Chapter 2 - Meredith

Gael is sitting beside me, his leg bouncing from the overflow of anxiety he’s siphoning from Hakeem—who is literally bouncing off the walls.

He looks at his watch again.

For the fourth time in the last five minutes.

“You do realize that pups don’t come on a timetable?” I say blandly, not bothering to look up from my book.

“I know that, Merry,” he mutters, rolling his eyes. “I just want to see them. And know our little one is okay.”

Gael smirks suddenly. “Tesoro,” he says, using the Spanish word for treasure, “JoJo is hardly a little one anymore. She’s now—or very soon to be—the mother of six pups.”

He flops down next to me on the couch and crosses his arms with a pout. “She’ll always be my little one.”

I smile and lean over to kiss his cheek. “You always get uncharacteristically sentimental around births, Dream.”

“I don’t know,” he says, resting his head on my shoulder. “It just makes me think of when our girls were born.”

That may be true, but I will say this: my mate has gotten much sappier in his middle age.

It looks good on him.

“Oh my Goddess, we didn’t miss it, did we?”

Fati bursts into the room with Kurt following close behind her, her usual dramatic flair in full force. I love my girl, but there’s definitely a lot of fanfare around her these days.

That tends to happen when you’re a Luna and newly pregnant.

“Not yet—” I start to say, just as the door opens again and Devin and Arya step inside.

“Hey, guys! We all ready to be grandparents again?” Devin asks, grinning.

Gael cringes beside me. “¡Ni me lo recuerdes!” he groans. Don’t even remind me.

I laugh. Gael really doesn’t want to be reminded that we’re getting older.

“Do you think either Zeus or Maia are going to show up this time?” Arya asks, settling onto the couch across from us.

I shake my head. “Doubt it. They’ve got plenty on their plate already, what with being actual gods and all. They’ll be at the Greek naming ceremony, though.”

“When’s that again?” Fati asks, leaning into Kurt, who’s rubbing her lower back. I know it’s been bothering her lately.

Somehow, Fati is having natural twins without having two mates.

Lucky girl.

“The naming happens when the pups are a week old,” Hakeem tells her. “Better remember that. If your sister keeps talking the way she’s been talking, we’ll be doing this a lot.”

Arya snorts. “Seriously. She wants to be pregnant eight times—with triplets each time. That’s twenty-four freaking pups.”

“That’s insane,” Kurt murmurs, and immediately looks like he regrets saying it aloud.

I giggle. He’s witty when he forgets to censor himself.

And he’s not wrong.

Devin nods. “By the end, the pups are gonna be walking out on their own.”

That startles a guffaw out of nearly everyone. The only one who manages to hold it together is Hakeem, though even he’s got a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

We settle into easy conversation, the room full of warm energy and excited nerves. Then, finally, the door to the maternity ward opens, and Jacob walks out.

“How is she? How are all of them?” Hakeem asks, springing to his feet before the rest of us even move.

A huge grin spreads across Jacob’s face. “Everyone is great. They’re amazing. Gorgeous. Perfect!”

His happiness is so palpable it practically radiates from him—and then he’s nearly tackled by Hakeem.

We all crowd around him, grinning, cheering, patting him on the back.

“When can we go see them?” I ask, eager to lay eyes on my daughter and my new grandpups.

“Oh! Right. Uh—JoJo said I needed to bring you back first,” Jacob says, turning to me. “She has something important she needs to tell you. Sorry, I got a little overwhelmed.”

I squeeze his hand affectionately. “I can’t imagine why.”

Incredibly, his grin widens. “Come on, I’ll take you back to her. Then everyone can cycle in one at a time.”

As I start to follow Jacob toward the maternity wing, Hakeem mindlinks me.

Keep the link open. I wanna see them!

Of course, Dream, I respond as we pass through the door and head down the hallway.

“Do you know their names yet?” I ask Jacob, my voice low and casual.

The fact that Alex has kept those names from all of us has been a hot topic for weeks. And I’m pretty sure that’s why he’s done it.

Jacob gives me a lopsided grin. “Alexander wants to tell everyone one by one.”

I give him my most innocent look. I’m not going to tell him the mindlink is open, but I’m sure he knows.

We finally reach the door, and I take a deep breath.

I'm about to meet my new granddaughters.

My world is about to change again—in the best possible way.

We walk into the room to find several nurses, Hermes, and Alex surrounding three bassinets.

But no JoJo.

“Where—?” I start, glancing around with concern.

“JoJo’s wolf came out right after she finished giving birth,” Alex explains quickly. “She’s out running and healing right now. They’re letting her eat and rest before she comes back to see the pups.”

Ah. One of the common complications for mothers of multiples. Sometimes your wolf comes forward to heal the trauma after birth—and she’s the one who decides when to shift back.

“She’s okay though?” I ask, a thread of tension tightening in my chest.

Hermes turns around, practically glowing. “She’s great. We can feel her wolf—it’s nearly ready to let go. She’ll be back soon. Come meet our girls.”

I step closer to the bassinets, heart pounding.

Normally the pups would be in separate beds. But this soon after birth, they still need each other—for warmth, comfort, and stress regulation. Being close helps stabilize their heart rates and breathing.

And they are absolutely beautiful.

Identical triplets. Thick, dark brown hair like Jacob. Golden skin from Hermes. Alex’s striking green eyes. JoJo’s delicate nose and soft lips.

The only difference is that one of the girls has the crescent moon on its back between her eyebrows, just like JoJo and me.  The oracle of the next generation.

They’re a perfect blend of their four parents.

“They’re gorgeous,” I whisper, overwhelmed.

In the mindlink, Gael says:

Las niñas más bellas del mundo... excepto las nuestras, claro.

(The most beautiful girls in the world… besides our girls, of course.)

Hakeem adds: They really are beautiful.

“May I?” I ask aloud, reaching gently toward the nearest pup.  The next oracle.

“Of course,” Alex says, stepping aside.

Grinning so wide it hurts, I scoop the baby into my arms. She lets out a soft coo as I cradle her against my chest.

“Oh, my sweet girl,” I whisper. “Look at how beautiful you are.”

I hold her against my shoulder, breathing in her soft baby scent—and then I lock eyes with Alex.

“Alright. Spit it out.”

Alex tries to look innocent. “What?”

“Cut the crap. I’ll wipe that smug grin off your face, and I won’t even disturb this little angel in my arms. What are their names?”

He finally laughs and relents. “You’re holding Ena. The one with the freckle on her nose? That’s Faylinn. And the one with the little birthmark on her ear? Glynna.”

My eyes well up with tears. “Ena, Faylinn, and Glynna. They’re perfect.”

I spend the next fifteen minutes holding and loving each of them. I can feel my heart expanding with every moment.

And then, the door opens—and JoJo walks in, supported by a nurse. It’s more precaution than necessity. I can tell by her posture and scent that her wolf has done her job. She’s fully healed.

“Mama! I have to talk to you,” JoJo calls out the second she sees me.

“I’m right here, my love. No need to yell. Sit down first—you’ve been through a lot,” I say, rushing to her side and slipping my arm around her.

“No, Mama, it’s important,” she insists, voice urgent and eyes wide.

“I’m sure it is,” I say, helping her lower onto the bed. “But let’s make sure you don’t fall over first, okay?”

Once she’s settled, she grips my hand tightly. “Mama, you have to listen. I had a vision right before my water broke.”

My stomach twists.

Oh no.

“A vision? From Selene?”

Her voice is clipped. Serious. “Maybe. I’m assuming so. But now that I’m a demi-goddess, it might’ve just been a manifestation of my powers. Doesn’t matter. I have to tell you the prophecy.”

She locks eyes with me. Her next words drop like a hammer:

“Lucifer is back.”

The words echo in the room like a gunshot. Even the newborn pups go silent.

“Lucifer?” I whisper, my voice hoarse.

“He’s escaped Tartarus,” JoJo confirms. “And he’s in the Underworld.”