Chapter 9

"Dad said we were missing for almost nine months before they found us in an underground laboratory. The Council had human scientists experiment on us and find out if we had some kind of specific genetic structure. I overheard them say once that we were the key to something, but they walked away from my cell before I could hear what they said," Scinece recalled. The twins had taken turns telling Elaine their story and it broke her heart to hear what those bastards did to them. But it also gave her more reason to hate the Council. She pulled the twins to her sides and gave them a tight hug, whispering, "I won't let them ever come near you again, I promise." Lincoln buried his face onto her shoulder and seconds later, she felt her shirt get wet.

Elaine kissed the top of his head and repeated the same to Scinece.

Later, the twins had composed themselves and proclaimed that they wanted to show Elaine their powers. She nodded and watched as Lincoln shifted. Elaine would never tire of seeing their wolf forms. Then, she heard Lincoln's voice in her head. "We'll play a little game of hide and seek. You hide while Scinece and I seek."

"I probably need to get used to that," Elaine said before chuckling. From beside her, Scinece giggled and to Elaine, it was the cutest sound. She openly stared at the beauty that was her mates and when Scinece turned her head to look at her, Elaine blushed. She actually blushed. Scinece giggled again and rose up on tip toes and gave Elaine a peck on the cheeks. "For good luck," she said, letting her hair cover her face.

Lincoln watched, a little jealous, but it disappeared when Elaine made her way to him and gave him a stroke to the head. He barked happily and Elaine smiled. "I'll go hide now. Come and find me." Before the twins could even react, she was gone in a flash. The pair looked at each other and smiled. Elaine was about to get the surprise of a lifetime. Scinece then shifted and the twins set off to find their mate.

Meanwhile, Elaine had a headstart and climbed the tallest tree she could find. She was far from where they were earlier and she bet they wouldn't be able to find her. "Think again. Look down, babe," a voice suddenly said. "No way," she whispered and looked down. It was Scinece and Lincoln. And they were looking up and staring right at her. She quickly climbed down and couldn't hide her excitement. "How did you do that? Oh my gosh, that's amazing! Did you guys teleport? I'm not even mad you found me so fast, so tell me, how'd you find me that fast?"

This time, it was Scinece's voice that entered her mind. "Lincoln found where your general area is because he took a peek into your mind. His powers include being able to see through another person's eyes, control what they can and cannot see, and he can make a person think what he wants them to think. And then I found you because, I could feel your emotions. I guess you could call me an empath because I can also control one's emotions. It comes in handy when I help a particularly emotional patient. And I also have the ability to heal people," she said and Elaine looked at her mates in amazement. "I have the best mates, hands down. Now come on, we should probably get back, it's been a long day. And you can show me more of your abilities later," Elaine said, petting the both of them. Loving the attention, the twins rubbed their heads onto her hands.

Jim was waiting for them at the front porch, pacing back and forth. Polly O'Neil, his mate, was with him and was trying to calm him down. When Jim caught sight of the twins' wolves and Elaine between them, he nearly had a heart attack from the relief that washed over him. He ran to the twins and started planting kisses on their wolf heads. Polly walked over to them and bowed her head to her Alpha. "Good evening, Alpha," she said and the two of them watched the exchange between a father and his children. Elaine asked, "Did he tell you about the twins' history?" Polly nodded and Elaine turned her head and was surprised to see her eyes glistening with tears. Then Polly faced her and staring right into her eyes, she firmly said, "I have come to think of those pups as my own. We bonded right away while you were unconscious when we got here. I don't care if you're my Alpha, but the moment you hurt them, I will be right on you." Elaine didn't like the threat, but she sensed that Polly was only being protective of her pups. She nodded and they looked back to watch the scene. Now that she knew why Jim was so protective of the twins.

Silently, she vowed to herself not to let any harm come to her mates. The twins lifted their heads to look at her and she knew they heard her. Polly then clapped her hands and said, "I think it's about time we have a little family dinner."

They made their way to Polly's tent and the twins, still in their wolf forms, looked around in amazement. "That's right. You haven't been inside our kind of tents before," Elaine thought and she knew the twins would hear it. She heard Polly say to the twins, "Go change behind that curtain. I'll go get you a change of clothes." Scinece went first and waited until Polly handed her a bundle of clothes before shifting. She stepped out in a pair of leggings and a hoodie. Lincoln walked behind the curtain and Polly handed him a bundle of clothes as well. He stepped out wearing shorts and a blue v-neck shirt. "One he filled in nicely," Elaine thought and Lincoln winked at her when he heard it in his head. "Stay out of my head, you dork," Elaine chided, clicking her tongue. Then she said, "Like the tent? We had it enchanted to make it bigger on the inside." Scinece suddenly exclaimed, "It's just like the ones in Harry Potter! Can I have one, please?" Elaine, unable to say no to her mate, agreed and told her she'll give her one soon.

She heard Jim say from the small kitchen, "She's completely smitten." Then, Polly ordered, "Hey, lovebirds, set up the table, would you?" The three blushed and got to work.

The five enjoyed a hearty meal of lasagna and mashed potatoes, with bits of bacon. The small dining area was filled with the sounds of laughter and stories being shared around. Everyone was feeling a different type of emotion during dinner; Elaine, delighted at the feeling of being a part of a family again; Scinece and Lincoln, happy and excited having a mother dote and care for them; Polly, overjoyed at having her own family; and Jim, content with having his second chance mate and children and his children's mate by his side.

After dinner, they lounged in front of the tv, watching movies. Scinece was snuggled against Elaine's side, Lincoln's head on her lap and Jim and Polly sat on the couch. They were nearing the end of the movie when alarms started blaring.

Jim, Elaine and Lincoln were instantly on their feet, standing protectively in front of Scinece and Polly. Jim was concentrating on something and his eyes widened. "Kylie escaped. And she killed the other thirteen in the cell with her."