Chapter 73


    “I can do that myself.” I told Alec, sitting up from the pale couch in the gym’s lounge.


    After some much-needed time together, I was a little more than ready to head home and take a long


    shower. Not only had the sweat began to dry to my skin, but I now had afortable soreness


    between my legs. Alec had scrounged up a wash cloth and was currently running it under the cold


    water of the sink. Every so often his eyes would dart over to where Iid;pletely undressed and


    surprisingly unabashed on the couch.


    “You sure about that, doll?” He shed me a grin that made my insides melt.


    It was hard not to smile when the Twin’s looked at me this way. I would’ve once called myself clinically


    insane for iming to love a man I had only known for a month or so. While in this case I had two men,


    things were different with them. I felt like I knew them in a way I didn’t with others, that there was no


    other alternative for me to love them as deeply as they loved me. Over time, love changes and grows,


    but I knew ours wouldn’t ever lessen.


    “I’m pretty sure I can handle a wash cloth.” I smirked.


    My smirk quickly turned to a pout when Alec batted my hands away, and began dabbing at his release,


    which just so happened to be sitting on my stomach. Neither one of us had been prepared, but I


    suppose it was better than the alternative. While I wasn’tpletely opposed to the thought of having


    children with Alec and Kade, I knew I wasn’t going to rush into anything.


    While the wash cloth was made of a horribly scratchy material, each brush of his hand was incredibly


    gentle. They were both so rough—so dominate during s*x, but this was different. Each time I had slept


    with them, they always insisted on taking care of me afterwards. The few times I had thought about


    being intimate with a guy, this wasn’t something I thought would happen afterwards.


    “Really? I’m fairly sure you almost passed out at some point back there.” Alec’s chuckle was a deep


    rumble that I could feel in the pit of my stomach. His amused and humorous smile told me he was only


    halfway joking.


    “Oh, I did not!” I scoffed, unable to keep a grin from forming on my own face.


    I smacked his hands away and watched as he walked over to the sink. Alec grabbed a second wash


    cloth and ran it under the cold water before settling back onto the couch. His calloused hands were


    incredibly gentle as he ran his fingers up the smooth skin of my t***h.


    “If we were home, I’d use something much softer.” He frowned, using the softer side of the wash cloth


    to clean the inside of my thighs.


    “Honestly, you’re perfect.” I chuckled a bit breathlessly, feeling the effects of his touch far too strongly. I


    was sure my body would never stop reacting to their touches, and I looked forward to every heated and


    gentle moment between us. “You and Kade both are.”


    A quick sh of disbelief rolled through him. It was nearly too fast for me to detect, but I could taste a


    slight bitter edge to the emotion.


    “Don’t tell Kade that.” He chuckled, giving no sign that he had even felt that quick sh of emotion. “I


    like to think his ego is a bit bigger than mine.”


    “Mm, I think the two of you are evenly matched.” I teased, noticing that the humor didn’t reach Alec’s


    eyes. My lips twitched into a frown as I met his eyes, feeling that same bitter emotion roll through me.


    “What’s wrong, Alec? Don’t try to fool me, you know I can feel your emotions.”


    “No point in hiding it, is there?” He shed me a devastatingly soft smile, one that filled me with both


    warmth and icy cold.


    He picked my sports bra off the floor and untangled the stretchy fabric. I let him take his time gathering


    his thoughts, and smiled as he helped me into it. Next came my underwear and leggings, both of which


    smelled as though they needed a good wash. I couldn’t believe how much I had truly sweat today,


    more than I ever had in my life, I was sure.


    Only when the two of us were fully dressed, did I plop down on Alec’sp. This was different than


    earlier. There was nothing sexual behind my actions, and my only goal was to wipe those negative


    emotions from him before they could linger and fester.


    I was happy, happier than I had ever been in my life and I needed to know what was troubling him so


    much. I settled onto hisp, and sighed as his muscr arms wound around my body. I grazed my


    nose over the rough stubble on his chin before giving him a light kiss. I had never feltfort and


    safety like this, nor had I ever been held by anybody—but, I couldn’t understand how I had gone so


    long without it. Our surroundings melted away until I no longer cared nor remembered that we were in a


    small lounge at the local gym. The where never mattered, only who.


    “It’s no secret Kade and I—slept around.” Alec sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Kade was


    worse than I was, but I’m beginning to think I wasn’t any better. While we never physically hurt them,


    but we never treated them as anything more than a temporary fix. Most didn’t care and would take


    whatever they could, but some—some genuinely wanted something more. Neither one of us cared.


    Before you came along, well we didn’t exactly want a mate at all. I think the thought of being tied down


    scared Kade more than it did me, but what we did was wrong.”


    “Who you were back then, it’s not how I see you now.” I frowned, letting my fingers roam over the


    coarse ins of his face. “I probably sound like a horrible person for saying this, but everyone makes


    mistakes. No one is purely good or bad, we’re all a mix of both.”


    His skin was velvety smooth, only to turn rough as I met the dark stubble along his cheek and jaw. I


    could feel him rx under my roaming fingers, and the razor-sharp edge of his emotions began to dull.


    It was nice to know I had the same effect on them as they had on me. A single touch could evoke a


    whirlpool of emotions within me, all different depending on the intention.


    “You’re the least horrible person I’ve ever met, doll.” Heughed lightly, cing his lips against my


    forehead. “Believe me, Kade and I have met a lot of awful people, but never anyone like you. You’re so


    much more than what we deserve. All we can do is try to be worthy of you.”


    “Think of it this way, you’re both my mates for a reason.” I smiled up at him, my heart heavy and full all


    at once. My smile morphed into something yful, “Maybe some of my infinite goodness will rub off on


    you.”


    “Infinite goodness, huh?” His stoic fa?ade cracked, giving way to a yful smile of his own. His face


    moved in closer to my own, and his lips hovered just a few inches away. When he spoke, his voice was


    deliciously low and raspy. “Or, maybe some we’ll just end up corrupting you.”


    “That doesn’t sound so bad.” I replied, just a tad bit breathless as I lost myself within the dark pools of


    his burning eyes.


    “As much as I’d love to stay here, alone with you; I’m afraid Kade is going to be wondering where we


    are.” He smirked, his lips finally lowering to meet my own. As his teeth grazed my lower lip, bringing on


    the tiniest amount of pain, a moan left my lips from the pure taste of him. “If you keep making those


    sounds, I’m afraid we’ll have to stay for even longer.”


    “You’re the one who had to kiss me like that.” I exhaled, my words ending on a littleugh.


    “So sensitive.” He chuckled, standing from the couch with me in his arms. His deep eyes glittered


    mischievously as he looked down on me, “Do you think you’re able to walk, or should I carry you out of


    the gym?”


    “There is no way in h**l you’re carrying me out of here, no matter how sore I am.” I snorted, pushing


    gently against his chest until I was back on my feet. “It’s bad enough half the people in this gym


    probably heard what we were doing, I don’t need to give them any further proof.”


    I walked out of the gym with my head held high. I wasn’t receiving any more stares than usual, so I


    assumed none had any clue what happened mere minutes earlier.


    Alec took me back to the house, but had to leave shortly after. Kade had apanied Garrett to his


    pack, following a lead they had on white wolves. Thest Alec had spoken to Kade, they had found


    some sort of information. After what I had done during the rogue battle, I wasn’t sure if I felt relieved or


    frightened.


    I had turned every foul emotion back on the rogues, and it frightened me at how good it truly felt. I had


    cleansed myself of every disgusting thing I ever felt; every ounce of contempt, anger, or loathing I had


    ever felt left me in that moment. It was then that I realized how much those emotions drag you down.


    They poison every good thought, every positive experience and taint them. The only way to truly keep


    them from harming you, was to let them go.


    Sinceing back home with Alec and Kade, I hadn’t spared Melissa a single thought. If anything, I


    had purposefully erased her from my mind.


    Sitting in the kitchen of Alec and Kade’s house, I began to think of her. I had never been the type ofN?velDrama.Org ? content.


    person to hate someone, but there had been a few times in my life where I truly hated Melissa and


    Frank. Hate was the most poisonous emotion of all, and I never once thought about how it might’ve


    affected me. Since letting go of all those ugly emotions, I had realized something. I no longer hated her,


    I felt sorry for her. Her and Frank could no longer hurt me, and they never would again. It was them


    who were stuck in the same vicious cycle, building a wall around them with those corruptive emotions.


    Letting them go, I had never felt freer.


    As soon as Alec dropped me off, I sped upstairs to shower and change. My stomach rumbled so hard I


    jumped, and opted out of the shower for now. Instead, I changed into afortable t-shirt and jeans,


    wandering down to the kitchen in search of anything to eat.


    “You look like you’re deep in thought.” The twin’s Mom chuckled as she swept into the kitchen.


    Her blonde hair was pulled up in a messy pony tail, a shade that was somewhat simr to Melissa’s.


    Where Melissa was vindictive, maniptive, and emotionally abusive—Alec and Kade’s Mom was the


    complete opposite. She was everything a mother should be and more. She had raised two incredible


    sons who not only epted their mistakes, but strived to be better. She was supportive when she


    needed, and stern when it was called for. Even as adults, Alec and Kade would never go against their


    Mom. In the short time I lived here, she had be a friend to me. She was just one of those people


    where caring and nurturing seemed to be second nature.


    “You hungry?” She asked, rummaging through the fridge.


    The sides of her eyes crinkled when my stomach rumbled on cue, and she let out a light, musical


    laugh.


    “I’ll take that as a yes.” She chuckled, cing a few random ingredients onto the counters.


    “Tori had me drink this foul protein shake before training this morning.” I scrunched my nose,


    remembering the bitter taste of kale. “At this point, I’ll take a handful of nuts.”


    “Well, I think I can whip up something better than a handful of nuts.” She replied, a kind smile on her


    face. “How’s pizza and some chocte chip cookies sound?”


    “Doesn’t that defeat the point of working out?” I asked, though I couldn’t deny my mouth watered at the


    mere words.


    “Best thing about being a werewolf, we were born to be strong and athletic.” She chuckled, “You’ve got


    to eat more, especially now that you’re training.”


    “Cookies and pizza, it is.” I grinned, rubbing my hands together in anticipation.


    “Grab an apron! With as much as Kade and Alec eat, I need all the help I can get.” She snorted, “Don’t


    even get me started on their father.”


    Living with Melissa and Frank, I had never actually learned to cook. My diet consisted of gas station


    food, packets of instant noodles, and those salty burrito’s you pop in the microwave.


    Alec and Kade’s Mom was one of those women who just seemed to be good at everything. Not only


    was she fierce and protective, but she made nearly everything from scratch.


    I helped her make the dough for the pizza as best I could, and poked at it while she pushed it aside to


    rise. I had a thick coating of flour in my hair, and was thankful I hadn’t yet gotten a shower. Once the


    dough had grown nearly triple in size, the Twin’s Mom divided it between the two of us.


    “Make sure you get it even, like this.” She murmured, and I watched as she skillfully cut and rolled the


    dough into a perfect circr shape. “As long as the dough is even, it doesn’t matter what shape it is!”


    “So, I can make any shape?” I asked, a somewhat cheesy idea forming in my mind.


    I silentlyughed at the horrible pun I had made and got to work shaping and ttening the dough. I


    had intended for the pizza to be shaped like a heart, but it was a lot harder than it looked. Instead of an


    attractive looking heart, I had one that was not only lumpy, but lopsided.


    “Aurora, what is that?” Alec and Kade’s Mom frowned, fighting hard to keep theughter from her


    voice.


    The innocent look on her face couldn’t fool me; I could feel her emotions. I felt that familiar sweetness


    of motherly affection along with a bright trickle of amusement and humor.


    “It’s a heart.” I paused, biting my lip as I stared down at my work.


    “Oh, oh I see it!” She smiled encouragingly. “It looks great, dear!”


    “You know I can feel your emotions, right?” I frowned, but the expression quickly gave way to hearty


    laughter.


    The sharp pain that once pierced my heart at the thought of not having a Mom vanished. I wasn’t sure


    how long it had been gone, but I couldn’t remember thest time I had felt it. Perhaps finding my own


    family had erased the pain, or maybe I did that myself. Either way, as ourughter rang loudly


    throughout the house, I couldn’t think of anywhere I’d rather be.


    Two hourster, Kade walked into the kitchen.


    “Kade!” I grinned, the scalding pizza tray I had in my oven-mitted hands ttered onto the counter.


    I bounced over to him and leapt into his arms, letting myself be engulfed in his broad chest. The


    long strands of his hair tickled my forehead as he hugged me back, and I could distinctly hear him


    inhaling my scent deeply.


    Alec and Kade were identical in nearly every way, but I had long ago noticed the subtle differences


    between the two. Kade was a bit bulkier than Alec, and Alec’s muscles were just a tiny bit more


    defined. While both had a temper, Alec’s seemed to be more controlled. Kade had something dark


    about him, and he usually spoke less than Alec.


    “Sweetheart, you got flour all over me.” He grunted, looking down at his ck t-shirt that had now been


    turned grey.


    “Oh, sorry.” I grinned sheepishly, turning a bit red in the face.


    The severity in his eyes cracked and faded until the real Kade came out to y, the side of him only


    Alec and I could see. His arms remained snaked around my waist, and I stiffened as his tongue darted


    out to lick my cheek.


    “You taste like pizza.” He smirked, grasping my chin with one of hisrge hands before iming my lips


    with his own.


    “Aurora made one special for you and your brother.” Their Mom chimed in, leaning against the counter


    with what looked to be a soft grin on her face.


    “You did?” He asked, an eyebrow raised. His full lips turned up in one of his rare but genuine smiles.


    “Let’s see it.”


    I practically bounced over to the counter to show him what I had made. Their Mom helped with the


    toppings, as I wasn’t sure which ones they liked the most. Both of them seemed to favorpletely


    different toppings. Half of the pizza was for Kade, and the other half for Alec.


    “What—what shape is that?” Kade frowned, looking down at monstrosity of a pizza I had made.


    Working at Beth’s had helped me make sure the dough was in an evenyer, and that it was baked


    through entirely; but it did not help me make a perfect heart-shape. Often, Beth took care of those


    extraneous details.


    “It’s a heart.” I frowned, pointing at the two misshapen arches of the heart. “See?”


    “Oh, I see.” He cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly. His mouth remained open for a few minutes,


    like he couldn’t figure out the correct words to say. “It’s—”


    “It’s horribly ugly, but it’ll taste good.” I grinned, holding back theughter that bubbled up my lips.


    In the time I had known the Twin’s, Kade was hardly ever rendered ufortable or speechless. In


    just a few minutes, I had brought on both. He was also not one for sweet words, but I seemed to bring


    out that hidden soft side of him. The lightest colored blush stained his cheeks, and I savored the image


    of a blushing Kade.


    “It’s not ugly.” He shook his head, pulling me into the protective warmth of his arms. “It’s perfect, like my


    mate.”


    “Does everyone forget that I can feel emotions?” I snorted, a wide grin stretching across my face.


    Kade chuckled deeply before nodding, “Alright, it’s a little ugly.”


    “Well, I’m going to bring some food to your Father.” Kade’s Mom chimed in, giving us both an indulgent


    grin. “Don’t worry about the mess, Aurora. I’ll clean up in a few.”


    “You sure?” I frowned.


    “Positive. Now go, enjoy some time with Kade.” She smiled, leaving the room with two tes of food in


    hand.


    “She’s trying to give us some privacy.” Kade murmured, his hands traveling down to my hips.


    “I figured as much.” I replied with a dazed nod.


    “So, I heard you spent some time with my brother today.” Kade’s voice was thick and low. I could hear


    the hidden meaning in his words, and felt the surge of delicious emotion as it bubbled to the surface.


    My back hit the counter, but Kade made no move to retreat. Instead, he leaned in even closer, his lips


    just beside my ear. “I can smell him on you, sweetheart.”


    “Oh.” I squeaked, my throat closing up as his nose trailed down my neck. “I—I meant to shower.”


    “Mm, I wouldn’t mind taking you like this.” He purred his tongue darting out to run up the length of my


    neck. “You taste good.”


    “Funny, Alec said the same thing.” I managed to mumble in between quiet gasps.


    “I wonder how you taste down there.” His voice sent a jolt of longing through me, and I savored the


    soreness between my legs that hade from his brother just mere hours ago. “The pizza is


    incredible, but that’s not what I’m hungry for. I want you syed out like my own personal feast,


    sweetheart.”


    With just a few words, Kade had turned me into a stammering mess. His fingers dug into my hips with


    just the right amount of pressure, sending those delicious sparks trickling between my legs.


    “I think, I could go for a shower as well.” He chuckled in my ear, scooping me into his arms and striding


    towards the stairs.