Wolf's Ascension

  “Oh!” Elaine said.

  “What?” Andreas and Kari both said, alarmed.

  “Well, look here. Another set of arms and legs. You have two babies in there, reine. You’re having twins,” Elaine exclaimed.

  “What?” Kari felt faint.

  “Right here.” Elaine pointed at the screen and yes, there were two sets of arms and legs.

  “Oh my goodness. I’m having two babies?” Kari said wondrously.

  “Yes. A boy, this one.” She pointed to the baby on the left. “And a girl, right here.” She pointed to the baby on the right.

  Andreas stared at the monitor, emotion shining in his eyes. “Two. A boy and a girl. Oh, Kari. You’re so amazing.”

  “Hey, big boy, it’s not like it was my choice or anything.”

  “Twins. The first set of twins in at least a hundred years,” Elaine said.

  “I definitely deserve pie,” Kari said. She craned her head back to see Phillip, who was staring at her belly with a goofy smile. “What do you think, Uncle Phillip?”

  He leaned toward her and kissed her temple tenderly. “I think you’re magnificent. You definitely deserve pie. If Andreas wasn’t so much bigger than me, I’d kick his ass and steal you away.”

  Kari laughed and the babies moved. “They respond to your voice. To the sound of your laughter. They’ll know you when they’re born,” Elaine said and Andreas leaned down and spoke to her belly.

  “Daddy loves you two.” And they moved toward the sound of his voice.

  Elaine stood back and wiped the goo off Kari’s belly, allowing her to close the robe. “I’ve printed out some pictures of the ultrasound. Jade and Tomas will want to see and I know Jack will too.” She handed them to Andreas while Phillip helped Kari down off the table.

  “You’re doing well. They’re both very good-sized for being twins. I’ll be by this weekend to check on you. You’re only three weeks from your due date, so I want you to stay near home from now on.”

  “You still think it’s safe to have them at home?”

  “Yes. Twins are harder but as I said, birth is a fairly quick process for us. I’ll be there and Ellen is coming too, so you’ll have two doctors on hand. Plus Anna has been present for the birth of many children in the Pack. It’ll be fine.”

  “Okay. If you say so.” She put her dress back on, not bothering to go into the dressing room. They’d all seen her naked before. Phillip lovingly caressed her belly and went out into the hallway first, making sure they were safe.

  “Steal her away. I think not.” Andreas bumped past Phillip and snorted in amusement. Phillip winked at Kari and she laughed.

  “Oh hi, Andreas.” Henry and Luna came around the corner. Luna, as always, looked a bit too happy to see Andreas and Kari bristled. Pregnancy hormones.

  Andreas smiled at them both and pulled Kari in front of him and back into his body. Immediately his hands spanned her belly. “Hello, you two.”

  “Wow, Kari, you’re really looking big,” Luna said in that way that sounded like it was an innocent comment but any woman could tell was a dig.

  Andreas laughed, “Compared to what? She’s still a sprite and more beautiful than ever.”

  The dig had gone completely over his head and Kari narrowed her eyes at the other woman. “Well, pregnancy has a tendency to do that. Thankfully Andreas seems to find it sexy.” Take that!

  “I’ll say. I can’t keep my hands off her.” Andreas nuzzled into her neck, hands caressing her stomach.

  Kari could have sworn that Luna smirked. She’d have to run it by Perri to see what she thought.

  “What brings you two all the way out here?” Henry asked. “Everything’s okay, right?”

  “Oh yes. We had our ultrasound today.” Andreas didn’t seem to want to tell them about the twins. She thought that it was probably that Jade would kill them if he told anyone but her first.

  “Oh great! Do you know the gender?”

  “It’s a secret until we announce it at dinner this weekend. You two coming out?” Andreas asked teasingly.

  “We will now for sure.” Henry laughed. “We’ll see you Saturday then.”

  “Bye, you two,” Kari said as they swept past them, Phillip leading the way.

  Driving back to Star Lake, Kari happily ate her double scoop of chocolate-chocolate-chip and finally asked Andreas about Luna.

  “Andreas, what’s Luna’s story, anyway?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “She seems... I don’t know...less than friendly to me sometimes.”

  “Really? I hadn’t noticed. What do you mean?”

  “The comment about me being big earlier. It was a total dig.”

  “I’m sure she didn’t mean it that way.”

  “Ugh. Men are so dumb sometimes. Of course she meant it that way. If I’d have said it, I’d have meant it that way. It goes against the woman’s code. You don’t tell another woman something like that unless you mean to insult her. It’s the way we operate. We take comments that could be perceived as casual, even compliments, and we turn them into subtle insults. It’s an art.”

  Phillip laughed at that.

  “I’m serious. And why is she always kissing you on the lips? None of the other females do that.”

  “Phillip kisses you on the lips,” Andreas said.

  “Yes, a peck, and I’m with him twenty-four hours a day and he is so totally not on the make. There’s a difference.”

  “Hmph.”

  “Are you saying it bothers you when Phillip gives me a peck on the lips? Usually as I’m leaving our bedroom? Pregnant with your children?”

  “No. It doesn’t bother me. It makes me happy that the Pack loves and respects you. I’m just saying that it’s not a big deal when Luna kisses me.”

  “Is she like your sister? ’Cause Perri doesn’t kiss you on the lips like that. She gives you a peck.”

  “Kari, is this one of those conversations that men can’t win, no matter what they say? If so, tell me now so I can apologize already and we can avoid the inevitable agony to come.”

  Her eyebrows shot up and she snorted and turned to look out the window. Butthead.

  * * *

  When they walked into the lodge, Sean was there already, as were Skye, Jack, Ryan and Laurent. All waiting to hear the gender. Andreas held out his hands to silence the tide of questions. “Wait. Let me get Maman on the speakerphone. Someone go get Anna.”

  Kari sat down on the couch only to have four different men get her a pillow for the small of her back, a throw for her legs and a glass of milk. Jack took off her shoes and rubbed her feet. She smiled. Life is good.

  Anna came into the room with a slice of banana nut bread to go with the milk. Even better.

  “Okay, I’ve got Maman and Dad on one line and Devon and Perri on the other. Kari, do the honors.”

  Kari said in a clear, loud voice, “It’s a boy.” And over the excited talk, “And it’s a girl too. We’re having twins.”

  “Oh my god!” Jade exclaimed over the phone.

  “It’s a good thing I cleared out the nursery this morning. We need to go back and get a new crib and bassinet,” Laurent said.

  “I’m taking Friday off and coming early,” Perri said.

  “I got so caught up in the moment I forgot you were still on the second line. Sorry!” Kari reached for the phone with a grunt and Skye jumped up to hand it to her. “I need to talk to you about something but it can wait until you get here. I need a woman’s opinion,” she said in a low voice once they were on the line alone.

  “Oh god, I can’t wait.” Perri laughed. “I’m going to die of curiosity before then. Give me a hint.”

  “I can’t. I need to tell you when there aren’t ten people around. It’s not earth-shattering or anything.” She continued to keep her voice down and sound casual. If Skye heard he’d want to know what she was talking about.

  “Oh the agony! Fine! Okay, I’ll see you Friday morning. Love you,” Perri said.


  “You too and your dopey husband, as well,” Kari added before hanging up.

  “Well, since we’re all celebrating, I think it’s time for my news now,” Sean announced as he stood up.

  “What?”

  “Peaches, when you came to us, I realized just how much I’d been missing by not having a Mate all these years. I’d searched but not very hard. Little did I know that she was right under my nose.”

  “Emma!”

  “Exactly.” Sean smiled at her. “I realized it just after the wedding. We were standing on the porch and locked eyes and it never felt so right.” He shrugged. “I’ve told her what I am and I’ve asked her to marry me. We looked into it and she’s got some wolf in her gene pool. She’s agreed to the change and I’d like to officially request a spot for her in the Pack.”

  “Oh wow, that’s so wonderful. Emma is the coolest. She’s good for you, Sean,” Kari said. “You have my vote, if that matters at all. I have no idea how this works.”

  “Well, it does matter. You’re Alpha of this Clan, Kari.” Andreas walked forward and touched Sean’s chest, over his heart. “I’d be honored to have your Mate in Cherchez Clan. Make her, Sean. Bring her over and we’ll celebrate at the next full moon.”

  “There’s more. She and I would like to live here and run a clinic in town. Star Lake has no mental health services at all and with only one doctor, we could really use another. Plus, having a doctor here for our own purposes would be ideal.”

  Kari tried to get up to hug Sean but couldn’t get off the couch. Grinning, Skye helped her to her feet. She walked over to Sean and hugged him tightly. “I’m so happy for you both. I’d love to have you both here all of the time. Thank god the next full moon is after my due date. I can barely walk now, I can’t imagine running at this size. Someone would have to stay human and drag me in a wagon.”

  Andreas laughed and Jade was still on the speakerphone and crying. “So much good news in one day!”

  “Oof,” Kari said after she reached around to hang up the phone.

  “What is it?” Laurent asked, alarmed. Taking his hand, she placed it on her belly where the babies kicked her ribs with abandon. His eyes widened. “Oh, that’s them.”

  “Yeah, Frick and Frack.”

  Skye came over and held out his hand, asking to touch, as well. She guided him to where her daughter was.

  “Wow. That must really hurt,” he said, awe replacing his usual glib manner.

  “Yeah, it’s no picnic. All of these months I’ve been saying that it felt like there were eight arms and legs in here, turns out I was right. But I’m not really complaining. It’s pretty wonderful.”

  The phone rang and she picked it up. “I hope your bastard baby dies!” a voice rasped and hung up.

  Kari gasped, dropping the phone, hands flying up protectively over her stomach.

  Andreas rushed over. “What? Kari, what is it?”

  “Star Sixty-Nine! Do it!” she yelled.

  “It’s a blocked number,” Skye said. “What did they say, Kari?”

  “They said, ‘I hope your bastard baby dies.’” Tears ran down her face as shock rushed through her that anyone would wish her babies harm.

  Andreas roared, slamming a fist down and shattering the oak coffee table. The empty milk glass flew along with the plate. Making a visible effort to rein his anger in, he came to her, still shaking with rage. She went willingly into his arms and breathed him in.

  They were all quiet for a few minutes, huddling around Kari and Andreas. “Why, Andreas? Why would someone hate me that much? That they’d wish our babies harm?”

  “I don’t know, Kari. I don’t know. But they won’t. I promise you no harm will come to our children.”

  Sean and Skye leaned forward. “We promise you too.”

  “And me,” Jack added.

  “Me too,” Ryan said and Laurent growled with barely restrained rage.

  After Anna bullied Kari into eating dinner and drinking some decaf tea, Phillip and Ryan took Kari up to bed. Phillip took a post inside the room, stretching out on the chaise lounge, and Ryan on the futon outside the door.

  Downstairs, Andreas paced in his study while Laurent, Jack and Sean looked on. “This must stop.”

  “Three months ago, you offered to change me. I’d like to take you up on that now,” Jack said. “I can protect her better from inside the Pack. I’ll be stronger and faster. The threat is from one of your own, Andreas.”

  “I know. Are you sure? Do you want to talk with Kari first? Changing isn’t very pleasant. The bites have to be deep and cause severe trauma. That means at least a few days in the hospital.”

  “I’m sure. Let me talk to Kari tomorrow. I want to do it before the babies come.”

  “Okay. I’d be pleased to welcome you into the Pack,” Andreas said and the others agreed.

  “First of all, there will be two guards on Kari at all times. Phillip and Ryan can be one team and then trade off every twelve with Skye and Laurent.”

  “No, Andreas. We have to assume that you’re in danger too. You need a guard, as well, that’s my job. Call in Jon or Craig. We can trust them both, I’d stake my life on it,” Laurent said.

  Sean nodded. “He’s right. But let me do it. I’ll go ahead and leave my practice now. I’ll move in here and change Emma when we change Jack. They can be in the clinic at the same time. We’ll avoid the hospital if we can to keep suspicion down. I’ll work with Skye. That’ll give us Phillip, Ryan, Skye, Laurent and me here full-time for at least the next month. Jack and Carey will be around when they aren’t working.”

  “What am I? An old woman?” Gregory asked, stalking into the room.

  “Of course not, Gregory. I consider you as able as any of these males. You already have a job, though. Running this place is important. Kari needs to feel that things are normal. The babies are coming. She’ll want to be able to enjoy the air and the decks and gardens with them. That’s your domain. If you see a threat, I have no doubt you’ll take care of it,” Andreas said and Gregory nodded, his honor satisfied. Even an eighty-year-old werewolf had his pride and wanted to be useful.

  “Laurent has finally convinced me that a security system is necessary. I want the lodge wired up. Motion detectors, cameras, the whole thing. I want it as unobtrusive as possible. I don’t want it to feel like I live in a prison. Kari would hate it and we’d never hear the end of it.”

  Jack laughed. “True. Look, I’ve been offered a position here in town. I haven’t told Kari yet because I didn’t know if I wanted it or not. But with all of this going on, I think I’ll accept. I can get a place in town and be nearby.”

  “You can have one of the cabins if you’d like. The one you’re in now or any of the others. I know Kari would want you here but if you’d rather be in town, that’s okay too.”

  “Really? Sometimes your generosity seems too good to be true. You treat my sister like a queen.”

  “Well, she is a queen,” Andreas said with a shrug. “I’m quite serious. Jack, your sister is my world. I’d do anything for her.”

  “So why does someone want her dead?” Jack asked.

  “Why indeed?”

  “To weaken the Pack so they can take over maybe?” Skye said.

  “If something happened to Kari, Andreas would crumble. Leave a vacuum.”

  “Well, what about Sean and Devon? They could take over, couldn’t they?” Jack asked.

  “Well, I could,” Sean said matter-of-factly. “Devon couldn’t because Perri can’t bear children. It’s part and parcel of the Alpha deal. You have to have children to succeed you. He could divorce Perri and have another wife who could bear children but she wouldn’t be his Mate and something like that might divide the Pack instead of uniting it. But I was in the car with Kari when we took her to the hospital and the pitcher was put in the dishwasher. I could be working with an accomplice, of course.” He shrugged his shoulders.

  “If Sean wanted Kari dead, he could have killed her th
irty times over by now. He’s been alone with her and has been trusted with her in situations where he could have easily hurt her,” Skye said.

  “So let’s work outward, then. Let’s just assume that everyone here isn’t guilty. The Inner Circle has had enough access to Kari that if one of them wanted her dead, it would have happened by now. That means Andreas, Laurent, Sean, Skye, Phillip, Ryan, Anna, Gregory and me. Who else can we positively eliminate? Let’s not let I’m pretty sure rule here but I’m positive and here’s why,” Jack said, thinking like a cop.

  Andreas sighed, running his hands through his hair. “I’m positive that my mother and father are innocent. I thought my mother was going to have a stroke when Kari was poisoned. They love her and me. My father’s family has led this Clan for eighteen generations, even before we settled in the United States. There’s no way he’d want anyone else running Cherchez. Devon has never wanted to run the Clan. He’s got a nice life with Perri in Portland. He’s not very involved with Pack governance. I can’t see that he’d want to hurt Kari.”

  “That’s assuming the reason is to take over. I don’t think that that’s a safe assumption. It’s an idea. You’re saying Devon is an I’m pretty sure, and that’s not good enough. I’m not trying to cause trouble or even to say that I think Devon did it. I don’t, actually. I just want us to be able to positively eliminate people and then move from there.”

  “My brother isn’t a killer. He just isn’t. He is just one of those guys who likes to cruise through life and not put out a lot of effort. He’s got a good heart and he loves Kari. He loves our family. He loves his wife, and when other werewolves from an Alpha family might have gotten rid of a Mate who couldn’t bear children, it doesn’t appear to have affected his devotion to Perri at all,” Sean said. “And Perri is easily Kari’s closest friend. They’re on the phone together constantly when Perri isn’t here. Perri could have killed Kari if she’d wanted to, as well.”

  “But Perri’s slept with Andreas. Jealousy could have been a motive,” Laurent said, throwing the idea out there.

  Jack raised an eyebrow but stayed quiet.