THIRD PERSON

Jason and Jackson stand tall as they discuss their future with Ethan. Their 6'2" teenage frames are long and lean. Both have their arms crossed as they explain their dream.

"I'm sorry your mother was not here to lessen the blow," Ethan says lowly as Jackson finishes telling their tale.

"You knew," Jason says lowly with a glare that could kill.

"Your mother finally confessed to me the full extent of your wolf spirits two years ago. She confided in me because I, myself, had many questions," Ethan replies with a stern look of his own.

Jackson clears his throat, "what do you mean?"

"Well. Look at me. How old do you think I look," Ethan said while spreading his arms out wide, presenting himself to the boys.

Jackson's eyebrows pull together with confusion. They roam their eyes over Ethan's youthful appearance.

"I look almost identical to when I took the life bond oath. So I asked your mother. She informed me that my aging had slowed considerably. And that I would stop aging completely at 25......just as you two will. I am bonded to your life forces. When you two die, I die. But until that day, age 25 is what we will look like," Ethan explains slowly while shifted between the twin's faces with a concerned expression.

"So, do you not get a mate as well then," Jason growls suddenly and darkly.

Ethan sighs but nods. "According to your mom, I will. But I have no idea when that time will come. The Goddess told her once I mark a mate, my life bond transfers to her. Her aging will stop, and our lives will depend on yours," Ethan says while gazing towards a picture of Lisa and Emmett.

Jason punches the wall in frustration. "Why are we the only two cursed to be mateless? If you are able to transfer immortality to your mate, we should be able to as well," Jason roars angrily.

Ethan shrugs and shakes his head. "You two aren't under a life bond. Your immortality will come from your wolves. You can't transfer wolf spirits," Ethan explains lowly.

"The Goddess is protecting us, Jason. If we were to mate with a non-immortal when our mate dies, we would lose it," Jackson says while looking at the picture as well.

Ethan suddenly chuckles, and both twins snap their eyes to Ethan's face angrily.

"What the fuck is funny," Jason questions with a dark and dangerous voice.

"Watch it," Ethan demands instantly with a stern expression before returning to gazing at the picture.

"You two should have seen how angry your mother was when the Goddess told her. I don't believe she knew about your mate situation, but she was pissed you two would have to outlive all your family. She destroyed the house and many she-wolves faces," Ethan explained with a huge grin.

The boys glanced at each other as a smile cracks across their faces for the first time in two days.

"So tonight? Tonight we meet the famous first-ever wolf spirits," Ethan says while taking a seat in a comfortable-looking office chair.

"That's what she said," Jackson replies as he too sits down. Jason begins pacing again while growling words under his breath.

Betrayal, rage, and confusion pulses through the twin's bond. Jackson watches his brother with a frown on his face. Nothing will ever be the same after tonight. All their parent's teachings about mates is out the window. They will most likely never feel the amazing mate sparks-the undeniable and never-ending love that only comes from a matebond.

Jackson drops his head into his hands as the depressing thoughts consume his mind. Ethan sighs as he watches the teens. His heart squeezes for them as he feels their pain and anger.

"I will have Clint bring the family. They should all be here to witness your first shift," Ethan says with a small smile trying to lighten the mood.

Jason spares Ethan a quick glance and nod before he strides from the room. He needs air, but he can't have it. So he decides to head to the next best thing-time to try out their new gym equipment.

JACKSON POV

At least we will always have Ethan. I can't freaking believe we will most likely not receive a mate. It is all Jason has ever thought about. I've always been hesitant about the matebond situation, but now that it's not an option, I feel like I can't breathe.

Our bond is rippling with Jason's continuous rage. He feels betrayed by the Goddess, which I understand. We have never gone against her, and we are responsible for all of werewolf kind.........don't we deserve a reward? A gift? The greatest gift we can ever receive......

"She didn't say you definitely wouldn't. She just said she didn't know yet. Don't lose hope, Jacks," Ethan whispers to me softly

I slowly look up into his troubled eyes. I pull a pained smile onto my face before nodding.

"Thank you, Ethan. Thank you for swearing yourself to our side. At least we have you," I say sincerely.

My heart clenches tighter at the thought of watching our cousins grow old and leave us. Little Lenny, our best friend. She will leave us one day.

"It is my pleasure to stand with you two. Your parents were truly amazing. They were considered the best Royals in history. They were smart, strong, and fair. You two will do great. You will make them proud," Ethan says with pride radiating from his voice.

I nod at him and flash a real grin. Ethan's love for our parents is genuine and eternal, just like ours. I stand up and stretch my limbs. I need to get to Jason. He needs me.

"When you call them. Check on Uncle Scott. Losing mom is going to hurt him the most," I say quietly before leaving the room.

JASON POV

"FUCKING BITCH," I scream as I throw a weight as far as I can. This is such bullshit. It isn't about immortality! The Goddess just doesn't want to see her past lovers in the arms of another again. My brother can think she is doing it for us all he wants, but I saw her eyes. She still sees them as her mates, so we suffer. We will be mateless so she can keep them to herself.

I rip my shirt off and start running the track. My mind is working a mile a minute. Anger and grief are threatening to consume me. I have to think of a way! I have to plan. I have to keep Lenny with us!

We can't be left alone with only Ethan. Who knows how long we will be on this planet, we will need other companionship. I push my legs even harder. We planned on being virgins like dad until we received our love but now... what? A life of celibacy? Virgin immortals? We can't get attached. Everyone will eventually leave us. There is no point in love.

I feel rage all over my body-pure rage. I don't know how to save myself from this life, from this pain. Will we be invincible? How were the Lycans killed last time? Will we have the same weaknesses as everyone else?

I guess it's a good thing we will have three years to experiment and learn about our new forms away from others-a Lycan form. From the history books, the Lycan brothers looked completely different than regular wolves. They stood on two legs and were close to 9ft tall. They were also white. Blindingly white, like fresh snow reflecting the sun.

There are many horror stories about the original Lycan brothers. Stories meant to scare children at night. One author said the human side had no control when they were shifted. The Lycan forms would take complete control. Enemy and friend alike were massacred on a regular.

But their strength was second to none, from what I remember.

Jason- Ethan. We need every book ever written on the Lycans we are receiving. We need to know what is in store.

Ethan- I will get on that. Jacks is heading your way.

I huff. Mr. Level-headed can't let me breathe for 5 seconds. He is always scared I will fly off the handle. But honestly, right now, he has nothing to worry about. I am too hurt. The hurt outweighs the anger.

My mom will never run her fingers through my hair again. My dad will never cheer for us at a football game again. We will never hang out with Mark and Matthew again. ( look-alikes ) Even though they knew the risk and accepted it, I don't know if I ever will. They died for us, AS US. It bothers me so much that our parents sacrificed other wolves for us.

I have no idea how many laps I did before Jacks finally showed himself, but I had a nice sweat going. Jacks stripped his shirt off and met me on the start line.

Jacks- race you

Jason- bring it.

We bolt of the line at an incredible speed. Human Olympians would be jealous of the speeds we can reach. Jacks and I have always raced each other. Almost every day of our lives. And every single race....... Jackson has won. Always by a hair, but he still wins. I've changed strategy a million different times, and still nothing. I breathe hard as we cross the line. Once again losing to my older brother. 2 minutes and 11 seconds older.

He grins as he puts his hands on top of his head. I roll my eyes but smile. At least I have Jacks. I could not live another day in this world if I didn't have my brother.

"Still can't beat your big brother, huh," Jacks says lightly, trying to start a conversation.

"It's probably my third leg slowing me down," I say back, and Jacks gives me the evil eye.

We measured. I'm bigger. By like a centimeter, but it still counts. It's what he beats me by in a race.

"Maybe you should swing it forward someday so you could win once," he snaps back, and our booming laughs fill the enormous underground space.

As our laughs die down and we face reality once again, I feel my eyes get hard. I meet Jack's brown eyes with mine.

"Are you ready for tonight," I say, trying to keep my own jitters out of my voice.

"Nope," Jacks admits for the both of us.

I roll my shoulders. After working out for three hours, Jason and I finally felt a little bit better. We both use exercise as stress relief typically. Something our parents taught us. I smile to myself, thinking about the time mom out lifted dad.

Dad, Jason, and I had been down in the gym pumping for a competition dad was going to enter when mom had come in. Jason had made a comment about how mom could never lift like dad. We were nine at the time and a little pig-headed. Mom had laughed, shoved dad out of the way, and benched his max weight.

She only did one rep, but that was enough. Both our mouths had hung open, watching her leave the gym. Dad then punched Jason in the arm and said, "she is going to make me sleep outside if you keep talking like that boy." I laughed and laughed at both of them. I laughed at my brother, who had thought because mom was female, she couldn't compete against dad, and I laughed at my dad because even though he was huge and powerful, mom was the one in charge.

The memory made me smile sadly. So many hours spent together in that gym. In that kitchen. In that living room. Now all those rooms and all those memories were in ashes.

I trudge slowly towards our huge shower. Every inch of this mansion is luxury, but it will never be the home we grew up in. The jet streams do wonders on my bruised muscles. I lather and scrub before leaning down and placing my hands on the wall. I let the water work my tense back.

Tonight we become Lycans. I turn off the water at that thought and head to get dressed.

JASON POV

I search the massive kitchen for anything edible that does not involve cooking. Life is going to suck without Auntie Moira's cooking. She now lives two hours away from us instead of next door. Homecooked meals are going to be a thing of the past. What the hell are we going to eat? Can Ethan cook? Who is going to clean? We can't have an omega. They would know our secret.

Jason- Ethan, we need a maid and a cook. Non-wolf. Maybe, someone we can trust.

Ethan- (chuckle) or you could learn......

Jason- we will be training under you and Clint as much as possible. How can we clean a mansion too??.

Ethan- good point. I will figure something out.

I roll my eyes but let a small grin fall on my lips. Ethan-0 Jason-1. I usually never win against Ethan or Jackson. Even if it's a small win after yesterday and last night, I needed it.

I spot a bag of beef Jerry and tear into it. The smell of meat makes me close my eyes in satisfaction. Delicious. I head to the entertainment room that has a small theater set up. I plop down on a huge grey sectional that swallows me comfortably. I turn on the newest underworld and dig in.

I am not going to bother with a shower since, in a few hours, we will be shifting for the first time.

ETHAN POV

I run both my hands through my hair. How didn't I think of that? Three guys can't maintain this huge house by ourselves. One, the boys have never done a lick of housework, and two, it will distract us from training.

The war with the vampires is now on our shoulders, and the twins need to be ready.

Ethan- Scott, Clint. Jason just pointed out the need for a cook and a couple of maids. Any ideas?

Clint- I will look into it. We will be there soon, by the way.

Scott- we can call a human maid service. Or send three trusted omegas. Omegas can be under orders where humans can't.

Ethan- I would say Cinthia, but that puts her two hours away from Craig, and the pack would get suspicious.

Clint- we will weigh the pros and cons of human versus wolf staff after the shift.

Ethan- yes Alpha,

Clint- don't. Not yet, please.

I break the link. None of us were ready, but I genuinely feel for Clint. He has enormous shoes to fill for the next three years. I let my mind wander to my queen. The woman who stole my heart at 15 yrs old. Yes, she was my queen, and no, I never overstepped, but boy did I love her. King Emmett knew about my infatuation, but he still trusted me. He knew my loyalty was just as sound as my love for her. And even now, after she is no longer here, I still strive to make her happy. I will protect her children with my life.

I groan as I look at their picture again. I wish I could have fought beside them. I might have been able to save her. I know it was most likely part of her secret plan. She knew her death would unleash Alpha, and if the whole royal family died, then the vampires would get a false sense of safety.

According to the numbers, 51 vampires, 93 rogues, and 74 pack members died yesterday. And even though 74 is a considerable number of lost wolves, it is tiny compared to the carnage that could have taken place if Alpha hadn't gone feral. During Clint's phone call this morning, he let me know how many vampires our feral Alpha killed before finally letting Clint snap his neck. The battle was won because our queen died. She was a smart woman. I would bet my own life that it was part of her plan.

THIRD PERSON POV

Lenny hugs each twin as the family circles around. A huge space has been made in the middle of their training field for the twins to shift in, and both look very nervous. Jason can't keep still, and Jackson is biting his lip continuously.

"When it begins, try to relax your body and mind. The pain is intense but do not fear it. The more you tense up, the longer the shift will take," Clint explains as he holds Simone's hand.

Moira, Scott, Ethan, Clint, Simone, and Lenny all back away, slowly giving the boys as much room as possible. The shift should occur at the time of the twin's births, which means Jackson's will start first, but since the boys were born at 11:38 pm, the younger kids stayed home with Cinthia. The clock hits the very second Jackson took his first breath, and he falls to his knees in pain. Jason stares at his typically composed brother with pure worry. Jackson screams, and Jason begins to hunch over in pain.

Lenny tenses as she watches her beloved cousins strain and convulse. Moira grabs her daughter's hand, trying to provide some comfort as the boys' skin splits and pristine white fur sprouts out. Their bodies shake and morph painfully. The twins scream and groan for what seems like hours. But finally, their bodies adjust, and the air fills with silence.

Two massive, white Lycans stand up and roar. Looking around themselves tensely. Clint and Scott pull their loved ones behind them as the Lycans sniff the air. When they catch sight of the trembling werewolves, they lurch forward, grabbing Clint and Scott around the neck. They yank the males into the air as the women scream. Ethan jumps forward instantly.

" Jason, Jackson, calm down. CALM DOWN," Ethan shouts, and the two Lycans glare down at him.

" We are your family. Put them down," Ethan says, calmer watching the massive beasts.

They throw the males down.

Unknown- who are you

Unknown 2- why do we feel a connection to you

"I'm Ethan. I'm your human sides sworn guard. We share a life bond," Ethan explains soothingly with his hands raised.

"And those are your uncles, aunts, and one of your cousins," Ethan continues while gesturing towards the trembling family. Scott and Clint's faces are slowly returning to color.

The Lycans lose their aggressive stances, slowly observing the group. They meet each other's gazes before linking again.

Unknown- We are Eros and Helios. Named after the god of love and the god of the sun.

"The two males you grabbed are Clint and Scott. The women are Simone, Moira, and Lenny," Ethan introduces while pointing to each person.

Helios (unknown 2)- we must run.

"You can not go outside. The vampires believe your human sides are dead. There was just a huge battle. We must hide the twins until they reach 18 yrs old. The vampires have a method of trying to make hybrids. They are wanting your humans for this experiment," Clint explains quickly while rising to his feet.

Eros growls loudly as he watches Clint.

Eros- you said, Uncle. This male holds no bloodline to my human.

"I was their Father's Beta. My mate and I have always been considered family. Can you not communicate with Jason and Jackson for this information," Clint asks slowly, trying to keep the Lycans calm.

Helios- humans sleep after the first shift. When they awake, they gain control.

Eros- they should awake soon.

Helios- much energy was used to bring us forth.

Eros- you say, vampires. Does Lord Stefan still reign?

"Yes, he does," Scott says, eyeing the tall figures.

Helios and Eros move towards him with lightning speed, and Moira gasps.

Eros- These three are blood relatives.

Clint and Ethan nod. The Lycans both pull Lenny forward.

"Don't hurt her," Moira squeaks as she tries to pull her back.

Helios growls. Eros flashes his teeth.

Helios- we will not harm

Eros- cousin, is special to human sides.

All five adults nod and the Lycans resume sniffing Lenny.

Helios- we shall stay confined for only three years.

Eros- after we show no mercy

Helios- humans have awoken.

The Lycans' eyes shift from pale blue to brown as the boys regain control. The whole family breathes a sigh of relief. The Lycan brothers are holding true to their legend.

"They wanted to run, so we shall leave you two in here. Run the track explore as much as possible. We are going upstairs," Ethan tells the boys as the group heads to the elevator.

Jason and Jackson stare at each other as their family leaves. Each boy taking in the other's appearance with interest.

JACKSON POV

My brother and I are huge. Our beasts are just that, beasts. They stand at 9ft and are all-around huge. Including their massive genitals that are exposed. Gross

Jackson- hello

Helios- hello, my new human.

Jackson- what happened after we shifted.

Helios- my brother and I met your family. You and your brother slept. The first shift is the hardest. Your minds needed sleep for a few minutes. But our healing is much faster than werewolves. You must run. Our bodies require exercise.

Jackson- OK, no problem.

I take off awkwardly. My new legs are different than a humans. But I soon catch a rhythm.

Jackson- well, Helios, tell me about yourself. Strengths, weaknesses, personality, anything.

Helios- hmm. Silver to the heart is our weakness. Our only weakness. In human form or lycan. As far as personality goes... I'm not sure.

Jackson- what do you like?

Helios- Blood. Hunting. Females. My brother.

Jackson- things you hate?

Helios- vampires. Traitors. My turn. Who are the important wolves to you? Must protect those who are important.

Jackson- that's easy. My brother. Ethan. Scott. Moira. Lenny. Mike. Clara. Clint. Simone. Tray. Cinthia.

Helios- I recognize some of those names.

Jackson- yes. Ethan. Scott. Clint. Moira. Simone. And Lenny. Were just here. The others are young cousins, well, except Cinthia. She is an omega. She helped raise us.

Helios- The Lenny female was drenched in your/our sent.

Jackson- she hugged us before we shifted. She is our closest friend. She is the same age as us.

Helios- I see.

I shift my focus back to running and glance across the track at Jason. Who at the moment seems to be fighting with his lycan.

JASON POV

I bolt after Jackson watching how he uses these long legs. Being this tall feels so awkward.

Eros- hello human.

Jason- um, hi, I honestly forgot about you.

Eros- how when you are using my body?

Jason- because I don't want to think about you.

Eros- I can feel your anger, human. What has you upset? We are strong.

Jason- having you as my wolf ruined my life.

I growl at him in our head.

Eros- how so?

Jason- your life span is endless. I will watch everyone I love die, and I will never have a mate since the goddess doesn't want me to have one.

Eros- the goddess is not giving us a mate?

Eros loud growl echos in my head, and I stumble in pain.

Eros- who will we love? Who will bear us pups. The goddess gives all wolfs mates now, that started in our time.

Jason - my theory is she doesn't want to share you and your brother.

Eros- Our first humans betrayed her. But her love for them stayed. She never loved us. She loves the wolves we created because the spirits go back to her. They keep her from getting lonely.

Jason- so why punish your new set of humans?

Eros- she did not say. She did not mention her plan for a mate just, Lord Stefan

Jason- and what about him?

Eros- this time, we must not lose.

We both let silence fall. Something must be coming. And unfortunately for us. Stefan has had time to prepare.

One month later

Clint groans as he slams down his phone. His new office in the packhouse is large but disorganized. So much is happening, and it is too much too fast. Grief still clings to Riverstone and himself. But along with the grief, Riverstone is also drenched in the need for revenge. Every single wolf is training daily. The protective shifting outfits are being shipped out to all wolves everywhere, and Riverstone wolves are wearing them constantly.

Scott is busy rebuilding all the structures that were lost in the attack, including Emmett's home. Scott and Clint know that when the boys return, that is where they will want to stay. Scott and his restoration crew are salvaging as much as possible, but it will still be a new build. Several other homes were also destroyed, but Twin Construction hasn't missed a beat.

Vampire attacks are happening all over the world on a large scale, and Clint fears the werewolf population doesn't have three years. In three years, there could be nothing left for the twins to rule. Two southern packs were already wiped completely out.

Clint groans. At least he was able to choose three loyal omegas for the boys and Ethan. Cinthia's older sister, Sarah, will be their cook. Sarah is a rejected wolf, so no mate to worry about. Also, Cinthia's cousin Mark and his mate Martha will do the other chores. All four of them have sworn a blood oath, less potent than a life bond, but if their oath is broken, they die instantly. All four were honored to be let in on the truth-especially Cinthia, who hit Clint in the head for making her grieve unnecessarily.

Clint turns on his computer. He needs to send a mass email out to all the Alphas. War with the Vampires has begun. Wolves everywhere need to train accordingly.

The pack's medical supply order has been upped, as well as the food order. Tonight is Alpha training for the boys, so Clint prints out the new orders so the boys can review them. Finally, after hours of phone calls and emails, Clint locks up and heads to the Princes' hideaway.

JACKSON POV

Ethan throws a punch to my stomach, which I absorb. Sparing with anyone but Jason is hilarious. Ethan, our Uncle Lance's best student, can't even draw blood from us anymore. The sense of power and strength leaks from our pores in waves now. In one month, we both have added 20 pounds of muscle and have grown two inches. It's remarkable, to say the least. I am not sure if our pack would even recognize us now. But we must stay hidden. Hidden from the vampire's clutches.

"I know you are stronger but block dammit," Ethan growls, looking pissed at me.

"What's the point? No wolf can hurt us," I say, grabbing a towel to wipe the sweat from my neck.

"Vampires grow stronger with age, Jackson. You won't be fighting wolves but thousand-year-old vampires with a grudge," Ethan explains in an exasperated tone.

He watches my face like a hawk trying to see if I get it. I slowly nod, to which he just sighs.

"I know you are only 15, and you just received one of two lycans ever in existence, but this is serious. I know you feel invincible, but you aren't. You are going against the very beings that beat your Lycans the first time. And their humans were much more experienced than Jason, and you are," Ethan says with pleading eyes, and my pride drops a few levels.

He is right. Jason and I have never fought a battle. We have no clue how to fight a weak newborn vampire, let alone an Elder. And these leeches won the last time around. The only reason there was peace was because of my father's wolf spirit, Alpha. He had been one of the first werewolves ever bred by the Lycan brothers, and he had massacred hundreds of vampires. Effectively ending the war for hundreds of years. He used true cunning and strength. And here I was, making a joke out of my training.

"Look, I am sorry, Ethan. I get it; I do. It's just an adjustment," I say, letting some sincerity into my voice.

He bobs his head in acknowledgment, and we continue. I practice fighting while holding back, and he goes all out as much as possible.

JASON POV

I strain my new muscles as I lift more than I ever have. Eros and I haven't really spoken much. I am honestly too angry to connect with him, and he is sulking.

It's weird. He might be thousands of years old but learning that he most likely won't experience true love in this lifetime has him bent out of shape. He fits his name correctly. Eros, the god of love destined to a life of loneliness.

Eros growls softly at my demeaning thoughts. But I brush him off. I glance over at Jackson, watching my brother dance around Ethan with unbelievable quickness.

Ethan is a fluid and efficient warrior but compared to us; he now looks like a novice. The Lycans have changed every single aspect of our physiques. Our muscles have begun to bulge, and we have grown taller. We had to send Mark, our new omega, to the store to get us a whole new wardrobe. Luckily for us, Uncle Scott has set our yearly allowance at $200,000 apiece. Which we won't come close to using.

Most of the new clothes are shorts and t-shirts since we won't be leaving the house anytime soon. So the new wardrobes weren't much. Our mom taught us to shop smart, not extravagant. And with an accountant for an Uncle, you learn to budget early. Uncle Scott had made investments for us at an early age, so apparently, at 15, we already had very sizeable accounts.

I move to the thigh area of the gym and set to work. I love all of our new equipment. It reminds me of mom and dad so much. The smells scream family. Metal, rubber, and sweat. Pure bliss if you ask me.

Eros- maybe our mate would have smelled like a gym

Eros's grumpy mumble made me sigh. His attitude was making mine worse.

Jason- don't. Just stop. It doesn't help us.

Eros- no running. No freedom. No mate. This new life sucks!!

Eros suddenly roars, and I grab my head with both hands in pain. Ethan is by my side in an instant.

"Jason, what's wrong? Talk to me," he says as I lower myself to the ground breathing hard.

Jason- what the hell, man!!!

Eros- I refuse to sit back and live like this.

Jason- we must!

Eros- let us out. We will kill the leeches. They tricked us last time.

Jason- just wait, okay. Jackson and I aren't ready!! You know this. We are 15!!

Eros- ( sighs ) fine. Train human. Train hard. Because I promise when we are released back into the world, those bloodsuckers are going to pay.

"Jason. Please answer me. Are you okay," Ethan's pleading voice echoes in my ears once more.

"Yeah, yeah, I am fine. It's just my Lycan. He hates being cooped up. He roared in our head unexpectedly," I explain, wincing at the lingering ring.

"Okay. Well, that's enough for today. You two go shower Clint will be here soon," Ethan says, pulling me to my feet.

Jackson stands in front of me, searching my face before relaxing.

"Helios has been mopey too. Maybe on our birthday or something, we could convince Clint to let us have a night run," Jackson says lowly as we take the elevator up.

Eros- our brother is smart. Yes!! Convince the stand in Alpha. We will be good.

Jason- we will see. No more yelling tho.

Eros- grrr. Fine

TWO YEARS AND 10 MONTHS LATER THE TWINS 18TH BIRTHDAY

THIRD POV

Lenny blows a strand of hair off her forehead as she inspects her handy work. The entire gym has been transformed into a birthday wonderland. The Twins will be free tomorrow because, at 11:38 and 11:40 pm tonight, they will be 18.

Sarah and Mark carry the three teir birthday cake to the middle table, and Lenny claps her hands in wonder.

"That looks amazing, Sarah," Lenny squeals loudly.

Sarah blushes and smiles. She worked hard on the boys' cake. Harder than she ever has. She watched multiple how-to videos, and she felt that she had done a decent job copying the experts.

Finally, the rest of the family piles in minus Ethan and the boys. Mike and Tray put their presents with the rest. It's been a while since the younger cousins have seen the twins, and Clara is curious. Being the youngest has had its disadvantages. Her family felt that she was safest away from the Lycan twins. Especially Scott, who still remembers the chokehold greeting he received the first time they met.

Moira dims the lights, and everyone finds a hiding place. Hiding from wolves is almost impossible and hiding from Lycans is even harder, but it's the thought that counts. Lenny knows her cousins will just be happy for the company.

The last six months have felt like decades, according to the boys, and seeing everyone will definitely make life better. Finally, the elevator dings and everyone holds their breaths.

Mike peeks around a weight rack with pure curiosity. According to his sister, the twins are like hulks. As the twins enter the dark and quiet workout space, they inhale, smiling. Their family is here.

Lenny breaks first, followed by the rest. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" is shouted from different directions in the room. As the lights are clicked back on, and the twins beam. The family rotates hugs all around, enjoying the closeness.

"So what's first cake or presents," Simone asks with an excited voice. Jason shrugs his broad shoulders before Jackson can answer.

"Whichever Auntie Moira wants. She is normally the boss," Jackson says with a teasing glint.

Moira smiles with pride. "Got that right. I say cake, and then while everyone is eating, the boys can open," she says, formulating a plan instantly. Scott kisses her temple and grins at his little slave driver.

Ethan whips out the camera and takes multiple pictures of Sarah's masterpiece before Moira sets to work dishing out plates of sliced cake.

Tray and Mike's jaws remain hanging. They can't believe their cousins' sizes. Each boy is 6'6" with huge frames. They probably weigh 250-260 but are pure muscle. Mike glances at Tray, and they both shrug.

"What size pieces would the birthday boys want," Moira asks in a sing-along voice.

"Huge," they answer in unison, and Ethan laughs.

"Moira, they eat like bears, not wolves," Ethan explains between chuckles. Scott and Clint both exam the boys' physiques.

"They look like grizzly bears," Scott says with a pride-filled smile, and Clint nods.

Jackson chuckles before diving into his piece of cake.

"This is amazing, Sarah," Jason says with a frosted covered mouth.

Sarah blushes hard at pleasing her princes. "Thank you," she says softly.

🎂🎂🎂🎂🍰🍰

The rest of the evening is filled with happy exchanges and love. The boys received many heartfelt gifts that they will cherish for decades to come. The next morning is all business as Clint unloads years of stress and war onto the Twins.

Vampires have managed to take out 30% of the werewolf population. The vast majority of the slaughters being she-wolves. Riverstone has not been targeted, but small packs all around the world have. They have begun to combine for protection. Human hunters have also started to target vampires, but they have had little success.

Alpha Lance / Uncle Lance has combined the three northern packs and is training as many wolves as he can, but he is aging. The experimented scentless wolves have a slowed aging process and have become a huge asset, though.

By the end of the meeting, Jason, Jackson, Helios, and Eros are bloodthirsty. Rage pulses through them as they all leave the twins' hideout. Vengeance reigns through them throughout the entire crowning ceremony. The Pack is filled with joy, surprise, and hope, but the Twins feel nothing but rage.