The Alpha Twins and their Runaway Witch

58

Alex finally managed to chase his sister out of the kitchen while he plated the perfectly prepared meals. Cassi came to the table to sit beside Binh. Doing her absolute best to try and flirt with the demon. She had not come across one of his kind before. Cassi did enjoy novelty in her voracious exploration of physical pleasures.

Binh however, could not be less interested in the wiles of a spoiled, and protected young dragoness. She held no true nightmares in her heart. Her desires were shallow. She was nearly as bad as a succubus sex pest as far as Binh was concerned tonight.

Binh was however honoured to again share a table with The Lord of The Storms. Doubly so now that Sebastian's Heart had healed Ariel of so many hurts that hard marked her skin. Given her the freedom to walk on her own again. Binh looked at the dainty elfen looking woman with striking copper hair. "Thank you for your gift, Lumi Heart of the Storm. I offer my gratitude and respect evermore." The woman who was as close to a goddess as Binh had ever met blushed at his humble offering.

Looking very uncomfortable to be the centre of attention, Lumi demurred, "It was nothing, a simple gift. Alex's meal will be just as important tonight." As if on cue, Ariel's stomach rumbled again.

She looked embarrassed. "I am starving." She said, voice barely louder than a whisper. Making Lumi laugh.

"Sorry, I could speed up the healing, but all the energy came from you, And well-" Lumi did not know how to say nicely that Ariel had a body that had been starved too long, and then too badly injured to have much in the way of reserves.

August jumped up, joining his brother in the kitchen to bring the now finished dinner plates two by two to the dining room. Alex placed the first serve in front of Lumi, his second for Binh. Returned to grab the other plates after dropping his apron on the kitchen island. August served Lumi and Sebastian. Alex returned with three plates balanced in his hands, one for Cassi, one for August and one for himself. Wine glasses were filled, a basket of warm buns passed around with a bowl of whipped salted butter.

Ariel was sandwiched between Binh and Cassi, Lumi and Sebastian to Binh's right, Alex and August to Cassi's left circling the round table. Conversation was light as breezy while Ariel ate several of the warm buns, each positively smothered in butter. Eating her entire serving of the beautiful steak and sinfully rich potato wedges and charred fancy little salad before anyone else at the table had eaten half of theirs.

Without a word Alex rose from the table, heading to the kitchen and making a second plate for his mate, switching her scraped clean plate for a second full serving. Positively reveling in watching her eat his cooking with such gusto. Ignoring that a lot of her appetite was likely because Lumi had drained her body of resources while healing her and instead focusing on the absolutely delightful little sounds of appreciation she made while she was eating.

She ate a third plate and then Alex was worried he would run out of food before she was full. Everyone pretended nothing was strange about the waif-like girl out eating everyone by miles. All had heard at least gossip about this kind of healing magic, miraculous but draining for the person healed. Cassi was slightly annoyed that she was reduced to making small talk with her family, and the fruitless efforts of trying to seduce the demon that glued himself to her brother's mate.

Thankfully, after three full steak dinner plates Ariel had eaten enough. Alex had been so attentive that she didn't truly notice how much she had eaten until she was already over full feeling. Alex was practically skipping with pride. Ariel pushed back her plate and leaned back on her chair. "Thank you Alex, that was amazing." Alex nearly lifted off the floor with joy at her words of praise.

Cassi had waited as patiently as she could. Throwing many many cranky looks at her sister. Lumi could have waited to heal the girl until after Cassi had a chance to interrogate her and learn what rock she had crawled out of. Cassi had questions that needed answers. "So Jenny, where are you from?" Cassi asked the open, simple question. Earning herself glares from all her siblings, Sebastian and Binh and even the raven seemed to set a dark look towards Cassi. While Jenny looked like a startled deer.

"Umm all over I guess? I was in foster care. Was moved around a lot." Not a lie, but not a definitive answer. It also negated Cassi asking who her family were. Apparently Her two, exceptionally eligible, connected brothers were mated to a street rat kid. There were going to several disappointed packs when this news broke and they learned they wouldn't be able to throw their daughters at either Alex and August.

Table cleared of dinner, Alex and August brought in the cheesecake and the decanter of raspberry sauce, a cake knife set, dessert plates and forks. Alex went to work. Cutting the perfect cake into slices then onto plates for everyone. As August set her dessert plate in front of her, she reached out, touching his arm with her hand. Wanting to thank him. Thank both of them. To be honest. "My real name is Ariel." She told him. Saying it loud enough for them both to hear her.

August moved behind her. Whispering "Ariel." to himself, followed by "It's a beautiful name. Thank you." She blushed, her belly was full. She had drank two whole glasses of wine. Her body didn't hurt anymore. Ariel could not think of a time she had ever felt this content. 

Alex and August settled at the table with everyone else to enjoy dessert. "How many brothers and sisters do you all have again?" Ariel asked the table at large. She already knew the answer, Alex and August had texted her endlessly, told her all about their home and family. Ariel wanted to hear them talk about it together. Drown herself vicariously in their sibling bonds.

Lumi was the one who answered quickly. "Eight siblings, four girls and four boys." Leaving Ariel still nearly stunned to hear it out loud. So many siblings, all in one family. Alex and August had both told her repeatedly in their messages to Ariel before she had answered their outreaches that they were from a good, happy family. It sounded as made up as an animated fairy tale to Ariel.

Except there was a slight uncomfortable weight in the air after Lumi's announcement. "There are eight of us, we almost all get along really well most of the time. . ." Alex started to say. Then got awkward and still couldn't really make himself say anything negative about his sister out loud.

"One sister can be difficult, she's currently taking some time apart, but she would be welcomed back." Lumi said. Definitively with her soft voice, Alex, August. And even the strong willed Cassi nodded their heads at her words. The mood obviously shifted as the three siblings thought of their self described black sheep sister.

Ariel was having a hard time keeping up socially as the Greenriver siblings talked among themselves and Binh and Sebastian caught up with each other's last century or so. She felt slow and tired. Like all her thoughts were trapped in cold molasses and she wasn't able to reach them. She felt worse than the morning after her escape. Waking up realising she had fallen asleep in the pond and managed to not freeze to death while in the cold water.

Ariel experienced a sharp crack of hindsight giving insight as she reconsidered the memory. Looked at her familiar, turning her whole body to face him, as all the siblings started to talk about their childhood memories. "I would have died that night if I wasn't a fire witch, right?" Ariel had meant to only ask silently, in her mind. Her words had instead been said so all could hear. All the conversation regarding a dance the siblings had attended when they were children, around the table came to a crashing halt at Ariel's quietly spoken words.

Ariel's eyes went wide. She hadn't meant to ask that out loud. She just felt so muddled and exhausted. "Sorry, that was supposed to-" She looked at Binh. "I didn't mean to say that..." He knew her nightmares. He had seen that panic fuelled night run. "I don't feel well, I think I need to go." She said. Wanting to escape. Needing a break. Remembering she could stand, she pushed up from the table. She didn't feel right. She needed to leave. Now.

Wanting to leave. Immediately. Ariel made her way to the door. Binh immediately beside her. Ariel stopped. Made herself stop when all her instincts said it was time to run. Run hard and run fast. Looking first towards one brother,. "August thank you for welcoming me tonight," Then the other, "Alex thank you for dinner, it was amazing. Really. Lumi, just thank you for everything." Ariel nodded at Binh and the two went swiftly out into the night. Waving a weak goodbye to Sebastian and Cassi when Ariel was already halfway out the door.

Alex and August again, watched their mate walk away from them, and knew that there was nothing they could do right now to make her stay. She ran away from them, and this time, they let her. Giving her the space she clearly needed. Lumi might have healed her outside, but it was clear there were deeper scars hidden under Ariel's skin.