Chapter 481

My eyes flash down to Jackson, still asleep beneath me, and grief floods me. My poor mate – he’s been so good to me, and we’ve been through so much, and it was finally, finally getting good. And now this! Another bond, another mate!?

A fourth mate!? Who – who the hell needs four!?

Jackson stirs, sensing a change in the room, a little frown coming to his lips. I freeze for a moment, watching as he turns his head and then exhales slowly, peacefully falling back to sleep.

I exhale too, my breath shaky, and then quickly climb off of him. Because I can’t – I can’t wake him now – he’ll flip out, and I’m already flipping out –

Suddenly, completely unable to think of anything else to do, I rush for the door, pulling it open and dashing out into the hall. I pull the bedroom door shut behind me as quietly as I can and then stride for the living room, desperate to get away – to get my thoughts together –

“Baby?”

I moan at the sight of my mom in the living room, sitting with a cup of coffee in her hand in the pre-dawn light, already at work.

My lip immediately starts to tremble as I stop in my tracks, staring at her. “Mom, something’s wrong,” I whisper, shaking my head.

“Oh, sugar,” mom says, immediately standing and dropping her cup, coffee splashing all over the table. She reaches for me. “Come here. Come here right now.”

I run for her and my mom wraps me up in her arms, pulling me close. “What’s wrong, baby?” she whispers, her voice as terrified as mine.

I tuck my head against her and begin to spill everything out.

But I get about twelve words in when my mom goes stiff against me, sniffing at my hair, and then steps back.

“Mom,” I gasp, staring at her, appalled. “Why – why the hell are you smiling!? This is a disaster!”

“You come with me, trouble,” mom says, working hard to wipe the smile from her face and simply turning away from me when she fails. She takes my hand, tugging me with her as she pulls me towards her bedroom.

“Mom!” I protest, trying to pull my hand away, but she has an iron grip.

She laughs.

Laughs!

I snarl, pissed as hell at her for laughing at me.

“Just come in here, Ariel,” she says, shaking her head, her pretty rose-gold hair falling back over her shoulders as she tugs me into her room. “Let’s sit down.”

I stumble after her, still frantic, looking into the room and absurdly relieved that my dad isn’t here. Because while he’s been very good to me throughout all the news of my three mates and my mate’s new daughter, I don’t think he’s any more prepared than I am to hear the news that there’s a fourth.

“You come here, baby,” mom says, pulling me over to her bed and then sitting me down on it, urging me to sit back amongst the pillows and put my feet up. I just stare at her, confused and wary as she sighs contentedly and then sits down across from me, pulling her own feet up.

“Mom?” I ask, my voice hesitant with fear. “Why…why are you being so…cool about this?”

“Because, baby,” mom says, giving me a pretty smile and leaning forward to cup my cheek in her hand. “I don’t think it’s all quite as horrible as you think.”

“How could a fourth bond not be as bad –“ I snap, glaring at her.

But she laughs again, silencing me, and shakes her head. “Let’s just…check it out together, okay, kid?”

I scowl at her, hating her for being all calm and practical in the face of my meltdown, but I nod slowly to her, agreeing to it. Mom is usually right, after all – uncannily so. So if she’s telling me to calm down and look at it…

I guess…that’s the best thing to do.

Trusting my mother, as I always do in times of crisis, I take her hands and close my eyes. “Breathe out,” mom urges. “I’ve got you. You’re safe.”

I nod, believing her, especially as her magic begins to sweep through me, all lavender and soft and warm. I exhale, long and slow, feeling her magic begin its little healing touches within me, ensuring that everything in my body is okay. Calm comes with them, as it always does.

Mom’s magic sinks lower and so does my attention. My wolf begins to creep back in my soul, turning towards that new bond, prowling slowly, warily towards it, her ears pricked forward.

“There now,” mom says on a happy sigh. “See? It’s not scary.”

“It’s not the bond that’s scary mom,” I growl, shaking my head even as my wolf steps closer, sniffing softly at the bond, peering out over the edge of our soul, looking for…whatever is on the other side of it. “It’s what it implies. A fourth mate!? I can’t handle that –“

“Look closer at them, baby,” mom urges. “See?”

I do as I’m told, paying close attention, my wolf nudging the bond with her nose…

And as she does I realize that it’s…different. Different from anything I’ve ever felt, different from my bond with Jackson, or Luca, or Gabriel. Somehow…smaller, more silvery and light, and incredibly, incredibly thin –

And…

And cute.

And that it’s not one bond at all, that it’s…

My eyes fly open. “Two?” I breathe, awed, mesmerized, terrified.

My mom’s face breaks into a big smile. “Two!” she says, delight all over her face.

I just stare at her, dumbfounded. “Mom,” I whisper, horrified. “I can’t…I can’t have five mates…that’s insane.”

She bursts out laughing, making me jump a bit. “Baby, you don’t have five mates. Look again. What…what else could it be?” She bites her lip, incredibly excited.

I just stare at her, my face wrinkled in confusion, and turn my attention inwardly to see –

To see my insane wolf –

Laying on her belly between the two tiny, tenuous bonds, nuzzling them warmly with her snout, each in turn – howling for joy because –

Because –

Because they’re…they’re ours.

Our –

Our…

“Babies,” I whisper, my eyes flying wide.

Mom stays still, a little creaking squeak of joy barely suppressed in her throat as she tries so, so hard to let me feel however I want to feel about this.

Even though she is clearly, clearly fucking overjoyed –

“Oh…oh my god…” I whisper, shock running through me even as my wolf prances between the two little bonds, licking each in turn before throwing herself down on the ground and rubbing her body all over them as best she can, claiming them as her own.

“I know!” mom says, all squeaky and thrilled, raising her hands to her mouth and pressing her fingertips to her lips. “You’re –“

“Pregnant!” I whisper, my eyes flying as wide as two round moons.

Mom starts to dance in place, her shoulders shaking for joy, and suddenly – as my shock breaks – a smile starts to spread across my lips.

She shouts then, seeing me accept the reality of it, and throws herself forward, grabbing me into a big hug. “Oh my god, Ariel! Congratulations, baby!”

“Mom,” I whisper, still awed, laughing a little. “There…there are two of them!”

“Twins!” she says, a little shrill and shrieky. “It’s so great! Two little babies! Two little baby babies, all at once!”

I just hug my mom back, barely breathing, still awed and completely freaked out even if my wolf yips with happiness, loving her little soul pups already, celebrating their existence by dancing from paw to paw.

“Oh, sugar, how are you feeling?” mom asks, doing her best – and failing – to rein in her own emotions so that I can figure out my own. “I’m sorry – I’m having trouble –“

“No, it’s okay,” I whisper, sitting up and pushing away from her a little, fear and joy and wonder and terror racing through me all at once. “Mom, how did this happen?”

“Well,” she says, tilting her head to the side. “Were you…slacking on your medicine?”

“N-no!” I sputter out, shaking my head fervently. I go back in my mind suddenly, trying to remember everything, but honestly I have been diligent. “Mom, I’ve been very careful…”

Mom just grins at me, biting her lip.