Chapter 11! Sorry it's been a few days, but hey, at least I'm back. This chapter didn't come to me as easily as the last one because I know that everybody is all about Jake/Nessie, but I needed to add a some Embry/Tricia and Shelby/Seth. I think I like Shelby more now than I did when she first came in the picture. And in this chapter, there's a surprise for all who like a certain girl with a bug's name! Ha! And a lot of you are wondering why Walker didn't just kill Malik. Well, you're gonna have to ask him, but I have a feeling I know why.

*Disclaimer*

Please Enjoy!

RPOV

Derek insisted on driving the truck to the store. I sat in the passenger seat while Adam sat in the back of the extended cab. We parked out in the back of the parking lot instead of fighting for a front spot. The three of us were warm-natured anyway even though we were dressed for cold weather. Both boys were in leather jackets and jeans. I was in a coat, knit cap, and gloves. We'd survive the walk.

We were almost to the door when I heard, "'Scuse me, pardon me, coming through. 'Scuse me, you big muscle-y guy, you."

"Hey!" Derek exclaimed as he was pushed away from me.

Looking over, I found Cricket beaming at me as she locked her arm through mine.

"Hey, sweetness. Nice boyfriends."

"What the hell?" Adam said.

"It's okay, guys. She's a friend," I said quickly.

She scoffed. "Of course I am. And the guy behind us is my man. You touch him, I'll poke your eyes out."

Both guys turned when I did. Trey waved at me keeping an eye on the two werewolves.

Turning back to Cricket, I grinned. "Oh my god, where have you been?"

She rolled her eyes. "We told you that we'd stay out of the way, didn't we?" She waved her hand before I could answer. "Anyway, I had another vision. And though I don't really understand how it will help me find what I'm after, I needed to tell you."

"What is it?"

Suddenly, her expression turned serious. "It's good that your bodyguards are here to hear this. Somebody's going to come after you."

"What?" Derek and Adam demanded at the same time.

Cricket rolled her eyes. "Are all werewolves this dramatic? By the way, how's Kujo?"

It was my turn to roll my eyes. "Stay on track. What do you mean someone's coming after me? There are a couple people I can think of."

Shrugging, she rested her head on my shoulder as we made it through the door. Adam grabbed a cart even though I could tell by the set of his jaw and shoulders that he wasn't happy about my visitor or cart duty.

"All I saw was your back. It's kind of like I was looking through the bad person's eyes but not. They had a knife or something."

"When? You said your visions were time specific so you could be there."

She frowned. "Two days from now. Next to a river. I didn't get an exact time."

As I waited for more, she just picked up a peach to examine it.

"Is that it?"

"Hm?" she asked distracted. "Oh, yeah. That's it. That's all I got. So you need to watch your pretty back, sweetness. Someone's going to be all over it, and not in the married sex kind of way."

Behind us, Trey groaned as I blushed. Derek's eyebrows were raised and his lips were held in a tight line as if he were trying not to smile. Adam's teeth gnashed together.

Stepping forward, I took charge of the cart. Adam glared down at Cricket.

"Thanks for the warning. You can leave now."

"Adam-," I scolded.

Cricket's eyes went cold. "Listen, dipstick, I'm not here for you. And I don't care if you like me or not, so step off."

Adam growled, but Derek gripped his lover's arm. "Not here. We're gathering attention," he whispered. He turned to me. "It might help if you tell us who they are and why she's here."

I sighed as I examined a head of lettuce. "Her name is Brigette, and he's Trey. Everyone calls her Cricket, don't ask why. But she has visions, and they led her to Jake and me on the honeymoon. They followed us here. That's that."

"But what do you want?" Adam demanded as calmly as he could.

"That's a good question," she answered grudgingly. She sighed. "Look, I didn't come here to fight. My visions have a certain specificity to them. When my heart truly desires something, I get a vision to help lead me to it, okay? I'm a freak. I get it. But somehow, Nessie and Jacob are involved in gathering the information I desire on my family."

I dropped the lettuce. "Your family?"

She nodded but didn't elaborate. I suspected I wouldn't be getting anymore information out of her about it. Derek and Adam shared a look as if they were thinking about the same person I was. I shook my head. I wasn't quite ready to drag my family into it. And if her visions led her to what she wanted, and Aunt Alice was part of it, why hadn't Cricket seen my aunt in a vision? So for now, my family would be left out.

I picked up the lettuce again and examined it before moving on. "So, is that it? There's nothing else?"

Going over to the grapes, she examined a bag before popping a little green one into her mouth. "I still wanna know how Kujo is."

I couldn't help the laugh. "Jacob is fine."

"Jacob shmacob," she said, popping another grape.

"You know, you keep doing that, you're going to have to buy the bag."

She shook her head. "I'm picking from different bags."

I smacked her hand as she went for another one. "Well, stop. I'm not getting thrown out because of you."

She pouted at me. Trey came up to wrap an arm around her and picked the grape she'd been going for.

"Fine. We'll take turns," he said popping the grape into her mouth.

Gritting his teeth, Adam gripped their shoulders to steer them away from the produce. I gave him a look of gratitude.

"Where are you staying anyway?" I asked as I went for the bread. I could bake fresh bread but not on short notice so I got a couple loaves just in case.

Trey and Cricket shared a glance before she flipped her hair and donned a fake smile. "Oh, you know. Here and there."

"What?! You don't have a place to stay?"

Sighing, she shrugged. "We kind of ran out of money. So we've been hanging out in this kid's treehouse. It's pretty cool and well built. Daddy did a good job. I'd even tell him so if he wasn't screwing the babysitter. I saw him texting her with my binoculars while he was in bed with his wife."

I gave her a look. "Seriously?"

"Mhm." She nodded enthusiastically.

I rolled my eyes. "Derek, could you look up nearby hotels?"

He nodded and went for his phone as Cricket yelled, "No!"

"Shh."

Lowering her voice to normal, she said, "No. I'm not taking your money. We're fine."

"Well, do you at least have food?"

This time they studiously wouldn't look at each other.

I growled. "Go get a bag of grapes."

"Ness-," she started.

"Now," I commanded.

Grumbling about bossy alpha females, she skipped over to the grapes and grabbed the fullest bag. After dropping them into the cart, she pouted. "With every grape I eat, I will feel immense guilt."

I rolled my eyes as I pushed the cart toward the meats. "Well, get over it because you're getting more than grapes. You'd better hope we can't find that treehouse after I tell Jacob. He'll drag you out and make you stay somewhere habitable."

She looked at me with mock-insult. "I beg your pardon, but that treehouse is fully furnished, thank you very much."

Pulling an Adam, I clenched my teeth. "And when was the last time you had a hot shower?"

"Today," she said sweetly, popping another grape into her mouth. "Mom's shampoo is a little too fruity, but shampoo is shampoo."

Screeching to a halt, I spun to face her. "You broke into their house?" I hissed.

With wide eyes, she jerked her thumb over her shoulder. "I didn't. Trey did."

Sighing, I slapped my hand over my face. "Just let me put you in a hotel."

"Nope. I refuse. You can pay for it all you want, but we won't be in it."

I looked to Trey. "And you agree with this?"

He shrugged, his arm snaking around her waist. "I go where she goes. And really it's not that bad, Ness. We do this all the time. We don't steal anything, just use the facilities."

I held up a hand. "Don't tell me anymore. You do realize that my grandfather is the police chief of Forks, don't you?"

Cricket brightened and clapped her hands. "Oh, good. We have an in with the police just in case. You can cover for us."

"Um, no," I said. "Come on. We have a lot more shopping to do."

Grinning, Cricket threw an arm around my shoulders and the other over Trey's. "You're the bestest."

"I'd better be," I murmured.

A few hours and three carts later, the three boys were rolling the carts out of the store. The snow was coming down steadily, and the pavement was slick under my sneakers. When we got to the truck, Cricket pulled a duffel bag out of the back. The bag was nearly empty before she started stuffing it with the food I'd just bought them. Getting into the back of the cab, I pulled out a stack of blankets and a space heater that we kept in there for emergencies.

"Here. Take these. It's going to get cold tonight."

"Ness-"

I pinned her with a stern glare. "Take them, Cricket. I'm already pissed off at you. It's the least you could do to make up for your stupidity."

For the second time, she was serious as she nodded and packed them away. "Thank you, Nessie."

Not being able to stand myself, I hugged her. "I wish you wouldn't be so stubborn."

"Nasty habit, I'm afraid." She pulled back to stare at me. "Please, be careful. You and Jake are the only people besides Trey that haven't treated me like a freak. If you die, I'll be pissed."

That made me laugh. "Do you need a ride to your treehouse?"

She shook her head. "I think we're good."

I looked around at the neighborhoods close to the store. "It's around here, isn't it?"

She shrugged noncommittally. "I don't want Jake dragging us out on our asses."

Trey took the duffel from her as she tried to sling it over her shoulder. "You do realize I'm the guy, right?"

She rolled her eyes. "Chivalry is obnoxious."

"Well, forgive me for not wanting your back broken 'cause damn this thing is heavy."

Grinning up at him, she patted his cheek. "Quit your bitching, Mr. Man."

Derek laughed. "I like her."

We all looked at Adam who was trying not to smile. Eventually, he gave up. "Fine," he sighed. "I like her, too."

Cricket patted his arm. "Don't hurt yourself, dipstick."

He scowled at her. "Dipstick?"

She shrugged. "Kujo is taken, as is Pongo. Admittedly by her hubby." She pointed at me.

He smirked at her and then nodded to Trey. "If you're going to walk, you need to go. The weather's about to get really bad in the next half hour or so. I can smell it."

"Well if that's not a handy sniffer you got there," she said as she wrapped her arm through Trey's and cuddled close to him.

Laughing, we waved as they started off into the night.

"See you losers later," she called.

Adam's hand descended on my shoulder as I watched them sadly. "Come on, Ness. We gotta get going."

Sighing, Adam helped me up into the truck while Derek climbed behind the wheel.

JPOV

I was pacing the porch in the snow with bare feet when headlights turned onto the path that we'd had made for vehicles. Relief pounded through me when the truck stopped and Nessie jumped from the passenger seat. I was glad she hadn't been driving. The roads were frozen.

Her teeth started chattering as she made her way up the porch steps. Adam and Derek went for the back of the truck to start unloading.

Nessie turned to them halfway up the steps. "Guys, I can unload the truck. You've done enough. Go home. Enjoy some time off."

Derek shook his head. "Nope. This food is for the pack when we come over for pack meetings. Therefore, the people who help eat it will put it up."

She glowered at him as he passed us to go into the house. And then she saw my face. Stepping into me, she wrapped her arms around me.

I gripped her hard. "Where the hell have you been? When you weren't here for dinner, I tried to call you, but you didn't answer. Neither did Derek or Adam."

"Sorry," she said into my chest. At least her teeth had stopped dancing. "Cricket and Trey showed up."

"What?" I pulled back to look at her.

She nodded and chewed on her lip as she frowned. "Jake, they're staying in a treehouse with no money. I had to practically force food into the cart for them. And they wouldn't let me call a hotel. I gave them the space heater and the pile of blankets from the truck. And they took the food I bought because I made them."

"Fuck," I breathed. I did not like what I was hearing. Those two had been outcasts and now they were homeless outcasts on the coldest night we'd had for this season.

"That's not all," Nessie continued, stroking my chest.

My grip on her tightened. "What is it?"

"She had a vision. About me."

"What about you?" I growled.

She sighed. "Apparently, someone is supposed to attack me by the river in two days."

The wolf in me bristled, growled, hackles raising. The growl slipped between my teeth. "Who?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. All she could see was me."

"Then you stay away from the river, you hear me? You stay away from that fucking river."

With a sense of urgency, she stroked my chest and arms. "Baby, I will do my best, but-"

"But what?" I managed to grit out from between my teeth.

"Even you said that you believed her when she said that all of her visions happen. I promise I will do what I can to stay away. I want her to be wrong as much as you do."

"I'll stay with you."

"Okay, baby. It'll be ok, Jacob. We get through everything so we'll get through this. She didn't say the attacker would kill me."

"But she did say the attacker would have a knife or something like it," Derek piped in.

Nessie glared at him as a vicious snarl ricocheted out of my chest. "Thanks, Derek."

He gave her an "oops" kind of look. "My bad."

"That's it. You're going down to the rez tomorrow and staying down there."

"Jacob-,"

"No, Ness," I growled.

"Jacob!" she demanded sternly. "I am not stopping my life every time there's a threat. Sure, I'd prefer nothing happen to me. And I'm not opposed to you following me around, but you will not toss me around. Take your precautions, that's fine. But I will not be ordered to stay like I'm a well trained animal." Taking a deep breath, she calmed down. "Let me take what comes at me and deal with it. I've been sheltered all my life. But I can't afford that luxury anymore. There are two huge packs on our land. If there's any time that an alpha female is needed, it's now."

Studying her determination that was set in the way her chin was tilted and her eyebrows raised, I couldn't help but agree with her even if the protective male in me wanted to force her into a locked-from-the-outside room for the next two days.

Beating the wolf back, I sighed and drew her into my arms. "I'm sorry, Ness. I just can't handle anything else happening to you."

She stroked her hands up my back. "Well, look at it this way. Cricket said we'd make it to kids. I'm not pregnant right now, so apparently, I will survive this attack, whatever it is."

"Yeah, that's kind of not good enough for me anymore."

I just held her, warming her as we stood in the snow. Technically, the snow melted around us because of my body heat, so it was almost as if we were standing under some invisible barrier. Derek and Adam taken off into the woods after completing their task. The night was quiet from the animals hunkering down with the weather. And the snow made so sound as it fell and stuck.

"Come on," she said softly. "Let's go inside. I'll make you something to eat. You must be starving."

I rubbed her arms and looked down into her eyes. "I'm good. I was just worried about you. I don't like not knowing where you are."

Her expression melted. "I know, and I'm sorry. I'll check my phone more often."

Cupping her cheek, I brushed away the few snowflakes that managed to nestle in her eyelashes with my thumb. The kiss we shared was so soft that it was more of a whisper.

"Thank you."

My stomach chose that moment to commit mutiny. Nessie laughed softly and patted my abs.

"Let's get you fed. Can't have you getting skinny on me."

I laughed, draping my arm over her shoulders. She gripped my wrist with one hand and wrapped her other arm around my waist.

"Heaven forbid," I conceded as we walked into the house.

Derek and Adam had indeed put up all the food in the right places.

"What are you gonna make?" I asked as I sat down at the table. She'd ducked out from under my arm to take off her gloves and coat, leaving the hat on, to rummage through the fridge.

She shrugged, rolling up her sleeves to cut open a package of chicken. "The Italian chicken and mashed potatoes you like. Is that ok?"

My stomach practically roared in answer. She giggled.

"I will take that as a 'that sounds amazing'."

Chuckling, I leaned my elbow on the table and sat my chin in my palm. Watching her move around the kitchen, humming to herself, I thanked the universe for putting me through hell only to make me stronger for her.

TriciaPOV

Movie nights were generally what their name suggested. However, that hadn't been the case tonight. After Embry gave me the short tour of the house, he'd popped in some random action movie that had to do with cars and racing. I rarely watched movies and tv, so I didn't know what it was. It had looked interesting, and at first, I'd tried to get into it, cuddling up next to Embry and sipping on hot chocolate.

But Embry was too close, his scent and strength enveloping me. The heat was low in the house because he didn't get cold, so I'd cuddled into his side. Paying attention to the movie became an item that was no longer on my to-do list. Embry had started playing with my hair, and the way he did it didn't make me sleepy in the least. Instead, it piqued the heat inside me that was steadily building for this man.

Reaching up, I'd laced my fingers through his where they were buried in my hair and pulled him sideways into me so that I could kiss the corner of his mouth. He pulled back just enough to study me. Apparently, he liked what he saw because he pressed his lips back to mine in a full-on kiss.

Moving around, I straddled his legs, never breaking the kiss and cupped his face in my hands. His fingers gripped my thighs before he pulled back, breathing hard, to give me a look I knew well.

"No," I said sternly. "Don't you dare bring age into this, Embry."

He sighed. "Tricia, you're seventeen."

"Almost eighteen. And before we carry on, how old is Ness again?" I didn't wait for the answer because he'd told me the story. "Oh, right. Ten with the mentality and physical progression of eighteen! The same as me, Embry."

Almost as if he couldn't help himself, he moved his hands to grip my hips, but not to move me off of him. But he sighed again. "It would be better to wait until you're eighteen and legal."

I cocked an eyebrow. "To make out? Seriously?"

He swallowed hard.

I stroked my thumbs over his strong cheekbones and softened my tone. "Embry, I'm not ready for sex even though you are fine as hell, and I do want you. I just want a moment, to get just a little lost. We kiss twice and you flip out. Heaven forbid I should try to use my tongue because I'm twelve," I finished sarcastically.

"Tricia-" he started tiredly.

Sighing, I accepted defeat and pulled away from him. He put his hand on my arm and as I pulled away, his fingers slipped over my skin.

"Trish,-"

"I get it, Embry. Really, I do. And I guess you're right, even though my brother had sex with Christa and he's only eighteen."

He scrubbed his hands over his face. "So this is about sex."

"Maybe," I said with a flush as I moved into the kitchen.

The one appliance he had that I was in love with was the Keurig machine. And the hot chocolate to go with it. I'd had three cups already. It was just too perfect with the snow and the cuddling.

"But not, like, all the way," I continued. "Just...almost all the way." When he didn't answer, I knew I'd gone too far. Now I was the one pushing him, the opposite of what my dad had feared. Shame flooded through me. Bracing my arms on the counter, I hung my head."I'm sorry. You're right."

After the machine spit out its last drops of water, I took the mug, stirring my hot chocolate. A moment later, his arms wrapped around my waist and he rested his chin on the top of my head.

"I love that you want me. You don't even know how much that makes my blood boil. I want you, too. More than you think, more than I show. But that's because I really don't wanna get in trouble. And I want to do right by you, ok?"

Setting my mug back down and sliding it over, I turned and hefted myself up onto the counter. He rested his hands on my hips once more as I twined my arms around his shoulders.

"What makes you think I can't do right by myself? Why does everyone want to tell me how to live my life?" I shook him a little with a laugh that had nothing to do with humor.

He opened his mouth to reply, no doubt to tell me that's not what he was doing. But apparently, he realized that that was indeed what he was doing. Nobody could call foul except me. My parents couldn't claim he raped me without my backing it up, and I would never do that. I wanted to start my life. From the time I'd been old enough to learn, Mom and Dad had taught me and Walker to think for ourselves, to be independent. Well, here we were, and they needed to deal with their babies leaving the nest at young ages.

Sighing, I looked out the window to my right to watch the snow fall, but all the while, I felt his searing gaze studying me, burrowing under my skin. I tried really hard not to squirm under that examination.

I was about to get twitchy when he said, "You're right."

My head swung around so fast that everything blurred. "What?"

He shrugged. "You're right."

"Say it again."

He frowned at me, but when I grinned, he caught on. He leaned into me. "You." Kiss. "Are." Kiss. "Right." Kiss.

Digging my nails into his scalp, I murmured, "Mmm, I like it when you say that," against his lips.

He chuckled darkly, his hands moving around my hips to dig into my back pockets. Surprise covered my expression as my gut clenched with lust. He'd never purposely touched me like that before, always being a gentleman to keep his hands in safe places. When he gripped my bottom, I sighed against his mouth and spread my legs for him to move between. He took the invitation and growled against my throat where he'd moved his mouth. My nails scraped his scalp and pulled his hair as his tongue snaked out for a taste of my skin.

When he growled again, I forced his mouth back up to mine. I needed to have my own taste of him. We hadn't kissed open-mouthed since that night Walker had caught us in my room and he'd taken off.

There was no hesitation as our mouths meshed together, fighting for dominance. And the taste of him was exotically intoxicating. I moaned into his mouth as his tongue slid against mine.

Raw maleness emanated from him, his hands pulling me to the edge of the counter and against his body. The moment the center of me rubbed against his belt buckle, even through my jeans, a tingle raced through my body followed quickly by liquid flames licking at my lower stomach.

I gasped in surprise, and he pulled back, breathing hard but looking concerned.

"Are you ok?"

Swallowing hard, I nodded. "Yeah." My voice was breathy and deep. I didn't recognize it as mine at all.

As my heart rate slowed, so did the heat and the tingling. I rested my forehead against his chest and closed my eyes to relearn how to breathe. Inhaling his comforting scent helped. His big hands stroked up my back and hair, fingers pulling through the tangles.

"I should get home," I barely managed to whisper through the huskiness.

I could feel Embry shake his head. "It's too late. The weather is about to get much worse. We wouldn't make it."

I stopped questioning his weather-predicting abilities a couple weeks ago.

Giving him a look, I shook my head. "My parents are not going to let me spend the night with you."

His jaw set stubbornly. "They can get over it. I won't jeopardize your safety. And you can sleep in the extra bedroom."

What I recognized as panic fluttered through me. Though we hadn't made out or had sex yet, he'd slept in my bed with me every night since that first night I'd told him to without my parents' knowledge. Nothing was going to change tonight.

I shook my head vehemently. "No. If I stay, I'm staying with you."

"Tricia-,"

"Embry," I said as a demand. "I won't be able to sleep without you. And don't tell me that you'd sleep just fine. I know you wouldn't. You paced outside my window for hours trying to stay away from me before you slipped through my window."

He gave me a look, brows pulling low. "How do you know about that?"

"Because I was awake, genius. I didn't actually sleep until you were in the bed with me. I just acted like I was asleep."

Expecting embarrassment, what I got was a big grin. "You little sneak."

I lifted my chin. "I'm good at pretending to be asleep. With my parents, I have to be."

Before he could answer, my phone rang with my mom's ringtone. I groaned, digging the phone out of my pocket, knowing this was about to be a fight because Embry wasn't going to let me leave.

"Hey, Mom."

"Hey, sweetie."

"What's up?"

I got the shock of my life when she said, "Listen, why don't you stay down with Embry. This is starting to turn into a blizzard. Your father and I don't want you walking in this, or driving if he owns a vehicle."

Taking the phone away from my ear to stare at it as if I didn't believe what had just come out of the earpiece in my mother's voice, my mind buzzed and heart leapt.

"Tricia? Are you there? Did I lose you?"

Chuckling Embry took the phone from me. "Hello, Mrs. Johnson...Mhm, of course I don't mind…Absolutely. I completely agree...Yes. The house is completely stocked. And I have a couple generators just in case. She'll be perfectly safe." He glanced at me with a grin. "Yeah, I just think you shocked her...Oh, ok. Well, I'll let her know...Sure. Goodnight, Mrs. Johnson…Er, June."

He looked vaguely uncomfortable calling my mom by her name as he hung up, setting my phone on the counter.

"So, what'd she say?"

"Well, she wants you to stay here with me tonight. But also that her friend had the baby."

Joy flooded me. My mom's old high school friend had been trying to have a baby for a while now. And now the waiting was over.

"Did she say if it was a boy or girl?" I asked excitedly.

He shook his head, smirking at me. "No, but she also said that she and your dad are leaving to visit tomorrow if you want to go. If not, she said you could stay here with me for the weekend."

Well, if that wasn't the toughest decision of my life. There was a look in his eyes, a hope that I'd choose to stay with him. But there was also a kind of...praise for my excitement, as if he wanted me to go if I wanted.

My heart melted, and he must have seen the expression because he cleared his throat and averted his gaze.

"You should go," he said.

I frowned. "What?"

"Go with your mom and dad. You're excited. I'll be here when you get back."

"Yeah, but...you're more important."

Now, he melted, his palm cupping my cheek. "You having a life is important."

Serious eye contact, deep breath. "You're my life now."

"Tricia,-" He started again. That happened a lot. He tried to hold back the smile and sound chastising at the same time. It didn't work.

"No. Listen. This...thing between us isn't just some hormonal, desperation type of deal. This is real. Yes, I'm aware that I'm young, but I'm not stupid. I don't know how you feel because you haven't talked about it since you told me about imprinting, and I'm guessing that's from your whole 'do right' by me stuff. And no, I'm not asking you tell me something you aren't willing to tell me. My feelings, however, I am more than happy to share. You have feelings for me, strong ones. I know that. You even used the L-word once, but declarations aren't what I'm after, Embry." I stroked his chest. "Don't get me wrong, I love that you wanted to sacrifice the fact that my parents are actually willing to let me stay with you so that I could go visit my mom's friend. But honestly, she's Mom's friend, not mine. I'd be bored stupid. I'd much rather be here, building something with you. Am I making any sense or just babbling now?"

Reaching up, he brushed my hair out of my eyes and smirked. "Babbling, but still making sense. I just don't want you to think that I have to be the center of your life. Remember, you have choices."

I squeezed his biceps. "I do remember that. And I am making them as I see fit. I'm staying with you...unless you don't want me to."

He growled at that. "Don't ever think I don't want you with me." And then he smirked. "All the time." Bending down he nibbled my neck. "Every day." Again, that sinful tongue came out. "Every minute." He traced a line up, up, up to plant a soft kiss just under my ear. "Every second."

A shaky breath left me on a sigh. "It's settled then."

Around us, the house died as the power went out. We pulled back to look around at the dark house, the movie cutting off suddenly. Silence wrapped around us, so quiet that my ears thrummed, straining to hear anything.

"Well," Embry said, "I guess that's a sign."

"A sign?" I asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"That we should probably go to bed. There's nothing else to do."

"Oh. What about the generator?"

He shrugged. "I'll run it in the morning."

"What about the heat?"

Chuckling, his arms fully enveloped me, pulling us breasts to muscled chest. "You're sleeping in my bed, right?"

I nodded, a flush creeping up my neck to spread across my cheeks.

"Then you won't need the heat on. Not with me around."

It took me a moment to understand his meaning, and the moment I did, my mind sent the message to my body that we could feel the heat pouring from him. He'd once told me that Carlisle had clocked the wolves temps at a toasty one-oh-eight. As the house quickly cooled down around us, I could feel the heat emanate from him in waves.

He tugged on my waist to get me off the counter. "Come on. I'm beat. It's been a long day."

After helping me off the counter, he took me hand and led me to his room. It was sparsely decorated with a king-sized bed that had a dark green comforter, a dresser in the corner, and a nightstand with a simple lamp on top. The closet was small from what I could see of it. Embry disappeared inside for only a moment before reappearing with a t-shirt and sweats, and handed them to me.

"Here. They'll be huge on you, but that's all I've got. I don't have any sisters, and the pack females don't come and go here. And I normally only wear boxers but if you want me to put something else on…"

I looked at the floor so he wouldn't see the lust in my eyes. "No, that's ok. Don't change your routine on account of me."

"You sure?"

I nodded as I backed up for the bathroom. He grinned at me before I closed the door.

A few minutes later, I was draped in his tent of a shirt, the thing hanging to well past my knees. And there was no way to wear the sweats. Even with the tie and elastic, and no matter how many times I rolled them, they still just fell off to pool at my ankles. Shrugging, I picked them up, folded them, and thought to myself that the shirt was going to have to do. I'd taken off my bra but left my undershirt and panties.

Going back into the room, Embry was sitting on the side of the bed in his aforementioned boxers and was messing with the alarm clock. I took a moment to study him and the room. Boy, this place needed a feminine touch, as did the man who owned it. A pang of sadness hit my heart as I thought about the fact that his mother had just abandoned him just as his father had before he'd been born. Looking back, through his smiles and jokes, I could now see the sadness in his eyes.

Well, dammit! That was going to change. I'd give him the happiness he deserved, the life he should have, and chase that sadness away. He was so alone, even with the pack. They all had their families and close friends and mates, but Embry was separated from them from what his father had done. And Sam! Sam was his brother. Why hadn't Embry told him? He could have those family ties if only he'd reach out instead of watching from a distance. His stubbornness had subsided a bit when he'd agreed with me that maybe he should tell Sam. Well, I'd get him to. I'd wear him down until he did it. Tonight had been the first step.

Determination settling in my gut, I walked to the bed and threw the sweats beside him. At first, he glanced at them...and then did a double-take. Spinning around, he stared at me, eyes roaming my body, lingering in all the right places. My body reacted, tightening and clenching.

He swallowed hard as heat flooded his eyes. He was so close to not caring that I was seventeen(almost eighteen).

With as much nonchalance as I could muster, I walked to the bed, threw the covers back and climbed in. The shirt rode up enough to give him a glimpse of thigh. A shaky breath left him.

"The sweats didn't fit. No matter how much I rolled them or tied them, they just kept falling off."

Another hard swallow. "Then I guess nothing else would fit you."

I shook my head. "Probably not. I'm a lot smaller than you are." Which I loved. His male essence made me feel completely safe whenever I was with him. Before that first night that he'd slept in my room with me, I really never slept through the night without the help of medicine. Nightmares of the parents who had given me up had plagued me for years before Mom and Dad had told me that I was adopted. With Embry wrapped around me, I had slept, and rested, throughout the entire night. His warmth had heated more than my skin. It had seeped past my physical self to hit my heart and soul. Though I knew that my adoptive parents loved me, it still hurt to know that the woman who'd given birth to me had just left me in the hospital.

I knew the story of how Mom and Dad had adopted me. They'd been at that same hospital because they'd been trying to have another baby and had found out that they'd just had a miscarriage. When Mom, distraught over the loss, had heard that a newborn baby girl had been abandoned by her parents, she'd offered to start the adoption process after talking with her husband.

I was their miracle baby, and I'd gotten so lucky with them. And Walker. I couldn't have asked for a better family. But I still often thought of the parents who'd abandoned me, hadn't even named me before taking off. What had been so wrong with me? Or had they just been a couple of teenagers not ready for a baby? Was leaving me there out of kindness or cruelty? Or perhaps the woman had been single and couldn't support a child. For years, I'd wondered. And wished to one day find them, or her, and ask.

"Hey." Embry's warm arms wrapped around my waist as he scooted closer to me. He'd gotten under the covers as well. When I looked at him in startlement, he said, "Are you ok? You kinda just zoned out. And your lips gonna start bleeding if you keep worrying at it."

And because he'd said that, the sharp sting flooded my mouth. "Ow," I muttered. He chuckled beside me. "But yeah, I'm ok. I was just thinking."

"About what?" His breath was warm on my neck as he brushed my hair back over my shoulder.

Smiling, I said, "About how much you help me."

Surprise colored his features. "I do?"

I nodded and debated on telling him. But in order for there to be honesty between us, I had to be honest to myself. And honestly, I wanted him to know me, to trust me. Holding things back was the same as lying in my opinion.

Slowly, I stroked my nails up the forearm was wrapped over my stomach. His breath was shaky on my shoulder and neck.

Taking a deep shaky breath of my own, I said, "When Mom and Dad told me I was adopted, they told me the story. My birth mother had just given birth to me the day before Walker's mom and dad had gone into the hospital...for personal reasons. The woman didn't even name me before she left AMA. She'd left just hours after my birth. And I never knew if my biological dad was with her or not. They gave no reasons for leaving. Or none that I was told. When Walker's parents were told about a baby girl being abandoned, they'd took one look at me and told them to start the adoption process. The social worker had had to pull a lot of strings because of 'the list', but they made it happen."

Strong arms squeezed me. "That's great," he whispered, pressing a soft kiss to my shoulder. The shirt was so big and stretched that one of my shoulders was bare because of his tugging on that side. "But that doesn't explain how I help you."

Bringing up a hand, I stroked his face. "You scare the cold away." He gave me questioning eyes. "For years, I've had nightmares, unable to sleep. But with you? That all goes away. I feel rested and warm, when for so long I was cold. I was abandoned. And then you came into my life, stood up to my brother and my dad just to be next to me. That means more than you can ever imagine."

For several heartbeats, he just stared at me, eyes studying my eyes and lips. And then he rushed forward, pressing his lips to mine hungrily. Nothing hesitant or worried. He just kissed me with all the passion that was in his eyes. And I returned it, wrapping my arms over his broad shoulders, pulling him closer to me. That warmth sank through the shirt to sear my skin erotically.

Leaning back, I fell to the mattress. Expecting him to freeze, I got another shock of my life when he just gripped my hips and moved on top of me, his weight heavy but welcome, comforting. Since there were only thin layers between us, I could feel his rock hard erection pressing into my lower belly, just over the core of me. There was none of the panic that I'd expected from this moment finally happening. Just pure rightness.

Moving to rest his elbows over my shoulders on the pillow, he stopped kissing me to look down at me. His eyes were heavily dilated, breath coming in pants.

"I love you. I will always fight for you. I'd fight God above and Satan below to get back to you. Don't you ever doubt that."

And that's the moment I truly fell in love with him, completely, irrevocably. My heart practically burst with joy at the realization. Though I hadn't fought the lust, I'd fought the feelings. I'd had to build a wall to protect myself after hearing the story of my birth and adoption. Embry had bulldozed those walls, just plowed right through with his gentle touches and caring eyes. The rest and safety he presented when wrapping his body protectively around mine.

Tears made the room shimmery and wavy. Blinking, they fell down toward my temples. "I love you, too," I whispered. "So much."

His eyes widened, breathing hitched, thumbs stroking my temples to wipe the tears. "Say it again," he whispered, copying my earlier words.

"I love you," I whispered back, stroking the warm skin of his shoulders and neck.

Suddenly, gripping my hips once more, he rolled us so that I was on top, straddling his waist. The hard length of him pressed into me, the heat moving through his boxers and my panties to sink into the core of me. If it was this hot with barriers between us, I could only imagine how searing it would be with nothing but skin rubbing together. The thought sent a shudder through me.

Staring up at me, he laced our fingers together and pulled me down on top of him.

"Thank you," he whispered against my lips.

"For what?"

"Staying with me. I've never had anybody that would do that for me. And you give me a bigger reason to fight. I've never felt so protective or fierce in my life, but I know that I would do anything, anything, to protect you. Even what Walker and Jacob did."

I frowned, sitting back up off his chest. "What do you mean? What did they do?"

His gaze became wary but he said, "We needed to know where Tristan was and the only way to do that was to...question a prisoner."

My breath hitched. "You mean torture."

In answer, he just stared at me.

Somehow, I didn't feel as terrified as I thought I should. Instead, a kind of...calm settled over me. The wolves were in the middle of a war. Some things were just necessary to survive.

"So my brother and your pack leader tortured a man for information." Said as a statement, a fact. Not a question.

Embry nodded.

"He was evil?"

"Beyond a shadow of a doubt. He raped and killed women."

"Good," was my immediate response.

Embry's eyebrows met his hairline. "What?"

"Good that he was tortured. How many women?"

"Fourteen that we know of."

"Is he dead?" My tone was devoid of emotion, the cold seeping back into my skin. I couldn't stand a man that hurt a woman. Pissed me off every time.

Embry nodded. "Jacob ripped his heart out."

I lifted a shoulder in a partial shrug. "Good. I hope it hurt."

Shaking his fingers out of mine, he gripped my hips. "So, you're ok with that?"

"I don't think women should have to fear men. And he was a werewolf, which meant those women had no chance to fight back. I'm glad their deaths were avenged as well as the other crimes that happened to them. The world is strangled by laws, allowing criminals to walk."

"So you want to go back to caveman style?" he asked with an arched eyebrow.

I chuckled. "Something like that. I think that people should be able to get their own justice, to be able to avenge their loved ones without having to wait for the justice system to take years upon years to do it for them. And even then, it's not a sure thing. Like, if anything happened to you, I'd want to be the one to kill the monster that did it. I'd want to look into their eyes so they know why they're dying, whose heart they broke, as I watch the life leave their eyes."

After that vehement proclamation, I expected to feel him pull away from me, for him to think that his imprint was a mistake, but he didn't. Instead, if anything, that wide length between my legs got harder, hotter against me. His eyes darkened.

"You are the most incredible woman I've ever met," he growled, voice crawling down to a low bass. He pulled me down against his chest once more, our lips meeting again. "You're my incredible woman."

The word "woman" pulsed through me. Yes, I was a woman. I was his woman. Always.

Moaning, I undulated against him. His hips thrust up, pushing himself harder against me. He groaned and rolled us once more so that his weight settled on me once more. His hands anchored mine above my head as his body moved over mine.

And then all too soon, he pulled back, his forehead against mine. Panting, he licked his lips. "We have to stop."

I groaned. Not out of pleasure but out of frustration. "Why?" I growled even though I was just human.

He chuckled breathlessly. "Because if I take you tonight, the wolf in me won't let you leave every night to go back to your parents house. And right now, they need you more than I do."

Even as my irritation boiled, my love for him deepend. "Are you ever selfish?"

Growling, he captured my lips again, teeth pulling on my bottom lip. "When the time is right, I'll show you just how selfish I can be."

My lower stomach clenched with need. "Can't wait."

One last deep, thrusting kiss, he rolled off me onto his back but kept hold of my waist to pull me with him. I landed on his warm chest. He'd been right. I didn't need a heater.

It was exciting to know that he didn't want me to leave, that he was already forcing himself to let me go when he had to leave my side. It was everything I'd ever needed to hear from someone.

His fingers traced my spine. "I want you with me, Tricia. I want you to live here with me, and for this to be our mated bed. But first, we need to survive until you're eighteen."

Digging my nails into his chest, I lifted my head just enough to look at him with a stern glare. "We aren't waiting one day past my birthday. Not even a second of the next day."

Chuckling, he leaned down to kiss the tip of my nose. "Don't you celebrate birthdays at your house?"

Grudgingly, I nodded. "Yeah, but that night, you're mine."

A low rumble thrummed through his chest. "When's your birthday?"

"Next week."

That eyebrow cocked again. "Like, Thanksgiving next week?"

"The day before."

This time the laugh was full-throated and deep. He didn't laugh enough. It was the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard and it tugged at something deep inside me.

"Well, that'll give us an excuse to get out of bed then."

My growl was pitiful next to his, but I did it anyway. "What do you mean?"

His thumb stroked my shoulder. "The next day is Thanksgiving. We have family to visit. We can't just stay in bed all day...even though I would probably love to."

A thought occurred to me even though I didn't like what he was saying. I'd happily skip a holiday to have us making love all day.

I stroked my fingers down his chest, tripping and tracing over his nipples. "Fine," I said huskily. "If you're going to make me get out of bed after what's sure to be the best night of my life, then you have to tell Sam that he's your brother. Before the holiday."

He pulled back to stare at me. "Are you negotiating with me?"

"Compromising. Come on, Embry. That would be a wonderful joy to have at the holidays. And little Leila, your niece. 'Cause let me tell ya, visiting my family with you, Walker, and Christa is going to be tense and interesting. Wouldn't you like to have something lovely to go to after? Something that will lift you, make you happy? Your family?"

Embry deserved a family, but more than that, the pack, Sam, deserved the truth. It would help Embry to let go of it, to let himself be happy. His eyes moved up to stare at the ceiling while he traced designs on my back, fingers playing with the hem of the shirt that had ridden up to my waist. Eventually, he got brave enough to run those hot fingers over the skin of my lower back that was between the hem of the shirt and my panties. That small touch had me shivering, heat spreading out like ripples from a pond.

Through the silence, my eyes started to get blurry, lids heavy. The snow was still falling. I could see just a line of it through the space in the curtains across the way. The frazzled white flecks were mesmerizing as they swirled around in the wind.

"Ok," he said finally in a soft voice. All hint of growl was gone.

"Hmmm?" I muttered sleepily.

Soft lips pressed to my forehead. "I'll talk to Sam and the pack."

Cuddling closer to him, I smiled. "Mmm, good man. Love you."

This time the sigh was content. "Love you, too, woman."

No sweeter words had yet to be said.

ShelbyPOV

The next morning, Brayden woke up with a wail. Which was weird. That kid had been sleeping through the night through the morning for a few nights now. Next to the bed, the lamp flickered to life. Either Seth was restarting the generator or the power had come back on.

Yawning, I slipped out of bed. There were blankets draped over it that hadn't been there last night. And the fire in our fireplace was roaring merrily like it hadn't just spent the night flooding the room with warmth, as if it never tired out and died down to embers. Frowning, I shook my head. Probably Seth.

Brayden's crib was in the closet turned nursery. We'd moved Seth's stuff from his closet to mine. Seth had done some changes to the empty space to create the nursery. He was now working on one of the upstairs rooms for when Brayden got older. I loved that man.

"Hey, baby boy," I cooed as I reached over the side of the crib to lift him up. Immediately, I knew why he'd screamed. He needed to be changed. With my heightened senses, my nose stung and tingled.

Moving over to the changing table, I stripped him out of his night clothes and out of the diaper. My eyes watered as I threw it in the trash. That would definitely need to be taken out. Grinning and giggling, he thrashed around. It was a struggle to get him cleaned up, but I managed. After snapping everything in place making my own faces and giggles to him, I went to the rocking chair to feed him. At home, I didn't need a blanket. He didn't like being covered up when he fed anyway.

A moment after he latched on, his father walked through the door and stopped like he hit a wall while his face scrunched up.

"Geez, that boy is rank."

I laughed. "He's your son."

His face softened like it did every time someone said that to him, like he couldn't believe he had a son, that he was a father. Coming over to me, he kissed my forehead and stroked two fingers over our son's head before going to the trash can.

"Let me just get that out of the house before the smell seeps into the walls."

"Thanks, baby," I said with a giggle.

Quickly, he ran the bag out to the trash can outside the house.

When he came back, he gave Brayden a look. Brayden met his eyes over my breast. If he wasn't a baby, I'd say that look was full of amusement at his father's expense.

"That's gonna keep all the animals away from the house until trash day gets here if it doesn't kill them first," Seth said with a chuckle.

I couldn't help but stare at him, my heart filling with love. He was the best man in my life, other than my son. Tall, dark, and handsome was frequent what with all the Quileutes but there was just something about Seth. I loved him soul-deep. Our son looked just like him except for his eyes. Those were mine. And I couldn't be happier about that. My blood was tainted from my mother, and I really didn't want any of that to show in my child. My mother was a selfish bitch who'd abandoned me. But Brayden looked like a mini version of his father, a man who had never once thought to leave me. A man who'd always been there for me, who'd fought for me. I prayed the boy in my arms grew up to be just like his daddy.

"You need anything?" Seth asked softly as he caught me staring at him, smiling gently as if he knew what I was thinking. He probably did.

Shaking my head, I grinned. "Nah, he'll be done soon and then I can make breakfast. Is the power back on or is that the generator?"

"Generator. There's about three feet of snow out there. It's gonna take some time for them to fix it. Took me an hour just to get to the gas station. And I got the fires back up in the fireplaces."

I gave him a smile, knowing he must have been awake for a few hours already and it was eight in the morning. "I love you, Seth. You're so good to us."

"For all intents and purposes, you're my wife. And I'm a father. I could never let anything happen to either of you. With that being said, waking up cold is unacceptable to me. I woke up when the generator finally cut out early this morning."

Angling my face for a kiss, I said, "Well, then you're my hero. And a hero deserves a kiss."

Chuckling, he bent over me to press his lips to mine. "I'm no hero, but I don't mind being your man."

"Good. I don't either."

Brayden finally let go of me with a giggle. Seth and I broke apart to look down at him as I pulled my robe back in place.

"Aww," Seth said softly, and I knew it wasn't because our son was adorable.

Laughing darkly, I pushed him back with one hand and then reached for a burping towel, rearranged Brayden, and stood up, patting him on the back.

"I can take him if you wanna go fix breakfast," Seth offered, holding out his hands.

"You sure?"

He cocked an eyebrow at me. "I can burp my own son, Shelbs. I've been belching for years."

Laughing, I transferred Brayden to his arms and then settled the towel on his shoulder. Going up on my tiptoes, I kissed his cheek. "Love you, baby daddy."

He chuckled and kissed me. "Love you, too, baby mamma."

Brayden gurgled at me, fist in his mouth. Going back up, I kissed his nose. "Love you, baby boy," I whispered as his little face scrunched up in the cutest way. He gurgled again as I went for the stairs.

Seth followed me up and into the kitchen where he sat down at the bar that we had separating the kitchen from the living room. I got all the stuff to make pancakes and bacon.

"So, it's my day off patrols. What do you wanna do today?" Seth asked as Brayden made that classic noise that everybody makes with they either get a massage or drive over multiple bumps at once.

Smiling, I shrugged. "We could introduce Brayden to snow, and then go see my dad. I know he's jonesing to see us. Or rather his grandson."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Seth nod. "Sounds good. We also need to make plans to see my mom and Charlie. She's probably about to wring my neck."

"Their places are close enough together. Maybe we could get both visits in."

"Absolu-gross. That's disgusting, son. We're going to have to teach you to aim better."

Laughing, I knew what he meant. Brayden had probably just missed the towel altogether as he spit up. Never failed. Potty training was gonna be a blast when the time came.

Sighing, Seth got up. "Be right back. We both need to be changed."

Two hours later, Brayden was all bundled up, nose pink as we walked through the snow. Seth and I were wearing jeans and long-sleeved t-shirts. Only difference was that I was wearing a jacket and the diaper bag. Even with being a werewolf, my body temp wasn't as high as Seth's. Caden guessed that was because Brayden needed to get used to the heat before being able to handle it all the time. Since I held him more because of the breastfeeding, that meant my body heat stayed low enough for him. Right now, Seth was carrying him, making sure he stayed warm. Brayden didn't like the carrier. He'd grown too much, looking more like a seven week old baby than a four week old. I'd compared pictures online so that I could keep up with his growth. It wasn't so fast that I was going to panic. I just wanted to stay tuned to his health.

He gurgled and giggled all the way down, but burrowed into Seth's chest and neck. Motherhood was making me sappy, my heart melting every time he did something remotely cute. My two boys were my everything, my king and my prince. Brayden's new-to-the-world eyes took in everything. Snow was still drifting down. Every time it landed on Seth's skin, he would slap at it, but it always melted before he could. His little hat was shaped kind of like pigtails, a corner on each side with a little pom-poms on the ends. He leaned back to stare up at the sky. Blinking rapidly at the snow that fell into his eyelashes, he sneezed when flakes fell and tickled his nose.

Seth chuckled, and Brayden grinned at him. He liked when daddy smiled or laughed or talked. He also liked to press his face into Seth's chest to hear and feel the rumble. Every time Seth would stop talking or laughing, Brayden would frown and hit Seth with a tiny fist until he started up again. For a four week old, he knew what he wanted. Every day he saw and focused on different things, stared at them for what seemed like forever. Like Leila, he was quick to learn and recognize those around him.

Carlisle thought it had something to do with the wolf genes. He'd done some digging into the pack's school records for comparisons. Apparently, all the wolves had had high scores on the important tests like the ACT. Any wolf that had taken an IQ test had also scored high.

When we reached the Cullen house, two wolves slunk through the snow to walk with us. Patrick and Alana. They walked with us into town and to my father's doorstep. There was an unfamiliar car in the drive.

"Thanks, Alana," I said as I scratched behind her ears. She closed her eyes and rumbled in her chest. Brayden giggled.

Seth knocked on the door as Alana sat on the front porch and Patrick went around back to keep watch. A moment later, the door opened.

Dad's grin almost broke his face. "Hey, guys! Come on in! Now, there's my grandson." Brayden was transferred with a grin.

"Hey, Dad. Seth had the day off from...work, so we thought we'd stop in."

He grinned over at me. "It's great to see you guys." He hugged me one-armed, and then shook Seth's hand. "But really, what are you feeding him? He's huge."

We laughed. "It's the genes, dad. But he does feed a lot, come to think of it. Probably has more to do with Seth's side. The man can eat like a black hole."

"Hey!" Seth exclaimed as he took my jacket and hung it up next to the door.

Dad chuckled. "Well, it's good to see you. Come in, come in. There's someone I want you to meet."

Seth and I shared a look as he darted into the kitchen. When he came back, he was leading a woman by the hand. She was smiling sheepishly, almost shy. She was pretty with chocolate brown hair that was delicately streaked with grey. Her eyes were a pretty dark blue over a smattering of freckles across her nose and cheekbones.

But the way Dad stared at her let me know that she was something special.

"Shelby, Seth, this is Audrey. Audrey, this is my daughter, Shelby, and her...husband, Seth."

I gave Dad a grateful look. He knew how I felt about Seth. And then I smiled at Audrey, holding out my hand to her.

"Hi. It's nice to meet you, Audrey."

Her smile was bright, but still delicate. "You, too. Greg has told me so much about you. And your son is just gorgeous."

"Thank you. I'm just happy he looks like his father."

"Ain't that the truth," Dad muttered.

"Greg," she scolded.

I laughed. "Oh, no, trust me. I look too much like my mom for me to want that passed down the line. And we don't like my mother."

She looked taken aback, opening and closing her mouth. "Oh," she finally muttered.

"Shelbs, we were just making out a Thanksgiving plan. It won't be much since it's just the two of us, but-"

"What are you talking about?" Seth demanded. "You can join us for Thanksgiving. We always have a big to-do with the Cullens. Ness and Jacob are hosting it this year. And you can meet the family." He looked at Audrey. "Our family is kind of huge so it's hard to do the whole visiting multiple places thing. We all gather at one place."

"Oh, that's nice. But I wouldn't want to intrude."

"Don't be silly," I said gently. Then I looked at Dad meaningfully.

He shrugged as if leaving it up to me.

Seth and I shared a look.

"Audrey, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

Taking a deep breath, I took a leap of faith. "Do you believe in the supernatural?"

She frowned. "You mean like your father does?"

I nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, exactly like that."

"Well, I-I…"

She didn't get a chance to finish. The doorbell rang. Apparently, Alana didn't consider whoever it was a threat. And then I saw movement out of the corner of my eye out the window. Alana. I frowned. The only reason she'd leave her post was if the person didn't know about the wolves. Human.

Dad handed Brayden over to Seth and, frowning, went to open the door. Apparently, he wasn't expecting anyone else. I went with him just in case. Though I hadn't shifted yet, I was still stronger than a human.

Dad got to the door before I did, so I couldn't see around him who it was.

All I heard was a rough intake of breath and, "Bethany."

The blood drained from my face.

"Hello, Greg," a haughty voice answered.

In stunned silence, he moved aside to reveal my mother. The Asian in her blood was stronger than mine. Her cheekbones were sharp cut, leaving her cheeks shadowed and hollowed. Her nose was pert and naturally stuck up. Raven-black hair was pulled back into a high ponytail. And those grey eyes were as cold as the snow outside.

Acting as if she had all the right in the world to do so, she quick-stepped her way inside. When she saw me standing in the kitchen doorway, she froze. The only thing on her that moved was her eyes as they investigated me from top to bottom.

Her lips pursed. "Hello, Shelby."

"Mother," I said coldly. "What are you doing here?"

Lifting her arm to adjust her purse, an engagement ring and wedding band flashed. My blood boiled as I studied her. She was wearing fancy clothes with a fancy purse, and makeup that cost more than Audrey's car. Apparently, she'd found a man that could pay the price of her love.

"It's really none of your business, but I'm here to pick up a few things."

I crossed my arms over my stomach. "Like what?"

Instead of answering me, her eyes honed in on my breasts and waist. I was still steadily losing the baby weight, and she noticed it.

"Gained some weight, haven't you, dear? It doesn't suit you. Your father must have let your health decline after I left."

I was about to ask her how she would know since she left when I was ten, but a cry from Brayden had me closing my mouth and turning around. Seth's jaw was clenched. Daddy was pissed and Brayden knew it. I held my arms out to take him. When I turned back around, Mother had stepped forward and her eyes widened when she got a look at my son.

She swallowed hard. "Well, I can see your father also relinquished his duties to you. A baby at nineteen. How sad for your future. You should have gotten rid of it while you could."

Seth let out a vicious snarl behind me, but I shook my head at him. My mother was mine to deal with.

"Audrey, could you please take Brayden?" I asked, keeping my eyes on Mother.

A moment later, Audrey was there. Once Brayden was out of my arms, and my hands were free, I slapped my mother across the face. Her head whipped to the side, her own hand going up to cover the area. When she righted herself, anger and astonishment glared out at me.

"How dare yo-"

"No," I interrupted, my voice dangerously low. "How dare you? You walk in here like you own this place, like you haven't been gone for ten years, and you disrespect Dad and me. You bitch. My son and his father are the two very best things that have ever happened to me. And you leaving is the best thing that ever happened to Dad. We've found happiness without you. So you can take your prissy ass self and that rock on your hand and get the hell out of our lives again."

Squaring her shoulders, hands pulling down her fitted coat, she looked down her nose at me. "I am a grandmot-"

I pointed a finger at her. "No, you're not. You will never touch my son. Ever. So don't think you're going to find reasons to butt your nose into our lives so that you can ruin things for us. Go back to your rich husband and however many kids you have with him, and forget that we exist. You did it ten years ago, you can do it again."

"You are still my daughter."

I snorted. She grimaced. Good.

"I haven't been your daughter since you turned your back on me." I gave her the most disgusted look I could muster, which wasn't all that hard. "You're a fucking disgrace."

Rage ignited in her eyes. "You little slut!"

Her hand whipped back. Seth let out a roar. On her downswing though, her arm was caught by a very feminine hand. When Mother jerked to a halt, we all looked over her shoulder to find a very naked Alana. Her teeth were bared much like Seth's in a snarl.

The look on Mother's face was scandalized as if she couldn't believe a naked woman would dare touch her.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on her," Alana growled.

"Alana, calm down," Seth said, sensing the same danger that I did. Though Jake and Ness were the ultimate alpha couple, Seth was second in command, so the wolves followed him when Jake was unavailable.

She growled, her grip tightening. Mother winced. Alana threw Mother's arm away from her.

"You even twitch in her direction, I will happily gnaw that arm off." And then she walked away, phasing as she went out the door.

Mother gaped after her, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

"You see, Beth," I said, purposely not calling her "mother". "Life has gotten a little weird around here. And I really wouldn't piss Alana off again. She'll do what she said she'll do. Now what do you want?"

It took a moment for the woman to compose herself. Her hands performed a circuit over her hair, down the lapels of the coat, and over the front of her thighs. She went through that circuit maybe five times.

She swallowed hard. "I want the photo albums and home videos. Also, Greg, I left some papers in the safe."

Scowling, he brushed past her to go for his study at the end of the hall. "The papers you can have, but the rest is mine." When she started to argue, he spun to pin her with a glare. "I gave you what you asked for in the divorce. If you had really wanted those things, you should have asked for them then. Now, they belong to me. And my grandson. You won't take everything from me."

While he went to collect what she wanted, Seth and I glared at her as Audrey silently rocked Brayden. She'd gotten him to take his pacifier.

Mother's attention turned to her. "So, I see you're his new whore."

"Mother," I growled in warning.

"No, Shelby. It's ok," Audrey said. "She can say what she likes, but I'm the one who gets to hold this precious boy." She smiled down at Brayden. "Her loss, my gain."

Mother's face contorted in distaste.

"What happened to you?" I asked. "You used to be sweet and kind. You used to dress in sweats and hoodies, and watch cartoons with me. You took care of me when I was sick. Slept with me when I was scared. And then, poof. You just up and left for no reason."

"I wasn't happy."

"Oh, and being a raging bitch makes you happy?" Seth asked.

Her eyes went to him. Like she had me, she studied him. "Really, Shelby. A Native?"

"Don't make me slap you again. That is my son's father, and you will treat him with the respect he deserves. You deserve nothing from us. You came from middle class. And now that you've apparently ascended to bitch class, you think you can look down your nose at us. Well, sorry, sweetness, but even you can't ruin this. I have a son that I love with everything that I am, and I will never leave him, never abandon him the way you did me. Seth? He's my everything. I would be so lost without him. Dad and Audrey?" I shrugged because I didn't know the situation between the two. "They're just hanging out, being each other's company. We're happy where we are and who we're with. So if you should look down your nose at anyone, it should be yourself."

At that moment, Dad showed up brandishing a file folder at my mother. "Here. Get your shit and get out of my house. Don't come back."

"But I still want-" she started as she took the file.

"Alana," I called.

When the wolf showed up at the door, Mother paled.

"Please escort Bethany to her car. It's beyond time for her to leave."

Those cold grey eyes moved from one to the other of us. Taking a deep breath, she squared those shoulders one more time, lifted her chin, and spun on her ridiculously high heel. On her way out, she side-stepped Alana who bared her viciously sharp teeth.

Dad rushed to close and lock the door, and we all took a deep breath. Seth wrapped his arm around my shoulders as I reached for Brayden. Audrey handed him over with a smile.

"I think I know what you mean about the supernatural thing now."

Seth, Dad, and I shared a look.

"Are you ok?" Dad asked her. He looked as if he wanted to wrap an arm around her but didn't want to push her.

She grinned and stepped into his side. "I'm perfectly fine." She looked to me and Seth. "If protection is what you do, then I'm accepting of you."

Seth nodded. "The weird stuff on the news isn't us specifically, but some like us. We're trying to get rid of the threat as we speak."

Audrey nodded again. "Well, this has been an interesting day to say the least."

We all laughed.

"Who's up for some tea?"

An hour later, we were trudging through the snow to see Charlie and Sue. If anything, my mother's visit had been a real eye-opener. I was nothing like her, and never would be. The clear distaste she'd had for me told me that the woman who had once loved didn't exist anymore. And that made it easier to let go of her.

I couldn't help but smile every time I thought of Dad and Audrey, though. She was the sweetest thing, but also tough. They'd met through Dad's therapist because she was the receptionist. They'd been dating for a couple months, and I could tell that Dad was falling for her. A fact that only cemented more after her acceptance of me and Seth, and what we were. Not to mention that Brayden loved her to death.

As we came around the corner and saw Charlie's house, a very feminine, happy cry rang out before Sue burst through the screen door.

"Ah, my boys! And Shelby, dear! I've missed you all so much."

Seth chuckled. "Mom, we visited last week."

She threw her hands in the air. "A week! That is way too long to go between seeing my grandson." She reached for him greedily.

Laughing, I handed him over. He smiled through the pacifier at his grandmother. Charlie came up beside her to kiss his cheek before coming to me to take the diaper bag.

"You know, Seth," he said, hiking the bag on his shoulder, "You could try to, I don't know, blend in a little. Nobody wears just a t-shirt in the snow."

Seth chuckled and shrugged shamelessly. "What can I say? It feels good out here to me."

Charlie rolled his eyes.

"Come on, guys. Let's get this little nugget inside. His widdle nose is pink." With that, Sue turned on her heel and went slowly up the steps.

"We'll be inside in a second," Seth told Charlie.

Charlie gave us the suspicious "cop" look before nodding and following his wife.

I turned to Seth, but before I could say anything, he kissed me, enveloping me in his arms.

When he pulled back, I took a shaky breath. "What was that for?"

Love shined from his eyes. "What you did back there. Standing up to your mom. That was hot as hell, and I couldn't have been prouder of you. Ever since you told me she took off, I've been dreading the thought of her coming back to torment you, but that was amazing."

I shrugged, cheeks flushing. "Well, I didn't like how she talked about you. And I definitely didn't like how she'd sneered at our son. That baby boy is the best eye-opener for me. You and Ness were right. I will never do to Brayden what that bitch did to me. The woman who had once been my mother is gone. Dad and I are fine without her. And I will always stand up for my family. No backing down. Making me a mother was the best thing you've ever done for me. It made me stronger."

He grinned. "Well, then you're welcome. I will selflessly provide another if you wish."

I laughed. "Oh, I'm sure you'd have fun with the making."

His smile turned down a few notches. "Do you want another baby?"

I took a deep breath. "Not right now of course. We just got Brayden. But maybe someday. I don't know." I looked toward the house where my son was being loved on. "I just don't know if I could love another child the way I love him. He's special for me."

He squeezed my waist. "Well, we can't use protection, so there could be an accident. Unless you're saying we should never have sex again."

Looking back at him, his eyes were filled with horror. I laughed and traced his lips with a finger. Hunger and desire replaced the horror.

I swallowed hard as my body heated up. We hadn't made love since Brayden arrived. Carlisle thought it would be best to wait the six weeks that a human female would wait.

"I'd never say that. There's no way I could never have sex with you again. I want you too damn much."

"Good," he growled. "I want you every minute of every day."

Taking another breath to calm down, I asked, "But do you want another baby?"

Sighing, he shrugged. "I don't know. But Shelbs, there's not way to really prevent another pregnancy other than not having sex. Pulling out doesn't always work, and I don't like that anyway. I like to finish inside you."

He said it with no hint of embarrassment, just fact.

"Well, then. I guess, come what may. I'm not saying I wouldn't love any other child we have, Seth."

"I know, baby. I know." He leaned down to kiss me again. "So, it's come what may?"

I stroked his chest and smiled. "Yeah. We'll handle anything that happens. Who knows, one may be our limit. I may never get pregnant again."

The screen door opened. "Are you two just gonna make out in the snow or come inside and eat? And I think Brayden needs a change and food of his own."

"Sorry, Charlie. We were just discussing my mother." I unwound myself from Seth and went for the steps.

His eyebrows took a hike to his hairline. "Your mom?"

I nodded. "Yup. She paid us a visit at my dad's place."

The house was warm and cozy, a fire in the fireplace. The smell of parmesan chicken in the oven wafted over the warm air. And suddenly, I was starving. Brayden was in the bouncy chair that Sue had insisted she keep at the house.

"And?" Charlie asked as he followed me into the living room.

"And I'm glad she's gone. She's turned into a monster. Told me I should have aborted Brayden and insulted Seth."

Another deep breath to calm down for a completely different reason, I turned a smile on a fussy Brayden before picking him up. Charlie had been right. He definitely needed a change, and it was well past his feeding time.

Sue stepped into the doorway of the living room, waving a steak knife. "Is she still around? I'd love to have a conversation with the-"

"Sue," Charlie said with a smile.

"...woman," she finished.

We all laughed.

"I think she's gone." I looked at Charlie. "Although, she did meet Alana."

Charlie shivered. "That's nice."

"In both human and wolf forms," I finished.

The shiver turned into a full on shudder. "That woman is scary."

I nodded. "Yeah, I don't think Mother is coming back anytime soon." Hefting Brayden, I picked up the diaper bag. "Well, I'm gonna go take care of this one."

Seth kissed me as I passed him. "I'll get you a plate together."

"Thanks. Start without me. I'll be a while. This kid eats like you."

Heading upstairs, I went into what must have been Bella's old room. Sue and Charlie had first turned it into an office, but when they found out I was pregnant, they'd turned it into a nursery for whenever they'd keep him. But that wasn't gonna happen for a while. My New Mommy Syndrome was still fully intact and would be for a while. But I took advantage of the changing table. Afterward, I fed him in the rocking chair that had been used to rock Bella when she'd been a baby. It was hard to think that my mother figure had once been a child in this house.

When I finally made it back downstairs, Seth took over burping duty again while I ate. Looking around the table, I remembered what I'd said to my mother. I may not have a rich husband or fancy clothes, unless Alice had her way, but I was rich in the fact that I had a family who loved me, who loved my son. We laughed, cried, and shared together. Though we weren't related by blood, we were family.

A family who would never abandon each other.

That was the greatest wealth one could ever ask for.

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