CHAPTER 39: A SURPRISE FOR THE ALPHAS

I woke up from the sharp beep of machinery, along with an intoxicating mix of cinnamon, fresh grass, rain, and earth. I pried my eyes open only to wince at the blinding overhead lights and snap them shut again.

“Could someone kill the lights, please?” My voice came out hoarse, and instantly, I sensed all four of them crowding around me. A quiet laugh escaped me as the switch clicked off.

“Got you, Luna,” Doc said, chuckling as he crossed the room. I opened my eyes again, sighing in relief.

Ah, much better.

The moment I spoke, their expressions fell even further.

“Thanks, Doc. My mates are completely useless right now,” I teased, flashing them a wink. A chorus of growls answered me not impressed with my joke.

Doc smirked, clearly amused by my boldness—probably the only person who could poke fun at them without facing dire consequences.

“Good to see you awake,” he said, nudging two of my overprotective mates aside to check on me. “How are you feeling?”

I described the worst of the pain, and he adjusted my meds, scribbling notes on the chart.

“Hope you’ve been resting. We are worried about leftover splinters we couldn’t remove.” He lifted me slightly to inspect the wound, and when he peeled back the bandage, he let out a thoughtful huh.

Jason, hovering closest, tensed. “Huh? What does huh mean?”

Doc held up a hand, and we all stared.

“I did my best to push out the remaining splinters they missed,” Cece explained.

“Cece took care of it,” I relayed. Thanks, girlie. You’re the best.

“Great job, Cece,” Doc praised, and she beamed. “I’d like to keep you a few more days to monitor your healing. The little one is doing fine, but you’ll need to take extra care from now on.” He placed his stethascope on different areas of my stomach, listening. “They have a strong heartbeat,” he beamed.

My mates’ faces were absolutely priceless—ghost-pale, jaws slack. I burst into laughter so hard my stitches ached.

Curious, I reached inward with my tiger’s senses, searching for the tiny presence Doc had mentioned. Sure enough, there it was —a flicker of movement and healthy. My grin stretched wider than ever before.

“Oh my god, their faces!” Cece cackled. If we’d been in her form, we’d have been peeing ourselves from laughter.

“We—” Dean managed, breathless.

“Are—” Luke choked out, looking like he’d just sprinted a marathon.

“Pregnant,” Zane finished.

Just when we thought they’d exhausted their one-word responses, Jason blurted, “How?”

Doc and I lost it again, barely able to catch our breath between fits.

“Well, Jason,” I wheezed, “when a man and a woman—” That was all I got out before dissolving into laughter again. Finally, gasping, I finished, “Love each other.”

By now, even the people outside in the hallway were howling with laughter. My stomach and side throbbed from the strain, my injuries protesting the hysterics.

“Alright, that’s enough. Mi alma, you’re hurting yourself,” Zane growled—clearly using my well-being as an excuse to stop the teasing.

Which, of course, only made us laugh harder.

Finally, we relaxed, and the doctor said, “Just take it easy, Luna, and congratulations. Alphas.” He handed us an ultrasound. I studied it, saw what I already sensed, and broke into the widest grin.

Blocking my mates’ hearing, I asked Cece, Do you think the doctor hid the fact that we’re having twins on purpose?

As if he’d overheard, the doctor turned and winked at me.

“Oh, I think he did,” Cece replied with a giggle.

“He did what?” Luke asked.

Shit, he heard us, I mentally told Cece.

Out loud, I lied, “I was asking Cece if Jason realized how ridiculous his question was.”

Changing the subject, I asked, “How did your mission at the facility go? How was Bobby?”

“We can discuss that later,” Dean said, trying to steer back to the baby. But I wasn’t having it.

“I’m stuck here for two more days. Might as well get it over with,” I pointed out.

I briefed them on the mansion incident—which earned more than a few growls—and then they recounted their mission.

“When we got there, they were packing up to move. Good thing we showed up when we did. The B-team took some hits—those lab workers fought hard. The cells were empty, but we caught everyone on your list. We also recovered the bodies of the three lost pups. Their Alphas have been notified. Thankfully none of them were ours,” Jason said, clearly upset about the loss no matter whos it was.

“Zane, handle the interrogations. I just need to know if our pups are still in danger,” I said, and he nodded.

“Anything for you, mi alma,” he murmured, brushing his thumb along my cheek.

“Bobby led the A-team and held his own for a first-timer,” Zane continued. “Quick thinker, even quicker reactions—probably from working with you. Needs more confidence in giving orders, though. Might’ve been because I was there. But under attack? He was solid. And his instincts? Sharp.” Zane chuckled. “One guard tried ambushing him. Bobby pulled a knife and stabbed the guy in the eye. Even surprised himself.”

“We had a game of hide and seek—if I found him before he found me, I get to hit him,” I admitted with a laugh. “Guess it paid off.”

“Max, we don’t train with violence,” Zane snapped, his humor vanishing, his expression hardening.

“What do you call sparring? Isn’t that training with violence?” I shot back, confused by his sudden anger.

“That’s controlled. They know the risks—what happens if they don’t block in time.”

“Oh, Bobby knew exactly what he was getting into and the repercussions of not striking first. Besides, it was his idea. He hates getting hit, so it pushed him to be faster.” I crossed my arms.

“Brother, she’s got a point,” Jason ventured.

“Stay out of it,” Zane growled. I pressed a pressure point in his hand, making him jerk back with a hiss.

“Don’t talk to him like that,” I commanded. “Bobby knew the stakes. And I don’t interfere with your training so don’t interfere with mine. Now, all of you, get out. I need to be alone.” My tone left no room for protest.

Zane spun on his heel and stormed out. The others kissed my forehead before reluctantly leaving, dragging their feet as if hoping I’d call them back. But I didn’t.

Alone, the silence magnified the loneliness I’d felt before knowing them. The only thing stopping me from summoning them back was sensing Luke standing guard outside. The argument with Zane, brief as it was, had drained me.

Within minutes, exhaustion took over, and I fell asleep.