Chapter 3 Twelve Years Later

• Twelve years had spun by like moonlit nights, and the grand hall of the Bloodstain pack house pulsed with a joyous energy. Music, a blend of traditional wolfish melodies and more human tunes, filled the air, mingling with the unrestrained laughter of pack members.
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• ‎Garlands of vibrant wildflowers and woven silver threads adorned the stone walls, and the scent of roasting game mingled with the sweet aroma of celebration cakes.
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• ‎Today was Lillian and Rosaline's twelveth birthday, a milestone marked by an unprecedented gathering. Every Alpha and Luna from not only the Northern territories, but also the South, East, and West, had arrived, their presence as a testament to the Bloodstain pack's power and the intense curiosity surrounding its hidden daughters.
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• ‎This was the twins' first public appearance since their birth. For a decade, they had remained within the protective embrace of their family and the inner circle of the pack, their existence shrouded in a carefully guarded privacy. This seclusion had only fueled the wildfire of rumors that now crackled amongst the assembled guests.
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• ‎Near a table laden with honey cakes, a woman with sharp, assessing eyes leaned towards her friend, her voice barely above a whisper. "Is it true that the twins inherited their mother's powers?"
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• ‎Her friend, her own gaze darting towards the main entrance where the Alpha and his family were expected to appear, nodded slowly. "I heard they're more powerful, wild even. They wreak havoc everywhere they go within the pack lands, or so it's said."
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• ‎Another woman, her fur a sleek black, joined their hushed conversation, her tone laced with a hint of drama. "My cousin, who serves in the Alpha's guard, told me Alpha Sebastian keeps them apart most of the time. Their powers double when they're together, he says. They are… too powerful to be left unchecked."
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• ‎A nervous tremor ran through the first woman's hand as she reached for a cup of spiced wine. The air in the hall, thick with anticipation and speculation, seemed to hum with unspoken questions. Everyone waited, their eyes fixed on the entrance, eager to finally witness the girls who had been the subject of so much whispered lore for the past ten years.
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• ‎In the reception room, adjacent to the grand hall, Alpha Sebastian, a towering figure in a perfectly tailored black tuxedo, sat with his sons, Killian and Nathan, both mirroring their father's sharp attire with slicked-back dark hair. Killian, a spitting image of Sebastian at ten, was currently engaged in a playful chase around the plush furniture with Jacob, who sported a smart brown tuxedo that mirrored his father Billy's.
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• ‎Billy himself sat nearby, a picture of contentment as he cradled his five-year-old daughter, Lucinda, dressed in a miniature gown. His mate, Stella, a warm and capable presence, was assisting Luna Alyssa in the flurry of last-minute preparations for the twins, Lillian and Rosaline.
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• ‎"Why did you have to sneak into the garden use your magic and splash mud on yourselves today of all days?" Alyssa asked, her voice a furious whisper as she dabbed at a stubborn smudge on Lillian's pristine white dress. Her own blonde hair was styled in an elegant updo, highlighting her striking blue eyes, which now held a mixture of exasperation and affection.
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• ‎"Lily… Rosy? What goes on in your heads?" she asked again, sighing, her gaze softening slightly as she looked at her identical daughters. Both girls possessed their mother's stark white hair, now long and partially braided with silver ribbons, and their striking blue eyes, currently sparkling with a shared mischievous glint.
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• ‎"Meg, bring in the backup dresses," she commanded her servant, her tone regaining a touch of its earlier sharpness. "I knew you were gonna do something like this," she said, turning her attention back to the girls, who merely exchanged quiet, knowing smiles.
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• ‎"And you just had to dirty your little brother too!" she exclaimed, her anger flaring anew as she noticed a muddy streak across the front of six-year-old Alex's small tuxedo. Nathan, tall and lanky for his age, stood beside his younger brother, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
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• ‎"It was Rosy's idea, and Alex wanted to come, mommy," Lily said, her pink lips forming a pout while her striking blue eyes shone with nothing but mischief.
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• ‎"Oh wow, trust you to snitch," Rosy said, rolling her identical blue eyes, a mirror image of her sister's expression.
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• ‎"I wasn't snitching, I just told the truth," Lily retorted, her chin lifting slightly in defiance.
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• ‎"It's called snitching, smartass!" Rosy shouted, her voice rising in frustration.
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• ‎"Hey, language!" Sebastian's deep voice boomed across the reception room, cutting through the playful tension. The girls instantly fell silent, their blue eyes widening slightly. "What did I say about saying curse words in front of Alex?" he questioned sternly, his silver eyes fixed on his daughters.
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• ‎"Sorry, daddy," the girls chorused at the same time, their earlier defiance replaced with a sheepish remorse.
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• ‎"What's a smartass?" six-year-old Alex curiously asked, looking up at his mom with wide, innocent brown eyes.
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• ‎"It's a bad word, Alex," Killian said in a stern voice, mimicking his father's tone, though a hint of a smirk played on his lips as he subtly nudged Jacob with his elbow.
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• ‎"When will they be done getting ready?" he then asked impatiently, his silver eyes flicking towards the doorway where Alyssa and the twins had disappeared.
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• ‎"The feast will be nothing but crumbs if we wait any longer!" Jacob declared dramatically, clutching his stomach with a theatrical groan that suggested imminent collapse from hunger. He and Killian exchanged an exaggeratedly mournful glance.
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• ‎"Patience, boys," Beta Billy's voice rumbled with a quiet authority that usually quelled their antics.
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• ‎"Patience, boys," Nathan echoed softly, a knowing smirk playing on his lips as he leaned slightly towards his father, earning a low, proud chuckle in response.
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• ‎Finally, the heavy oak doors at the end of the archway creaked open.
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• ‎"Alright, my dawdlers are presentable!" Alyssa announced, a playful lilt in her voice. She gave a regal nod to the stoic guards flanking the entrance.
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• ‎"Open the hall doors." With a soft sigh of contentment, she snuggled into her mate's waiting hand and, with a gentle squeeze, led the way out of the room and into the grand hall beyond. Stella and Billy, still whispering to each other, trailed behind.
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• ‎A collective gasp rippled through the grand hall. Lillian and Rosaline were striking, their stark white hair cascading down their backs like spun moonlight, a vivid contrast to the rich fabrics of their newly donned gowns – one a deep sapphire, the other a vibrant emerald.
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• ‎Their striking blue eyes, identical and piercing, swept across the assembled guests, holding a mixture of curiosity and a hint of something wild.
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• ‎A hush fell over the room as Sebastian stepped forward, his towering presence commanding attention. He placed a hand on each of his daughters' shoulders, a proud but guarded look in his silver eyes.
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• ‎"Esteemed Alphas, respected Lunas," his voice boomed, echoing through the hall. "Tonight, we celebrate a milestone. Tonight, we introduce you to my daughters, Lillian and Rosaline."
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• ‎A murmur rippled through the crowd. A Luna from the Eastern territories, known for her sharp wit, leaned forward, her gaze unwavering on the twins. "Alpha Sebastian, the rumors surrounding your daughters have been… plentiful. Many speak of extraordinary power."
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• ‎Before Sebastian could answer, Rosaline, ever the bolder twin, tilted her head, her blue eyes meeting the Luna's directly. A faint shimmer of emerald light danced around her fingertips for a fleeting moment. "Power is meant to be used, Luna," she said, her voice clear and surprisingly steady for her age.
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• ‎Lillian, standing beside her, offered a more demure smile, but her own gaze held an undeniable intensity. A small cluster of wildflowers near her feet suddenly bloomed in vibrant hues, an unexpected splash of color on the stone floor.
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• ‎The assembled guests exchanged uneasy glances. The rumors, it seemed, were not mere exaggerations. The decade of secrecy had only amplified the mystique and the underlying tension surrounding the Bloodstain twins. The celebration had begun, but beneath the veneer of polite greetings and celebratory music, the true nature of Lillian and Rosaline's existence was about to be unveiled.
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• ‎"Please, everyone, let's proceed to the feast and enjoy the celebration," Luna Alyssa said, her voice carrying a note of gentle command as she subtly waved a hand, the newly bloomed wildflowers near Lillian instantly fading back into dormant buds.
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• ‎She then offered her arm to her mate, a serene smile gracing her lips, though a flicker of something unreadable danced in her eyes. "Shall we?"
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