Chapter 223

#Chapter 223 – Brothers Evelyn sits in a comfortable, slightly musty old armchair pulled close to the fire with one arm wrapped around Alvin. With her other hand, she idly breaks one of those delicious muffins into pieces, occasionally raising a chunk to her mouth to chew.

Alvin naps peacefully against her chest and Evelyn stares into the fire, thinking about Victor, about their life together, about what she wants. She knows, deep down, the answer to the question.

She dreams, passively, of her stomach swelling with something besides food. Imagines the tense expression on Victor’s face as he waits the agonizing two minutes for a pregnancy test to develop –

something they’d do together, this time. Of the way a baby feels inside of you, the little flutter of first movement. The wonderful secret of something coming to life.

She smiles, a little, idly, and allows herself, in the safety of this little cottage – where she feels warm, and fed, and lovely – to hope.

But suddenly, a sound breaks the stillness of the air, in which previously there had only been the crackle of flame.

A yip – out in the woods –

A familiar noise – one she’d felt echoing in her soul all day. Alvin stirs against her, having heard it too.

“Mama,” he gasps, coming quickly back to consciousness. “Mama – did you hear it?”

“Yes, baby,” I say, tense in the chair, looking towards the windows. “I –“

A howl splits the silence, confirming for both of us – a feral, joyful thing that sings out, quite clearly, despite the lack of words –

I found you!

Alvin gives a little whoop of excitement as he leaps off of Evelyn’s lap and heads for the door, his mother chasing at his heels. He yanks hard on the door’s handle, pulling it open and stumbling out onto the porch where –

Two wolves sit in the grass in front of the cottage, their tongues hanging heavy from their mouths, joy and pleasure and accomplishment in their eyes. Evelyn laughs to see them, taking in the sight of Victor’s powerful wolf form, which she hasn’t seen before. Slowly, she walks down the steps to meet him in the grass as Alvin runs to his brother.

Victor’s wolf is larger than she thought he’d be – gigantic, really. He’s tall enough to press his face flush against her chest as she reaches out to bury her fingers in the warm fur of his neck.

“Hello, you,” she murmurs, scratching his fur, marveling at the softness of it. “We’ve missed you.”

He gives a wolfish little huff of a laugh and leans into the pressure of her hands, cherishing the feel of her.

There’s a little whine at her feet and then Evelyn feels a sudden scratching against her legs. She laughs as she turns to the pup there, jealously begging for her attention. “And you!” she says, falling to her knees and taking her son’s little wolf face in her hands, rubbing his silky ears between her fingers.

“What a handsome wolf you make – you be careful, or you’ll make your father jealous, he’s not nearly as good looking as you –“

Victor growls a little, lowering his face and nudging her shoulder. Evelyn laughs harder, the sound ringing cheerfully out amongst the trees as twilight falls.

Then, there’s a blinding flash of light, and suddenly it’s Victor there, kneeling next to her, her little boy sitting on the ground before her, laughing with happiness and joy.

Evelyn can’t help it, then. She bursts into tears.

“Heyyy,” Victor says softly, laughing a little, gathering her close to his chest as he pulling her into his lap and sits on the ground. “What’s wrong? I thought you’d be happy to see us –“

“I am!” Evelyn cries, putting her hands over her face, embarrassed. “I’m sorry – I’m just so sorry about everything that happened yesterday – and I missed you – and my baby –“

She scrambles then, just a little, reaching for Ian and pulling him into her lap. Victor, still laughing a little, completely happy, reaches for Alvin, standing nearby, and pulls him in too.

“We missed you too,” Victor replies. “Both of you.”

“Yeah!” Ian chimes in. “And we had to follow your stinky scents to come and find you –“

“Hey!” Alvin objects, giggling at the same time. “I am not stinky –“

“No kid,” Victor interrupts, grimacing a little. “You are – but frankly, I think we all are, after so long in the woods without baths –“

Evelyn laughs now too, wiping her tears away. She’s just so incredibly happy to have them all close.

She tilts her head up, pressing a kiss to the line of Victor’s jaw, and then she turns to press another kiss to the top of Ian’s head. Just as she does so, though, she feels Victor’s hand against her cheek, turning her face back to his.

He brings her mouth to his, then, kissing her soundly with an intensity that makes clear everything he learned about himself out in the woods today. No doubts at all. Not a single one.

Ian looks up at his parents kissing for a moment and then grimaces.

“Ewww,” he murmurs, catching Alvin’s eye.

“Yeah,” Alvin says, glancing at his parents, a little alarmed. “Let’s get out of here.”

Nodding fervently, Ian climbs up from his mother’s lap and gives Alvin’s shoulder a little shove. Alvin laughs and then turn away from his brother, running out into the woods a little way away from the cabin.

Ian follows him eagerly – not so far that they couldn’t hear their parents if they called, but certainly far enough to lose sight of their parents being all lovey-dovey.

“I know they love each other,” Alvin says, panting a little after his run as he looks over his shoulder. “But do they have to be so gross?”

“I think they do,” Ian replies, looking in their direction as well. “I think you have to, when you’re grown up.”

“Ew,” Alvin murmurs, stopping and crossing his arms.

“What did you do all day?” Ian asks, standing close to his brother and crossing his arms as well. Their twinness has never been more obvious than it is right now as they stand together in the forest mimicking each other’s stances.

“We ate,” Alvin says simply. “The cabin has so many snacks.”

Ian looks back at it, suddenly jealous. “Really? What kind?”

“Everything good,” Alvin says, likewise looking back towards the cabin. “You can have some, if you want. There’s lots. What did you do?”

“Running,” Ian says, looking back at his brother and grinning wolfishly. “We did running. All day. It was great.”

Alvin’s eyes flicker as he, too, grows a little jealous. “Will you show me?” he asks quietly. “Sometime soon? How to turn into a wolf like that, and run all day?”

Ian nods eagerly. “Yeah,” he says, moving closer to his brother so that they stand shoulder to shoulder.

“I think you’ll be good at it.”

Alvin nods, smiling at him. Then, very suddenly, he speaks.

“I love you, Ian,” Alvin says, his face very serious. “I love you so much.”

Ian’s response is instant, throwing his arms around his brother and holding him close. “I love you too,”

he says, his head tucked against his brother’s shoulder.

They press each other close for a second and then let go a little, grinning at each other.

“Let’s promise,” Alvin says, nodding eagerly. “To always share everything – to always find each other in the woods –“

“Always,” Ian insists. “Not like – not like dad and Uncle Rafe. We aren’t going to fight like that. We’ll always have each other’s backs.”

“I promise,” Alvin says, putting his hand out, ready to shake on it.

“No,” Ian replies, shaking his head, his eyes suddenly alight with an idea. “Lets make a blood oath –“

“Eww,” Alvin whispers, but Ian just laughs and falls to the forest floor, looking for something sharp.

“Come on!” Ian shouts, patting the ground next to him. “It will be cool!”

Sighing, Alvin sits down next to his brother as Ian produces a sharp rock.

“Are you ready?” Ian asks, holding out his hand. Alvin sighs again, louder this time, as he nods and puts his hand next to his brother’s, palm up.

“Good,” Ian continues, flinching a little as he drags the sharp stone down his palm, a red liquid line bubbling up in its wake. Then, his hand dripping, he grabs Alvin’s wrist and runs the stone down his palm too.

“Ow!” Alvin cries out, but Ian ignores him.

“Okay,” Ian declares, settings his shoulders back and looking his brother in the eye. He holds his palm out ceremoniously towards Alvin. “I, Ian, promise to always have your back, Alvin. Because you’re my brother and I love you. Forever.”

Alvin smiles broadly at his brother and sets his palm next to his brothers, facing up towards the sky.

“Yeah,” Alvin says, his eyes shining. “Me to. I promise, forever.”

With that, the boys bring their palms together, each gasping as a bright flash of light pulses through the forest. Then, they look around in awe, laughing a little, as the magic of the forest comes flooding towards them, swirling around them in the air like a thousand fireflies.

“Wow,” Alvin says, marveling at the sight around them. “I think it worked…”

“Yup,” Ian laughs, looking around at the beautiful lights as the dusk falls. “It totally did.”

“Should we go tell mom and dad?” Alvin asks.

“Nah,” Ian replies, his hand still clasped in his brother’s. “Let’s give them a little more time.”