Pregnant With Alpha’s Genius Twins

#Chapter 21 – Bath Time’

Tires screech as Victor swerves into his driveway, throwing the car into park and jumping out the door almost before it stops.

“Victo-“ Amelia says, just starting to unbuckle her seatbelt. But he’s already moving around the house, heading for Evelyn’s cottage out back. Amelia slumps back in the seat, watching him go. He didn’t say a word to her the entire ride back. Instead, he made a thousand calls, shouted at Betas, ordered more security for the house. He didn’t even look at her.

f**k.

Amelia crosses her arms over her chest and stares silently out the windshield, planning her next move.

Victor bursts into my house through the back door, coming into the living room where I’m working to wrangle two sobbing boys into their pajamas. They cried the whole way home and, while I don’t blame them, my head is pounding.

“Are they okay?” Victor asks as he approaches, looking over the boys.

“They’re fine,” I say softly.

“Boys, what happened,” Victor asks, staring at the twins who lay on the carpet sobbing their little hearts out.

“Victor, I think we should –“

Ian crawls over to Victor and raises his arms, asking to be picked up, still screaming with tears. Victor complies, cradling the boy in his arms. Alvin sees this and works his way over too.

“Ian, tell me what happened, who took you?!” Victor insists, turning Ian’s head to face him while Alvin screeches, demanding without words to be picked up like his brother.

Ian doesn’t reply, just cries harder. “Boys,” Victor says, his voice deepening with command. “You must tell me what happened.”

“Victor –“ I start, but he shoots me a glare. This sends me over my tipping point. I lose my temper, raising my voice to say “Victor, they can’t right now –“

“Don’t tell me how to talk to my sons,” he growls.

boys from whom an endless wail sounds. “They’re so freaked out, they’re not going to be able to tell you anything like

how do we do that?!” Victor snaps at me. I shove forward my hands, which are clutching two sets of

in pajamas, and wrapped up, and into bed. But,” I admit, lowering my arms. “I don’t think it’s

decisive. Then he turns and, holding Ian close to his chest, carries him upstairs.

plugs the drain, letting the tub fill slowly with water. We put the boys on the floor and let them cry it out as we silently go through the calming routines

I check the water temperature – a little

this work, Victor begins to hum a song – an song that I remember from my childhood, and haven’t heard since then. An old song, about wolves

their eyes drying up. Alvin brushes his tears away and stands to watch the tub fill. Ian presses his face to the porcelain basin, watching us work

song is done, I put out my hands to Alvin. “Up and in,” I say softly, lifting him and sitting him gently in the water. Victor gives Ian the

quietly to use a cup to

your song, daddy,” Ian

for a moment – I’m not sure he even knew he was humming. He laughs softly and says, “thank you. My grandmother used to sing it to me when I was little, and when I was scared. Do you know?” He says, beginning to rinse the suds from

laughing, unbelieving. Victor

says, circling his own eyes with his fingers like spectacles. “You can see in the dark! And

doesn’t mean I wasn’t afraid. Sometimes we are afraid even when we know there

along with Victor, his little clones. I smile a little, watching all three, my own fear finally starting to leech from me. I think I needed this too – the normalcy of an evening routine after this

was scared today. But I think there was something to be scared of.” Ian nods in

you could…tell us what happened?” Victor says, organizing the soap and shampoo bottles so that the boys don’t see how intensely he is focused on

Frank to get cotton candy, Amelia said

we were hungry,” Alvin continues. The two tell the story together, each picking up

turned around, and someone had hit him, and was dragging him away

grabbed us” Alvin says, looking up at us. “And they

his eyes narrow. “We could smell her on their

over our mouths so