"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Elias whispered as he and Amara tiptoed past the snoring babysitter in the hotel suite's living room.
Amara's golden eyes gleamed with excitement. "Don't be such a scaredy-wolf! Mom's busy at the fancy party downstairs. We'll be back before anyone knows we're gone."
The twins, dressed in their pajamas, slipped through the door into the quiet hallway. The hotel was alive with the sounds of the gala several floors below—music and laughter floating up from the grand ballroom where all the grown-ups were gathered.
"I want to see the fountain again," Amara declared. "I bet I can make all the flowers bloom at once!"
Elias frowned. "Mom said no powers."
His sister rolled her eyes. "Mom says lots of things. Don't you want to practice? Uncle Ronan says we need to be strong to protect ourselves."
They crept down the emergency stairs, avoiding the elevator where they might be spotted. When they reached the garden level, they peeked outside. The night garden was empty, lit only by small lamps along the paths and the bright full moon overhead.
"Look!" Amara gasped, pointing at the moon. "It's so big tonight!"
Both children felt it—a pull, a strange energy making their skin tingle. The moon called to the wolf inside them, though they'd never fully shifted before.
"Race you to the fountain!" Amara shouted, taking off across the lawn.
Elias followed, his natural caution forgotten as the moonlight washed over him. For a moment, he felt faster and stronger than ever before.
At the fountain, Amara dipped her hands in the water. "Watch this," she whispered. The water around her fingers began to glow blue. Nearby flowers turned toward her like she was their sun.
Not to be outdone, Elias placed his palm on the stone edge of the fountain. Beneath his touch, the stone seemed to soften like clay. When he lifted his hand, a perfect wolf paw print remained.
"Wow," Amara breathed. "You're getting better at that!"
"So are you," he admitted, watching as the flowers grew bigger, their colors more vivid.
Suddenly, a twig snapped nearby. Both children froze.
"Someone's coming," Elias hissed. "Hide!"
They dove behind a large bush just as two figures walked into the garden.
"I'm telling you, Victor, something strange is happening," a man's voice said. "These dreams you're having aren't normal."
The twins peeked through the leaves. A tall man with dark hair and golden eyes—the man their mother had pointed out as their father—stood by the fountain with another serious-looking man.
"Ever since that woman arrived—" the second man continued.
"Elise Blackwood," their father said, touching the fountain exactly where Elias had left his paw print. "There's something about her, Alaric. Something familiar."
Amara squeezed her brother's hand so hard it hurt. That's our mom he's talking about! her eyes seemed to say.
"Be careful, Victor," Alaric warned. "Celeste is already suspicious. Whatever spell she has on you—"
"Spell?" Victor looked confused. "What are you talking about?"
Alaric looked away. "Nothing. Forget I said anything."
Victor ran his fingers over the wolf paw print in the stone. "This wasn't here earlier."
The twins held their breath.
"Look at these flowers," Victor continued, touching a bloom that was twice its normal size. "And they're warm, like someone just—"
A sudden gust of wind blew through the garden, making the children shiver. Amara sneezed.
Both men whirled toward the sound.
"Who's there?" Victor called, his eyes glowing gold in the darkness.
Elias pulled his sister deeper into the shadows, but it was too late. Victor was approaching their hiding spot, drawn by some instinct he didn't understand.
"I smell... something strange," he murmured. "Like pack, but..."
Just then, the garden doors burst open. Evelyn stood there in her midnight blue gown, moonlight making her skin glow. "Amara! Elias!"
The twins burst from their hiding place and ran to their mother.
"What are you doing out here?" she scolded, dropping to her knees to check them over. "I was worried sick when I checked your room and—"
She stopped, finally noticing Victor and Alaric staring at her.
"Ms. Blackwood," Victor said slowly. "These children are yours?"
Evelyn stood, placing herself between Victor and the twins. "Yes. My children were supposed to be asleep."
"We're sorry, Mommy," Amara said, peering around her mother's dress at the man who was her father. "We just wanted to see the fountain again."
Victor was staring at the children with a strange expression. "They have your hair," he said softly. "But their eyes..."
Alaric stepped forward quickly. "Victor, we should get back to the gala. Celeste will be looking for you."
"In a moment," Victor said, his gaze never leaving the twins. He knelt down to their level. "Hello there. I'm Victor."
"We know," Amara said before Evelyn could stop her. "You're the Alpha."
Victor smiled. "That's right. And what are your names?"
"I'm Amara, and this is my brother Elias. We're twins."
"Twins," Victor repeated, something flickering in his eyes. "How old are you?"
"Five," they answered together.
Victor's head snapped up to look at Evelyn, confusion and suspicion battling in his expression. "Five years old."
Evelyn's heart pounded. He was doing the math.
"We should go," she said quickly. "It's well past their bedtime."
"Wait," Victor said, reaching out to touch Elias's shoulder. The moment his hand made contact, a spark of blue energy crackled between them.
Victor jerked back, shocked. "What was that?"
Elias looked terrified. Amara stepped in front of her brother protectively, her small hands beginning to glow.
"Amara, no!" Evelyn grabbed her daughter's hands, hiding the glow. "We need to go. Now."
Victor stood frozen, staring at his own hand where the blue spark had jumped to his skin. "Who are you really?" he whispered.
Before Evelyn could answer, a cold voice cut through the night. "There you are, darling."
Celeste glided into the garden, a vision in white. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of Evelyn and the children.
"Ms. Blackwood," she said icily. "How... interesting to discover you have children. You never mentioned them."
"You never asked," Evelyn replied, tightening her grip on the twins' hands.
Celeste's gaze lingered on the children. "Such unusual eyes they have. Golden, almost like... an Alpha's."
The air between the two women crackled with tension.
"We should get back inside," Alaric interrupted. "The moon is affecting everyone tonight."
As if on cue, Amara swayed slightly, her eyes flashing completely gold for just a split second. Victor noticed, his breath catching.
"Mom," Elias whispered urgently. "I feel funny."
Evelyn knew the signs—the full moon was triggering their first shift. Of all the terrible timing!
"Excuse us," she said firmly. "My children need to rest."
As they turned to leave, Victor called out, "Wait! What's that around your neck?"
Evelyn's hand flew to her pendant—the Royce family crest. "Just a family heirloom."
Victor reached into his pocket and pulled out something that made Evelyn's blood run cold—an identical pendant.
"How do you have that?" she gasped.
"I don't know," he admitted. "I found it years ago. It feels important, but I can't remember why."
Celeste's face drained of color. She moved quickly to Victor's side, plucking the pendant from his hand. "This old thing? I told you to throw it away. It belonged to your past."
"What past?" Victor demanded, suddenly angry. "Why can't I remember?"
Celeste glared at Evelyn. "Perhaps Ms. Blackwood should focus on her misbehaving children instead of confusing you with her... presence."
Evelyn gathered the twins closer. "Good night, Alpha Alden."
As they walked away, Elias looked back at Victor. Their eyes met—identical golden gazes connecting across the garden.
And in that moment, something broke through Victor's fog. A memory—holding newborn twins in his arms, tears of joy streaming down his face as he whispered, "My children. My heirs."
"Victor?" Celeste's voice sounded far away. "Victor, drink this. You look pale."
But Victor was watching Evelyn hurry away with the twins, a terrible suspicion forming in his mind.
"Celeste," he said slowly, ignoring the vial she tried to press into his hand. "When exactly did Evelyn Royce die?"
Celeste froze. "What did you say?"
"Evelyn. My first Luna. When did she die?"
"Five years ago," Celeste whispered. "Why?"
Victor's eyes hardened as everything suddenly became clear. "Those children are five years old."
Back in their suite, Evelyn rushed the twins inside. "Pack your things. We need to leave—now!"
"What's wrong, Mommy?" Amara asked, eyes wide with fear.
"He knows," Evelyn said, her hands shaking as she grabbed their small suitcases. "Your father is remembering."
From the bedroom doorway, Ronan and Lucien watched with grim expressions.
"We'll never make it out of the hotel," Lucien warned. "Not with Celeste's spies everywhere."
"And the twins are starting to shift," Ronan added. "Look at their eyes."
Both children's eyes were now glowing steadily gold, their small bodies trembling with the moon's power.
Evelyn knelt before her children. "Listen to me. Remember what we practiced? You need to control it, just for a little while longer."
A loud knock echoed through the suite. Everyone froze.
"Elise Blackwood," Victor's voice called from the hallway. "Open this door. We need to talk."
Lucien moved to the door, ready to defend his sister and the cubs.
Evelyn clutched her pendant, mind racing for an escape plan. But deep in her heart, she knew—the time for running was over.
"Mommy," Elias whispered, his voice changing as tiny fangs appeared in his mouth. "I can't hold it back anymore."
Outside, Victor pounded on the door again. "Open up! I know who you are... Evelyn."