ignoring me!” he insists, working to crawl up into my lap. I coo to him, making space between me and Victor so that my boy can sit with us. I wrap

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