The Pack's Luna: The Pack Series Book 4 novel Chapter 45

Piper

“Bitchtine, I like that. What’s going on with her now?”I ask, looking at Henry.

He takes my hand and pulls me back over to the couch, sitting beside me this time. Alpha Quirin scoops Kennedy into his arms and sits, putting her in his lap. Kennedy’s easy response makes me think this is a common occurrence with these two.

“She’s refusing to come to the pack to do the paternity test,” Henry says.

“When were you going to tell me that?” I ask.

“I had planned to tell you Wednesday, but it wasn’t a good time. Then, I was planning to tell you this weekend, but obviously other things have taken precedence. I told her I’d be bringing Kennedy to her pack to do the test. She tried to convince me to just let her doctor do it. Well, first, she wanted me to just take her word for it, which I refuse to do.

“Finally,” Quirin and I say together. I grin at him. I know he’s still unhappy with me about doubting him but in this, we’re perfectly aligned.

“I wanted you to be there, but I understand if you can’t with everything else going on,” Henry says.I turn and look at my mate. “Would you put what’s happening in your life above what’s happening in mine, Henry?”

“No.”

“What do you always say to me? I’m with you? Well, I’m with you, Henry. Bitchtine needs to get bitch-slapped.

Yes, I have a lot of shit going on right now, and yes it’s overwhelming. But that whole partnership thing goes both ways.

”

“Well, I can tell you that my mate won’t be going to Alpha Patrick’s pack without me there,” Alpha Quirin says, wrapping his arms protectively around Kennedy.

I smile. “I KNEW it! You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”

Kennedy frowns at me. “How did you know? We haven’t told anyone yet!”

“When we were at Alpha Connor and Luna Madison’s last weekend, I realized she was pregnant. I also realized that the two of you seem to have pups around the same time, although she hasn’t had as many. So, I was wondering if you were pregnant.”

“Madison’s pregnant?” Henry asks.

“How did you know that? Mom just confirmed it for them two days ago,” Kennedy says.

I look at Henry. “Remember when Yana was talking about’ seeing the pack lands’?”yeah

“Well, Connor looked at Madison with the same possessive look that Alpha Quirin has for Kennedy right now. Madison blushed, so it was pretty obvious,” I say.

“To you,” Henry says. He apparently missed the look.

“Anyway, congratulations,” I say.

“Thank you,” Kennedy says, blushing the same way

Madison did. I glance at Henry. I wonder if someday it will be me blushing when we tell others that I’m pregnant.

He winks at me, and I see the same burning desire in his eyes that I feel inside myself.

“Besides, having me there will make sure that the bitch and her Alpha don’t cause any problems,” Quirin says.

“Oh, don’t you worry, Alpha. I am ALL over that,” I growl.

He grins, a big wide grin that you rarely see on Alpha Quirin’s face. He looks at Henry. “I told you were mated to the female version of me.”

“So, what’s the plan? If we show up, is she going to agree to give blood?” Kennedy asks.

“Oh, she’ll agree,” Quirin and I say together.

“I don’t care if I have to hold her down,” I say.

“You hold her down, I’ll make her bleed so Kennedy canget her blood,” Quirin says, grinning.

“How about we try to do this in a civilized way first. If that doesn’t work, I’ll release the two of you on them and goddess help them and their pack if that happens,” Henry says. “However, I think the fear of Q will be enough to keep the pack members from doing anything stupid.”

“Are we still bringing our brood to your pack first, Henry?” Kennedy asks.

“You’re welcome to bring them. I’m sure the hellions would love to spend time with Piper. Apparently, I’m the one in trouble for not telling them about us being mated.”

Kennedy smiles at me. “It’s true that they’ve been asking how they could make you part of the family, Piper. They really, really like you.”

“I adore them. It hadn’t even occurred to me that we would be family once Henry and I mark each other,” I say.

“Oh, Piper, you’re family now. It doesn’t matter if you’re marked. You’re mated to Quirin’s brother and Henry has always been part of our family, so l’ve always thought of him as an older brother. That makes you my sister.”

I feel my throat tighten and my eyes burn with unshed tears. I’ve gone my whole like without sisters, without a family that I could love and respect. And today, I not only find out that I have a half-sister, but according to Kennedy, I’ve now been accepted into a huge family of people who I have the utmost respect for. Henry pulls me into his lap while Quirin kisses the top of Kennedy’s head.

“It’s a lot to take in. From someone who understands what it feels like to not have a family, or not feel part of a family, to suddenly be embraced by the Hills, it’s a lot. But believe me, it’s so worth it,” Quirin says.

Kennedy smiles, snuggling against her mate. Whatever he’s feeling from her makes him begin to growl softly.

“That’s our cue to leave,” Henry says.

“So we’ll see you next Friday?” Quirin asks, but he’s nyzzling Kennedy, his focus almost entirely on her.

“We’re here the rest of the weekend. We’re not leaving until Sunday, if that’s okay.”

“You know you’re always welcome, Henry,” Kennedy breathes. I know that sound. I make it when Henry is about to make me feel fantastic.

I take his hand and follow him to the room that has been his since Quirin took over this pack. It’s at the end of the Alpha hallway and as we walk down the hall, I realize that if Quirin and Kennedy continue having pups, hell have to move his room to somewhere else in the packhouse very soon.

When we step into the room, I turn to him.

“Food can wait, Henry. Right now, I need to feel how much you love me. But before that, I want to accept you as my Alpha.”He sucks in a breath, and his eyes darken, but in true Henry style, he sets the food down then turns to me:

“Are you sure, Piper? It doesn’t have to be me.”

“I want it to be you. You’re my mate. I know it’s not the same as marking each other, but it will give us a mind link.”

“But it won’t be an equal link, Piper. You understand that, right? You’re my mate, and I want you to stand beside me.

But without marking each other, I’ll have more access to your mind than you will to mine.”

“I know, and I’m okay with that. Hopefully, you’ll open your mind to me when we’re together and let me in.”

He pulls me against him. “I absolutely will.”

“Alpha Quirin is right. It’s not safe for me to continue being part of my brother’s pack. What they’re doing, what they’ve done … I want to be safe, Henry. I trust you to keep me safe,” I whisper.

“I will ałways, always, keep you safe, Piper,” he says seriously, then smiles. “Not that you need me to. You are one hell of a strong woman, my mate.”

He strokes his knuckles over my cheek. “Are you ready to accept me as your Alpha?” he asks.

“Yes. Then I need you to remind me that there is good in this world, that there is love in this world, and that I am Loved by a man who is willing to show the world howmuch he loves me,

,”I say.

He growls, then steps behind me, wrapping his arms around me.

“Say the words, Piper. If you are willing to accept me as your Alpha, say the words.”

“, Alpha Piper Coniey, accept you, Alpha Henry Bishop, as my Alpha.”

I feel the connection to my brother snap as Henry extends a claw and slices his palm. I take his hand in mine and lick the blood on his hand. Strength, power, love, safety, peace, calm, and serenity unlike anything I’ve ever felt before fill me. I lean back, basking in feel of my new pack, of the pack my mate has created that is so much more than what I’ve known until now.

‘Mine, he growls in the mind link.

I turn in his arms. ‘Show me how much you love me, Henry.

If I thought being with Henry before was the most intense pleasure I’d ever felt, it was nothing compared to having him push that love into me like he did before, but with the added intensity of him flooding my mind with his love, surrounding me in a love so absolute and pure that I didn’t bother to beg for him to stop. I just wept at the pure beauty of it, letting him overwhelm me the way that only he can.