√ Mated To Twins (DISCONTINUED)

Prologue

Rain pelted against the windows and roof of the church. Choked sobs fell from the lips of family members and friends as they shuffled inside.   

Alexi stood silently in a corner watching. Friends and long-lost family, people she barely knew. Her mind trailed back to the day she received the news. The family that took her in, that adopted her when no one else wanted to, was dead. It wasn't easy, the couple already had three children and none of them wanted to accept her. She learned to cope on her own, to ignore them and accept the love her adoptive parents offered.

Now they're gone. The whole family, just like that. Her parents, her grandparents and even her sibling. Although she might not have loved them, Alexi still felt the pain of the loss. If only she was there, she should have attended that party like they asked her too. Police said that the truck driver was intoxicated and that he lost control of the truck causing a head-on collision. They died instantly, it was painless.

A stranger's hand on her arm snapped her back to reality. She accepted the sympathy from them with a nod. Her tears had already dried up days ago and just like before she's alone again. No one but herself.

She walked to the front sitting down next to a stranger. The service started. They spoke kind words of a family gone too soon. Some embarrassing stories told to get a laugh, but it soon died down as reality settled. They were gone.

The caskets are lowered into the ground, all of them side by side. Her grip around the handle of the umbrella tightened as they all started to walk away. Alexi stood there staring down at the dark wood with the cold barely registering as she got lost in her memories.

A childhood she never thought she would have. Birthdays where she got cake and presents.  A life she had dreamt of since she entered the foster system and now it's time for her to say goodbye.

          * * * *

From a distance the stranger stood. He watched the small girl with narrowed eyes, it's her, but he can sense no magic. She was human, a grieving human. Dark eyes glanced down at the photo again. Shifting slightly to the side, he tried to get a better look at her face. It's not her.

He turned taking his time to walk back to the car. Getting inside, he glanced at her for a last time. He will report back to base and get the boundary off of this human girl. She's only a weak human.

      * * * *

Two days later Alexi stood in the office of her solicitor in shocked silence. The man behind the desk gave her a gentle smile reaching down to pull open the drawer.

"It's all true, my dear," he said softly picking up an envelope, "Mardi left the house and her belongings to you. Of course your parents made a trust fund for you, but that's all they left."

"Everything?" Alexi asked, slowly sinking down onto the uncomfortable chair.

"Here," he handed over the yellow envelope. "This will explain everything to you. She wrote it a few months back and asked me to give it to you if something happens."

With a shaky, pale hand, she reached out taking the cold paper from him. Alexi stared down at it, her stomach turning. Everything? She left me everything?

"I'll give you some time to read the letter. I need to know if you accept so we can start with the paperwork."

His footsteps echoed around the silent room as he walked towards the door. Opening it, he paused to glance over his shoulder at the girl. His heart swelled with sympathy for her, she's still so young. Shaking his head the man stepped out softly closing the door.

The young girl stared at the envelope for a few more seconds, then tore it open. She pulled out the letter, slowly unfolding it. A familiar handwriting stared up at her. Black on white. Swallowing the tears she began to read. It took her ten minutes to finish and another ten minutes for it to sink in. Her grandmother had made sure that she was provided for. A house, money and safety. After the assault at her work, she's been too afraid to go back. The man had more money that any member of her family. If she opened a case against him for sexual assault he would be able to buy his way out. Just like he had done before.

A soft knock on the door startled her. She watched as it opened and the solicitor entered again. His lips pulled up into a smile as he caught her eyes.

"Have you made up your mind yet dear?"  

Alexi licked her dry lips sitting up a little straighter in the chair. "Where exactly is this house?"

"It's in a small town just west of here, about 500 miles. Relatively small, not a great deal of people, but very peaceful. Your grandmother has lived there since she was a baby, never complained. The house is a small cottage, two bedroom. Right enough for someone of your age."

Alexi had never been to the house. Grandmother would always come to visit them saying she needed to get away for awhile. All the stories Alexi had heard made the town seem like something out of a fairytale.

"She says I can't sell it."

The man nodded lacing his fingers together on the desktop. "Yes, the house has been passed down from one generation to another. It can't be sold."

"I can't just pack my things and move there!"

He chuckled, eyes locking with hers. "Nobody said you have to pack your things and leave dear. Your grandmother thought you might want to use the house as a getaway. A place to go to when things get too much in the city."

Sad brown eyes dropped to the letter in her shaky hand. A getaway, something she really needed right now. A place to hide away from all her problems, to mourn the loss of her family. A place to start over.

"What do I need to sign?"