Chapter 187 Fourfold Love

Chapter 187 Fourfold Love

Kairos

I woke up disoriented, squinting against the harsh fluorescent lights overhead. The bed beneath me felt hard and unfamiliar. Riley wasn't beside me, but I could smell her scent lingering in the air—citrus and mint, my favorite combination in the world.

"Kairos?"

I turned my head to see Luna Grace standing beside me, her expression a mixture of concern and amusement. The familiar scent of cardamom surrounded her.

"Where's Riley?" I demanded.

Grace's lips twitched. "Bathroom. She'll be right back." She moved closer, checking my pulse with practiced efficiency. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," I muttered, glancing down at myself. I was fully dressed except for my shoes, and nothing hurt. "Why am I in the medical center? I'm not injured."

Grace studied me carefully. "Kairos, what do you remember?"

Before she could answer, Riley appeared in the doorway, her beautiful face lighting up when she saw me awake. "Hey," she said softly.

I immediately sat up, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and crossing to her in three quick strides. My hands moved over her automatically, checking for any sign of distress before pulling her gently into my arms.

"What happened? Why are we here? Why was I on a medical center bed? I'm not hurt," I fired the questions rapidly, feeling uncharacteristically confused.

Riley cupped my face in her hands. "Kairos, breathe for me."

I inhaled deeply, drawing in her scent, letting it calm the rising tide of disorientation.

"You fainted, Kairos," she said softly.

"I... what? I don't faint," I stated flatly. Alphas don't faint.

"You were a bit... shocked. Maybe emotional overload?" Riley's eyes sparkled with something between concern and amusement.

I frowned, trying to remember. Then it hit me like a tsunami. My eyes dropped to Riley's stomach. "Shit."

Grace cleared her throat from behind us. "Easy, Kairos. Do I need to call Ethan back in here?"

Pull yourself together, you fucking idiot! Kieran growled in my head. Our mate is pregnant with our pups. Our pups that WE put in her, and you fucking passed out in front of her!

I forced myself to calm down. "Four?" I asked, needing confirmation that I hadn't hallucinated that part.

Riley nodded.

"Do we know if they're boys or girls?" I asked, my mind racing to catch up.

"Mom says we should know in about a week," Riley replied.

"Kieran is very proud of himself for being such a prolific bastard," I said.

I kissed the top of her head. "How do you feel about all this?"

"Scared. Excited." She bit her lip. "Mostly I was worried about your reaction. I know it's a lot, and you said you never thought you'd have pups, and now you're going to have a whole family."

I swallowed hard. "What about Nia? What about you? Riley, can your body handle this many pups? Do I need to worry about losing you? Losing them?" The thought made me physically ill.

I looked around for Luna Grace, but she'd stepped out to give us privacy. I wrapped my arm around Riley's waist and walked toward the door. I needed to talk to Grace about Riley's health.

Luna Grace was just outside, speaking quietly with Ethan. I nodded at him gratefully. "Thank you for being here."

"That's what family does, Kairos," Ethan said simply. "When everything finally hits you, don't worry. Grace and I will help. You don't have to figure this all out alone."

I turned to Grace. "How is Nia? Is Riley at risk of losing our pups? Can she carry them to term with Nia dormant?"

Grace's expression turned thoughtful. "I believe, and Mercy agrees, that poor Nia is exhausted from trying to heal herself while protecting four pups. I'm confident she'll grow stronger and recover. I've talked with Riley, and I think you and Kieran can help her heal."

"We'll do whatever it takes to keep Riley and our pups safe," I promised fiercely.

"I know you will. You're a wonderful mate. Clearly a very passionate one too." Grace smirked.

"Medically," Grace continued, "I'll want Riley on bed rest soon, especially if Nia doesn't fully regain her strength... I'd like to set up a special delivery room, but if the pups are positioned incorrectly, we may need to perform a cesarean."

"Whatever you need, whatever it costs, do it," I said firmly. "I want my mate and my pups safe and healthy."

"I'll keep you informed and would like to see Riley at least weekly," Grace said. "You're free to go now."

"I want to tell the pack," I said. "We need to increase your guards. We need to discuss your idea about how to care for four pups. We need... God. We need everything!"

Riley smiled. "Dad said he'll help. He's excited. Plus, I know Gracie and Avery will want to help with the babies, maybe Silas too. But my idea is more long-term."

"What would you think about Elena as our full-time nanny?" she asked. "It would give her a secure position in the pack and an important role. I think it might help her build confidence, maybe even heal. She'd be on the Alpha floor to start, so she'd feel safe returning to the pack. We could even give her a room at the end of the hall if she needs it for a while."

"Have I told you how perfect you are? How much I love you? How much I want you?" I murmured against her hair.

Riley laughed. "I'm pretty sure when we tell the pack I'm carrying quadruplets, they'll realize just how much you want me."

"You know, I've heard when one is carrying girls, her scent gets stronger," I whispered against her ear. "I fucking hope at least one of these pups is a girl, because if so, you better prepare for your greedy mate who will never get enough of you."

Riley's scent intensified. I lifted her easily, supporting her weight.

"Ready to tell the pack?" I asked. "Because after that, we're fucking celebrating. If you thought I was passionate before, you haven't seen anything yet."

"I'm definitely ready to celebrate," she answered with a wicked smile.

Then I reached out through my mind-link to Finn. Is everything okay?

I'm not sure if it's the pack taking out their anger on Rebel or he's weaker than I thought, but he's not going to last much longer, Finn replied.

Good. Tell the pack I have an important announcement. Finish him, have them clean up. Meet us at the packhouse in thirty minutes.

Mind if we throw him off the cliff? Finn asked. It was the warriors' idea. Sort of poetic justice since that's where Jett got Luna.

I don't care, I answered. Thirty minutes.

See you then.

I kissed my mate again, ignoring the distant sound of Rebel's terrified screams as he was thrown from the cliff. Everything that mattered in my life was right here in my arms.