The Alphas human mate

2.The Jacket

Kael's jacket was hanging on the back of of her chair and it was the only thing in her tiny flat that felt warm.The rest

of her house was cold,the wind was slipping through the old window frames like it always did.And outside she could hear the Alantic crashing against the Hentiesbaai rocks.But that jacket...it smelled like a forest she had never been too.Like pine and wood smoke,and something that was just him.She had sat on the edge of her bed for hours just staring at it.The bag of groceries sat untouched on her table.Real bread.Apples.The good chicken soup,not the powder one she always bought,and chocolate.He had remembered chocolate.No one had ever bought her groceries before.No one had ever looked at her like she was starving and decided it was their job to fix it.

A hard.loud knock on her front door made her heart stop.It was 6:12 am.Her clock was blinking.No one knocked at this hour unless it was the landlord or bad news.She pulled her old cardigan tighter around her thin body and opened the door just a c***k,barefoot,hair messy.Kael Blackwood was standing on her little concrete porch.He was not wearing the last black t-shirts from last night.He wore a grey Henley that clung to his chest and shoulders.His black hair damp from a shower.In his hands were two takeaway coffee from Early bird,the most expensive coffee shop she walked past but never went in.Behind him,leaning against her rusted bicycle fence like he owned the entire street was Kieran.same outfit,same face but that thin white scar through his eyebrow.His arms were crossed over his massive chest.He looked like he hadn't slept either.His pale blue eyes locked on her the second she appeared,and he slowly straightened up.

"you left this in the store"

Kael said quietly.His voice softer than his brother's.He held out her hand,in his palm was a single cheap can of tomato soup she had dropped when she ran away.Elara's face burned with shame.She opened the door a little more and quickly took it

"Thank you,you...you didn't have to"

"we had to"

Kieran said.Walking up to the two steps.Now both of them were in front of her door.Both of them were too close,too big,too beautiful.

"you left without your food"

Kael didn't wait for permission,he reached past her and grabbed his jacket from her chair.Before she could say anything,he drapped it over her shoulders.The wait of it mediated warmth,it s smelled like him.

"Better"

He murmured,his knuckles just barely grazing her neck as he fixed the collar.That tiny touch sent a shockwave down her spine,and let out a gasp she couldn't hide.Karl's eyes flashed,watching her reaction

"you felt it,didn't you, the spark?"

"What is it?"

She whispered,clutching the jacket closed with one hand and the other coffee Kieran had now pressed into her other hand

"Why do you make me feel like that?"

Kael smilled for the first time,and it transformed his whole cold face.

"It's the mate bond little one.Your soul recognizes ours.It's trying to get back home"

" But I'm human"

She said desperately.She looked up at both of them.

"The stories say humans can't be mates.The moon goddess doesn't give humans to wolves,she gives wolves to wolves.I'm...I'm nobody,I dropped out of school and started working at the library.I live in a one-room house.I can't be your mate"

Kieran's expression turned fierce

"Don't you ever say you are nobody.Not in front of us"

"Do you know how long we have waited?"

Kael asked.His voice almost broken.He stepped into her house now and Kieran followed,closing the door behind them.Her small kitchen suddenly felt even smaller

" twenty four years,Elara.Twenty four years of empty beds,of hearing our pack mates find their mates,of thinking the goddess forget us.And then you walked in,smelling like vanilla and rain,holding a soup can like it's your last meal"

He reached out,hesited,asking for permission with his eyes.When she didn't move away he gently cupped her cold cheek,his hand was so warm.

"She didn't forget us"

He whispered

"she just made you human so you'd be softer,so you'd need us more"

Tears she didn't know. she was holding pricked her eyes.

"My coffee,how did you know I like it"

"Mrs.Jooste told us"

Kieran said simply,like it was obvious

"We asked about our mate,we want to know everything.what you eat,how you like your coffee.What time you leave for work.Which road you take so we can follow you and make sure you are safe"

"I walk through dunes"

She said a little scared.

"it's shorter"

"Not anymore"

Kieran said immediately.His jaw was tight.

"The dunes are pack borders.Rogues hunt there.you will take the main road,or I will carry you to work myself"

"you can't do that"

"We can"

Kael said quietly,but his eyes were just as serious as his brother's

"We can do anything for our mate,Elara.That's what Alphas do.We obsess.We protect.We possess.We are not good men when it comes to you.We will never be good at sharing you,or letting you walk alone in the dark,or watching you eat one can of soup for dinner"

The room went silent except for the wind.Elara looked down at the coffee in her hands.Milky.Two sugars.Exactly right.She was so tired of being alone,so tired of being the girl no one looked at twice.And here were two men who looked like they were carved by gods,telling her she was the answer to a twenty four year prayer.

"am scared"

She admitted in a tiny voice.Kieran's hard face softened.He knelt so he was eye level with her,even though his knees almost touched the floor because he was so tall.

"I know"

he said

"Good,you should be scared of how much we want you.It's not small,Elara.Its everything.But you should never be scared of us,we will never hurt you.we would rip our throats out before we let anyone hurt you.Including us."

Kael came behind her slowly,so slowly she could have stopped him.He wrapped his arms around her shoulders,over his jacket.For a second she was completely caged.Kieran in front of her on his knees,kael behind her,the scent mixing-pine and smoke and rain,making her head dizzy.And for the first time since her mother died three years ago.She didn't feel cold,she felt...claimed and she didn't hate it

" will you have breakfast with us?"

Kael whispered into her hair.

"the bread is still warm,we bought it for you"

Elara looked at the bag on the table then at the two Alphas waiting for her answer like its the most important thing in the world.She nodded

"Yes"

And both twins exhaled like they had been holding their breath their whole lives.