Promised To The Alpha Twins
Chapter 48

Only when Ethan and Liam entered the room did I realize the horrible mistake I had made. I had stored an image of them in my mind, committing it to memory so that I would never forget them. They looked different from that image, their eyes dark and distressed. I could see the toll my departure had taken on them, and I felt terribly guilty.

A part of me wanted to run into their arms, while another part of me wanted to cower and beg for their forgiveness. Ethan’s hair remained the same, short on the sides and long on top. Liam’s hair had grown, almost reaching his shoulders. Aside from the pain in their eyes, they were still the same.

Their scent wafted through the house, calming some of my nerves as it registered in my senses. Bruma stood behind them, nodding encouragingly, but I couldn’t force myself to move.

I felt utterly ridiculous standing here, with a floor-length nightgown on my body. If the twins noticed my attire, they didn’t show it. None of us moved, simply assimilating the fact that they… we were here, together.

“Oh, go ahead!” Bruma chuckled under her breath, and the slight sound helped snap me out of my stupor.

Gea pushed me forward, causing me to stumble as I practically jumped onto Liam and Ethan. Neither of them seemed to expect it, as they remained rigid and motionless when I crashed into them. I collided with them forcefully, my hands gripping their shirts as I held them close. A surge of overwhelming happiness that made me want to sob coursed through me as I clung to the twins, to my mates.

A wave of relief washed over me, and I knew that the emotion hadn’t come from myself. I could taste the twins’ fear on my tongue. I could taste Liam’s heartbreaking relief along with Ethan’s repressed fear. Their emotions were a storm within me, and I savored each one as it crossed my senses.

“I can feel their emotions,” I whispered to Gea, not knowing what was happening.

“You accepted them,” Gea sang. “You accepted our mates.”

A sob escaped my lips as Liam and Ethan wrapped their arms around me, squeezing tightly when they heard the sound come from my mouth. The coil that had been wound inside me since the day I moved in with Lia had finally come undone. Although we didn’t say anything, their touch was all I needed. Heat radiated from their bodies, and I hadn’t realized how much, how cold I had been.

Their heavy breaths felt like music to my ears, and for the moment, I had forgotten why I had left.

“I hate to interrupt, dear, but we have some things to discuss,” Bruma’s gentle voice filled the room, reminding me that we were in someone else’s house.

For the moment, I had forgotten everything but Liam and Ethan. I could feel Ethan’s irritation at having to step away from me, as well as Liam’s reluctance to let go. Giving them both a watery smile, I stepped back and faced Bruma.

Her eyes were sweet, yet proud. I was sure she knew that I had accepted them, that I had finally accepted who I was. Running was no longer an option, as I wouldn’t be able to walk away from Liam or Ethan a second time.

“Will you both sit with me?” I asked, leading them both to the couch where Steve had once placed me.

Both of them let me guide them, pulling their hands to follow me. The need to be close to them was overwhelming, and I knew the feeling was mutual. I wondered how long it would take for them to lose sight of me, if they ever would.

I squeezed myself between the towering figures of Liam and Ethan, but I had never felt so happy and relaxed in… well, almost my entire life. While I was still horribly inexperienced with guys, and incredibly nervous around the twins, the proximity between us felt right.

I slid my left hand into Liam’s and my right hand into Ethan’s, enjoying the sensation of their calloused skin against mine. Their surprise rippled through me, reminding me of little iridescent bubbles. They didn’t expect me to truly miss them, to be glad that they came for me. They also didn’t expect me to accept them, to allow them to touch me so freely. Without intruding, I knew they blamed themselves for my departure, and they would for quite some time.

That fact made guilt swirl within me, and pain pierced my gut. I could feel my face burning as both of them had their eyes fixed on me, but I refused to buckle under the pressure. I knew that if I looked into their eyes, I would crumble, so I let my head rest against Ethan’s shoulder and smiled when his chest rumbled in approval.

Bruma watched the three of us with clouded eyes as she sat in the armchair. Steve emerged from the dark hallway and stood by his mom, looming over her as if Liam and Ethan were threats. Neither Liam nor Ethan noticed Steve’s presence, as they were both focused on me.

“Let’s start with what brought you to my house, child,” Bruma smiled softly, catching my attention. “Your mates need to know.”

I ignored Liam and Ethan’s rigid postures, but returned Bruma’s smile with one of my own. Although I had just met the woman, I knew I could trust her. She had kept her own existence a secret for years, and I knew she would extend me the same courtesy.

“A couple of men tried to kidnap me. They were werewolves. When I shifted, I managed to escape. They injected me with aconite, but I made it here before passing out,” I frowned, recalling the incapacitating pain of aconite as it coursed through my body. I looked at Liam and Ethan’s worried faces. As their anger flowed through me, I could taste it on the tip of my tongue. “When I shifted, they saw what color I was, they saw that my wolf was white.”

When I finished, the bodies of Liam and Ethan stiffened, becoming as hard as stone. Their emotions hit me senselessly, giving me the start of a headache. Surprise, shock, anger, hatred, acceptance. Each one had a unique flavor, though it was difficult to focus on just one.

“Are you a white wolf?” Liam was the first to break the silence, his dark eyes drilling into mine with fierce possessiveness. His voice echoed in my mind, deep and alluring. It had only been a week since I heard their voices, but it felt like years.

“Like me,” Bruma replied, meeting the twin’s eyes with a certain type of authority. “I sensed something coming, so I stayed up late. If only I had known it was another white wolf, I could have been more prepared to counteract the aconite.”

“You were the little girl from Dark Valley Pack,” Ethan pointed out, with a hint of surprise in his tone. His voice was slightly deeper than his brother’s, but equally seductive and addictive.

This time, the surprise that coursed through me was my own. There was no way Liam and Ethan personally knew Bruma, as she was twice their age, yet Bruma smiled softly, her eyes misted with memories of a time before she went into hiding.

“Yes, I was the little girl from Dark Valley Pack,” Bruma murmured. Steve placed his hand on her shoulder, giving a slight squeeze. His face was stern as his eyes flitted between the three of us.

“You saved our father’s life,” Liam smiled, his eyes widening as he looked at Bruma. “Alpha Leo.”

“That’s a name I haven’t heard in quite some time,” Bruma chuckled under her breath, a gentle smile on her face. Her eyes swept over the twins before settling on me. “Would you like to hear the story, child? It’s not a happy one, although my actions ensured the birth of your mates.”

“I would like to hear it,” I nodded, my voice soft.

I remembered how Bruma told me about the death of her family and the death of her mate. I knew that Alpha Leo’s story was intertwined with hers. For a moment, I almost refused. I could see the lingering pain in Bruma’s eyes, but I could also see the burning strength.

“I was sixteen years old. My family had lived in Dark Valley Pack for many generations. It was a small pack, but we were fiercely loyal to each other. Dark Valley Pack was one of the oldest packs known to our kind. When I first shifted, I told my parents, who in turn told the Alpha. The entire pack kept my secret until their last breaths,” Bruma began, the fire next to her crackling and tossing embers. “Alpha Bruce’s territory was vast, but he yearned for more. As you have seen, my abilities come from the earth itself. Our land was thriving, and Alpha Bruce grew jealous. He sent spies to our land while gathering his army. I was young back then. I didn’t know how coveted white wolves were. One of his spies saw me, observed me as I moved with my mate. Little did he know, I had also seen the spy. I told our Alpha just in time, and he called upon every ally he could gather. One of those allies was Alpha Leo.”

“He told us the story, but never like this,” Liam murmured, fascinated by the story Bruma was unfolding. “He always said it was his duty to help your pack.”

“Even then, Alpha Leo was a good man. He was a young and untested Alpha. He arrived on the battlefield in a fury with his army, taking down enemy after enemy. Our pack fought in sync with his, saving each other that day. My mother and father told me to stay in the house, but my mate was also on the battlefield. I stepped out of the house, but I hadn’t arrived in time,” Bruma’s voice turned low, and my heart ached as I felt the pain in her words. “My mother and father had already been killed, and so had my mate. Alpha Leo was locked in a fight with another wolf, but Alpha Bruce was not one to fight fair. He crept up behind Alpha Leo, ready to strike a fatal blow. I felt something shatter inside me that day. The earth split open, hearing the pain in my voice as I screamed and wept for my family. I directed that anger at Alpha Bruce-“

I hadn’t realized tears were streaming down my face until Liam turned and gently wiped them away. His eyes were soft, just like his hands as they brushed against my skin. Those gentle sparks caressed my face, reminding me that my fate would be different from Bruma’s.

“It was a beautiful tragedy,” Bruma murmured. “Many lives were lost and won that day. Alpha Leo was saved, able to replace his mate and have children. Without my parents and my mate knowing, I discovered that I was pregnant shortly after the battle. Steve is the last piece I have, and I cherish every day with him.”

As I looked into Steve’s eyes, I tried to imagine a boy of around sixteen. His eyes were gentle as he looked at his mom, the woman who had given and lost so much, and yet somehow managed to remain kind.

“We will keep your secret, Bruma,” I smiled softly, meeting the eyes of the woman who saved my mate’s father. Without her, Liam and Ethan wouldn’t exist. “No one will know about you or this place. You have our word,” I spoke on behalf of Liam and Ethan, but I knew I had their agreement.

Bruma had suffered more than most and deserved any sliver of heaven she could get. If she wanted to remain hidden, we would do everything we could to assist her. If the time ever came when she wanted to step out of the shadows, she would always have a home in her… our pack.

“Thank you, Sussan. You’re kinder than most. It seems that white wolves have painful lives; I hope yours turns out differently,” Bruma whispered, her eyes soft as she looked at the three of us. “You’re welcome to stay here for the night. I’ll have dinner ready in a few hours, and there’s a spare bedroom upstairs.”

“Thank you for your hospitality, Bruma,” Ethan murmured, nodding his head. “We’ll leave in the morning.”

“Go and make yourselves comfortable. I’ll prepare dinner,” Bruma smiled, some of the light and joy returning to her eyes.

Steve seemed to relax a bit. I wasn’t sure if he was beginning to trust us, but it felt better than having him frowning all the time.

“He told us the story, but never like this,” Liam murmured, fascinated by the story Bruma was unfolding. “He always said it was his duty to help your pack.”