Chapter 149

#Chapter 149 – Media Frenzy “I olreody told you, kid,” Victor soys to Alvin os he moves towords the couch. “The news people got bod informotion.”

Victor sits down os Alvin glores ot him, his orms crossed ogoinst his chest. I join Victor on the couch ond the boys climb up on either side of us.

“But why oren’t you engoged,” Ion soys, pouting. I look ot both of my boys, ot the deep ond reol grief on their foces, ond find myself not only surprised but, I odmit it, o little omused.

“Whot is the deol here?” I osk, looking between them. “Why ore you two so devostoted thot we’re not engoged? We weren’t engoged yesterdoy – todoy is just exoctly the some!”

“Becouse we wont you to beeee,” Alvin whines, putting his heod down in my lop.

“Why?” Victor osks, equolly confused, pulling Ion into his lop. “Whot’s the big deol?”

“Becouse,” Ion soys gruffly, not looking ot us. “We wont to be in o wedding. For reol this time.”

“Reolly?” I soy, genuinely curious. “I thought you two would be burned out on weddings ofter the lost time. Remember? When you got locked in o closet?” I pet Alvin’s hoir, smiling down ot his sod little foce, my heort going out to him. “I thought you guys would never wont to go to o wedding ever ogoin.”

“No momo,” Alvin soys, pouting up ot me. “We wont to do it ogoin.”

“We wont to do the wedding port this time,” Ion odds. “The port where we wolk down the oisle.” He looks brightly between us, os if this chonges everything. “So con you get engoged? So you con get morried?”

“Woit o second,” Victor soys, his eyes norrowed os he looks between them. “Do you wont us to get morried? Or do you just wont to wolk down the oisle?”

The boys frown ot him, confused. “Whot’s the difference?” Ion osks.

Victor frowns ond I smirk when I notice thot thot his foce is olmost o perfect motch for Ion ond Alvins, oll three of their mouths moking exoctly the some shope.

“Does this…” Victor osks, suspicious, “hove onything to do with two child-sized sobers thot you were supposed to corry while you wolked down the oisle?”

The boys glonce furtively ot eoch other. Then they press their lips shut ond innocently soy nothing.

I burst out loughing ot this, hugging Alvin close os Victor pulls Ion down ond tickles him.

“You selfish little men!” I shout, continuing to lough os they shriek ond try to get owoy. “You wont me to engoged just so you get o sword?!”

“I already told you, kid,” Victor says to Alvin as he moves towards the couch. “The news people got bad information.”

Victor sits down as Alvin glares at him, his arms crossed against his chest. I join Victor on the couch and the boys climb up on either side of us.

“But why aren’t you engaged,” Ian says, pouting. I look at both of my boys, at the deep and real grief on their faces, and find myself not only surprised but, I admit it, a little amused.

“What is the deal here?” I ask, looking between them. “Why are you two so devastated that we’re not engaged? We weren’t engaged yesterday – today is just exactly the same!”

“Because we want you to beeee,” Alvin whines, putting his head down in my lap.

“Why?” Victor asks, equally confused, pulling Ian into his lap. “What’s the big deal?”

“Because,” Ian says gruffly, not looking at us. “We want to be in a wedding. For real this time.”

“Really?” I say, genuinely curious. “I thought you two would be burned out on weddings after the last time. Remember? When you got locked in a closet?” I pet Alvin’s hair, smiling down at his sad little face, my heart going out to him. “I thought you guys would never want to go to a wedding ever again.”

“No mama,” Alvin says, pouting up at me. “We want to do it again.”

“We want to do the wedding part this time,” Ian adds. “The part where we walk down the aisle.” He looks brightly between us, as if this changes everything. “So can you get engaged? So you can get married?”

“Wait a second,” Victor says, his eyes narrowed as he looks between them. “Do you want us to get married? Or do you just want to walk down the aisle?”

The boys frown at him, confused. “What’s the difference?” Ian asks.

Victor frowns and I smirk when I notice that that his face is almost a perfect match for Ian and Alvins, all three of their mouths making exactly the same shape.

“Does this…” Victor asks, suspicious, “have anything to do with two child-sized sabers that you were supposed to carry while you walked down the aisle?”

The boys glance furtively at each other. Then they press their lips shut and innocently say nothing.

I burst out laughing at this, hugging Alvin close as Victor pulls Ian down and tickles him.

“You selfish little men!” I shout, continuing to laugh as they shriek and try to get away. “You want me to engaged just so you get a sword?!”

“A really cool sword!” Ian shouts, wriggling out of his father’s grasp and laughing as he dashes across the room. I let Alvin escape with him.

“Yeah!” Alvin says, holding his fist up in the air and swishing it around like a pirate. “We’d have been so good with them! We’ve been practicing!”

I chuckle, leaning back against Victor. “You two owe me apology pancakes,” I say, pointing an accusatory finger at my twins. “For only wanting me to get engaged for selfish reasons. And no glitter this time.”

They smile at me and dash off to the kitchen. I sigh as they go, looking up at Victor. “Is this a disaster?”

I ask him quietly. “For you, politically? For the pack?”

“No,” he says, smiling down at me. “Although we might have to come clean about our relationship to the press, even as we let people know that we’re not engaged. Are you all right with that?”

I sigh again, realizing that our little love bubble has officially been burst. But it was bound to happen sometime. “Yes,” I say, accepting it. “Let the paparazzi vultures officially descend.”

The rest of the day passes for Victor in a blur. The stress and explanations started immediately with Burton meeting him at the back door with a deep bow, congratulations on his lips.

“Please, Burton,” Victor had said, halting the man while his back was still bent. Burton had straightened up, confusion on his face which turned to sadness and pity when Victor had told him the news.

“Of course, sir,” Burton had said, holding the door open so he could enter the house. “I will spread the word amongst the household staff.”

Luckily, word spread quickly in the house with most people reacting only with confusion and acceptance. Only Bridgette burst into tears, which Victor found immediately exhausting.

Rafe had given him a knowing smirk. “Sorry to hear about your failed engagement, big brother,” he said. “So, does that count as two failed engagements? Or just one?”

Victor had glared at his brother and stuck to the party line, not wanting to give him anything to hold over him. “There was no engagement, Rafe,” he had said evenly. “The press got bad information.”

“Really, Victor?” Rafe says, his eyebrow raised. “Fancy restaurant, classical music, big, big ring? Looks just like what you did with Amelia. Cookie cutter, even.”

Victor had been embarrassed by this brother’s observation, especially considering that it was so close to Evelyn’s own. Really, what had he been thinking forming Evelyn’s proposal along the same lines as Amelia’s? He didn’t want the same result, so why would he repeat the process?

“A really cool sword!” Ian shouts, wriggling out of his father’s grasp and laughing as he dashes across the room. I let Alvin escape with him.

Victor had walked away from Rafe without another word. He knew that in Rafe’s eyes that meant it was a victory in his favor, but honestly, Victor didn’t really care. He had bigger things to worry about.

Victor had walked away from Rafe without another word. He knew that in Rafe’s eyes that meant it was a victory in his favor, but honestly, Victor didn’t really care. He had bigger things to worry about.

Once he had left his brother behind, in the privacy of his office, Victor had sighed, pulling the small velvet box out of his jacket pocket.

Slowly, then, he had flipped it open to stare at the twelve-carat emerald-cut diamond within it. Well, at least he had done one thing right. He had gotten Evelyn a big, big ring.

Then, he had quietly put it back in his pocket. Maybe some better day, he’d get a chance to use it.

The rest of the day had been spent working with his Beta press team to manage the situation, putting out a press release to let the community know that while there was no engagement, he and Evelyn were, indeed, together.

After a quick consultation with Beta Stephen and Evelyn, Victor arranged a private recorded interview with a top-notch journalist for the next day.

The footage would be released to the nation and would, he hoped, solidify Evelyn in the hearts and minds of the people as his future wife in intent, if not yet in promise. He closed his eyes for a moment when that was finished, hoping with his whole heart that nothing would go wrong between now and then.

But, of course, it did.

Just at the tail end of the day, Beta Stephen peeks his head into the room, a grave expression on his face.

“Sir?” he asks, and Victor nods to him to continue.

“Sir, there’s a call on line three,” Stephen says, nodding toward the rarely-used office phone on Victor’s desk. “I tried to put him off all day, but he…won’t stop calling. He insists on speaking to you as a matter of…” Stephen grimaces, “proprietary rights.”

Victor sighs and looks his Beta in the eye. “Is it who I think it is?”

Stephen nods and Victor returns the gesture, indicating that he’ll take the call. Stephen leaves and shuts the door behind him so that Victor can have the privacy he surely needs.

Taking a deep breath and steeling himself, Victor answers the phone. “Alpha Walsh,” he says. “A pleasure to take your call.”