Victor and his team of three move stealthily through the woods. Victor takes the lead, crouching and scanning the darkness, but all seems peaceful. The Betas creep quietly behind, rifles in their hands, the night-vision sights pressed to their eyes. They move swiftly but carefully, taking no chances
Peering up at the house, Victor sees the room’s bay window, which he had noted on the blueprints. Perfect. He unhooks a rope with a small grappling hook from its place on his belt, spinning it in his hands for momentum. As he tosses it up to stick to its spot on the second story, Victor prays, silen
As I regain my feet, Victor grasps my hand and pulls me to my bedroom door. The alarm is blaring – I’m struggling to think beyond it. He cracks the door open, peeking outside, and slams it shut. “Shit,” he says. “What?” “Your fathers Betas, coming down the hall. Quick, Evelyn, is there another way
“Yes,” I say, but for some reason, I can’t will myself to get up. It’s safe in here, in our little hiding spot, and a big part of me wants to relish this calm before whatever is coming next. Victor pauses. “Are you okay? Is everything all right?” I laugh because, obviously, nothing is all right. B
Victor and I dash across the lawn, my feet padding silently on the dewy grass as I work to keep up with him. My breath comes fast, ragged in my lungs, as I push, my eyes on the tree line ahead of us. Part of me is terrified, listening behind me for the sound of my father raising the alarm, of pound
“Boys,” Evelyn cries the moment she stumbles into the house. She’s still wearing her cotton nightgown, now splattered with mud and blood and grass stains, but she doesn’t seem to care. “Mama?” Alvin’s tired little face appears above the back of the couch. He blinks and rubs his eyes. “Mama!” he cri
“Thank you, Amelia,” Evelyn says, a little awkward. “For taking care of them tonight.” Amelia rolls her eyes and heads for the stairs. “You’re welcome. It was nothing. Glad you’re not dead, or whatever.” Evelyn and Victor watch Amelia make her graceful way up the stairs. When the bedroom door slam
When I wake up, it’s somehow the middle of the night. I sit up straight, almost hitting my head on the top bunk of Alvin and Ian’s little rocket bed. Alvin curled up next to me, fully asleep, with little Archie at his feet. I blink, trying to figure it out – how can it be the middle of the night wh
“Me me me,” he says, hardly able to contain his excitement. “My turn, mama. Please.” And he looks down, again, at his little girl. “Well,” I say, shifting her in my arms and leaning forward so Ian can better see her face. She frowns in her sleep, squirming a little and making me smile. “I was think
Several hours later, I’m changed and curled up more comfortably in my bed with Victor by my side, a baby in each of our arms, and our boys curled up like puppies at the end of the bed. Archie is on the bed too, cuddled between them. We sit quietly together, all still focused on the two little babie
“It’s all right, doctor,” I say, giving her a little smile and nodding towards the boys. “We found them.” “Oh my god,” she says, shaking her head and placing a hand over her heart. Then she frowns at them. “How did they…” “Window,” Victor says, gesturing towards it and sighing. “It’s all right. Th
“Come on, Evelyn,” the doctor says confidently as Victor squeezes my hand, his eyes darting between my face and the first baby, which the doula is now wrapping in her first swaddle. “One more push, and then you’ll be done, and you can hold your little girls.” “Okay,” I huff, sitting up and shifting
Slumped on the couch, Ian heaves a gigantic sigh. “What is taking so long,” he mutters, glaring angrily at the steps as if they’ve personally offended him. “You knew it would take a while,” Bridgette murmurs, running a hand over Ian’s soft brown hair and smiling fondly at her nephew. She sighs and
“Oh my god,” Victor gasps, instantly wide awake. “Oh my god,” he says again, grabbing my face and searching it like it has answers. “Are you – are you okay?” “Yes,” I say, nodding but then belying my answer with an immediate moan. I grit my teeth, my hand going to my stomach as I weather the contra
And between them, my three Alphas have kept me sane. Even though every other part of the end of this pregnancy has worked hard against that sanity. Very, very hard. Even though the TV is on, capturing both of our attention, Ian very suddenly turns his head towards my stomach, like a dog hearing a w
As it turns out…I cannot. I cannot spend 3 months in bed, waiting for my babies to be born. Two and a half months later, I’m basically climbing the walls, I’m going so crazy sitting here in this bedroom, waiting for my little girls to be born. I’ve done it this long, though. I’ve stayed in my bedr
“Why?” Victor asks, suddenly serious in the sea of merriment. “Evelyn, why aren’t you here? What’s wrong?” “Um…” she says, her eyes glancing away awkwardly. “Because…I went into early labor…and I’ve been put on bedrest…” The tablet cracks as it falls to the floor. Rafe gasps, reaching down for it