DOUBLE TROUBLE WITH THE TWIN WOLVES - ONE

C H A P T E R O N E - - - T I M

One of the few things that got Tim's blood pumping and his ears humming with frustration was leaving a good party just as it was getting thumping.

Tim muttered, loosening the tie that felt like a noose around his neck. "I still think this is one of the shittiest ideas you've ever come up with," he said.

He hadn't slept since the previous day, and the tequila and whiskey were still coursing through his veins, though the alcohol was now a distant memory. No one could tell him he was doing anything wrong, as far as he was concerned. After all, it was Jerome's wedding; if he didn't get a little blitzed there, where was he supposed to party?

"Well, tough luck," Tom grumbled as he slid through the crowd like a man on a mission, his heavy duffel bag slung over his shoulder.

That was pretty close to the truth. At least not with the Crawley twins. They seemed to be on a mission all the time lately. Nothing made Tim happier than the prospect of some unrestrained violence, but he was distracted today.

Seeing his squad leader marry was a strange mix of relief and joy for Tim. Tim couldn't help but think about it as he walked through the train station, following his twin Tom. His mind seemed to be as alert as ever for some ungodly reason, despite the sleep in his eyes and his muscles heavy from the long day and night of tearing it up.

Happiness wasn't something Tim, Tom, Jerome, and the rest of Squad Six were supposed to experience. They were all ex-armies with a lot of blood on their hands, and with their jobs at The Firm, a large private security and army for hire firm, those rivers of red weren't going to stop anytime soon. They didn't want to, and that's what kept them coming back to work.

Not so much the bump off, especially since they prided themselves on getting in and out quickly and as smoothly as possible, but the danger, without a doubt. Tim's veins pounded with adrenaline like he'd never felt before when he was hiding from an enemy almost as sharp as he was, or setting up a trap for some unsuspecting schmuck. It was how he felt about life: if it didn't have a dash of action, it wasn't worth living.

However, that was not an ideal setting for a relationship, let alone raising children. Jerome, on the other hand, had made it work. He had the most stressful job of the squad, as he was responsible for keeping the others alive and on task, but he'd found the perfect woman, had a child with her, and married her. And no one had died in the process who didn't deserve to.

To say the least, it was perplexing. It even gave Tim reason to believe.

Stranger things have happened.

"We can still turn back," Tim grumbled as Tom made him stand in a long line, as if they were tourists or something, waiting for their tickets. "Take that redheaded bridesmaid, and I'll take Jerome's estranged cousin, or whoever she was, and we'll all have a good time. Come on, have some fun! ”

He didn't think it would work. Tom's expression confirmed my suspicions. However, the way the corner of Tom's mouth curved when he shook his head, fishing for his wallet in his pockets, hinted at amusement.

Crawley, the elder, was always the one in charge. They were Alpha twins, destined to form a triad and lead their wolf pack one day, but right now all they wanted to lead was a quick charge, preferably with a bunch of explosions and a thick wad of cash on the other side. Nearing thirty, you'd think they'd be well on their way to maturing, but Tom had started accepting a lot more missions than he had previously, chasing the danger even harder.

Only this time, his eagerness to get to work was messing up Tim's day, and he wasn't happy about it.

Tim sat down heavily on the duffle bag, unbuttoning a button on his white dress shirt, and let it crumble to the floor, frustrated. The tight fabric felt like it was suffocating him, and they were still in their suits from playing Jerome's groomsmen. Tim started to shift on the bag a little, the butt of his assault rifle digging into his ass.

He thought grumpily, scowling at Tom, "I'm in no fucking state to go play fucking hero today."

However, Tom had a valid point. They were supposed to visit the pack in Singapore during the squad's break, but if he knew anything about himself, he'd stay in his fun comfort zone until they were tagged for another out-of-country mission. His mama was going to give him a good spanking if he didn't show up at home.

Even though Tim was a werewolf commando, he knew that pissing off a mama wolf was not the best idea.

Tim yawned, trying to clear his mind of the jumbled thoughts. He overheard Tom purchasing two tickets and reluctantly rose to his feet. He could almost feel his wolf stretching, snarling, and pacing inside him, just as badly wound up as Tim's human side.

It wouldn't have been so bad if he could have stayed at the party, gotten some shots with Mitch, Shaun, and Jordan, and then slept it off for a few days, but he couldn't. He had to sit in a train from Laguna to Manila for the entire journey, hoping and praying that nothing went wrong.

"Come on," Tom said as he motioned to the platforms. "We don't want to be late for our train."

"Do we, don't we?" Tim snorted back, matching his brother's snort.

They passed through the crowd of bodies, most of them giving the two tall men way when they noticed them coming like two trucks down the highway. The Crawleys stood taller than almost anyone around them, both built wide and strong. The suits might have helped, giving them a certain debonair charm that perhaps their regular street thug clothes wouldn’t have conveyed.

In any case, Tim was far too irritated to appreciate the newfound attention, while Tom seemed preoccupied with inspecting everything and everyone. They arrived just in time to see the train pull into the station, their stop blinking in yellow lights on the small screens above the doors.

Tom slowly walked up the side, past all of the cars, while Tim trotted along. Tim sat back and observed his surroundings, not showing much enthusiasm. He did frown slightly when he saw three men walking into a car in front of Tom, though, something about their stance striking him as odd.

Tim strained his neck to take another look at them, and it was clear why the trio had caught his attention. All three of them were built like brick walls. The matching haircuts didn't help matters either.

Tim thought idly as he looked around at the men who could have been his brothers in arms.

That life was long gone, but the work ethic and camaraderie had remained. A man does not serve in the military for years and then come out the same way he entered. Tim and Tom had served together, and like many shifters, they had quickly risen through the ranks, being snatched up as SEAL candidates. They excelled at it, as they do with most things.

Tim felt a pang of discomfort as Tom came to a halt and chose a door to enter through.

"Did you happen to see those guys? " he inquired, his voice low and his hand firmly gripping his bag.

It was fully stocked with necessities. Everything a mobile warrior might need: handguns, assault rifles, basic communications, and explosives devices. No one checked their bags, and the security guards didn't even blink, indicating to Tim that whoever Tom had taken the job from had been expecting them.

Tim wasn't sure if this was going to be a small errand anymore, something to 'waste time' on the drive like Tom had claimed it would be after seeing the company on the train.

"I did," he said flatly, in that infuriating calm voice he used when he knew Tim was expecting a direct response.

“And? ”

"It also means we'll be doing less work. I don't see why two worn and weary paid brutes are needed if there are Marines onboard," Tom shrugged drily.

Tim scoffed, "Liar. Do you want to tell me what this job is really about, or am I going to find out when something terrible happens to us?" ”

"I know what I told you," Tom said, his step now much lighter than Tim's. "The client does not want to deal directly with The Firm, but the contacts came from within. They wanted to keep it under the radar. There's something on this train that they want to keep an eye on, and I'm not sure what it is. Our issue is making sure that nothing goes to shit."

As they walked through the dining car, looking for a place to sit and begin the long journey, Tim began, "So, you're telling me. That we're on a train crossing the country, protecting something for someone, and we haven't met any of the three unmentionables? And you dragged me away from a perfectly attractive blonde for this? " He didn't bother to hide his anger, which he could sense in his tone. Tom cast a glance behind him, and Tim could have decked him right there for the shite-eating grin he saw. It's up to his brother to figure out how to make him laugh.

"Wise observations, bro."

"When we get to Manila, I'll astute right up your ass," Tim grumbled.

Tim felt the fatigue lift off him as Tom chuckled, despite his annoyance. This always started happening when he start sensing something serious was going on. Seeing all those Marines had sparked a fire in his arse. This wasn't going to be a fun ride, no matter how much he hoped it would be.

At the very least, he could pretend to enjoy himself. Who knows, maybe he'll meet his future mate while on a mission as well.

Tim could use a woman to team up with against Tom, he reasoned grimly.