The Wolf Twins' Royal Mates

Chapter 1 Magnolia “What do you mean, no?” Makayla questioned, glaring at me. What do you think it means? Dahlia growled in my head, but I ignored her. I couldn’t let myself get worked up, not here. “Uh—I mean,” I stuttered, hating myself for it. I don’t know why Makayla and her little group always get to me like this. Logically, I know they’re just a bunch of mean girls—humans at that—and as a wolf, they’d never match up to me. That didn’t help in this godforsaken human high school, though. “I—uh—I,” Makayla mocked, sneering as her best friends, Mae and Miracle, giggled. “You know it’ll be easier if you just agree.” I shook my head. “I’m not going to cheat for you,” I said again, my voice still shaky, but at least I didn’t stutter that time. Makayla took a step closer to me, her eyes narrowing. “It wasn’t a question.” I didn’t say anything, which annoyed her further. “I’ll give you one last chance,” she threatened. What is she, a movie villain? Dahlia retorted, and I smiled involuntarily. Of course, that only made Makayla angrier. “You’ll regret this!” She declared, but at least she turned on her heel and walked away. Only two more weeks, Dahlia said encouragingly. You’ve got this. Dahlia, my wolf, wanted me to stand up to Makayla for once. We graduated in two weeks, finally. Makayla had come up to me in gym class and basically demanded that I give her my test answers. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time I’ve done work for her, but usually, it’s just homework. Never something as big as cheating on a final. As much as I feared the backlash from denying Makayla, I feared getting caught cheating even more. There is a no-tolerance policy at my school, and I would fail and be held back a grade. I couldn’t handle another year here, especially without Azalea, my twin. Usually, I loved gym class because it was one time that Makayla and her squad left me alone. Being a wolf, I’m physically stronger than the humans, so sports come easily to me. I don’t really like sports, not the way Azalea does, but I like exercising. The only ‘sport’ (if you can call it that) that I really enjoyed was dodgeball. I was the reigning dodgeball champion. My team never lost, no matter who my teammates were. We didn’t always win per se, but we never lost! I could dodge like nobody’s business. I was always the last person left standing on my team. No one could hit me. I didn’t really throw the balls back, though, which is why it often came to a draw because I didn’t want to risk seriously hurting someone by using my extra strength. I knew that I could hit them, but I didn’t want to go too hard and break a nose or something. I think that’s why Makayla used dodgeballs as her revenge plan. I was walking down the hall, headed to 3rd period, when I was ambushed. Danger! Dahlia screamed in my head before the first ball hit me. They were surrounding me on all sides, Makayla, Mae, Miracle, and what seemed like most of the football team. Balls hit me from all angles, a seemingly non-stop attack. They didn’t really hurt me that badly, but it was overwhelming, and it took everything in me not to let Dahlia out under the barrage. These stupid kids didn’t know how close they were coming to being torn to shreds. You can’t just ambush a wolf and expect it to go well. The struggle to control my instincts made me fall to my knees, arms over my head. Eventually, they stopped, Makayla’s laugh echoing down the hallway as she headed to class. Maggie? Dahlia asked, checking in on me, but I knew she could tell it was too late. There’s another reason that Makayla and her friends pick on me. I have an anxiety disorder, unusual for a wolf, especially one with no traumatic background. No one knows the cause, not my therapist or my family. According to my therapist, sometimes there was no cause at all. I could feel myself slipping into a panic attack there on the hallway floor. Get somewhere safe, Dahlia urged, nuzzling me in my head to get me up. I followed her direction, letting her lead my feet, until I ended up in the girls’ bathroom. I told Ivy. Azalea’s coming, Dahlia said. I let out a shaky breath, only then realizing that tears were falling down my cheeks. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. I had ended up on the floor again, my arms around my knees and my head tucked down, tears flowing. I was gasping for breath, and if I hadn’t been clenching my hands around my knees, I knew they’d be flapping like dying birds. Dahlia was trying to talk to me, trying to lead me through grounding exercises I learned in therapy, but my head was full of static, and I couldn’t hear her. God, let Aza get here soon. ~o0o~ Azalea Aza! Ivy got my attention just as 3rd period was starting. Maggie needs you! Where? I asked immediately, already rising out of my chair. East bathroom. Dahlia says to hurry! “Azalea LaFleur, where do you think you’re going?” Mrs. Perkins demanded. Perkins was a hard ass, not someone you usually crossed unless you wanted to spend a day in in-school suspension, but I didn’t care. Not when it came to Maggie. “Bathroom,” I said shortly, practically running out of the room. I could hear Perkins shrieking behind me as I left. When I got there, Maggie was on the floor, her head on her knees. Her brown curls fell around her, obstructing her face. I knew that position all too well. Maggie started having panic attacks when we were 13 or so. She’s my whole world, my twin sister, and I would do anything to take this away from her. I feel so helpless when she has panic attacks. I do everything I can to calm her and bring her out of it, but it never feels like enough. “Was it Makayla?” I asked by way of greeting, crouching down next to her. I grabbed her hands and worked to unclench her fists until her fingers were twined with mine. Maggie didn’t answer, but Ivy told me that Dahlia confirmed it was Makayla. Dahlia filled Ivy in on what happened, and as Ivy told me, I could feel her wanting to front. “I’ll kill her,” I muttered, and that finally got Maggie’s attention. She shook her head at me, still hyperventilating too much to speak. I hadn’t been serious, of course, I knew better than to go after humans, but the sentiment was true. Those girls were despicable, and I felt even more helpless that I couldn’t do anything about it. “Okay, fine, maybe I’ll just punch Makayla, maybe break her stupid nose,” I smiled a little at the thought. Maggie glared at me now, but I could tell she was coming down from her attack. I reached out and wiped some tears from her cheeks. “I love you, Mags.” She lunged at me, pulling me into a tight hug, and as she squeezed me, her breathing evened out. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Aza,” Maggie sighed in my ear. I just clutched her tighter. “You’ll never have to find out.” Once Maggie was calm enough to face other people, we went to the office together, where I called our dad. We were so close to graduation that it’s not like we were learning anything new anyway, and I wanted to get Maggie out of there before Makayla and her b***h squad came for her again. I had always tried to convince Maggie to quit doing work for them, but she said it was better than making them angry. If she had let me, I would have forced an end to their schemes long ago, but Maggie insisted that I shouldn’t harm them, not even a little. That was the other reason we needed to go home. If I saw any of them, Ivy would probably lose control, and then I’d be in jail for assault. This was the human world; werewolf rules don’t apply. Thankfully, Maggie and I weren’t the only wolves at the school. There were five of us in our grade, all from the same pack. Our pack, Thunderflood, is tiny, the smallest in the US, actually, so we don’t have a dedicated school. That’s why all the kids in the pack go to the nearest human high school. My dad says it’s a good lesson on how to fit in and be undetectable, but that was a lot easier before our 16th birthday when we got our wolves. Ivy and Dahlia didn’t play when it came to us and our safety, even if the ‘threat’ was just some dumb bullies. The pack always sticks together, though, so even though Maggie and I weren’t best friends with the other three high schoolers from our pack, we could always rely on them for help, just as we helped them when they needed it. We couldn’t mind-link them directly yet, but our wolves could speak to each other, so it didn’t surprise me when Mark, the hulking son of the Beta, met us in the office with my stuff from Mrs. Perkins’ classroom. I thanked him, and he nodded. He hung around the office just in case we needed support or if our wolves tried to take over. He was already a huge asset to the pack, and I knew he’d be a great Beta one day. When I was younger, I may have secretly hoped that Mark was my fated mate, but alas, it was not to be. None of us at the high school have found ours yet, but that’s not unusual in our pack. It’s so small that a lot of people don’t ever find theirs and take chosen mates instead. Either that, or they leave the pack to search for them, and not many come back, which is why our pack numbers keep dwindling. The first thing Dad did when he answered the phone was to demand to know why I was calling him during a school day. That was to be expected, though. Our dad was honestly a big ole softie when it came down to it, but he hid that behind a gruff front, and he wasn’t afraid to punish any of us if we were out of line. Usually, it was me out of line, not my sisters, but his punishments were always fair. “Maggie, uh,” I glanced at the secretary who was hovering as I used the phone, “isn’t feeling well.” My dad hesitated, picking up on the double meaning behind my words. “How bad?” “Bad enough,” I said, hoping he wouldn’t think this was another one of my stunts to miss school. I had a history of faking sick to get out of school, but I never used Maggie as an excuse, so I hoped he would believe me. “All right. Can you drive?” “Yes, no problem,” I said quickly, nodding to Maggie that he said yes. She smiled gratefully. “I’ll see you girls at home then,” Dad huffed. “But this doesn’t mean you can get out of the rest of the school year!” “Yes, sir.” “Give me to the secretary.” I gave the secretary my phone so my dad could confirm that we had permission to leave, and she just rolled her eyes and nodded at us. I think she thought we were just seniors skipping on the last few days. Whatever. Maggie and I headed to our shared truck, and Mark followed us out, carrying Maggie’s backpack for her. Maggie thanked him and got in the truck, ducking her head. She was clearly ashamed about what happened, but I wished she would trust Mark. He only wanted to help. Mark grabbed my arm before I could get in the car. “What happened? Something I need to take care of?” I hesitated. I knew Maggie wouldn’t like it if I told Mark, but Mark was also the captain of the football team, and from what Dahlia told us, it sounded like a lot of the team was involved. I couldn’t take on the whole team alone, though, no matter how much I wanted to, so I vaguely filled him in. Not on the panic attack, but just about what Makayla wanted and about the dodgeballs. Mark nodded, setting his jaw, and promised to take care of it. As I got in the car, I felt another twinge of sadness that he wasn’t our mate. Not meant to be, Ivy said resolutely. Don’t rub it in, I shot back. Maggie interrupted our conversation. “What did you tell him?” “I told him that he needed to better discipline the football team,” I said carefully. Maggie just nodded and went quiet for the rest of the drive back to the pack. ~o0o~ Magnolia I knew that Azalea had my best interests in mind, but I kind of hated that she told Mark. She had always had a crush on him, and I knew that she would probably tell him anything he wanted to know because of that, but I’d never understood her interest in him. She used to gush about how handsome he was, but I never saw it. The older I got, the more disgusted I became at some of her comments about him and about boys in general. She teased me that I was a prude, but no matter how hard I tried to find a guy I liked, it never happened. I guess I was waiting to find my mate. Dahlia was dancing around in my head, clearly hyper. I guessed she was agitated from this morning. I’d probably need to let her out for a run later. Yes, please! she demanded and then added, to my surprise, There’s a reason you don’t like any boys. What do you mean? What’s the reason? I demanded, confused. You’ll find out soon. That was all she would say despite my badgering, but at least it took my mind off Makayla. Dad was waiting on the porch when we pulled into the drive. Azalea parked, muttering under her breath about how he’s always hovering, but I think it’s understandable, honestly. My dad lost his mate, our mom, when we were only three years old. I don’t remember much from that time, but I do remember how lost everyone seemed, especially my dad. Aza and I were put under the care of another pack member for almost a year just to be sure Dad had recovered. Losing your mate is a terrible thing, probably the worst thing a werewolf could go through. It took a while, but Dad remembered that we had also lost a mom, and that’s when he promised to pull himself together. He still gets sad around her birthday and the time she died, but he hasn’t lost control since then. He’s definitely still paranoid, but unlike Aza, I understand why. I don’t think she’s thought about it that way. “You girls okay?” Dad asked, sounding grumbly, but I knew it was for show. He acted tough, but he cared a lot. We nod, and Dad lets Azalea pass by him into the house, but he stops me. Here it comes. “What happened, Magnolia?” Dad searched my face. He always calls us by our full names, never our nicknames. Apparently, our mom didn’t want us to use nicknames, but we both liked them, and they stuck. Not for Dad, though. He follows his mate’s wishes, even after she’s gone. “Some bullies. They caught me off-guard, ambushed me, really,” I looked down, rubbing the back of my neck, “Dahlia went crazy like it was life or death when it was just some dodgeballs, but—” “They hit you with dodgeballs?” Dad interrupted, sounding angry. I nodded. “Yeah, in the hallway, and—” Dad turned on his heel and headed inside, leaving me a little confused but mostly worried that he would kick up a fuss with the school. The last thing I needed was even more revenge from Makayla. Two more weeks, and it was over. I’d never have to see her again. I could last that long. I’d lasted this long, so two weeks shouldn’t be that bad. Although, it felt like the closer I got to the end, the harder it got to take their crap. Inside, I pushed away all thoughts of school, though, because the cutest sight in the world greeted me. Camellia, our four-year-old sister, met us at the door. She hugged Azalea’s leg first and then ran to me. I crouched and pulled her in for a hug, her dark curly hair tickling my nose. Cécile, our stepmom and Camellia’s mother, came out of the kitchen carrying a tray of snacks, which Azalea immediately started devouring, muttering a ‘thank you’ through her full mouth. Cécile just laughed and came to take Camellia from me. My dad finally came inside and kissed Cécile on the cheek. Mine and Azalea’s mom was Dad’s fated mate, but after she died, he eventually met Cécile in the human world. Cécile is human, not a wolf. They hit it off pretty quickly and once Dad knew their feelings for each other were serious, he told Cécile all about wolves and our pack. She didn’t believe him at first until he shifted in front of her. She always said she thought she was hallucinating the first time and for several times after that! I’ve always loved hearing their love story. Anyway, Dad took her as his chosen mate and marked her. Because she’s not a wolf, she can’t mark him back, but she says that she likes it that way so that my mom can still be a part of Dad’s life. Cécile is one of a handful of humans in the pack. The only humans allowed here have to be marked and mated by a wolf, but since chosen mates are pretty common in Thunderflood, there are several of them. Camellia is a hybrid. Werewolf blood is dominant, so she’ll have a wolf once she turns 16, like the rest of us, but it is unclear whether she will have a fated mate. Hybrids are usually slightly weaker than full-blood wolves and usually have duller senses, but they can blend in with humans much more easily as they don’t tend to fly into uncontrollable rages. They’re the most level-headed of all types of wolves. Camellia, though, is so far less than level-headed. She’s a little menace in ballet-slippers, but she’s so adorable when she’s making messes or causing scenes that she’s easy to forgive. All in all, she’s the best little sister Azalea and I could have asked for. Together, Azalea and Dad devoured the snacks, but of course, they were still hungry, plus I hadn’t eaten. “We should go to the diner,” Cécile proposed, looking at Dad. I think she was just trying to cheer me up because she knew I loved the diner, but it worked because a huge grin spread across my face when Dad agreed. At least at the end of a rotten day, I get to share good food with my family.