I can't believe this story is coming to a close! 😭 this is the last chapter before the epilogue, so I hope you enjoy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I love seeing this side of you, Seth."

I look up to see my beautiful mate smiling down at me as I crouch on the floor with my chin resting on her swollen belly, our pups getting bigger and stronger by the day, and with only a three weeks until they're due, we're both a little nervous with anticipation. Especially me, considering Katrina knows the gender of our pups but won't tell me or anyone else...saying that she wants it to be a surprise.

"And what side is that angel?" I reply, enjoying the sound of my little ones heart beats and feeling the strength of their little kicks...I can already tell that they're going to be strong...even if it is mostly my fatherly bias.

"The doting father side...it's adorable..." She chuckles, her laughter making the plush, blue rocking chair she's sitting in rock a little. She's been spending a lot of time in the babies room lately, almost all the furnishings courtesy of the Christmas party slash baby shower we had a few weeks ago. The dark wooden cribs matching the cream colored walls, the adjacent one has the silhouette of a tree painted on it in brown paint, my mates creation when we painted the room itself.

"Well, with little Avery and these little ones right here, I'll soon have three pups to spoil rotten...so you'll get to see this side a lot Angel." I murmur, and I start chuckling when she gives me a look that I recognize from my days as a pup...the face my mother made whenever I got in trouble.

"Don't spoil them too much now...that will be less than beneficial." She scolds lightly, trying to fight back a smile of her own.

"I know you're going to spoil them too baby, don't hide it." I tease, and her smile betrays her stern expression as she giggles.

"Okay, okay...I just don't want them too spoiled...they will be the future leaders of the pack when they get older." She explains, and I understand completely. These pups will most likely be my successors one day, I want them to know how to do things for themselves instead of having everything done for them...though it might be difficult to talk my mother out of spoiling them rotten...

"I understand...and I was wondering, since you won't tell me what our pups are going to be...how exactly are we going to discuss names?" I ask, and she gives me a thoughtful expression.

"I guess you can just tell me the names you like, and we'll go from there?" She offers, and I sigh as she avoids exposing her secret.

"Girls or boys first?" I ask hopefully, and she grins as she catches on to me.

"Whichever one you want to do first." She answers, darn it. After a moment of thinking, I start with the names I've been partial to.

"For girls...I've always liked Willow, and Raven...perhaps Maria?" I list, and her soft gasp makes me look up.

"You want to name our daughter after my mom?" She murmurs, and I smile up at her.

"Why not? She's the reason you exist after all."

Her eyes water as she holds a hand over her mouth, and I sit up immediately.

"Don't cry angel..."

"Stupid...hormones..." She says between sniffs, and I chuckle as I wipe her tears away with my thumb.

"How about Raven Maria Miller?" I suggest, and she nods.

"It's perfect, and I like Willow too."

"Does that mean we're having girls?" I guess, and she immediately goes back to her poker face.

"Nice try, but you're going to have to wait." She replies.

"Alright, alright...so for a boy I was thinking Daniel or Tyler...oh, what about Seth Jr.?"

"I think one of you is enough love." She teases, and my mad face only lasts a split second before I bust out laughing...taking advantage of her being cornered and ticklish to my advantage as I ghost my fingers over her lower back.

"Seth! Seth stop! I'm sorry!!" She gasps between laughter as she squirms in her seat, her swollen belly not helping her avoid my tickling or how I'm kissing behind her ear. After a minute or two I pull my hands away, letting her calm down some and catch her breath...though I continue kissing her.

"You've been teasing me so much...it's not nice." She pouts, a new thing I've gotten used to seeing since she's been pregnant. So cute.

"I do because you're adorable, being so ticklish and all...it's just as cute as that little waddle in your walk..." I argue, and she huffs.

"I don't waddle..."

"Yes you do love, just like a cute little penguin." She follows my response by popping me on the back of the head, and I wince at the slight sting.

"You're lucky I love you..." She grumbles, her smile betraying her miffed voice.

"I know I am..." I murmur before pressing a kiss to her stomach, chuckling as I feel two small kicks in response. Before I can go back to names, I hear the familiar sound of little feet coming towards us.

"Mama! Mama!" Avery calls out excitedly as she skids to a halt in front of us.

"What is it baby?" Katrina asks.

"Uncle Zeke says to go to the pack doctor, the baby's coming!" She announces, and both of us are dead silent before Katrina starts trying to get up.

"We gotta go right now!" She cries out, and I immediately begin helping her out of the chair before I go grab the keys to the car and her to-go bag, not sure how long we'll be staying.

Avery holds onto my mates hand as she waddles down the stairs as quickly as she can, which isn't as fast as she would like. I've offered to tote her up and down the stairs myself, but she always argues that she needs some exercise.

When we get to the car, I strap Avery into her booster seat before we drive down to the pack clinic, heading to the maternity wing side after parking. We see Andrea in the waiting room, two balloons sitting next to her, one pink and one blue. Her eyes light up as she sees us, and Avery runs up to her to give her hug.

"Hello Avery, and you too Alpha and Luna. I figured you'd be here quickly."

"Of course, I am going to be an aunt after all." Katrina smiles, and as we settle in for the wait, I set up Avery with my iPad, pulling up one of her favorite learning games for her to play. She settles on my lap as I sit on the couch, and Katrina sits in the recliner next to us, propping up her feet as she splits her attention between reading her baby name book and watching Avery play with a smile.

After about an hour, I tune into my mates internal thoughts, and chuckle internally before asking Tyron for a favor through mind link.

"Delivery for the Luna." Tyron announces as he comes in, a tub of chocolate fudge ice cream and a spoon in one hand, and large pillow in the other. Exactly what I asked him for.

"Thank you Tyron...and you too Seth, I know I certainly didn't ask for this." She murmurs as she puts the pillow behind her back before taking the ice cream and digging in, making me chuckle.

"No problem Angel, I know you usually crave chocolate around this time."

We settle back into silence, this time with Tyron sitting next to Andrea. After what seems like an eternity, we finally see Ezekiel come out with excited eyes, about to burst at the seams from the way he's walking. We all stand up in anticipation, so when Andrea holds the balloons out to him, he waits a moment before he reaches out....and grabs the pink balloon with a gigantic smile on his face.

"Oh my goddess! I have a niece!" Katrina squeals, and I try to keep her from jumping around too much.

"I'm sure you guys want to see them, follow me."

We follow him to the room, and I scoop Avery up in my arms before we walk in, seeing Adrienne in the bed holding a tiny bundle wrapped in a pink blanket, her expression tired but happy.

"Oh, she's adorable sis..." My mate almost coos, her eyes locked on the little pup that already looks exactly like her daddy, with both his hair and complexion.

"I know...Tali is a little angel, isn't she?" Adri murmurs, and I already look forward to the day I get to see my pups for the first time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Katrina

(Three weeks later)

The two a.m. wake up call was unexpected to say the least, but it didn't take long before we were rushing to the pack doctor to prepare for our pups making their entrance to world...and so far, it's one down, one more to go.

"One last push Luna! You're almost there!" The doctor encourages, and my cry of pain, determination, and exhaustion overlaps with the cries of the first pup I gave birth to as I squeeze Seth's hand and as I push one last time, surprised a bit that I haven't broken his fingers in the process.

I'm rewarded with the startled cry of my second pup, both cries nearly in sync with each other as I collapse back onto the hospital bed and listen to them with tired relief.

"You were incredible angel...I'm so proud." Seth murmurs as he presses a kiss to my sweaty forehead, and look up at him with a slight smile.

"Luna?" Dr.Bell calls to me, and I look at her just as she gives me an expectant look, to which I nod and smile even wider.

"Alpha Seth, congratulations on your two sons." She announces as she holds up our firstborn pup to him, cleaned up and wrapped in a little blue blanket as he squirms and lets out small cries. The look on his face is once of stunned awe, his mouth opening and closing a few times as he tries to put his words together.

"How do I...what should I...?" He flusters out, looking from his empty hands to his pup in concern...like he's afraid he'll break him.

"It alright dear, just hold him here and don't forget to support his head." Dr. Bell chuckles as she shows him how to hold a baby properly, and just as he's getting it right the nurse brings over our second pup to me, and I immediately take him in my arms.

"He's...he's so tiny..." Seth murmurs as he stares, his large hands dwarfing his son.

"They are...and handsome like their daddy." I reply, and he smiles at me warmly before turning back to the pup in his arms, both of them having his black hair.

"Angel...look at this..."

I look to see Seth pointing to the babies stomach, at a quarter sized spot near his umbilical cord that's a bit of a different color than his skin. It looks almost like a rough spade...

"It's a birthmark...and it gives me an idea for his name." I notice Seth give me a slightly concerned look, and I chuckle.

"Since it's a spade...how about Ace? For Ace of spades?" I suggest, and he grins widely.

"Ace it is...so what about his brother?"

I look down at him in speculation, nothing coming to mind that sounds right.

"I think Leo is perfect for him...if that's okay?"

I pause as I look up at Seth in surprise, at a loss for words.

"After my father? Are you sure?" I choke out.

"Yeah...big shoes to fill, I know...but I think he can do it." He replies, and I swear if my heart swells any more it'll burst.

"I think so too." I murmur, and I look up when the door opens to reveal Avery with Seth's parents and my sister behind her. My daughters eyes widen as she sees the babies, as does Seth's parents.

"Hey baby, you wanna meet your little brothers?" Seth calls to her, and she bobs her head excitedly before climbing up on the chair beside me.

"Avery, meet Ace and Leo Miller... your baby brothers." I murmur, trying to keep the volume low so I don't startle them. And as my family gathers around to swoon over our pups, I share a look with Seth that says everything without uttering a single word.

This is the best Valentine's Day I've ever had...and I look forward to whatever comes next.