#Chapter 270 – Apricot

The next morning the house is somehow…different. I can’t place my finger on it but…something is somehow not right. I look around, trying to figure it out. In so many ways everything seems…normal. The Betas are buzzing, moving around doing their work. Burton is here again – thank god – doing some general dusting and straightening up, humming a little French song to himself. Rafe is surly, standing at the Alpha’s desk and doing his work but…that’s nothing new… Victor stands with him, but somehow I know it’s not him that’s off… Instead, my eyes are drawn to my two children, who sit at the table, staring at each other, angry frowns on their face. I blink at them, suddenly realizing that it’s them. That my two sons haven’t said a word to me the entire morning. And they’re not at all their normal cheerful selves, excited for their day. Instead, they’re little copies of Rafe this morning, angrily chewing their cereal and refusing to look at me. My eyes go wide and my jaw falls a lit