Chapter 74


    ~Tia~


    I ate dinner alone and was waiting for the twins in the room. They have had their blocks up, and I’m


    starting to get worried. I have been trying to figure out what set them off. Clearly, Ad was influencing


    Neal, but I don’t understand why the twins got so unsettled.


    I toss my book on the nightstand and get off the bed. I guess I should check on my mom. That will


    distract me. I head down to the guestroom where she’s staying and softly knock on the door. I hear


    rustling on the other side before the click of the door opening.


    Mom doesn’t say a word, she opens her arms, and I step into them. I have rarely been able to have


    moments like this with my mom, and I n to soak up every second of it. We hug this way for a while


    before she lets me go. Mom steps aside and allows me to walk into the room. We sit on the couch, and


    I tell her everything that has happened since the dress shop.


    Mom gets up and paces the room, looking worried. “If your sister had marked Landon….” She takes a


    deep breath and shakes her head. I sit back on the couch and stare off into space. I don’t know what to


    say to any of this, and I don’t know what’s going on with my mates. Mom stops moving and sits next to


    me on the couch. She grabs my hand and holds it close. We sit on the couch together in quiet


    contemtion.


    A loud knock on the door makes me jump. Mom and I look at each other before she’s up and opens the


    door. Landon and Lincoln walk into the room. They wear sweatpants and tank tops, water falling down


    their chests and arms. I can feel the heat start to pool between my legs. I clench them tight, hoping the


    smell of my arousal doesn’t spread through the room. The look on their faces sober me up quickly.


    They look angry and concerned, and I have no idea why.


    Landon runs a hand down his face, and Lincoln reaches for me. I step into his arms, allowing him to


    squeeze me. The hug is tight, but I won’t darein out loud. When Lincoln lets me go, Landon


    grabs me in the same bone-crushing manner. Lincoln steps into the room more and looks between my


    mom and me. “We need to talk.”


    Landon sighs, kisses the top of my head, and then lets me go. “It has to do with what Neal said.” I take


    a seat next to my mom and look at the twins. Landon seems lost, so Lincoln begins.


    “Neal, well, he mentioned the phone call to get us toe back here. The phone call that made us


    leave you…..”


    “Right before you were beat up…..” I looked between Landon and Lincoln. Mom grabs my hand and


    squeezes it. Neal said that Ad had him make the call to get the twins back to the territory. I was


    lured into the woods and beaten almost to death. That has to be a coincidence, right? My sisters


    couldn’t have orchestrated that, right? I can feel my heartbeat pick up, and my mouth goes dry.


    Landon kneels in front of me and takes my free hand into his. “We….we think that your sisters nned


    your incident. They may have even been the ones to carry it out.”


    “No,” my mom gasps and squeezes my hand. Lincoln walks over and sits next to me on the couch.


    “We have warriors looking for the twins so they can bring them to the cells. We will question them and


    see what really happened. We’re sorry, Doc.” I can hear my mom weeping, but I can’t look at her. I


    can’t wrap my head around what my mates are saying. I know my sisters and I never really got along.


    They lived life like I didn’t exist growing up, following after my dad. We never really got into many


    arguments because they didn’t talk to me. I never, in my wildest dreams, would have thought they


    would harm me or wish me harm.


    I didn’t realize I was crying until I feel sparks under my eyes. Lincoln pulls his hand back, and his thumb


    is wet. I have no words; I can’t seem to work my mouth. What did I ever do to them? How could they be


    so hateful? The sobs erupt from my chest, and I can’t stop them. I feel my body shake with each sob.


    Landon pulls me to him and starts to stroke my back. Lincoln is running his hand up and down my arm,


    and my mom is rubbing circles on the back of my hand. I cry until darkness consumes me.


    ~Landon~


    I pick up Tia and carry her to our room. She passed out from crying, and I can’t me her. Her mom is


    just as devastated and spent time apologizing over and over again. She feels guilty because her own


    children have tried to hurt our mate. Lincoln and I kept telling her that it wasn’t her fault. I left Lincoln to


    try to console her.


    I ce Tia on the bed and cover her with nkets. She looks so peaceful when she sleeps. I could


    watch her for hours, but we have work to do. I walk out of the room and quietly close the door behind


    me. Lincoln is leaving the guest room at the same time. We walk to our office without speaking.


    I asked our dad and Mark to meet us in the office. They are seated on the couch when we walk in.


    Lincoln and I sit at our desks, and no one speaks for a while. “What’s going on sons?” Mark and dad


    have no idea what happened. Mark only knows that we want the twins in the cells. Lincoln starts to


    update them while I stare off into space. I can’t believe I almost made Ad my chosen mate and


    Luna. She tried to kill her own sister. How could someone like that be Luna material? We almost lost


    our mate over simple jealousy.


    Mark reacts first, his growl sounding throughout the room. Dad took to pacing while Lincoln was


    exining everything. He stops walking and looks at us. “This is….we need to talk to Stuart.” I knew he


    would say that; I just couldn’t yet. I can’t face that man knowing what he has done to my mate and what


    he may have had a hand in.


    “Have you found the twins yet?” Lincoln’s voice has an edge, and I know they are in for it when they


    are found.


    “No. The warriors are looking all over the territory, but neither have been seen.” I sigh and look down at


    my hands.


    “Son, you have been quiet this entire time. What’s on your mind?” I look at my dad, and the tears make


    it hard to see him clearly. He sighs and walks over to me. Dad grabs me into a big hug, and I let the


    tears fall, silently crying over what my mate has gone through at the hands of those who should have


    loved her.


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    A knock on the door causes me to clean my face and sit up quickly. Dad walks over to the chair


    opposite me and takes a seat. “Enter.” The door opens, and Stuart walks in. He looks around the room


    and puts a hard mask on his face.


    “You wanted to see me….”