Female Novel
Chapter 77
The inside of the cabin matched the outside. It looked as though it had been plucked from one of thosehome improvement TV shows Tori loved to watch. Judging from the kitchen with its stacked oven’s,touch-screen refrigerator, and mini bar area, it was most certainly a luxury cabin. The interior held earthy tones, mostly browns and a few different shades of red. The sectional in thecenter of the cabin was big enough for an entire family, and the flat-screen mountain to the far wall wasthe biggest I had ever seen. Plush pillows sat on the sectional, and I resisted the urge to throw myselfonto them, happy to sink into the soft material. I ogled at the brick fireplace and the hand carved mantlethat sat above it, grinning when I spotted a few framed pictures of the twin’s and their parents. They looked like the picture-perfect family, and for once, there was no twinge of pain in my chest. I washappy the twins had this incredible life, that they were surrounded with people who loved andrespected them. Just because I had a crappy upbringing, doesn’t mean I wished it on anyone else.
Alec and Kade stood in front of their parents, s**t-eating grins on their faces which made me wonderwhat they had previously gotten into before taking the photographs. Their parents shared a look in onephoto, a look that told me they knew exactly what Alec and Kade had gotten into. It was silly and kindof cheesy, but cheesy in a way that makes it more sentimental. Alec cleared his throat, and when I turned around, the two of them were just a few feet away. Bothwere frowning as they caught me looking at their family photos. “We can never understand what youwent through, living with Melissa and Frank, but you’ll never have to experience that again.”
“You’ll never have to want for anything, and you’ll never have to live in a shithole like that again.Whatever you need, you’ll have it.” Kade continued, a look of equal sincerity on his rugged face. It wasincredibly alluring, to have two strong men with a soft spot for me. Only I got to see them like this,vulnerable and intimate. In their emotions, I could taste the sharp tang of guilt and knew they both punished themselves for theway I was treated. I couldn’t place a single ounce of blame on their shoulders. I had kept my treatmenta secret, thinking there was no one to help, no one that cared. I even kept the whole Grace ordeal a
secret. I hadn’t a clue what secret world lived beneath my own, and if anything—I regretted notspeaking up sooner. Their whirlpool of emotions had tears springing to my eyes, which I furiously blinked back. I had neverbeen a fan of crying in front of others, no matter how comfortable I was with said person. Crying—itmade you vulnerable in a way that made me uncomfortable. Mistaking my sudden rush of tears, the twin’s shifted on their feet. I let out a garbled chuckle. The twoof them, they didn’t know how to handle a crying female, it made them anxious. Two towering warriors,brought to their knees over their emotional mate. “Don’t—don’t cry, sweetheart.” Kade grumbled, his dark brows knitted tightly together. I stepped intotheir arms, a hidden smile on my face as I stole their warmth and scents. “We didn’t mean to upset you.” Alec chimed in, his rough hand brushing the stray hairs back from myface. “You didn’t upset me.” I giggled, quickly swiping at the stray tear that managed to escape my eye. OnceI was sure all traces of tears were gone from my gaze, I looked up at the two of my beautiful mates.“I’m just—really lucky to have you both. I don’t want you blaming yourselves. None of it is your fault. Ikept it a secret because I didn’t think anyone could help.” “We could’ve told you the truth, doll.” Alec shook his head, his lips set in determination that only mademe pull him closer. “We could’ve told you the truth and put a stop to it all.” “If you had told me the truth, I still would’ve run. Especially if you pressured me into going with youboth.” I told the two of them honestly, “I wasn’t ready for the truth. I think—I think Garrett did me a favorby telling me. I needed to decide what I wanted for myself, and the two of you let me do that. You gaveme a choice. That’s more than anyone else has ever done for me.” I stayed locked in their arms until the bitter edge of their guilt faded. It would never completely vanish,that much I was certain of. A part of them, no matter how small, would always blame themselves forhow I was treated. All that mattered is that I reminded them of the truth. They had no hand in mytreatment, but they had a hand in my saving. The human life I had lived was wrought with danger,constantly tip-toeing around Melissa and Frank, waiting for the day Frank got the upper hand. This life,
while it is just as dangerous, is beautiful. No life is perfect, but it’s the flaws of the people you love whomake it more authentic—who make it worth living. “While I’m not opposed to keeping you in our arms all day, I think you should check out the bedroom.”Alec murmured, his chuckle tickling my ear and making me shudder. “The second part of your gift is inthere.” As I looked into his eyes, I couldn’t mistake the flash of hunger that lingered in those dark orbs. Thatsame flash was mirrored in Kade’s eyes, but I knew they were being patient. “Upstairs, down the hall. It’s the first door on your left.” Kade chimed in, giving me a gentle push. “We’llhave dinner ready by the time you come down.” “Do you two have any flaws?” I snorted, stopping halfway up the stairs. Both cocked a dark eyebrow inmy direction, and my insides fluttered at the identical smirks that formed on their faces. “Cooking andcleaning? I’m one lucky Luna.” “Actually, we’re ordering pizza.” Alec chuckled, flashing me a smile that was all teeth. “We’ll save thecooking for tomorrow.” “I’m going to have to thank your mom sometime.” I snickered, poking my tongue out at the two of them.“She raised the two of you right.” “Please, don’t.” Alec groaned. The twin’s shared an incredulous look with one another before turningback to me. “She’ll never let us hear the end of it.” “You might want to get up there, sweetheart. Your gift won’t appreciate waiting so long.” Kade calledout, waltzing into the kitchen. As heavy confusion settled over my face, I was given no explanation other than an innocent grin, whichlooked quite humorous on Kade’s face.
I wandered down the large hallways until I found the room I was looking for. As I slipped inside thebedroom, I was met with the thick smell of cinnamon and leaves. “Oh wow.” I cooed, murmuring to Thalia and myself. “Think we can convince them to move here?” ‘You have my vote.’ Thalia shrugged, ‘Huge Forest surrounding the cabin, great for running.’
The master bedroom was a huge rectangular room with maroon walls and dark hardwood floors. Thefour-poster bed sat on a raised platform with a few stairs leading up the side. Black silken sheets andpillow cases along with a furry comforter. I knew that once I curled up in that bed, I’d be out withinmoments. Thankfully, the bed was larger than most, and I knew the three of us would fit just fine.Underneath the bed was a plush, shag carpet. Against the far wall was a fully stocked bar, countlessdecanters sat with crystal tops. An identical fireplace jutted out of the other wall, this one free of familyphotos and knickknacks. Along the left-hand wall were a set of double doors, which I learned led to an equally immaculatebathroom. I wandered over to the last door in the bedroom, pulling it open to stare into a walk-in closet.The closet was bigger than my bedroom at Melissa and Frank’s, fully stocked with both men’s andwomen’s clothing. As I trailed my fingers along the hangers that spanned the closet, I stiffened when something rustledbehind me. Despite training for an entire week, I had yet to actually use what I had learned. I’m embarrassed tosay, I failed this test. A pair of hands grabbed at my shoulders from behind, and I whirled with an open mouth, to face Tori.The h****r-movie scream that left my mouth was one that I’d always remember, one that would bring ahorrible blush to my face. It’s not that I didn’t know how to defend myself, but I’m not some trained warrior. I don’t have finelytuned instincts that tell me to a****k first and ask questions later. Besides, who really expects to getattacked in a walk-in closet? Not me, for sure. My hand flew up to my chest as my stomach tickled with surprise. I had always hated the feeling youget when someone jumps out at you. Too many run-ins with Frank to find the feeling amusing, but Ididn’t blame Tori for that. “What the h**l, Aurora!” Tori shouted; her hands raised in exasperation. Her face was a bit pink, andher fiery hair was falling out of the ponytail she had it in. Her green and brown-flecked eyes were wideas my ear-splitting scream came to a warbled halt.
“Don’t what the h**l me!” I snapped back, still heaving from the scare. “You’re the one who jumped outat me! What did you expect?” “I expected you to use your training! You never know when someone might try to a****k you.” Torigroaned, a hand against her forehead. The severity of her expression quickly morphed into amusementas she threw her head back and cackled like a wench. “I guess you can just scream at them! H**l, thatwould make any warrior hesitate for a moment. With that scream, you could star in a h****r movie. S**t,I’d watch it.” “Is this supposed to be my surprise?” I demanded when Alec and Kade sauntered into the room. Neither one looked surprised at my outburst, though their lips twitched as they fought back a smirk. Ipinched the bridge of my nose as I looked at the three of them. While I appreciated them trying to hide their amusement, I could feel their emotions. Alec was near-bursting with laughter, while Kade was a bit more skilled at hiding his emotions. Neither one felt anyfear at my sudden scream, which led me to believe that Tori was my surprise after all. “Apart from training, we’ve hardly had any time to just hang out.” She shrugged, stepping out of thecloset before I could think better and lock her in. She flashed a narrow-eyed look at the twin’s andcrossed her arms over her chest. “I didn’t think it would take you two so d**n long to send her up here. Igot so bored; I was about to start trying on clothes. We’re you having a three-some or something?” “Don’t answer that.” I snapped, just as Alec opened his mouth to speak. “Are you angry with us, doll?” He asked instead, giving into the temptation and letting his lips morphinto an amused grin. “No.” I huffed, my eyes darting over to Tori. “Did you really have to jump out at me?” “I wanted to see how fast your reflexes were.” She shrugged, as though it were a plausible response. “It seems her reflexes are quite fast. At least, her voice is.” Kade commented, and I swear, my eyebegan to twitch. “With more training, her first reaction will not be to scream.” “She’s got a set of lungs on her, doesn’t she?” Tori snickered, making Alec’s grin widen. “Alright, enough of that.” I grunted, “Where’s that food you two were talking about?” Half an hour later, the three of us were slumped on the sectional in the living room, eating our weight in
pizza. Some reality television show played quietly in the background, ignored by the four of us. The twoglass doors that led to the pool out back were open, sending in a warm summer breeze that smelled offresh water, earth, and sweet flowers. I still wasn’t used to the endless abyss that was now my stomach. Five slices in and I was still eyeingthe pizza hungrily. Alec and Kade each ordered two pizzas for themselves, loaded with toppings thatboth looked appealing and somewhat gross. Tori and I each had our own pizza, which was proving tobe just the right amount. “Bet you twenty bucks, they won’t eat two whole pizzas.” I whispered to Tori, munching on a slice of myown. Tori paused for a moment, watching the two of them with calculating eyes. “Mm, I think they’ll eat two and then ask us for some of ours.” She snickered quietly, “Male werewolvesare insatiable when it comes to food and s*x.” Alec and Kade’s eyes darted over to me once Tori finished speaking, and I felt a heated blush settle onmy face. Clearly, they heard the two of us. It was the mention of s*x that captured their male attention,typical. “Such alpha-males.” I cooed, teasingly. “You’re lucky we’re giving you the day with Tori.” Kade grunted, sharing a look of begrudging approvalwith Alec. “If not, we’d keep you locked in that bedroom all day.” “That sounds horrible.” Tori scolded, glaring at the twins. While copious amounts of s*x with the twin’ssounded incredible, I did want to explore the lake and surrounding forest. Where I had thought Tori wason my side, when she opened her mouth to continue, my jaw went a little slack. “Why would you onlyhave s*x in the bedroom? There’s a whole lake out there, and a pool out back. Plus, there’s a hugeforest around us. Give her some variety!” “You’re not helping.” I muttered, sinking into the soft cushions of the couch. Even with my feigned embarrassment, I couldn’t deny the rush of warmth that blistered inside of me asI felt the twin’s unrelenting desire. These two, they never seemed to tire of me. Every person in my lifehad been temporary, either because Melissa forced us to move or because I was always that friend
stuck in the background. I used to hate that about myself, that I was so ordinary that no one found me special. Over the years, Isimply accepted it. I didn’t need to be first in anyone’s eyes, I was first in my own. Having Alec and Kade—even Tori, it was a feeling I had never experienced before. I wasn’t shoved tothe background, forgotten about until last minute. “Aren’t I, though?” She giggled, waggling her eyebrows at me. “You seem pretty invested in my s*x life, Tori.” I remarked, lifting my eyebrow at her. A look of mock surprise fell on her face, and she pressed a hand against her chest. “Oh, Aurora. You’ve exposed me. Now we can all be mates.” She cooed, falling back into the cushionsof the couch with a wicked grin. “Hey, my s*x life is non-existent. You have two mates—two! A girl’sgotta live vicariously when she can.” Alec and Kade exchanged equal looks of confusion and something similar to surprise. The look said,“are all girls like this?” Regardless, it was enough for Tori and I to collapse into a fit of laughter. Twomuscular Alpha’s, both overwhelmed by a couple of girls. “Alright, alright.” Tori took a few deep breaths as her cackling ceased, she flashed Alec and Kade acheeky grin before continuing. “We should go swimming after this! Lake or pool?” It wasn’t a hard decision. The sun was still shining, as it was only the middle of the day. There would beplenty of time tonight to swim in the temperature-controlled pool. Tori had been little more than excitedover the color changing lights and man-made waterfall that poured into the glassy surface of the pool. “Lake, definitely the lake.” I nodded, and judging from Tori’s widening grin, we were on the same page.“Then the pool tonight.” “You’d think werewolves wouldn’t like to swim, but we actually love it.” Tori chuckled, pushing herself offthe couch with a hand on her full stomach. “Flying on the other hand, h**l no. There’s something aboutbeing stuck in a metal box in the sky that gives me the creeps.” “I’ve never thought of it that way.” I admitted, standing from the couch as well. I had spent nearly a quarter of my life completely unaware that I was a werewolf. I had never been on aplane before, but the thought of going on one wasn’t frightening. Sure, it was a little strange, but
practical. I knew without a doubt that we weren’t flying to wherever the High Table was. Alec and Kadehad been completely against the idea, convinced the plane would not make it safely to the ground if Iwere on it. It was hard to believe that the High Table would simply try to k**l me off without hearing meout, but I trusted the twins to keep me safe. “Are you two ready?” Tori turned towards the twin’s, her fists on her hips as she cocked an eyebrow atthem. Alec was busy stuffing another slice of pizza in his mouth, while Kade was frowning at his empty box. Iknew what they were going to ask before it even left their mouths, and I didn’t even bother to stifle mylaughter. “Can we have the rest of your pizza?” It was Kade who asked, surprisingly. “You owe me twenty bucks.” Tori snickered quietly, but the twins could easily hear this time. Bothnarrowed their eyes in our direction, but said nothing further. It was adorable, honestly. I loved how even though these two men were practically warriors, they werealso very much human. They had their flaws and shortcomings, but they weren’t things to fix or lookdown on. My face was beginning to ache from smiling so much, but it was a pleasant pain. The twins couldn’tfeel my emotions, so I hoped that my smile conveyed how truly happy I felt. “Have at it.” I chuckled, linking my arm in Tori’s as we ventured upstairs in search of a bathing suit. The twins had left my fully packed suitcase on the bed. Tori pulled out a small duffel bag from herhidden spot in the closet and tore out an emerald green b****i. The top and bottoms had a small ruffleon them, which made them look more cute than s**y. “I’ve always thought red-heads looked amazing in green.” I complimented, flashing her a grin. “Honestly, I’m jealous of the whole two eye color thing you have going on.” Tori sighed, plopping downon the bed beside me. “You could wear any color and it’d still look good.” “Or it clashes with the other eye entirely.” I countered with a smirk. I was never big into fashion, but there was nothing wrong with wanting to look your best. The twin’smom had picked out most of my clothing, and I found that I loved it all. I wasn’t used to the dresses and
skirts, but I was willing to give them a try. As I rifled through the suitcase, they had packed for me, my jaw went slack and my eyes narrowed. There wasn’t a single pair of shorts in the entire suitcase, nor were there any shirts. I found a singleb****i, light blue in color. The chest piece looked a bit small for my bust, and I frowned as Tori fell backon the bed and howled in laughter. “They packed your suitcase for you, didn’t they?” She cackled, the spattering of cinnamon freckles onher cheeks rippled as she laughed. “Oh, their good, so good.” I yanked the baby blue b****i from the suitcase and shoved everything else back inside. The onlywearable pieces of clothing in the entire thing were a dress or two. However, there were plenty ofskimpy bras and lace underwear. “You’re going to be so busy these next two days.” Tori smirked, toying with one of the lace bra’s before Itugged it out of her hand. She fell back onto the bed with a mock groan, “Oh, the life of a Luna.”novelbin