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?”

mate moves, lightening fast, grabbing me by the waist and pulling me to him, his other arm around my shoulders, pinning me to his chest. I can feel him shaking against

face. The broad, disbelieving smile, the wide astonished

spring to my eyes as I grin

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

let myself really face it – not…truly. Not yet. No – I wanted

my clever boys would figure it out

the toy stethoscope from his doctor’s play set. “Here, mama,” he says, apparently forgiving me for

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

“I think so. But

looking between my two excited boys, and slip the earpieces into my ears. Then, bending over, I place the round chest-piece of the stethoscope low on my belly. Alvin comes

he

I ask, remembering that he

and smiles at me. I move

as…I hear it. At first it sounds like one heartbeat, moving very quick, but then…the rhythm changes, like listening to two drums at once – sometimes the

god…” I murmur, starting to

real. It’s

Twins…

Next to me, I feel two little boys press against my side and release Victor with one arm so that I

my voice muffled by the closeness of Victor’s body – “I didn’t mean to keep a secret – or, well, I did – but I just wanted to be sure before I told everyone and we got all excited

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

his 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

I, to be able to do this with him – and to give him this

against me. “Stop

down at my boy, curious. “What?” I ask, “I’m sorry baby – what’s wrong – I wasn’t ignoring

my lap. I coo to him, making space between me and Victor so that my

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