Chapter 271

My mouth falls open and then I’m laughing, my shoulders shaking almost with hysteria, and I put my head in my hands.

Twins. Twins!

Again, twins!

Oh my god.

I’m still processing the news when I feel warm hands on my shoulders. I look up, then, into Victor’s serious face. “Please, Evelyn,” he murmurs, putting pressure on my shoulders and I realize that he wants me to lay back.

“What?” I ask, leaning backwards a little but not understanding.

“I need to –“ he doesn’t finish his sentence – apparently can’t finish his sentence, he’s too swept away by his emotions. Still not understanding, I oblige him and lay back on the bed, looking over at my sons who apparently understand.

“Here, papa,” Alvin says, hopping off the other bed and coming to point at my stomach. Then, as Victor lowers his head to my lower abdomen and presses his ear against me, I understand. And I’m suddenly quite jealous.

“Hey!” I cry, sitting up a little, “no fair! No one else gets to hear if I can’t hear – I can’t bend like that!”

Ian, apparently coming up with a solution, runs away from the bed while Victor murmurs “please, Evelyn, quiet – please, I’m begging you -” and closes his eyes, apparently listening very hard and training all of his wolf hearing onto my stomach.

I keep my neck bent, my eyes on him, watching and…I see the moment that he hears them. I gasp myself, seeing him go perfectly still.

“Oh my god,” he murmurs, rigid with shock for a moment, “Evelyn…I can hear them…”

Then he whips his face up to me, his eyes wide, more surprised and overwhelmed than I think I’ve ever seen him. I honestly – I don’t know what to do – but a smile spreads on my face despite me.

“Well?” I say, spreading my hands out desperately. “What do you think?”

My mate moves, lightening fast, grabbing me by the waist and pulling me to him, his other arm around my shoulders, pinning me to his chest. I can feel him shaking against me, can hear the little desperate laugh that finds its way out of his chest. I pull back a little and –

I’m completely undone by the look on his face. The broad, disbelieving smile, the wide astonished eyes –

I feel tears instantly spring to my eyes as I grin at him in return.

“Oh my god, Evelyn,” he murmurs, putting his forehead to mine, still laughing a frenzied little laugh.

“Twins!? Twins again?!” Then he squeezes me back against him and I find myself laughing and crying into his shirt, thrilled.

I hadn’t let myself really face it – not…truly. Not yet. No – I wanted this moment – wanted to do it with him.

I just never thought that my clever boys would figure it out first.

I look to the side, then, smiling at them as well and see Ian standing next to me, holding out the toy stethoscope from his doctor’s play set. “Here, mama,” he says, apparently forgiving me for keeping a secret in the excitement. “You can listen too?”

I pull away from Victor a little, though he doesn’t let me go far. “Does this actually work?” I ask, curious, reaching for the toy.

Ian shrugs a little. “I think so. But maybe it is imagination.”

I shrug too, looking between my two excited boys, and slip the earpieces into my ears. Then, bending over, I place the round chest-piece of the stethoscope low on my belly. Alvin comes close to help.

“Here, mama,” he says, pointing again.

“How do you know that?” I ask, remembering that he showed Victor as well.

He just shrugs and smiles at me. I move the stethoscope to where he indicated and…

My eyes go wide and snap to Victor’s as…I hear it. At first it sounds like one heartbeat, moving very quick, but then…the rhythm changes, like listening to two drums at once – sometimes the beats mixing, sometimes distinct.

“Oh…oh my god…” I murmur, starting to cry again.

It’s real. It’s truly real.

Twins…

Victor pulls me against him again, burying his face in my neck, apparently unable to let me go far. I hug him just as close, again overwhelmed. Next to me, I feel two little boys press against my side and release Victor with one arm so that I can bring them in to the family cuddle.

“I’m sorry,” I say to them all, my voice muffled by the closeness of Victor’s body – “I didn’t mean to keep a secret – or, well, I did – but I just wanted to be sure before I told everyone and we got all excited –“

“It’s all right, Evie,” Victor murmurs, pulling back from me and giving me a warm smile, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand. I press a quick kiss to his mouth, my hand on his check, touched by how overwhelmed he is. “I understand – I just…I’m so excited – I can’t wait for this –“

I smile at my mate softly for a moment, because I know that there’s more meaning behind his words than the boys probably understand. What he’s also saying behind those words is that he’s excited because he gets to be here for it this time – that he missed the first pregnancy, and the birth, and the early days with the boys. But now…he gets to do it.

And he’s thrilled – and so am I, to be able to do this with him – and to give him this experience –

“Mamaaaa,” Alvin whines, pressing himself against me. “Stop looking at dad! Look at me!”

Surprised, I look down at my boy, curious. “What?” I ask, “I’m sorry baby – what’s wrong – I wasn’t ignoring you –“

“You were ignoring me!” he insists, working to crawl up into my lap. I coo to him, making space between me and Victor so that my boy can sit with us. I wrap my arms around him, realizing, suddenly, that he’s jealous.

“Oh, baby,” I say, tightening my arm around him, noticing Victor doing the same with Ian. “Don’t worry –

you’re not forgotten – aren’t you excited to have two new siblings to play with?!”

“No,” Alvin grumbles, and Ian echoes the sentiment from Victor’s lap. Victor shoots a little grin at me from over the top of his head, and, unable to help myself, I return it.

“Stop laughing!” Ian demands, frowning at us, seriously offended. “It’s not funny! You’re going to like the new babies more!”

“What!” I exclaim, appalled. Then I hug Alvin closer and lean forward to Ian. “I could never love anyone more than I love you two – I’ll love them just as much! But never more –“

“You will!” Alvin cries, his words suddenly thick with pain and sadness. Shocked, I stare down at him as he takes up his brother’s argument. “You!” he says, pointing a finger at Victor, “will love them because you have more time with them and get to see them when they’re babies!”

“Alvin,” Victor says seriously, looking between the two boys. “That’s impossible – yes, I’ll have more time with the babies, but I’ll be with you too, every day –“

“And you!” Alvin interrupts, spinning on me now, crying real tears. “You’ll like them more because…

because…”

He throws his head back in agony now, crying in earnest. Amazed and dismayed, I look at Victor and then at Ian, seeking interpretation. What on earth – why would I like the new children more?

Ian just glares at me, his anger apparently returned. “You will betray us mom!” he says, huffy. “You will like them more because…”

Then he, too, throws his head back in deep grief, wailing.

“Oh my god,” Victor murmurs, looking at me and then back at the boys, who are having a complete meltdown. “What’s…what’s happening…”

“Why!” I insist, leaning forward to shake Ian’s arm gently, needing to know. “Why do you think I’d like them more, Ian?!” Is there…is there something wrong?

“Because!” Ian continues, wiping at his eyes with the palm of his hand and glaring at me. “Because they’re GIRLS!”

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