Promised to the Alpha Twins

VII

The strong sound of the woman's footsteps on the wet pavement only accentuated her haughty, mysterious, and, to some extent, eerie demeanor. My heart tightened, and for an inexplicable reason, I wished the twins were by my side at that moment. I didn't know why I wished for that; maybe it was the memory of their strong and athletic bodies I had seen in the wrestling class, or the evident fact that I was not indifferent to them.

Whether they planned to mock me or not, I wanted to have them close when that strange woman, also possessed of extraordinary beauty, smiled at me as if she wanted to win my friendship above anything else in the world. However, her magical influence on me quickly faded when she entered Luigi's office.

I stopped halfway. The woman had entered Luigi's office, and after his recent reprimand, I didn't want to anger him again with an interruption because, what would I say?

The image projected in my mind,

"I'm sorry, Mr. Manager, may I have a moment?"

"What's happening, Sussan? Can't you see I'm busy with this lady?"

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to know who this lady is who seems to have been following me since leaving school."

No, that would be pathetic. It was better to give up, for the time being, and if she reappeared, I wouldn't miss the opportunity to confront her.

"Did you recognize her?" Aly asked behind me.

I sighed and had to resign myself.

"She entered Luigi's office."

Aly shrugged.

"Well, Sussan, how about you forget about that for a moment and we continue? Let's finish with this car soon and leave earlier, shall we?" Aly's smile warmed my heart — "We can go out and grab something to eat. I'll treat you."

Aly was a ray of sunshine on a gray and cloudy afternoon. I nodded, and we finished washing the last truck of our shift. Passing by Luigi's office to change out of my overalls, I saw that the woman was still there, talking to the manager. I would have liked to hear what they were talking about, but Aly might be right, and it was better for me to forget about it. I was starting to seem schizophrenic.

"Where do you want to go?" Aly asked when we were outside the car wash.

"I don't know. I don't know the town. I moved here just a week ago."

"Oh, in that case, what do you feel like eating?"

I felt embarrassed at the thought that Aly would spend her money on treating me to a meal, but I also didn't want to spend mine because I had budgeted it for when I could stop depending on my aunt.

"You know? You don't have to treat me, Aly. I appreciate the intention, but..."

Aly raised her index finger and almost put it on my mouth.

"No, Sussan, I don't want to hear you say that. Come on, don't worry. Just tell me what you feel like."

I blushed and feared I was being rude.

"Alright. I'd like ice cream."

Aly put her hands on her hips.

"Don't try to deceive me, Sussan; I can hear your stomach protesting from here. Let's have something real to eat, and we can take the opportunity to get to know each other a little."

It wasn't true about my stomach, although it wouldn't be long before it started protesting, and I knew that there wouldn't be a hot meal waiting for me at my aunt's house. Besides, there was no way to deceive this girl.

"Alright. How about a burger?"

"That's much better, Sussan. Let's go then." Aly took me by the arm, and we walked together to a burger joint that, with its aroma, made my stomach growl.

Aly ordered for both of us, realizing that I was going to try to deceive her again by pretending to settle for the smallest burger. When she opened her wallet to pay, I was surprised to see her use a black credit card, one that, as far as I knew, was one of those with unlimited credit.

What was Aly doing with such a card while working in the afternoons washing cars?

For a moment, I feared it was a stolen card, but then Aly pulled out her ID, and the cashier swiped the card without any hesitation.

We took the trays with the food and sat down.

"Have you always lived here?" I asked, determined to take the lead in the conversation and avoid Aly knowing too much about my life, of which I wasn't exactly proud.

"That's right, Sussan. All of my seventeen years. Where are you from?"

I took some potato chips and put them in my mouth before responding with the name of any city.

"Really? You don't have the accent of people from there."

"Well, it's because, actually, my life has been quite itinerant.” Oh no. I was already starting to talk about myself, and that's the last thing I wanted. I had to get back to asking questions. “But tell me, what's it like living here? Is there anything interesting to do in this town?"

I couldn't believe it!

I did it!

My last question seemed to hurt Aly's pride, and she then went on to explain the natural beauty surrounding the town, the mountains where we could go camping, the rivers and streams we could visit. She even talked about a large lagoon she always went to during summer vacations. I listened attentively, satisfied that I didn't have to talk about my life and watching as the hamburgers became smaller and smaller in our hands.

When we finished eating, Aly's phone rang.

It was her mom asking if she could come pick her up.

"My mom is going to pick me up, but don't worry, we can drop you off at your place."

I almost choked on the soda I was drinking.

To my house?

No, never!

I didn't want Aly to see where I lived, and, even more so, I didn't want her to see Dub.

"I'm close, don't worry."

"Really, Sussan? Because there's no problem; we can take you."

I was about to make up any crazy excuse when we saw, through the window on our side, a luxurious SUV parking at the restaurant's entrance.

"It's my mom. I thought she was much farther away. Are you sure you don't want us to take you?"

I shook my head as I stared at the high-end SUV that arrived to pick up Aly.

First the black card, now that car.

What was a girl with those resources doing working at a car wash?

I supposed there must be a good story to explain it, but for now, all I saw was Aly grabbing her bag, saying goodbye, and leaving.

I waved my hand through the window and caught a glimpse of Aly's mom.

Among all these oddities that now seemed to converge in my life, it was nice to have found someone like Aly who, at least, made my existence more bearable, especially now that the twins seemed determined to bother me.

Approaching home, I was thankful I hadn't brought Aly because I saw Dub sitting on the porch, in his underwear, wearing only a T-shirt. I knew there would be trouble as soon as his eyes saw me coming, and I realized Elene's car wasn't parked.

"Are you already hanging out with a guy?" Dub asked when I tried to pass by him without even looking at him.

I sighed.

"I came from work," I replied as I opened the door, hoping he wouldn't try to get up. But I saw him standing up, perhaps faster than usual.

"Wait, wait, where are you going? Why don't you sit with me? Grab a beer from the fridge."

I was getting nervous. I didn't respond and tried to go into my room, but Dub reached out his heavy, thick hand to grab mine.

"Don't be elusive, sweetheart."

His warm, alcohol-scented breath reached my face, causing a knot in my nerves. I looked into his glassy eyes, which roamed my body.

"Do you not know I'm underage? If a cop sees me drinking a beer, they could arrest you."

I hoped mentioning the police would deter Dub from trying any craziness that might be crossing his mind, but my aunt's boyfriend seemed determined.

"Then let's go in, maybe to your room, and we'll have that beer there, what do you say, doll?"

I knew that if I didn't free myself in the next few seconds, Dub would start getting too forward with me. I demanded, once again, that he let me go.

I don't know what convinced him to do it, maybe it was that I almost screamed, and some guys passing by, not far away, turned to see what was happening. When I felt free, I ran to my room and locked the door twice. I also put a chair against the doorknob, just in case.

Still with a racing pulse, I pressed my ear to the door to check where Dub was. It didn't take long to hear that he had already entered the house and turned on the TV. He sat on the big sofa, and a few minutes later, he was snoring. I was out of danger.

Tired from the recent agitation, I tried to find peace in the outdoor landscape I saw through my room's window, recalling what Aly had told me about the beautiful landscapes surrounding the town when something outside caught my attention.

There, among the shadows, a dark figure was outlined, and a chill ran down my spine as I realized I wasn't alone.

It was a silent presence, a being that blended with the darkness, moving with an almost feline agility among the bushes. It could have been a wildcat trying to get into the house. Frightened by what it might be, my eyes focused on that being, fearful but captivated by its mystery. Soon, I discovered it wasn't just one, but two figures, and the evening light only outlined their silhouettes, but it was enough for me to distinguish them precisely.

It was a pair of wolves, majestic and wild, gliding through the backyard vegetation with a supernatural serenity. Their eyes, bright, reflected the dusk and gleamed with great intensity. A shiver ran down my spine as I observed these two beautiful and dangerous creatures. Then, upon closer inspection, a strange idea formed in my mind.

I don't know where that connection came from, but...

Weren't those bright eyes the same as Ethan and Liam's?

The relationship I made in my mind was absurd, unreal, even amusing, but understand me. That's what they seemed like. There was a certain familiarity in how they moved, in how their presence both unsettled and attracted me. It was an intuition that couldn't be ignored.

After a while, the wolves vanished into the undergrowth, leaving only a trail of unease in my mind. My trembling hands searched for the window latch, and I secured it.

Was what I saw real, or just a product of my imagination, disturbed by the events of that day?

I curled up in bed, my heart still pounding in my chest like a wild drum.

Before falling asleep, I fantasized about the absurd idea that those two wolves had been Ethan and Liam, that they had turned into those beautiful creatures to protect me from Dub.

But that made no sense.

Right?