Our omega is in distress.
I can feel her every emotion through our bond, specifically from the mating mark I gave her.
The moment we pull up to the library, I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I don’t know what it is, but I do know that we need to get to Lena as soon as possible. Max and Gunnar feel it, too, and the two of them tense up, anticipation rippling between us.
“Something is off,” Gunnar murmurs, his eyes starting to glow as he surveys the surroundings out the car window. “I don’t like it.”
“Agreed,” Max says and opens his car door. “Let’s get Lena and get the fuck out of here.”
Exiting the car, I close the door, and at that moment, I hear a gunshot ring out.
“Was that from the library?” I bark, panicking and shifting into my wolf form without thinking.
Adrenaline surges through my veins, and I nod my head in the direction of one of the library windows, angling my body toward it. We need to take whoever is in the library by surprise, and the best way to do that is with an unexpected entrance.
Max and Gunnar pick up on my meaning, and we launch forward, crashing through the building’s window.
Glass explodes around us, shards falling like rain, and whatever controlled calm there had been before evaporates in a second. People are screaming and running toward the back of the building, desperate to get away from us.
I only care about Lena.
My eyes immediately lock onto a strange alpha holding Lena by the arm. There are two strange alphas I’ve never seen before. They must be Aleks and Raul. Suddenly, they looked familiar to me from the pictures Lena had shown me of them.
Aleks grips a silver dagger, his stance menacing.
Lena is struggling against his hold on her hair, her expression terrified.
I growl lowly. No one hurts my mate. Behind him, Raul raises a gun, his expression cold and calculating. I notice the empty shell casing on the floor. I snarl, baring my teeth.
Max and Gunnar spring toward Raul, who starts firing the gun aimlessly at them. The shots echo in the library, and more screams can be heard from behind the bookshelves.
Max and Gunnar dodge the bullets that whistle past them, and Gunnar positions himself between Raul and the terrified bystanders, shielding them with his massive frame while Max charges Raul head-on.
I surge towards Aleks, launching myself at him with explosive force. My body slams into his, knocking him off balance.
He hits the floor hard, the breath rushing from his lungs, and the dagger skittering away across the tiled floor.
Lena takes the opportunity to duck onto the floor, crawling on her hands and knees towards Paige and Annabelle, who are watching the scene unfold with wide, fearful eyes.
Aleks stirs, and shock at being attacked momentarily registers on his face before it transforms into pure rage. He stands, and I watch as he shifts into his wolf form, eyes blazing red with hatred. He growls furiously at me, and I bare my teeth, showing him that I’m not afraid.
“You fucks think you’re slick, huh?” Raul shouts, his eyes gleaming wildly. He waves the gun in the air frantically.
He starts to fire relentlessly but inaccurately, bullets embedding into the walls, books, and splintering furniture.
Max, Gunnar, and I dodge every bullet, keeping low to the floor and rolling out of the way. I keep one eye on Lena, watching as she curls into herself, Paige and Annabelle surrounding her protectively. When the gun finally clicks empty, he lets out a growl of frustration and tosses it aside.
Raul shifts into his wolf form, muscles bulging and thick, dark brown fur shooting out from his skin as he joins the battle on equal footing. His hackles are raised, and he lets out a bark that sounds almost like a rough laugh.
He glances to the left, toward where Lena and her friends are cowering, and grins wolfishly at me.
Before I can react, he darts toward her.
“Let go!” Lena screams as he drags her dress by the fangs, placing her between us, forcing me to hold back to avoid hurting her.
Dirty fucker, I growl in frustration.
Every time I make a move, he dashes behind her again, keeping me at bay. It won’t be long, though, and soon enough, I’ll beat him at his own game.
Suddenly, Aleks lunges at me from the side, teeth bared, aiming for my flank. It forces me to twist hard, putting distance between Lena and me for just a second. That moment of movement breaks the deadlock, and it’s all Lena needs.
Lena
The second Damon twists to avoid Aleks’s teeth, Raul’s attention slips. His jaws loosen from the fabric of my dress, and instinct takes over.
I drop my weight to the floor like a stone and roll away from both of them, my heart slamming in my chest.
Paige doesn’t hesitate—she grabs my hand and yanks me into a crouch, pulling me backward fast.
“Now, Annabelle!” she cries.
Annabelle darts forward, pushing the table to block Raul’s path, buying us precious seconds. I stumble as another contraction hits me, nearly toppling to the floor, but they catch me—one on each side—and we rush across the main hall.
Aleks roars behind us, realizing too late that I’m no longer his shield. The moment I’m clear, Damon charges forward like a bullet, smashing into Aleks with a snarl of pure anger.
Paige looks over at me, then at Annabelle. “Holy shit. Lena. Are those guys—your mates—wolves?”
I let out a strangled sound between a cry and a laugh. “Yes. Long story. Later.”
Annabelle’s face is pale. “They shifted. Oh my God, Paige—they’re real wolves. Is this even—what the fuck is even happening?”
“They’re protecting us,” I whisper. “Please. Don’t be scared. Just help me.”
Annabelle snaps out of it. “Right. Right. We’ve got you.”
“The contractions!” I gasp as pain tears through me again.
We’re in the storage room now, and I’m suddenly reminded of the time I was in heat, being knotted in this very same room to conceive my babies.
More pain lances through me, and I curl forward in agony, placing a hand over my belly.
My contractions are coming closer together, and I know there’s no way I’m going to be able to make it to the hospital—not with the current state of things.
Annabelle and Paige exchange worried glances. They must be terrified, but they’ve been holding it together so well.
“We should be okay here,” Annabelle says, her voice trembling.
My contractions are coming in quicker now, and I can’t stop the cries escaping my lips. Fear grips me, not just for myself and my babies but also for my pack.
The thought of losing my alphas is unbearable, and a sob wracks my body at the idea.
“Paige,” I choke out between contractions. My voice is raw and desperate, and I swallow back the wail, threatening to escape. “Paige, I need you to check on them. Are they okay? What’s happening?”
I can hear snarls and grunts, the sound of massive bodies colliding as they try to tear each other to shreds.
“They’re okay,” she says, peeking out the door. “The evil wolves are bleeding a lot. Your men have the upper hand.”
I nod weakly, gripping Annabelle’s hand tightly as another wave of pain crashes through me.
“They’re coming!” I wail, panic mounting. “I don’t have my bag. This isn’t supposed to happen like this!”
“I’m going to call 911,” Annabelle says frantically. “Hold on for me, Lena. I promise we’ll get your babies here safely.”
She dials the phone and puts it on loudspeaker.
“911, what is your emergency?” the dispatcher says coolly.
“We’re at Willowstone Library,” Annabelle says smoothly, guiding the emergency services to our location. “There’s a woman here in active labor. It’s multiples—four babies. We need help immediately.”
“How far apart are the contractions?” the dispatcher asks.
“Three minutes, I think,” I say, groaning and grimacing in pain as another one hits.
“Okay, honey, I’m going to need you to breathe,” the dispatcher says calmly. “I’m going to talk to your friend through the birth. The ambulance is on the way as we speak.”
Annabelle’s eyes meet mine, and I can see the panic within her gaze. “Lena, listen to me. I know this isn’t your plan, but we’ll get through it. Breathe with me.”
I nod, desperately trying not to freak out. Anything might happen. Panicking only makes the contractions speed up.
“You can do this, Lena,” Paige says with conviction, gripping my hand as I scream. “We’ve got you. We’ll make sure everything is all right.”
“Make sure there’s nothing in the way when you start to push,” says the dispatcher.
I scramble to push down my maternity pants and panties, and Annabelle grabs them, tucking them away safely for me. I spread my legs wide, not even bringing myself to care that my vagina is on full display to my friends.
I just want to deliver these babies. Tears stream down my face as the pressure below increases.
“It’s almost time. Listen to me carefully, honey. I need you to do exactly as I tell you, okay?” the dispatcher says.
Another contraction grips me, stronger this time, tearing through me with such intensity that I scream. Sweat beads on my forehead, dripping down my temples as my body instinctively pushes.
Annabelle ducks her head between my legs to see what’s happening.
“The first one is coming, Lena. Push now,” Annabelle urges. Her calmness soothes me, giving me courage even though I’m scared out of my mind.
“That’s it!” Paige says. “Push, girl, push!”
I bear down, pushing with all I’ve got until the pressure relieves. Moments later, a shrill cry pierces the air, and tears come to my eyes, overjoyed that one of my babies is safely out. The chaos of the fight behind us fades into the background as Annabelle hands the squirming bundle to Paige, who wraps the baby girl in her cardigan.
“There’s one baby,” the dispatcher cries happily over the phone.
Another powerful contraction takes hold of me, and I scream in pain. It’s like a ring of fire stretching me, and I can’t do anything to stop it.
“You need to push, Lena. You’re doing amazing,” Annabelle coaches me softly, still talking urgently to the dispatcher.
Closing my eyes, I bear down as hard as I can while I scream. I never wanted it to be this way. Not at all.
Suddenly, a shrill cry sounds, and I know the second baby is here. I open my tear-drenched eyes, crying and laughing when I see the baby boy.
“A boy!” Annabelle declares and lays him against my chest.
During the brief respite, I turn to Paige. “Paige, what are my men doing right now?”
“They have the guy with the gun cornered. They’re going to finish this,” she says as she looks out the storage room’s door.
The update gives me strength, and I bear down again as I get ready to deliver the rest of my babies.
The third and fourth babies arrive swiftly, another girl and boy, one after the other, and their sweet cries are like music to my ears amidst the snarls and growls from the library.
My body trembles with exhaustion, and tears stream down my face as I clutch one of my newborns protectively to me, hoping against hope that their fathers make it out alive. Annabelle and Paige work together to clean off the babies using the blankets they’ve gifted me.
The snarling and growling have suddenly stopped, and fear grips my heart, hoping the worst hasn’t come.
An eerie silence settles over the library, and then I hear the soft padding of paws as Damon, Max, and Gunnar approach the storage room in their wolf forms.
Damon lets out a long howl when he sees that our babies are born already and crying. Annabelle and Paige scoot away from him, intimidated by his massive size and the fierce look on his face.
I’m elated to see them safe and alive.
“Don’t worry, he doesn’t bite,” I say, smiling as he gives them a wolfish grin before stepping closer to sniff his pups. Max and Gunnar join him, their big bodies crowding me as they tenderly sniff their offspring and lick my face and neck.
The three alphas transform back into their human forms, naked as the day they were born. I bite my lip to keep myself from laughing at Annabelle and Paige’s expressions, but the alphas don’t notice. Max tenderly picks up one of his sons and Gunnar the other, cooing at them softly and kissing their tiny faces.
“My beautiful, strong Lena,” Damon whispers, dropping to his knees to cup my face. His gaze is soft as he looks at me. “You’ve given me the most precious gift I could ever ask for.”
He kisses me tenderly before picking up his daughters and holding them close to his chest. The sight makes my heart swell.
“You’re in trouble,” I murmur, and he looks at me sharply.
“Why?” he asks in confusion.
“Those little girls are going to have you wrapped around their fingers,” I say.
“They already do,” he says, chuckling.
The sound of sirens cuts through the ringing in my ears. It starts faint but grows louder by the second until it drowns out everything else.
Lights flicker red and blue across the broken library windows, casting eerie shadows across the ruined bookshelves and glass-covered floor.
They’re here. The sound of the front doors slamming open.
“EMS!” someone yells, their voice echoing through the chaos, fast, heavy footsteps rushing through the library.
“In here!” barks Max.
Three paramedics storm in, uniforms dark, eyes alert, and scanning the situation. One speaks into a radio clipped to his shoulder while another has gloves on.
“Where’s the mother?”
Annabelle steps forward, waving frantically from the doorway. “In here! She just gave birth—quadruplets! It happened fast. She didn’t even make it out of the room!”
I can hear them moving closer into the dark storage room, the sound of their boots on tile mixing with the softer, faster breaths of my babies. My arms are full, one baby against my chest, the others safe in the arms of my alphas as pain throbs in my center.
“She’s right here,” Paige says, her hand on my shoulder.
A medic kneels next to me. His hands are warm and steady as he checks my pulse. “Hey there, Mama. Can you tell me your name?”
“Lena,” I whisper. “They’re okay, right? My babies…”
“We’re checking them now,” he says gently, nodding toward them. “Small, but stable. You did good.”
Another medic begins checking the babies, clamping cords, and wrapping them in clean, warm blankets pulled from a supply bag. He speaks quietly, calmly, but efficiently, and I catch words like “heart rate good,” “pink color,” and “neonatal transport.”
“We’re going to take you all in,” the lead medic tells me. “County Sun Hospital. NICU is ready.”
I nod weakly, too tired to speak. My body feels like it’s made of glass and sand—fragile and heavy, all at once.
Damon leans over me, brushing the hair from my damp forehead as the medics lift me onto a stretcher.
“We’re coming with you,” Damon says, voice low and fierce. “We’re not letting you out of our sight.”
