The Pack's Nemesis (Quirin's Story) novel Chapter 87

Kennedy

As Quirin carries me back to the packhouse, I open my mind to him and Raif, and also to Echo.

‘Echo, if you can hear me, we love you. We know you’re taking care of our babies and being the excellent mother that you are. But Raif is here, Quirin is here. They will help protect our babies. You need to get strong, my wolf. I miss you,’ I tell her.

Raif begins purring in both our mind and out loud. I can feel Echo fluttering in my mind, responding to the gentle call of her mate. This is what Mom told me to try. Echo will want to please her mate, to be with him again, so having Raif in my mind and helping Echo connect to him may help to strengthen her.

‘I’m willing to take as much time as my mate needs to help her gain her strength again,’ Raif says. “I already knew she’d be the perfect mother to my pups, and she hasn’t disappointed me. But you need your strength, my love. I want to feel you in my mind too,' he says to her.

I can almost feel Echo laying down in my mind, her own soft purr feels like hummingbird wings fluttering against my consciousness. In my mind, I watch as Raif gets as close to her as he can, then he too lays down, watching over his mate like a sentinel.

When we step inside the packhouse, it looks like the entire pack is waiting for us.

“Welcome home, Luna.”

“It’s good to have you back, Luna.”

“We love you, Luna.”

I smile, feeling the happiness and positive energy in the pack. "Thank you. It's good to be home."

Kier steps up with Arianna right behind him.

“Slater?” Quirin asks him.

“I sent warriors to make sure he’s dead and to dispose of the body.”

“Good,” he says, turning to address the pack.

“Thank you all for getting here on short notice. And thank you to those of you who were dealing with the Slater garbage for ending things quicker than you were expecting. I ...” he begins looking down at me. “We have some very important and exciting news for you. As all of you have undoubtedly noticed, the feeling of the pack is changing. We have our Luna to thank for that. She is turning this pack into what it should have always been – a family,” he says, watching me as he speaks. I can feel his pride and love for me flowing through our bond.

“And now, our family is growing,” he says, and I hear the gasps around the room. The she-wolves in the room already know what Quirin is about to say, or at least part of it. He sets me on my feet in front of him, wrapping his hands protectively over my stomach.

“Our Luna is pregnant,” he says and the pack responds instantly, cheering and howling excitedly.

Quirin raises a hand, waiting for everyone to get quiet.

“Pregnant with quadruplets,” he says and it's like the air just got sucked out of the room. Their shock at his statement is like a wave rolling around the room. “We believe this is why Echo is still silent, although Raif and I have been able to feel her consciousness very softly in Kennedy’s mind.

“Oh please, please can I be the one to tell Alpha Henry?” Kier asks, looking practically giddy.

I don’t have to see him to know that Quirin gives him a dirty look before turning back to the pack.

“You all need to be aware that Kennedy will most likely have to go on bedrest at some point and I will become overbearing in my protectiveness of her.”

I tilt my head to look up at my mate. “When were you ever underbearing, my love?”

He gives me a playful growl as the pack snickers around us.

“Lane,” he says, looking up.

“Right here, Alpha,” he says, stepping forward.