Running with Wolves Ch. 20

"Samantha, please come back. Everything is going to be fine-"

"Fine, Jarod?" Samantha turned on him, already angry and just further provoked by his intrusion. "We are trapped in a fucking WEREWOLF. DEN. Our best friend just ripped himself apart trying not to turn into one of those things, and apparently, the rest of us are going to be condemned to the same fate, because we are the unlucky bastards of the world who were picked by these fuckers." She thrust her hand in the direction of the twins, who were standing just outside the open door. She glared at them before turning her attention back onto her companion. "Nothing is fine, Jarod. Nothing."

Having said her piece, Samantha spun on her heels and began marching farther down the hall. All she wanted was to be alone, but apparently even that little luxury would be taken away from her.

The world suddenly spun as her feet were knocked out from under her. Samantha was able to gasp before a second arm caught her behind the back and lifted her up into the air. Thunder was once again carrying her against her will and in her state she was no more grateful for it than the last time.

"Would you put me down!? Just put me the fuck down!" She pushed against him, even though she knew it would be useless. Something about exerting herself against him made her feel slightly better.

As she suspected, nothing came of her struggle. Thunder just continued on as if nothing were happening. "Clearly you do not understand your situation. We are going to rectify that right now."

Samantha fought until it no longer helped to make her feel better. Then she just did it to try and get a rise out of him. She went for his face and nipples; she even tried to contort herself so she could get in a good nut shot. He evaded her effortlessly. "I have held many angry pups, Sweet Sam. Your attempts are futile."

"I told you not to call me that." Her bitter words were her only continued struggle against him. She really was no match for his strength, or apparent skill.

He smiled apologetically. "We are sorry. Do you mind if we continue calling you Sammy then?"

She ignored him, but that did little to deter their venture. They continued down through the Alpha Wing, until they came just up to the exit where they took a sharp left down an unfamiliar corridor. From what Samantha could tell from her defiant forward stare, it led to another section of the Alpha Wing she had never been to, separate but connected by the singular branching hall that served as its entrance. The rooms of this section looked much like the others; filled with ornate wooden trims and wallpaper, cabinets full of artifacts and books, and fireplaces flanked by tufted furniture inset onto wooden frames. This area was a bit more sparse, but no less extravagant than the other half.

After a decent amount of wandering, the fast pace of the twins halted. Glancing around for the first time, Samantha noticed they were stopped at the end of short hallway. There was only one door breaking the waist level line of trim. It was an unassuming door, similar to most all the others in the wing, but something about it seemed to be bothering the twins. For a breath they continued to stand in front of the door, and then another, and another. It finally got to the point Samantha was forced by curiosity to ask. "Where the fuck are we?"

"Language." Both brothers spoke in unison. She glanced up in surprise, finally looking at the two men that meant to claim her as theirs. Studying their faces, the expression they shared was a mix between nervousness, embarrassment, and anticipation. They gave each other a glance before Storm gave one sharp nod. He reached for the handle and pushed the door open. Thunder darted in, the sudden moment giving Samantha slight vertigo as the world whizzed by. She was just as quickly taken through what seeming to be a sparse living room and small kitchen and into a bedroom where she was sat down on a bed in the center of the room. It took a second, but finally she was able to look around the room without seeing two of everything.

The first thing she noticed were the multitude of posters covering every inch the walls. Most of them were of women, dressed in barely-there outfits, posing either on beaches or against motorcycles, others were of hotrods and bands she was some-what familiar with. The exception was one portion of wall dedicated to displaying weapons of different types; most of them old and all of them sharp.

Each side of the room had its own desk and dresser, the dark wood playing well off the deep grey of the walls, and one corner was dominated by a fire place. There were clear signs of the room being thoroughly lived in; dirty clothes tossed near the hamper but not actually in it, empty soda cans and plates from that day's lunch cluttered the desks, while the tops of the dressers each held an assortment of clean clothes, knick-knacks, and even a speaker for a stereo. Behind them, the wood of the bedroom door was covered in half peeled stickers and spots where the paint had been pulled off by some kind of adhesive. Obviously, it had been decorated at one point and later on everything had been half haphazardly removed. From the looks of some of the stickers, it seemed as if someone had been using water and a rag to get off the remaining paper and glue recently.

All in all, it looked like any typical teenager's room.

Samantha made a point of noticing a pile of posters on the floor, clearly more graphic than those still up on the wall, before looking at the twins, one eyebrow raised. She almost smirked at how uncomfortable both men looked. Thunder seemed to not know what to do, rubbing the back of his neck and avoiding eye contact, while his brother kept discretely shoving the dirty clothes with his foot and trying to clean up some of the trash from their last meal or two.

Thunder began helping his twin, gathering all the soda cans and tossing them in a small trashcan. "Sorry about the mess."

"We have been working on getting everything else moved out." Storm was continuing to try and shove things out of sight.

"There hasn't been time to focus on this room."

"We were going to clean up before you came but,"

"We thought we would have more time."

"All of this will be taken down before you come to stay with us." Seeing that the posters on the floor were somewhat visible, Storm darted over and gathered them together. Not knowing where to put them, he shoved them into an open drawer of the dresser and shoved it closed.

Samantha's eyes began to cross as she switched from brother to brother, watching each speak half a sentence before switching to the other. She closed them tightly, shaking away the lightheadedness. "Why did you bring me here? What is the point of this?"

Her words caused a pause in the flurry of cleaning. Thunder had his hands full of papers from his desk and Storm was half way into the attached bathroom, presumably to attempt a quick pick-up in there as well. Slowly they abandoned their respective tasks to join together in front of her. With a synchronized breath, they began to explain themselves.

"What you witnessed today, it was scary for you. Terrifying." Thunder spoke first, his eyes full of an understanding Samantha wasn't sure he fully had.

"We know all of this has been much to take in. Us taking you, bringing you here. What you have witnessed during this clumsy mating between Misty and your Alpha." Storm picked up seamlessly. If they had not been standing on opposite sides of her, Samantha would not have even noticed the switch.

"Nothing you have witnessed is cause to give you any reassurances when it comes to your relationship with us."

"All you have seen is mishandlement and turbulence. All you have felt is fear and uncertainty. That is why we have brought you here." Storm motioned around the room. "This is our old bedroom."

"We left this apartment a few years ago, when we became old enough to live by ourselves. We have been living in the singles wing with the rest of the Betas. Our parrots just kept our room the same because we were that last to move out."

"They did not like the feeling of having an empty Den. But now, our parents are past their pup baring years and all of their pups are grown. They have decided they will move into a smaller living space and give us this one."

Samantha's eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "I don't see why this is relevant."

Storm nodded in understanding. "Even before meeting us, you were living in that disgusting warehouse, and before that presumably on the streets. Your entire existence has been uncertain and frightening, and while there may still be some of that in the near future, we wanted to show you what you would truly be choosing if and when you choose to be with us."

Thunder smiled sweetly down at her. "This is going to be your home, our home."

The realization of what they were showing her hit Samantha hard. Her eyes widened as she once again took in the room, her thoughts spinning as she tried to continue listening to them.

The excitement bouncing between Storm and his brother was palpable. "We were thinking of converting this into Penny's room. As she grows, it will accommodate her and any interests she may acquire. The master is just down the hall, so you will never be far from her."

"Wait..." Samantha was having a hard time hearing anything with the sound of her racing pulse in her ears.

"There are three other bedrooms. Plenty for when we start having pups. Many of the pack eat their meals in the main dining hall, but the kitchen here will allow us to have our own meals."

The rushing sound was becoming more pronounced, and her vision had a slight blur around the edges. "Hold on..."

"If there is anything you don't like we can always do some remodeling-"

"Stop! Just hold on a second!" A release of panic consumed Samantha. Her breathing was labored, and she had the sudden urge to get up and run. Since that wasn't an option, she fought to get herself under control. "You're saying all this stuff as if I have already agreed to become your wife! All you people have done, from the moment you've met us, is assume and make decisions on our behalf. What if I decide I don't want this? Huh? Being with you doesn't just comprise of a man accepting me, with all my messed up shit, and the fact that I have an infant daughter. There are two of you! You both turn into giant furry creatures at will, and you want me to become just like you, like Dominic. The more I think about it, the more insane it all seems, and yet I'm sitting here actually considering it. You can't force me to make that decision; you can't just make me trust you enough to make that choice."

"And we would never want to." Storm implored as he took a step towards her, but as she shrunk back he halted his approach. "We just wanted to show you what you would be gaining."

"This is where you would come to live. We will be here with you, teaching and guiding you into this life. Anything you want, we will do our absolute best to acquire it for you."

"Penny will have two fathers to watch over her as she grows, and many new family members that will be at her back if there is ever a time we cannot be. You have a future here, Samantha. A real place to call home."

Their piercing stares were too much to meet, so instead the carpet became the main focus of Samantha's eyes.

As she stared down at the floor, two pairs of bare feet broke up the expanse of dark red. She continued to look down, fighting the butterflies in her belly that were no longer just fluttering, but soaring inside of her. Her breathing became heavier, her heart raced. It had been a long time since she had been this nervous around a man. It made her want them even more. But these weren't men, she had to keep reminding herself of that. These were werewolves, as ridiculous as it sounded, and she needed to take every precaution she could. No matter how much she was being affected by them.

Distracted by her thoughts, Samantha startled as two large bodies settled on either side of her. One of them raised a hand to tuck her long black hair behind her right ear, while another on her left stroked her back, paying special attention to where her shirt had ridden up on her back.

Samantha's words were shaky as she spoke. "I still don't know either of you."

When Thunder spoke, her did so quietly into the ear he had just uncovered. "That is something we wish to rectify."

A shudder of pleasure ran down Samantha's body, but as it reached her lower belly it was as if a spring was released and she was up and off the bed, spun around so she could see the stunned faces of the twins. Both sat frozen on the bed, their surprise turning to worry.

"Sammy, why are you fighting this so hard? All we want to do is love you. Please, let us just prove it to you." Storm tried to reach for her but she backed away. She needed to be uninfluenced while she talked to them.

"This doesn't make any sense: Any of it. We have been in contact collectively for maybe a couple hours, and yet you both claim to be in love with me. You want to marry me and be Penny's fathers, all without knowing me or anything from my past. How are you so sure you want this?"

Signing, Storm placed his hands defeatedly in his lap, his blond hair dipping forward into his eyes. "It is part of what we are. It is almost impossible to explain the feelings we have for you, but we can tell you that we will do anything we can to convince to be with us. We must convince you..."

"I don't understand." Samantha met their eyes for a brief second, but was unable to take the pain and longing she say there.

Their feelings were reflected in Storm's voice. "You must understand, Samantha. We believed our chances of living out our days with a Destined Mate were very unlikely. While all of our year mates have found their Destineds and gone on to start their own families, we have prayed we would be blessed with one such as you."

"We are twins, Samantha. Not just litter mates, as almost all are, but identical twins. A situation like ours is very rare. We have a destiny all our own to share everything; our mother's womb, our home, our minds. We share a bond that is in a way stronger than those created with a mating bond. We are an integral part of one another, and can never be far apart for long, nor do we desire to." Glancing at his brother, Thunder gave Storm a small smile. He returned it before continuing with their explanation.

"This makes our matings difficult. There are many cases where a pair of twins will each find their own Destined Mate, but because the twins share a bond, so must the mates. It creates a very confusing and strained relationship between the four. The harmony identical twins have is cultivated from the moment the mind begins to function, and is difficult to achieve once again after two new minds join, and it is impossible to do so if the Destineds do not get along. In such cases, either the mates kill each other out of hatred, or the twins destroy themselves by severing the bond between them."

"Finding you, Samantha, is more than we could ever hope for. We have both found our mate in you. We won't have to worry about integrating more than one mate into our bond, nor will we have to hunt down and find a second mate."

"So I'm a convenience for you?" The realization stung, more than Samantha thought it should. The feeling actually knocked her back a step.

Before she could take another, Thunder and Storm were up off the bed and wrapping her in their arms. She fought them briefly, but their strength and warmth was too much to fight. She stilled, allowing them to hold her close.

"You are not a convenience, Samantha, you are a blessing. One that we have done nothing to deserve." Thunder placed a kiss on her ear, punctuating his words.

Storm, who stood next to his brother, nuzzled her neck on the opposite side. "But we will prove ourselves, sweet Sammy, that we are worthy of the gift that is you and Penny. We will show you we are capable of being her fathers, of being your mates, and of loving you as no others will ever be able to."

Samantha's eyes filled with tears from their reverent words. She knew she did not deserve their sudden and seemingly unconditional offer of love, but her selfish heart craved it. Every instance of love in her life had been tainted by lust or perversion. After all of the corruption that had taken root in her heart, she wasn't even sure she could accept such a thing as real love.

Gulping down her worry, Samantha pulled back so she could look up into their eyes. She couldn't see any deception there, or hidden agendas. All she could see was kindness and hope. Taking a deep breath, she grasped one of each of their hands. "Would you like to come meet Penny?"

The smiles she received stopped Samantha's heart cold. They both looked so excited as she extended her invitation to meet her daughter. They practically dragged her out the door and down the hall. Only after Samantha was able to speak through her laughter did they slow down enough for her to jog gently between them. By the time they got to her room, she was slightly out of breath.

"Hey everyone." Samantha walked through the door, not bothering to knock. The others were up out of their seat quickly to come and greet her. Ben was the most vocal, both in enquiring how she was and demanding why the two assholes who ran off with her were there. She was quick to hush him and went to get Penny. "Don't be upset with them; I was freaking out because of what was going on with Dominic and they were helping me calm down."

"Yeah, well, that doesn't give them the right to just run off with you." Jarod snarled. His reaction surprised Samantha, but the feelings behind it did not. She chose to ignore it for now. Instead she prepared herself to face the twins again.

Suddenly confronted with the gravity of what she was about to do, there was a bit of hesitation. Was she ready for this? Introducing her daughter to two men who were practically strangers to her? There were so many unknowns, so many steps she was skipping over before this.

Thunder picked up on her hesitation and said. "We don't have to do this now. You can take as much time as you need."

It was the disappointment in his voice that decided Samantha. They really wanted this. It wasn't to appease her in order to get her to like them; they really wanted to meant her baby, her Lucky Penny. Now she just needed to decide if this was something she was truly prepared for.

Taking a deep breath, Samantha turned fully and presented her baby to the two men that apparently wanted to spend the rest of their lives with her. "Storm, Thunder, this is Penny."

Storm smiled big, his bright gold eyes shiny as he laid eyes on the tiny human in her arms. "Hello, Penny."

"It is wonderful to finally meet you." Thunder reached out to pet the baby on the hand. She in turn snatched his finger and immediately began examining it as if it were the most amazing thing in the world to her. "She is strong."

Samantha smiled. "You have no idea."

*

Over the course of the day, the sky brightened into a cheery melody of oranges, purples, and yellows. Even as the bright colors filtered into her room, Augustine couldn't shake the dark cloud that had settled over her. It had been there since the Run; a lingering, unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach. All day she had stayed locked away in her room, not feeling like socializing with her mom or younger siblings; she didn't have the energy.

Energy or no, she knew the one thing she couldn't hide from was Clay. He had made it very clear that he was not going to allow the actions of one dishonorable pack member affect his training schedule. Tonight they were going to be practicing small group maneuvers, specifically designed for security details during visits to local packs. With the treaties there would be many visits to establish hunting rights and inter-pack laws. Augustine was supposed to be one of the wolves in charge of leading a Unit; an honor for someone so young. Right now it didn't feel like one.