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The penthouse was quiet and that is rare, golden kind of quiet that only came after the twins’ morning feeding. The Seoul skyline glowed pale through the sheer curtains, the city not yet loud enough to compete with the hum of the espresso machine.
Zoey stood in the middle of the living room, stretching her arms above her head until her joints popped. Her sleeveless workout shirt clung to her shoulders, and a faint sheen of determination gleamed in her eyes. Alpha instincts, restless as always.
She had told Mira and Rumi, “Just a quick workout, promise,” with that lopsided grin that always disarmed them both. The omegas had rolled their eyes in unison because when Zoey said quick, she usually meant an hour.
Still, Mira had gone to the kitchen to slice fruits for breakfast, while Rumi was in the nursery sorting the twins’ clothes.
Zoey adjusted the dumbbells on the floor heavy, matte black, too boring and sighed. “You know,” she muttered to herself, “weights don’t squeal or smile back.”
Her eyes flicked toward the playpen.
Inside, two tiny bundles of chaos sat surrounded by soft blocks and plushies. The twins Haneul and Areum identical in their big brown eyes and chubby cheeks, but opposites in everything else. Haneul chewed on a plush bunny with single-minded intensity Areum had a sock in her hand for reasons only she understood.
Zoey smiled, melting instantly. My little miracles.
Her alpha instincts buzzed again not with aggression, but with energy, that internal thrum that said move, lift, protect. Normally she’d take it to the gym. But being appa now meant every move revolved around these two tiny suns.
“Alright, mini-alphas,” she said softly, crouching beside them. “Appa’s gonna do some warm-ups, okay? No crying, no tattling to your ummas.”
Areum giggled. Haneul blinked solemnly then sneezed on her arm.
“Perfect start,” Zoey muttered, laughing.
She began her stretches, eyes flicking between the twins and the mirror wall. Her movements were fluid but cautious because the last time she tried this, a certain baby had decided to crawl onto her yoga mat mid-plank.
This morning felt calmer though. The omegas were distracted. The twins were calm. The world was peaceful.
That peace lasted exactly five minutes.
Mira peeked from the kitchen doorway, hair tied up messily, apron still on. “Zoey, don’t overdo it. You haven’t had breakfast yet.”
“I’m fine, love,” Zoey called back, mid-squat. “Just a few reps.”
Rumi’s voice echoed from the hallway, teasing and sharp, “That’s what you said before breaking the guest chair last week!”
Zoey winced. “That was one time!”
Both omegas laughed, and the sound made Zoey’s chest ache that warm, possessive kind of love that made her want to hold all three of them close and never let go.
Still, her arms itched for movement.
The twins were now both standing, holding onto the edge of the playpen. Areum babbled something incomprehensible, her little hands clapping. Haneul copied her, but her aim was terrible and she smacked herself in the face.
Zoey chuckled and crouched in front of them. “You two are gonna be trouble when you start walking, huh?”
Areum answered with a squeal that sounded suspiciously like agreement.
Then Mira’s voice again, soft but firm, “Zoey, can you keep an eye on them for a second? Rumi and I are going to check the laundry.”
Zoey looked up, eyes wide. “Wait, me? Alone?”
Rumi appeared in the doorway, smirking. “Relax, alpha. It’s not like you’ll start training them for combat.”
Zoey snorted. “Very funny.”
Mira blew her a quick kiss, and the two omegas disappeared down the hallway leaving Zoey, her restless alpha energy, and two giggling babies.
The penthouse felt suddenly too quiet.
Zoey exhaled, glanced at the dumbbells, then at the twins. Dumbbells. Twins. Dumbbells. Twins.
A dangerous thought crossed her mind one that started as a joke, then began to sound funny enough to try.
She picked up a dumbbell, curling it once, twice. Easy. Too easy. Her muscles craved a challenge. She set it down. Looked back at her pups, who were now holding out their arms toward her, demanding to be picked up.
Zoey grinned slowly.
“Oh no,” she whispered. “Appa just got an idea.”
Haneul squealed. Areum clapped her tiny hands, as if cheering on the disaster that was about to unfold.
Zoey crouched beside the playpen, eyes gleaming with mischief and tenderness all at once. “You wanna help appa train? Be my little weights today?”
Of course, they didn’t understand a word but the answer came in the form of twin giggles that filled the room.
And with that, Zoey the Alpha, soldier, protector, hopelessly softhearted idiot prepared to do something that would give both her mates a heart attack in approximately ten minutes.
The moment Mira and Rumi disappeared down the hallway, Zoey stood frozen for exactly three seconds. The apartment was too still, too clean, too quiet.
Then a small, curious giggle broke the silence.
Zoey turned. The twins were staring at her like she’d hung the moon or maybe like they sensed she was about to do something ridiculous. Their big brown eyes shimmered with mischief that could only be genetic.
“Well,” Zoey sighed dramatically, hands on her hips. “You two look way too happy to be sitting still.”
Areum smacked her palms on the mat. Pat-pat-pat! Haneul let out a squeal of excitement, tiny curls bouncing.
Zoey laughed softly. “Alright, alright — you win. Appa’s workout buddies it is.”
She knelt, gently picking up Haneul first. The little pup immediately latched her hands onto Zoey’s tank top, babbling proudly. Zoey kissed her forehead. “You ready, champ?”
A giggle. A tiny kick of legs. Permission granted.
She stood up, testing the weight. “Hmm, about… seven kilos of pure adorableness.”
Haneul squealed at the sound of her own voice echoing in the living room.
Zoey grabbed Areum next, balancing her on the other arm, and suddenly she looked like some mythic figure sculpted by chaos an alpha mom in sweats, each arm holding a delighted baby who had no idea they were about to become part of a workout circuit.
“Alright, curls first,” Zoey murmured, voice mock-serious. “Form is everything. Engage your core, stabilize your posture, and—”
She bent her arms slowly, curling both twins upward like living dumbbells.
Haneul squealed. Areum shrieked with laughter, little fingers curling in Zoey’s hair.
“—and breathe,” Zoey said through a grin, doing another rep. “Who needs metal weights when you’ve got these two cuties, huh?”
The room filled with baby giggles and Zoey’s mock-coach commentary.
“Up we go! One! Two! Three! Oh no—don’t drool on your appa’s face, Areum, that’s cheating!”
The twins didn’t care they were having the time of their lives.
Every curl made them laugh harder. Their tiny shoes brushed against Zoey’s chest, their fingers tangled in her hair, their giggles ringing like chimes.
Zoey was laughing too now, breathless, happy in that wild, domestic way that didn’t make sense but felt like the most natural thing in the world.
“Who needs a gym?” she panted, shifting to squats. “Appa’s got… the ultimate… resistance training!”
Down, up. Down, up. Each squat made the twins squeal louder.
Areum’s little hands flailed like she was conducting a symphony. Haneul leaned against Zoey’s shoulder, giggling into her neck, completely oblivious to the chaos she was part of.
From the hallway, a faint sound maybe the dryer beeping.
Zoey froze mid-squat, glancing toward the door like a guilty teenager.
Then she whispered to the twins, “We keep this between us, alright? Umma and Eomma don’t need to know their appa’s turning you into mini dumbbells.”
The twins responded with identical squeals. To Zoey, that was agreement.
“Good girls,” she grinned, “teamwork makes the dream work.”
She switched to bicep curls again, holding the twins securely under their arms, careful never to jostle them too much. Her alpha strength made it effortless the babies were safe, cradled perfectly, and having a blast.
By the fourth set, Zoey was sweating lightly, breathing harder, but still smiling. She looked down at her daughters both red -faced from giggling.
“You two are trouble,” she whispered, kissing Areum’s cheek. “Just like your umma.”
She kissed Haneul next. “And just as bossy as your eomma.”
The twins responded with twin squeals so loud Zoey almost dropped into laughter herself.
Then, feeling mischievous, she switched to a lunge one knee down, one up while gently raising one baby per motion.
“Appa’s unstoppable,” she bragged. “World’s strongest mom—”
A sudden click echoed from the hallway.
Zoey froze.
Footsteps.
Voices.
Rumi’s laugh followed by Mira’s soft murmur.
The color drained from Zoey’s face.
She looked at the twins, both staring up at her with the wide-eyed innocence of accomplices who had no idea what they’d done.
“Oh no,” Zoey whispered. “Don’t tell them. Don’t tell—”
The door opened.
“Zoey, did you—” Mira’s voice cut off.
Both omegas stood at the threshold, eyes wide, frozen like statues.
Because there she was Han Zoey, their alpha mate mid-squat, holding one baby in each arm like gym equipment.
The twins, bless their tiny hearts, squealed with joy and waved at their moms.
“Appaaaaa!”
Mira’s jaw dropped. Rumi’s eyes twitched.
“WHAT—”
“IN THE—”
Zoey blinked, cheeks flushing bright red. “Uh… surprise family fitness program?”
Rumi’s voice hit an octave only panic could reach. “YOU’RE USING OUR PUPS AS WEIGHTS?!”
“Technically,” Zoey said quickly, “they’re resistance tools! It’s good for bonding!”
“Zoey!” Mira shrieked, running forward, hands outstretched. “You could’ve dropped them!”
“I didn’t! Look, perfect form!”
“Perfect—?!” Rumi clutched her head, half in disbelief, half trying not to laugh.
The twins were giggling uncontrollably now, squealing as Zoey lowered them into Mira and Rumi’s arms.
Areum immediately grabbed Mira’s hair; Haneul reached for Rumi’s necklace.
Both omegas checked them over like doctors, muttering frantically.
Zoey stood awkwardly, hands raised in surrender, trying not to smile at the sight of her mates fussing over the happily unbothered twins.
Mira turned to glare at her, cheeks flushed pink from panic and anger. “One second, Zoey. We leave you alone for one second, and you start a circus act!”
Zoey’s lips twitched. “It was educational?”
Rumi pinched the bridge of her nose. “You’re sleeping on the couch.”
Zoey winced. “Worth it.”
The twins clapped their little hands, mimicking Rumi’s tone perfectly. “Worth it!”
All three adults froze.
Then Mira groaned into her hands while Rumi burst into laughter, shaking her head in disbelief. Zoey grinned sheepishly, wiping sweat from her forehead.
The twins giggled louder, as if cheering their appa’s chaos.
And though Mira and Rumi were ready to scold her into next week neither could quite stop smiling at the sight of their happy, panting alpha and their squealing daughters, the living picture of love and lunacy.
For a few seconds, no one spoke.
Just the sound of two babies giggling, the faint hum of the air conditioner, and one very guilty alpha trying to look smaller than she actually was which, given Zoey’s height, was a losing battle.
Rumi broke first. “I can’t believe this. You were literally curling our pups, Zoey.”
Zoey raised her hands. “Technically your pups too, so that’s—”
“Don’t.” Mira cut her off with a glare sharp enough to slice through steel.
Zoey clamped her mouth shut.
Mira, still clutching Areum, was pacing back and forth like a storm on heels. “I leave you alone for five minutes. Five minutes! And you turn the living room into a gym-slash-daycare hybrid?!”
Rumi sat beside Haneul on the couch, checking every tiny finger and toe for the fifth time. “She’s fine,” she muttered, half to herself, half to Mira. “Thank goddess she’s fine.”
“Of course she’s fine,” Zoey mumbled, rubbing the back of her neck. “I was careful—”
Mira spun on her heel. “Careful? You were doing lunges with our pups!”
Zoey blinked. “…Technically they’re excellent for leg—”
“Han Zoey!”
Zoey flinched. Even the twins went quiet for a second startled by the sudden rise in umma’s voice.
Then, as if sensing their appa’s doom, both twins let out tiny, high-pitched laughs.
Zoey looked at them, betrayed. “Don’t laugh, you little traitors!”
Haneul clapped. Areum squealed.
Mira exhaled through her nose, clearly trying not to smile. Rumi wasn’t as successful; her lips twitched despite herself.
“Zoey,” Rumi said finally, voice softer but no less firm. “You scared us.”
That made Zoey’s shoulders drop. She met Rumi’s eyes, guilt flickering under her playful grin.
“I didn’t mean to,” she said quietly. “I just… they looked so happy. I thought maybe it’d be fun for them. They were laughing, and I swear I was holding them tight.”
Mira’s glare faltered. She bit her lip, torn between exasperation and affection. “You can’t just experiment like that, jagi. They’re not plushies.”
“I know.” Zoey’s voice softened even more. “They’re my girls. I’d never let anything happen to them.”
Something in her tone that quiet conviction, the steady warmth beneath her usual awkward charm made both omegas pause.
Zoey looked away, embarrassed. “It’s just… they’re growing so fast. And sometimes I feel like I miss it, you know? When they laugh like that… I just want to be part of it. Even if I look like an idiot doing it.”
Rumi’s expression melted first. Her heart always gave out quicker. She stood and walked toward Zoey, one hand resting gently on her arm. “You don’t look like an idiot,” she murmured. “Just a dangerously creative alpha.”
Zoey cracked a small grin. “So… a hot idiot?”
“Zoey,” Mira warned, though her tone had softened too.
Rumi laughed quietly, shaking her head. “Don’t encourage her.”
But Zoey couldn’t help the grin tugging at her lips. “Hey, they had fun. That counts for something, right?”
As if on cue, Areum reached from Mira’s arms toward Zoey, little fingers grasping the air. “Appaaa!”
Zoey’s expression softened instantly. She took a cautious step forward. “Yeah, baby, appa’s here.”
Mira sighed long and dramatic, the kind that said I love you but you make my blood pressure spike daily.
“Come here,” she said finally, handing Areum back to Zoey. “But no more lifting her like a dumbbell.”
Zoey nodded solemnly. “Scout’s honor.”
Rumi raised a brow. “You were never a scout.”
“I’m improvising.”
Mira groaned into her hands while Rumi laughed again that light, musical laugh that always made Zoey’s chest feel full.
“Fine,” Mira muttered, trying to maintain her stern tone. “But if I ever see you doing squats with them again—”
Zoey grinned. “You’ll join me?”
“—you’ll be grounded.”
Zoey blinked. “Can… alphas be grounded?”
Rumi crossed her arms. “You live with two omegas and two toddlers. You tell me.”
Zoey winced. “Fair point.”
The twins had started giggling again Areum tugging at Zoey’s shirt, Haneul crawling toward her on the couch like a determined little puppy. Zoey reached out, scooping both girls into her lap with gentle ease.
“See? Everyone’s fine.” She kissed each of their foreheads, murmuring, “My strong girls. My favorite little weights.”
Mira groaned. “Stop calling them that.”
Zoey chuckled. “Sorry. My favorite little… angels.”
“Better.”
Rumi sat beside her, leaning her head on Zoey’s shoulder. “You’re impossible, you know that?”
Zoey smiled, resting her cheek on Rumi’s hair. “You love me anyway.”
Mira sat on the other side, pretending to scowl, though the corners of her mouth betrayed her. “Barely.”
“Liar.”
The twins cooed between them, unaware of the tension melting away, giggling as their family’s laughter filled the room.
For a few minutes, they just sat there four souls tangled together in warmth and exhaustion.
Then, inevitably, Zoey whispered, “So… next time, maybe baby planks?”
Mira shot up. “Han Zoey—!”
Rumi burst out laughing so hard she nearly fell off the couch.
Zoey ducked behind the twins for cover, using them like tiny shields. “You wouldn’t yell in front of the babies!”
“Watch me!” Mira growled but her voice broke mid-sentence, laughter spilling through her scolding.
The twins squealed, clapping their little hands, thinking this was all part of the game.
Zoey grinned at them, whispering conspiratorially, “See? Appa wins again.”
Areum poked her nose. “Win!”
Zoey’s grin turned into pure, hopeless adoration. “That’s right, princess. Appa wins… but don’t tell your ummas.”
“Appa,” Mira muttered, arms crossed but smiling despite herself, “you’re so lucky they adore you.”
Zoey looked up, sheepish and soft all at once. “Yeah,” she said quietly, glancing at her mates and daughters. “I know.”
Mira stood with her arms crossed, one brow raised, the picture of stern omega authority.
Rumi sat beside her, biting her lip to hide her grin. Zoey, on the other hand, looked like a soldier caught mid-crime sweaty, guilty, and surrounded by her giggling twin accomplices.
“I’m serious, Zoey,” Mira said at last, her tone dangerously calm. “You’re sleeping on the couch tonight.”
Zoey froze. “Wait— what?!”
Rumi snorted, immediately hiding her face in Haneul’s curls.
Mira didn’t flinch. “You heard me. Couch. No bed. No cuddles.”
Zoey blinked, as if she’d just been told the sun wouldn’t rise tomorrow. “Mira, jagi, the love of my life along with Rumi, let’s not make rash decisions here—”
“Rash?” Mira’s voice rose an octave. “You used our daughters as dumbbells!”
“They volunteered!” Zoey said quickly, pointing helplessly at the twins, who were babbling happily on the playmat. “You saw them laughing! They wanted to help!”
Rumi lost it completely. She doubled over, laughter spilling uncontrollably. “Oh, god Zoey, they can barely walk. They didn’t volunteer, they were just… babies being babies!”
“They were so supportive!” Zoey insisted, gesturing wildly. “Haneul even cheered for me! She went ‘aaah!’ that’s encouragement!”
“Han Zoey!” Mira snapped, cheeks flushing red whether from anger or disbelief, no one knew. “You could’ve gotten hurt. They could’ve gotten hurt. What if one slipped?”
Zoey’s playful grin faltered instantly. Her voice softened. “They wouldn’t. I wouldn’t let that happen.”
For a heartbeat, Mira hesitated because she knew that tone. The soft, unwavering one that belonged to the alpha who never once failed to protect them.
But then the image of Zoey doing lunges with their babies resurfaced, and the wave of panic returned.
“No,” Mira said firmly, pointing toward the living room sofa. “Couch. End of discussion.”
Zoey’s jaw dropped. “Mira, my back—”
“Will survive.”
“My heart won’t!”
Rumi was wheezing with laughter now, tears in her eyes. “Appa’s in troubleee,” she teased in a sing-song tone to the twins.
The twins, delighted by the melody, began chanting something vaguely similar. “Appa! Appa! Appa!”
Zoey immediately pointed at them, triumphant. “SEE?! Even the jury agrees with me!”
Mira stared at the twins who were clapping and chanting “Appa!” like a tiny cheer squad then at Rumi, who was now laughing into a pillow.
“You’re all ganging up on me,” she muttered.
Zoey clasped her hands dramatically. “Mira, my love, my moonlight, my entire cardiovascular system—”
“Stop flattering me.”
“—I APOLOGIZE THIS ISN’T WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE— okay it is what it looks like but I swear it’s also cardio-based bonding!”
Rumi actually slid off the couch laughing. “Cardio-based bonding?! You’re insane!”
Zoey nodded solemnly. “A romantic and revolutionary alpha, yes.”
Mira pinched the bridge of her nose. “You’re a menace.”
“Your menace,” Zoey corrected immediately.
Mira glared. “Not tonight you’re not.”
Zoey gasped, hand over her chest. “You wouldn’t—”
“I would.”
“You’re cruel, Han Mira.”
“I learned from the best Han Zoey.”
The twins, completely oblivious to the tension, had now crawled over to Zoey’s lap, tugging at her shirt. Areum climbed onto her thigh with surprising determination, babbling happily.
Zoey looked down at them and sighed, instantly melting. “You’re my only allies, huh?”
“Appa!” both girls squealed, arms reaching up.
“Exactly,” Zoey whispered, kissing each tiny head. “Appa supremacy.”
Mira groaned into her palms. “You’re teaching them bad habits.”
Rumi finally sat up, cheeks pink from laughing too hard. “Honestly, I think they’re teaching her bad habits.”
Zoey pretended to look offended. “Excuse me, I’m a wonderful influence.”
Mira arched a brow. “You just turned them into dumbbells.”
Zoey gestured dramatically. “Babybells.”
Rumi fell over again. “STOP—” she choked out between laughs.
Even Mira broke then the stern façade cracking as a snort escaped her. “You’re impossible.”
Zoey grinned, triumphant. “And yet, you married me.”
“I regret that every day,” Mira muttered, though the warmth in her voice betrayed her.
“Liar.”
The twins started babbling nonsense again, mimicking the rhythm of their parents’ argument. “Appa—ma—um—ha—ha!”
Zoey gasped. “Did you hear that? They said ‘Appa love!’”
Mira deadpanned. “They said ‘ha-ha.’ They’re mocking you.”
Zoey pouted. “My own pups…”
Rumi, now regaining her composure, stood and walked over, kissing Zoey’s cheek softly. “You do realize you can’t talk your way out of couch duty, right?”
Zoey sighed dramatically. “I had to try.”
Mira crossed her arms, still pretending to be firm. “And no sneaking into bed after I fall asleep this time.”
Zoey’s lips twitched. “No promises.”
“Zoey.”
“Okay, fine.”
“Good.”
“…What if the twins miss me though?” Zoey said hopefully.
Rumi smirked. “Then they can keep you company. On. The. Couch.”
Zoey’s shoulders slumped. “This is injustice.”
Mira exhaled, fighting a smile. “This is consequence.”
The twins, sensing the end of the chaos, began to yawn the excitement finally wearing off. Areum rubbed her eyes. Haneul leaned against Zoey’s shoulder, thumb in her mouth.
And just like that, the energy in the room softened.
Mira’s expression melted again as she watched Zoey cradle the sleepy twins, rocking them gently while humming under her breath. Despite the chaos, the couch sentencing, and the laughter, this was their home loud, messy, and full of love.
Rumi nudged Mira with a quiet chuckle. “Still gonna make her sleep on the couch?”
Mira hesitated, watching Zoey’s sleepy smile as she pressed soft kisses to each twin’s hair.
Then she sighed. “Yes. But only because she’s too smug right now.”
Rumi grinned. “Fair.”
Zoey looked up hopefully. “Wait, so there’s a chance for bed parole?”
“Tomorrow,” Mira said. “If you behave.”
Zoey grinned. “I’ll take it.”
The twins were already half-asleep in her arms when she whispered, “See, girls? Totally worth it.”
Rumi laughed quietly. Mira groaned but even she couldn’t hide the small, fond smile tugging at her lips.
////
The penthouse had gone quiet. The kind of hush that only came after a day of laughter, panic, and baby squeals.
Zoey lay sprawled on the couch, arms folded behind her head, staring at the ceiling like a tragic poet. A soft blanket covered her legs; beside her, the baby monitor glowed faintly, playing the twins’ tiny, rhythmic breaths.
Couch arrest. Solitary confinement. Exiled by love.
“This is cruel and unusual punishment,” she muttered dramatically into the dark.
She rolled over, groaning. “I’m an alpha, not a criminal! Okay, maybe a baby dumbbell trainer, but still—”
A tiny noise interrupted her rant.
“…ba?”
Zoey blinked. Then turned her head and there, peeking from the hallway, was a small shadow toddling closer.
Haneul. Her tiny night wanderer, hair sticking up like a baby chick, eyes wide with sleep.
“Oh no,” Zoey whispered, sitting up. “Haneul, what are you doing out of bed?”
Haneul wobbled closer, clutching her plush bunny. “Appa…”
Zoey melted instantly. “Oh, baby…” She scooped her up and tucked her against her chest. “Did you miss appa?”
Haneul gave a soft hum of agreement, thumb finding her mouth as she nestled under Zoey’s chin.
Zoey smiled, rocking gently. “Don’t tell umma and eomma, but I missed you too.”
A few moments later as if on cue another sleepy sound came from the hallway.
“Appaaa…”
Zoey sighed, already grinning. “And here comes twin number two.”
Areum stumbled out, dragging her blanket like a cape.
Zoey reached out a hand. “Come here, baby hero.”
Areum toddled over and climbed onto Zoey’s lap beside her sister, immediately curling into the crook of her arm.
Within seconds, both girls were half-asleep again, warm and safe against her chest.
Zoey exhaled softly. “See, this is what I meant. Cardio bonding and emotional connection.”
No one answered, obviously except for a soft baby snore.
Zoey’s heart swelled painfully. “You two are gonna destroy me when you grow up,” she whispered, brushing a kiss on each tiny forehead. “Just like your ummas.”
She lay there for a while, the twins’ soft breathing filling the silence. The couch wasn’t so bad when her little girls were curled up on her like two tiny furnaces. But still…
Her gaze drifted toward the bedroom door.
The faint sliver of light under it teased her warm, golden, inviting.
She could picture it perfectly. Mira curled against Rumi, both asleep, the bed soft and big and so much better than this stupid couch.
Her alpha instincts kicked in.
Mission: Bed Retrieval.
Objective: Rejoin pack without detection.
Obstacles: Two omegas with excellent hearing.
She whispered to the twins, “Alright, soldiers. Operation Snuggle Infiltration starts now.”
Areum snored. Haneul drooled.
“Good enough,” Zoey said, rising slowly, carefully holding both babies in her arms.
Step one: avoid the squeaky floorboard near the kitchen.
Step two: pray Mira isn’t half-awake reading webnovels again.
Step three: act innocent if caught.
She tiptoed down the hall, each movement calculated and quiet. The twins stirred a little but stayed asleep.
“Appa stealth level: 9000,” she whispered proudly.
Finally, she reached the bedroom door. It was cracked open just slightly.
Inside, she could see them Mira on the left, face buried in her pillow, and Rumi on the right, curled toward her, the soft rhythm of their breathing filling the dark.
Zoey’s heart softened instantly.
She whispered, “My girls.”
Carefully, she pushed the door open just enough to slip inside. The floor didn’t creak (thank the stars). The air smelled faintly of lavender and Mira’s shampoo.
She approached the bed like it was a holy relic.
And then, with the gentlest precision, she lowered the twins onto the space between their ummas. Both babies immediately rolled onto their sides, one hand reaching for each omega like instinct.
Zoey smiled. “Traitors,” she whispered fondly.
She stood there for a moment, debating. Mira had sentenced her to the couch. But the bed was right there. Soft. Warm. Home.
Her resolve crumbled in two seconds flat.
Zoey crept onto the mattress, careful as a cat, lying down at the very edge beside Rumi. She exhaled quietly bliss. Sweet, forbidden bliss.
Mira stirred.
Zoey froze.
Mira’s voice came, groggy but dangerous. “Zoey…”
Zoey winced. “Yes, my radiant moonflower?”
“I told you,” Mira mumbled without opening her eyes, “you’re on the couch.”
“I know,” Zoey whispered back. “But… the twins defected. I’m just following protocol.”
Rumi snorted softly in her sleep. Mira exhaled, exasperated.
“You’re unbelievable.”
Zoey smiled, pressing her face into Rumi’s shoulder. “And warm.”
Mira sighed but didn’t push her away. “One night. Then you’re back on the couch.”
“Of course,” Zoey said, already half-asleep.
Haneul kicked in her sleep, her tiny foot landing on Zoey’s stomach. Areum mumbled something and drooled on Mira’s sleeve.
The scene was a mess tangled arms, mismatched blankets, four heartbeats in sync.
Zoey murmured sleepily, “Told you… best workout ever…”
Mira whispered, voice softening despite herself, “Go to sleep, alpha.”
Zoey smiled faintly, eyes already closed. “Yes, ma’am…”
And just like that, the alpha outlaw drifted off in victory cuddled between her two omegas and their twin daughters, her couch sentence long forgotten.
////
Morning sunlight slipped quietly through the penthouse curtains, painting the room in gold and cream. The soft hum of the city outside was distant muffled, calm, almost peaceful.
Almost.
Because in the bed that was supposed to fit two adults… five beings were piled like a heap of sleepy chaos.
Zoey was sprawled diagonally, one arm draped protectively across both twins. Haneul’s tiny leg was over Zoey’s chest. Areum’s hand had found Mira’s hair. And Mira Mira had given up trying to sleep thirty minutes ago.
She sighed, brushing a baby hand off her face for the fifth time.
“Rumi,” she hissed softly.
A sleepy groan came from her other side. “Mmmph… what…”
“Look.”
Rumi cracked one eye open then immediately had to stifle a laugh.
Zoey, still deep asleep, had her face smushed into a pillow, mouth open slightly, hair sticking up everywhere. One baby was drooling on her shirt. The other was using her as a mattress.
Rumi bit her lip to keep from laughing. “She actually did it.”
“She snuck in,” Mira said in disbelief. “In the middle of the night.”
Rumi snorted. “With both twins.”
“She’s insane.”
“Mm-hmm,” Rumi agreed, but she was smiling.
Mira tried not to smile back. Tried. It didn’t last long.
Zoey shifted slightly, murmuring in her sleep, “No more reps… babies too heavy…”
Rumi lost it muffled giggles shaking her shoulders. Mira shot her a glare, whisper-yelling, “Don’t encourage her!”
Rumi whispered back, “I’m sorry, but she’s literally dreaming about working out with them.”
Mira buried her face in her hands. “Unbelievable. She’s still sleeping on the couch tonight.”
“Sure,” Rumi teased. “Right after she wakes up and gives the twins breakfast like that.”
As if on cue, Areum stirred, blinking sleepily before lifting her head.
“Appa…” she mumbled, hair sticking up in all directions.
Zoey blinked awake slowly, bleary-eyed and confused. “…Huh?”
Then she realized she was not on the couch. She was surrounded by the soft, warm, lavender-scented reality of her crime scene.
Mira’s sharp gaze met hers immediately.
Zoey froze. “…Good morning, my beautiful judge and jury.”
Rumi bit her lip again, shoulders shaking.
Mira crossed her arms. “You’re lucky I didn’t throw you back to the couch the second I woke up.”
Zoey straightened slightly, twins still clinging to her arms. “In my defense, they came to me. I was… summoned.”
“Summoned?” Mira repeated, voice dangerously calm.
Zoey nodded solemnly. “By my pups. Blood of my blood. My tiny, adorable conspirators.”
Rumi laughed into the pillow this time. Mira sighed so hard the bed shook.
“Zoey,” she said, pinching the bridge of her nose, “you used our daughters as weights yesterday, and now you’re using them as excuses.”
Zoey gasped dramatically. “Not excuses. Evidence! See?” She gestured at Haneul, who had just buried her face into Zoey’s neck again with a sleepy giggle. “She clearly loves me.”
Haneul giggled louder, babbling, “Appa strong!”
That did it Rumi howled. Mira glared, but even her lips twitched.
Zoey smirked triumphantly. “See? She gets it. Supportive daughter.”
Mira threw a pillow at her. “Stop teaching them nonsense!”
Zoey caught the pillow one-handed with Areum hanging onto her other arm. “Too late. They’re prodigies.”
Mira was this close to losing it, but the sight before her was too perfect: her ridiculous alpha of a mate, disheveled and grinning, with two identical giggling girls clinging to her shoulders.
It was impossible to stay mad.
Zoey must’ve sensed her softening, because her grin turned smug. “You love me.”
“I tolerate you,” Mira said automatically.
Rumi rolled over lazily, half-laughing, half-asleep. “You both love each other. Can we all nap five more minutes before breakfast?”
Zoey smiled, leaning down to press a kiss to Rumi’s forehead. “See, she gets it.”
Mira sighed, shaking her head but when Zoey reached over and brushed a stray lock of hair from her face, Mira didn’t move away.
“Next time,” Mira muttered, “you ask before turning the twins into gym equipment.”
Zoey softened instantly. “Promise.”
She leaned closer, eyes warm. “You know I’d never risk anything with them. I just—”
“Wanted to include them,” Rumi finished for her, voice sleepy and fond. “Yeah, we know.”
Zoey smiled, nodding. “Exactly.”
Mira exhaled, long and quiet. Then she reached out, resting a hand on Zoey’s arm. “You’re still reckless,” she murmured.
Zoey chuckled, low and gentle. “You married a reckless alpha.”
Mira rolled her eyes but her cheeks pinked faintly. “Don’t remind me.”
Haneul suddenly sat up, clapping her hands. “Appa, strong!”
Areum copied, “Appa, strong!”
Zoey beamed, flexing one arm dramatically. “Appa’s the strongest!”
Mira facepalmed. “You’re turning them into tiny alphas.”
Rumi laughed. “Too late.”
The room filled with giggles and light two babies clapping, Mira pretending to scold, Rumi laughing until she cried, and Zoey basking in it all, her heart full.
Eventually, Mira gave up and let herself fall back into the pillows, the corner of her mouth lifting.
Zoey reached out, brushing her fingers gently against Mira’s cheek. “Love you,” she murmured, quiet enough for only her to hear.
Mira’s lashes fluttered she didn’t respond, but her hand found Zoey’s and squeezed.
Rumi sighed contentedly beside them. “Our crazy little family,” she whispered.
Zoey smiled, pressing a kiss to each of their foreheads then to the tops of her daughters’ heads.
“Best workout partners in the world,” she said softly.
The twins giggled, Mira hid her smile in the pillow, and Rumi laughed again because yes, this was chaos, but it was their chaos.
Their love. Their pack.
And Zoey, the hopelessly strong, hopelessly soft alpha at the center of it all, wouldn’t trade it for anything.