Three Fated Hearts by LNC

~Tia~

This was unexpected, yet very expected. I told mom to stay upstairs and let me handle things, but she could feel the fury and tension through the bond. I had a feeling that she would end up following me downstairs, but I knew, deep down, I wouldn't be able to hold her back.

Mom comes to stand next to me, and I gently place my hand on her back. I don’t want her to think she has to succumb to his demands, nor do I want her to feel threatened. Mom steps forward a bit, and dad turns to face her.

“Let's go, Nikki. You need to come home.”

“I'm staying here, Stuart. We need a break from each other for a while.” I can see my dad's face scrunch up, and the veins in his neck pop out.

"What's going on with you and Portia?”

"Why? Are you jealous?” I scoff, and I hear Neal sigh. “It's okay to be jealous. It's fine to admit that you have feelings for me. We have been dealing with each other long enough that it would make sense.” What the hell? This isn't supposed to be him trying to get with me. Neal is supposed to be trying to get to Portia. I close my eyes and open them back with new resolve.

“What about Portia?”

"Portia is mated to the Alphas. I doubt they want to add a third to the mix.” I don't respond. “Don't get me wrong. I kind of like Portia to be honest. She's beautiful, smart, funny......"” Ugh! I swear I'm going to gag right now. Portia is none of those things.

"Oh....have they marked each other yet?”

“Ah, no. I didn't see a mark, but you should have seen them when I was talking to her. If looks could kill,” Neal starts laughing into the line while I roll my eyes.

“I probably shouldn't tell you this, but,” I stop to build up the suspense.

"Yes?"

“You can't say anything. Portia told me this in confidence. She's unmarked because she is having doubts. She said that she feels the bond, but there is someone else that has captured her interest.” I wait for a response, but I didn't get any. “She....well she told me that she was interested in you.” I hear the small intake of breath, and a smile breaks out on my face. I think I got him. “Maybe you should explore that with Portia. At the very least, you should talk to her about it. If you are both feeling the same for each other, it wouldn't be fair to the twins if she were to continue with the ceremony. Just think about it.” I didn't wait for a response. I hang up the phone and lean back on the bed. Neal is definitely intrigued, and that's all I need for him to take the initiative with Portia. It shouldn't take long for the twins to be mateless again.