Kennedy
Every time someone asks me to dance, I take the opportunity to look over at Quirin. First, I was surprised by his possessiveness of me and I’m afraid to do something that will make him think that I don’t want him. I do want him. I always have. But second, I’m afraid he’ll run. It’s not that he’s a fearful man, well at least not usually. But I’ve been watching my mate for years and I know that when it comes to emotions, he’s not very good at handling them.
“Luna Kennedy, how do you feel about being mated to my adopted son,” Alpha Harold asks as we dance.
“I’m very happy about it, Alpha,” I tell him truthfully.
“Hmmm, not many women would say that. My son isn’t an easy man to get close to.”
“I’ve never found it that difficult.”
“No, I guess you haven’t. Have you ever been to his pack, Luna?” I love that he keeps calling me Luna. Until Quirin called me mate, I was an Alpha, but now, being a Luna means that I’ve found the man I love. I can’t wait until his mark is on my neck and mine is on his so I can show everyone that he is mine.
“No, I haven’t, Alpha. You have though, right?”
“Yes. I’ll warn you, Kennedy, Quirin’s pack is different. His pack is made up of previous rogues, scrappy individuals who are used to fighting for what they have and what they want. You’re a strong woman, Kennedy. It will a take a strong woman to make her way in a pack like that.”
“I’ll do my very best, Alpha,” I tell him.
“I’m sure you will,” he says just before his eyes shift to look over my head. A moment later I feel heat at my back and smell his sandalwood scent.
“Are you going to let me dance with my mate, father?”
“I was just warming her up for you, Quirin. Luna Kennedy, I do hope to see you soon.”
“Thank you, Alpha,” I say to him and then turn to my mate.
He looks at me a moment, his eyebrow going up in the arrogant way that he has. Personally, I’ve always found it extremely sexy.
“I didn’t know you danced, Alpha Quirin,” I say as he takes me in his arms.
“I’ve never had anyone I was interested in dancing with before, Little Pup,” he says. I ignore the ‘pup’ part and revel in the thought that he wants to dance with me.
He begins to expertly move me around the floor. “Where did you learn to dance like this, Alpha?” I ask him.
He looks at me. “Quirin, Kennedy. If we’re going to be mated, we should be more familiar, don’t you think?”
I smile at him and even though he doesn’t smile, I watch his eyes soften.
“Where did you learn to dance, Quirin?”
“My mother, mostly. My father said that Alphas needed to know how to dance so we could play the mate game, searching for our mate, finding her, wooing her, all of that.”
“Since you’ve searched for and found me, is this a game to you?” I ask him. “Or are you wooing me?”
“I was never good at playing games, Little Pup. I am who I am. I don’t have time for frivolous things like playing games,” he says and there’s something in his tone, something that makes me think he’s trying to warn me off of him. It won’t work.
“So, you’re wooing me then?” I ask.
He looks down at me and the intense look in his eyes takes my breath away.
“I’m going to make you mine tonight, Kennedy. There will be no going back, no second chances. After tonight, you will be mine forever. You will belong to me. You should think about that before we leave here tonight. Because once my mark is on you, I will never allow you to leave me.”
“Well, once my mark is on you, I’ll never allow you to leave me either. So perhaps you should be the one thinking about things before we leave tonight,” I say indignantly, my tone expressing my aggravation with his words.
I’m rewarded with one of his rare smiles. “I’ve done nothing BUT think about it since Raif called you our mate.”
“You’re questioning if you want me as a mate?” I ask quietly.
His face becomes more serious. “Do you remember what I said to you that night in the garden on Henry’s eighteenth birthday?”
“You said men like you are no good for little pups like me. But I disagree.”
I can see the surprise on his face. I’m not sure if it’s because I remembered or because I disagree with him.
“And do you remember what you said to me after that?” he asks.
“I said I’m not afraid of you.” I remember that night as if it were yesterday. I’ve relived it a thousand times in my mind and in my dreams.
“And you never have been, have you, Little Pup?”
“No.”
“Why is that? Others are terrified of me. Most people won’t even come close enough to speak to me. But not you. Never you. You always made a point of coming over to talk to me, didn’t you?”
“You don’t scare me. You never did,” I tell him honestly.
I’m not sure what he would have said, but at that moment, my father begins tapping a glass. He calls Connor and I to the front of the room, wishing us a happy birthday and announcing my brother’s Alpha ceremony in one week.
“Alpha Quirin, I do hope that you and Kennedy will be here to see her twin take his place as Alpha of the pack,” my father says.
I know of the animosity between my father and my mate. It’s been there all of my life, and I know why the animosity is there. The only difference is the perspective of the man telling the story. I see Quirin ready to decline, but I refuse to miss such a momentous occasion for my brother.
“Of course we’ll be here, father,” I say before Quirin can decline.
“Excellent,” he says, not giving Quirin a chance to overrule me. “Now, your mother and I have gifts for the two of you.”
He turns and my mother joins him, handing him a box before coming to me and handing me a box.
“Oh mother, you didn’t have to,” I say.
“You’re my daughter. And now, it feels even more important since you’re going to be leaving and starting your own life,” she says, with tears in her eyes.
I hug her, long enough that I hear the ohhs and ahhs from the others gathered around. I’m sure it’s about my brother’s watch. I’ve seen it already and I know it cost a fortune. It’s a rare, very expensive watch that my father felt my brother should have.
“Thank you, father. Thank you, mother,” he says, putting the watch on.
“Your turn, Kennedy,” my father says.
I smile, looking over at Quirin. I see something like regret on his face, but I’m not sure why he’d be regretful of whatever my parents got me.
I open the box and it’s a gorgeous diamond necklace. “Oh, it’s so beautiful!” I say.
“Let me put it on you,” my mother says. “I knew it would go perfectly with your dress,” she says. When it’s clasped, I turn and hug her.
“Thank you!” Then I go to my father and hug him as well. “Thank you!”
“Of course. Let’s have some cake!” he says, tucking me against his side as he announces cake to the room.
“Listen, Kennedy. Before you leave, I wanted to tell you … “ my father begins.
“Kennedy, let’s go have some cake and then we need to think about leaving,” Quirin says, coming up behind me. I can feel the tension between the two men, and I can also tell that my father doesn’t want to let me go. He doesn’t trust Quirin to take care of me.
I pull away from my father. There is no choice for me. Quirin has always been the man I’ve wanted. He is my mate. I’m an Alpha wolf and I love a challenge just like any Alpha. I know that things between me and Quirin won’t always be easy, but I know that there is no one else for me.
“Yes, Quirin, let’s go get some cake.” I take his hand and lead him away from my parents.
It’s only about an hour later, when Quirin tells me that I need to go pack my things. “Since we’re apparently coming back in a week, just bring what you need for now. I’ll make plans to get a truck and we can bring everything else back next week when we’re here.”
“Okay,” I say, starting to get nervous. “I won’t take too long.”
I find my mother, and ask her to help me, before heading upstairs to pack up my life. I’m ready to move and leave this pack and my family behind me, ready to start my new life with Quirin, wherever that may lead.
KennedyIt isn’t until I get to my room that it hits me. My entire life is about to change.“Sweetheart, are you okay with this? You can say no. You don’t even have to accept Alpha Quirin as your mate, although, I’m pretty sure that you are happy about being mated to him,” my mother says, coming to stand in front of me.“I’ve always loved him, mother,” I say.“I know. I’ve watched you watch him all your life.”“You have?”“What kind of a doctor would I be? What kind of a mother would I be if I see what others don’t, but I don’t see my own children. You have always been very dedicated and very driven, Kennedy. You knew from a very early age that you wanted to be a doctor and you’ve never wavered from that. You knew from a very early age that you wanted Alpha Quirin, and you’ve never wavered from that either. He’s a tough nut to crack, but if ever there was a nutcracker in this family, it’s you, Kennedy,” she says, making me laugh. I feel tears pricking my eyes.“You’ll have a hard road
QuirinWhile Kennedy was upstairs with her mother, I took the opportunity to give Connor his birthday present. I haven’t given Kennedy hers yet. I almost don’t want to. Her parents gave her a diamond necklace and it looks beautiful on her. My wolf’s head necklace looks like a trinket in comparison.‘I want her wearing my face around her neck,’ Raif growls.‘I know. I’ll give it to her later,’ I say. I know Raif won’t allow me to go without giving her our gift, but I’m not giving it to her here in front of everyone. I don’t want to see the sneering looks of the other Alphas. I’m sure their gifts were all expensive. I’d prefer to throw them all away and if any of them are inappropriate, I will. I didn’t spend as much money on Kennedy as I could have. Instead, I gave her something that matters to me and Raif. Hopefully, she’ll understand and appreciate the gesture.‘Of course she will,’ Raif says confidently. I’m not so confident.“Alpha Quirin, this is extremely generous,” Connor says. H
KennedyI’m distracted by the fact that Quirin was in a battle today before he arrived at my party. I had been disappointed when I didn’t see him at first, and it was because he had been fighting.Those thoughts are still rolling through my head, reassessing every move he made tonight. When we were dancing, I didn’t notice anything off. I didn’t realize that he might have been injured. Some doctor-in-training I am.When I first stepped out of the car, I immediately sensed the difference in the feel of this pack. Where my family’s pack feels welcoming, this pack has a definite feeling of unwelcomeness. They don’t like outsiders here. I wonder if Quirin ever has anyone here to visit. Alpha Harold has been here, as have Luna Farrah and Henry, but I don’t believe that anyone in our family or our pack has ever been invited to Quirin’s pack.“Welcome home, Alpha. How was the party?” a man asks, I’m assuming this is Beta Kier. He’s looking at me like I’m one of Quirin’s one-night stands. I ex
QuirinI don’t remember ever being this nervous in my life. I’m trying to push it down by acting relaxed and maintaining a calm demeanor in front of the pack. But inside, my stomach is twisting in knots. I knew I’d always been drawn to Kennedy, always enjoyed her presence more than nearly anyone else in my life. But now, I get to make her mine. This sweet, beautiful woman is mine. And I’m terrified that I’m going to lose control tonight and tear her apart.When she says goodnight to the pack, I look around, suddenly realizing that everyone is watching us. I don’t know if it’s the surprise that I’ve returned with their Luna or if they feel my own unease, but I don’t like worrying that anyone in my pack is thinking of challenging me for my Alpha position or my mate. Thankfully when I bark my own goodnight to them, they scatter like ants.I have no idea where Kennedy got the idea that we were going to have separate rooms. My parents did but I have no desire to sleep in a room that doesn’t
Kennedy“Will you put it on me?” I ask, barely able to drag my eyes away from the necklace. Raif wanted his image around my neck, even before he knew that he was my mate. It would be one thing for him and Quirin to have gotten this for me if they’d known I was their mate. But not knowing, if I had been mated to someone else, that person would never have wanted me to wear another man’s wolf around my neck.I’m not sure what it means, except, maybe Quirin or Raif was feeling the mate bond before today.When he doesn’t answer, I look up to see him frowning.“It’ll get tangled in the necklace that your parents got you,” he says.“I’ll take that one off,” I say, getting up and walking over to where he’s sitting. I sit on the edge of his chair and wait for him to remove the necklace.When his fingers graze over the back of my neck to unhook the clasp, I gasp at the sensations that run through me. It’s like an electric jolt that goes straight to my core making me ache in ways I’m unfamiliar w
QuirinWhen she gave me her clinical overview of what she expects sex and marking to be, there was one part of her words that I’ve been holding on to. The slower I go, the easier it is for her.It’s been my mantra since she said it. I’ve been drilling it into my own head and Raif’s as well. He’s not any gentler than I am. I’ve warned her but I don’t like the idea of her tearing and bleeding and she seemed so passive about it, as if pain during sex, or at least this first time, is normal.But then she had to start saying, ‘Yes, Quirin’, as if those words weren’t the words I’ve heard in my wet dreams for the last year or longer. Only I had no idea how sweet my name would sound coming from her mouth.I wanted her to feel good, to know that I can make her feel good and fuck, her body responds to my touch unlike anything I’ve ever experienced with another woman. Her sweet surrender to me, leaning against me and holding on to me while I made her come in my arms has been my undoing.I need he
KennedyI wake up alone. At first, I’m disoriented, not recognizing the room I’m in. Then, it all comes back to me. My birthday, Quirin, returning to his pack, completing our bond.I smile, shifting and feeling the soreness that still lingers between my thighs. I knew my first time would hurt. I’ve worked in the hospital, been around my mother talking to young she-wolves all my life. So, I knew there would be pain. What I hadn’t expected was the intense pleasure of that would come first from Raif’s venom, and then from feeling Quirin’s emotions.I’d felt his awe, his pride, his pleasure at being mated to me, at being inside me. I’d felt his desperate need to make me his. I’d also felt that he doesn’t feel worthy of having me for a mate and his guilt at what he considers selfishness by claiming me. If that makes him selfish, I guess we both are.Yes, I’d felt the sting of my body tearing when he’d first entered me. But after that, the pleasure that shot through my entire body was so str
KennedyWhen I get downstairs, I don’t miss the looks from the pack members. Even in jeans, I stand out with my bright yellow top. Oh well, this is who I am.“Hello,” I say, as I pass the pack members.“Hello, Luna,” they murmur.I don’t see Quirin, but I’m sure he’s got a lot going on. Yesterday was a very busy day for him, between the attack on his pack and finding his mate. He said he’d find me and since he hasn’t, I know he’s busy.When I walk into the kitchen, I see one of the pack members talking to an omega. I can smell her fear as he towers over her.“Hello,” I say, making my presence known. “Is there a problem?” I ask, walking to stand next to the omega. The man is obviously a warrior, strong and tall. He has multiple scars on his face and neck, and what I can see of his arms, reminding me that my new pack is made up entirely of rogues who have had to scrape and fight to get what they want.The man looks me over, sneering at my attire.“No problem, Luna,” he says, stepping bac
QuirinI spent some time celebrating Kier’s and Arianna’s mate bond with the pack, a celebration that continued even after they went upstairs. The pack is excited and happy. It’s such a different feeling, something I’m so unused to that I feel a bit lost without Kennedy here to help me navigate through it.“I need to head home tomorrow, Alpha Quirin. Now that I know my sister is safe, I need to return to my pack. But I’m only a phone call away if you ever need me or the pack. I’d also like you to know that you have an open invitation to my pack. Not only are you my sister’s mate, but now we’re allies. You’re welcome any time,” Connor says.“Thank you. When things settle, maybe I can bring Kennedy for a visit. A real one this time. I think she’d like that,” I say.“Are you going to come visit me too, Q? Maybe for more than a day?” Henry asks.“Yeah, yeah, we’ll come see you, too. I need to deal with Slater and Kennedy needs to heal. And I also need to figure out how to clean my pack lan
AriannaI knew Kier would take his time. I knew he’d told me that being intimate was supposed to feel good, but I’d never guessed that it would feel THAT good. I was shocked when the heat that was building in my core like a hot furnace, exploded in my body. I had grabbed on to Kier’s body, holding him as my own body felt like it was shattering into millions of pieces.Then he’d kissed me and slowly helped my body piece itself together again. After that, what was left?Apparently, there’s more. A lot more.I know he’s watching me to make sure I’m okay with everything he’s doing, but I also get the impression that he likes my body, likes watching how I’m reacting to his touch.“Did you like that?”“That was ...” What do I say? There are no words for what that was. No words that I know anyway.He smiles, as if he understands the feelings that I’m incapable of putting into words.“Can I make you come again?” Is he asking my permission or is asking me if my body will respond. The answer to
KierWhen Arianna said she had an announcement, my heart stopped. My mate isn’t one to stand in front of people and speak, much less the entire pack. So I knew it was important.When she turned to look at me, I could barely breathe. I was terrified that I’d miss something or misunderstand something that she was saying. Then, she said she accepted me. She said the words that I’ve been waiting to hear for over a year. She wants me. I can’t even believe she thought she had to ask if I still wanted her.I probably shouldn’t have kissed her like that in front of everyone, but thankfully, she didn’t seem to notice that the entire pack began cheering for us.When I finally dragged myself away from the kiss, I brushed the tears off of Arianna’s cheeks. “I have wanted you from the moment I first smelled your lavender and chamomile scent. From the moment that I first laid eyes on you, there has never been anyone else for me.”I kissed her again, more quickly this time as I could feel the pack pu
KennedyI don’t like feeling weak, I hate that Echo is silent, but I’m loving every minute of being inside Quirin’s mind. His mind is just like he is, rough and rugged on the outside, but soft and gentle underneath, or at least it is towards me. And I like that a lot too. Now that I’m in his head, I can feel the difference in how he feels about me and how he feels about others, even our pack members. He loves them, in his Quirin way, but his love for me is all-encompassing.‘I like having you in my mind. I didn’t think I would, but it’s like walking through a meadow on a sunny day. It feels like the birds are singing, the bees are buzzing and butterflies are fluttering around,’ he says in the mind link.I smile up at my mate. My mate who apparently makes Alpha quake in their shoes, but tells me my mind feels like something out of a Disney movie.‘If you tell anyone, I’ll deny it,’ he grumbles.‘Your secret is safe with me, my love,’ I say, watching his sexy Quirin smile spread across h
Quirin“She’s still asleep?” Luna Yara asks, coming into the room.“Yeah. I think she’s starting to wake up. Her mind is feeling a bit more active,” I say, looking down at my mate who is still sleeping in my lap. I didn’t want to move her and I knew that she’d sleep better in my arms, and well, I just needed to hold her.“I think she might be a bit too comfortable. She needs to wake up to eat,” Yara says, smiling as she comes over to check her daughter.I look up at the woman who changed the path of my life so many years ago. “Thank you for saving her life.”She smiles at me. “You never have to thank me for saving a life. It’s what I do, and it’s what Kennedy does. We’re both very good at it, but I think that when she’s finished with medical school, she’ll be better at it than I am.”I ignore the part about not needing to thank her. Luna Yara has always been very humble about the significance of what she does. She saves lives and by saving one medically, she saves so many others by kee
AriannaWe all felt Luna’s consciousness when she woke up. What we didn’t feel was her wolf’s.“Do you think she’ll get her wolf back, Kier?” I had gone to seek him out, needing reassurance. I know he’s working hard, keeping the pack safe while Alpha Quirin is with Luna Kennedy in the hospital. So, I brought him some food. It was a good excuse to go see him.As busy as he is and as exhausted as he looks, he stops what he’s doing to come pull me into a hug.“I trust Luna Yara and she says Luna Kennedy's wolf will come back, so we’re all going to believe that,” he says, wrapping his arms around me. I feel him sigh as he breathes in my scent. I wrap my arms around him and hold him, letting him take strength from the mate bond.“What do you have planned for today?” he asks.“I thought I’d go see Christy. I don’t know if I can help her, but I have some understanding of what she went through,” I tell him.I’m surprised when he smiles at me, gently running his hand over my hair.“What is that
KennedyAs I wake, I realize several things at once. First, it’s like there’s a tight hold on my mind, like the entire pack is holding on to me. Second, Echo is silent. And third, for the first time that I can remember, Quirin’s mind is open to me.‘You’re awake,’ his voice floats into my mind.‘What’s going on?’ I ask, shifting and realizing that I feel stiff.‘What do you remember?’ he asks softly.I try to focus my mind, try to remember what happened. I was captured. I was injured. I ran ... “Echo!” I say out loud, terrified that I’ve lost my wolf.“Shhh. I’m right here,” Quirin says from beside me. “Raif, your family, and the pack all have a tight hold on Echo. No one is letting her go. We’re all giving her the strength she needs to heal. Your mom says she exhausted herself and that you were both very weak ...”He stops and I turn to look at him. He looks awful. His eyes are red-rimmed and haunted looking, his face has at least a day’s worth of growth on it, and his clothes are wri
Quirin“What do you want to know, Quirin?” Alpha Warren asks me.“All of it, I guess. You said my father was after Luna Yara?” I ask.“Not at first,” he says and sighs. “You know, the day I killed him, I told your father that if he had been a different man, he and I could have been friends. Maybe that’s why I’ve tried so hard to have a relationship with you. You’re enough like your father that you and I have a lot in common but you’re different enough that we’ve never been at odds like your father and I were. For all of the money that your father had, and I know it was a lot even back then, he always wanted more. What he had was never enough for him. It was pure greed, nothing more. He didn’t need my lands, but he wanted them. He didn’t need Yara, he had your mother. But he wanted her because he recognized that her strength would make him stronger.”I nod. “I remember talking to him about that. He said you were getting stronger, that you were threatening our livelihood. But what he rea
QuirinA pup? I’m going to be a father? It’s the next thought that makes my stomach twist into knots. Why didn’t she tell me? Is she so angry with me that she’s not happy that she’s having my pup? Is she ...The thought of her wanting to leave me nearly makes me vomit.‘Let’s wait until she wakes up. Our mate has been through a lot. She and Echo aren’t just healing themselves. They’re also growing a pup. Our pup. I’m sure that the pregnancy is also making it harder for the two of them to heal. Echo would be using her strength to protect our pup, I’m sure it,’ Raif says diplomatically.He’s right. Our mate would make sure that her pup, our pup, was safe and healthy. It makes Echo’s willingness to sacrifice herself for me even harder to bear. This woman and her wolf were willing to give me everything, every last part of themselves to protect me. I always knew I didn’t deserve her.‘Then let’s make sure we DO deserve her, because she is going to have our baby and she is going to make one