Once we got back into town, Ethan picked up a rental car to drive the rest of the way. After half an hour, the buildings began to look familiar, and anxiety churned in my gut as we drew closer. I bit my lip, a habit when stressed.
“There’s nothing to worry about,” Ethan reassured me, flashing one of his dimpled grins before turning back to the road. “Sebastian won’t get his hands on you, and Jessy is out of the picture. You won’t be anywhere near Lauren and Darren either.”
“It’s not them I’m worried about,” I sighed. “When I ran away, it wasn’t just you and Kieran I left behind.”
“Kat,” Ethan nodded, eyes on the road. I sensed the echo of pain deep within him, suppressed yet present. Leaving had hurt Ethan and Kieran more than I could ever understand. “She was more worried than anything, but I can’t speak for her.”
“I don’t blame her,” I shook my head. “For being upset, I mean. It was my fault.”
“You did what you thought was right at the time,” Ethan grimaced, his underlying pain surfacing. “None of us can blame you for that.”
“I just… I didn’t know you guys could help,” I admitted, ending with a small snort. “Although, now I understand why you and Kieran are so massively large for high school seniors.”
“Massive?” Ethan mused, flashing a sly grin. “If you want to see massive-”
“Don’t finish that,” I shook my head, face flaming.
“Not to worry, once we get home, I’m sure Kieran would love to hear about how massive you think we are,” Ethan’s smirk widened, his dark eyes flashing playfully.
I sunk lower in my seat, avoiding Ethan’s heated yet playful gaze. It’s not like I haven’t been intimate with the twins, yet each time had been so overwhelming, even before I knew about the mate bond. Their touch was all-consuming, chasing away my most troublesome thoughts. When they touched me, all I could think about was wanting more.
After what felt like seconds, we pulled into town. The town was nestled in the dense woods, far from prying eyes. I now understood why someone would build a town so far out in the forest. The thick woods provided perfect coverage to shift without being seen. The town itself was quite beautiful, much nicer than the human town. The buildings were shiny and new, clearly well taken care of. Within minutes, we were driving down the street where Ethan and Kieran’s house sat. Their house was the largest in town, with a long wrap-around porch out front. It was as nice as Sebastian’s new house, though Ethan and Kieran’s home felt more lived-in. Sebastian’s house reminded me of a show home, beautifully decorated but cold inside.
My stomach dropped as we pulled into Ethan and Kieran’s driveway. My eyes were glued to Kat’s house, just a few houses down. Her driveway was empty; she must not have been home. Swallowing my nausea, I let Ethan open the door for me and followed him inside.
The foyer was large, with an intricate crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The house wasn’t cold and extravagant like Sebastian’s. This house was luxurious but felt lived in. My eyes scanned the pictures on the wall, instantly seeking out young Ethan and Kieran. Both were chubby toddlers, with dark tufts of hair. Each picture showed them a couple of years older, up until what looked to be this year.
My head snapped towards the open kitchen as I heard voices filtering through the house. Ethan gave me a light smile and tugged me forward. My legs threatened to lock up, yet somehow I managed to follow him.
The kitchen was large, big enough for a family of ten. It had two stoves and a refrigerator with a large screen. I hadn’t been to a house quite this nice and found it hard to believe I’d actually be living here.
Kieran was the only person I noticed, looking much like he had when we left Bia’s bakery. His hair was tousled, and he had changed his clothes. A blush spanned my cheeks as I wondered if he too ended up naked after shifting, if it was a common occurrence among werewolves.
Kieran turned and met my eyes as though I were a magnet walking into the room. A genuine smile formed on his face, nearly taking my breath away. I heard Ethan chuckling lowly behind me as I wrapped my arms around Kieran’s waist. The shock they felt whenever I willingly touched them was always mixed with just a hint of awe. Kieran’s arms snaked around my waist, and I felt his lips press against my hair.
“Miss me already, sweetheart?” Kieran asked, one of his dark eyebrows raised.
A light voice cleared their throat, and I stiffened as I realized we weren’t the only people in the kitchen. A woman with wheat-colored hair and crystal blue eyes, slim as her face, and a man who was the spitting image of Ethan and Kieran. Dark hair, dark eyes, broad shoulders, and a large build. Ethan and Kieran’s mom was watching us, her eyes curious but not judgmental.
“Are you going to introduce us?” their mom scoffed, though a smile played at the edges of her full lips. “I swear I didn’t raise you boys without manners.”
“Mom, Dad, this is Sophia,” Kieran chuckled lowly. “Our mate.”
“Our?” their dad asked, his eyebrow raised in an expression nearly identical to his sons’. The sight made me want to laugh, as I now understood where they got their serious yet playful looks from.
“Our,” Ethan nodded, the hint of a smile on his face.
“And is this what you needed to talk about last week?” their mom asked softly, her eyes remaining on me.
“Partially,” Kieran shrugged, giving my hand a gentle squeeze before wandering through the kitchen to where three large platters of food sat.
Through my anxiety, I hadn’t smelled the thick scent of food wafting through the kitchen. My stomach rumbled angrily, making Kieran smirk in my direction. Kieran lifted the lid to one of the platters, grabbing at a piece of steaming food.
“Don’t you dare!” their mom snapped, waving her hands at Kieran as she chased him off.
The sight was one of the most amusing things I had seen. Kieran towered over his mom by at least a foot and a half, yet he trotted away at the wave of her hand. Her lips were set in a tight line, though her eyes twinkled with amusement.
This is what a family is supposed to be like, I thought to myself. It was clear from the gentle touches and quiet words that their parents loved each other greatly. I assumed they were also mates, though I wasn’t entirely sure. It seemed in the werewolf world that one always ended up with their mate.
“You boys are sure she’s both of your mate?” their dad asked, his intense eyes on me.
“We’re sure,” Ethan nodded, one of his arms snaking around my waist, tracing little circles on the small of my back.
Their dad’s eyes narrowed into slits as he stared me in the face, making my heart rate skyrocket. I couldn’t feel any emotion bubbling from him like I could with Ethan and Kieran. For once, I felt somewhat blind. I couldn’t tell what was churning behind his dark eyes.
“Your eyes look familiar,” their dad grunted, his face losing that crippling intensity after a few moments.
“There’s a reason for that,” Ethan cleared his throat, shooting a quick glance over to Kieran, who was creeping closer and closer to the food. “She’s Sebastian’s daughter.”
If I had thought their dad was intense before, I hadn’t seen anything yet. Their dad’s eyes widened; his lips set in a grim line as he looked me over. Even their mom looked stunned, and somewhat worried. She placed a hand on her husband’s arm, giving him a gentle nod.
“I didn’t know Sebastian had a kid,” their dad grunted.
“Yeah, me either,” I blurted out. “It would’ve been nice to know I wasn’t human seventeen years ago.”
Ethan and Kieran’s dad snorted, then let out a low chuckle. I could feel the approval radiating from Ethan and Kieran, along with pride and another intoxicatingly sweet emotion I couldn’t quite place.
“Well, we sure have a lot to talk about,” their mom chuckled lightly, the tension leaving the room. “Care to stay for dinner, Sophia?”
I sent Ethan a brief look, wondering if they knew I was hoping to live here. Ethan gave me an encouraging nod, his eyes telling me we’d talk about it later. I turned to their parents, two people who held nothing but genuine concern for their sons. I realized then that I wanted them to accept me; I wanted it more than anything. I couldn’t leave Ethan and Kieran a second time, and I wasn’t sure I could handle more people fighting against me. Instead of succumbing to the nerves boiling under my skin, I mustered up a kind smile and nodded.
“Sure, I’d love to stay.”