Chapter 60


    No matter how I muffled the sighs that left my lips, release refused toe. It was like my body knew


    what it wanted, just as my mind and heart did. It refused to function for anyone else, refused to react


    unless it was under the gentle touches of the twins. Understanding my efforts were hopeless, I finished


    my shower and dried off.


    I had brought a change of clothes into the bathroom, and slipped on a t***h-length dress. The sleeves


    were long but thin, enough tobat the gentle chill that started up this afternoon. I blow-dried my hair


    while the twins waited outside, undoubtedly getting ready themselves.


    As I stepped out into the bedroom, I was bombarded by the thick scent of Alec and Kade. As I turned to


    grab a pair of shoes, Alec stood in my way. We were only inches apart, but I could feel the heat


    radiating from his skin. His musky scent swirled with the slight tang of tea-tree from his body wash. The


    scent was entirely new, but equally to d*e for. My breathing hitched as Alec trailed a finger down my


    reddened face, lingering around my cor bones.


    “Were you able to finish?” Alec murmured, toying with the hem of my dress. His warm fingers danced


    along my b**e t***h, coaxing a thick shiver that ran down my spine.


    “No.” I swallowed, my voiceing out a few octaves higher.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    Alec continued toying with the hem of my dress, letting his fingertips dance closer and closer to the


    softness between my legs. Just as the pad of his finger grazed over my underwear, he pulled away. His


    eyes were dark, and the fabric of his pants was tight around the middle. He gripped my face with one of


    hisrge hands, tilting my head up so that I looked him in the eye.


    “Poor little mate. Even now, your body craves us.” Alec murmured; his breath fanned across my ear.


    “Kade and I will help youter.”


    His lips trailed along my jaw, igniting that aching fire low in my gut. I pressed my thighs tightly together,


    ignoring the scent of my arousal as it flooded the room.


    “Where is Kade?” I asked, my eyes darting around the room as I fumbled for a reason to change the


    subject.


    Alec and Kade separate were a constant temptation, a constant chip in my willpower. Together–


    together they were irresistible. Having that much male attention focused solely on yourself–a girl could


    get used to that. The way they seem to devour my reactions, inhaling the blissful noises that leave my


    lips under their touch. Being with them–fully, it would be all consuming.


    “Your little whimpers got him too worked up.” Alec chuckled lowly in my ear, “He needed a few minutes


    to himself. You’re wee to lend him a hand, though I might get jealous.”


    It took me a handful of minutes to calm myself down, and another ten minutes to still the intimate


    thoughts fumbling through my head. When Kade finally returned, he shed me a wide smirk as my


    face heated and my eyes darted downward. When we finally managed to leave the house, Alec and


    Kade gave me a rundown of who Julian was.


    He had been the leader of a small band of rogues, but quickly grew in power as his pack number


    increased. Eventually, he became a full-blown Alpha. It was rare to create your own pack, as


    werewolves would always fight for power but Julian had managed to do just that. As Julians numbers


    continued to grow, he sought out a home for him and his pack. He imed a small sliver of territory


    above Garrett’s pack. As Julian’s pack grew, he began to need more territory to fit his people. Alec and


    Kade’s territory were vast, and epassed both Julian and Garretts territory. Alpha Julian had asked


    multiple times that Alec and Kade relinquish some of their territory to Julian and his growing pack, that


    they seek out more territory to the North to rece what they had lost. Alec and Kade refused, as


    thousands of people would then need to leave their homes and move hundreds of miles away. While I


    couldn’t me Alec and Kade for doing what was best for their people, I knew there had to be some


    solution to the problem.


    The sun was beginning to set as we pulled into Garretts drive way. The sky was bright with color. Navy


    blue, indigo, orange and pink shed across the sky. The moon was slightly visible, a thin sliver in the


    distance. Yellow light shined from inside Garretts house, and I braced myself for the inevitable meeting


    with his wife.


    Kady answered the door as we knocked, giving me a nervous smile as we stepped inside. I was wary


    when she locked eyes with Alec and Kade. She looked at them the way most people did. Her eyes


    grew wide at their build, and shock undoubtedly shed over her face.


    “I’m apologizing ahead of time for anything my Mom says.” Kady grimaced, “Not that it makes a


    difference.”


    I could feel her sincerity fill the room, washing over me like a cold wave. Kady wasn’t a bad person, I


    knew that now. She had said some rude words out of jealousy and spite, but that didn’t define her as a


    person.


    “I appreciate it.” I told her honestly.


    “Are you going to tell Dad what I told you?” Kady frowned, lowering her voice. She gave Alec and Kade


    a nervous nce, but otherwise turned her attention towards me. “I mean–I can’t me you if you did,


    but Dad won’t be happy.”


    “I won’t tell him you said anything.” I assured her.


    I could feel her gratefulness, sweet like candy but tinged with something bitter. Guilt flooded her veins,


    bitter and somewhat chilling. She was hiding something from me. It was like a whisper in my head,


    warning me she wasn’t beingpletely truthful. Why would she feel guilty if she had told me


    everything she knew? I pushed the feeling aside and followed Kady into therge dining room.


    The smaller table had been reced with arger one. Seated at the head was Garrett, off to his left


    was his wife and on his right was Julian. Garrett wore a crisp suit as he often did, this one a dark shade


    of te grey. Veronica looked impable as always. If it weren’t for the deeply etched sneer on her


    face, she would’ve been runway beautiful. Her golden hair was the same shade as Kady’s, and fell to


    her back in glossy waves. Her cherry lipstick was bright yet tasteful, and matched the sleek dress she


    wore. She didn’t look a day over twenty-five, but the sneer added a few years onto that. While Veronica


    shed me a weighted look, she said nothing.


    Veronica didn’t need to use her words to get her point across. Overwhelming distain and something


    close to hatred spewed from her pores, wafting over me like a poisonous fog. I nearly flinched at the


    impact. I had never felt negative emotions before through my newly acquired gift. I had felt Tori’s anger,


    but it was a far cry from the hate that Veronica was throwing my way.


    “It’s good to see you.” Garrett gave me one of those charming business smiles and sat down.


    While his smile was one he shed to many, making him look charismatic andid back, I could tell he


    was being sincere. He was truly happy that we hade for dinner.


    Now that I could feel the emotions of others, I wasn’t sure how I felt about Garrett. He wasn’t perfect,


    and he was far from ever bing a parental figure in my life, but his emotions spoke louder than his


    actions and words. For instance, I could feel his nervousness. For whatever reason, he was worried


    about tonight. The brief tang of guilt radiated through him, simr to Kady’s though I couldn’t determine


    the source.


    “Thanks for having us.” I managed to say through gritted teeth.


    I sat at the far end of the table, directly across from Garrett. Alec and Kade sat on opposite sides of me.


    Their positive emotions fought against Veronica’s. Their affection, happiness, and awe battled the hate


    that washed over me in waves.


    “This isn’t awkward or anything.” Julian coughed, covering hisugh with a long swig of alcohol.


    Kady hid her smile behind her ss of wine, while Veronica threw one of her signature res at Julian.


    It seemed I wasn’t the only one Veronica hated. The only people she seemed to truly care about was


    her daughter and mate.


    Lucy and a handful of men brought out our dinner. Pristine china covered by a silver dome. It was


    unbearably fancy, and something I wasn’t used to. Lucy hadn’t changed in the time I had been gone.


    The lines etched into her face made her look friendly and approachable. As she spotted me at the


    table, a kind smile formed on her face. She was d to see me, I could tell from the subtle emotions


    radiating from her. Her wheat-colored hair was pulled into a bun as she padded over to me.


    “Steak or sd?” She asked, giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze.


    “Steak.” I replied, rolling my eyes at Alec and Kade’s identical grins.


    They both looked deviously handsome tonight. Both wore ck button-down shirts and ck cks.


    The only difference between them was their hair. Alec’s hair was all one length, grazing his ears


    messily. Kade’s hair was shorter around the base, but longer on top. Each time they turned their eyes


    away from me, which wasn’t often, I couldn’t help but gawk at the muscles protruding from their


    clothes.


    A quiet snort sounded from across the table as I eyed the steak on my te hungrily. I caught


    Veronica’s cold eyes, and grimaced as she shook her head disdainfully. Her mouth opened and for a


    second, I thought she was actually going to say something. She caught Alec’s eye and seemed to think


    better of what she wanted to say. Her mouth clicked shut, and her disdainful gaze turned to Julian.


    “So, what made youe back?” Julian blurted out, giving Garrett a shrug when he scolded him.


    “What? I hardly know her. Consider me curious.”


    “I made a mistake leaving. When Garrett told me what I was, I kind of freaked out.” I frowned. Some of


    the tension left my body as I felt Alec’s finger tips graze my kneecap from under the table. “He picked


    the worst way to break the news though.”


    “I take full responsibility for that.” Garrett grunted, and I swore I could make out the lightest shade of


    pink tinging his cheeks. I could feel his embarrassment and sheepishness at his mistake. “In all


    honesty, I assumed Melissa would have told you something.”


    “I lived with my Grandma for a while. I never really saw Melissa until she died.” I shrugged.


    “Your Grandma was a fine woman.” Garrett nodded, and I could tell he was speaking the truth.


    “Miserable to be around once you pissed her off though.”


    “That she was.” I nodded in full agreement.


    “You lived with your Grandma for a while then?” Julian chimed in, his voice casual and almost bored.


    While Julians voice sounded bored, his emotions were anything but. He was interested, and his


    curiosity was almost overwhelming. I wasn’t sure why he was so interested in my life, but I figured it


    couldn’t hurt. My Grandma had died a long time ago, there was nothing to be used against me by


    telling them this.


    “Since I was born.” I shrugged, “When she died, I moved in with Melissa.”


    “How did that go for you? Living with your Mother.” Julian asked, and I couldn’t ignore the way Garrett


    grimaced.


    More guilt swirled around him. I was beginning to question my gift. Since I met Garrett, I thought the


    only thing he cared about was my future role in the pack. Judging from his strange emotions, he felt


    some semnce of responsibility for me. He felt guilty for leaving, guilty because I lived ignorant and


    miserable with Melissa. I shoved the conflicting feelings deep down and turned to face Julian.


    “Melissa isn’t my Mother, never was. I stayed out of their way and lived my life.” I replied, “I took care of


    myself.”


    Veronica scoffed for the third time, but it seemed she couldn’t keep her mouth shut.


    “A child who shows no respect for her parents has no right ruling an entire pack.” Veronica snapped;


    her voice cold. “How can you show respect to those you rule, to those willing toy down their lives for


    you if you can’t even respect your own family?”


    “Veronica.” Garrett’s voice was full of hostility, though I could tell he was restraining himself.


    Like it or not, Veronica was his mate. No matter how bitchy and rude she was, he’d always have a soft


    spot for her. While I was having a hard time epting that fact, I was d to have Alec and Kade by


    my side. Alec and Kade had no qualms about defending me. In fact, Alec let out a low growl in her


    direction. Both Alec and Kade were ring daggers at Veronica.


    “Enough. It’s fine.” I told Alec and Kade, giving them a grateful smile. I turned my attention to Veronica,


    and absolutely refused to balk under her intense re. “My family is Alec and Kade. I respect them just


    as they respect me. Melissa and Frank were never my family. Respect isn’t blindly given, Veronica. It’s


    fought for and earned. Which is why you will never, ever have my respect.”


    Julian let out a low whistle, snickering as Veronica’s face turned an unttering shade of red. Kady


    seemed shocked, her eyes flickering between me and her mother. Even Kade chuckled lowly, taking a


    long drink before sharing a smirk with his brother.


    “She’s definitely part of the family.” Julian chuckled.


    If it weren’t for my strange ability to feel emotions, I would have never noticed the meaning in what


    Julian had said. As Julian finished speaking, a barrage of emotions flooded the room. Garrett was


    feeling panic and shock, fear and anger. Julian was feeling amusement and irritation. Even Veronica


    felt panicked, her eyes burning into Julian unflinchingly. Kady–that familiar sting of bitter guilt came


    back. Alec and Kade seemed not to notice the meaning, but I did.


    “Part of the family.” I repeated slowly, savoring the emotions that flooded through each of them.


    My eyes flickered from Garrett to Julian, noting the differences and simrities. Garrett and Julian


    seemed to be having a silent argument, one that Garrett was currently losing. As their quiet battle


    finished, Julian fixed me with a heavy stare.


    “Yes, Aurora. Part of the family.” Julian nodded, a smile twitching at the corners of his lips. “It’s nice to


    finally meet my niece.”