The pups were adorable. A little turbulent, sometimes, and they knew how to act spoiled, but they were adorable.


    Jaden epted to y with aunty Sam without any second thought, but Scarlet didn''t like her at first. She observed the woman from afar, ring or staring at her dolls in silence. She even refused to y with Samantha when thetter proposed it.


    That blond woman reminded her of Nate, which meant she could be dangerous. Still, Jaden epted her like nothing.


    ?Oh, I was hoping to y with two mini-Nates, but I guess I''ll have to do with one,? Samanthamented, checking the reaction of both pups from the corner of her eye.


    Jaden frowned for a moment, unhappy to be associated with Nate''s image. He was more like his mommy, even though his hair was blond.


    Reading his thoughts on his face, Samantha couldn''t help but chuckle. The twins didn''t like Nate, and just mentioning his name was enough to get such a reaction. It was most likely because he wanted their mother, but it made the situation even funnier. Not just that Nate''s cubs were precocious, smart and cute: they also inherited his territoriality.


    Samantha wondered if hers would be like that as well. Itsted for a moment only, but she could imagine a ck-haired kid calling her mum and ring over her shoulder. Oh, there wouldn''t be anyone to re at, in her case... She shook her head, dispersing the wild thoughts.


    ?Aunty Sam, look: I finished this puzzle,? Jaden said, turning his back to Scarlet and focusing on his aunt. ?Do you want to help me with the next one??


    ?Oh, sure! I''m not good with puzzles, though. You need to be patient with me.?


    ?Yes, aunty Sam.?


    His cute face and puppy tone made her motherly instinct revive, and she sighed again while sitting on the floor.


    The other pup didn''t approach them until dinner time. It was then that Samantha remembered the steak in the oven. She smiled, thinking of the delicacies Nate''s chef could make. Her ears twitched, and she didn''t need to check to know they were out. No surprise: she was ying with a cute pup and was going to eat soon.


    ?It''s time for dinner,? she eximed, stretching her arms. ?Are you two hungry??


    ?Yes, we are,? Jaden said, nodding his head.


    Scarlet let out a low groan that sounded so much like an affirmation.


    ?Wonderful,? Samanthamented. Two hungry pups would obediently follow her in the kitchen.


    Nate had warned her of their bad table manners, but it was no big deal. She would just clean them upter.


    Jaden''s ears appeared soon after Samantha''s, and they twitched happily for a moment or two. Scarlet observed them with a frown, and she released her own furred, ck ears.


    ?Oh my!? Samantha eximed, grabbing her with no regrets. ?Your fur is ck! You''re a ck wolf, aren''t you? How cute! I always wanted a little ck pup, you know??


    She patted the girl''s head and noticed her grimace. Scarlet was pretending to be annoyed by all that proximity, but she didn''t push her away. It was clear she liked being petted.


    ?Let''s go eat, now,? Samantha said. All three of them were hungry and in a good mood, even if the little girl''s was a littleplicated. ?There''s plenty of meat and other delicious stuff...?


    Just as expected, at the promise of food, the twins smiled happy, their ears twitching and shivering in excitement. Their tails wagged from under their clothes, making Samantha chuckle amused. They were too early for tails! Oh, but also for fangs and ws, but Nate told her that Scarlet could use those already.


    ?You two are really Alpha''s pups,? shemented.


    ?We are mommy''s,? Jaden reminded her.


    ?Of course, of course... But why is it that you hate Nate so much? He''s your dad, after all. And he''s trying his best to help you.?


    ?Because he wants our mommy.?


    ?Oh, I understand...? In the end, Alphas could be quite territorial.


    As his children, Nate''s pups weren''t much of an exception. Other than for the fact that they grew up far from a pack, like solitary wolves.


    They wouldn''t ept the pack''s rules unless they started being part of it.


    ?How are your kindergarten days?? she asked. ?Do you have many friends??


    ?No,? Jaden said. ?We don''t need friends.?


    ?Oh, but that''s not true! You two need a lot of friends. And, also, your mother would be happy if you knew the other pups and learned from them. That''s why she sent you there.?


    ?We don''t need friends, aunty Sam. We already are two.?


    ?It''s not enough, and it''s different when you know someone outside of your family. You should start trusting someone you don''t share blood with, and you will understand a little more why packs are stable structures.?


    ?What?? Scarlet muttered, reaching out to the sd in the middle of the table. ?What does it mean??


    ?It means: your mommy will be happy if you two be good wolves. To be good wolves, you need friends your age.?


    ?Ah, I see...?


    Scarlet pouted again. Why was it so difficult to grow up?


    She needed to work harder and make friends, instead of fighting with impolite kids.


    It still was too early to form an opinion about Samantha, but the woman had expressed her concerns, and they all made sense.


    ?Also, you should open your eyes and look at your mother when she''s with Nate. You will see that she''s happier with him than without. You can be a family, isn''t it awesome??


    ?We don''t need a family.?


    ?Oh, but tomorrow you will meet your grandma. She''s such a nicedy, you will see... She treated me like her own daughter when I moved to Norwich. She will love you both, but she might prefer girls,? she added with a blink. ?Do you want to hear what grandmas are for??


    ?Yes!? Jaden eximed.


    Scarlet didn''t say a thing; she even shook her head in denial, but her ears were ready to catch every single word.