“Logan! Please, answer me. Oh, goddesses! What have you done?”

Jonas runs into the room, swinging the door open with a loud cracking sound. In his hand is a bucket of mead. “Watch out!” he yells.

On the bed lay Logan, convulsing. His shifter-self looks weaker than ever. His claws have retracted out from his knuckles somehow. He has somehow only shifted halfway into his bear form. His pupils have lost that chocolate aura to them. I close my eyes and begin to search for him. I’ve never seen something so horrifying before.

Please, Logan. If you can hear me, reach out. Come back to this realm. We need you. I need you. You’re my mate. Forever.

Somehow, Jonas manages to dump the bucket of mead onto both our heads. I fall backwards, tripping over myself in surprise.

“Jonas!” I scream. The back of my head hits the wood floor, and I blackout.

“Jackson, baby. Kitten, wake up. It’s me.” Logan.

I open my eyes with the biggest smile in the world. However, that same smile quickly disappears. “Don’t do that again to me!” I shout, rubbing my head.

He just laughs and kisses the big lump on my head. “Kitten, everything is fine. I was… well, I guess I was receiving some sort of message.”

I look back at Jonas, who in turn looks behind him. Both of my dads are standing in the doorway. Alste steps forward with a worried look in his eyes. “What message?”

My bear mate quickly hugs me from behind, nuzzling a kiss into my neck. “I love your son more than anything in the world,” he says. “I promise you. I didn’t mean to get us into this mess.”

“What mess, son?” Jergen asks.

Hearing my dad call him son sends a warm vibration up my spine, despite the circumstance. I push myself up onto my feet and look at my dads with courage. “We’re connected somehow,” I say.

Jonas scoffs. “Gross. You know, you don’t need to bring us all into your loving experiences. We know. We all heard you last night.”

I blush and sink down into my feet. “No.” Logan laughs. “Not like that. Well, I mean…”

I stop him from talking, as I am completely mortified. “Family, can we stop being weird for a second?”

Both of my dads look sternly at Jonas. He snickers and holds his hands innocently in the air. “I’m done, okay?”

“Just what is going on here?” Jergen asks.

Logan nods and takes a deep breath. “I don’t know everything yet. For a long time, I didn’t know what my true ability was. Of course, I’d dream of the outer-realms, just like the other bears in my peer group. But then my papa fell ill, so I left to try and make sense of everything. I went down to Arizona and spent six years in that hotel. That’s when I first started seeing visions.”

Both dads quickly glance at each other, both grim. Jonas bites his lip. “You two are fated mates. We can’t and won’t step in your way of that,” Jergen says.

His eyes latch onto the bonding sites on our chest. “Besides, it looks as if you have already done the deed.”

“And we’re so proud of you and excited,” Alste interjects, trying his best to be supportive.

Jonas bursts out laughing, but quickly stops himself when everyone looks angrily at him.

Logan continues. “I was told that I was a chosen-one. I’m not saying that to brag or put any importance on myself. I would rather not be chosen, but this is what I was told. I am the one who must fix the great rift in our world. But I can’t do it alone. Jackson and I are now connected. And I have to protect him. He’s bearing twins.”

“Holy shit. Twins? Such a blessing!” Alste starts to tear up. It hits close to home. He runs toward me and wraps his big arms around me. “Oh, great goddess. My omega! Thank you for blessing our family!”

Jergen smiles affectionately, but he still has a grave look in his eye. “Are you mad?” Logan asks.

“Goodness, no! Why would we be mad? I’ve been waiting for this day my entire life. We should celebrate,” Alste says.

Jergen is concerned, though. “We will celebrate when the time comes. If you really are a chosen-one, you must take this very seriously and proceed with caution. Frankly, it’s hard to wrap my old head around all of this.”

“I know. It’s difficult for me too. Trust me, dad. We’re going to get through this. I know it,” Logan says, standing tall.

Dad. I choke up a little. I’m not going to lie. Looking at him makes me proud. I am a bit worried about all of this chosen-one stuff, but Logan is the strongest man I’ve ever known. If anyone is up for a task this huge, it’s him.

“I’m sorry, but I need to go visit my dying father. I need to go to the caves up north and see my people,” Logan says.

“And Jackson needs to go, I’m assuming,” Jergen says.

“I do, father,” I say. “I can’t let him go on this journey alone.”

“But you are pregnant, my omega. This is dangerous. You must be pampered and taken care of,” he says.

Alste slowly walks up to my father and kisses his lips, softly. One word comes to mind in this moment: ew. But I have to admit that it’s sweet, and they have managed to take care of each other extremely well.

“I’m sure our son will be plenty taken care of,” Alste says. “We must do what our elders taught us to do. Let go of control. Both our sons are adults now. We must believe in them.”

My papa hugs him back. I start to feel emotional and a tad bit sick. Somehow, I can hear the soft heartbeat come from my belly. I’m not sure if it’s something I’m just anticipating or if it’s already there.

“You’re right,” Jergen says. He looks past Alste and adds, “When I saw Logan at the airport, I knew something was coming. Both the bears and the jaguars have dreamed of peace for so long. Normally, I’d be making some phone calls, after seeing the bite marks on your chests. All of this is so sudden. Alste knows how much I hate surprises. But damn, Logan. We do need a hero. That doesn’t mean you can leave before supper, though.”

Before Logan can respond, the sound of heavy running comes from outside the doorway. I immediately hear the loud laughter of my uncle. “Alright, where’s my little omega? I hear he’s packing double!”

“Dad,” I growl.

Alste chuckles to himself. “I’m sorry. I had to send my voice out to the family. You know how hard it is for me to control my ability.”

“There you are!” Uncle Dale runs into the room, fangs out. “I cannot believe it! Jackson is packin’, huh? Twins, too! What is up with this family and twins? Un-be-lievable!”

“That’s right. I’m pregnant. So much for the surprise,” I groan. “Are you here to cook me a good meal, or what?”

Dale pounces beside me. Without warning, I feel his head near my abs. “Well, I’ll be damned. Listen to that!”

“I want to hear!” Jonas cries out.

“You can all hear to your heart’s content after supper. The twins are hungry. If you want them to keep their holy abilities in tact, I gotta get them some grub.”

“You’ll just vomit it up, anyway.” Jonas scoffs.

“Don’t be jealous, son,” Uncle Dale warns. “It’s unbecoming of a jaguar your age. You’ll find your mate soon enough.”

Jonas doesn’t care to respond. Dale grabs me and Logan by the hand and leads us outside. “Boys, you know I’m cooking you up something mighty tasty. I’ve got my world-famous stew, already boiling on the pot. Your dad was eating a ton of it back when he was carrying,” he says.

“I can already smell it. Delicious,” Logan says, licking his lips.

All of us gather around the long, wooden table outside. Under the tall trees, the leaves shade us enough to be content with the heat. Seeing everyone together right now, I start to get a tiny bit emotional. It’s been so long since the family has gathered around the table together like this.

As each day passes with Logan, I’m realizing more and more what it means to really grow up. It won’t be long until I have children of my own. And then we’ll be part of the elder crowd. It’s sort of blowing my mind how crazy all of this is.

“A toast!” Jergen holds a big glass of mead in the air. “To the goddesses. To my three sons. Most importantly, to Logan and Jackson’s blessed twins. We’re so damn proud of you both!”

“We love you guys. I mean it,” Logan says. “Even you Uncle Dale.”

Everyone laughs loudly. “Well you better love me! Shit. I swear, I’m always left on the sidelines.”

Logan pats his back and sits down. We all begin eating. I’m like a total fiend, throwing huge globs of stew into my mouth. I finish within one single minute. Logan stares at me, wide-eyed and startled.

“Wow. I didn’t realize all of this stuff comes on so soon,” he says, chuckling.

Underneath the table, he moves his hand beneath my shirt. He rests it on my belly and smiles real big.

“I’m totally going to get fat,” I remark.

“Good. I need you all big and cuddly. My boys have to become big and strong,” Logan says.

Jonas grimaces at the end of the table. I can see it clearly. “Dads, can I go with them on their adventure too?” he asks.

“Great goddess, no!” Jergen bellows. “We need you here, tending to the house. You can have your own adventure when you finally find your mate.”

Jonas grumbles to himself and grinds his teeth. “Not everyone has to find a mate,” he whispers.

“Don’t worry. You’ll find one. I can feel it,” I assure him.

“Whatever. It’s my stupid ability. I know it. It pushes people away,” he says.

Jergen dunks a piece of bread into his bowl and devours it. “That’s where you’re wrong, my son. You’re connected to time. It’s a huge blessing.”

Jonas sulks in his seat, acting totally immature. “I can’t do anything, dad. It’s just a feeling I have. It’s pointless. Why can’t I be like all of you?”

“Stop this pouting,” Alste chimes in. “You’ll realize your abilities very soon. It simply takes longer for some people.”

“What’s this about an adventure?” Uncle Dale’s eyes grow big with excitement.

“Oh, man. It’s hard to explain,” I say. Logan lovingly licks a piece of stew from my face.

Jergen says, “Logan has been chosen, Dale.”

“By the goddesses? Oh, crap. That sounds like trouble,” he says.

“It is,” Jergen says.

“Well, it’s a good thing Logan likes a little trouble,” I say. “Ain’t that right, kitten.”

Logan flexes a solid muscle and grins. “Damn straight,” he says.

I watch as my family rolls their eyes into the back of their skulls. “Just be on the lookout for trappers,” Dale warns. “If you’re headed toward the northern caves, there are plenty of them. And they’re waiting to catch those of us who were blessed with certain abilities.”

“Disgusting,” I say.

Jonas looks annoyed, still embarrassed about not understanding his ability. “Maybe I’ll become a trapper.”

“Jonas!” Alste gasps in shock. His bowl of stew falls off the table. His mouth lay agape, in horror.

Dale has a piece of meat hanging out of his mouth. He sucks it in and licks his lips violently. He shakes a finger at Jonas. “I’m sure he’s only kidding,” he says. “They’re just a bunch of betas. Well, aren’t they? They trap us and sell us like gold. They exist in their own little bubble. To top it off, they don’t even have reproductive glands like us. Completely pathetic.”

“Alright, alright,” Alste says, standing up. “I can’t hear about this anymore. You’re making me nervous, Dale. Enough of this talk.”

“All I’m saying is you can’t trust no one these days. I heard about this cab driver who took an alpha wolf, just last Tuesday and---”

“Dale!” Jergen slams his fist down against the table. “You’re family, but we’ve warned you. Keep it to yourself.”

Dale’s sly grin never fades from his face. “I always take it too far. I know,” he says.

Logan chuckles lightly. “We’re not going to fall for that crap,” he says. “The caves are about a hundred miles away from here. The guard has overseen the roads for decades. We’ll be fine.”

I close my eyes and communicate to my heroic mate. “My uncle is totally batshit.” He snorts loudly, choking on his food. Everyone quickly looks at him.

“Excuse me.” He coughs.

I look at my watch and realize that we should be going. The rest of my family already senses the moment has come. Jergen nods and stands up. “They must leave now,” he says. “Come. Let’s all say our goodbyes.”

We all bring it in, next to the stump of the giant tree. Alste holds back his tears, which makes me want to cry. But Jergen and Logan provide us strength in the moment.

“Destiny only comes once,” Jergen says, repeating the old saying of the wolves.

“It also comes in two’s,” I say, thinking about the twins being formed inside of me.

So much is now at stake. I’m not sure Logan has even thought about it fully yet. Both Logan and I have a path together in this. I close my eyes and feel the warmth of my family’s hugs surround me. It gives me all the strength I need.

When I open my eyes again, Logan looks ready. “Let’s get this show on the road, kitten.”

“Let’s do it! I love it when you call me kitten, by the way.” He winks.

I laugh and grab his hand tightly. My dad reluctantly throws a set of keys our way. They bounce off Logan’s chest and land in his free palm. “You’re going to need those if you want to get anywhere fast. Just be careful with her. I just got her washed.”

“Seriously?” Logan looks at the sports car in astonishment.

“Seriously. A hero needs a fast ride, right?” He chuckles and walks back to camp.

“Shit,” Logan sighs. “I was just going to catch one of those cabs your uncle was talking to us about.”