Chapter 39 Lina
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Lina
Six months of blissful normal had spoiled me. Running both coffee shops, watching the twins thrive in pack school, standing beside Knox as he led our mixed family of wolves and humans. We’d found the perfect balance between our two worlds, and I’d gotten comfortable in the routine.
This morning I was in Pine Valley, helping Mika train our newest barista. The familiar rhythm of the shop soothed me, grinding beans, steaming milk, the chatter of regular customers who’d known me since I was a kid.
“No, Hugh, you have to tamp it evenly or the extraction will be off,” Mika was explaining with the patience of a saint. “Here, watch me do it again.”
I was reaching for a bag of beans when it hit me. The smell of coffee, my favorite scent in the world, suddenly made my stomach revolt. I pressed a hand to my mouth, fighting the urge to gag.
“Boss?” Hugh asked, looking concerned. “You okay?”
I waved him off, but another wave of nausea rolled through me. Oh no. I bolted for the bathroom, barely making it before my breakfast made a reappearance.
“Boss?” Mika knocked on the door. “Everything alright in there?”
“Fine,” I lied, splashing cold water on my face. My reflection looked pale, and when another wave hit, I gripped the sink hard.
No. It couldn’t be.
We’d been careful. Sort of. Sometimes. When I could think straight around my mate, which admittedly wasn’t often. Knox had this way of making me forget everything except how much I wanted him, protection included.
“I need to run to my apartment,” I told Mika when I finally emerged, trying to look normal.
She eyed me suspiciously, taking in my pale face and shaky hands. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Just need a minute. You’ve got this covered, right?”
“Of course, but-”
I was already heading for the back stairs. My old apartment above the shop was still mine, a quiet retreat when I needed space. Everything was exactly as I’d left it, frozen in time from before my life exploded into werewolves and pack politics.
The pharmacy was two blocks away. I bought three tests because apparently I needed triple confirmation for life-changing events. The cashier, thankfully, was a teenager who didn’t know my history and didn’t care about my purchase.
Back in my apartment, I sat on my old couch staring at the tests. This was different from the twins. Then, I’d been terrified and alone, unsure what the future held. Now I knew exactly what this meant. I had Knox to share it with, a pack that would celebrate, a family already built.
The first test turned positive before I’d even finished washing my hands.
The second confirmed it.
The third made it undeniable.
I sat in my familiar surroundings, hand automatically going to my still-flat stomach. Joy bloomed in my chest, unexpected and overwhelming. Another baby. Another little wolf to add to our chaos.
“Hi, little one,” I whispered to the life growing inside me. “Daddy’s going to lose his mind.”
The drive home to Ravenshollow felt different knowing I carried new life.
I kept touching the tests in my pocket, making sure they were real, that this wasn’t some dream.
The pack house buzzed with normal afternoon activity - wolves coming and going, dealing with territory business, living their lives.
I navigated through the familiar chaos to Knox’s office. He’d be there, I knew, buried in paperwork he hated but took seriously. The door was cracked open, and I could see him at his desk, hair mussed from running his hands through it in frustration.
He was frowning at some report, so focused he didn’t hear me enter. For a moment, I just watched him. My husband. My mate. The father of my children who’d missed so much the first time.
“Busy?” I asked softly.
His head snapped up, and the frown instantly transformed into that smile that still made my knees weak. “Never too busy for you.”
He was already rising, coming around the desk to pull me into his arms. His face went immediately to my neck, nuzzling against his mark. “You smell happy. And...”
He froze, pulling back to study me. His nostrils flared, taking in my scent more carefully. Werewolf senses were inconvenient sometimes.
“Lina?”
“I need to tell you something.” I took his hand, placed it carefully on my stomach. His eyes went wide, understanding dawning.
“Remember how much you wanted to be there from the beginning?” I asked, watching emotions flicker across his face.
“Lina.” His voice broke on my name. “Are you...?”
I pulled out the tests, all three positive marks clear and undeniable. “From the very beginning this time. Doctor’s appointments, morning sickness, weird cravings, all of it.”
“Oh god.” His knees actually buckled. The mighty Alpha of Ravenshollow dropped to the floor, pressing his forehead against my stomach with shaking hands. “Hi, baby. I’m your daddy. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”
I ran my fingers through his hair as he whispered promises to our unborn child. This massive, powerful man brought to his knees by the knowledge that we’d created life again.
“Thank you,” he said against my stomach. “Thank you for this chance. For everything.”
Knox was crying. Actually crying. The Alpha of Ravenshollow, terror of rogues everywhere, was sobbing against my stomach while whispering to our baby.
“Knox, baby, breathe,” I said, though I was fighting my own tears.
“I get to see you grow round,” he said, looking up at me with wet eyes. “Get to feel them kick. Go to every appointment. Buy tiny clothes. Paint a nursery. Midnight ice cream runs. All of it.”
“All of it,” I confirmed, still running my fingers through his hair. “Though I’m hoping this one doesn’t have your dramatic flair.”
“Or your stubbornness,” he countered, finally cracking a smile.
“Deal.”
He stood, crushing me against him with barely controlled strength. “When? How far along?”
“Maybe six weeks? I’ll need to see the pack doctor to be sure.”
“Tomorrow. First thing.” He was already in planning mode, I could see the wheels turning. “We’ll need to expand the house. The twins will want to help pick colors. Should we find out the gender? No, surprise is better. Unless you want-”
“Knox.”
“Do you need anything? Water? Food? You should sit down. Should you be standing? Is standing bad?”
“I need you to calm down before you shift from excitement.”
He took a deep breath, then another, visibly trying to control himself. “Sorry. I’m just... god, Lina. Another baby. Our baby.”
“I know.” I reached up to cup his face. “Surprise?”
“The best kind.” He kissed me softly, reverently. “I love you. All of you. Our twins, this baby, our insane life. Everything.”
“I love you too.” I kissed him back, then pulled away with a grin. “Now, want to tell the twins they’re going to be big siblings?”
His answering grin could have powered the entire territory. “They’re going to flip. Thea’s been asking for a baby sister. Rowan wants a brother to even the numbers.”
“Well, one of them will be happy.”
“They’ll both be happy. They’re going to be amazing big siblings.” He took my hand, lacing our fingers together. “Our family is growing.”
“Ready for another adventure?” I asked as we headed to find our children.
“With you?” He brought my hand to his lips, kissing my wedding ring. “Always.”
THE END