Chapter 1 - Sebastian
Standing in the surgery room watching the doctors prep Sasha had me feeling completely useless. Legend was standing behind me; I could feel his tension. Luca came in and stood beside me; the pain he was experiencing made me feel a little bad for him. I don’t know how many times he was almost brought to his knees when he felt her contractions.
As Dr. Stone started her incision, Sasha’s heart rate spiked and then plummeted. I could see on the monitor that her heart was skipping beats; for every two beats, it flat-lined for three. Dr. Walker moved closer to her head and quickly took her blood pressure, worry on his face.
Walking around the nurses as they move around the table, I reach out and snag Sasha’s hand. Her eyes lock with mine, fear radiating from her. Dr. Stone, moving quickly, lifts one of the pups and clears its airway. Hearing a lusty cry, tears spring to my eyes. I’m so focused on the pup, I almost didn’t notice when Sasha’s hand went slack.
The alarm on her heart monitor starts screeching, and Dr. Walker and the other doctor sprang into action. “Alpha, please step back.” Legend was there quickly, moving me back as they started chest compressions on Sasha.
Dr. Stone works quickly to pull the second pup. Handing that pup over to a nurse, she quickly reaches in for the last pup. This one is smaller and even after clearing its airways is silent. Yelling for the pediatric doctor, a middle-aged female doctor grabs the pup and moves to another table.
Dr. Walker pulls out the paddles to shock Sasha’s heart, and everyone steps back. He shocks her two more times before there is a slight beep on the machine. Dr. Stone steps up to Sasha again and quickly closes her uterus and the incision. The young doctor watches as her faint heartbeat begins to slow again.
Luca is on his knees, almost unable to breathe, and Dr. Walker looks at me and then at Luca. “Grab two chairs; I have an idea.”
Nurses scramble to pull two chairs into the room.
“Legend, sit here and keep talking to our Luna. Beta Luca, you sit on the other side and keep your hand on her skin. Alpha,” He looks at me as he shifts Sasha’s limp body over. I need you to stretch out next to her and put your hand on her bare skin. I’ve seen bonds do miraculous things, and I know all of you are strongly bonded.”
My focus is solely on Sasha. I pull her against me and rub my hand over her stomach, careful of her incision. Pulling her head to me, I ripped the surgical gown down and my shirt open, letting her head rest on my bare chest. It barely registered when two nurses carried two of the pups over and gently set them on Sasha’s torso. My hand covered one to hold it steady.
Luca reached out with his free hand and gently held the other in place. Realizing only two were there, my eyes flew toward the incubators. Sensing my attention, the middle-aged doctor spoke. “Alpha, I’m Dr. Morgan, the pediatric doctor on staff. Your second little boy is breathing, but he needs a little extra TLC right now. He’s the one who was blocking things and was just a little exhausted from being squeezed so hard.”
Hearing Sasha’s heart monitor beep more steadily, my head whipped back around, and Dr. Walker looked relieved. “Her heartbeat is getting stronger, Alpha.”
Reaching out, he snagged my wrist and watched her monitor as he felt my pulse. “Her heart is syncing with your heartbeat, Alpha. Keep her pressed against you until she is a little stronger.”​
Legend let out a sigh of relief, and Luca had tears running down his face. Closing my eyes, I let myself feel through the pack bonds. The fear and worry that floods back tells me the entire pack is feeling stressed. Trying to focus on calming the pack, I miss my daughter’s hand snaking out of the blanket and latching onto my finger.
Legend grabs my arm and nods toward the tiny hand. A sob catches in my throat, and I tighten my hold on Sasha. Dr. Stone, having come back into the room, stops and smiles brightly when she sees the little hand clasping my finger.
“I think she already has you wrapped around her finger, Alpha.”
Laughing out loud, I must have startled both pups; they started whimpering. Legend stands and picks the little female up, cradling her in his arms and cooing to her. Luca, afraid to let Sasha go, gently pushes the male toward me. I scoop him against me, resting just under Sasha’s chin, and he instantly settles, staring back at me.​
The nurses take the pups to the nursery after about thirty minutes of bonding. Before they do, Dr. Morgan brings my other son over and gently places him against me. He is smaller and not as vigorous as his siblings, but he was all Sasha, from the shape of his mouth to the chocolate brown of his eyes.
Dr. Walker left us for another thirty minutes before he came back in, ready to transfer Sasha to her room. When I stood up, her heart rate spiked, and her hand reached for me. Walking beside her, held her hand and talked about the pups. Once she was settled in the room, I climbed back into bed with her and held her close.
I woke to a nurse checking Sasha’s incision. Not being fully awake, I growled at her. My mother, sitting next to me, smacked me.
“Growl again and I’ll slap you right upside your head. You let her take care of Sasha.”
Blinking, I look over my shoulder at her and glare. My dad is standing by the door, laughing. “Bossy, isn’t she?”​
Grumbling, I shift as the nurse gently turns Sasha so she can change the dressing. “How are the pups?” I ask her.
Smiling, she quips, “They are wonderful, Alpha. I think every nurse and doctor has been by to hold them. Your family has parked themselves right outside the nursery, and Luna’s guards are stationed right outside her door. They have all refused to leave.”
Mom sighed, “I was over the moon when Legend was born, but those three pups have made my heart so complete. I got to hold the smallest boy first. I think he’s Sasha’s little mini-me!”
Chuckling, I think I know which one my mom is going to spoil the most.
As the nurse takes Sasha’s blood pressure, she stirs against me. The nurse, watching closely, smiled when Sasha’s eyes fluttered open. “Welcome back, Luna. How are you feeling?”​
Sasha doesn’t move from my chest but mumbles, “Very sore.”
Furrowing her brow, the nurse finishes taking her blood pressure and quickly walks out. A few minutes later, Dr. Stone walks in, and Luca is right behind her. “The nurse said you were awake and feeling pain, Luna. I just want to check you over.”
Looking at me, she asks, “Is that alright, Alpha?”
Nodding, I slowly ease off the bed. Sasha grabs for me before I can get too far, though. Needing to stretch and use the bathroom, I look at Dr. Stone a little helplessly.
Luca chuckles and comes up next to me, prying Sasha’s arms from around me and stepping closer to her. “Seb needs a break, baby girl. You have to settle for me right now.”​
She frowns but then lays her head against his abs while Dr. Stone starts poking and prodding her. After using the bathroom, I step outside her door.
Sure enough, her four guards plus Conner and Josh are there. “How’s Luna?” Davis asks nervously.
“She’s awake. Dr. Stone is checking her now.” They all look relieved.​
Josh stood up and stretched. “We all felt it when her heart stopped, Alpha. The entire pack was almost brought to its knees. Then your fear raced through the pack, and it was like time stopped. We were afraid to breathe for several minutes. When her heart started again, it was faint, but it felt like life was pouring back into the pack. I’ve never felt something that powerful before.”
Making my way to the nursery to see my pups, Alaric comes up to me first and hugs me tightly. Annalise and Shelley are next. Looking around, I see Legend, Shadow, and Thunder inside the nursery, each holding a pup.
“Legend hasn’t put that little girl down in over an hour.” Anna pouted.
Chuckling, I step inside and take my daughter in my arms. Easing into a rocking chair, I stare at her perfect little face.
Shadow drops into a chair next to me. “What are their names, Alpha? I know you and Luna have kept them secret.”
​Still staring into my daughter’s face, I whisper, “This is Ember.” Nodding toward the boys, “Eric and Elliot.”​
The pups were wheeled to Sasha’s room, and everyone followed. Before the nurses could get them through the door, Josh was all over them, peeking at the bundles and grinning like they were his. Conner snapped pictures of them with his phone and reached to stroke one of the boys’ cheeks.
Davis, Colt, Cooper, and Miguel also snapped photos like they were the proud dads. Shaking my head at their antics, I know I’ll have to send out the official pack announcement soon before these goons start sharing photos. Glancing at Legend, I know exactly who will be doing their birth announcement photos.
Sasha was sleeping when we came in, but when I placed Elliot – the smaller pup – against her side, her eyes opened. Seeing joy and love fill her face as she looked at our son, I couldn’t help but lean in and kiss her temple. One of the nurses came in with name cards and asked which one was Eric and which was Elliot. She wrote their names on their bracelets, too.
Dr. Stone kept Sasha in the hospital for four days. Dr. Mills also wanted Elliot to stay so she could closely monitor him. I stayed at the hospital with Sasha and the pups. Legend stepped up as Alpha heir and took over much of the pack business while Alaric and Luca kept Wolf Warrior, Inc. moving forward with projects.
Sasha’s hospital room quickly filled with flowers and gifts for her and the pups. She grew stronger each day, and watching her snuggle the pups filled my heart. I almost lost her and Elliot. I think I paid a little extra special attention to that pup. But Eric and Ember also had a big part of my heart.
Luca stopped by after work and handed me the gift box I asked him to pick up. I had chosen a gift for Sasha before the pups were born, and it was now ready.
Handing her the box, I gently kissed her lips. “Something special for you. You have made me more complete than you will ever know.”
She gasped when she opened the box. I had a pendant made in the replica of her shoulder tattoo. Except instead of “More than meets the eye,” I had the pups’ names engraved. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she pulled me in for a hungry kiss.
“Thank you, Sebastian.”
