Hey, y'all! March was my last pre-written chapter so it took a little longer for this one. Plus, I've started working on something else, another project for another series. If you're a fan of the Mortal Instruments series, I am trying to start something up. Probably going to need another notebook for notes on that one, and we'll see if I can keep up with all these projects!

But for this story, here is April! Month number 4! Like I said, I'm skipping May and June, going straight to July and the baby shower! Woo-hoo! Don't worry, I will be posting chapters for after Will's birth, after he arrives home, and some more fun stuffs! I sense tons of cuteness after he's born. I CANNOT wait to write Jacob as a daddy! Anywhozzle, enough of my rambling!

*Disclaimer*

Please Enjoy!

April

RPOV

"Seriously?" I said, looking into the mirror.

"What?" Jacob asked from around his toothbrush in the bathroom.

"My bras don't fit anymore. I can't handle anymore boob-age."

I could hear him choke out a laugh as he spit out the toothpaste. As I looked at myself practically jumping out of the cups of my bra, Jacob appeared behind me. He slid his hands around my waist and across my extended stomach. I definitely had to change over to maternity pants or his sweats over the past month. The maternity pants were comfortable enough in public, but around family and friends, I preferred his sweats or any other form of stretchy pants that Aunt Alice brought me.

"I don't mind the extras," he muttered, kissing my shoulder.

I rolled my eyes. "Of course you don't. Because a C-cup wasn't enough for you."

His eyebrows rose in surprise. "You're a D now?"

"Apparently."

"Mmm," he rumbled, lips still to my skin.

"Oh, shut up," I said, pulling gently out of his arms to go for a set of drawers tucked under a shelf. "Luckily, I thought to buy some bigger."

Pulling one out, I quickly switched them out. There, that was much better. Then I slipped into some stylish "exercise" pants with stripes on the sides and a sweater that hung off one shoulder. My hair floated out around my shoulders after I pulled it out of the shirt. Lately, I'd noticed that my porcelain skin was flushed, eyes bright. Jacob had asked Carlisle about it the day before when we'd had our monthly ultrasound that Jacob insisted on. My grandfather had said that it was the hormones and all the blood.

I was in my second trimester, and Carlisle said to start expecting movement from the baby. That was probably what I was most excited about, feeling him kick, feeling his life. So far, stretch marks hadn't made an appearance. Carlisle felt that that might be because my body didn't like change and would probably change as minimally as possible, just the necessities for the baby. My ankles had swollen a bit but Jacob rubbed my feet every night while we sat on the couch. A few aches and pains had started up, but nothing that the children's Tylenol couldn't fix. That would probably change though.

"You hungry?" Jacob asked, moving my hair and kissing my neck.

Lately, he'd been all about touching me in some way. Either his lips or his hands. Something was always touching me when we were together. He was getting more and more into the role of father. He'd even asked Shelby if she could go over the basics with us just to make sure we were doing things right. She'd had us practice on Brayden. He watched everything closely, storing it all away. He was going to be amazing.

We'd gotten the nursery done except for the crib. I was pretty sure we'd be getting that at the shower. Instead of a light blue for the walls, Jacob and I had decided on a darker blue, something warmer with light yellow accents. And of course, it was wolf themed. Paw prints and stuffed animals were everywhere. Grampa Charlie had even given us a dresser and rocking chair that had been used when my mom had been a baby to put in the nursery. I'd unpacked all the baby clothes that I'd gotten and ordered and put them in the drawers. In one of the shops on the rez, I'd found a wolf-themed mobile to put over the crib. Of course I'd had to have it. Everything was falling into place, and I couldn't have been more excited about it.

Sighing contently, I moved my head to give his lips more access. "What are you going to have for lunch?"

"I was thinking a sandwich with some of that lunch meat we got."

For the first time since I got pregnant, the thought of meat didn't make me queasy. Instead, I became ravenous, my stomach growling.

In the mirror, I saw Jacob's eyebrows meet his hairline. He chuckled. "Does that sound good?"

Putting my hands on my belly, I said, "Actually, yes, it does. Meat sounds delicious."

He grinned. "Well, alright then. Let's go try it."

Upstairs, Jacob made us both sandwiches. The smell of the meat wafted to my nose, making my mouth water...And the baby move.

I gasped, hands going to my stomach. It wasn't a kick or anything, but just like he was trying to find a comfortable spot. Kind of sloshy but also a flutter.

Looking over his shoulder, Jacob saw me holding my stomach and naturally thought something was wrong. He dropped what he was holding on the counter and knelt in front of me, eyes worried. "Ness? What's wrong?"

I smiled. "Nothing. He moved."

Jacob frowned. "What?"

"The baby, he moved. It was the strangest thing I've ever felt. But so cool."

"He kicked?"

Shaking my head, I didn't say anything as the baby moved again.

"No," I whispered, "but he's moving around inside me, Jake. Carlisle said to expect movement around this time."

Experimentally, Jacob put his ear to stomach. When the baby moved again, he jerked back and stared at my stomach and then up to me. Then he pressed his ear against me once more. It took about five minutes for him to move again, but when he did Jacob grinned.

"I can hear it. What's it feel like?"

I grinned, too. "Weird. Sloshy."

"Sounds like it. I could also hear your stomach growl." Hopping back up to his feet, he grabbed my plate and handed it to me. Then he went for the water in the fridge.

"Mmm, can I have some sweet tea?"

He looked over his shoulder. "Really?"

I nodded, mouth watering. "With a lemon."

He grinned. "You're eating again."

"Thank goodness," I muttered before digging into the sandwich, which was amazingly awesome. "Mmmm," I moaned. "So good."

Chuckling, he brought me the glass of tea with a slice of lemon. "That's good because we were almost out of blood."

Within five minutes, the sandwich was gone and I wanted another. While Jacob ate his, I made my second and scarfed it down at the counter. Now, full that I was, I sank back down in my chair and sipped the sweet tea.

Jacob just watched me with an amused look. "How does a steak sound for tonight?"

I groaned. "Fabulous. Medium-rare, juicy."

He got up to put his plate in the sink. "Good. We'll go into Port Angeles and I'll take you to dinner."

"Awww, I knew I loved you."

He chuckled and sat back down. "So, I'm off today. What would you like to do?"

"We should go down to the big house. Grampa and Sue are going over to visit. I'd like to see them." Leaning forward, I stroked his cheek. "And you should phase. You haven't in a while. Don't want you to start aging on me."

He nodded. "That's right. I haven't even thought about that."

"That's what you have me for."

He kissed my palm. "Well, if that's what you want, then that's what we'll do."

Thirty minutes later, I'd put on some boots and my coat, grabbing some clothes for Jacob that were nicer than ratty jeans so he could phase. Jumping off the porch, he changed forms. As soon as his paws hit the ground, he stretched as if the phase felt good. Laughing, I locked the door behind me and walked down the steps.

I scratched behind his ears. "Feel better?"

In response, he licked my face.

Laughing, I dug my free hand into his fur. "I will take that as a yes."

As we walked, it was so hard to believe that our baby would someday phase. Maybe. That depended on the vampire population. And I knew my family wouldn't be moving any time soon. My son would phase. Especially if our friends visited like they'd wanted to do for years but were too afraid to move because of the Volturi. Now that Jacob and I had cleaned house and made that deal with Aro, they were safe to travel. With their visits, more Quileutes would more than likely phase.

But just the thought that my son would someday walk beside me like this gave me the chills, in a good way of course. Jacob noticed and moved closer to me.

"I'm fine, baby. Just thinking about our son like this, in wolf form. How amazing he'll be walking in his dad's footsteps."

He whined a happy sound and rubbed his side against me.

"I know. I can't wait either."

When we got to the edge of the woods, he pressed his nose to my belly, gently rubbing his muzzle back and forth, before moving back. He phased back and put on the clothes I'd brought down.

Hand in hand, we walked into the house. Sue was in the kitchen with Mom and Esme. Jacob had gotten some of the wolves to stop in to give reports and such, promising food. Mom and Esme were happy to be useful.

"Hey, sweetie!" Sue said, coming to hug me awkwardly because her hands were covered in flour.

"Hi! It's been a while."

"It has. Now, take off that coat. Let me see the bump."

While I did as she asked, Jacob kissed her cheek. "Hey, Sue. It's good to see you."

"You, too, hon. And you should let your wife out of the house more often. Sunshine is good for her."

His eyes widened dramatically. "Oh my god! I am not holding her against her will!"

Laughing, Sue patted his cheek getting flour on his face. "I know that, Jake. I was joking, sweetheart. It's perfectly normal for man to want to keep his pregnant wife safe and way from everything dangerous. Harry was the same way. And your dad was the same with your mother."

"Really?" he asked sitting down at the breakfast nook in the kitchen.

She nodded, going back to pounding out some sort of dough. "Oh, yeah. Barely let her leave the house, especially with you. She was more active with only one baby in her system. With your sisters, she knew she had to be a little more cautious."

"I never knew that."

When she turned back around to nod at him, she saw me without my coat. Grinning widely, she washed her hands, dried them off, and came for me.

"Do you mind?" she asked.

I shook my head. "He's not kicking yet, though. I actually felt him move for the first time today before we came down here."

"It's a boy?"

I nodded. "I thought we told everyone. I'm so sorry."

"Oh, honey, don't be," she said, putting her hands on my stomach. "You're what? Four months? Five?"

"Four."

Cupping my face gently, she smiled. "And you are positively glowing! I'm so excited to see the two of you as parents. Jacob is such a good man. And you are absolutely wonderful."

"Thank you. That means a lot." Looking around her to Jacob, I said, "See? I told you we had tons of love and support."

He rolled his eyes. "I never said I didn't believe you. So, Sue, tell me more about my mom and Billy. He...doesn't talk about her much."

At that moment, Grampa Charlie came in. We said our hellos and he pulled out my chair for me. He sat down with us.

"He will, once Henry gets older," Grampa assured, clapping Jake on the shoulder.

"Yeah, well, I'd still like to know."

Sue finished up what she was doing and put the dough into the oven. Some kind of bread. When she was done, she washed her hands once more and then sat down in the fourth chair at the table.

"Your mom was one of my best friends. She was utterly beautiful. All the boys at school wanted to date her. Heck, they would have given a choice body part just to have her look at them. But she was all about Billy Black since the day they had fifth grade together. I'd thought it was just a crush because she wouldn't talk to him. He was the strong silent type, easy to smile. When he did talk, it always a joke or something witty. Sarah would just melt hearing that laugh."

Under the table, I took Jacob's hand while he leaned on the table, practically begging for more.

Sue laughed with remembering. "High school was a different story. We did a lot of growing over the summer before our freshman year. Sarah was gorgeous with that silky hair and those aqua eyes. Such contrast. And it turned the tables. I remember the first day of school when Sarah had walked past Billy without realizing he was there. She was chatting about her first class, but I saw it. He'd just stopped talking to his friend and turned toward her voice. After that, he pretty much stalked her. He was in woodworking class before lunch. Always in the cafeteria before us, he had time to leave little figurines at our table. Well, in her seat so she wouldn't have any doubt that it was for her. Finally, in our senior year, they had a class together and were partnered up for a project. Sparks just flew. By the end of the year, they were talking marriage. About a year after graduation, they were married. Nine months later, your sisters were born."

Sitting back in his chair, Jacob had a sad smile on his face, his thumb stroking my hand. "I never knew all that."

Sue reached across the table to take his free hand. "Your father was your mother's happily ever after. He was everything she'd ever talked about wanting in a man. If Billy had phased, there's no doubt in my mind he would have imprinted on her."

Jacob swallowed hard. "What about with me?"

She laughed, swallowing hard through her tears. "You...you were her pride and joy. She'd always wanted a little boy. Don't get me wrong, she loved Rachel and Rebecca something fierce. And she never played favorites with her children. But you," she laughed. "Before they even knew you were a boy, she'd rub her stomach, look at me and say, 'Sue, this baby is going to be a boy, and he's going to be a great man, do great things. Love a woman, protect her, protect his family. He's going to be as great as his father, a man of honor and loyalty.' You see, she knew what kind of man you'd be, even though she didn't know that she wouldn't be around to see it. I am proud to say that I have been able to watch you grow into the man she always told me you'd be. You'd have made her proud, Jacob. Her spirit is probably bubbling over with pride, and elation at you finally having a son of your own."

Squeezing my hand, he cleared his throat multiple times and wiped at his eyes.

"You were her baby boy, Jacob. She wanted so much for you. Not for your life, but for your character. Sarah knew she wouldn't have been able to control your life, but whatever you chose, she wanted you to be a good man while you did it. I think she knew that the pack would come back, that you would be called into the action. She always had that feeling of...greatness about you. She'd always call you her 'little wolf'."

Grampa chuckled. "That's right. I remember that. I was always confused when she said it."

"I remember, too," Jacob managed to choke out. "She would always call me that when she tucked me in at night."

Both Grampa and Sue nodded.

"And your mom for Billy?" Grampa continued. "Everything. In truth, he'd loved her the first moment he saw her that first day of school. I'd been up here at Forks High, but Billy and I were still close. He called me that day after school, sounded completely in love. He loved her unconditionally, like one of those Disney movies. Just bam! It was pretty impressive. Everybody that had seen them together wasn't anywhere near surprised of their wedding announcement."

Sue squeezed Jacob's hand. "We all miss her, and wish that she could have been here for this."

The man that had been drinking and driving that night had been in jail for years. He'd gotten out a few years ago. I vaguely remembered Jacob and Dad having an argument about Jacob going to visit the guy. Somehow my father had stopped him. I had agreed. It wasn't a good idea. Neither Billy nor the twins wanted anything to do with the guy either. It was best just to let it be.

"Yeah." That was all he said. Looking over at me, he gently extracted his hand from mine and pressed it to my stomach. "My little wolf," he whispered.

The baby kicked.

I gasped. Jacob's eyes widened.

"Are you okay, Ness?" Sue asked, eyes worried.

I nodded, covering Jacob's hand with mine.

"He kicked," Jacob answered her. "For the first time."

Grampa and Sue shared a smile.

He kicked again. Jacob laughed. "That's amazing."

"They'll get stronger as he grows."

Looking up, I saw my other grandfather standing in the doorway, grinning.

"Some babies get very used to the voices of their parents. I would like to assume that baby William is much like his mother in the higher senses department."

Jacob frowned a little. "Why not like me?"

"Because your higher senses didn't kick in until after you phased. Going by the phasing time line, William will be mostly human until he phases. But that would be with a human mother. His mother is half vampire, born with higher senses. If he takes after Nessie in that way, it would make sense that he's very used to your voices even though his thought processes aren't working yet."

Jacob shrugged. "Makes sense."

There was a knock on the kitchen door. Carlisle went to open it.

"Hey, Carlisle," Walker said as he and Christa stepped inside.

"Hello, Walker. Christa."

"Jacob said that you guys were missing the wolves and we were passing by on a patrol. Figured we'd stop in." And then she saw me and grinned broadly. "Hey. How are you feeling?"

"I'm great. He just started kicking."

"Oh, wow. Is he still-?"

I nodded.

"May I?"

"Sure."

Jacob moved his hands so Christa could replace them on my stomach.

"Wait for it...There it is."

She laughed. "Oh wow. Does it hurt?"

Shaking my head, I looked at Jacob. "No, not in the least, but that might change as he gets bigger."

Walker came up behind her, a question in his eyes. I nodded. He placed a big hand gently over me. When Will kicked again, he took his hand back and studied it.

"That is so wild."

"Isn't it?" I asked.

The oven dinged. Sue got up to take the bread out of the oven. "Okay, lunch is ready. Who's hungry?"

"I am!" I called.

Jacob gave me an incredulous look. "Ness, you just ate two sandwiches."

"I know, but I'm starving. And it smells so good in here."

"Wait," Carlisle said. "You ate meat?"

I nodded. "Two Jacob-sized sandwiches worth."

He looked to Grampa Charlie. "Any...other cravings?"

"Not yet," I said shaking my head.

He looked happy about that. "Good. I told you it would work out."

Standing up with everybody else, I dragged Jacob to the dining room, kissing my grandfather's cheek on the way out.

WalkerPOV

Ness was absolutely shining, almost like a star. Jacob was playing the infatuated dad instead of the nervous, worried one he'd been a month ago. It was clear that everything was sinking in for him. And I was happy for them. After all they'd been through to protect their families, they deserved one of their own. It still amazed me that the baby was okay after Ness going through that much trauma in the fighting. She'd saved my life. I owed her the time I had now.

Christa grinned at me as Ness skipped into the dining room. At least she was eating again. We'd all been slightly nervous about the blood intake.

Christa and I walked hand in hand into the dining room and sat down. Nessie was already digging into the chicken pasta and bread, groaning. Jacob watched her with raised eyebrows, more than likely wondering if she was going to get sick.

"So, are two planning on kids?"

Looking up, I found Sue looking at me expectantly. Christa gave me a look.

"Uh, well, we have Haleigh right now. And planning a wedding to appease my parents. But, yeah, Christa and I want one of our own."

Charlie frowned. "Appease your parents? You're already married?"

Christa nodded. "We married back in November before we adopted Haleigh. We wanted to do it right. But under the circumstances, his parents couldn't be there. They think we're just engaged and that our wedding is in November."

He nodded. "I see."

"Where is Haleigh?" Nessie asked.

"Oh, she's down with Claire. I swear those two are attached at the hip. But I love that Haleigh has someone like her. Of course, Xavier is with them when Quil can't be. He's bulking up nicely. Even has a girlfriend." She smiled over at Jacob, who tried to hold back his own grin.

Nessie looked between the two of them, smiling. "What? I haven't heard about this."

Jacob chuckled and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Remember when I took him to get his permit? The girl I mentioned?" She nodded. "Well, she started coming into the shop after she had to bring her car in and saw him behind the counter. She's been bringing him lunch and stuff ever since. Her name is Shannon. Really sweet. Shy. But she has a temper when other girls eye her man."

"Sounds like most of the pack females," I muttered.

Christa kicked me under the table.

"What? It's true. If another woman hit on me, seriously hit on me, what would you do?"

She quirked an eyebrow and pursed her lips. "Good point."

Everyone around the table laughed.

Nessie rubbed Jacob's shoulder. "So you did help him."

He shrugged. "I did what I could. He did the work."

"She does make a mean potato soup," I said. When I felt Christa's eyes on me, I hurried on. "But yours is still the best."

"Uh-huh," she muttered, digging into her pasta.

Jacob laughed. "Walker, now would be a good time to insert your foot before you're digging your own grave."

Grinning, Ness patted his arm. "I'm sorry I doubted you. You are good with women."

"Told you so."

Sighing, Christa wiped her mouth with the napkin and started to stand. "Esme, Bella, Sue, everything was delicious. And this was fun, but we really need to get back out there."

Taking her lead, I stood up with her. "She's right. The food was awesome. Thank you."

I grabbed our plates and followed her to the kitchen. After cleaning up our stuff, I met her outside. She was standing in the woods behind the "changing tree" as we all called it because it was big enough to hide us while we stripped down or got dressed. Esme always left a few sets of clothes in men's and women's sizes behind it for when the wolves came around.

"So one of our own, huh?" she said, stripping out of the sweats. Esme would come to collect them after we left.

"I thought we talked about that?" I said, pulling the shirt over my head.

Naked, she pressed her body to mine. Bringing my hands down, I brushed them over her blonde curls. Her fingers played over my chest, breasts pressing into my upper stomach.

Her eyes were filled with heat as she stared up at me. "We did. It's just nice to hear you talk like that."

Leaning toward her, I said, "Then maybe I should do it more often. Might keep me out of trouble."

She chuckled as my lips pressed to hers. "Maybe. You could always try," she whispered against my lips.

"Mmm."

When I deepened the kiss, her hands slid around to my back, nails scraping over my skin. Going down, she burrowed those hands under the jeans I'd put on and gripped my ass. I growled into her mouth, making her moan. Her hands slid around over my hips and tugged the fastenings loose. The jeans fell down as she moved her hands back around shoving them down.

"Mmm, you like my ass, don't you?"

"Like? I love it. White boys generally don't have asses. But this one?" She squeezed hard, making me grunt. "Perfect."

Pulling away just a little, I shimmied out of the jeans and kicked them to the pile. "Come on. Another hour and we get to go home. Haleigh's spending the night over at Emily's with Claire. We have the house to ourselves."

"But until then, I get to torture my kind of wolf with hot thoughts of that ass."

Laughing, I likewise gripped hers, forcing her lower body against mine. My erection pressed into the softness of her stomach. "I think I can handle that."

Grinning with an evil glint, she shoved me back. "I wanna watch you shift."

"You always want to watch me shift."

"I know. I love knowing how strong you are. That you don't get weak from it anymore."

She was right. Over the past few months, I'd been practicing by myself, trying to commune with the wolf inside me. I realized that the less I fought it, the less it hurt as well as shifting more often. After a while it was more like getting tossed around in some waves instead of beaten to hell by a tornado. A little pain but faster than expected, I washed up on the shore. Caden had said that it was also because I was an alpha male.

Closing my eyes, I let the wolf free. Instead of using his body like a battering ram like he had when I'd fought the change at first, he slowly filled my body like water in a cup, stretching me out slowly. When I fell to all fours, he made the change as fast as possible, shredding my skin and muscles, popping bones and joints until I was a black wolf. Standing up on all fours, I was as tall as Christa. I shook out my coat as she came up to me, grinning.

"I love you."

Lowering my head, I nudged my muzzle between her breasts.

Moving away from me, she sniffed playfully. "I knew you only married me for my body."

I rolled my eyes, a human gesture she recognized. Yes, I did love her body. Every inch of it had been against my lips at some point. I knew every curve, every scar, and every freckle. Also all her hot spots, which I often used to my advantage. But in the end, I loved her heart, her soul. There was just a kind of quiet strength to her that had started to shine through after we'd gotten together, after she'd mended things with Morgan.

In a matter of moments, Christa was standing next to me in her wolf form, her furred side rubbing against mine, her nose nuzzling the side of my face. Turning, I licked her muzzle, cleaning her. Caden had said that our kind of wolf had certain instincts that paralleled with actual wolves. Cleaning your mate was a sign of affection. She ducked her head slightly, allowing me more access to her face. She knew I loved to do this.

After a long moment, playfully yipping at me, she hopped around, wagging her tail in the air. This was a game she liked to play to pass the time whenever we had patrols together, a game of tag.

Crouching low to the ground, I barked at her, telling her to go. She gave me a wolf-y grin and took off into the trees.

I gave her a couple minutes head start before darting in after her.

JPOV

"So," I said on the way to Port Angeles.

Nessie looked over at me with raised eyebrows. "Yes?"

Adjusting in my seat, I avoided her eyes as I admitted, "I invited Calahan, Emma, Walker, and Christa to join us for dinner. I wanted to have a chat with them without super hearing around. I hope that's okay?"

Reaching over, she laced her fingers with my free hand. "That's perfectly fine. It's a great idea for the leaders to have pow-wows every now and then. No offense."

The fact that she did that every time she made a Native pun amused me, like what she said would offend me. Rolling my eyes, I lifted her fingers to my lips.

"Just checking."

We met up with Walker and Christa in the parking lot of the nice steak house. Calahan and Emma had beat us all here, which was odd. We'd had the vehicles. I decided not to question it as I pulled Nessie's chair out for her and then sat down.

The waitress's eyes kept darting between me, Calahan, and Walker as she took our drink orders. Apparently she didn't know how to react to three attractive men. It wasn't vanity that I thought that. Secure enough in my masculinity, I could admit that the two other men were indeed attractive. And of course, I knew I was because of all the looks that I had to navigate through whenever I left the rez or Forks.

Emma growled slightly, glaring at the young woman when she failed to move away from the table fast enough after taking our orders.

The girl jumped, cleared her throat and scurried off. "Sorry," she muttered.

"So, Jacob," Calahan started, folding his napkin into his lap, clearly pleased with his mate's reaction. "What is it you wish to talk to me about?"

I did the same with my napkin before answering. "My wolves, Adam and Derek. And yours, Rhett."

He quirked an eyebrow questioningly as his face tightened up. He still wasn't too thrilled with them seeing each other.

Clearing my throat, I dove in. "Look, I know you don't understand the imprint. And I also know that you have...concerns about same sex couples in your community. However, it has come to my attention that the three of them would like to travel."

His lips were tight when he smiled. "Rhett went to you to ask for your help." A statement, not a question.

I shook my head, my gut clenching. "No. I offered my help. Please, don't blame him for this chat. All I ask is that you hear me out."

He was about to shake his head when Emma placed her hand on his shoulder. "Dear, we promised to try to be more open to these things. Let's hear him out as he's asking. It's the least we could do for him allowing us to stay on his land."

Swallowing tightly, Calahan gives a curt nod. "Very well."

I look to Emma. "Thank you." And then paused as the waitress came back with our drinks. She took our orders and went back to the kitchen. "Rhett explained how his traveling would affect the packs that he gets near, that they wouldn't see him as a threat because he's a beta." Emma nodded. "Personally, I don't see a problem with it as long as they're safe. It will give them time to cement the imprint."

"But what do I care of them cementing the imprint?"

Nodding in concession, trying to hold my temper in check, I continued down another path. "Okay, I see your point. But then my counter would be why would I care about a true mate?"

Scoffing, Calahan sipped his wine. He took a sip and placed the glass back down all without taking his gaze from mine. "A true mate? You mean mates as in plural with regards to your wolves."

"I do."

"One of ours cannot have two true mates."

"And two of ours cannot imprint on one person." I held out my hands. "And yet, here we are. Calahan, I get your hesitation. I really do. At first, when Adam and Derek admitted to being gay, I blanched. It was something they'd managed to keep from me. But really, who am I to tell them that they can't love each other? Would you want someone to swoop in to tell you that you can't be with Emma? Nobody would keep me from Nessie. Period." Sitting forward, I put my elbows on the table. Rude, but I didn't care. Our food wasn't here yet. "Look, if you would have asked me if an imprint and lycanthropy could bring one of ours back to life, I'd have said no. But Seth is alive. Can we explain that? Not really. I've learned not to question these things anymore. Sometimes, things just happen. And we have to roll with it. Give them some time to be together. Please. That's all I'm asking."

Emma was still rubbing his shoulders, keeping him calm. I saw him reach under the table to stroke her knee. "You're asking me to treat them as I would want to be treated?"

Thinking in over, I nodded. "Yes. That's just called respect. If I were gay, I would be pretty pissed with someone telling me I couldn't see the person I loved. Hell, it could spark a rebellion. You'd lose wolves, many of them probably wanting to transfer to Walker's pack. Calahan, it's not like you're going to be involved in their relationship, just like I won't be. I'm just letting them be."

For a long moment, he sat there stiffly, Emma still draped over him. "I suppose I see your point. I will think on it, but I cannot promise anything just yet."

"You thinking about it is all I ask."

Emma clapped her hands. "Alright. You boys have had your chit-chat." She leaned forward gracefully. "Now, Nessie, you look positively ravishing, dear."

Flushing, she ducked her head sheepishly. "Thank you."

"And Christa, gorgeous as always."

Christa shared a look with Ness before smiling. "Thank you."

Emma beamed. Though she didn't look it, she older than the girls by quite a few years. As she watched them, she seemed almost motherly. "I am truly amazed at how you handle your packs. So...so kind. Gentle. Even with the females. Absolutely awe-inspiring."

Christa cleared her throat. "I don't want to sound rude, but...is it different with you and your females?"

All eyes went to Emma. For a moment, her lips pursed and then she smiled radiantly again. "Yes, it is. Many of the alpha females believe that Calahan and I are getting weak in our old age and think that their mates can take on Cal in a fight. So far, none have bested him. But that leaves the females quite furious with me now that their mates are dead. Should Cal die of natural causes, Garrett will take his father's place as pack leader. He's being groomed for the position even now. Nobody can challenge him until he is of age. He has six more years to prepare."

Walker choked on his drink. "Of age for you means sixteen? I kind of put Garrett's age at around ten or so."

Emma nodded. "Sixteen is correct."

"Wait," Nessie said from beside me. "I'm sorry. Can we back up a little? Why are the females angry with you for their mates fighting Calahan and losing? Shouldn't they be mad at him?"

Giving a small, proud smirk, Emma winked at Ness. "Good question, dear. I forgot to mention that while the males duke it out, the females also have a fight. But this one is more a test of power, not brute strength. Even if her mate falls, the challenging female can still beat the alpha female, either proving she should be in the leader's bed, or completely killing the alpha female, taking her place. None of them have been able to take me down, so now they are humiliated and mate-less."

"So even if their mates die, they still have a chance at being either an alpha female or the alpha female depending on if the leader takes multiple females," Christa summed it up.

Emma's proud smirk turned to a grin. "Very good. That is correct."

At that moment, our food arrived. Steaks or chicken all around. I was still amazed at how much Nessie had eaten today, but she seemed perfectly fine and always hungry. Conversation died as we all dug in. Every now and then I would see Nessie jump from the corner of my eye.

The first time, I'd given her a questioning glance. She'd smiled, saying that the baby was kicking again, and that it had just surprised her. Emma had made polite chit-chat about babies and families, asking how my pack worked around that since my kind of wolf didn't age unless we stopped phasing. I'd told her that I'd probably end up stepping down when our son was ready to take over. Nessie had smiled at me, her hand squeezing my knee under the table.

Dinner passed with more chit-chatting and laughing. The women gossiped about us men while we sat there listening, rolling our eyes and protesting everything they said. It was actually kind of nice to come out and shoot the shit.

Eventually Nessie and I made it home.

While I was turned toward the door to plug in the code for the security system, I felt her hands on my shoulders, reaching for the lapels of my jacket. Even though I was confused, I moved so that she could slide the jacket off my arms. When I heard it hit the couch, I turned around to see her grinning at me, sliding out of her own coat. After throwing it on top of mine, she put her hands on my chest, fingers playing over my nipples through my shirt.

Looking down at her, I knew the look in her eyes.

I lifted my eyebrows. "Someone's feeling frisky tonight."

She chuckled sensuously. "You have no idea." Her hands moved over the muscles of my torso, outlining each individual one with her fingertips.

I got hard when those fingertips dipped below the waistband of my jeans.

Leaning over her, I hovered my lips over hers. "You sure?"

"You won't hurt the baby. He's too far up. We're safe."

"Okay," I whispered before pressing my lips to hers.

I guessed my libido was attached to hers. These four months, I hadn't felt one lustful bone in my body. I hadn't even gotten hard. Maybe in my sleep, but not awake. But with that look in her eyes, I was ready and willing in a heartbeat. Backing up toward the stairs, she pulled me with her by my jeans. Even down the stairs, she managed to keep one hand gripped on my waistband. And before I was off the last step, she was pulling my shirt up.

I took it the rest of the way off when something warm and wet caressed my skin. Looking down, my gaze met hers while her tongue licked a slow line from the top of my pants and up to my collarbones. Heat flooded through me even though I shivered violently. Reaching down, I gripped the hem of her shirt and lifted it above her head.

I couldn't help but salivate over her chest. I was a man after all. Her breasts had gotten heavier. I knew that the nipples were now a darker shade of pink as well. Her four month baby bump was big enough that her jeans no longer fit, but small enough that she could still bend over slightly and see her toes.

Putting her fingers back into my jeans, she backed up until her knees hit the foot of the bed. Sitting down, she unhooked my jeans, shoving them roughly down my thighs. I stepped out of them, kicking them away.

"Scoot back," I told her. "I know how I'm taking you tonight."

Crawling backward toward the headboard, she smirked at me. "A man with a plan. I like it."

This time, I couldn't actually lay on top of her the way we usually did because of the baby bump, so I needed to find a way to not crush her. I had an idea and we were about to test it. On all fours, I crawled over her, just staring down at that sexy smirk and the fire lighting up her eyes. Her hand snapped up to latch around my neck, pulling me down, her lips crashing over mine like she was hungry for more than food.

I kissed her lips with the same urgency. But soon I pulled away from her to kiss down her chin, jaw, neck. The sloping out of her chest where it filled the bra. And then down between her breasts, pressing soft kisses over her sloping stomach where the baby was kicking. Surprisingly that didn't deflate my lust. I just continued on, nuzzling her panties down. Hooking my thumbs into them, I slid them down her smooth legs.

Not up for oral tonight, I moved back up her body. She was reaching around to unhook her black bra, but I shook my head. "Keep it," I said roughly. "Tonight it's turning me the fuck on."

Planting her teeth into her lip, she stroked her hands up my arms, over my shoulders, and over my neck to lace her fingers together. Which was good. My arms were going to be braced on the headboard. Scooting so that my knees were under me, her thighs spread out over mine, I could see her core wet and wanting, weeping for me. The sight made me growl, knowing it was me she wanted.

In this position, I could watch as I guided myself to that soaking entrance, watch as the head of my shaft disappeared inside her. It was enough to make my back clench up hard.

Her back arched off the bed as I slowly entered her, watching myself slide inside to the hilt. I never realized how much I stretched her when we did this. Watching now, I wondered how her body accommodated me. I wasn't small. And for a woman, she was slight, narrow.

On the pillow, her head tilted to the side, eyes watching me from under those long lashes. Her lip was between her teeth as she rotated her hips around me, circling her body around mine.

"You like that, don't you?" she said in a husky voice.

"What?" My voice was just as rough.

"Watching us, your body inside mine."

Swallowing hard, I scrubbed my lips with one hand, using the other to lift one of her legs up from behind the knee as moved in and out of her.

"I fucking love it." Growling, I hitched both of her legs up, signaling I wanted her to squeeze me with her knees, holding on, as I leaned forward to grip the headboard. "And I fucking love taking you, making you mine."

Chocolate eyes flared, crackling with lust.

With that, I thrust into her deeper, harder, using the leverage the headboard gave me. There was no more talking after that. In this position, my waist and hips stayed off of her stomach, not crushing the baby. Instead, my hips slapped into her thighs, her knees gripping my sides. Her hips came off the bed to meet me thrust for thrust. The pounding became so intense that the frame of the bed moved with us, my knuckles cracking against the wall. But I didn't care. My suppressed sex drive came roaring to the forefront. It was hard to believe that Nessie and I hadn't had sex in four months after making love pretty much every day since we'd started. Or even some petting and touching.

All of that was getting dusted right here and now.

Nessie reached up to grip my wrists, needing something to hold onto while I kept my grip on the headboard. Holding on as tightly as I was, my fingerprints were probably getting engraved into the heavy wood.

"Yes, Jacob," she breathed. "Yes, please...so good. Touch me, please."

She was ready to come. And so was I. Lower body clenched up tight, the only thing that kept me moving was the momentum I already had. The only thing that kept me from climaxing was the fact that Nessie hadn't yet. It felt a thousand times better to come when her body was milking mine, those walls closing around me.

So I did as she asked, as she begged.

Reaching a hand between us, I pressed that magic bundle of nerves at the top of her core with my thumb, hard and forceful. Her free hand dug into my chest as she screamed her pleasure to the ceiling. That glowing body jerked while those inner walls clenched around me, fisting me.

And that was it for me. That was my ecstasy.

My orgasm punched out of me, hot jets shooting into her. To keep from falling on her, my teeth gnashed together and my hand tightened on the headboard, making it creak as my body went rigid with my explosive release. Grunts punched out of my throat.

When it was over, I sagged, my head hanging down. Despite the fact that I was on my knees, they were trembling. Nessie was blissed out, her eyes closed, lip between her teeth, a small, very pleased smile on her face.

And then she frowned, opening those gorgeous eyes. "You're shaking." Lowering her legs, she slid her body off of mine and to the side. "Here, lie down."

Following the lead of her hands on my sides, I collapsed to the bed beside her. On her side, she reached out to stroke my sweaty face. She was just as sweat-soaked but somehow it was dainty whereas I felt like I'd just worked out in a gym and then went to work in the garage.

Ness smiled gently. "I think you wore yourself out."

Weakly, I moved into her touch, brushing my lips over her palm. "No, I think I kept it in for too long. That was pretty...forceful. Are you okay?" I asked softly and it wasn't the same question I'd asked before. It was about more than that. I didn't want anything to be too traumatic in case it triggered something, like early labor. I'd heard of it happening before.

"I'm perfect."

Sighing in relief, I couldn't help but to pull her against me, to hold her, to make sure that I hadn't broken her. That was the fear that plagued me the most, hurting her. I'd never do it on purpose. But accidentally hurting her would kill something inside of me. Exhausted, she snuggled into my side, sighing happily. Reaching up just long enough to grab the sheet, I pulled it over her before collapsing back against the pillows.

"Jacob?" she asked, half asleep.

"Yeah?"

"I love you. Very, very much. And I'm thankful that you're in my life every single day. I don't know what I'd do or be without you. And I'm incredibly proud of you. All the time for everything you do." She patted my chest. "Just wanted you to know."

To that, I really didn't have an answer; she wasn't looking for one. She'd just wanted to tell me what was on her mind. And then, out of nowhere, images started flashing over my vision. Realizing it for what it was, I closed my eyes to give the images a better backdrop. It was Nessie. Her mental wall had crashed and those images were being passed onto me through her touch.

She was thinking, probably dreaming, of the baby, of William. A layer of excitement painted the images as she imagined holding him for the first time, of me holding him. They moved on, as if she were watching a home video of him growing up, what she thinks it will be like. I expected the other kids from her previous dream to show up, but they didn't. It was only Will, for now. The only one she could really grasp now that she was pregnant with him.

Grinning, tucking her close to me, I fell asleep with her dreams as my own.

Some of you were asking for a lemon from our favorite couple and I decided, what the hell? So there you go! Hope you liked it. Tell me how you feel! Love love love reviews because you guys are awesome! Love you! xoxoxoxo