Chapter 10! And I could not be more in LOVE with this chapter. I am actually super excited about this one. It's so freaking cute! Oh, and if there are any loose ends that you just have to have tied up by the end of this story, send them to me and I'll make a list because I am sure that I will forget something and someone will be mad, so just let me know. I'm concentrating on moving forward and can't remember all my loose ends so yeah, just let me know.

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RPOV

A few days passed with Jacob and the others making plans for the trip to Denali. They were planning on Walker's new pack to help out. Today, I woke up early, but Jacob had woken up with me for a morning play between the sheets. We'd fallen back to sleep until noon. After making us both lunch, I went down to the big house while he went on his patrols.

Walking into the house, I found that it was unusually quiet as I went through the kitchen. When I went into the living room to find both televisions on. One had the news running, and the other had a video game going that Uncle Emmett was controlling. Both of them were on mute. Uncle Jasper and Carlisle were playing chess. Esme was sitting in front of the fireplace knitting what looked like baby-booties in dark green. Mom was curled up next to Dad while she read Romeo and Juliet for the umpteenth time.

She looked up with a smile. "Hey, honey. What's up?"

I shook my head and shrugged. "It's quiet down here."

"Thank goodness," Aunt Rosalie said as she came down the stairs. "We haven't had this house to ourselves in a long time. The quiet is nice. And, no offense, but the smell needs to be aired out."

Quickly, I put up my mental wall so Dad wouldn't hear what I was thinking. "Sick of us, huh?"I said as playfully as I could, but no doubt a bit of a bite came through.

Aunt Rose's expression turned horrified. She came over to me to hug me. "I'm sorry. Not you. There're just so many wolves around. It's a little claustrophobic."

I hugged her back. "Well, I guess I can talk to Jacob. Maybe we can focal point our place as the pack meeting hall, or the rez again."

Mom dog-eared her book and stood up. "It's not that we're complaining. The pack just sort of grew and took over."

I nodded, stuffing my hands in my pockets. "No, it's cool. We should have thought about it. I'll talk to him. Maybe we can get Walker's pack to set up camp between here and the rez or closer to our place." I started backing out the door. "I just dropped in to say hi. Emily asked if I could come down to help with Leila so she can get some cleaning done."

Mom looked a little crestfallen. "O-ok, sweetie. Well, have fun."

I smiled and waved before I left. Stepping back out into the cold day, I watched my breath fog out in front of me. It wasn't that I was mad at them for feeling the way they did. I was just irritated that they hadn't told us before now. How many times had they talked about wanting their space behind closed doors?

Sighing, I tucked my hands into my coat and started down the drive. Adam and Derek joined me on the walk down.

"Hey, beautiful," Derek said as he sidled up next to me.

"Hey, you. How're things?"

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "Everything's great. Where ya headed? I thought you were gonna hang out at the Cullen place."

I shrugged. "I decided to go hang out with the girls. The family needs a little down time."

"Oh, well, ok."

"That's what I said." I took a deep breath. "Look, when you phase can you let the others know to steer clear of there for now? And tell Jake I need to talk to him when he gets a chance?"

He nodded while Adam frowned. "Sure, sure. Anything else you want us to tell them?"

I shook my head. "Not right now."

Derek squeezed me as Adam leaned into to kiss my cheek.

"We'll let you walk alone," Adam said.

"Thanks," I replied, smiling at them both.

Adam and Derek melted into the woods to let me walk alone, probably sensing that I didn't want any company right now. Snow started drifting down from the dark clouds but didn't stick. It wasn't cold enough yet. The water on the roads needed to freeze first. And that could happen tonight with the low temperatures we were supposed to get.

Eventually, I made it down to the rez. To get to Emily's, I had to pass Billy's house. Grampa's "civilian" car was parked in the muddy drive. I wasn't planning on stopping, though I really needed to visit with them, when Billy rolled out onto the porch.

He grinned when he saw me. "Ah, my gorgeous daughter-in-law! Haven't seen you in ages."

My grin was genuine as I pivoted to make my way through the slick mud. "Hey, Billy! It's been since the wedding, right?"

"Yeah," he said as I bent to hug him. "How are you and my son?"

"We're good. Busy, but good."

He nudged me with an elbow and winked at me. "Workin' on my grandkids, huh?"

I laughed as Grampa came out to give his friend a stern look.

"Hey, now. That's my granddaughter you're talking to."

Laughing, I hugged my grandfather. "Hey, grampa."

"Hey, sweetheart. It's good to see you. You're looking good. Jake takin' good care of you?"

"Absolutely. Sorry we haven't visited. It seems that drama just wants to settle on us."

Sue came out behind the men wiping her hands on a tile. "How's my grandson?"

"Hey, Sue." I grinned. "He's doing great. Growing a little fast because of the wolfy genes, but Carlisle says he's doing great."

"You know Paul and Rachel are trying now," Billy said.

Surprise lifted my eyebrows and lips. "Really? That's great. I'm sure Jacob is so ready for a little Paul running around."

We all chuckled as we remembered the epic fights between the two as I was growing up. But at the same time, I was worried. More kids around. That could be dangerous. Every time I thought about Leila, Brayden, or Henry in Tristan's hands, my stomach churned and bile rose up in my throat. And now, there were more children with the new pack camping at the river. I'd seen the look in those childrens' eyes. They'd known pain and fear, probably at the hands of Edmund if he'd been as nuts as Bianca had claimed.

"Ness?" Sue asked pulling me out of my thoughts. "You ok, sweetie?"

I smiled the best I could. "Yeah."

She leveled a serious stare at me. "You are a terrible liar, Renesmee Cull-uh Black."

I chuckled. I still wasn't used to my new name, and apparently, others weren't either.

"Some heavy stuff is going on and I'm just worried. It seems like every day something new pops up."

Grampa rubbed my shoulder. "Anything I can do to help?"

I shrugged. "Nothing that we aren't already doing." And then I had a thought. "Actually, if you have a way of digging into other police offices around the country that are better informed than the news, that would be amazing. We think that Tristan might be up north in Denali, but he could really be anywhere."

"Denali?" Billy said. And then his eyebrows raised. "Oh, your blonde cousins, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Tanya and Kate. And Kate's mate, Garrett." I vaguely remembered Irina's death at the hands of the Volturi just for her misinformed allegations against me. They'd played nice after Aunt Alice had shown Aro what the outcome would be if he'd chosen to go to battle with our side anyway. They'd only killed Irina for a mistake and dragging their high and mighty asses outside.

"I'll see what I can do both nationally and globally."

"Thanks, grampa."

"So were you planning on visiting us or going somewhere else?" Sue asked.

I moved my hands in my coat pockets. "Oh, just wandering around. Jacob is on his patrol shifts. Seth and Shelby are bonding with Brayden. Walker and Christa are probably...uh, doing some bonding of their own."

Billy rolled his eyes. "It's about time he came back and took care of business. That poor girl has needed a good man for a long time. Jake was good for her as a brother-type, but she needed a man in her life."

I turned to grampa. "Oh, and speaking of Walker, he just inherited a pack. So, if you get calls about wolves or a camp on the river, it's them."

He gave me a look. "Inherited?"

"That's the best word I have. Trust me, you don't wanna know the details."

He blew out a breath and put the can of beer to his lips.

Behind us, a car pulled up the drive. I didn't recognize the car, but as soon as it got close enough, I recognized Rebecca. She waved as she got out of the car and opened the back to let Henry out. As soon as he was free, he ran over to us.

"Ness-Ness," he called as he wrapped his arms around my legs.

I patted his back. "Hey, buddy."

"Hey, guys," Rebecca said, slinging a boy's backpack onto her shoulder. "He just couldn't wait to come see Pawpaw."

Letting go of me, Henry went to crawl into Billy's lap. I backed up off the crowded porch.

"Uh, I think I'm going to head on out. I was going to see Emily to check on them, maybe give her some time to clean." I started backing down the drive. "It was good to see you guys. I'll tell Jake we gotta visit."

They all waved at me as I walked off. For once, I was happy to be alone, to have some time to myself to think.

ChristaPOV

Walker and I had spent last night with the pack in the largest tent. They'd insisted. Over the past couple days, Walker had been planning with Jacob and Caden while Nessie had helped me learn what little she knew about alpha females. Bianca and Angelica had spent the time introducing us to the pack one on one.

It was after lunchtime and I had gone on a walk to think a little bit while Walker had gone to find Jacob to discuss the patrols. On my way back, I could just make out the tents through the trees.

To my right, a crash sounded along with a patter of little feet over leaves. Turning in surprise, I watched as Haleigh scrambled through the brush, her long braid getting caught for just a second. Her eyes were wide and terrified, tears spilling over her face as she clutched her doll to her chest. A red mark marred the skin around her mouth.

"Christa!" she shouted as she raced over to me, wrapping her little body around my leg.

"Haleigh, what's wrong? What happened?" I bent down and she flung herself into my arms.

The girl was no older than six years old and had no memory of her parents seeing as how they'd been murdered three years ago. Luckily she'd been found not a day after the killings. She'd been saved. Thankfully, she remembered nothing about that day. Bianca had gone into further description of how they'd found her.

I wrapped my arms around her and picked her up, cradling her head to my shoulder as she cried into my hair. I rubbed her back soothingly.

"Haleigh, can you tell me what happened?" I asked softly, stroking strands of her hair back.

She whimpered. "He tried to hurt me."

"Who?" I demanded as gently as he could.

"Malik." And then she started sobbing, her little body trembling against me.

I rocked her. "What happened? Can you tell me what he did?"

"He-he-he pushed me. And-and then he s-slapped his hand on my mouth. I c-couldn't s-scream."

Before I could say anything, the bushes rustled again. A tall man with a buzz cut and scars all over him stepped through the shrubs with an evil glint in his eyes.

"So the little brat told on me," he fake pouted. His glare was cold when I met it with one of my own. "You know you're not one of us. They should never have accepted you. Shapeshifters don't belong with lycanthropes. Shapeshifters are abominations," he spat at me with a level of hatred I'd only heard from my father. "At least we were born human."

Slowly, he walked forward. For every step of his, I took two backward. Haleigh trembled in my arms.

"Get away from us," I growled.

He just growled back. The pressure in the air tightened, and I looked at his hands. They were growing wicked claws. His eyes flashed amber.

"I should rid the world of you."

I tripped just as he lunged forward. Clutching Haleigh to my chest, I squeezed my eyes closed and started to roll on top of her to take the blow when I realized I no longer felt movement. Slowly opening my eyes, I saw Malik frozen, his chin raised, but not out of arrogance. There were claws at his throat and another set dug into his side. Blood ran over those misshapen fingers.

"That's my mate you just threatened."

I sighed in relief as Walker's growling voice rang a bell deep inside me.

"Christa, take the girl back to the camp. Now. I need to have a talk with our new friend."

Getting to my feet with Haleigh still glued to me, I gave one last glare to Malik as I did what my alpha male had commanded.

WalkerPOV

I didn't let go of Malik, not even after the girls were in the camp and safe.

"You got a thing for little girls?" I demanded in a growl.

I felt him swallow hard. "What can I say? She looked tasty."

Getting his meaning as the literal, I disgustedly threw him away from me.

He landed hard on all fours.

"You stay away from her. I would tell you to leave, but then you'd find Tristan, and I can't have that."

Sitting down hard, he held a hand to his side. "Stay away or what?" he spat.

I went to kneel in front of him with a smile. "Don't think that I don't remember you. You were one of my torturers. And believe me, I learned a lot from you." I gave him serious eye contact while that sank in. When he swallowed hard and looked uncertain, I jumped in. "You go after another female, I will shove your dick so far up your ass, you'll know what it's like to give yourself head. But you go after my mate again, and I will skin you alive so slowly, you will beg for death. Instead of killing you myself, I'll leave you in the woods to be eaten alive." Again, we did the stare. He was trying to decided whether I was lying, wanting to call my bluff. Only, he couldn't because I wasn't bluffing. He could hear and smell the truth of my words. "I won't ask you if we understand each other. This is your only warning. You do it again, and I will show you how not empty my threats really are."

He swallowed hard. "I understand," he said between clenched teeth.

I stood up to my full height and stared down at him. "Good. Now get up. I'm not leaving you alone. Don't think you aren't getting guards."

He slowly got to his feet. Already the blood flow was slowing. Even though he'd been marked up by one of his own kind, he was healing quickly. Either he was powerful or I hadn't gotten him that deep.

"So, since you opened your trap, tell me the difference between lycanthropy and shapeshifting."

He glared at me out of the corner of his eye. "Lycanthropes are shapeshifters, but not all shapeshifters are lycanthropes. Lycanthropy is the disease, the infection. We're born human. Shapeshifters are not."

"So I'm a lycanthrope and Christa is-,"

"An abomination," he cut in.

Growling, I reached out to grip his injured side. He let out a yell.

"She's a...what? I can't hear you." When he didn't answer, I let my claws out to do more damage. He gritted his teeth but pain shimmered from his eyes and the lines on his face. "The sooner you answer, the sooner I'll let go."

He hissed through his teeth. "A shapeshifter. She's a fucking shapeshifter."

"Watch your language," I said before ripping my claws out of him none too gently. We made it to the edge of camp and I jerked my head toward one of the tents. "Get yourself looked at."

As he stalked forward, the wolves closest to us stopped what they were doing to watch. None of them looked eager to help Malik. I paid attention to the males that watched him, how they reacted. Many of them clenched their fists and looked at him with hatred. Good. I wanted eyes on Malik at all times. Out of all the men who'd tortured me, he'd been the only one to truly enjoy it. There were some who had liked it but wouldn't go as far as he had. I remembered each and every one of them.

Once he was in one of the tents, I scanned the camp for one wolf in particular. When I found him, I walked over to where he was sitting on one of the logs around the central fire. Clapping a hand on his shoulder, I stepped over to sit down next to him.

He looked at me with surprise, the scars on his temple stretching as his eyebrows shot up.

"Walker, sir." He shifted. "Have I done something wrong?"

I chuckled. "No, Xavier. And don't call me 'sir'. That's for my dad. Just call me Walker."

"Uh, yes, si-Walker."

I smiled at him. "Good. Now, do you have any fight training."

He shook his head with a frown. "No, why?"

"Because I like you, and I like how you protect the children. So here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to set up training sessions with me and few other guys that I know. How do you feel about that?"

His whole demeanor changed, excitement radiating from him. "That would be amazing. Thank you, sir. I-I mean, Walker."

"Good man. Alright, my second question is how do you feel about vampires?"

His expression lost the shine and became wary. "I don't know. They smell weird."

I nodded. "That they do. But hey, a couple of those guys are vampires. You remember the group standing with me on the porch?" He nodded. "They're with them. One of them fought a few battles and came out on top. I trust him. His name is Jasper. If we can set it up, I'll be with you the whole time, okay? You feel uncomfortable and we'll leave, alright?"

He just stared at me, no doubt rolling around my scent on his tongue. And then he looked out to where the kids were playing on the bank of the river. After a few moments, his jaw clenched and he nodded.

"Yeah. Yeah I can handle that. For them."

I slapped his back. "Good man. I'll teach you how to protect them. We'll learn together. How does that sound?"

He nodded, leaning his elbows on his knees. "Sounds good. You're a good man, Walker."

I laughed. "I'm not much older than you, you know. You're what? Fifteen, sixteen?"

"Sixteen."

"Well, I'm only eighteen. Almost nineteen."

Turning, he gave me wide eyes. "Really?"

I nodded. "Really. So don't sell yourself short. You've got some potential. We'll pull it out of ya."

He grinned at me as a shadow fell across us. Looking up, I found Christa with Haleigh in her arms. Standing up, I rubbed a hand over the girl's back.

"Hey. I'm sorry. I should have come to check on you."

Christa shook her head, smiling at Xavier. "Not necessary. We're fine, just a little shaken up."

I was about to turn to go find Bianca when I felt little hands grip my shirt. Turning back, Haleigh transferred herself to my arms. She wrapped her arms around my neck, resting her head on my shoulder, and her legs wound around my middle as far as they could go. I'd had no choice but to support her with my arms, one under her bottom and the other around her back. She snuggled into me and sighed contentedly.

Both Christa and Xavier were giving me looks of utter astonishment. Even some of the others stopped to stare. It seemed as though the girl had no intentions of letting go any time soon. In fact, it seemed as though she was working her way into sleep mode.

Instead of making a big fuss over it, I just looked over to Christa. "You know where Bianca is?" I asked softly.

She nodded. Her expression melted as she watched me rock a little with Haleigh. "In her tent."

"I need to talk to her." I turned to Xavier. "Thanks, man. I'll let you know about the training, okay?"

He nodded. "Sure. Just take care of her until I can."

I rubbed Haleigh's back. "Of course."

Moments later, we were ducking into Bianca and Angelica's tent. Their jaws dropped as they caught a look at me and my charge. Again, instead of indulging the surprise, I just started asking questions.

"Bianca, I need to know the males I can trust for guard duty."

She frowned. "That would depend on whom you're guarding."

"Malik," Christa said in distaste.

"He went after the two of them about a half hour ago. I already told him what I'd do if he did it again, but I want him guarded. There's no way to let him go. He'd probably just run over to Tristan, and we can't afford that right now."

Bianca nodded. "Good point." She rambled off some names in a little bit louder voice. A moment later, six men were standing just inside the tent. All of them big, and every one of them had looked at Malik with hatred. "Every single one of them has a reason to hate the bastard. They'll be the best."

I nodded and turned to them. "Good. I need you guys to split up into shifts to watch out for him. He needs to stay away from the kids and the females. If he has to interact with them, make sure it isn't for very long. He does anything, you call me. I'll be the one to take care of him."

Not one of them flinched or argued, both of which I was expecting. They just looked at me, and then one by one bowed at the neck voicing their affirmative. In front of me, they dished out their shifts and paired up into twos. When they looked to me for my approval, I shrugged and nodded. Then they were gone.

"Wow," Angelica said. "The pack really does like you."

"I'll also need to keep an eye on those who helped Malik with my torture."

Bianca nodded. "I'll get some guys on that if you want."

It was my turn to nod as Haleigh shifted in my arms. "Sounds good. Again, also I gotta talk to you about patrols and Jacob's plan to go up north to Denali. There's some business dealing with Tristan. After you and I talk, we can have a pack meeting."

She nodded but asked, "What are you doing right now?"

"I think we're gonna take Haleigh home with us. She's scared and needs some rest in an actual bed." I looked over to Christa questioningly. She nodded. Each tent had pallets of blankets and sleeping bags, and the children had been given cots with numerous blankets, but nothing beat a good mattress. "I have some things to figure out. Think you handle the rest of the night on your own?"

She grinned at me. "Puh-lease. I handled them after you took off. We'll be alright. I do have your number and the satellite phone."

I nodded. "Good deal." Then I turned to Christa. "Let's get her home," I said stroking Haleigh's back. She was fast asleep, her doll gripped in one hand, the hair at the nape of my neck in the other.

"You know," Angelica said, "she never lets anyone hold her like that. She'll hug people and sit in Xavier's lap, but nothing like that."

"It's only because I stopped Malik from hurting her."

All three women shook their heads in unison.

"That's not it, Walker," Bianca said. "Those men no doubt would have questioned you had they not seen her. You don't understand how big a deal this is. But you will, in time. Once you understand more about our kind."

Reaching out to grip her shoulder, I met her eyes then Angelica's. "I plan on learning everything. You and these people need protection and to be cared for. I'll do everything I can without going insane."

She gave me a smirk. "I'll believe it when I see it. Edmund was the same way."

"Pfft, I've already proven some of it." I motioned to the girl in my arms. "The kids like me, remember? You told me they didn't even like Edmund when he wasn't loco. And I don't mind the two of you together. Everybody should have choices."

They laughed. "You have a point, I suppose." Reaching forward, Bianca stroked Haleigh's hair. "Take care of her. To earn a child's trust like Haleigh's is a rare thing. Don't think so little of it just to be humble."

Minutes later, after saying our goodbyes, we left the camp. It would be a shorter trek to the rez if we crossed the Cullen property. We did and used their drive to hit the road. On it, we met up with Embry and Tricia. Perfect timing.

"Hey, guys," Tricia said excitedly, hugging Christa. When she turned to me, she froze. "Oh, wow. Who is she?" she asked softly.

"Her name is Haleigh. She's had a very rough day," Christa said.

"More like a rough life," I murmured.

Tricia's face melted. "She's adorable."

"Yeah, she is, but we gotta get her home out of the cold. Don't want her getting sick."

"Where did she come from?" Tricia asked.

Embry and I shared a look. He nodded after a moment of consideration.

"I...inherited a pack of my own. I'll have to introduce you to them."

"Really?" she said excitedly.

"Yeah, sure. They're pretty cool. You'd like them."

"Definitely," Christa said.

"Can't wait!"

Laughing, I said, "Come on, let's get this kid out of the cold." The snow had started spitting once more.

Embry and Tricia both nodded. Tricia was wearing a rather large fleece long-sleeved shirt over her clothes as her coat. I gave a look to Embry who shrugged.

"She refuses to wear a jacket."

I smirked. "I can't imagine why."

Tricia glared at both of us.

"So what are you guys up to?" Christa asked with a chuckle.

"We were just gonna hang out at my house," Embry said. "It's quieter there, if you know what I mean."

And I did know. I also knew he didn't mean it in a sexual way. My parents just had that effect on people.

"Mom and dad know about this little hang out session?" I asked Tricia.

She crossed her arms over her chest and thrust her chin into the air. "I shouted it on the way out. Charlie stood up for me before. He'll do it again."

I nodded. "Yeah, you live alone?" I asked Embry.

He shrugged. "My mom went back up to the Makah rez and left me with the house when I wouldn't go back with her." His tone was bitter.

"Well, I sense an interesting story," I said jokingly.

He chuckled. "Not really."

I smelled the lie. Maybe it wasn't interesting, but it was something not boring. "Liar," I said with a smirk, but I didn't push the topic. "Any plans?"

Tricia wrapped her arms around one of Embry's. "Probably just a movie day. It's cold and spitting snow. Perfect day for hot chocolate and movies."

"That does sound good," Christa murmured.

Well, I knew our plans for the rest of the afternoon and night. Luckily, she had a collection of Disney movies that Haleigh would probably enjoy. That is, if the girl woke up.

"Well, this is where we need to part ways," Embry said. "I'm this way."

Tricia turned to me with a grin, squeezing my fingers where she could reach them without disturbing Haleigh. "I'm glad you're happy, Walker."

I grinned at her, eyes flicking to Embry. "I'm happy for you, too, Trish."

"See you later, guys," Embry said, wrapping an arm around my sister and pulling her into his body. She snuggled into him.

"Bye."

"They're so cute together," Christa gushed as we watched them walk away.

I nodded. "Yeah they do look good."

Eventually, we made it to Christa's place. Once inside, I tried to put Haleigh in the extra bedroom, but she wouldn't let go of me. She frowned and whimpered in her sleep when I tried to pry her fingers apart.

"Okay, sweetie, okay," I whispered standing up straight again.

Christa leaned up to press a kiss to my lips. "I'll go get the hot chocolate ready. We can watch movies while she sleeps."

Sighing, I went to sit on the couch. Haleigh repositioned herself and snuggled into my chest, her arms tucked into her body as her legs straddled my waist. I wrapped my arms around her. Her braid was loose today so I didn't think it bothered her to keep it.

I stroked that braid down her back. This little girl had been through so much hell. She had no parental figures and only a brother-like presence in her life. And though I hadn't shown it then, what Bianca and Angelica had said had affected me hard. Haleigh didn't even know me, but she trusted me enough to protect her while she slept in my arms. I'd never given much thought to being a father, but this tiny thing pulled at the paternal strings in me. Though I was only eighteen, I knew that this protectiveness I felt was more than the brotherly type I felt toward Tricia. When I'd heard what Malik had said, what Haleigh herself had said he'd done, my vision had swam in variants of red.

I hadn't met Haleigh the first time I'd come across the pack. She'd been on a shopping trip with some of the other females that took care of her. And then that night, Edmund had returned and put me through hell.

"Here you go," Christa said softly, a mug appearing in my vision.

Smiling up at her, I took it and set it on the table at my elbow.

"She looks comfy." Christa sat down beside me to snuggle into my side. "I know how she feels."

Chuckling, I leaned over to kiss her forehead. "This is a lot for you, huh?" I said.

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

I shrugged. "I mean me coming back. Us...cementing the relationship instead of going slower. And now this. Standing by my side as my alpha female. It's gotta be a lot for you."

It was her turn to shrug the best she could leaning into my side. "Maybe, but as long as you and I are good, I don't care what comes at me. Walker, you're my main focus. You may be the man of the relationship, and I will happily let you wear the pants, but you're my imprint. I need you to be happy. As long as you're ok and you won't leave me, I'll walk beside you through the fires of hell."

I kissed her forehead again and kept my lips pressed to her skin. "I swore to you that I'm not leaving. If I had that intention, I wouldn't have made love to you. Remember? It was an 'I'm yours forever' type of deal? I believe those were your words."

I felt the warmth flood over her as she grinned. "I love it that you remember things like that."

"Of course I remember everything about that day. You let me love you. No other guy can say that. Nobody's ever trusted me like that."

"I love you, Walker. So much. It scares me, because I loved my dad and we all know how that worked out. I'm terrified of this, of us, but my heart is telling me that you're it. And that this life is right. We can help these people, together. I very much want to do that."

I grinned. "Me, too," I whispered before pressing my lips to hers as she looked up at me. "I love you. I will always protect you no matter what."

Reaching over, she stroked Haleigh's back. "This poor thing. She's so tiny and defenseless. What are we gonna do?"

"Take care of her."

"What?" She sat up to give me a look.

I shrugged. "Christa, you heard Angelica and Bianca. She doesn't trust anyone except for Xavier, and until he gets some training, he can't protect her. I can."

"You're practically saying we're adopting her."

"Is that such a bad thing? I mean, could you really just leave her up there while we're down here, not knowing what's going on? Malik won't stop. He'll find a way. I know the man unfortunately. For some reason, she picked us. We can't just abandon her. I won't abandon her. I did that to you, and you thought it was your fault. It'll be the same for her if we leave her alone."

She studied me for a space of heartbeats, and then looked down at the little girl snoozing in my arms.

"Okay. We'll keep her here. What about the other kids, though?"

I shrugged again. "They're older than she is. And they know to go to the adults. Haleigh just doesn't trust the males enough to go to them. And it probably didn't occur to her to go to the females."

Christa blew out a breath. "Alright. Although I would like them closer to us."

"Maybe I can talk Jake into letting them set camp in the woods behind us?"

"What about the community center? They have rooms and beds for when people can't stay at home. They might have some room."

"We can try there, too. I'd really like to get them set up on Roderick's land."

She rested her elbow on my shoulder so that she could play her nails through my hair. "So you're really serious about them, aren't you? No more trial run?"

I sighed, closing my eyes and enjoying the touch. "I just can't leave them. I took their leader from them. There's just no way I can let them become anyone's meat. And I think it's about time for them to learn that packs don't have to be run on fear like Caden said. They can be run on trust and loyalty." I frowned. "It's a lot like sports, actually."

Christa laughed, her sultry voice warm in my ear. "I love you so much."

I raised my eyebrow. "So you're in?"

She nodded, staring at Haleigh who had turned her head toward Christa and smiled in her sleep. "I'm totally in."

"Good. I need you."

She grinned and rolled her eyes. "Isn't that the truth," she muttered before leaning into my lips.

TriciaPOV

Embry led me down a small dirt road that ran into the woods far enough that I couldn't see the main road or any other buildings.

"Well, this is cozy," I said, meaning it.

He smiled at me, squeezing my hand. "It's actually pretty awesome. When the pack first came out to the rez, they were all in awe and always wanted to be around us." He shrugged. "It was good to have an escape. The people didn't want to get too close to the woods because they considered that our territory. With my house in the middle of the woods, they didn't want to intrude."

"That is pretty awesome. I'd love an escape, too."

He lifted my knuckles to his lips. "Well, this is yours now."

"Embry-,"

He shook his head. "I'm serious. If you need a place to escape to, don't hesitate. I'll give you a key so you can come here whether I'm here or not."

My heart melted and pounded at the same time. We were really doing this, progressing, trusting. And then we rounded a bend in the dirt drive. I gasped.

"Oh my god, it's beautiful."

"It's tiny."

I slapped his arm. "It's beautiful and really, well, cozy. I always hated our house. It's so big, but this is perfect."

It wasn't like the other houses. In fact, it was more like a cottage slash cabin. Well kept yard. The structure was made out of rough stones, which is what gave it the cottage feel. The cabin vibe came from the log porch surrounding the house. It was wrap-around.

"My dad had it built for me and my mom so that she could live down here close to him."

I looked at him. His face was tight with forced indifference, but underneath, I could see the anger shine in his eyes.

"You never talk about your dad."

"Because he's a player. God only knows where he is or who he's seducing." When I gave him raised eyebrows, he sighed. "You know Sam?" I nodded. "He's my half-brother."

I gasped, jaw dropping. "What?"

Embry nodded and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "He doesn't know. Growing up, I knew my mother was Makah. After I phased, I knew my father had to be Quileute. My mother had lied to me before then, saying that my father had been abusive and that's why she'd fled the Makah rez for here. The candidates for my father had to have been Uley, Black, or Ateara. I was pretty sure it wasn't Jacob's dad. He'd loved his wife and would never have been unfaithful. Quil's dad?" He shook his head. "I look nothing like him. But Uley? Sam and I have been told we looked a like. And that SOB dad of his wasn't there for Sam growing up. About a month ago, my mom demanded that I go back up with her. I said no. I couldn't leave Jake and my pack. And then she told me who my dad was thinking that I would have to leave because I wouldn't be able to face Sam."

"What happened?"

"I told her to go if she wanted but that I couldn't leave. The Makahs wouldn't take me in anyway. I stood beside Jake when he threatened them. Not to mention, because of the blood tie, I have a niece."

I stroked a hand up his arm. "Are you going to tell him?"

He shrugged. "I probably should. He's probably guessing the same thing. Everybody knows about the possibility but nobody says anything. I just know for sure."

Gripping his hand, I smiled up at him. "I think you should tell him. He'd probably like to know that he has family other than his douche dad out there somewhere. And that his daughter has a blood uncle."

Looking down at me, he wrapped me in his arms. "I think you're right." Leaning down, he pressed his lips to mine. "Let's get you inside. Your lips are cold."

I laughed. "I'm pretty sure you'll have no problem warming them back up."

His grin was all wolf. "Mmmm, challenge accepted."

JPOV

Taking a break on my patrols, I stopped where I'd hidden my phone and checked it. Derek had delivered a message from Ness saying to steer clear of the Cullen house, that they needed some space and that she needed to talk to me.

First, I would return Carlisle's call. No doubt it was about the results of my tests.

"Hello, Jacob."

"Hey, doc. I see you called."

"Yes, just one second." What sounded like a breeze sounded through the phone as he moved. Then the click of a door closing, paper rustling. "I do have your results."

I waited for him to continue. When he didn't, I said, "And?" impatiently.

He chuckled. "And everything looks normal. Normal activity, normal hormone levels."

"Normal for human or wolf?"

"Well, since I've been studying your pack for years, I'll say normal for wolf." He paused. And then, "Don't forget that Sam also had issues conceiving with his mate."

Ah. Subtly, he let me know that he'd done the same tests on Sam and probably Emily. Though it had probably violated some rule, he'd let me know that he'd been paying attention to my people.

"Thanks, doc. So, I'm good, huh?"

"Excellent as far as I can tell."

I took a deep, relieved breath. I hadn't realized I'd been worried. "Then, Ness is just going to have to believe your explanation of it's not the right time for us."

He chuckled. "The same was said of your former alpha."

"Ah, so apparently, it runs in the alphas."

"I'm not sure, but it seems to reason. Emily didn't conceive until he decided to stop phasing to be with her and you took over both packs. So again, it stands to reason."

"But Ness and I are going to be around longer than Sam and Emily." Man, that thought hurt.

Sympathy coated Carlisle's voice. "This true. That's why I said stress as the main cause. Nessie may not be feeling it, but it's there. Of course it is. Her mate is alpha and is constantly putting himself in danger to protect his people. She's in charge of the females, to make sure they're comfortable and have everything they need. And then balancing personal time. It's a lot to deal with. Very stressful. I think once things calm down, the two of you will be expecting sooner than you think."

I took a deep breath and let it out through my mouth. "I sure hope you're right, doc. Alright. Let me call her. Thanks for your help."

"My pleasure. Let me know if you need anything."

"Will do. Bye, Carlisle."

"Goodbye, Jacob."

Hanging up, I pressed the speed dial for Ness. She picked up on the second ring.

"Hey, baby. What are you up to?"

"Oh, just wandering around the rez. Wanted some time alone."

Immediately, my wolf went on alert. "Are you alone?"

A sound over the phone made me think she was moving her head around, as if she were searching.

"I think Adam and Derek are slinking around here somewhere. They knew that I wanted some time alone, so they're watching from a distance."

Another deep breath had my wolf easing down. "Good. Listen, I just called Carlisle. He had my results."

"And?" she demanded, mimicking me.

I chuckled. "Everything's normal."

A sigh of relief.

"Good. I'm glad, but-"

"'But' nothing. It's just not our time, okay? Don't worry. Carlisle said that he thinks once all the stress dies down, we'll be expecting before we know it. And I am inclined to agree with him. We're both under tons of stress right now. I will give you a baby, Nessie. I swear it."

"Right. I'm being selfish again."

I rolled my eyes and held the phone away from my mouth as I growled. "Stop that. Don't make me order you to. Geez, woman. It's okay to worry. But now that we've both been checked out and have been deemed perfect for reproduction, you're going to stop worrying about this, understand?"

She giggled. "Yes, sir."

I growled in appreciation. "Mmm, I like when you talk like that."

"Oh, shut up. Don't you have a patrol to finish?"

I sobered up. "Yeah, but Derek said you needed to talk to me. What's up?"

She sighed. "We need to move the pack's central command. My family miss having their house to themselves."

I frowned. "I didn't know they felt that way."

"I didn't either until I went down there after you went on patrols." Another sound shuffled through the phone. She sighed again. "We could use our place."

Immediately, my wolf wanted to shout a no-go for that plan. But I overrode it. "You'd do that? Open our home?"

"It's our pack, Jake. What else would we do? As long as I got my personal time with you at night, I think I could handle it."

"What about the rez?"

"And where on the rez is big enough now? The pack is huge. Our cabin can handle the ins and outs of the pack."

"Good point." I sighed. "Okay, I'll put out a pack-wide text and mind-meld. I wish they would have said something, though."

"That's what I said," she growled angrily. "I mean, we should have thought about it, too. But we'll do something about it now. I'll go to the grocery store and get some extra food."

"Take Derek and Adam with you."

I could hear her grin. "Yes, baby. I know the rules."

I growled. "Good. You better follow 'em, too. And hey, take the truck just in case you're late getting out. I put chains on the tires before I left. The weather's getting colder. The roads will probably freeze."

"Aww, you really are Prince Charming."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. After I get done with patrols, I'll probably head down to the shop. Frank texted me earlier saying he had quite a few cars needing preparations for colder weather. Me and Seth are going in."

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you, too. I'll be home for dinner, but might go back to the shop afterward."

"Sounds good."

"You sure you can handle that much alone time?"

She laughed. "Yes, Jacob. I have a few books to catch up on anyway."

I gasped in mock hurt. "You're cheating on me with those romance novels, aren't you?"

Her laugh was deep and genuine. "Yes, yes I am. Actually, I replace the main characters with you and me. But that stays between us, understand?"

I laughed at her mimicking me again. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Now go finish patrols."

I made an exasperated noise. "If I must." Then I got serious again. "Seriously, I love you. Stay safe, okay?"

"I will. You, too. I love you."

We said our goodbyes and I hung up. Putting my phone back in my jeans in their hiding spot, I checked the other pocket for my wedding band just to make sure it was there. Once I felt the edges of the wolves etched into it, I felt better.

Phasing back, I stretched and took inventory of who all was with me.

Okay, guys, listen up. When they all tuned in, I continued. The Cullens need some space at their place, so we're going to start with pack meetings, gatherings, and feedings at my and Nessie's cabin.

What, they don't love us anymore? Leah asked.

Though I knew she was joking, I answered her anyway. It's not that they don't love us anymore. It's just there are a lot of wolves invading their space now. They've done a lot for us over the years. It's the least we could do. So pass it around and make sure everybody knows.

Various affirmations tossed through my mind.

Is anybody close to Walker?

Derek and I are, Adam confirmed. They're at Christa's place with a little girl.

Interesting. Alright, could you stop in and tell him that we need to move his pack?

Okay, but where to?

Somewhere close to them. Maybe outside the rez? And take care of my wife.

I could mentally see his grin. Sure thing.

And then he was gone.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to just pull what Nessie was. Except I wasn't going to think of anything important but the run and her. And when I got to the shop, I'd be in my own head.

Thank goodness for small blessings.

ChristaPOV

The three of us had started snoozing when a soft knock came at my door. Unraveling myself from Walker's arms, I went for the door and found a completely naked Adam on the other side.

"Hey, Adam. What's up? Everything ok?" I asked as I stepped outside just in case Haleigh woke up

He nodded. "Yeah, Jake just wanted me to let you know that the Cullens need some space from all the wolves. He was wondering if you and Walker would be willing to move your pack to just outside the rez. And pack meetings will be at Jake and Nessie's place."

Taken aback, my eyebrows met my hairline. "Wow. Walker and I were just talking about trying to get them closer to us. Uh, yeah sure that would be great." I wrapped sweater tighter around me. "So the Cullens are sick of us, huh?"

Adam smiled. "Apparently, they want some home space, which is understandable. We did kind of take over their house. And there are a lot of wolves around now. It would make sense that they're on edge."

I nodded. "True. But yeah, tell Jake that would be great. We'll talk to them tomorrow. We're kind of in for the night."

"Sure. Nessie's going up to the store and Derek and I are going with her. You need anything?"

I shook my head. "Nah. Thanks, though. There's a market just up the street, remember?"

"Ah, right. I'm not down here enough if I can't remember that." He stepped into the yard. "Call me if you need anything."

Laughing at the stares of the women and men passing him, I nodded. "Sure. Now phase before you get arrested for public indecency."

Looking behind him, he blushed and phased.

Chuckling, I went back inside and closed the door softly behind me. Walker had stretched out on the couch. Haleigh was sprawled across his chest, her thumb in her mouth. He looked at me sleepily.

"Who was that?"

I went to sit on the coffee table. "Adam. He said that Jake wants us to move our pack to just outside the rez. The Cullens are feeling a bit overrun from all the wolves."

He scrubbed his face with one hand. "Damn, I didn't even think about that."

"Also, the pack meetings are moving to Jake's place."

His eyebrows rose. "Wow, they really are sick of us, huh?"

I laughed. "Seems to be the general consensus."

Reaching out, he gripped my fingers to play with them. "Did you tell him we'll talk to them tomorrow?"

"Yeah." Glancing at the clock, I realized we'd been asleep for about an hour. "Let me get dinner started."

"Don't slave away," he said as I stood up.

Bending over the arm of the couch, I kissed him upside down. "I didn't think spaghetti was slave work, but ok."

He chuckled as he kissed me back.

Haleigh shifted on top of him, smacking her lips. A moment later, her pretty, dark blue eyes opened. Moving only her head, she looked up at both of us.

I grinned. "Well, hello, Sleeping Beauty."

Her brows pulled down in confusion. "Sleeping Beauty?"

Again, surprise colored my expression. "You've never seen that movie?"

She shook her head.

Straightening up, I put my hands on my hips and gave her a mock-serious look. "Well, now, we can't have that. I shall fix that problem immediately."

She giggled as I made a show of going to my movie cabinet. I hummed animatedly as I pretended to look for my favorite Disney movie. All of them were in alphabetical order, but that giggle was worth it.

"Aha!" Taking it out and flourishing it around, I twirled over to the entertainment center, which Walker had turned on. The tray to the DVD player was already open and the television on.

Heleigh had climbed out of his lap to sit next to him, cuddled into his side, her doll gripped to her chest. One of his heavy arms was draped over her shoulder. Walker was laughing at me, which I made a face at him for.

Once the movie was in and going through all the credits, I knelt in front of her. "Do you like spaghetti?"

Another confused look. "Sa-sp...pasketti?"

Walker and I shared looks of horror.

"You've never had spaghetti?"

She shook her head, her fly-away hairs waving in the air.

I couldn't help but laugh at her cuteness. Reaching forward, I tickled her middle. She giggled and scrunched together, pushing further into Walker's side. He chuckled as he gently tickled her neck.

"Well, then tonight we shall have pasketti. How does that sound?"

She giggled some more until the music from the main menu of the movie blared out behind me. Her little neck arched sideways to see around me. And then she looked at me with excitement. I was starting to wonder if she'd ever seen a movie before let alone a television.

Moving out of her way, I grabbed the remote. "You ready?" I asked. When she nodded, I hit play. Her eyes lit up.

I shared a look with Walker as my eyes teared up. He squeezed my hand as I passed, and I let the tears fall where she couldn't see them. He kissed my fingers but let me go so that I could go into the kitchen to have a moment to myself. Leaning on the counter, listening to Haleigh laugh, I wondered if all the kids had grown up like that in the camp. Not that it was a bad thing. It was actually good survival training. But still, they were kids and deserved some fun other than hunting and eating whatever they'd killed. Movies and popcorn. Desserts and home-cooked meals. We'd definitely be talking to Bianca about building those houses on Roderick's land. These kids needed a home, a steady life rather than nomadic. They needed stability and schooling.

Strong arms wrapped around my waist and warm lips settled on my shoulder. "You ok?"

Taking a deep breath, I nodded. "Yeah. I'm just thinking about what we could do for these kids. They need a home, Walker. A true childhood."

"Maybe they like the way they grew up."

"You can't tell me that all those packs are nomadic."

"I didn't say that, sweetie. But listen, this life is all they've ever known. Before we make any decisions, we need to see what they want. Maybe they won't like technology the way we do. But I do agree about the home. I want them out of those tents and in warm beds. All of them, not just the kids." He stroked his warm hands up my stomach under my shirt. "They did seem excited about Bianca's proposal for buildings."

"See?" I said, turning around to wrap my arms around his neck.

"We'll talk to them. I promise. For tonight, let's just enjoy that little girl's amusement."

He pressed his lips to mine. I deepened the kiss until neither one of us could breathe. Pulling apart, breathing heavily, he turned around. Haleigh was leaning over the back of the couch, watching us. A giant grin spread over her face.

Walker made a face at her. "What are you doing?" He hunkered down and rushed toward her. Her laugh was high pitched and cute as wind chimes in the rain as Walker grabbed her up and play-growled into her neck. He blew raspberries into her skin as he walked around the couch to sit down with her in his lap. "You're supposed to be watching the movie, not us."

"But you're pretty," she said.

Walker gasped. "Why thank you! But what about Miss Christa?"

She giggled. "You're both pretty, silly."

"Ahh," Walker said in playful understanding.

Looking over his shoulder, he winked at me. "We're pretty."

I shrugged. "Well, when she's right, we can't argue."

Haleigh glared up at Walker. When he looked back down at her, she put a finger to her lips. "Shhhh! I'm watching."

He made like he was zipping his lips and throwing away the key. Grinning, she put her thumb back in her mouth and rested her head on his shoulder. He hugged her to him and rested his cheek on her hair.

Watching them, I had the thought that that little girl belonged here.

Please please please review this chapter. If you review any chapter, let it be this one. And I wanna know what you think! I love your reviews. If they had a "like" button I'd be clicking like a mad woman! xoxoxoxo Love you guys! Oh and sorry for all the typos in the last chapter. Boy, there were a lot of them. In my defense, I was doped up on cold meds.