Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Busted

A night without the kids wasn‘t as relaxing as Serena had hoped. She hadn‘t been without them for a

night in all five years of their lives! Every gust of wind outside, every creak down the hall, Serena woke

up, listening for her children‘s laughter or pattering feet. She was groggy the next morning, loading up

on caffeine when there was a knock on her door. Serena expected it was Alpha Logan. She‘d blown

him off yesterday to go visit her family, and he didn‘t seem like the type to let that go. Surprisingly,

Serena found her mother and her two children at the front door. “Mommy!” Olivia shouted, running into

the house and grabbing Serena‘s leg.

“Olivia, you‘re home,” she said, touching Olivia‘s head. Oliver ran in and grabbed his mother‘s other

leg, and Serena almost fell over backwards. “Sorry to drop in like this,” Charlotte said, stepping into her

home. “Mom, what is going on?” Serena asked. Charlotte gave a soft smile. “Your kids missed you,”

she said. “They were almost inconsolable.” Serena sighed, but she crouched down, pulling her kids to

her in a tight embrace. “I missed you too, chickees,” she said, nuzzling her nose against their cheeks

alternately. “Mom! I‘m not a chick, I‘m a girl!” Olivia laughed. Oliver laughed too. “That tickles, mommy,”

he said, swatting at Serena‘s nose. Serena laughed. “Want to have breakfast with us?” she asked her

mother. Charlotte smiled and nodded. “That would be great,” she said. “But I‘m going to cook.” Serena

rolled her eyes, but she didn‘t argue.

Serena got the kids juice while her mother made pancakes and eggs for breakfast. She poured herself

another cup of coffee and put on a fresh pot for her mother. “You seem to be settling in fine,” Charlotte

said, glancing around the house. “Night Sky took care of most of the difficult stuff,” Serena explained.

“It was an easy enough move.” “Good,” Charlotte said, getting up with the coffee was brewed to get

herself a mug. “Mommy, can we bring some toys down to chow Grandma?” Olivia asked, looking at me

with big eyes. “Go ahead,” Serena said. The twins ran upstairs. “You don‘t mind them calling you

‘grandma” she asked, raising an eyebrow at her mother. “Not in the least,” Charlotte said, returning to

the table with her coffee. “I was actually wondering if I would ever be a grandmother.” She winked at

Serena, who rolled her eyes. “Santino and I are both young!” she snapped. Another knock on the door

interrupted their conversation. Serena looked at the door, recognizing Alpha Logan through what she

could see through the window next to the door. “Go on,” Charlotte said. Serena left the table. She could

hear the kids on the stairs again, and she didn‘t want Logan to see them yet. She only opened her front

door halfway, standing in the opening so he couldn‘t see inside. “Alpha,” she said, with a nod. “You

blew me off yesterday,” he told her with a smirk. Serena rolled her eyes.

“Yes, I…was called away to visit my parents,” she said, being as truthful as possible.

“Does that mean I can take you on that tour today?” he asked. Serena sighed, looking around

nervously. She didn‘t want to agree to go with him, because she would have to tell her mother

something, and that would likely alert Logan to the twins‘ existence. Serena glanced over her shoulder

quickly to see the kids piling toys on the table for Charlotte to see.

“My mother is visiting,” she said, slowly turning to look at Logan again. For a moment, all she could see

was him shirtless in the hospital again! She shook her head and dropped her eyes to the porch. “You‘re

not supposed to stick that there!” Olivia screamed, the sound a shrill arrow that pierced the walls of the

house, and Serena‘s ears. Closing her eyes, Serena sighed heavily, Charlotte and Oliver were laughing

inside. Serene stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind her. When she finally opened

her eyes, Logan had his brows.creased together. “Your mother brought kids to visit?” he asked,

crossing his arms over his chest. He arched an eyebrow at her. Serena smiled and shook her head.

“They are my kids,” she said. “My mom brought them by this morning.” Logan still looked confused.

“Is that why you‘ve been so evasive every time I come by or ask you to go on a tour with me?” he

asked. Serena gave a sheepish smile and nodded.

“I‘m sorry, I wasn‘t sure if I wanted you to know,” she admitted. Quickly, she tried to come up with a

believable reason as to why she wouldn‘t want the Alpha of her new pack to know that she had twin

children. “Well, I‘d ask why, but I guess that isn‘t really any of my business,” he said. Serena blew out a

sigh of relief and then gave a real smile. “Their names are Olivia and Oliver,” she said. If I‘d known you

had kids, I would have considered a different housing arrangement for you, your mate, and your

family,” he said. His eyes were soft and friendly. He was being genuine. “As it is, he is welcome to

move in any time, and when a larger house becomes available, you can relocate again, if you‘d like.”

Serena giggled, shaking her head. Logan raised an eyebrow at her again. “I‘m sorry,” Serena said. “I

don‘t have a mate or husband. It is just me and the kids.” Again, Logan‘s features softened, and there

was something else in the look. Serena thought it might have been relief, but she didn‘t want to make

any assumptions. “Their father isn‘t…” he trailed off, tilting his head to the side as if he couldn‘t think of

the right words. One of the reasons Serena hadn‘t wanted everyone to know about her kids, was

because she got one of two reactions. Either people would judge her and make comments about

raising the kids on her own and needing to find them a father. On the other side, she‘d be judged for

being promiscuous. No one ever seemed to know what to say.

“He‘s not in the picture,” she said, saving Logan from having to find something to say. He nodded.

“Would you like to meet them?” “Sure.” Logan said. Serena opened the door and called inside. “Olivia,

Oliver, come out here, please,” she said. She swallowed as the kids ran out onto the porch. She hadn‘t

expected Logan to actually want to meet them. He was Alpha, so it shouldn’t have surprised her, but

she‘d only offered because she felt it was polite! “Who are you?” Olivia asked, tilting her head back at

Logan. “I‘m Alpha Logan,” he responded going down on one knee to speak to the children. Serena‘s

stomach dropped! Was he looking for something? Did he recognize them as his children? | Oliver

stayed at her side, clutching her head. “I‘m Olivia,” her daughter answered. “You‘re so handsome!

Mommy, isn‘t he handsome?” Serena cleared her throat as Logan grinned, looking up at Serene. She

rolled her eyes. “It is nice to meet you, Olivia,” Logan said. He glanced up at Serena again. “I like her.”

“Can we play?” Olivia asked. “How about you introduce me to your brother,” he suggested. Olivia

grabbed Oliver‘s hand and pulled him away from me. “This is Oliver, he‘s shy,” Olivia declared. Oliver

pulled away from Olivia. “I am not!” he insisted. He stepped forward, puffing out his chest and seizing

up Logan. Serena covered her mouth to muffle her laughter. Oliver staring down an Alpha male was

too adorable. “It is nice to meet you, too, Oliver,” Logan said. “I didn‘t say I was happy to meet you,”

Oliver pointed out. “My sister likes you because she thinks you‘re handsome, but that‘s not why I like

couldn‘t think of the right words. One of the reasons Serena hadn‘t wanted everyone to know about her

kids, was because she got one of two reactions. Either people would judge her and make comments

about raising the kids on her own and needing to find them a father. On the other side, she‘d be judged

for being promiscuous. No one ever seemed to know what to say.

“He‘s not in the picture,” she said, saving Logan from having to find something to say. He nodded.

“Would you like to meet them?” “Sure,” Logan said. Serena opened the door and called inside. “Olivia,

Oliver, come out here, please,” she said. She swallowed as the kids ran out onto the porch. She hadn‘t

expected Logan to actually want to meet them. He was Alpha, so it shouldn‘t have surprised her, but

she‘d only offered because she felt it was polite! “Who are you?“. Olivia asked, tilting her head back at

Logan. “I‘m Alpha Logan,” he responded going down on one knee to speak to the children. Serena‘s

stomach dropped! Was he looking for something? Did he recognize them as his children? Oliver stayed

at her side, clutching her head. “I‘m Olivia,” her daughter answered. “You‘re so handsome! Mommy,

isn‘t he handsome?” Serena cleared her throat as Logan grinned, looking up at Serene. She rolled her

eyes. “It is nice to meet you, Olivia,” Logan said. He glanced up at Serena again. “I like her.” “Can we

play?” Olivia asked. “How about you introduce me to your brother,” he suggested. Olivia grabbed

Oliver‘s hand and pulled him away from me. “This is Oliver, he‘s shy,” Olivia declared. Oliver pulled

away from Olivia. “I am not!” he insisted. He stepped forward, puffing out his chest and seizing up

Logan. Serena covered her mouth to muffle her laughter. Oliver staring down an Alpha male was too

adorable. “It is nice to meet you, too, Oliver,” Logan said. “I didn‘t say I was happy to meet you,” Oliver

pointed out. “My sister likes you because she thinks you‘re handsome, but that‘s not why I like

people.” Again, Serena was shocked by Oliver‘s behavior. He hardly ever spoke that much, especially

to a stranger “Well, then I will make it my mission to win your favor,” Logan said. Oliver crossed his

arms and looked away. Serena worried her hands together as Logan stood to his full height. “If only all

my warriors were as gutsy as Oliver,” he said with a chuckle. Serena laughed nervously, looking for any

indication that the Alpha suspected the kids were his. “You‘re great with kids,” she blurted out, not

knowing what else to say. It suddenly occurred to her that he might have other children, especially if

Holly was his mate. “Do you have any?” She bit her tongue to prevent herself from ending the question

with others! If she wasn‘t careful, she‘d slip! “No,” he answered. “I don‘t have any children.” Serena

looked at the twins. She wasn‘t sure if it made her feel better that he didn‘t have any others or worse.

Her kids were his illegitimate heirs at this point, but she didn‘t want to tell him that!