AVA
“That explains it,” Alex murmured.
“Is he freaking out because Artemis didn’t say it back?”
“I think Ares is, I’ll be honest.”
I bit my lip again, before talking to Artemis. “How do you feel about Callum and Ares?”
“I want them around, I miss them right now. More than anything, I want to go roll around with Ares. I’ll be honest, Ava, I’m freaking out.”
I sighed before looking back at Alex and Jacob. “As Artemis just put it, she wants them around, misses them, and more than anything, wants to roll around with Ares. But she’s freaking out. I’ve slammed a block down on my emotions to try to stop them bleeding through to Callum.”
“I think you two are mates, Ava,” Jacob’s voice was low. “All the things you’ve described say he is your mate. Lycans are rare, really rare. I don’t know how that would affect the mate bond. Perhaps on his birthday, it will fully click into place?”
“Maybe,” I shrugged.
“I’m curious to see if you react in the same way to Oscar when he gets his wolf, Ava. Twins often share a mate. They also normally get their wolves about the same time, so Oscar’s wolf will likely follow any time now.”
I nodded, “I guess we’ll find out.”
CALLUM
“Dad, I need to talk to you.” This mind linking thing still felt weird, but they all assured me that it would get easier.
“Of course, son. Meet me in my office in fifteen minutes? I’m just finishing up with Alphas Ava and Jacob.”
“Thanks, dad.”
“The door is unlocked if you want to wait for me there, son.”
I shut the link, grabbed us both a coffee and wandered up to his office to wait for dad.
“Ares,” I asked him. “Are Ava and Artemis our mate?”
“I don’t know.” Ares was pacing around my head, confused. “I want her, them, and I know Artemis does too. But it’s like I don’t know.” He growled in frustration. “More than anything, I want to go hunt her down and make them ours. I wanted to mark her so badly by the lake.”
Dad walked in, sitting opposite me. “You okay, son?” His voice was concerned.
“I don’t know, dad, honestly.”
“What’s going through your head?”
“I can’t tell if Ava is my mate or not. Ares really wants to find her and mark her, so I assume she is or that feeling wouldn’t be this strong?”
He sighed. “I’ll be honest, son, this is what Jacob and I were talking to Ava about. She’s really stressing out and confused, trying to work out why she feels the way she does but doesn’t know for sure that you’re her mate.”
“Does she feel the same way?” Ares jumped to attention.
Dad nodded, and Ares started running circles and yipping in my head.
“Ares is ecstatic about that,” I laughed.
“Ava is going to get hold of her aunt to find out more about the mate bond in Lycans, ideally specifically when it is a Lycan and a wolf. At this point, we aren’t sure if you’re both not sure because you’re both underage, or because she’s Lycan and doesn’t have that form yet, or what. We don’t know. It could even be something related to the Alpha Queen.”
He shrugged. “One thing you should know, son, is that it might not just be you, and you need to make sure Ares is prepared for that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Twins quite often share a mate.”
“No, she’s mine,” Ares growled out loud.
“Ares,” dad held his hands up showing he meant no harm. “We don’t know anything really at the moment, okay? This is new territory for all of us. If you and Oscar are both her mates, it will all work out fine because fate wills it so.”
“Don’t talk about Ava with another man, Beta,” Ares growled. Dad nodded, his head bowed.
Dad’s eyes were wide when he straightened back up. I took back control, and mine were too.
“Dad… how is Ares an Alpha?”
“I don’t know, son.” He shrugged, confused. “I’m going to get Alpha Jacob here.”
“Ava too, please, dad.”
He nodded, his eyes glazing over.
They reached us in no time. Ava smiled at me, sitting next to me whilst Alpha Jacob sat next to dad.
“Are we all okay?” Jacob asked.
“Jacob… I don’t know how, but…”
“Ares is an Alpha,” Ava whispered. “He just told Artemis.”
“Yeah, that,” dad chuckled. “I hope you three stay in control or this room is going to become unbearable.”
Ava laughed and Jacob just looked amused. Yeah, three Alphas in a room could be problematic if it got heated. Alpha Jacob and Ava fighting was awful.
“It’s fine, Alex,” Ava said. “We’re all in control.” She gave me a smile, taking my hand. We both jumped as sparks jumped between us.
“Fuck,” she whispered, staring at our hands, before looking back up and meeting my eyes. Artemis was forward.
“Ava,” I whispered. “Artemis’ eyes are completely golden.”
She grabbed her phone, flipping on her front facing camera to take a look. “Oh that’s weird,” she exclaimed, before pushing Artemis back to see her own eyes. Her own eyes were now green with a gold ring around the irises.
She looked up and met Alpha Jacob’s eyes, who immediately bowed his head. “My Queen,” he whispered.
“Fuck!” Ava jumped up, standing up and stumbling backwards. “It’s true, it’s all true.” She swore under her breath, before turning to leave the room. “I need space.”
I heard her run out of the building, shifting when she got outside. She was confused, scared, verging on terrified. “Fuck,” I stood up. “I’m going after her.”
I hadn’t gotten far when a whimper of pain stole my attention. Oscar.
“Dad!” I shouted through the link. “Oscar is shifting.”
OSCAR
I was in agony. My skin felt like it was on fire and my body felt like it was being torn apart.
I looked up to see Callum and dad running towards me, their faces concerned.
“We’re here, son,” dad whispered, his hand stroking my head reassuringly. “Let’s get you outside, and then we’ll help you through this, okay?”
I nodded. I’d heard what Ava told Callum, so as soon as I was outside, I let go, I stopped fighting.
Within seconds, I was on all fours, panting.
“Dionysus, are you okay?” I asked, even my internal voice sounded strained.
“I’m good, Oscar, I’m good.”