DOUBLE TROUBLE WITH THE TWIN WOLVES 23

C H A P T E R T WE N T Y - T H R E E - - - - T i M

It took a few days before things felt back to normal. or what might be considered normal right now. Tim persuaded the rest of the team not to remove themselves in protest after Tom and Tim were both removed from the active rotation list for a few months. It served no purpose for everyone to lose money.

But for him and Tom, it meant spending some much-needed quality time with Reidan, Maddison, and Ryker.

As anticipated, their injuries healed quickly enough, and within two days, they were once again capable of engaging in combat. But this time, all they wanted to fight for was more time with their families. Tim had a sneaking feeling that Ace's hand was associated in their two-month probation and unpaid leave, but he had no evidence to back it up. He had to seriously question if he'd been wrong about the guy all along.

But it can't all be wrong. He did extort a bunch of bombs from you, he did remind himself as he, Maddison, Tom, and the kids took a long walk through downtown Quezon Province, breathing in the atmosphere.

They'd gotten the first bus out and spent a few days with Maddison's parents and family. She'd been dying to see them, and the Crawleys, being Batangas boys, didn't want to miss out on a chance to show off the new pack members to the rest of the pack back home. Of course, it sparked a lot of speculation about whether they'd be returning to the fold as the up-and-coming Alpha pair, having obviously found their mate and fathered their heirs already.

Fortunately, as usual, their family was understanding of their lifestyle choices, and they didn't feel particularly pressured to do anything other than bring the kids around as frequently as possible. Tim and Tom both felt comfortable committing to that.

The parents of Madison had proven to be harder to crack. Really, it wasn't a surprise. It was difficult enough to accept the return of their daughter, who they had believed to be dead, as well as the fact that she had twins—and not just any twins, but shifters. That daughter who came with two strong ex-SEALs who also happened to be werewolves and seemed determined to wed her as soon as possible? Well, that only made things more unclear.

After a few family meals and two lengthy, difficult conversations with Maddison's father, things started to seem to calm down. It helped that her mother seemed to particularly like Tim, and that her father—who is a big gun nut himself—hit it off with Tom right away. That was not at all bothersome to either of the Crawley boys.

Maddison squeezing Tim's hand while he pushed one stroller in front of him with his free hand and Tom holding the other said wistfully, "I still can't believe we're back home," as he pushed the other stroller.

Tom smirked and mused, "Well, no reason to hide anymore, seeing as all the chumps from the train are now dead and buried.

That much was accurate. Maddison would never be truly safe, according to Tim, because of her involvement in The Arctics' failure in Sta Rosa, but for the time being, it would do. She no longer recognized people by their faces, and she had not seen anything beyond what Squad Six had. When dealing with a group like The Arctics, if anyone wanted to come after her, it would be out of pure retaliation, and no false identity would protect her from that.

Naturally, as long as they had a say in the matter, neither Tim nor Tom would permit anything to happen to her. Before Maddison was able to pull them back in and warn them in no uncertain terms that if they tried to quit, she would evict them both from the house they hadn't yet purchased, they had already gotten very far into a discussion about giving up completely.

"I can manage when you're away, and that will make our time together all the better," the woman said. "I don't need two mopey-looking wolves sitting around trying to do the "right thing."

Fortunately, Tim and Tom were both too intelligent to challenge authority in that particular situation. And so it was resolved. They would join Squad Six on active duty as soon as The Firm had them back, and they would spend as much time as they could at home. It was decided that Laguna would serve as home. Not because of the wonderful weather, but rather because Maddison could complete her degree there and find employment she liked, and Jerome had already made himself at home there. It would also be simpler to coordinate with more members of Squad Six there.

The weather did help, though.

Tim thought to himself, "Almost like none of it ever happened."

"Make no mistake about that. It took place. We won't ever forget it," Tom said in a hushed voice.

That's awfully unkind of you to say, Maddison said, arching an eyebrow at Tom as Tim glanced over at his brother.

"I'm not saying that as a bad thing," Tom shook his head and waved his hand. I believe it is good. We met. Fate had decreed that it should be this way. We had our boys—under less-than-ideal circumstances, to be sure—and we'd be able to return to the open air eventually. Everything worked out as it should have. "I don't want to forget the events that brought us together, no matter how horrific they were."

Tim nodded thoughtfully as he walked past another family strolling on a Sunday that wasn't quite as large as his. Not everyone could be as fortunate, and Tim hoped that his family would grow much larger.

"If you say it like that, I think I have to agree."

"Look at Tim listening to the voice of reason," Tom boasted, laughing.

"I could have done without all the blood," Maddison said, scrunching her nose.

Tim grinned as he brushed his thumb across her soft, smooth skin. Yes, the past wasn't always ideal, but they could live with that. They could deal with anything as long as they were together. They eventually arrived at a small park shaded by trees. Winter was approaching, and while it wasn't particularly warm outside, the boys were nicely bundled up. As if reading each other's minds, the twins parked the strollers next to a swing set and picked up the baby boys.

Tim slid Ryker into the left swing, while Tom slid Reidan into the right baby swing. There was a regular swing in the middle, and Maddison giggled as she sat down on it, beginning to gain momentum while the sounds of Ryker and Reidan laughing filled the air as the wolves gently pushed them.

Tim's gaze met Tom's as they both pushed the swings, and they nodded to one another. This... happiness was not something they had anticipated. But it had happened, and they'd both accepted it as if it were perfectly normal, as if it was exactly what they'd been waiting for all along. A large part of Tim told him it was. This was exactly what they needed.

When confronted with a very real, very convincing reason to be there, to be present and in the moment, all the womanizing, running around, Tom's "bad boy" antics, and his wild spirit seemed to mellow out immediately. They'd both do anything for their kids and mate, and Tim had never felt anything like it. He'd always looked out for his brother and his squad, but now he'd give not only his life, but also his soul, for the sake of his family's health and safety.

He was finally becoming the man he had always desired, and it felt fantastic.

Tim took a deep breath and smiled as the air became crisp. It was almost as if he'd forgotten how to do it for years and was only now remembering, along with everything else that made him human. Tim was now reining in the wolf, who had been given far too much freedom. Anger, confusion, and depression had that effect on a shifter, making it easy to lose one's human side as the beast grew stronger and more in control.

It helped that the main source of his discomfort was now resolved. Blake was no longer a factor. All of Blake's claims were refuted before they even went to trial, thanks to Maddison's friend Charlie, and the man was left gnashing his teeth and spewing hatred, but that was it. Tim felt bad for ever getting caught up in the nonsense the heartbroken and pained man had concocted, but he doubted he could have done anything differently in retrospect.

Tom was and would probably always be a jerk. And everyone makes mistakes. It was difficult to think otherwise when confronted with compelling evidence. Tim had even double-checked Blake's facts, but the people he had spoken with had missed the key clue that Maddison had discovered. He would be eternally grateful.

She improved both him and Tom. They were finally becoming the men they should and could be with her. And that gave Tim a sense of assurance unlike any other. He could be a father figure to his children. He could have the kind of relationship with his friends that he'd always thought was impossible for him. He could live the life he thought he couldn't. In a word, it was thrilling. And perhaps a sense of relief that his life didn't have to be a series of hoops to jump through with nothing more than physical comfort on the other side.

He had something to fight for now. Something that meant so much to him that he couldn't put it into words. But when Tom gave him a mischievous grin, Tim knew it was time to give it a shot. That they both attempted.

So, after slowly coming to a halt on the swings, they both picked up the children and stood in front of Maddison. She looked at them, perplexed, but Tim gave her a reassuring smile, which she happily mirrored.

"We've been thinking about this for a while, Maddison," he began, looking at Tom.

"Yes, we have. We have something to say, and I believe you should listen to us. So we figured we'd take you somewhere you had to go."

"Not that we expect you to flee or anything, but... well, who knows with you, always sticking your nose in the wrong place," Tim joked, drawing a playful glare from Maddison.

"All right, smart asses. "I'm listening," she said, her fingers wrapped around the swing's cords and her legs crossed.

With her flaming red mane billowing around her in gorgeous waves and her curious eyes slipping from Tim to Tom and back again, she looked like a goddess to him.

"So, we know we haven't known each other for very long. But I believe there are numerous reasons for us to learn as much as we can about one another. Would you agree? " Tim inquired, slightly adjusting Ryker's position in his arms and receiving an enthusiastic hug in return.

Maddison nodded, a slight frown on her face. "Yes," she said hesitantly, her eyes narrowing as she must have been trying to figure out where they were going with all of this.

"Maddison, I love you," Tom said, and there was a note of softness there that tugged at Tim's heartstrings, so he knew it had to do the same for Maddison.

"And I love you, too," Tim added, smiling.

Her eyes welled up slightly as she stood up, ready to embrace both of them. "I adore you as well!" " she yelled, her voice cracking slightly.

Tom smiled and stopped her from going in for a hug by placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small dark green velvet box. Maddison's eyes widened when she saw it, and she nearly squealed when Tom opened it to reveal a stunning ring.

"So we were wondering," Tim continued, now grinning like a jack-o'-lantern, "if you'd do us the honor of becoming our wife and mate?" ”

She smiled happily and nodded assent without hesitation. "Of course!" says the speaker. ”

Both sets of twins and Madison embraced her in a huge group hug. They all looked incredibly happy. Her lips moved to Tom in the most natural way possible after Tim kissed her first. Having her so close by and his brother, as well as his closest friend and partner, were present as well, took Tim's breath away. Now that the triad was almost complete, with only the ceremony still lacking, Tim was so excited about it that his heart almost threatened to burst.

The embrace and kiss might have lasted just a split second or forever. It had the impression of being both eternal and transitory. Like he would either never run out of that contact or could live entirely off of it. He was only certain that he would never let go again. His family would always come first in his thoughts and heart, regardless of what he did. And he was fine with that.