The couple gazed at one another, the man sighing in defeat.

"I suppose we have no choice then." He muttered, and turned back to his wife; he helped her sit down and went to making a fire. Although she did not mention it, she was deeply grateful to be able to sit down, they had been walking for hours, and despite the fact she was a werewolf, walking through untamed wilderness while six months pregnant was taking a toll. She knew why her husband was reluctant to stop here, merely for the fact that this was Fenrir Greyback's territory, and he did not allow trespassers.

"Lily, I have to go hunt." He said, his voice strained, it went against his very being to leave his pregnant mate alone in dangerous territory. She smiled gently at him,

"Go James, I can handle myself." He smiled stiffly at her and shot into the woods, she sighed and leaned back against the tree, watching the fire crackling, watching it dance and leap in it's pit. She felt her eyes growing heavy, her head dipping forward, her chin hitting her chest as she fell asleep. A branch snapped, waking her from her nap,

"James?" She called, and stood, straining her eyes to see into the darkness, and what she saw there terrified her, a pair of glowing, yellow eyes gazed hungrily at her, "JAMES!!!!!" She screamed, and turned, and ran, pushing herself as fast as she could, arms wrapped around her stomach, her only thought was to get somewhere so she could protect her baby. She pushed through thorns and bushes and branches, hearing pursuit behind her. She screamed her mate's name again and began to sob, tears flowing freely down her face, unknowing that her mate was not the only one to hear her screams. James had finally managed to bring down the large boar, its blood still fresh on his hands when he heard her scream,

"Lily!" He shouted and ran to find her, but when he came to the small clearing where he had left her, she was gone, the fire still crackling innocently. He lifted his nose to the air, and smelled his mate, along with a new stench; he took off on the trail. But also on the trail, were several men and women, and in their lead, Fenrir Greyback himself. Lily continued to sob her mate's name, searching for anything to aid her, anywhere she could hide, if only to protect the life still growing within her. She cried out as her foot caught on a tree root and she fell, tumbling to the ground, panicking as she wondered if she had hurt her baby. But she didn't have that time, because in an instant the man was upon her, knife pressing into her throat and she raised her arms and shoved with all of her strength. He growled at her,

"How dare you touch me?" Her eyes widened as the knife sliced a deep wound on her cheek, and then the man was being thrown off her, and she struggled to get to her feet, arms crossed over her stomach, as she hunched down and sobbed, watching her mate battle fiercely with the man. Her mate won, and walked to her, blood on his face and hands, eyes fierce as he looked at her, his gaze softened and he pulled her into his arms, and let her sob against him. She held onto him with all of her strength, sobbing, not even caring that she probably looked the fool. He was muttering to her, tongue dragging across her face and neck, and she trembled in his relaxed hold, until he tensed and spun, putting arms out, as if to shield her with his body. A large man stepped forward, silver eyes glowing, he gazed at the man in interest, the man, suddenly realizing who he was facing, was obviously terrified, the scent was rolling off him in waves. And yet he stood strong, tall and firm before his pregnant mate, as she knelt on the ground, weeping, hands over her eyes.

"You killed him?" The man asked, eyes never leaving the other's, James looked taken aback at the question, then nodded,

"Yes. Why?"

"He is a rogue. You are alone, yes?"

"No. My mate."

"Your mate does not count, she is of you, and you are of her. You are one, not two." James looked at the man in shock, and then nodded.

"Fenrir!" A new voice called, this new one was female, and the man turned back and looked,

"Yes, what is it, Molly?"

"She's pregnant!"

"So?"

"Can't we at least take them in, just until the child is born?"

"No!"

"And why is that? They can not live alone out here; he may have been able to defend her against one rogue, but what if they were attacked again? Just until the child is born, Fenrir, I implore you!" Fenrir sighed and turned to the man,

"You will join my pack, until your pup is born. And then you leave, until then, you will listen to pack rules and will obey me as alpha. I will not hesitate to kill you. Am I understood?"

"Yes, alpha." James said, kneeling in the filth at the man's feet. The man smiled,

"Very good. Come, we go home." James stood, helping Lily to her feet, and silently the two followed the man and the pack, lagging slightly behind. They were led to a very large mansion of sorts, and followed hesitantly behind the pack. They were led into a large room, filled with pillows and pallets, a warm hearth blazing at the far end.

"You will sleep here, with the rest of the pack. Meals are taken in the dining hall." The man called two names, and a man and woman knelt before him, head bowed, showing submission to their alpha.

"Arthur, Molly, I want the two of you to show them around, teach them our ways so I need not punish them." With a nod, he left. Arthur and Molly stood; Molly was the first to smile warmly,

"Welcome to our pack new friends, Fenrir is a wonderful alpha; you will learn to love him as have we all. He is harsh but he is good. Come, we will show you around." Lily and James followed the two and were amazed at how large the home was. They returned to the sleeping chambers, and Lily and James sat alone together against the wall. Two men approached them, and James and Lily both sat up in excitement.

"It has been a while, James, Lily." Remus said, smiling gently, while behind him Sirius smirked at his old friend.

"Remus! Sirius! How are you?" Lily said happily, reaching up her arms, the two men knelt and each gave her a hug, seeing as she couldn't easily lift herself from the floor. The men grinned at her and sat next to them and the four traded stories. Lily was leaning against her mate in pure exhaustion, watching sleepily out at the room. A woman made her slow way over; she stopped before Lily and smiled,

"My name is Narcissa, welcome friend." Lily smiled at the woman, and knew instantly the woman was pregnant; her stomach ballooned beneath her shirt like a ball. She held one hand beneath her stomach and one against her back.

"How far along are you?" Lily asked, sitting upright, the woman grinned,

"Six months."

"So am I!" Lily said happily, Narcissa nodded,

"You're first?"

"Yes."

"My first pup too. Molly is a wonderful healer, she will help us. She has seven pups of her own."

"SEVEN?!" Lily cried out in shock, Narcissa grinned,

"My thought exactly. I wish for only one, and that is fine." Lily nodded, and again felt her eyes slipping closed,

"Sleep love, you're tired. I will rouse you when it is time to eat." Narcissa said kindly and strode carefully away. Time passed and the full moon was nearing, Lily could feel the extra strain on her body, and could normally be found lying in odd positions together with Narcissa, both women claiming it eased the stress and pain. James and Lucius were fast friends much like their mates, both helping each other and one another's mates with eagerness. Fenrir could also feel the tug of the moon on his body, and he loved it, he grinned, showing off his sharpened teeth, and he threw back his head and howled as the moon rose over the horizon, the first beams spearing through the bodies around him, and they all threw back their heads and howled. In moments the howling died down and was replaced by a mass of panting, furry bodies. Fenrir tossed back his head and howled, shaking out his silver fur, he gently jumped down from his throne and ran out the double doors and into the night, his pack right behind him. The pack and himself split once outside, he went his own way, going to sit atop the boulder where he could watch them and run to the rescue should anything go wrong. He watched as the pregnant Lily and Narcissa sat together, nuzzles pressed to one another's, lips pulled back in a wolf's silent laughter. James and Lucius were acting like pups, rolling about on the ground, yipping and nipping playfully at one another. Fenrir watched in amusement as the pups rolled about, playing tag and tackling one another, the elder wolves all sitting back and watching, while the adults rested, keeping watchful eyes on their pups. He turned when he heard a surprised yelp, and found Lucius pinned beneath a triumphant James. James' wolf was a black-furred beauty, with calm, dreaming hazel eyes and a sense of utter arrogance about him. Lucius' wolf form just screamed sophistication, silken silver-gray fur that was almost white shimmered in the moonglow, his cold, aristocratic features were angled and severe, and his eyes glinting like shards of ice. He reached up and nipped James on the snout, when James glared, Lucius gave glare for glare until the black wolf got up and allowed the other to flip onto his stomach and lay his head on his paws, clearly sulking. But the sulking frown turned to a grimace of pain as the moon sunk below the horizon and the woods were filled with the sound of pained howls and cracking bones. Fenrir, sighing, led his pack within the walls of their home.

It was dark out, the new moon gave no light, the stars all hung silent in the sky as if they were waiting too terrified to speak. Fenrir gazed at his reflection in the pool, cold, glaring eyes met his gaze defiantly, silver hair streaked with black hung well past his shoulders, a sharp canine tooth poked out from between his sealed lips. He heard and approach and spun, only to see James walking his mate to the pool, she was smiling, and they were whispering, foreheads pressed together. She touched her foot to the water and shivered, before reaching up and undressing, gently lowering herself into the water. She sighed and relaxed, and James smiled, watching her, it was one of the only ways she could relax at night, or at least enough to fall asleep. He watched her carefully, hands resting behind her head; he smiled when he felt her slip into the realm of dreams. Gently he picked her up and carried her back into the building, ignoring the curious gaze he was receiving from the alpha. Fenrir sighed, and turned back to examining his reflection, he watched James return and slip beneath the water's surface, and he came back up gasping, black hair clinging to his eyes. James finished his bath quickly and got out, shaking himself like a wolf, the water flying off his body in droplets. He was about to leave when he heard a twig snap, not even thinking about the consequences, he shouted,

"Alpha Fenrir, watch out!" And dove, shoving the man off his perch, and cried out as he felt something sharp pierce his side, he stood up dizzily, and pressed his fingers to the wound, blood flowed freely from it, he gagged slightly, then turned fierce eyes onto his alpha's attacker and lunged, a frantic battle ensued, seeing James in victory, his face splattered by blood. He looked at his alpha and knelt,

"My apologies, alpha Fenrir, I meant not to shove you." James' head was bowed in submission; he heard an amused chuckled above him,

"Do not apologize foolish child, for saving my life." Fenrir hesitated, and then placed gentle fingers beneath James' chin, raising the other's face to meet his gaze, "Welcome to my pack, James." He muttered and kissed the man on the forehead lightly and released him, and turned and walked away.