Chapter 8: Home

            Frantically taking a quick shower at the restaurant before leaving. Luke heard his co-workers at the males’ changing room having fun conversation of what happened to their day and laughing at it while he snorted. Drying himself up while looking at the time.

            “Ten?! It is already ten. I did not go home to cook Leo his dinner.”

            Raised his voice in shock but realized where he was, he covered his mouth and just whispered the rest. Not wanting any time, Luke placed it back, zip the backpack, opened the other door that connects to the hallway but he shapeshifted before heading out.

            When he passed to that room in his wolf form, they bid their goodbyes simultaneously despite not seeing him.

            “Bye, Snow White. Take care.”

            “Be careful, Snow White. Bye Luke.”

            “Bye, Snow White. Bye, Luke. See you tomorrow.”

            Luke, as well as Snow White, brightly smiled as he walked out the building. Howling long and deep under the moonlight as a reply to them while the pups who are still awake did the same in their small but cute and broken howls.

            For a second, he forgot that he was in a hurry because he wanted to witness an adorable sight inside the market tents, where the sounds came from. Peeking on the side, one of the pups saw Luke and abruptly stopped as she got shy while the other one continued, trying his best to have a steady long howl.

            The mother was just watching on the other side of the tent while chuckling from the unexpected scene. Not wanting to embarrass him when he sees Luke watching him practice, he dash down the mountain. Making sure that he does not miss a step nor slip on uneven terrain or to the unseen bulging tree roots.

            At the same spot, behind the huge coast redwood tree, Luke changed back to his human form and dressed up from his previous plain black shirt and jeans with white running shoes.

            The district is still the same as before but much more vibrant and bustling that his eyes hurt from flashing lights from the buildings and got dumped by people as he entered. Regaining back his balance and senses after he retreated from its impact. Unexpectedly, when he opened his eyes, he felt it turned sky-blue werewolf eyes.

            “Oh, no!”

            Luke said under his breath while panicky shut it and tried to calm down.

                                                                                                                                                

            Seeing the district’s back gate in the distance, he grabbed his black hat and face mask then wore it as he exited there. Walking on the sidewalk towards the bus station, the chilly night wind blows and hits his skin.

            Luke crossed his arms and rubbed it with his hands. Suddenly running forward when the same bus arrived and greeted the old driver with a smile when he took off his cap and mask.

            “Working a little late, aren’t we?”

            “Yeah, a bit.”

            Luke chuckled as he sat on the usual spot – near the front bus door and on the windows. The scenery was bland with only one color stands out but the streetlights bring flavor to the passing darkness.

            He was reminded of what happened at the kitchen earlier. Despite being scared and worried from the sudden exhibit of his smell, he became oblivious for a moment. Maybe, because he was so focused on cooking that it dulled his sense of feeling and smell.

            Unconsciously fiddling with his fingers, Luke took his phone out from the bag and aimlessly scanned through it but snapped out of it when he saw that it was almost ten thirty. Somehow, the speed of the vehicle quickened, he thought it was because his eyes gave him away and the driver saw it. Although, hoping it was not the case.

            “Sir, is it a little bit fast?”

            Scratching his nape and could not maintain his eye contact with the old man.

            “Aren’t you in a hurry? Like going home.”

            Luke’s eyes widened as the bus driver did notice his expression earlier. He chuckled to himself while his head drooped a bit.

            “Well, kind of. My brother is at home and I was not able to cook dinner for him. He might be waiting for me.”

            Luke unexpectedly blurted it to him and the old man nodded while his eyes were on the road.

            “Buckle up, then.”

                                                                                                                                                

            Luke arrived at his street within five minutes and he did not recommend doing it – speeding. He acknowledges that there are less cars on the road but that does not mean to be reckless but he is grateful. He just hopes that the bus was not caught on camera or it will be a problem.

            Running on his way home and he did not even bother to greet anyone when he entered the front door or even properly took his shoes off.

            “Leo?!”

            “Yeah?”

            Calling out to the person that got Luke so worried and he was there, sitting on the couch, comfortably. Leo’s eyes were following him when the older one did not answer him but Leo stopped when Luke moved to the other room.

            He was so baffled as he proceeded to the kitchen and found their beautiful mother in an apron and cooking, in front of the stove.

            “Mom? What are you doing?”

            “Cooking.”

            She said in an innocent and calm manner after a quick glance at Luke.

            “I mean. Why are you here? Why are you not at work?”

            “Mrs. Sterly, my boss, let us go home early.”

            She answered Luke without looking at him and focusing on what she was cooking. Letting her continue while he sat at one of the dining table’s chairs to observe her from behind. She got skinner the last time he saw her and he could not help but feel bad as she needs to work harder than before.

            The petite woman with shoulder length wavy black hair is their mother, Mika Sager, who just turned thirty-eight years old three months ago. She is the real definition of a strong, independent woman as she worked hard as a single mother to a twin at a young age of twenty-one.

            Luke does not know where their other relatives like their grandparents, aunts, and uncles as the twins grew up with just the three of them. Although, when they visit the organization and give out their family name, the organization’s staff will give them a certain kind of look while their mother will shyly smile and shake her head.

            Luke has so many questions about their own family tree and the identity of their father but he does not want to pressure his mother if she does not want to talk about it.

            “Luke, dear.”

            “Yes, mom?”

            Luke answered while she slowly twisted the handle up from the stove to lower the heat and faced him.

            “How about you change first before eating dinner.”

            “Oh. Okay.”

            Now, he realized it. He did not change into house clothes nor in pajamas so, he excused himself.

            “OH! Before I forget, Mrs. Creowood sends her regards to you.”

            Luke informed her as he pranced, in a backward manner, in the kitchen and she just hummed as a reply.

                                                                                                                                                

            Passing through the living room where Leo was watching an interview of Jessica Ether, the representative of Full Moon Organization. In her white button-up polo with neatly tied necktie and well-ironed black suit jacket when half of her body appeared on the television screen for the one-on-one interview with one of the biggest news broadcasting channels in Vooke.

            They discussed a few issues and rumored upcoming products like the suppressants.

            “Now, there are rumors spreading in the country that the Full Moon Organization is making a new suppressant and is currently in the process of human testing. Are the rumors true? If it is, then is it for alphas who have fewer options of suppressant?”

            The female reporter straightforwardly asks Jessica Ether but the said interviewee keeps her composure while attentively listens to the question.

            “The rumors are just rumors. The organization is currently not making any suppressants but if it does, in the near future, we will inform the public.”

            That woman over there with an unwavering straight-forward silver eyes under those round eyeglasses showed her confidence and intimidating aura as she answered it. Luke gasped and mentally applauded her for it since she rarely does interviews as they will release statements on their official website.

            He thinks the issue is getting out of hand. That is why, Jessica Ether needs to do that to shut those rumors down while walking towards his room on the second floor.

                                                                                                                                                

            Pranced from the stairs towards the dining room where Leo was already sitting while mom was putting down some dishes on the table.

            “I will help you.”

            Approaching the countertop but was blocked by their mother.

            “I’ll do it. Now, sit down.”

            She firmly directed Luke and just did what she asked him to do – to sit down across Leo. He was scanning the table and noticed that there were no utensils, so he tried to stand up to one.

            Their mother glared at him as he cowered back and slowly sat. At last, she positioned a big blue bowl at the center of the table with a pair of utensils on her hand that she distributed to each person on the table.

            Mom sat down while the twins waited for her to dig in first before the two did. When she did start, they put up their spoon and fork to take some rice into their plates while Luke placed some vegetables on the left side and a small sliced portion of seared beef on the right.

            “How was school?”

            Mika, the mother, asks and he looks at her then to Leo and back to their mom. In doubt of who she is asking, Luke, Leo or both of them. She took the confused looks of her sons.

            “How was school? Luke? Leo?”

            She clarified her previous question and he was waiting for Leo to speak up but he did not, so Luke replied first.

            “It was fun as my classmates have not changed at all since a year ago. They still ask for my notebooks for answers.”

            Luke chuckled a bit from remembering the usual morning scenario in his classroom and their mother just smiled. She looks at Leo and is anticipating. Their eyes met and he could see that his younger brother did want to talk but had no choice than to do it.

            “It was fun.”

            Half-answered their mother’s question and it was nothing new to it since Leo gets shy when being asked by her. She just laughed at the cuteness of her son’s answer and the atmosphere was bright and light at the same time, as they were catching up with one another.

            Since it has been a long time since they gathered around as a family and had a conversation, Luke decided to ask his mother a personal question.

            “Mom, where are our grandparents? If you do not mind me asking you.”

            She became quiet and it lasted for a few seconds. The ambience drastically changed to very solemn.

            “It is okay, mom. If you do not want to talk about it.”

            Trying to end that topic but she shook her head and bitterly smiled at the two.

            “I think it’s time to tell you since I know both of you are ready to hear this.”

            Luke has all ears on her then he puts down his spoon as Leo does the same but continues eating. 

            “I don’t know where to start.”

            She nervously chuckled while positioning herself comfortably on the chair.

            “I think it was that time I got pregnant with both of you.”

            The brothers silently nodded while attentively looking at their mother.

            “I came from a well-known werewolf family because of the fact that it was a dominant all-alpha family throughout the time its name got established within the corporate world for many generations. Being an omega in that family is dubbed as ‘preposterous’, when strong alpha genes dominate and throughout the whole history of the family, no omega was being recorded.”

            Tears were welling up in their mother’s eyes when Luke took the tissue holder from the other side of the table and placed it near her.

            “I was happy to be born as an alpha so I can prove to the family that I can be someone that they can be proud of, someone they can brag about but my capabilities weren’t there. Although, I didn’t question myself. All I thought was I’m a late bloomer and did everything with utmost best until the efforts are starting to show up – good grades, got into well-known schools, and into international sport tournaments.”

            Their mother took a tissue and wiped her tears as she continued her story.

            “But it changed when I met your father, an alpha werewolf from another country. It was when I was attending college and we got to know each other as we attended the same classes. Before I knew it, I fell hard and fast. A perk of having a dormitory was to sneak him in and he didn’t care if I was an alpha since he already fell in love with ‘my soul’. We had a lot of unsafe sexual intercourse throughout our one-year relationship and I didn’t show signs of being an omega. Until–”

            It was a long pause and Luke got a little bit nervous as to what happened, so he repeated her last word.

            “Until?”

            “Until I was craving for food that I don’t usually eat on a daily basis and starting to have morning sickness. With just those, I went to a doctor and had a secondary gender test as well as pregnancy test while waking for the results of the previous test. Although, I hid the pregnancy test kit after I did because I wanted to see my secondary gender result first. It was all positive when I got them.”

            Luke mentally gasped as he could fully understand why Mika said she was sorry and it was her fault. Could not help but tear up a bit.

            “I hid it as long as I could from my family but they found out as they witnessed my baby bump when I forgot to lock my room while changing. Without any second thought, they disowned me and I tried to reach out to your father, he was gone into thin air and went back to his homeland.”