PREVIOUSLY-

As the light began to shine into the windows, I tossed and turned in the chair, trying to sleep. The effort was fruitless. I still couldn't get comfortable, my back was aching, and my mind was still spinning with anxiety.


"Have you been up all night?" I heard Paul ask as he walked out of our bedroom.

"Couldn't sleep. I didn't want to keep you guys up though." I told him as he came over and pulled me up out of the chair into his chest, hugging me as closely as he could.

"Do you feel okay?" He asked me as we swayed back and forth. Considering my night, I didn't want to give him the real answer to that.

"I'm fine. Just worried about you guys." I whispered to him. The swaying felt so nice.

"We'll be fine. It's you who we're worried about." He told me as we continued to sway.

"You need to be focused on the fight. If you're all worried about me the whole time, you'll be distracted and end up getting hurt. I can't have any of you getting hurt. Promise me." I begged.

"I promise that we'll do our best to keep our heads in the game. We all know that Seth will be here with you." He said to me as I noticed Sam and Jared coming out of our room.

"What time?" I questioned, knowing they'd understand my question.

"8am. We need to leave soon." Sam replied as he pulled me out of Paul's arms to kiss me. "Seth will be here in a few minutes. Are you sure you'll be okay without one of us here?"

"I'll be fine, I promise. The pack needs all of you. Seth will protect me. You just need to focus on the goal. Kill them and come back to me and our children." I told him.

"Did you get any sleep at all last night, babe?" Jared asked me as he pulled me away from Sam and used his thumb to rub the dark circles under my eyes.

"I'm fine. You know I can't get comfortable anymore, I just didn't want to wake you guys up. Maybe I'll try to get some rest while Seth's here." I mentioned.

"We all know that won't happen, princess." Paul said to me as Jared leaned down to kiss my mark.

"Worth a try." I muttered to myself.

"Seth's here. He'll be outside phased so that he knows what's going on and can be prepared unless you need him." Sam told me.

"It's time for us to go, Bella. I love you. Be safe for us." Jared told me.

"I love you too. Come back to me. To us." I told him, watching as he left out of the door.

Paul was next. "I love you, princess. We'll be back before you know it."

"I love you too, and the same goes for you. Come back to us." He left as well, and it was just me and Sam left. "Promise me you won't let them do anything stupid?"

"I won't, I promise. Now you please promise me that you'll stay here and keep you and our children safe." He asked of me.

"Of course. Now go be the alpha and lead our pack to victory. I love you." I told him as he leaned down to kiss me with his hands on my belly.

"I love you, too." And he was out the door as well.

I walked out back to where Seth was standing as a wolf. He yipped and motioned back to the door with his head.

"I know, I'll go back inside in a second. I just wanted to thank you for doing this, Seth. It really means a lot to me." I told him, running my hand down his muzzle.

He pushed his head up against my hand then yipped again for me to go inside.

As I paced back and forth, waiting anxiously for any type of news, my back began to ache worse and I could feel the pressure of my uterus contracting. The back pain had gone on most of the night, but I'd just attributed it to my uncomfortable position in the chair, now I wasn't so sure.

I counted the minutes between the contractions, which didn't seem to be going away. I still didn't quite feel a bad pain from them though, it was all in my back. I prayed to the spirits that I wasn't going into labor right in the middle of my imprints fighting for their lives.

An hour in and I was getting very nervous. My contractions were getting closer together and the back pain was getting worse.

I couldn't say anything to Seth. My imprints would know right away that something was wrong and be distracted.

I leaned forward onto the couch and swayed my hips back and forth like Paul had done with me earlier as I breathed through the back pain.

I needed to stay okay so that my imprints would be okay. I needed to keep my babies in because they weren't ready yet.

I was so incredibly worried about my imprints and the rest of the pack. I needed them all to be okay.

I decided that the pacing and swaying wasn't helping nearly enough, so I chose to go sit in a warm bath, hoping that would help.

It didn't. At all.

My contractions were less than 4 minutes apart and I was starting to panic. It was definitely active labor. I couldn't tell Seth. I couldn't worry my imprints. I prayed that they wouldn't feel it through our bonds.

After another 30 minutes of agonizing pain, I grabbed my phone and texted the only person I knew that was relatively close.

Leah.

S.O.S. Labor. Can't let pack know.

I sent the message.

I leaned over resting my hands on my bed and swaying my hips again. The babies weren't waiting.

My phone vibrated.

On my way. Incognito. Leave window open.

I let a stray tear run down my cheeks as I held in the cries. I knew if I made any noise, Seth would hear it and be alerted. I couldn't risk the pack mind finding out.

Within minutes I heard my bedroom door open and Leah walk in as quietly as she could. I didn't even want to know how she managed to sneak in around Seth, but maybe it was because she had a familiar scent to him and definitely not a threat?

She pulled out her phone and texted something before holding it up to me.

How bad?

I grabbed a piece of paper and a pen from the nightstand.

Bad. 3 mins apart.

She grabbed the paper and pen and scribbled something down before handing it to me.

Need to check.

I knew that Leah had been learning from Sue before she went off to college, so she would know what to do. I nodded to her.

She mouthed an I'm sorry before having me lay back on the bed and open my legs.

She checked me, much to my discomfort and I'm sure her own too before going to wash her hands and write something down on the paper.

5cm, water close to breaking

Not good.

She laid a few layers of towels on the bed, just in case.

Then, to add to my panic, I heard a loud howl come from Seth outside.

Leah quickly ran out of the bedroom to go close the window and I got up to see what was happening, staying at the doorway.

I could see Seth growling, baring his teeth menacingly as he was inching toward something. Something I couldn't see.

"Bella, get in the bathroom, NOW!" Leah yelled.

The last thing I saw before I ran into the bathroom was her shaking violently.

Then my water broke.

I cried as I heard the gnashing of teeth and growls outside while I dealt with the terrible pain of childbirth.

Leah had phased. I knew it. And it was all my fault. If I hadn't texted her for help, she would be safe on the other side of the res.

I laid in my bathtub, crying as the pain got worse while I still heard the growls coming from outside.

I didn't know how long it was until I heard all the noises stop.

Then I was beyond terrified.

Had the vampire killed both Seth and Leah? What had happened? Was it coming for me now?

I felt the pain rip through me again. They were getting much closer now.

I heard my bedroom door open and I braced for what was to come next. I held my stomach tightly, worried more about my children than myself.

I'd locked the bathroom door, but the doorknob was ripped right out of the door as it was forced open.

I closed my eyes as I waited.


A/N- Worst cliffhanger yet, but I just had to do it.

If you guys review letting me know what you think, or what you expect, I'll drop the next chapter this afternoon ;)