Chapter 87

VALERIA

"We... um... attacked him, kinda.”

My son’s words hit me like a hammer, leaving me standing there with my mouth agape like a fish on a hook.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Two scrawny kids—my kids—up against a beta? A damn beta?! A seasoned warrior at that?!

My eyes darted from Derek to Dave, then back again, searching for some sign that this was a joke, some childish misunderstanding. But their wide, innocent eyes only reflected confusion and a sliver of guilt. How was this even possible?

“How is that even possible?” I blurted out the words mirroring my thoughts before I could stop myself, my voice higher than I had intended.

It wasn't just the disbelief; it was the sheer absurdity of it all. How had my two little boys managed to attack someone who could squash them with a flick of his finger? I could see the same question mirrored in Reese's eyes. Nothing made sense.

Dave and Derek exchanged another one of their silent conversations, the kind only twins could have—a