The Pack's Luna: The Pack Series Book 4 novel Chapter 11

Henry

We get back in the car and begin driving off.

“You need to keep eyes on him, Henry. I don’t trust him. I never did,” my father says.

“He’d be a fool to come for me. He’s already made of point of talking about Quirin’s strength.”

“Fools aren’t known for their intelligence, Henry. Do you have scouts on him?” he asks.

“No. I never needed them before.”

“I would suggest considering them. Talk to Quirin, talk to Connor, see what they think.”

“I will. But first, I need to figure out my fucking mate bond,” I say.

The quiet in the car is much less suffocating now that Justine is gone. It’s late when we arrive at Quirin’s pack. I didn’t let him know my arrival time, but I’m always welcome in his pack, just like he is in mine.

The guard let’s me through easily. “Should I let our Alpha know you’re here?” he asks. It’s sort of a joke that I like to surprise Quirin on occasion, but this isn’t one of those times.

“Yeah, go ahead. Are Alpha Warren and Luna Yara inresidence right now?” | ask. I’d love to get Warren’s thoughts on Alpha Patrick as well.

“No, Alpha. They’re in Alpha Yorick and Alpha Cyra’s pack right now. Alpha Warren is still managing the pack while they attend school.”

“That’s right. I’d forgotten. Thank you,” I say, then head to Quirin’s packhouse.

When we arrive, Quirin, Kennedy, and their brood of pups are waiting for us.

“UNCLE HENRY!” Kaylee and Kendra yell, racing up to me, jușt as Quinlee and Quilla squeal for my father. Quiana and Kyla toddle over to Farrah as I scoop up Quirin’s hellions, tossing one on my back before tossing the other into the air, making them both shriek in delight.

“I was expecting you earlier, brother. I didn’t know you were staying the night.”

“I meant to call. I hope it doesn’t put you out. And Dad and Farrah were a last-minute decision,” I say, going over to kiss Kennedy on the cheek, then kissing their youngest and currently only son, Harold, on the forehead. 2

“Where’s my namesake?” my father asks, growling softly and making Quinlee and Quilla squeal again in their very high-pitched voices.

My father expertly shifts the two girls, putting them both on his back before taking baby Harold in his arms.”Of course it’s fine, Henry. jo{b}n[i]b. )c-omYour room is always available, and it won’t take any time at all for us to make sure a room is ready for Dad and Mom,” she says, having easily taken her father-in-law and Farrah in as another set of parents for her and grandparents for their pups.

“Movie night, Granma Farrah?” one of the twins asks her.

“I would LOVE a movie night, and so would Grandpa Harold. What should we watch?”

I swing Kaylee and Kendra off me like they’re monkeys so they can go weigh in on movie night. Then, I look at Quirin.

“Can we talk?”

“Isn’t that why you’re here?” he asks, nodding for me to go inside. I start to walk inside, turning to see him taking Kennedy in a passionate kiss.

“I’ll see you later,” he growls at her.

In the past, my heart hurt because I wanted Kennedy to be mine. Now, my heart hurts because I want what they have.

I want this happiness, this level of love and passion in my Life.

I walk to my brother’s office, saying hello to his pack members and noticing a new face among his pack. When I walk in, I head straight to the bar, pouring a very heavy glass of whiskey and tossing it back. As the liquid burns my throat, then warms my stomach, I sigh.

“That bad, huh?”I nod, pouring another glass for me and one for Quirin.

“You have a new pack member?” I ask.

“Yes. She’s accepting me tomorrow. I offered my pack as an option to her friend to get her off the streets. She’s a rogue. She came last weekend and, what can I say? I’m amazing and she fell in love right away,” he says grinning.

“You still freak me out with all that smiling bullshit,” I growl. Seriously, the man went nearly twenty years without breaking into so much as a grin. Now he not only smiles, he laughs.

Hę clinks his glass to mine. “So, what’s on your mind, brother,” he asks, lifting the glass to his lips.

“I finally found her, my fated mate.”

He stops, his body still bouncing with silent laughter. “Oh goddess, you don’t see it. You’re so fucked up over this, you don’t see it, đo you?” he asks me.

“What the fuck am I supposed to see?” I snarl.

Quirin sighs, rubbing his stomach as if he’s just had the best meal of his life and is pondering his after dinner drink and dessert.

“There are very few people in this world that I love Henry.

You are one of the very few. There are even fewer people in this world who could or would have accepted ME, and the asshole that I’ve always been, as their brother. You have loved me, unconditionally, since you and your father showed up at my pack over twenty years ago. You have been by my side, loving me as a brother should, even when I didn’t know that meant, even when I was a shitty brother to you. That’s the kind of person that you are, Henry. You’re the kind of person who can love someone like me, when everyone else around you thinks you’ve lost your fucking mind because you do.”

He stops, watching me. When I don’t say anything, not understanding the connection, he continues.

“The Moon Goddess mated me to someone just like you, Henry. Kennedy could never have been yours because she was possibly the only woman in the world who could understand and love me for who I am. She loves me in SPITE of who l am, just like you do.”He stops, smiling and looking down before meeting my gaze again. “Apparently, the Moon Goddess knew what she was doing when she brought you to me. Because brother, not only am I mated to a woman just like you, but you are mated to a woman who is just like me. I adore Piper because I see myself in her. She is fiery, passionate, and she would not hesitate to take down ANYONE who comes for someone she loves. That’s why I’m laughing. I am mated to a woman like you and you, my brother, got stuck with a woman who is exactly like me.”

I think about what he’s saying, and I realize that Piper, what | know about her, is very much like Quirin. She may not be quite as hard as Q is, but she’s definitely rough énough around the edges to be his kindred spirit.

“So, what you’re saying is that I need to stop treating her like a mate and start treating her like I treat you?” I ask him.

“You’d probably get farther with her,” he says, grinning at me.

“Then I guess tomorrow, when I leave here, I’ll head to the Academy and treat her like I treat you,” I say, grinning back.

“You don’t have to go anywhere, brother. That she-wolf you saw? The one I said I offered an option to a friend to get her off the streets?” he says.

“Yeah?” I ask, my heart rate kicking up.”Yeah, Piper is the friend. Vivienne is one of her closest friends and Piper asked me to help her get Vivienne off the streets. She’s coming tomorrow to watch her friend accept me as her Alpha.”

I look at my brother for a long moment, taking a long pull of my drink.

“Well then, I guess you’d better let your mate know’ll be staying another night.”