The Pack's Doctor novel Chapter 101

Epilogue 2: Birthday.

One Year Later.

Quirin.

"Come on, Quirin! You can punch harder than that," Henry, my best friend and closest thing that I have to a brother, says to me.

"It's your birthday, Henry. I don't want to make you cry before we celebrate your big day," I taunt.

Where Henry is a shining star of happiness, I'm a black cloud of anger.

Being around him helps to keep the darkness at bay, but no one can remove the darkness that has consumed me since the day that I watched my father die.

I had planned my revenge on Alpha Warren for years, had intended to take everything that he loved from him. But all that changed a year ago when his mate saved my life. Not only had she saved my life, she'd insisted that I live. She, like Henry, had a bright golden light that shines around her. She'd taken my face in her hands and told me that I wasn't allowed to die. I had been ready to die, ready to give up the grief that I've held so deep in my heart, but she wouldn't allow it. How that woman saved my life is beyond me.

She had cared for me while I was in her hospital and while I hate her mate, I can understand why my father wanted Luna Yara as a mate. He would have fallen in love with her. I know he would have because a part of me did as well.

After months of Alpha Harold asking me to let Alpha Warren tell me what really happened and why he'd killed my father, I'd sat quietly and listened to what the man had to say. Nothing that he said changed my feelings toward him though. It was L una Yara that made the difference in me with her gentle kindness and loving soul.

While I call Henry brother, I never could bring myself to call Alpha Harold father or dad. However, once my mother died, basically giving up on life because she could no longer be a Luna, I found myself drawn to Luna Farrah. She, like me, has suffered loss. She understands the darkness inside me more than Alpha Harold. They've both been wonderful role models for me and while my father was a very different kind of leader than Alpha Harold, Harold has taught me a lot about what it takes to run a pack.

Before I turned eighteen, he'd pulled me aside and told me that he'd put the deed to my father's pack lands in his safe. He'd kept it there for me and when I'd turned eighteen, I'd returned to the place where my father had raised me. Henry had insisted on coming with me, wanting to make sure that I wasn't alone and probably to make sure that I didn't walk out of his life never to return. I might have, except I really like the warm glow he brings to my life. And if I'm honest, I do love him like a brother. It's why I was willing to give my life to save his. That bear, the one that almost killed me, was going after him. I couldn't let that bear or anyone else snuff out the light inside him. He's a good person, too good to die so young. But I'm not. I'm full of anger and hate, destined to live my life alone.

When we'd walked into the packhouse, it was like déjà vu. Al of my memories of growing up here had flooded back to me. I'd walked to my father's office and sat in the chair that was dusty and creaky from years of sitting idle.

Henry had helped me to go through everything and the biggest shock of all, was my father's finances. He'd made sure that I would be set for life.

The pack was wealthy before he died, but since his death, even with no one managing the account, the money had multiplied. It was enough for me to begin cleaning up the packhouse and the pack lands. For what, I wasn't sure at the time, but I just knew that an Alpha needs a place to have his pack.

So, for the last year, minus the time that I was recovering, I've been cleaning out the packhouse and pack lands. That's when the rogues started to approach me. Moms with young pups needed a place to live.

They were desperate and willing to do just about anything to have a secure place for themselves and their pups. There weren't a lot of them, but over the last year, my pack of one has grown to a pack of twenty- five. It's a start.

"Are you even trying Quirin?" Henry goads me. He's a good fighter, but I'm better. The difference is, I don't mind hurting people, he does.

However, I don't want to hurt him. There are very few people in this world that I care about, and Henry is at the top of that very short list.

Sometimes I feel like I'm much older than he is, like the darkness in me has aged me somehow. And, since it is his birthday, I give him the gift of defeating me.

"YES!" he says, dancing around like a prize fighter where I'm lying on the ground.

"You're utterly ridiculous," I say, sitting up. "Come on. I need to shower before your party."

He puts his hand out and helps me up. As we walk in, Luna Farrah puts her hand on my arm. When Henry is a few steps away, she looks at me.

"I saw what you did."

I shrug. "It's his birthday."

"Mmhmm," she says knowingly. I'm not sure how it is that this woman knows me better than my own mother did, but she does.

She turns and falls into step beside me. "How's the pack coming along?"

"It's getting there," I tell her.

"Am I ever going to get an invite to come visit?" she asks.

"I thought you knew you had an open invitation," I say, making her smile.

"Good to know. I'm going to take you up on that," she says and I know she will.

The room I lived in for the five years I'd been in this pack was left untouched. Luna Farrah said it was because she wanted me to know that I was always welcome to return and always had a place to stay if I needed it. This room feels more like home to me than my room in my own packhouse. Of course, that was my father's bedroom when he was alive. I moved my things into that room when I took over as Alpha.

When I finish getting ready, Henry's birthday party has already started.

I take another look in the mirror, reminding myself that I can't kill Alpha Warren. Not only is he in an alliance with Alpha Harold and after tomorrow night, I'm sure he'll renew that with Henry, but I can't hurt Luna Yara that way, not after what she did for me.

I head downstairs, saying my hellos to Alpha Warren, Luna Yara, and the rest of their brood. The woman is pregnant again and she's huge.

I'm beginning to wonder if Alpha Warren is planning to breed her to death.

They have two boys who look just like their father and three girls. The two older ones look like Luna Yara and the youngest looks like her father.

"Alpha Quirin, how are you doing?" Luna Yara asks me.

"I'm well, Luna, thank you," I say, warmly.

"How's the pack coming along?" Alpha Warren asks.

"It's good, thanks," I say, with much more ice in my tone. "If you'll excuse me."