The Legend Of The Alpha Twins

Chapter 8

Levi

"Lucky bastard." Xander grumbled as I readied myself for my date with Harmony. "You know, its only because her beauty distracted me that I didn't get to ask her out first."

"Save it for your date." I chuckled, having one last look in the mirror. I looked good. Hopefully, Harmony feels the same.

"Yeah, yeah." Xander grumbled, skulking out of the room.

I shook my head and followed him out, grabbing my keys and wallet. I made dinner reservations for Harmony and I at a fancy Italian place about thirty minutes from where she lived. It was traditional, safe even. I imagine Xander will probably do something more risky, more bold, but for me, I liked to play it safe. Especially since this was my mate we were talking about. Guilt crept up on me again, thinking about how I almost gave up my mate for Brittany. It's been years since that fiasco, but I couldn't help but think about it as I drove to go pick up Harmony. Already I felt more connected and...possessive of her than I ever did Brittany, who I had known and dated for years. I used to think I would do anything for Brittany. Perhaps I would have, to a fault. But for Harmony? I would burn down kingdoms if someone even looked at her wrong.

It was a very powerful feeling, one I couldn't really explain. It made me wonder how anyone could possibly reject their mate when these feelings were so strong right from the start. I guess I can see some circumstances. My parents said that they planned on rejecting each other when they first met, but due to my mom's health at the time, they decided to wait, figuring that it could kill her. They were both so worried about pursuing each other, that they would get the other killed just by association, that they almost lost that gift, the mate bond. Perhaps that is why I never took it as seriously. I thought it was something that could be easily tossed aside, when, in reality, they were willing to let the other go because they loved each other so much they didn't want any harm to be bestowed upon the other.

Same with my uncle Derek and his mate, his kingdom is by far the most...primitive of the four of us in the USA. He had been challenged for his title more than a dozen times in his first year alone. Then to find out his mate was a human? Fragile and expendable looking to most. He would have rather let her go than drag her into his world, filled with monsters by comparison. But the moon goddess was not going to let him let her go, and they eventually worked things out.

I won't even get into Queen Kelly's story. I have only been told it once and knew I never wanted to hear it again. Her love life is that of someone's nightmares. How she even survived being rejected so many times...it's beyond me. Thank goddess, she is happy now, with a loving mate and almost half a dozen pups, but I think everyone is afraid to even go near them, to breathe wrong and have some awful misfortune happen to them. Historically speaking, Queen Kelly has probably been screwed over more than anyone else in history. She is like bad luck personified. But she claims that, in the end, she chose her mate, and the moon goddess honored her decision and blessed them with being fated mates.

Then there is Queen Annalise, probably the smartest of the lot. She gave up everything for her mate. They have a beautiful love story. They fell in love before they even knew they were mates. Hearing their story was like proof. Proof that the mate bond wasn't just some blinding love, damning the individuals who it fell upon to fall in love if they like it or not. Proof that they were meant to be together, with or without it.

I was a complete and utter fool for tossing my mate bond to the side before I even had a chance to find it. I guess thank Goddess Brittany f****d up. She should never have gone after Xander like that. She had no right. Perhaps one day I will tell him that. But now that we shared a mate, we would need to find out how to naviage our odd little love triangle. Brittany might not have been completely wrong in her thinking. It looks like Xander and I would be sharing a mate after all, but she was wrong in her actions. And thankfully so.

I arrived at Harmony's house a few minutes early, accidently speeding in my excitement to see her. I got out of the car and adjusted my clothes before climbing the three concrete steps that led to her front door. I rang the doorbell and Harmony was there a moment later.

"Hey Levi." Harmony said, excitedly flinging open the door.

She wore a peach-colored dress that was fitted around her midsection. It went down to her knees, it was flowy and airy at the bottom and also had cap sleeves. It was modest but still made her look so beautiful.

"Hello." I said, handing her a bouquet of long-stemmed red roses. "For you."

"Oh, Levi, that is so sweet." She said, taking a deep whiff and stepping aside for me to enter. "Let me put these in a vase, and then we can go." She smiled.

I stepped inside, immediately into her living room. It was carpeted, but she insisted that I leave my shoes on. This was the first time I wore this pair, so I didn't argue. She had a worn-looking couch, an older looking coffee table, a small TV, lots of pictures hanging of her and her parents and a rocking chair and an ottoman. Next to the living room was a small dining room. It was able to hold six people, though there were only two place settings at the moment. I followed her through the house and into the kitchen, which had older style laminant flooring, cupboards that looked like they could use a fresh coat of paint, and a refrigerator that looked tired also. But overall it felt...nice, welcoming, homey. Kind of like what you would imagine your grandmother's house to be.

"Your home looks lovely." I said, and I meant it, helping her grab the vase that was just out of her reach.

"Thank you." She smiled and blushed. "This will only take a minute, make yourself at home." She insisted.

She grabbed a pair of scissors out of a drawer and began taking apart the flowers while I let my curiosity get the better of me. I meandered down the hall, finding four doors. The first was cracked open, so I peered inside. A guest room. The next, a small bathroom with a teal toilet. Goddess, this woman needed an upgrade. I wonder how we were going to work that one out? Who will she live with? Or will she switch between kingdoms? Will she even want to leave? Her business, which she built from the ground up, was only a few minutes away. A thought for another time, perhaps. Next door, her bedroom.

"I must admit, I am excited about having dinner with you," Harmony said from the other room.

"Me too." I echoed. "I hope you like Italian."

"I love it!" She laughed, the water running from the kitchen sink.

There was a queen-sized bed in the middle of the room, a nightstand on one side and a chair on the other. Across from the bed was a bookshelf loaded with all sorts of books, from medical journals to romances. No TV. Her room, naturally, smelled just like her. Just like almonds. Warm, nutty, just a little sweet. It was comforting and...familiar and oh so inviting. It was a gentle scent, not overwhelming to the senses, making it hard to pull away and go to the next room.

The door to the last room was shut. I put my hand to the handle and gave it a turn, surprised when I was met with resistance. It was locked. Why would she lock a door in her own home?

"Ready?" Harmony asked with a smile, pulling a shawl over her shoulders.

"Ready." I smiled, quickly retracting my hand and offering her my arm instead.

- - - - - - - -

Our drive to the restaurant was filled with lots of conversation about her day, the types of animals she treated, the pet owners she had to deal with, and everything in between. She thanked Xander and me again for bringing her breakfast and lunch, saying it was so nice not to have to think about what she was going to eat. Harmony was so open with me, much more than when Xander and I were together. I look forward to seeing what else we will talk about tonight.

"Allow me." I said, scooting her chair out for her.

"Thank you, Levi." She purred. Goddess help me not to take her on this table here and now.

"Hello, I am Courtney and I will be your server tonight." A young woman said, handing us our menus before presenting a small basket of bread on our table and filling our water glasses. "I will give you two a moment to decide on what to drink."

"What's it like being King?" Harmony asked, taking a sip of water.

"Busy." I grunted. "Very busy. But it's fulfilling. There are a lot of people I have been able to help, programs established, better security for even our smaller packs."

"Is it stressful?"

"Sometimes. But I have been trained since I was born to take on this role, so perhaps not as stressful as you might imagine, not for me anyhow."

"Well, that's good." Harmony smiled softly.

"Yes, really the only stressful part is the people still living in the palace." I snorted. "Most of our family lives there, so if there is stress, it's usually related to them." I laughed and so did she.

"I couldn't agree more." She shook her head. "You are one of six, is that correct?"

"Yes." I nodded, diving into telling her about each sibling, their quirks, random funny memories.

Harmony laughed and listened, and we ordered our drinks and food, the conversation unending. She was so easy to talk to, I felt so comfortable around her. Minus the slight nagging feeling. I felt like I needed to tell her.

"I must confess something." I said seriously as our plates were being taken away, the prospect of desert being dangled in front of us.

"What's that?" Harmony asked.

"I almost made a colossal mistake a few years ago." I said, struggling to meet her eyes. "I asked my girlfriend at the time to be my chosen mate."

"Oh..." Harmony said, setting down the dessert menu. "Do...do you regret-"

"No." I shook my head. "Not for a moment. I am lucky things never went further than they did. This was years ago and I was young and was tired of waiting and so, so stupid and-"

"Levi." Harmony said, reaching across the table and grabbing my hand. "You don't need to explain yourself." She shook her head. "It's in the past, you never went through with marking her, otherwise we wouldn't be sitting at dinner right now. It's okay."

"I just feel so guilty that I gave up," I said, tears burning at the back of my eyes. "I gave up on us."

"But you didn't." She shook her head.

"But I did. Xander is the only reason that things ended between her and me." I gulped.

"Then remind me to thank him next time I see him." She said with a soft laugh. "I believe in fate, Levi. Whatever is going to happen was meant to happen for some reason we just might not see. You loved her. I'm sure she gave you comfort when you felt lonely. As your mate, I am glad you weren't miserable all these years, though I don't wish to know any intimate details." She said pointedly, making me chuckle. "The fact of the matter is that things between you and her have been done and over with for years now, there is no reason to fret over the past."

"Did I ever mention how perfect you are?" I choked out a laugh.

"No, but you can tell me while we eat our lemon cake." She smirked, flagging the waitress over.

"I will." I smiled.

Harmony was the cutest. She did a tiny happy dance in her chair during her first bite of the lemon cake and I made a note to myself to tell my kitchen staff to learn how to make that cake, just to see her so blissfully happy again.

"What is it?" She asked, catching me staring at her in wonder.

"You are beautiful." I sighed contently. She blushed and I finished my glass of wine. "Tell me about your family. I think I did most of the talking tonight." I half laughed, half felt guilty.

"They are my family." She shrugged. "I'd prefer to not have this conversation right now, I am having a nice night."

"That bad?"

She shrugged and took another bite of the cake, completely shutting down any further mention of them.

"Do you have any friends?"

"I have a few people from college I keep in touch with every few months. Mostly it's just the people I work with. I haven't had a lot of time to make friends between school and my business." She said matter-of-factly. She didn't seem bothered by it either. She and my sister Abby would get along just fine, I think.

We continued to talk, and I asked as much about her as I could. I learned that she cleaned her elderly neighbor's house once a month and frequently brought her meals. She also helped her with her gardening in the spring and summer when she had the chance. She only had six houses on her street. It was a long country road that she lived on. Plenty of farm land nearby. She said she rents out part of her lot to one of the farmers, which is how she helped pay off her student loans faster. She was so smart, beautiful, thoughtful, caring, goddess. I was a lucky man.

- - - - -

"Thank you again for dinner," Harmony said as we pulled into her driveway. "I had a really nice time."

"As did I." I smiled, hoping out of the car and opening her door for her. "When can I see you again?"

"Well, tomorrow night Xander and I are going out, but perhaps on Saturday the three of us can go out? If that's not too weird?" She asked, unlocking her front door. "I don't know the rules for dating twins."

"Neither do we." I half laughed. "But Xander and I spoke and we will follow your lead, your comfort level."

"Well that's a lot of pressure." She laughed nervously, stepping inside.

I followed her in, figuring she was inviting me in since we were still mid-conversation, and she was already inside.

"No pressure, just...communication." I said, tucking one of her fiery locks behind her ear. "We want you to be happy."

"I am happy." She smiled, her green eyes looking a bit more sultry.

"Good." I echoed, lower and more husky as I leaned in and kissed her.

Sparks, fireworks, an explosion. That's what our kiss felt like. I had to fight the groan that wanted to escape me from the small act of intimacy as I cupped her face and deepened our kiss. Harmony melted under my touch, her hands grabbing my wrists, her body leaning into mine. I hadn't realized I had been walking her back to the couch until her legs hit, and she pulled me to sit down next to her. We were like that for some time, our lips smacking, eventually our tongues dancing, our breaths getting more urgent. Everything was going perfectly. So, I felt my way up her side and then to her sleeve, slowly pushing it off her shoulder.

Harmony shot up as if I struck her with lightning, taking four big steps back, nearly tripping over the ottoman behind her. "I think I'm going to turn in tonight." She said, her face completely serious. "I think you should leave now."

"Harmony... Did I do something wrong?" I asked, not able to hide the pain in my voice. "I'm sorry if I pushed things too far too fast-"

"Stop." She said, putting a hand up and closing her eyes. She looked pained, nauseated perhaps? "Please just go. I will see you on Saturday."

"But-"

"Just go." She said again, her eyes watery. "Please."

"Okay..." I nodded, reluctantly heading back out to my car.

Harmony watched my every move, her arms wrapped tightly around herself, protectively. When I pulled out of the driveway she slammed her door shut, the lights in the living room went out a moment later. What did I do wrong?