The Pack's Doctor

Quirin

94%

+53)

As soon as I knew Kennedy was comfortable and safe, I stripped off my clothes and leaped off the patio. About halfway to where my patrols had announced that my trackers had Slater, Kier joined me.

'I can't wait to find out where they found him,' he says.

'I can't wait to see his face when he realizes that we know what he did. You know

he thinks we don't know about his part in all of this,' I tell him.

'What are you going to do with him?' Kier asks.

'I haven't decided yet.' I growl as I feel the silver burning Raif's paws. I'm pissed off all over again at Jasper.

When we get there, I shift and walk up to Slater who is on his knees in front of the patrols.

"What's the meaning of this? I left. I wasn't bothering you. I rejected you and this pack, so why the fuck did you drag me

trackers weren't back here?" he snarls. I glare down at him, and I can see the fear behind the bluster. I can also see that exactly gentle with him while dragging him home.

my

"Not bothering me... Hmmm," I say, turning to look at Kier. "Did he bother you?" "Yeah, I sure as fuck was bothered."

"Mmm," I agree, nodding and acting like I'm thinking through both men's statements.

"How about

Terrance. Were you,

you

bothered?"

"Yeah, I was fucking bothered," he growls.

"Hmmm, was anyone else bothered?" I ask. Everyone agrees, or growls angrily at Slater.

"What the fuck is your problem? What did I do to you?"

"What did you do to me?" I ask slowly as if thinking it through. "Well, now, let's see. You betrayed your pack and therefore me, as your Alpha. You conspired with Jasper to kidnap your previous Luna and my mate, you conspired to kidnap my pup, even though you probably didn't know she was pregnant. Even I didn't know she was pregnant at the time," I say as if I'll give him that little bit of grace. "But, if you hadn't connived with Jasper to kidnap Kennedy, you wouldn't have inadvertently kidnapped my pup so... yeah, I'm holding you accountable for that too. Did I miss anything?" I ask, looking at Kier.

"He protected his rapist brother," he growls.

"Oh right. You not only betrayed your pack by betraying their Luna, you betrayed them by being an asshole who doesn't treat his fellow pack members with respect, therefore disrespecting me as their Alpha."

"I didn't have anything to do with Kennedy's kidnapping," he yells. With a quick slap, Raif rakes his claws across Slater's face.

"That's Luna Kennedy to you. Show some fucking respect for once," I growl.

"I didn't do anything," he snarls, slapping his hand against his face, the blood seeping through his fingers.

"Funny, that's not what Jasper said."

"He lied."

"Well, he's dead now, so I guess we'll never know. Where did you find him?" I ask

my

trackers.

05:49 Mon, 24 Mar

"Skulking around Alpha Jasper's pack lands," one of the trackers says, smirking because this just adds more weight that Slater is lying.

"Oh so you DO know he's dead. That makes this much easier," I say, "You're a traitor and you're here to pay your dues for participating in the kidnapping and attempted murder of my mate," I say, my voice dripping with false patience. "Brogan wasn't going to kill her!" he yells before suddenly realizing what he said.

I squat down in front of him, my fury barely held in check.

"What was he going to do with her, then, hmmm?"

"H-How would I know?" he asks, his tone much less confident.

"How did Jasper know that Kennedy's favorite spot in the pack was the overhang, and that it was the only part of the pack that wasn't patrolled? Who would have known that?" I ask, looking up at Kier.

"Only one of our pack members would have known that," he says.

"Correct. Of course, that's changed now. I can't have crazy Alphas rock climbing their way into my pack. So, the question is... what do I do with you?" I say, standing back up.

"Oh, here's an idea, let's drag him through our silver infested pack lands. He was so friendly with Jasper who contaminated our lands that you must be okay with silver, right Slater?" I ask, turning and starting to walk back.

I hear him fighting the warriors before I hear a very strong kick to his gut. That would be Kier. He has almost as much reason to hate Slater as I do. It could very easily have been Arianna that Arlo targeted, or even Slater. I'm sure it was only a matter of time before Slater followed in his brother's raping footsteps.

As the trackers drag Slater across the pack lands, the pack's warriors come running out, surrounding us and yipping in excitement. I walk ahead of them, thinking through my decision. When we come out of the forest line, I see Kennedy still sitting in the chair where I left her. She's sitting up, obviously hearing the nearly feral excitement from the pack. On one side of her, Lane is standing guard, and on the other, her father is standing, guarding both her and Luna Yara who is standing partially behind him and partially behind Kennedy's chair.

The energy coming from the pack is emotionally charged, bordering on mob mentality. The pack has rallied behind Kennedy and I, and they see Slater as the betrayer who was responsible for taking their Luna, the woman who has brought so much to our pack, away from them.

As I walk up, my eyes lock on Kennedy. I feel her in my mind, recognizing that I'm barely holding on to my rage at what Slater did, at his role in nearly taking her away from me. She carefully pushes herself to her feet and waits for me to come to her.

When I get to the patio, she opens her arms, and I walk into them holding her close.

"I'm right here," she says softly. "Your pup and I are safe."

"And you're going to stay that way," I growl.

"Of course we are. I have the biggest, baddest, strongest Alpha in the world as a mate and I know he will protect us," she says. I hear Warren grunt beside me, disgruntled that Kennedy put me above him in strength.

I pull back and look at her, stroking my fingers over her cheek. "I want to kill him. I want to make him suffer like he made me suffer, like you suffered. But I know that you might not want that. If you tell me you want me to give him a quick death, I will," I tell her.

I watch the surprise on her face, then she glances over my shoulder at Slater who

is still on his knees, althougi. and knees are bleeding from being dragged over the silver in the pack lands.

☐ his legs

Mon, 24 M

94%0

"If I may make a suggestion," Warren says. Kennedy and I both look at him but he's watching the pack's pacing and yipping behind me. When he finally turns, he looks at Kennedy, then at me.

"When I had someone who betrayed my pack, I had a similar dilemma. Obviously, Yara doesn't like violence, and Kennedy is similar, but I felt as you do, Quirin, that justice needed to be served."

"What did you do, Dad?" Kennedy asks him.

I watch as Warren smiles a menacing smile that I've never seen on his face before. It reminds me that Warren was a fighter for many years and survived multiple wars, many of them all at once. He is a strong warrior, a strong Alpha, and one that would never tolerate someone hurting those he loves.

"I let the pack have him," he says.

I turn, looking at the rabid excitement coming from my pack and I know that what they would do to him would be worse than anything that I did. I would torture him, make him suffer, yes. But they will toy with him, keep him alive, give him hope that he can escape before dragging him back. It would also give them a sense of unity, bonding over protecting each other.

"I took Yara inside and let them do what they felt needed to be done. Slater didn't just betray you and Kennedy, he betrayed the entire pack," he says.

I turn and look back at Kennedy. "What do you think? Could you live with that?"

I can feel her struggle to accept what will happen to Slater, but I also feel her anger that he had a role in putting our pup at risk.

"Yes, I can live with that," she says.

I hear Slater scream 'NO', but it's drowned out by the howls of excitement from

the pack.

"Kennedy, why don't you and Quirin come to the hospital. We can see if an ultrasound will pick anything up while the pack... deals with this," Yara says.

I turn and look at Kier. 'Make sure we're away before you let them begin,' I say in the mind link.noveldrama

'Yes, Alpha.'

"Do you mind if I come with you? I doubt we'll be looking over the pack lands today," Warren says.

I look at Kennedy, wanting her thoughts. She shrugs. "Sure thing, Dad. It's your grandpup."

"I expect all of you to come to the pack hospital to have your wolf's paws or your hands and feet cleaned of silver when you're done," Luna Yara says loudly enough for everyone to hear.

"Yes, Luna," they say.

We've just reached the hospital when the sound of excited growls, howls, and yips

begins behind the packhouse.