The Alpha Prince and his Twin Hearts

Breathing Them In

“You need to calm down, brother,” King Maxon said, putting his hand on his brother’s shoulder.

They were down on the training fields watching the teens, with and without wolves, train.

Wes watched his girls as they kicked a*s. Farrah was faster than Dawn in her movements, but Dawn was fierce and precise. Even at the age of fourteen, he could see the potential of how they would be when they got their wolves.

He loved to watch them. When he was a child, before he even knew what a mate was, he claimed these girls as his. They were his best friends, his playmates as children. They told each other secrets. They played hide and seek, and practiced tracking. They were only two and a half years younger than he was.

When they were babies, they had silver hair and ice blue eyes like their mother, but as they got older their silver hair faded, turning black like Uncle Koda’s except for the hair that framed their faces, which was silver ash and their eyes remained ice blue. They were tall for their age. At fourteen, they were already five-ten, which he loved, because at sixteen he was already six-two.

He was massive in the muscle department too. When he was younger, he got teased at how muscular he was, even at the age of five. He had well-defined biceps, triceps, chest and abs. His brothers marveled and told him he was going to be a beast when he got older. Kids, though, used to call him a freak. Until he got older, taller, and much bigger. He looked like a grown a*s man. Sometimes he loved it, other times he hated it.

Dawn took a hit from her sparring partner and he growled. He didn’t like it when they got hurt.

“Why can’t I tell them I am their mate? Look at how all the other boys look at them. They are lusting after what is mine,” he growled. He clenched his fists, his muscles bulging. He needed to let off some steam.

“Because it’s against the law. They are underage. They won’t find out you are their mate until they are eighteen.”

“They are royals. They’ll get their wolves any day now.”

“No brother, they have no royal blood. Just because their mother is the Royal Seer, and their father the Royal Beta, doesn’t mean they have royal blood. They’re normal wolves.”

Wes growled in frustration.

“You’re telling me I have to wait three and half more years before I can claim them? I’m having trouble controlling Con now. He wants to go down there and run off with them.”

“Well, he has to calm down. Just because you are a Prince, doesn’t mean you can disregard our laws. Look, you’re leaving anyway for Alpha training in Canada with King Bousse. Instead of two years, I have negotiated with him to train you for four.”

Wes turned to his brother, furious. If he wasn’t his king, he would rip his head off.

“I can’t stay away from them that long. What if something happens to them? What if one of these pions manage to get one of my girls to like them?”

“I won’t let that happen, Wes. You have my word.”

Wes heaved in a breath and let it out harshly. He turned back to the field and watched his girls with so much longing in his heart. He knew he had to do this. It was getting harder and harder to control Con when they were near.

“Fine. When do I leave?”

“Tomorrow.”

“What? Can’t I at least stay the rest of the week?

“No. King Bousse’s new training class starts the day after tomorrow. You need to be there.”

Wes sighed and ran his fingers through his long chestnut hair. He wore it down because the girls liked to play with it. His hazel eyes focused on his twins. Training had just gotten done. He smiled as the girls saw him and waved. He waved back.

“You will watch over them?”

“Yes, I will make sure Eli becomes their shadow.”

Wes thought of his nephew. He was a year younger than the girls but already a well-known fighter among the royal guards who he trained with like the rest of the royal-blood. He would keep the boys away from his girls.

“Okay. Well, then, let me spend the day with them. Please. Make sure Uncle Koda and Auntie Lil have something to occupy their time.”

“I will grant you this. Just make sure to keep Con under control.”

“I will, thank you, Maxon.”

He felt his brother walk away as his girls ran towards him. He opened his arms and they both jumped into them.

“Wes! Did you see us? We both did so well today. Delta Reese said so.”

“Yes, I watched both of you train, and I agree with the Delta. You both did amazing.” He put them down. They stared up at him, and he could have sworn to the Moon Goddess that it was with love. But maybe that was just wishful thinking on his part.

“I have some news girls. We get to spend the whole day together.”

They squealed and jumped up and down, clapping.

“But why, Wes? You never get to spend so much time with us. You are always learning, or studying, or training,” Dawn asked.

He brushed a tendril of her hair behind her ear, making her blush.

“With good news comes also bad news. I am leaving tomorrow to do my Alpha training in Canada.”

They both gasped, tears swam into their eyes.

“How long?” Farrah asked.

“Four years.”

“No!” They cried out and fell into his arms. He held them, whispering to them that everything was going to be okay. That he would write them, and they would write to him. He explained he would not be able to call them, or text, because no phones were permitted.

“You’ll forget us. You will probably find your mate. I am surprised you have not already found her. You have Con after all,” Dawn said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Farrah snapped her head towards Dawn, then she scowled and struck the same pose as her twin. He was trying hard not to smile.

“I could never forget my best friends. You both are my twin hearts,” he said, cupping their cheeks. They both closed their eyes and leaned into his touch. If he didn’t know better, he would have thought they felt something.

“Okay, so what are we going to do today?” He asked, bringing his hands to his side.

Farrah grabbed Wes’s hand and Dawn grabbed the other, and they all started walking towards the palace.

“Well, Farrah and I are going to shower, and then how about we go to the fair? We can play some games, ride some rides, eat a bunch of junk food,” she said, excitedly.

Wes stopped listening when he heard the word shower. He was trying real hard not to picture anything inappropriate.

“Wes?” Dawn asked, trying to get his attention.

“What? Oh, yes, that sounds like fun. We’ll do all that and end it with a movie night. Will you girls see me off in the morning?”

“Of course, we couldn’t miss our best friend leaving. We are going to miss you something fierce, Wes. Who will play with us, and take us to town to shop? You’re going to miss our birthday this year, and you’ll probably miss the rest of our birthdays until you come back home. If you come back at all, you might leave us, and live where your mate lives,” Farrah grumbled.

“I’ll absolutely live where my mate does,” he said.

He was teasing them, but then felt bad when he noticed the tears that sprang into their eyes.

“Hey, you girls are my special girls. I will be wherever you will be, forever,” he said, stopping them in front of the palace doors. He kissed both of them on the head.

“You girls go do what you have to do. I’m going for a run. I will be back here in an hour.”

He watched as they ran into the palace, then he went to find his mother.

He found her in her garden, sitting with Auntie Lil.

“Hello, my handsome pup,” Mystic said.

“Hello mother, Auntie. I am taking the girls to the fair in about an hour, and then we will be having a movie night in my suite. Will you allow us to have a sleepover? I promise no funny business. I am sure Maxon told you I am leaving tomorrow for four years. I need this time with them, to breathe them in. Con will need this time too.”

My mother stood and wrapped her arms around me, her head lying on my chest.

“ I am going to miss you, my son. You are destined for great things. Training in Canada is going to teach you how to fight and survive in a whole new environment. The weather there can be brutal. I love you with all my heart. You’ll be so busy, time will fly by. I have no problem with your request as long as Lillyn is okay with it.”

“I am fine with it, Wes, and don’t worry about your Uncle Koda, I will make sure he’ll be fine with it too.”

At her statement, my mother erupted in peels of laughter. He shook his head, not an image he wanted in it.

He kissed them both on the cheek and went for a run. Con was restless. He did not want to leave his girls any more than Wes did.

I don’t want any boys hanging around them that aren't us.

Eli will watch out for them, Con.

He can’t be around them twenty-four seven. They’re not even in the same classes. Any boy could work their way under their skin.

Stop saying that, Con. I trust Eli, and I trust Maxon.

You have twenty minutes until it’s time to meet with the girls. Go shower, don’t be late.

He shifted and ran back to the palace. He went straight to his room, showered and dressed in a pair of cream linen pants and a black t-shirt. He slipped on his cream-colored Hey Dudes. He then went back into the bathroom, brushed his teeth and ran a comb through his hair.

Grabbing his wallet, he made his way out of his room and down the stairs. Wes saw his girls at the palace doors and sighed. They were both in yellow sundresses. Both of their hair was in a French braid. Dawn’s ended in a pink bow and Farrah’s ended in a white bow. He could always tell them apart from how their smells intoxicated him. Dawn with her sweet peach smell and Farrah with her delicate apple smell. They smelled of summer and fall, and he loved it.

“Hello, my girls,” he said, putting his arms around them. They were both makeup free except for some lip gloss. They smiled at him as they walked out of the palace and got into the back SUV waiting for them. The drive to the fair was lively. His girls were non-stop chatting, and he loved listening to their sing-song voices.

“I want to ride the Ferris wheel, can we Wes?” Dawn asked.

“Anything you want, my angel.”

“And the merry-go-round with the pretty horses,” Farrah piped in.

“Yes, my princess, we'll do that too.”

They hit the fair running. They played games first. Wes won each of them a teddy bear, then they rode the Ferris wheel, merry-go-round, the ripper, and the flying swings. They went into the haunted house and the mirrored maze fun house. Afterward, they gorged on funnel cake, corn dogs, and cotton candy. They drank the best lemonade and each had a slushie.

At the end of the night, they watched movies, one after another. The girls fell asleep in his arms. One on each side of him, their heads on his chest. He breathed them in all night, letting Con come forward to do the same.

“I love you, my mates,” he whispered.

In the morning, the girls bravely stood next to their father, brothers, and mother, his brothers and their mates and children, and his mother and father. Tears rolled down their cheeks as he got into the vehicle that was taking him to their private air strip. He put his hand to the window and the girls put their hands to their hearts. He watched them as the car sped away until he couldn’t see them anymore. Four years was going to either kill him or shape him into a stronger wolf than he already was. Only time will tell.