A Pack of Our Own

Thalia

5 years later

Steam billowed up from the sink as I tried to tip a heavy pot of pasta into the colander with one hand while stirring the simmering sauce on the stove with the other. The thick scent of stewed tomatoes and fresh herbs hung warm in the kitchen.

"Wyatt, quit bothering your brother and get over here to set the table," I called out, glancing back over my shoulder.

"Jace grabbed my toy!" my youngest shot back right away.

"I did not!" his brother yelled in instant defense.

I leveled a stern look at the pair of them just as Wyatt lunged forward, trying to pry the plastic action figure out of Jace's tight fingers. A few feet away, Zane sat with an open book propped in his lap, though he wasn't reading a word of it, clearly thrilled by the wrestling match unfolding in front of him. That was life with triplets—nonstop commotion from morning till night.

"That's enough, boys," I said, keeping my tone firm. "Jace, hand it back to him. Wyatt, come give me a hand right now, please."

With a chorus of low grumbles, the two of them finally listened. The standoff was over, at least for the next five minutes. I fought back a grin as Wyatt took a stack of napkins and forks, carefully laying them out around our small dining table. Raising three rowdy wolf cubs meant constant chaos, yet their wild energy packed every corner of our house with life and laughter.

Then the front door clicked open, and three identical pairs of amber eyes snapped toward the entryway, brightening all at once.

"Uncle Beck's here!" they yelled together, scrambling over one another in a mad dash to reach the door first. Beckett barely made it inside before a pack of excited boys tackled his legs, making him laugh out loud.

"Hey there, fellas! Man, you three shot right up!" Bending down, he hoisted a beaming Wyatt high onto his shoulders. Jace and Zane immediately started bouncing on their heels in protest until Beckett reached down and scooped one up under each arm.

Carrying the squirming weight of all three boys, Beckett stepped into the kitchen and leaned sideways to wrap me in a quick, one-armed hug. "And how is my favorite doctor holding up tonight?"

"A whole lot better now that I have backup to keep these troublemakers in line while I get food on the table."

A broad grin crossed his face. "Glad to be of service. Oh, and I brought dessert along."

"You really are a lifesaver." Taking the box from him, I cut the chocolate cake into neat slices and slid it onto the middle shelf of the fridge for later.

Before long, the five of us were gathered around the table with full bowls of hot pasta and a basket of warm garlic bread. In between huge bites, the boys talked right over each other to catch Beckett up on everything that had happened that week—from Zane finally landing a tricky move on his skateboard and Jace kicking the game-winning goal at soccer, right down to Wyatt wiggling another baby tooth loose.

Leaning back in my chair, I just watched my boys chatter away with the man who had woven himself so seamlessly into our daily lives. When Kaelen shattered my heart with his rejection five years ago, I honestly believed I would never feel put back together again. Yet through all the exhausting nights and chaotic milestones of raising the triplets, Beckett had stood right beside me, and our friendship had steadily deepened into something solid and warm. There was a quiet, unshakable trust between us that didn't need explaining.

...

Once the plates were cleared, I herded the hyperactive boys upstairs to brush their teeth and climb into bed while Beckett stayed behind to tackle the dishes. Reading to them at night was still the best part of my day. All three of them would burrow deep under their blankets, wide-eyed and attentive as I spun stories of brave adventurers and hidden lands. Seeing how easily they got lost in the magic of those tales brought back my own sense of wonder.

For tonight's story, I made up a tale about a pack of gifted wolves who stood guard over their woodland territory to keep out the enemies trying to ruin it. The boys hung on every word until their breathing slowed, their heavy eyelids finally fluttering closed as sleep claimed them. Moving quietly, I pulled the quilts up to their chins and slipped out into the hallway, pulling the bedroom door mostly shut behind me.

Downstairs, Beckett was already sitting on the sofa holding out a steaming mug of peppermint tea for me. Letting out a long, tired breath, I dropped onto the cushions next to him and rested my head against his shoulder, grateful for the steady, familiar comfort of his presence.

"Those boys never run out of batteries," Beckett said, shaking his head with a quiet laugh. "I honestly have no idea how you match their pace every day."

A soft laugh escaped me. "Coffee. An ungodly amount of coffee."

Neither of us said much after that, content to drink our tea in the quiet living room. With the triplets fast asleep upstairs and the fire crackling low in the grate, a deep sense of peace settled over me—the kind I knew I would never take for granted. Our life wasn't conventional by any stretch, but there was no shortage of love under this roof.

Looking back at those early days as a single mother trying to balance three newborns alongside a grueling medical school schedule, finishing my degree had seemed like an impossible pipe dream. Beckett had flatly refused to let me throw in the towel, though. Whenever the babies finally went down for the night, he had sat with me at the kitchen table through brutal late-night study sessions, drilling me on anatomy and pathology until I could recite the textbooks in my sleep. Now, five full years down the road, I had finally earned my coat as Dr. Thalia, working as a resident pediatrician over at Ash Hollow General Hospital.

Because of what I was, connecting with young kids on the ward came naturally, allowing me to calm frightened toddlers the second I walked into an exam room. Children always seemed to pick up on the hidden wolf nature I kept strictly under wraps around the human staff. Word had traveled fast among local parents, keeping my appointment book packed week after week. Between my hospital shifts and Beckett's busy family medicine clinic, our joint work was doing remarkably well.

Lately, though, a different kind of patient had started slipping onto my schedule. Just the week before, a nervous werewolf dad had shown up at my door carrying his feverish pup, counting on me to treat the child without exposing what they were. Word of my ability to keep a secret was clearly making the rounds.

"By the way, I met up with Roan for lunch earlier," Beckett said, breaking into the quiet. "He told me a few other packs around the region have been asking after you."

I gave a slow nod, not really surprised by the news. Roan was a natural-born werewolf who had stepped in to help us track down private suppliers for the specialized supplements and medicine my fast-growing sons required. Over time, he had turned into our main link to the area's hidden shifter population.

Turning his head, Beckett looked at me closely, a crease of worry forming between his brows. "How do you feel about taking on more... non-traditional patients? Your schedule is already stretched pretty thin as it is."

"I can handle it, truly. If there's a way I can help out other wolves, I want to do it—especially when it comes to the little ones." My mind drifted back to my own rough childhood, when finding a physician who actually understood shifter biology was completely out of the question. Growing up with that kind of isolation had been terrifying, and I was dead set on making sure the kids coming up now had someone they could safely turn to.

The worry on Beckett's face melted into a warm, affectionate smile. "You really are something else, Thalia. Those pups are lucky to have someone like you in their corner."

Reaching over, I gave his hand a gentle squeeze, grateful for how much he believed in me. The two of us had weathered so many storms to get to this point, and a future that used to look completely dark and empty now felt wide open with possibility.

There would be plenty of time tomorrow to work out the practical details of how to manage the extra patients. Right now, sitting beside the fire, I could feel a steady warmth of hope coming back to life in my chest. Regardless of whatever challenges lay ahead, I didn't have to face the world by myself anymore. I had three living, breathing pieces of Kaelen sleeping safely upstairs, and for the moment, that was all the strength I needed to keep moving forward.

One way or another, things were going to fall into place. They simply had to.