The Alpha Twins Can't Have Me

Chapter 10: Uninhibited

Juniper POV

The grounds were beautiful. I surveyed them with a smile before carefully making my way inside the forest, moving slowly, curious to see what secrets it might hold.

Flowers seemed to spring up everywhere around me, their petals unfurling, reaching for me.

I inhaled their sweet perfume, the scent intoxicating.

I plucked a few and began to make a flower crown as I walked, weaving them together with steady hands, and then placed it on my head with a sense of satisfaction.

"I am the queen," I boomed and then laughed to myself.

I skipped past a large shrub and then began to climb, touching the trees softly and whispering to them.

"Don't worry, I won't disturb you. Pretend I'm not even here," I murmured as though they could hear me.

The climb was intense. Squirrels chattered as they passed by me, and rabbits sprang out from bushes, some of them coming closer to sniff me and allow me to pet them before they raced away.

I came to the top of a waterfall and stared transfixed at the running water and the small lake it poured into.

"Beautiful," I whispered, my mouth going dry.

I could almost taste the freshness of the water.

I moved to the top eagerly, peering down into the lake.

I began to strip out of my clothes, all the way down to my underwear.

"I have to try this," I cried and then took a running leap, diving right into the lake.

I surged to the surface, spluttering and laughing as I splashed and swam.

Heaven.

The water was cold but comforting to me.

I swam like a fish, humming lightly under my breath.

Reaper stayed well back, eyeing me like I was some insane woman he'd come across in his travels.

"Reaper, come on. You'll love it," I urged, but he shook his head and lay down beneath a tree, looking perfectly content.

"Juniper!" I could hear the twins' yells and sighed to myself. "Juniper, where are you?"

"Damnit," I grumbled, "what's a girl to do to get some peace around here?"

"Juniper!" Draven's voice was especially terse. "Do you have any idea how long we've been looking? How much trouble you're in?" he spat.

He made it sound like I'd committed some type of crime instead of going for a walk. Just because I'd left while they were sleeping didn't mean they had to react like crazy stalkers.

They stopped at the edge of the lake.

I smiled widely at them and then splashed them.

Their mouths dropped open.

"Come and swim, the water is so nice," I trilled and then dove down and swam to the other end of the lake before they could answer.

"Damnit, Juniper," Draven shouted as I dove back to the surface, "these are my most expensive pair of pants."

"Then you probably shouldn't have worn them near me," I said unapologetically, "and what gives you the right to demand anything from me? I'm not your prisoner, Draven," I scoffed, swimming back and forth as they continued to watch me, "so maybe take that stick out of your ass before you hurt yourself."

"Will you come out already?" Draven snarled, folding his arms across his chest and glaring at me. "I have important things to do instead of babysitting the likes of you."

That did it.

I swam to the edge and then slowly climbed out, never taking my eyes off him. Both the twins were standing together, Malakai looking a lot less sinister.

Their jaws dropped open when they saw what I was wearing.

Malakai hastily stripped off his shirt and tried to hand it to me.

I let it fall.

I moved, standing in front of them, their backs turned towards the lake.

Idiots.

"I don't need to cover up," I growled as Draven tried to grab me, "and both of you need to learn to live a little."

I shoved them both, hard, sending them toppling into the lake.

"Juniper!" Draven roared.

I jumped in and splashed them before beginning to swim away, laughing as Draven spat water out and came after me.

"Catch me if you can," I called out, swimming away and frustrating him as he was just a little too slow.

Malakai joined the chase.

I giggled, enjoying myself immensely.

Neither of them could catch up. I'd been swimming since I was little and felt right at home in the water. I also wasn't bogged down by trousers and heavy shirts.

They finally gave up, floating on their backs, panting with exertion.

"You guys need to work out more," I snorted, floating lazily, hands outstretched, my body fully relaxed. "It's almost embarrassing you gave up so easily."

"Where are your guards?" Draven growled, "What did you do to them? We haven't been able to reach them at all this morning!"

I arched a brow, lifting my head and eyeing him lazily.

"You mean those two men who were supposed to supervise me? No idea," I shrugged, "they were gone when I left the bedroom."

Draven and Malakai shot each other meaningful looks.

I was slightly offended they thought I had something to do with the missing guards.

"Get out, Juniper. It's not safe. We need to find those guards."

"I still can't reach them," Draven divulged testily, "Juniper, I swear to god if you did this..."

I glared at him in response.

If I'd done something to the guards, I wouldn't bother to hide it.

I climbed out, shivering slightly.

This time I accepted Malakai's shirt and put it over me.

Draven's eyes burned with jealousy, but he didn't say a word.

"They're dead," I said, "aren't they? That's why you couldn't reach them. Did you think I had something to do with that? That I had fed them wolfsbane or something to prevent you communicating?"

My voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"It was a thought," Draven snapped before shooting me a look filled with daggers, "can you blame us though?"

"You wound me," I rolled my eyes, "and if I was malicious enough to feed them wolfsbane, would I have then gone swimming as if nothing had happened? I would have taken the opportunity to escape," I snapped.

Reaper whined. I knelt and patted him.

"We should go."

"Reaper," I ignored the twins, "hunt. Find," I demanded.

He moved, his tail wagging, his nose close to the ground.

"As if he could find them," Draven scoffed. "Pull the other one. This is nonsense." he grabbed my arm and tried to tug me. "I'm not falling for your act, Juniper. Leave this to us."

I bit his arm.

He yelled and let go.

I followed Reaper.

We made our way back down, heading towards a small cluster of caves.

He paused at the entryway.

I sniffed and then glanced at the twins, pointing to the caves.

"You'll find them in there, what's left of them anyway. I wouldn't go in, however..." I began, and then both of them barged past me.

"Rude," I muttered and then sat down to wait.

It took precisely thirty seconds for them to come bursting back out of the caves, followed by a very angry, very aggressive boar.

"Shift," Malakai yelled.

I stood up and shook my head, moving closer to the boar, hand stretched out.

"Are you insane? He'll kill you!" Malakai roared, turning around to save me.

The boar grunted and bent his head down, going as meek as a kitten. The twins stilled, unable to believe their eyes.

"Poor thing," I cooed, "did the big horrible men scare you? It must have been dreadful, what with them going into your caves so rudely like that."

"Scare him?" Draven snarled, "he scared us."

"It's his territory. I tried to warn you," I shrugged without looking over my shoulder, "but you pushed past me before I could."

"Now what?"

I motioned to the caves.

"Go and check while I distract him. Try not to make a mess," I added. "They don't like it when their stuff is touched by others. Be respectful," I advised.

This time, both of them walked carefully into the caves. They returned carrying the bodies of two men, both covered in injuries and close to death.

The boar grunted when he saw his prey taken.

"Now, now, I'll make sure you get some fresh food," I soothed him, "something that tastes much better than those men. Besides," I patted him again, "they're much too skinny to put any meat on your bones, and chewy. We can do better than that."

"Are you seriously negotiating with a boar right now?"

"No, I always keep my promises. Unless you want to be next on his menu?"

They picked up the injured men and placed them over their shoulders, eyeing the boar warily.

I patted him one last time and sent him trotting happily back into the caves.

Then I turned to the twins.

"Put them down; I can help."