The Pack's Doctor

Chapter 191 Quirin

Alpha Warren and I had walked the pack lands, testing the soil, finding the spots where there is the heaviest concentration of silver and the areas that are most important to clean up. He and I came up with a plan based on the most heavily trafficked areas in the pack, the places were pups were likely to be, and then the heaviest concentration of silver.

He began working on it right away, and I've never been so happy to have Warren in my pack. With everything going on, I need to be focused on Kennedy and my pups, not worrying about Jasper's silver contamination.

However, Warren did tell me that he and Yara would like a house of their own. So we found a spot where the two of them wanted to build and added that the first part of clean up so we can break ground on their home. Until then, they are on our Gamma floor.

I can't say I'm getting used to the noise that constantly seems to come from that floor, but I will say that it feels like good practice for me.

Today, however, Kennedy and I are going to her ultrasound. I can't wait. I'm so excited to see my pups and find out how many boys I'm having. I'm excited about the girls too, of course, but I'm an older Alpha and I need an heir. Although, after seeing Warren's struggles, maybe I shouldn't rush retirement.

As I go to find Kennedy, I smile thinking of the possibility of having a couple of girls that look like her running around. We might even have some of our pups who prefer medicine over fighting. I've learned to be okay with that, as long as it's not my first-born son. And I realize quickly that I'd better keep that opinion to myself too. My mate will hand me my ass if she thinks that I'm not going to let our pups decide their own future.

I find Kennedy on our floor working with Christy painting the nursery. She's not on bedrest yet and as long as she's not on a ladder or step-stool, I'm perfectly fine with her painting. I notice that her guards today are Leo and Terrance and Leo is the one up on the ladder, painting up by the ceiling. Apparently he doesn't want his mate on a ladder or step-stool just yet

either.

When I get there, my mate turns to me. 'You know I heard those thoughts, right?' she asks in the mind link, raising an eyebrow at me.

Since I keep my mind open to her all the time, I was more hoping that she was too busy to be paying attention.

'Don't you always pay attention to everything that's going on in my head, Quirin?” she asks, again in the mind link.

That's different, your mind is a beautiful place.'

'And your mind is a very structured, very regimented place, but no less beautiful to me."

I smile, walking over to her and opens her mind even more, letting her golden light flow through me. I lean down and take her in my arms as my mouth finds hers. Her arms go around me and as always, she gives herself to me freely.

I had been surprised the other night when we'd been having our marathon sex fest that seems to be a nightly thing now when she reversed our positions. She'd had a tentative look on her face, something I rarely see on Kennedy's face and never when its just the two of us. Then, she'd leaned down, nuzzling my throat.

I'd gone nearly rigid, knowing what she was asking. I've never submitted to anyone since my father died, not even Alpha Harold. I accepted him as my Alpha, but I never submitted. However, I knew that if this is what Kennedy needs and wants in our relationship, it's what I'll give her. Nothing is more important than she is.

Raif and I had growled softly, but we'd done it, lifted our chin and submitted to our mate. Rather than feeling powerless, I'd felt her pride and love blasting into me. It was so unexpected that I'd come instantly, the orgasm shocking me with its strength as she'd gently nipped my throat, accepting my submission while my body jerked underneath her.

And something about that moment had pushed the darkness away completely. It hasn't been back, even when Kennedy isn't

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actively in my head. That's not to say that I don't get angry or frustrated, I do. But now it doesn't feel like a heavy, dark blanket covering my mind. It's an emotion that I manage, control, and deal with before moving on.

I hear several throats clearing around us, but I ignore them.

"Alpha this isn't your bedroom. We can leave if you need us to I hear Leo saying, and I feel Kennedy's lips curve into a smile

"We have important things to do Alpha. Maybe we can celebrate later," she says. "We are definitely celebrating later."

I smile, taking her hand in mine and leading her out of the room.

I asked Warren what I could do to thank him for his help and to thank Luna Yara

for saving my mate. At first he'd said there was no need to thank them, but when I pushed, he'd gotten a very mischievous smile on his face.

"You could fill your packhouse with flowers."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah, my mate LOVES flowers and whatever she doesn't put in our bedroom, you can give to the pack."

So, I ordered hundreds of flowers. The best part was that my mate loved them too, something I didn't know about her. The second best part was watching Luna Yara stomp up to her mate and blame him for the flowers. Even after he tried to pawn it off on me, she knew whose idea it was. She'd thanked me while still glaring at her mate who just smiled a big cheshire cat grin at her.

The pack ended up loving them too. I noticed several warriors snagging a rose here or a carnation there and giving them to the person they love or were trying to woo into bed.

As we walk through the forest of flowers and out the packhouse door, I let the feelnoveldrama

of the pack flow through me. I can't get over how different, how much better, it feels here.

I pull my mate's hand to my mouth and kiss it.

"It's not me, you know," Kennedy says.

"It is you. You made these changes," I tell her

"It starts at the top Quirin. You had to change for the pack to change."

"I changed because of you. I became a better man because of you. I wanted to be worthy of you as my mate and in doing so, I've become a better Alpha, too."

She stops, pulling me to a stop as well. She reaches up, cupping my cheek. "And you are going to be the most amazing father to our pups, even your daughters." "Yeah. If they look and act like you, I'm doomed. But who knows, maybe we'll end up with four boys," I say excitedly.

"Well, you know what happens then?" she says, beginning to walk again.

"What?"

She tilts her head, giving me a sly smile. "You have to give me another pup. I said

I wanted one of each, so if we have four boys, you'll have to give me another one and hope it's a girl."

I swear I feel the blood drain from my face. Five? I'd have five pups.

10:42 Sat, 29 Mar

"Let's make sure we have both then so we can be done," I say as we walk into the hospital.

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Luna Yara is waiting for us. "Ready for your big day? I'm sure we'll be able to see at least a couple of your pups to determine if you're having boys or girls and we'll be able to determine if you have any identical twins in there."

"What's the difference?" I ask.

"Identical twins come from one egg that splits. Fraternal twins are two separate eggs and have their own placenta. It's rare for an egg to split more than once, but that can happen too. So, we'll see what we can see," she says, as she leads us into what I'm now calling the Kennedy suite.

Luna Yara started getting this room ready for Kennedy the moment she told us we were having four pups. I'm sure there's more to do, but it's already set up in a comfortable way with a chair for me. Yara said delivering four pups will take a long time if Kennedy is able to deliver naturally and now that Echo is back, we're hoping she can. So, she wanted to make sure I have an opportunity to sit if I feel a bit lightheaded.

I help Kennedy get in her gown and onto the table as Yara prepares the ultrasound machine.

She gets us settled so we can all see the monitor and then turns it on. Almost immediately I see a heart beating.

"Well, that little pup likes to be seen," she says, as she begins moving the wand all around Kennedy's stomach. I look between Yara and Kennedy and I can see that both of them seem to understand what's on the screen, but I have no clue.

"What are we looking at?" I ask Kennedy.

"Right now, mom's looking to see how many placentas we have so we know if we're having identical twins," she says distractedly.

"Well, Warren will certainly be pleased to know that it wasn't a lack of passion that gave our daughter so many pups and me so few," Yara mumbles.

"Few? You have seven pups," I say, frowning at her. She turns and looks at us.

"Oh, did I say that out loud?" she asks chuckling. "Since I said that Kennedy's pups were a result of your level of passion, Warren has felt the need to remind me just how passionate of a man he is. I don't mind, but this will make him feel

better."

"What will make him feel better?" I ask, not wanting to think about what Warren,

Yara, and passion

same sentence.

mean

when said in the

"Only two placentas, Mom?" Kennedy asks.

"That's all I see," she says and I look at Kennedy who smiles up at me.

"We're having two sets of twins. Two sets of identical twins."

"You fertilized two eggs, Quirin, and then those eggs split, giving you four instead

of two, like me and Harper."

"Harper?" I ask.

"Oh, did you not know? Connor and Harper are pregnant as well. Noelle did the ultrasound on her yesterday. They're having twins."

"Oh, that's so exciting! Our pups will be the same age!" Kennedy says.

"Yeah, and because they're related, I won't have to worry if Connor has boys and I

have any girls,” I say, already wondering which of my pack members will be having boys that I'll have to watch out for.

Kennedy smiles up at me and squeezes my hand.

10:42 Sat, 29 Mar

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"Okay, so this will make things a bit easier I hope. Since we know you're having

two sets of identical twins, we only need to see the gender of two of them, one

from each placenta sac. If one is a girl, they'll both be girls and the same if one isaboy"

"Two of each would be perfect!" I say, feeling the excitement growing inside me. "Let's start with this little one who seems happy to show him or herself off," Yara says, moving the wand back to where the started. "A good heartbeat, already starting to develop well, and... it's a girl"

I smile, looking at Kennedy. "We're having two girls!"

"Let's just see if we can see her twin," she says, moving the wand down

Kennedy's side and pushing against her belly that i swear has grown in the last

week.

"Another steady heartbeat and this one also looks like she's developing well," she says, "Okay, let's look at your other set of twins."

She moves the wand around to the other side of Kennedy's stomach, checking

her positioning and moving it more.

"Another good heartbeat, developing well, and ... oh, this one is shy. I can't get a good look, let's see if we can get to the other twin," she says, moving the wand

again.

"Ahh, four strong heartbeats. Oh, and there we are, it's a ... oh goodness," she says looking up at Kennedy, then at me.

"What? What's goodness? What?" I ask in rapid fire succession, looking between Kennedy and Yara.

"It looks like you're going to have four girls, Quirin," Luna Yara says slowly.

Girls. Four girls. FOUR! GIRLS!

I think I hear Kennedy somewhere in the background, or maybe it's in my head,

I'm not sure. Four girls. I'm having four girls. Oh goddess!

I'm not exactly sure when I started swaying, but I feel something soft shoved

under my head a moment before it hits the floor and I pass out again.