~Avery~ "Let me make sure I understand this. You allowed him to make out with you, and after getting rock-hard, you kicked him out of your room?" Jane stifled a laugh beside me as we rode back to my place in the car. We had just left the hospital where we checked on Julian, and now we were recounting the whole ordeal in Kram. Mom insisted I go home, freshen up, and rest while she stayed with the twins at the hospital.I grimaced. Hearing it out loud was worse than it was in my mind. "I didn't know what else to do," I defended. "He has a fiancée. What does that make me if I went ahead to sleep with him?" I had left Kram earlier than planned, relieved that we closed the deal, but I couldn't bear being in the same space with Regina and King anymore. I hadn't spoken to him since the incident with Regina. Soon, King wouldn't need me in Silverpine, and I wouldn't have to tell him about Julian and Julia. I was already counting down the days until I could leave. "What would have happened
~King~ My eyes fluttered open, and I sucked in a deep breath almost as if the dream I just had was real, my gaze meeting the harsh glow of the hospital room’s overhead light, nearly blinding me. I squeezed my eyes shut trying to shake off the remnants of the dream where I struggled underwater, fighting to stay afloat and catch my breath."Ah, you're awake," Kristopher's voice said beside me.I turned my head to find him nestled on the only velvet couch in the room. His left hand was still in a cast, but he looked fine. The last thing I remembered was coming back from Avery's place, feeling drained, and then the sudden struggle for air. I had had an asthma attack. It's been ages since I ever had an attack because I was always cautious of my health. I wasn't entirely surprised that this happened because it would have been a miracle if it didn't happen after all that smoking out of frustration.When I heard Regina's self-confession about setting Avery up five years ago and threateni
~Avery~ "Ava, it's hard to believe I'm saying this, but if you're feeling this way, you have to talk to him. He deserves to know about the twins, especially now that he knows the real reason you left. We can't keep pretending they are mine. Even the blind could see the resemblance. How long do you plan to take them out in disguise?" Jane asked as she deftly poured the batter into the cupcake moulds. I sighed, feeling the tension knotting my temples. "He is going to hate me," I muttered, bracing for the coming headache. The past week had been a whirlwind of chaos at work, having to go to the hospital every day from work. And King had grown cold towards me. There was this palpable chill lingering in the air between us. It felt like he was watching my every move, because each time I looked up, he was watching me silently. He spoke to me only when necessary and never even brought up any talk about us anymore. Most of the time, he looked almost... furious, and I couldn't hel
~Avery~ In just a few minutes, I had managed to persuade my mother about King and me resolving our differences, even though her sceptical expression suggested she wasn't fully convinced. Despite this, I couldn't let King create a scene in front of the children or act out in anger. His temper was already flaring, and I decided it was best I kept my own anger at bay, at least until I knew he was thinking straight. I lied to my mom and Jane that the kids and I needed to spend only a week at King's place. Hopefully, by then I would be able to make King see reason. Jane had asked me to tell her the truth if I were under any coercion by King, but I couldn't risk him harming anyone just because he was angry. My mother and Jane assisted in gathering our few belongings, while Divah cheerfully carried them out to my car. Meanwhile, King had parked his vehicle prominently at the front of the house and was leaning against it, arms crossed, exuding a mix of impatience and expectancy. His dem
~King~ It was quite fascinating to see them, and what's more amusing and amazing was that I was enjoying every word with them. Their endless questions made me smile, and surprisingly, I enjoyed answering each one. These moments with them were golden, filling me with a warmth I hadn't known I was missing. My pups. Goddess, I never imagined that I would say those words, they felt alien but incredibly right as I thought them. I was still grappling with the reality of it all. How the fuck could Avery hide something like this from me? Did she hate me that much? Although the thought of fatherhood had never crossed my mind before, now that I knew of Julian and Julia's existence, there was nothing in this world I wanted more. And nothing was going to stop me from raising my twins. With or without Avery. I was so furious that I couldn't even speak to her, although I knew she wouldn't answer any of my questions. She had refused to even look at me, which infuriated me even more. She had
~Avery~ My anger began to surge to the surface again as we ascended the stairs with King leading the way. When we reached his door, he swung it open, gesturing for me to step through first. With a defiant stomp, I marched past him into the shadowed confines of the room. He followed, slamming the door shut with a resounding bang that echoed through the space. Now, we were secured in our privacy, and there was no fear of the kids sneaking up on us and overhearing. I was so ready to give King a piece of my mind. I folded my arms defensively across my chest and glared at him. "Are you out of your mind?" I snapped. "Like you're the one to say that," he shot back. "You're unbelievable. Do you have any idea what this is going to do to them? You're so fucking selfish!" "You hid my fucking children for five years with no intention of ever telling me about them, and yet I'm the one who's selfish?" King growled, walking towards me, his eyes blazing with unrestrained anger, his every st
~Avery~ King didn't return until much later that evening, long after I had tucked Julia and Julian into their makeshift beds. The rooms provided for them were nothing like children's rooms; this whole situation had been rather too hasty. As I sat in the dim light of King's room, doubt filled my mind. Was this his idea of fatherhood—absence and indifference? He was not even there to bid them goodnight. I hadn't laid down on his bed; I couldn’t even think of sleeping. We needed to have a crucial conversation tonight; he had to see reason with me. I never should have brought the twins back to even the same city as him, let alone the same pack. I should have done everything I could to keep them far, far away. This was exactly what I was afraid of. Now, King seemed more like a villain, and my innocent children were caught in his dangerous plans. His room door finally swung open abruptly, and King entered with a casual swagger as if he didn’t have a care in the world. I hadn’t bother
~Avery~ I woke up in King's bed, my head on a pillow that was wet with my tears. I had no idea how long I had been out, but darkness had covered the sky. I got up from bed and walked to the mirror. My eyes were all puffy from either sleep or crying, but I knew the latter was the case. I was still wearing the same clothes I had on when I arrived, and I felt a strong need to take a bath. But then, I realised it had been hours since I last saw the twins and a wave of dread washed over me. "Julian? Julia?" I called, bursting into each of the rooms assigned to them. Both rooms were tidy, with everything in its place, but there was no sign of the kids. With my heart in my throat, I darted out of Julia’s room and sped down the hallway. It had been years since I was here, but I still remembered the intricate layout of King's house. "Julian? Julia?" My calls grew more desperate, but there were no answers. A million thoughts played through my mind. King wouldn't do anything to hurt them, w