Chapter Two

Valerie gazes at the painting and photographs on the walls. She stops and looks closely at a photo of her mates when they were younger. Broad smiled on their face holding up an animal of some kind that they had caught with their own hands since they were clearly too young in this photo to shift. She smiled at the portrait as she moved to the next photo. It was a younger looking Khloe standing with the two younger Alphas and their father. Wait a minute... is she their mom? No, if she was their mom wouldn't Leam and Lucas call her 'mom'? Valerie jumped when Khloe called out to her. 

"OH! Sorry.." 

She catches up to Khloe who was standing next to a door. Khloe opens the dark wood door and Valerie looks into the room. There was a California king-size bed in the middle of the room. Valerie steps into the room and gazes around.

"I remember when they were still young. They had fights about who would treat their mate better. They would always start with ‘I will treat my mate well.’" Khloe says leaning towards the left and switching leaning towards the right to idicat she is switching between being Leam and Lucas. Valerie looks at Khloe with her hazel eyes.

“Is.. is she stupid?” 

“I dunno, I think it is kinda funny…” Valerie argued.

“‘Oh yeah?! Well I’ll treat my mate the besests!’” 

“Sorry? What now? That isn’t even a word-”

“Shhhhh!” 

“Yeah, they started this very young. Pretty much since they learned sentences.” Khloe said with a fond smile and Valerie tried to hide a smirk.

“Oh… that's not…”

"You know a lot about them?" Valerie asked her. She looked Khloe up and down with her eyes, trying her best not to look judgmental as she did. Khloe was extremely stunning for an older woman. Her hair with not a single grey hair in her dark chocolate hair and tight coils. Her eyes a soft amber eyes.

"But that doesn't mean it could stop anything!" Her wolf tried to reason. 

“You were just wrong mere seconds ago! Listen, she has clearly known them since they were BABIES! That would just be straight wrong!” Valerie sighed.

"Oh yes, I do. They are amazing young men. I should know I was friends with their mother, and when she died I accepted the mother figure to them. Their father and I weren't together as romantic partners or anything like that but I took over the mother's place because their father asked me."

"Oh... Now I feel like an asshole!"

"Oh and you didn’t before?! You were being an asshole!" Her wolf went silent.

“Can I ask you a question, Hun?” Khloe asked as she paused with her. She carefully took Valerie’s hand in hers and then looked at the ugly marks on Valerie’s body. “These marks, oh Honey, where are these from?” Valerie's fear peaked up in her heart. A stabbing fear. She pulled her hand away. 

“I’m.. I’m very clumsy.” Valerie replied as she held her wrist and trembled softly, bearably noticeable. It wasn’t technically a lie. Some of the scars were by her own two legs and hands. 

“Right, because we just kinda fell into those whip lashings, eh?” Her wolf sid snarkily and Valerie squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to ignore the emotions and her wolf’s voice out. 

“Honey, you’re safe here.” Valerie tried to block everything but was struggling.

"What happened to their mother?" Valerie asked, changing the subject so fast you could almost get whiplash. The bed was slightly high for her 5'4 self. Her mates were much taller than her. Maybe even a foot taller. She wasn’t going to be trying that right now while her head ached from the sound oversimlation. A form of a panic attack she had formed, unaware that was what it was called. 

"Oh, she was... murdered," Khloe said quietly and placed her hand against her heart as her eyes watered a bit. “It was very tragic. Brought a lot of heartbreak to this old pack.”

"I- oh. By whom?" Valerie asked as she trembled. So this must have happened more often in this world than she thought. Would she be safe here?

"Umm.." Khloe was looking everywhere but at her.

"Khloe..?" Khloe sighed and looked at Valerie.

"I shouldn't be the one telling you. You should ask them yourself, dear. The female clothes in the closet are yours. You are welcome to use them." Valerie nods even though she wanted to know.

"Ask her! I want to know! Force it out! I want to shred whoever did this to our mates!"

"I understand we are mad but that is horrible!"

“The Alphas will be here soon I am sure. But I will leave you for now. Let you get ready.” Valerie nodded and the second the door shut she looked at the bed looming before her. Was the extra height with the fancy wood designed polished bed frame really necessary?! Valerie tried hopping on but the comforter was silk and so smooth she slid right back to the side. 

“This is just shameful.. Look at us. They must be having a laugh!”  Valerie took a breath and looked at the grooves and found one she could use for a boost. She pushed herself up off the ground and used her other foot to gve the jump a bit more velocity. Her body landed with a plop on a nice, smooth, and soft blanket. She sighed softly as she rolled around on the big bed. The feeling reminds her of when she was even younger and rolled around on soft fresh green grass. That brought a ghosted smil on her face. 

“Come on! Let’s explore!” Her wolf urged and she complied,just as curious. She sat up and located all the doors. THe room wasn’t huge but spacious for sure. Their big bed perfectly centered and a tv at the right angle to watch while laying down. The walls were a soft yellow that was almost a soft beige. A nice big row of windows on the exterior wall framed with soft white lace curtains. There are three doors in the room. One leads out to the hall but where do the others lead to? She goes to one door that is in the corner of the room on the wall the bed is on. 

She opened it and gasped as she saw a huge wall in a closet full of beautiful clothes. She steps into the closet looking at the back wall. They were full of shoes. As she walks to the back of the closet she has her fingers skim down the fabrics of the clothes. When she reaches the shoes she admires the shoes. She looks at the shoe size and notices they are her shoe size. 

“There is actually no way! That is crazy! How is it our size?!”  Her wolf exclaimed excitedly. “Is the mate bond really this strong?”

“Aren’t you supposed to know that?” 

“Eh.. oh look at THOSE!”

Valerie picks up diamond-studded heels and looks at how the light makes them sparkle. She sets the back and looks to the right where there is a shelf and draws. She opens the top drawer where there are bras and underwear sets. They were lace which she adored. Even though she didn't have a big chest. She was size B which made her less curvy.

She slips her clothes off and puts on a set of pink lace. She looks in the next draw to find lingerie in it. She pulled out one that was a nightgown that barely even left anything to imagine. She places it back in the drawer and shut it.

"Oooh! We should surprise our mate with that!" Valerie shivered, she couldn't deny she had a strong attraction for her mates but it doesn't change her trauma or the fact that her body is covered in ugly scars, or that she was curvy, to put it nicely.

On a shelf was jewelry. Necklaces, rings, bracelets, and other jewelry.

She walks back down the closet towards the door. She went up to the pink section and picked a pink long-sleeve top that turned out to be shorter than she thought. She slipped it over her head and grabbed a pair of waist-high denim jeans that met her shirt. She goes back into the room and closes the door behind her. There's a door that sits across from the bed.

Valerie goes and opens it to find a giant bathtub. There was a grand mirror over the sink. The frame was designed like ivy vines. How beautiful she thought.

Valerie walks back out of the bathroom and sat on her bed wishing her mates would be there already. The sun was already setting and her wolf whimpered. She lays down on the bed and eventually, she falls asleep.

☀☾☀

The twins head down the hall to their and their new mate's room realizing it was well past dark. Their conversation about this new change lasted longer than they thought it would. They weren't sure what to do considering that her pack was from the Nighthowler's pack. They didn't know how they would be able to talk to her Alpha. Everyone knew he was a selfish prick who didn't deserve his title. The only reason he had his title was that everyone in his pack was afraid. Of him.

They reach the door and look at each other. Lucas knocks softly on the door to have no response. Leam opens the door and looks into the room. Lucas follows behind. They smile when they see her fast asleep on the bed. Lucas approaches the bed and sits lightly on the bed. Leam does the same on the other side. Her messy and unkempt curls spread out around her face and on the pillow. Her face seemed less anxious as she slept. 

"Should we change her? She can't be comfortable in this outfit." Lucas said softly and Leam nodded in agreement. They carefully changed her into some modest pants and a tank top despite their wolves telling them to put her in something sexy. Then she mumbles something in her sleep.

"No! Please don't! I won't be late again I swear!" Her breath began to become labored. "I'm sorry Raymon! Please, no chain whips! They hurt! They hurt so bad. Please! Please! I love you!" She yelled in one last desperation in her sleep as sleeping sobs wracked her body. The twins immediately looked at each other when they heard the name she called out. Their blood begins to boil as they hear her continue to plead in her sleep. Sweat begins to bead up on her forehead. The twin lay on both sides of her. Lucas put his arms around her midriff and Leam put his arm around her shoulders and she slowly relaxed in their arms. She snuggles closer to them and breathes lightly as a small smile forms on her face.