Riko felt like she could sleep forever, but apparently the world had other plans. Someone shook her shoulder, henceforth waking her up. She blinked her eyes open and saw her girlfriend leaning over her to kiss her on the forehead. The alpha quickly grabbed her and hugged her to her chest.

"Riko, we have to get up." The wolf just groaned. "Seriously, it's almost noon."

"Wha?"

"Korra let us sleep in. C'mon, I'll make us lunch."

Karina pulled a drowsy Riko down the stairs and sat her in a chair. The scent of cooked bacon and eggs began to wake up the alpha. She thanked her when a plate was set down in front of her.

Korra wandered in as they finished eating. "Hey, I could use your help. Will Karina mind if I steal you away for a bit?"

Riko glanced over to her girlfriend, who simply laughed and pushed her towards the door. "Don't let me stop you, alpha."

Riko growled playfully at her before following her mother outside. They walked quite a distance away. Korra stopped when they were in the middle of the woods. "What're we really doing, mom?"

Korra sighed and sat on a fallen log. "We need to talk."

Riko rose a brow worriedly and sat down next to her. "I thought we had gotten all of the 'talks' out of the way."

"Well we didn't think you'd be interested in girls. So yes, we did leave something out." Riko waited patiently for her mother to speak up again. "You need to be careful when you two 'do it'."

Riko instantly blanched and turned away. "Aww mom, c'mon! We don't need talk about tha-"

"You don't know, do you?" Korra asked seriously.

Riko paused, racing through her thoughts to figure out what Korra was talking about. "I don't know what?"

Korra sighed and ran a hand over her face. "When two girls mate, and I mean go through the mating requirements, there's a chance for the lower rank to get pregnant."

Riko's eyes went wide. "What? How?"

"It's a one-time thing when you mate. Something about the spirits coming together. You have one chance at it and I don't want you to screw it up. If you mate with Karina now, she could become pregnant. Or if something goes amiss during the process, you won't be able to have kids at all. You need to be prepared for it because I know you don't want any of that right now." Korra explained.

Riko went quiet, though questions roamed her mind. "What happened to you and Asami?"

Korra dropped her head. "I'm the one who messed it up. I rushed everything when we first started out… That's why I'm telling you now. This is something that you need to plan thoroughly."

Riko nodded and stared at the ground. This could change everything. "Thanks mom…for everything."

Korra smiled sadly and hauled them to their feet. "Let's head back home. I don't want Karina worrying about you."

Karina smiled when she heard the front door open. However, she frowned confusingly when she saw Riko looked disoriented. "Riko, are you okay?"

Riko jumped, nearly knocking a chair down. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine! Just dandy!"

Karina arched a brow and sighed. "Okay. Um, do you wanna take a nap outside? I know how much you enjoy sitting under the trees."

Riko smiled in relief and nodded.

For several days, Karina noticed that Riko was behaving oddly. She jumped when touched the slightest bit, but only when done by Karina. The alpha never initiated sex, which she used to do all of the time, and was hesitant when Karina started it. She spent more time in the forest, 'clearing her head.'

Two weeks later, the human finally approached her girlfriend about it. As Riko changed to get ready for bed, Karina slid up to her backside and wrapped her arms around her midsection. The alpha tensed up, freezing midway through taking her shirt off.

"Riko, we haven't had sex in over two weeks. Is something going on?"

Riko visibly gulped before fully removing her shirt. "Well, um, there is something I need to talk to you about…"

When she paused and Karina waited for an answer, she pulled them towards the bed to sit down. "Korra talked to me to other day, about…mating." She glanced up to see that Karina was listening intently, not at all surprised by the subject at hand. Riko sighed. "I told you everything there is to know about the pack, but apparently my parents skipped a lesson."

"Where is this headed?" Karina asked worriedly. The alpha began scratching her arm roughly, causing the human to grab both of her hands to calm her. "Riko, talk to me."

Riko sighed again. "W-When we mate, there's a chance that you could become…pregnant."

Riko's face dropped at the sudden reality of having a family with this woman. She wanted it, but was now the time? They weren't even 20!

"Are you serious?" Karina asked quietly.

Riko nodded nervously. "But it's a one-time thing. When we mate for the first time, it's the only chance we get at having a child of our own. I don't know how exactly; something about the spirits granting wishes…"

Karina rose a brow. "Spirits? Really?"

Riko frowned at her. "Two weeks ago you saw the earth split and fire blaze at my ceremony. Are you still questioning the supernatural?"

Karina's confused expression slowly turned into one of shock. "You are serious."

"Yes." Riko growled urgently. "That's why I've been kinda sensitive to touch lately. I don't want to mess this up. We're still young to start a family. What if it's not the right time?"

The alpha was shut up when a finger landed on her lips. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Karina whispered strongly. She quickly reprimanded the wolf when she tried to speak up again. "Ah ah! You've done a lot of talking. Let me speak. I do want all of that and more, Riko. I don't think time is an issue. What are we doing with our lives? You help run a pack all day while I work a couple hours at Asami's garage. I think it's more whether we're personally ready for that responsibility. I think I'm ready for it. The question is: are you ready?"

The couple sat quietly, sorting through their thoughts. Riko replayed her lover's words and realized that they really could do this at any time. They were going to stay in the same place for a long time now. She only felt that they were moving fast since she had only gotten the label 'adult wolf' just two weeks prior. But they had been together now for 20 months; they were emotionally and physically ready. Now were they mentally ready?

Riko turned back to Karina to see she looked determined to have this. "You sure you're ready?" The alpha asked again.

Karina nodded and cupped her cheek. "As long as you are." She then leaned up and kissed her.

Riko hesitantly returned the gesture, slowly growing confident with each passing second. She pulled back and took one last look at her girlfriend to make sure. "I'm ready if you are."

A month passed. Riko began building their own cabin. That was the next step after mating. The alpha is supposed to build their own home in preparation for starting a family. Of course Riko had help from Korra, Mako, and Bolin. The girl knew nothing of actual construction.

They didn't actually see any warnings that Karina was pregnant, but it was only a chance. Karina nonchalantly touched her collar where Riko marked her permanently. She remembered that moment like it was yesterday, which might actually just be a memory of them doing it again. The memories began to blur together after the first day. She signed in remembrance and stepped outside to bring the werewolves refreshments.

Riko smiled at her and thanked her as she took a cup of lemonade. She glanced back to say something else, but blinked in concern. "Sweetie, are you feeling okay? You look a little pale."

Karina waved her off. "I'm fine, just a cold or something. Fall is coming a lot sooner this year."

Riko pouted but thought nothing more of it.

The next day, reality struck Karina as she ate pickles and peanut butter for lunch. She hadn't thought much of her eating habits. Breakfast and dinner were always as a family, so she normally ate whatever was prepared. Lunch she had been eating by herself for some time now. She ran to the calendar on the fridge and ran her finger across the page, looking for a certain date. She internally screamed. She missed her period. Her food laid left forgotten on the table as she dashed out through the front door.

"Where's Riko?" Karina demanded.

Mako and Bolin glanced at each other nervously. "She, uh, smelled something entering our territory earlier. She hasn't come back since. Korra just left to go find her." Bolin explain apprehensively.

Karina groaned and rubbed her head. "I need to talk to her now."

Riko sniffed the air as she approached the edge of their border. Someone had just crossed over into their land. She padded across the terrain on all fours as she dashed through the trees. Wolf or human would be terrified of her wolf-form. The scent soon became stronger and she recognized the smell of a rogue wolf.

'Funny how that used to be me.' She thought. But she was long past that part of her life.

Riko frowned when something else hit her nose; a strange, decaying smell. She slowed down as she attempted to sneak up on the outsider. She huffed and nearly gagged from the smell. The wolf knew he had crossed into new territory, yet he continued walking straight ahead.

Riko walked out of the bushes as the wolf drudged towards her. Maybe he was just lost and needed redirection. She let out a small growl in warning, urging him to turn around. The other wolf froze, then sniffed the air eagerly. She returned the gesture and realized in shock that the outsider was an alpha.

'What's an alpha doing rogue?!' She thought.

However, she didn't have time to ponder on it before the older wolf lunged at her. Confusion coursed through her, but anger did too. How dare an outsider challenge her?

She easily dodged and swiped at his backside. He didn't cry in pain but clawed back at her. He landed a clean swipe across her arm. She growled loudly at him and barred her teeth. Then Riko lunged at him and the two of them met in midair. She easily threw him into the ground.

Something was odd about the rogue. It was like he was drained and weak. Did he lose a challenge?

Both alphas continued to trade hits. Riko was tiring. However, her opponent kept the same level of stamina even in his weakened state. Riko paused for a few seconds to catch her breath. She felt something baring down on her. Was he effecting her somehow? She had never tired out so quickly before. She hadn't realized how long she was taking to recover until the rogue tackled her into a tree. She whimper in pain as her head collided with the trunk of the large tree. Blood immediately started pouring through her new wound, starting to blur her vision. Was she really about to lose to a rogue? Life had a weird sense of humor then.

She staggered to her paws and managed to dodge another tackle, but he was still on her tail. He was about to go in for the kill when another, much larger wolf than both of them, lunged through the air and pinned him to the ground.

Riko instantly recognized the wolf as her mother and finally laid down to rest. She heard Korra tear the outsider apart. She closed her eyes wanting rest, not realizing that she wasn't out of the woods yet.

Korra suddenly shook her awake. "Riko, stay awake. I'm gonna get you to Kya. Just hold on."

Riko peaked her eyes open and noticed that her mother was back in her human-form. She tried to swallow, but her throat was dry. She touched her forehead, feeling fresh blood. She blinked in confusion. When had she herself shifted back to human-form?

Karina sat under a tree near their new cabin. The building was almost done. The boys were just putting some finishing touches to it. She sipped her tea, enjoying her time while she could. Suddenly the boys perked up and took a few steps away from the house. Karina watched as they looked around and sniffed the air. In an instant, Mako had shifted and took off running. Bolin wasn't far behind him and they both disappeared into the woods. Karina's heart stopped. Riko and Korra weren't back yet and Mako and Bolin just took off like crazy animals. What had just happened?

Korra's heart jumped in excitement when she sensed her pack members running to her aid. Soon her friends caught up to her and sniffed all around. The alpha sighed thankfully. "Mako, go get Kya. Bring her to my house."

The black wolf nodded and ran off. Korra turned to the brown wolf. "Can you get us back to the homeland, Bolin?" The wolf nodded eagerly and kneeled down to let her climb on top. She held her daughter close to her as Bolin dashed back. 'Please be okay.'

Karina nervously paced in front of the alpha's house. If something bad had happened, they'd come here first. She saw the brown wolf in the distance with someone on his back. As they got closer and clearer to see, the human gasped and ran to meet up with them.

Korra jumped off of Bolin with her daughter in her arms. She had torn her shirt off during the run back and pressed it to Riko's head. She saw Karina run towards them and grimaced.

"What happened?!" Karina cried out.

Korra raced inside and laid her daughter on the couch. She checked to make sure she was secure and then ran off to find a towel to press against her forehead since her shirt was already soaked with blood.

"Korra?!"

The alpha stood with such assurance that the panicked human backed off. Korra scoffed. "A rogue attacked her. I don't know how she got so injured, though. She's usually so much stronger."

Karina gulped and slid past the alpha to sit next to her mate. Mate. The word rung in her head. They were in this for the long haul. She couldn't lose her now. She gently held her hand and pressed the towel to her bleeding wound.

"Kya's on her way. She's gonna need space to work on her." Korra explained quietly.

Karina practically glared at her, then her expression softened as she thought that the alpha was right. They heard something skid in the door outside before Kya sauntered into the house. She immediately got to work with her healing water. "What happened?"

Korra grimaced. "She went to investigate an intruder and was attacked by a rogue. He was strong."

"What?!" Everyone turned around and saw Asami standing in the doorway with shock written on her face. She had smelled the different scents surrounding her house as she drove up, but she had not expected anything like this.

"A-Asami, I got there in time to stop him, but she was already pretty hurt." Korra nervously explained.

A raspy gasp of air surprised them all. Riko had been floating in and out of consciousness. She reached out for her mate, who readily held her hand tight. The injured alpha wheezed out a few words. "He…was an…alpha."

Karina was close to tears but pushed them back to stay strong for her mate. "Riko, you need to conserve your energy."

However, Riko was determined to get this info out. "He was…sick…something…" She erupted in coughs which Karina and Kya spent minutes trying to soothe her.

"That must be why she couldn't hold him off. Whatever illness he was carrying must've transferred to her." Korra pondered quietly.

"Korra…" Kya spoke up gravely. "Did you touch either of them?"

The alpha blinked before realization hit her. She immediately paled. "I killed the outsider and carried Riko back…"

Asami noticed that Korra was panting and grew worried. "Korra, are you feeling okay?"

Korra's eyes shifted and she began to feel weak. She grabbed onto the wall as her strength faded. "I don't feel too good actually."

Asami gasped and caught the alpha as she finally crashed. "Korra!"

Kya jumped up and helped carry her to the loveseat. "This is bad. We might have a virus on our hands. No one should enter or leave this house until we solve this."

"Guys, whatever it is, it's spreading fast." Karina called over worriedly.

Riko was struggling to breathe now. Kya hurried back over and removed the towel from her forehead. "Oh no…"

The sickness was already progressing so much in the young alpha. The skin around her wound was blackening and flaking off. "Why is it moving so fast?" Kya questioned aloud before frantically trying to heal the wound.

Karina gulped and gripped her hand tighter. She was so scared that this might be the last time to talk to her. If she blacked out and Kya couldn't fix this, it was all over…

"Riko baby, can you hear me?" Karina asked carefully. Riko squeezed her hand to answer her. The human's throat went dry. "You have to survive this. I know you can. You're so strong and brave."

Everyone was listening carefully, even Korra who was laid curled up on the other chair. Tears began falling from Karina's eyes at this point. Riko squeezed her hand again and rubbed her thumb over her hand. "I need you to get through this. We're gonna spend our whole lives together, remember? We're gonna have a family and our own cabin and everything."

Kya gulped and wiped her tears. "We need our great alpha to lead us. We won't make it without you."

Riko turned her head slightly so she could see her mate. She mouthed 'We?'

Karina nodded and laughed through her tears. "Yes, 'we'. Riko, I'm pregnant."

Riko's vision cleared as she gasped. "Really?" She managed to whisper. Silent tears dripped from her eyes and she began to smile when her mate nodded. She sniffled as more tears appeared, but she continued to smile. She was overjoyed inside. Her grip on Karina's hand tightened and the gesture was returned.

Their family around them smiled somberly. Riko slowly rose her hand to her mate's cheek, wiping her tears away. "Don't cry… I'll be fine…"

Karina tried to smile, but all she felt was dread as she grabbed her hand again. Riko held her hand in the air. "Mom…"

Asami realized she was calling for her and quickly went to her side. Her daughter released Karina's hand to her. Both women looked to her in shock and confusion. "Riko?" Karina cried.

"Keep…safe." Riko muttered before passing out.

Kya urgently pushed them out of the way so she could tend to Riko's deteriorating state. Asami pulled the human to her feet and hugged her tight as she finally released her pent up tears.

Kya ended up working until nightfall. Asami had taken Korra to bed, though the alpha didn't seem in as bad of condition as their daughter. It was more like a flu for her but could easily go downhill if they weren't careful. Kohaku laid against Asami's backside to separate himself from his sick mother but also to be as close as possible too. As the family laid in bed, Karina sat in a chair beside them. Her tears had dried up and all she could think about was what would happened if her mate didn't make it.

They heard slow steps come up the stairs and all tensed up. Kya tiredly knocked on the door before peaking in. They were ready to hear the worst when they saw the healer's drained expression.

The medicine woman sighed. "She's stable for now." They all sat up a little straighter to hear the good news. "However, we still have a problem. This isn't going to fix itself. It's going to take strong healing."

Asami sat up and cradled Korra's head in her lap. "What can we do?"

Kya slouched on the end of the bed. "There's only one thing I can think of. There's a lake deep in the forest. The water there has healing qualities. If I could get some of that, I could probably progress the healing."

"Then let's do it." Asami urged.

"It's not that simple, Asami." Kya explained. "The journey is easily a 5 day round-trip on foot. I can't leave Riko with the way she is now; she won't make it. And Korra may look well now, but her condition will get worse with time too. I need someone else to get it now. We still don't know if this can spread to other wolves so we need to act fast."

"I'll do it."

Both elder woman looked up to Karina in shock. "Karina, you can't. It's not safe and Riko would kill me if something happened to you or your child." Asami argued. "I'll go."

Kya glanced around at the family. "Are none of you feeling sick?"

Asami shook her head and then looked to her son, who shook his head too as he clutched to his mother's sleeve. They turned to Karina, who looked exhausted, but she too shook her head.

"How has it not spread to any one of you?" Kya wondered aloud. "Maybe you need direct contact." She paused when she saw Asami getting new gear out. "You need to take someone – a wolf – with you. The trip is too long on foot. I need this healing water now. A wolf will cut that time in half."

"But what if it spreads? What if this only effects wolves?" Asami questioned.

Kya sighed. "We have to pray that it doesn't spread because if we don't do this now, we're gonna lose two of our three alphas."

It was after midnight when Asami finally began her journey to the spirit pond. She had a small sack of supplies in case they needed it. She ruffled the brown fur that belonged to her friend. She jumped upon his burly back and urged him forward. He barked and dashed into the woods. "Let's hurry, Bolin."

Karina held her mate's hand all night as she sat on the floor next to the couch. The alpha's breathing was labored but was no longer wheezy. She appeared peaceful as she slept. Kya checked on her occasionally throughout the night but spent most of her time watching over Korra since Asami was gone. Karina rubbed her thumb over her hand as worry controlled her thoughts.

Asami held tight to the fur of the giant wolf and looked all around for the lake. Bolin was circling around for the third time. They had never visited the spirit lake before so finding it was proving to be difficult. "It has to be around here somewhere. Kya pointed it out on the map."

Bolin sniffed the ground and continued searching. Suddenly a small yet bright sphere floated towards them. Asami gasped and yanked at the wolf's fur. The male whipped up and panted in surprise. The blue aura began floating away. The omega quickly ushered the large wolf to follow it.

As they caught up to it, they noticed that the blue aura was actually a rabbit whose ears acted as wings. Even in the wolf pack, most members didn't see things like this. Only the medicine woman saw these things on a normal basis. Asami and Bolin were shocked and even more surprised when they suddenly stumbled onto the glowing lake.

"This is it!" Asami hissed in excitement. She slid off of the wolf and carefully kneeled down to the radiant water with a hide bag. She slowly dipped the bag into the water and watched it fill with glee. She was going to get this healing water home.

Soon they were headed back home. It was the middle of the night, but Bolin always knew where he was. Asami suddenly yanked on his fur again, pointing him in a new direction. He whined, asking what was up.

"There's something else we need to bring home."

Two days passed since Asami and Bolin left. Kya began trying to heal Korra upstairs as the alpha's condition had begun to deteriorate as well. Karina had sat beside her mate for the entire time.

Suddenly the human heard the heavy pounding footsteps of a wolf and stood on her cramped feet. Asami burst through the front door which the bag of glowing water. "We got it!"

Karina smiled for the first time in three days. "Kya, they're back!"

The healing woman ran down the stairs in excitement. "Perfect timing, Asami. We got to get this to the girls right away." Kya snatched the water and hurried to the younger alpha.

"Is Korra okay?" Asami asked worriedly.

Karina nodded as they watched Kya get to work. "Korra was having horrible coughing fits, but Kya was able to push it back for the time being. Riko was actually headed downhill a bit. She hasn't woken up in two days, but hopefully now we can fix this."

Asami watched solemnly as Kya administered the spirit water to her aching daughter. She then perked up once she remembered something else. "Um, Kya, we brought you something else."

The medicine woman glanced up and paused her healing process. "What would that be?"

Asami sighed and motioned them outside. Bolin sat on his haunches, guarding the house. Several large garbage bags covered something big on the ground. Kya and Karina both glanced over to the omega in confusion. The woman held her hand up to silence them and removed the plastic bags. Both women gasped.

"Asami, is that the wolf that…?" Kya asked in shock.

The pale woman nodded. "This is the sick wolf that attacked them. I figured that maybe you could learn something by examining him."

Kya glanced over to the beta wolf. "Bolin, how are you feeling?" The wolf cocked his head in confusion and huffed to say that he was fine. This only confused the medicine woman further. "Why are Riko and Korra the only ones effected?"

Asami had already slimmed down the answers to two. "Either it's only contracted by direct blood-to-blood contact, or this illness only effects alphas."

Kya looked back at the omega with shock. "I've never heard of an illness that only effects alphas."

"Well if you think about it, they probably kicked this alpha out of the pack because of his illness. Either it spread to other members by contact or it spread by air to other alphas." Asami explained further.

"Bolin ran to their rescue after the attack. He carried both of them back." Karina suddenly jumped in. Bolin nodded his furry head in acknowledgement.

Kya scowled and crossed her arms. She glanced back to the beta wolf that sat nearby seemingly unaffected. "None of you have gotten sick from your time sitting with them. Bolin seems fine having been around both of them and the outsider. If Bolin doesn't get sick at all, I'll be convinced that this only effects alphas. But for now, let me see what I can do for our alphas and then I'll take a look at the rogue."

She felt something smoothly rubbing the expanse of her forearm. Her head spun as she finally opened her eyes again after almost 3 days. She shook her head, trying to get rid of the blurriness, and groaned from pain in her head.

"Riko? Are you awake?"

The alpha slung her head to the side and saw the love of her life watching her anxiously. "Hi."

The human smiled and began crying. "Hi yourself. How do you feel?"

Riko groaned again as she tried to prop herself up on her arms. Karina quickly grabbed her and helped her sit up. The werewolf patted herself down and felt bandages around her upper arm and forehead. Memories from the fight slowly refilled her mind. She looked around and saw Kya asleep in the loveseat. "Where's Korra?"

Karina cupped her cheek and pressed her lips to her bandaged forehead. "She's okay. She and Asami are resting in bed."

The sky was pink and she couldn't tell whether it was dusk or dawn. "How long was I passed out for?"

"Three days as of this morning. Kya finished healing you both last night. She said you'd be waking up soon."

Riko rubbed her head. "Did something happen to Korra? I thought she took care of the rogue."

"She did, but that wolf was sick." Karina started and immediately saw the questions forming in her girlfriend's head. "For some reason it didn't spread to anyone but you two. Asami thinks that maybe the illness only effects alphas. But Kya's so exhausted that she hasn't examined the rogue yet. As soon as you two were recovering for good, she passed out in the chair."

They both glanced over to the snoring medicine woman. "We need to do something to thank her." Riko commented.

"We'll think of something as soon as you're feeling better." Karina replied.

Asami felt something shuffle underneath her and squinted her eyes open. She watched happily as her mate slowly woke up. "'Sami?"

The omega grabbed her hand. "I'm right here, baby. How do you feel?"

"Like a bag of rocks, but that's better than how I was feeling yesterday." Korra chuckled tiredly. She groaned and her body creaked as she sat up against the headboard. "Did everything go okay when you left to get the spirit water?"

Asami smiled and sat up with her, leaning her head against her shoulder. "It went great. We got back just in time, otherwise Riko might've taken a turn for the worst."

Korra rejoined their hands. "How is Riko doing?"

"Kya patched her up last night before coming up here and said she'd should wake up sometime today. She probably won't feel okay right away but she'll begin to recover at least." Asami explained.

"I'll just be glad when this is all over and we can continue living like normal." Korra sighed in relief. Suddenly her stomach growled loudly. They giggled as the alpha rubbed her neck nervously. "I guess that'll begin with breakfast, huh?"

Asami sat up, pulling her mate with her. "I will gladly make a buffet for everyone if I need to. C'mon."

Asami helped keep the alpha steady as they made their way downstairs. Joy overwhelmed them when they saw that their daughter was awake.

Karina had slid in behind her mate and rested the girl's head in her lap, combing through her hair to relax her. Riko laid with her eyes closed, yet rubbed her mate's stomach. They both glanced their way and nodded to acknowledge their presence. Even though Riko was worried about her mother, she wouldn't leave her pregnant mate.

The realization that their family was going to grow struck both women hard. Tears sprung to Korra's eyes but she quickly wiped them away. Asami smiled warily and rubbed her arm. "It's going to be okay, dear."

Korra laughed watery. "We're going to be grandparents, 'Sami!"

Asami began tearing up too. "Yes we are." She went over to the young couple and kissed both girls atop their heads. Korra's chest swelled with pride and she patted her daughter's head before following the omega into the kitchen.

Riko dragged herself up the steps after a long day of hunting. Sometimes she would get winded easily. Kya figured that the illness might've hurt her lungs, but the alpha continued running herself ragged on these hunts anyway.

She stepped into her bedroom to grab clothes for after her shower but froze at the sight before her. "Ummm, what're you doing?"

Karina peeked an eye open and clutched a blanket tighter. "I'm nesting apparently. Pema says it's normal, even for me."

"Oh, okay." Riko replied after a few seconds, acting like this was totally normal even though this was the first sign that Karina was barring a child. The alpha found some clothes and left to take her shower.

Karina felt something nuzzling against her side and smiled sleepily. A strong arm draped over her stomach and the other was cradling the alpha's head, her cheek pressed against the human's hair. Karina smiled and scooted closer to her, making Riko huff in her sleep and pull her closer. The human leaned up and kissed her forehead, where a scar now sat in reminder of that scary time.

The pack was in the middle of a hunt when Riko suddenly broke rank by halting. Her wet snout stood high in the air, sniffing the odd scent. She glanced pack to the pack land, trying to figure out what the scent was. The pack stopped and Korra trotted to her side, eyeing her confusingly. Riko didn't even glance at her before she took off running in anger.

Karina pressed herself against the wall as she watched the two wolves in front of her stare at each other. Tenzin had come to her aid when he smelled the scent of the deranged beta coming for her. He stood protectively yet calmly in front of her, his burgundy tail swishing, signaling he wouldn't back down. The beta wolf growled angrily, stepping forward to communicate for the alpha to step away.

The wolf braced himself against the ground, preparing to jump whether Tenzin moved or not. But he wasn't moving. He knew an angry alpha once he smelled it and was unfazed when Riko dashed into the yard and tackled the beta before he could lift his feet off of the ground. Karina hadn't even noticed the rapid pounding through the woods until Riko appeared. The human jumped and shakily grabbed onto Tenzin's red fur as they watched Riko force the beta into submission.

Eventually the hunting pack caught up to her and, even in their astonishment, helped get the wolf away from the human. Riko padded up to Tenzin and dropped her head in thanks. Tenzin nodded and followed the pack away.

Karina dropped to her knees and grasped Riko's fuzzy snout, pressing their foreheads together. "I was so scared."

Riko nodded and slouched into a squat, trying to catch her breath. Karina noticed the ragged breathing and tugged the wolf to sit with her under their favorite tree. Riko dropped into a sleeping position as her breathing evened out. Karina carefully rested her head on the alpha's stomach and eventually the duo fell asleep.

Karina woke up when a chilly wind swept through the land. She blinked when she didn't feel fur anymore. She sat up and saw that Riko had shifted back during her sleep. She chuckled and nudged the alpha awake. "C'mon, it's late and we haven't eaten dinner."

Riko was about to argue against dinner, but knew her pregnant mate was probably starving. She reluctantly dragged herself into the house with her and helped prepare dinner. Riko volunteered to clean up the kitchen afterwards, wanting Karina to go to bed. The human chuckled but listened anyway.

Karina hadn't been lying in bed for long, as she was busy resituating her nest, when Riko finally joined her. Eventually she felt her mate join her as the bed adjusted. However she was surprised when she felt fur. She turned to her and saw the tension in the alpha's face.

Karina rubbed her back. "It's okay. I wasn't hurt. Besides, I don't think he'll be returning any time soon."

Riko huffed and nudged her nose into her hand. Karina smiled and rubbed between her ears. "But it makes you feel better, it's fine. Just go to sleep, please."

Riko rested her head on her paws as her mate situated herself against her side. This felt safe. This felt right.

The first thing Riko heard was a plate smashing against the floor. She was up in an instant, searching for her mate. She gulped as she found the human gripping the countertop. Her other hand held her now swollen stomach. Liquid puddled underneath her. She hadn't even called out for Riko but wasn't surprised when the alpha suddenly swooped her up in her arms and carried her upstairs to the bed.

As much as she tried to hide it, panic grew within the alpha. She gulped and sweated profusely as she listened to her mate voice her discomfort.

"Is… Is it time?"

Karina gasped as pain hit her again. "I think so. We need Kya now."

"Okay! Okay! Shit, this is happening…" Riko muttered as she ran to the phone and dialed Kya's number.

"Korra…" Asami called for the alpha as they ate breakfast. The alpha looked up at her in confusion. Worry seem to grow on Asami's face and her gut instinct was trying to tell her something. The scent slowly hit both of them simultaneously and they dashed out of the house.

"I-I called Kya! She should be here soon!" Riko announced once she hung up the phone. She gulped as more pain erupted through her mate.

"Well I think this baby is coming now! We don't have time!" Karina yelled. Riko panicked and began pacing the room, only stopping once Karina yelled at her again shortly after. "I need you to control yourself and help right now until Kya gets here."

Riko nodded with a dry throat and helped her undress. "Just do as I tell you. We're gonna be fine." Karina commented encouragingly.

Soon, someone barged into their cabin. Riko looked back as the door slammed open and blinked in astonishment when she saw her mother the omega. "M-Mom?!"

"Move sweetie. I can help." Asami demanded as she kneeled at the end of the bed. "Korra went to get Kya."

Riko was about to retort when suddenly Karina grabbed a hold of her hand and squeezed. The alpha yelped in pain and huddled at the top of the bed with her. Karina's grasp on her hand increased as her own pain increased. "I'm gonna kill you!"

"I guess it's a good thing this is a one-time deal then!"

Eventually, Korra arrived with Kya on her back, having changed form to get her there faster. She shifted again and the duo ran inside. They were surprised to see Karina already in labor. Kya joined Asami's side as the omega gave them all of the information that happened so far. The healer glanced at the younger alpha and was surprised to see her quelled by her mate's hold on her hand. But she had a feeling the longer this progressed the more likely she was become enraged.

After another hour of labor, the first growl erupted from Riko's throat. She tried to settle herself, but for some reason she was becoming increasingly angrier. One look from Kya and Korra was dragging her daughter out of the house. Karina whimpered as she lost contact with her hand, causing her mate to become even more furious.

"Let me go! She needs me!" Riko roared.

Korra didn't relent, however, simply holding her to her chest as she walked outside. She dropped her as soon as the front door shut behind her. Instantly, Riko was back on her feet and rushing towards the door, which Korra blocked immediately. Lin stood off to the side to help if she was needed.

"Korra…" Riko growled angrily. However, it had no effect on her mother. She simply crossed her arms as she blocked her path. "Why? Why drag me out of there out of all moments?! I need to be in there with her!"

"Do you not feel the aggression building in you?" Korra simply asked.

Riko blinked and took in her body language. Her breathing was already ragged in rage and she was poised to fight. She gulped and slowly backed up in submission. "What's wrong with me?"

Korra sighed. "This happens sometimes with alphas and their pregnant mates. The alpha sees and witnesses the pain of labor and wants to protect their mate, but there is nothing to protect them against. There's nothing they can do. So they usually get all riled up and become a nuisance during delivery… If I'm honest, I'm surprised you sat in there for so long. I barely lasted ten minutes with Asami."

Korra saw the anguish and anxiety in her daughter's eyes. She carefully approached her and placed a hand on her back. "It's going to be okay. As soon as the delivery is over, you can run back to her side."

It was nearly nightfall when they heard the first signs of new life in the house. Riko was on her feet in an instant and ran up the stairs two at a time. However, she froze as she entered the room.

A green bundle was being cradled in Karina's arms. The human stared contently at the form in her arms. Suddenly, everything was worth all the pain. Riko slowly and cautiously inched up to her side. She peeked over her shoulder and saw the most magnificent thing in the world. And it was theirs.

Riko kissed Karina on top of her hair, trying to hide her tears. A sob escaped her and she was immediately pulled down to rest with her mate. Karina held her bruised hand and nuzzled her nose against her cheek. "Do you wanna hold her?"

"It's a girl?" Riko asked tearfully. Karina nodded and carefully placed the baby in the alpha's arms. Fresh tears sprung from her eyes as she gazed down at the small child in her arms.

Their family watched the interaction from the other side of the room. "So, have you thought of a name?" Kya asked curiously.

Karina smiled as her child grabbed her forefinger.

Karina happily cooked breakfast in her own kitchen of her own cabin. As she laid three plates on the dining room table, she heard laughter from outside. She wiped her hands on her apron and walked out through the front door into the yard. She smiled and called for her family. "Riko! Olivia! Breakfast is ready!"

The alpha picked her head up to reply but was tackled by a small body. Her tail whipped back and forth and she grabbed the child. The young child pulled on her ears in an attempt to get out of her grip. The two werewolves continued to wrestle in the grass, that is, until someone plucked the four-year old off of the ground.

"Awww, mom! But we were playing!"

Karina settled the girl against her hip and set her gaze on her wife. "Well 'mommalpha' has to go on a run today so she needs to eat breakfast and get a move on. And you, my child, need to get ready to go to Jinora's so I can go with 'grandmaSami' to work." The human then tickled the girl as she carried her inside.

Riko jumped up and chased after her family. She slipped her arms around her mate and lifted her in her arms. The woman screamed and gripped onto her. Their child scrambled onto the alpha's back.

Karina arched a brow and situated herself. "Are you gonna carry us both inside?"

Riko grinned brightly. "I could carry both of you for miles if I wanted." And just to prove her point, she began running in circle around the yard.

"Riko!" Karina laughed. "We all have to get ready!"

The alpha pouted and started for the house again. "Fine-e-e-e." She reluctantly let go of her family as she approached the door.

Once they finished eating, they regrouped at the front door. Karina playfully kissed their daughter all of her face and she said goodbye. Then the human leaned up to her mate and kissed her on her forehead, where her scar sat permanently. "I love you, babe."

Riko smiled and kissed her on the lips. "I love you, too. Be safe."

Karina smiled. "I will." Then she turned to Olivia. "And you be good for Jinora today."

Olivia saluted and hopped from foot-to-foot in excitement for the day. As Karina watched her mate walked away with their child, a silver truck pulled up. She smiled and hopped in.

Asami watched her daughter in the distance, then glanced to the human. She continued to smile brightly as she watched the dust rise from the truck, taking her farther into town to the garage. She looked to the omega. "I could live with this for a thousand lives over again."

A/N: Tada! That's the end of Spread Thin! Hope you all enjoyed. Remember to leave reviews because they make me smile :)