The Alpha Twins and their Runaway Witch

56

The house was spotless, everything was ready to be fired when she arrived. Alex and August had each done everything they could think of to ensure she had a perfect dining experience. Alex had dressed, August was ready. Their rented temporary home was ready for her to arrive and move where she needed easily. There was an elegant perch fit a bird king the size of a golden eagle set up in the open space that was the kitchen, dining room and living room.

Everything had gone perfectly to plan so far. Alex and August had executed their dinner date mission perfectly. They were both proud of what they had set up, their unified efforts were immaculate. Right up until Lumi and Cassi appeared in the living room from nothing. Both already dressed for a party. Lumi even had on a real dress, which meant Cassi probably had dressed her tonight and Lumi had allowed it. "Hello boys! Love the haircut Alex." Cassi boomed out upon their arrival.

Which added together meant while Alex and August had thought themselves perfectly isolated, left to their own choices. Their sister's had been watching the entire time, waiting for their own moment to intervene. "Don't worry, Penny has mom and dads under control for now, it's just us." Cassi told them. As thought that was reassuring to them.

Lumi looked at Cassi, "Sebastian could join, but he wouldn't come unless invited." Then she looked at her brothers, clearly asking them to let her other half join them tonight.

August wasn't ever able to say no to Lumi. "Sebastian is welcome." The words barely out of his mouth before Sebastian stepped through a portal into the living room right beside Lumi. Kissing her cheek even though they had likely only been separated the handful of minutes since Lumi had arrived herself. "Now it's a dinner party and not something awkward. Plus Lumi has a gift she wants to share." Sebastian looked adoringly at Alex's and August's sister, and she met his gaze with just as much love in return.

They weren't mates, neither Lumi nor Sebastian were werewolves. They were something unique unto themselves. They were two halves of one force of nature that had been broken apart for centuries and found each other again. Alex and August's wolves had essentially placed Lumi and Sebastian on the same level as Selene.

Alex did not want his sisters to join tonight. "I don't have enough food prepped." Alex said flatly. Cassi couldn't just show up at an intimate dinner and expect there to be enough food.

Lumi looked at her brother, "There are ten steaks prepared, you wanted to have extras in case something happened, and you made enough sides for at least a dozen wolves to share." She was not wrong. Dammit Alex hated nothing more than the unstoppable force Cassi was when Lumi helped her.

Cassi was grinning. "As the only dragon I promise not to overeat." She then held up her right hand, "Plus I am wearing the ring, Lumi is doing her cloaking on her and Sebastian. We're just your siblings and brother in law here for a nice, relaxed dinner party." Cassi was practically ready to explode out of her skin. Lumi had learned a new magical talent, Was eager to see the magic herself. The Council had been keeping this particular magic trick secret. Cassi couldn't even access the files on the witches who had mastered it.

Lumi looked at her brothers. "I really do have a gift, but she needs to want to accept it." Alex and August knew they were in a corner they couldn't get out of.

"You're all always welcome, you know that." Alex said. Adjusting his plans to make sure that he could get enough pans on the go at once to ensure everyone enjoyed a hot steak when the time came.

August was nodding. They had lost the moment Cassi and Lumi had shown up. The protest was just for pride. "Wine?" August offered, leading his sisters and brother in law to the bar area and pouring drinks as need. Everyone eager for the guest of honour to finally arrive.

Overfilled wine glass in hand, Cassi's interrogation began. "So what have you learned so far?" Leaning against a wall, looking like a Grecian statue brought to life with exaggerated impossible looking curves on full display in her dress. Sadly her beauty was wasted in a room of only her siblings

Alex and August were both annoyed with their sisters while also near bursting to talk about their mate. Jumping in and speaking on top of each other as they tried to explain her strength. Her bravery. Her magical gifts in both fire and wind in ways they had never seen before. Lumi took a sip from her daintily poured wine glass, hiding her smile at how her brother's were talking about their mate. They really had found their one.

Sebastian knew Lumi's heart as well as his own and couldn't help but let himself linger in her joy that her brother's had finally found someone to love them like Sebastian and Lumi loved each other. Destined to be together by fate for a happier ending found in a new beginning.

Cassi heard their emotions, her dragon satisfied that the wolves were intractably certain that they had one their mate and were fated to share. "OK, we get it, she is amazing, you are smitten, Selene's will be done and praise be." A long pull from her wine glass. "What do you know about her? Where she is from?" The important things, Cassi was fully committed to her work with Marisol. Being at the centre of politics, fashion, fame, film and television production made her feel alive. She needed to know what kind of PR storm her brother's mate was going to cause in the grand scheme.

They were two very eligible bachelors in wolf society, several strong family names behind them, an excellent pack with resources and connections. Both of them being taken off the market by a single mate was going to cause a stir no matter who she was. Cassi just had not been able to find a single thing about her through her normal channels. Lumi refused to help, which meant there was something to actually find. Rare were the occasions Lumi would not help at all. Cassi knew to take notice and be ready for anything.

Alex and August looked at each other. "Well, not much else?" August finally offered his waiting sister. Lumi looked relaxed and wasn't pressing for information. August knew if Lumi looked relaxed that everything would probably be ok.

"She's, I donno confused or got the wrong idea about mates. Secretive about her past. We have been taking things slow." Alex told his sisters. Hoping their presence would actually help his mate feel more comfortable around Alex and August in their temporary home.

Cassi was starting to lay into her brothers, desperate to know more, when Sebastian cleared his throat and pointed to the large sliding door to the back deck. "That raven is not happy with you two." Alex and August paled, recognising their mate's familiar glaring at them. "Shit." They said in unison, both fumbling for their phones to explain to Ariel the unplanned additions to the dinner party guest list. Alex's phone slipped and jumped out of his hand like a flopping fish trying to avoid being landed.

August managed to get his into his shaking hands, typing out a quick message to their mate, letting her know that their sisters, and brother in law had arrived unexpectedly. "Introduce yourselves to the bird please." August asked his sisters and Sebastian. Sebastian instantly bowed introducing himself with his full name and title of Lord of the Storms. "Lumi Storm, heart of the Storms." Lumi introduced herself next.

"Cassi, PR at The Firm." The raven glared at all of them, Only Lumi and Sebastian did not seem to be affected by the clearly unapproving look from the bird. One last angry look directly sharply at Alex and August and the raven took off, likely to be closer to his witch.

Musing mostly to himself, "Rare for a witch to have a raven familiar of late." Meaning the past century or so in Sebastian's estimation. Ravens had been less inclined to join their will to witches in recent history.

Alex and August were both glued face down to their phones. "She is almost here." August immediately went to try and tidy the already tidy house, while Alex went to the kitchen taking everything out from the fridge and getting ready to cook. Both twins clearly and obviously anxious over this meeting. They were being sweet, tripping over themselves knowing their mate was going to be here soon and it was almost enough to melt Cassi's PR focused heart. Almost.