Mine: Twin Omega

Chapter 23. The Roles

-Laurence-

"Shhhh," I hush Eloise, my voice barely above a whisper. One of the nurses had to give her a shot, and she'd been crying her little head off ever since.

My pheromones seem dried up at this point. The children cling to me, their anxiety palpable and infectious. I feel anxious and on edge, ready to lash out. I know it's Michael pacing at the edges of my consciousness, his presence agitating me further.

Eloise's cries start to taper off before revving up again. I don't think it still hurts, but this poor baby is terrified. Any small thing can set her off.

A knock at the door makes all the children go rigid with fright. Immediately, three small bodies dart from the bed to hide behind me.

I sigh, "Come in," expecting the nurse. I'm shocked to see Leif walk through the door.

"Hi, I'm Leif," he says, his eyes darting around the room at the children.

"I know who you are. What are you doing here?" I put a bit too much alpha into my tone, and he takes a step back.

"I'm sorry. The children are really anxious. It's catching," I say more gently.

"I'm here to help," he says simply. Before I can politely decline, the children all shift to pup form, including Eloise, who is still in my arms. That alone is jarring, but I'm even more surprised when every little one literally jumps over themselves to get at Leif.

Eloise struggles to get out of my arms until I set her down, and she races after the other pups. They all yip and jump, trying to get Leif's attention.

His big blue eyes widen as he looks between me and the desperate little wolves.

"Can you handle this?" I ask. Before he can reply, he fully shifts, dropping down to the level of the pups. This makes the young ones even more hysterical. They run to smell his clothes before running back to him.

Raven allows this, letting them circle around him, sniffing his pile of clothing, then him, then the clothing, trying to figure out what they like the most.

After a few minutes, they decide on Raven. He starts by opening his mouth and gently picking up the smallest pup, Eloise, by her scruff. He confidently moves through the room as the pups follow him, deciding where to place them. After thoroughly sniffing the room with Eloise still dangling from his mouth, he decides the best place is beneath the hospital bed.

They all disappear from sight for a few minutes before Raven scoots out from underneath the bed again. The children yip loudly as they follow, and Raven growls low and deep in reprimand.

The pups immediately quiet down and obediently wait in the den as Raven systematically carries every sheet, towel, and pillow he can find to create a cozy nest beneath the bed.

I stay back, realizing he's in the zone. Any outside smell or disturbance will force him to start over. It's hard, but after almost thirty minutes, I step out of the room, trusting in him and his instincts.

As I close the door softly behind me, a sense of relief washes over me. For the first time in hours, the children's anxiety isn't suffocating the room. I lean against the wall, taking a deep breath. Leif and Raven have it under control.

-Leif-

I'm in awe as I experience Raven's feelings through his instincts. In a matter of seconds, these pups have become his entire world, just as he is theirs. When I walked into this room, the air was panic-inducing, the children's fear and anxiety making it thick and suffocating. I hadn't realized how overwhelmed I was until Raven took control.