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I asked, “Been feeling a little outnumbered lately, love?” He laughed out loud, “Only slightly. I’m just very happy we have more than one bathroom. I would have to go to the pack house for a shower.” I was still laughing when he asked, “So? Is it a boy?” I nodded, “It is. He is also the reason why it is my destiny to be paralyzed and I am fine with that.”His eyes widened, “He is paralyzed?” I nodded, “She said he is also a special wolf. He will need us. I found out from Heather that the other kids and the staff in the orphanage call him a burden and make fun of him. I think we need him to show our pack that their leader can still lead with honor and bravery from a wheelchair.”I asked, “You look like you aren’t too keen on the idea.” He shook his head, “That’s not really what I’m thinking. I just don’t want our son to have to struggle.” I cupped his cheek with my hand, “Babe, don’t you understand yet?” He furrowed his brow, “What do you mean?”I laughed, “Love, it’s the struggle that
The nurse and I talked for a while longer and she left me to continue taking my nap. As soon as she was out the door, I relaxed into the awaiting darkness.It seemed as soon as sleep overtook me, so did the light. I opened my eyes and found Selene on a porch swing. She chuckled, “I know that this has been a particularly rough one, but you should know that it has all been for a very good reason. I know you will understand when you meet him.”I nodded, “I’ve already heard some things about him that are bad enough. I will be heartbroken if they aren’t the worst of it.” She sighed, “You have just scratched the surface.” I shook my head in disbelief, “That poor child. He will never want for anything ever again. That includes his family’s love and attention.”Selene smiled at me, “I knew you would feel that way before even meeting him. I do have something to tell you that you should know. The nurse you were speaking with earlier is Blaine’s biological mother. Blaine was conceived by man she
Cheyenne asked, “I know it is okay to talk with all of you here, so I would like to ask one question. What exactly did she tell you?” I smiled, “I know the boy we are going to adopt next is Blaine. I know he is the reason you volunteer at the orphanage. I also know that there are stories she could have told me, but she and I agreed they were your stories to tell… if you ever feel comfortable telling me.I know that hiring you as my nurse and assistant means that you will be able to be his personal nurse also, if that is what you would like. I know that you put him up for adoption to keep him safe. We can keep both of you safe. If you accept the position, it will include a room in the pack house. If you have a mate, you can have the cottage next door, if you want.” She smiled, “I would like that a lot. I just found my mate one month ago and he gets a bit irritated that I spend so much time at the orphanage without getting paid for it. He doesn’t know about Blaine. I don’t know how he w
TRIGGER WARNING: Domestic abuse scene ahead (this chapter only)It had been two days since we initially spoke with Cheyenne about being my private nurse and assistant and we haven’t seen her since then. I was starting to get worried about her. I was still in the hospital because I had not completed my physical therapy requirements. My doctor wanted to be sure I could perform all activities of normal daily living safelyWhen the morning nurse came to take her morning vitals, I asked, “What happened to Cheyenne?” The nurse asked, “We are sending one of our coworkers to her place right now. She didn’t call in to let us know she won’t be in. That’s not like her at all.” I suggested, “Let me check on her before anyone goes in.”I watched as the nurse mind linked the coworker to hold off going to Cheyenne’s house, then I tried to get inside Cheyenne’s mind to see what she was seeing at that moment. It was harder than usual to do it, and then I saw nothing in her mind at all. That scared me b
I asked my nurse to help me scoot into my wheelchair and get me to the Emergency Department. She gasped, “But Luna, it’s almost time for your physical therapy.” I responded shortly, “They are bringing Cheyenne in and it’s not looking good. I need to be there. We can reschedule PT until later. It’s not like I’m getting out of here today.”The nurse helped me scoot into my wheelchair and we took off for the Emergency Department like a bat out of hell. When we got there, I found my mate and he was holding our sobbing daughters closely. Heather was the first to see me and she ran to me, “Momma! She’s gone.” I sobbed, “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”While Heather climbed into my lap, Isaac approached, “She’s right. They couldn’t save her. Her heart had been still for too long.” I shook my head and started crying. The nurse beside me growled, “I need to see her.” I asked Isaac, “Do you think she and I could go see her?” He answered, “Yeah. I can get you both back there.”I asked, “Are you going
Aadi and I went to the room where Cheyenne was waiting to be taken for burial preparation. I was immediately struck by the amount of blood that was on the sheet covering her body. Apparently, Aadi was also stricken by the sight because she ran to Cheyenne’s body and collapsed onto it.I asked, “Exactly what was your relationship with Cheyenne, Aadi?” She answered, “Cheyenne was my late mate’s baby sister. She took shelter in this pack after running from a human testing facility. She destroyed the place on her way out of it.”I asked, “Did you know that Blaine is her biological son?” She nodded, “I did. Cheyenne swore me to secrecy. I was with her when she gave birth to him.” I asked, “Do you know who his father is?” She shook her head, “No. I don’t know exactly who he is. I know he was a rogue and a trafficker who had sold her to the lab. He took her virginity on the way to sell her. He’s an evil man. It’s a wonder that she was able to give birth to Blaine.”I cried, “So much for one s
Four hours later, I was in my hospital room trying, and failing, to take a nap. I had too much on my mind and I would start sobbing at random times. I could not find peace within myself at all. I felt so guilty that we could not protect her the way she needed us to.I suddenly felt so heavy that I had no choice but to sleep. As soon as the darkness fell around me, I was immediately surrounded by the brightest light I had ever seen. It was red too. My first thought was, “Shit. I have pissed off the Goddess.” Then I heard her voice, “Yes, you have. Zariah, you know more than anyone that you cannot control the actions of other people.”I cheekily responded, “Well, actually, you did give me a certain ability.” The light got brighter, if that was even possible, “You cannot control what they do on their own. Do not patronize me right now. I’m not in the mood for games. Now. This is what you will do. You will stop feeling sorry for yourself. None of this is about you. It’s about your pack, yo
*Trigger warning… Description of child abuse in this chapter. *As soon as I was dressed, the salesman from the wheelchair manufacturer brought my new custom wheelchair into the room. After he made some adjustments, I was happy that I finally had my new wheels. I started moving around the room and feeling like I was fidgeting in my seat.Nurse Aadi walked in with paperwork in her hand, “Luna, it’s time for discharge instructions.” I held out my hand and she approached me, “I’m very sorry for leaving you the way I did.” I chuckled, “It’s fine. I understand completely. This is an emotional time. I have something to ask you.”Aadi raised her brow, “Ask away.” I asked, “Would you be willing to be my personal assistant and nurse? I would make sure to allow you time to volunteer at the orphanage, if you want, and you would also be Blaine’s nurse, because we are adopting him as soon as we leave the hospital.”Aadi smiled, “I would love to accept the position. Would it be wrong if I don’t give
I had just finished updating the books for the pack’s business when my phone rang. The school counselor sounded quite irritated when he informed me that Heather had finished the tests. I thanked him and told him we would be there shortly.I rushed to my mate’s office and smiled, “She finished. Let’s go.” Isaac beamed, “Okay.” He jumped up and we left. He started to head toward the truck and I shook my head, “It’s going to take longer to get me in there than it would to just walk.” Isaac chuckled, “Okay, then. I’ll push your chair then.” I nodded, “Okay.”We made it to the school in a couple minutes because Isaac decided to run most of the way. We went to the principal’s office and we found him trying to seduce his secretary by kissing her neck. Isaac cleared his throat and we watched him look at us while continuing his seduction.When he realized it was us, he stood straight up, cleared his throat and stuttered, “A-Alpha, L-Lu-Luna, how may I help you?” I just shook my head in disappo
The next morning at breakfast, Franco asked, “Alpha, is it okay if one of my little brothers comes down for a visit?” Isaac nodded, “Of course. How old is he?” Franco smiled, “He wants to look for his mate. He is sixteen.” I smiled, “Make sure to take him around the whole pack. Is he planning to spend a couple days?”Franco nodded, “He was planning to stay at least a couple of days. If he finds his mate in your pack, he is planning on asking permission to build a house.” Isaac agreed, “Of course he can. I will always welcome new pack members.”I reminded my mate, “I will be going to the school with Heather this morning to give permission for her to take the test to graduate early.” Isaac asked, “Isn’t she a bit young for that? She’s not even in high school yet.” I laughed, “She will be fine. She just isn’t being challenged enough right now. She wants to start college.”Isaac raised his brows at Heather, “Are you still wanting to be a doctor?” Heather nodded, “I am. I want to have my l
When we got to the kitchen table, everyone was there and Aadi looked like she was ready to burst. I chuckled, “Aadi, would you like to tell us your news first?” She laughed, “You got a visit too, didn’t you?” I nodded, “I did. But I will let you tell everyone what she told you first.”She grinned, “I know the path for both sets of twins.” Franco asked, “You do?” She nodded as she continued to tell everyone at the table everything the Goddess told me. She looked at me and asked, “Do you have anything to add?” I shook my head, “Nope. That covers everything she told me. I’m excited for them and they haven’t even been born yet.”Blaine asked, “Did she say when they would shift for the first time?” I answered, “I know your siblings will shift as toddlers. She didn’t give a specific age.” Aadi answered, “She didn’t tell me anything about when ours will shift.” I added, “But I would assume that if they were meant to go through everything together, then they would all shift together.”Heather
The meeting ended up lasting until late into the night as every unmated she-wolf wanted to see if Ben was their mate and we answered unending questions about the babies. I finally turned to Isaac and asked, “I wonder how many ways we can say that we don’t know what their path is?”Isaac laughed, “I don’t know, but I’m starting to wish we had not said anything about them.” I shrugged, “They’re just curious. All of our other kids had a purpose, so they are wondering about what will happen with these babies.” Isaac agreed, “I can understand that, but we already told them before the meeting ended that we didn’t know yet.”When we finally got home, it was late and even my night owl, Blaine, was ready to fall into bed when we got home. We said goodnight to the kids and went straight to our room. As soon as we were ready for bed, Isaac got under the covers and held his arm out to me.When I got under the covers, I immediately scooted over and tucked myself in with my head on my love’s chest
When we went home for dinner that evening, Heather and Blaine were clueless. However, Aadi was nearly bouncing off the walls in excitement, “Was I right?” I laughed, “You were.” Aadi giggled and hugged me, “I knew it! I’m so happy!” Isaac laughed, “There is some additional news. When we all sit at the table, we’ll tell all of you.”An hour later, we all sat at the table for dinner. Isaac sat his phone in the middle of the table, “I have Lena on the phone so she can hear the news too.” I smiled, “That’s an amazing idea.”I then turned toward the phone, “Hey baby girl! How are my grandbabies?” She giggled as she answered, “Growing like weeds! They’re starting to crawl already.” I smiled, “That sounds like so much fun.” She laughed, “It is. It’s exhausting too.”As soon as Heather and Blaine sat at the table, I started, “Well, I went to my regular doctor today. I am officially one week pregnant.” There were cheers around the table and on the other end of the phone. Isaac added, “There is
One week later, I was eating breakfast with my mate and Aadi when a queasy feeling took over my body. I rushed to the bathroom and lost every bit of the breakfast I had eaten. As I rinsed my mouth and used mouthwash, Onyx advised, “You should go to the doctor today.” I smiled, “I will do that. Thanks.”I went back to the table and drank more coffee. Aadi smiled, “Are you going to the doctor today?” I chuckled, “Onyx is telling me to, so I guess I better go.” Isaac asked, “Do you want me to come with you?” I nodded, “I think you should.”He asked, “What are we going to the doctor for?” I raised my brows at him, “You didn’t know what I was doing in the bathroom?” He shook his head, “To be honest, I was mind linking Stone with something I needed him to do today.” I smiled, “I’m pretty sure we are going to have a baby.”Isaac jumped out of his chair and let out a huge celebratory howl then knelt by my chair to look me in the eyes, “Are you sure?” I nodded, “Onyx is telling me I am and tha
I sat on Doctor Spink’s exam table after all of the x-rays and ultrasounds had been completed. I knew Isaac was nervous because he couldn’t sit down at that moment if he tried. Doctor Spink asked, “Are you having any pain at all now?” I shook my head, “No, just itching from the incision.” She sighed, “Yeah, that’s a common issue. Some lotion with Aloe in it should help that.”Doctor Spink took a deep breath and let it out audibly, “Well, it looks like the surgery was a big success. I see very minimal scar tissue now. There are no obstructions anywhere, so you should be okay to start trying for a baby. I would like to see you again in a year just to make sure the scar tissue didn’t come back. Otherwise, you can see your local doctor for prenatal care.”I smiled through my tears as Isaac held me, “Thank you so much. You have no idea how much we appreciate this.” She chuckled, “Oh, I think I do.” Isaac had tears falling as he shook the doctor’s hand, “Thanks so much, Doctor. This means
The drive home would have been excruciating if they hadn’t pumped me full of painkillers before we left. Doctor Spink knew that we had a three-hour drive ahead of us, so she tried to make sure it would be as comfortable as possible and I was so thankful.When we got home, I was gently lifted and placed in my wheelchair, then I was pushed into our house. We were immediately met by Aadi. She asked, “Does she have meds?” Isaac answered, “I need to pick them up from the pharmacy. They loaded her up on pain meds before we left.”Aadi nodded, “She should probably be in bed then. I will take care of her while you go get the meds.” Isaac kissed my forehead, “I’ll be back as soon as possible, love.” He walked out the door and I sighed, “That man is my life. You know that Aadi?” She chuckled, “I know that Zariah. You are his too.”She started pushing my wheelchair into the bedroom when Blaine rolled up to us, “Aadi, will you need help transferring mom?” Aadi chuckled, “I don’t know. She won’t b
I shook my head, “There is absolutely no way that could happen, son. You guys are just as much my real children as the unborn ones are. I have never had a favorite child and I will never start. The pack knows this too. That means, Blaine, no matter what sex our future children are, you will still be the Alpha heir. You are the one the Goddess wants leading this pack.”Blaine shrugged, “Then I guess I’m all in.” I smiled, “Thank you, son.” Isaac smiled, “I’m really proud of you both. Your mom was super worried about hurting your feelings. We even agreed that if you were not okay with us having a baby, we wouldn’t even try.”Heather furrowed her brow, “Mom, why would you do that?” I shrugged, “Because I want you two to feel like you are part of our family, even if it means not doing something I want. But that’s what parents do all the time.”Blaine gave me one of the most serious looks that I have ever seen and I even felt a little alpha aura come out, “Mom, don’t ever sacrifice your hap