It had been a few months since mine and Seth's interlude. Sadie was pregnant and wasn't sure who the father was. I am pregnant and know exactly who the father is. No one knew about the baby except Darius and Cash.

I hold a lot more respect for my imprint than what he holds for me. When, I start showing we are going to tell people it's Cash's baby until Seth mans up and claims it.

At three months I had just barely begun showing. Cash and I had just returned from the doctor. He had prescribed me prenatal vitamins and frowned at Cash and I as we exited the clinic.

San was going to be pissed. Since I am a minor, the doctor is required by law to tell my guardian whenever I am treated. Cash and I sat down on the couch and began watching an old western called Shane.

I snuggled into his chest and watched the poor farmers fighting for their right to own land against an old fart who wanted their land. We had just reached the part where Shane was teaching Joey to shoot, when Sam screeched to a halt in the driveway.

He didn't come straight inside, but sat in his car and breathed heavily for a few moments. He got out of the car and walked calmly to the door and entered. He sat in the armchair across from the couch. He looked first into Cash's eyes and then into mine.

"You better take care of my little sister. Pull some shit like my dad did to me and I will hunt you down." He stood not waiting for an answer and ran out the front door wolf before he was completely porch. I slid out of mine and Cash's pretend embrace. "Thanks for doing this for me." I whispered and gave him a hug.

Cash and I were like a big brother and little sister. He was ready to kill Seth, but I convinced him this was how I wanted it. "I'm going for a walk. You can either wait in my room or leave. Love ya." I turned and walked outside. I went down to First Beach and watched the waves lick the shore.

I heard approaching footsteps and knew exactly who is was without even looking. I waited patiently for him to speak. "Is it mine?" I nodded and he left just as I knew he would.

I had watched Seth the past few months. I knew the sound of his footsteps and the beat of his heart. I knew ever flaw he had, and loved them. I walked into the forest and shifted to wolf.

I ran the treaty line and crossed it. I had become pretty good friends with one of the Cullen's in the past couple of months. She was sitting outside, when I arrived. "Hey Cade!" She waved and I lay down next to her. She stroked my fur.

" How's the lil mama doing today?" I snorted as an answer and looked into her eyes. "No I haven't seen anything. I think some of Jasper's old friends might be involved though." I nodded and Alice sighed.

" I don't suppose you'd go shopping with me? I thought about it a minute and nodded. She squealed and gave me a huge hug. " I have some clothes for you to change into upstairs." I followed her up the stairs and put on the pale green tank dress and flip-flops she handed to me. The color made my eyes pop beautifully.

We climbed in her car and took off for Seattle. " Why don't we spend a couple of days somewhere? We can shop, like a weekend getaway." She nodded enthusiastically. " I'll call and tell Jasper." She called and handed me the phone.

I called and told Cash and then told Sam. Sam wasn't very enthused with the fact I was hanging out with a vampire. But, what good would it do to tell me not to?

Darius had stopped sleeping with me after he returned from partying that fateful night. The nightmares had returned and I was always on edge. A few days away from everybody would do me good.

I relaxed into the seat and watched the landscape sweep by me. It reminded me of my life. A whole lot of colors and misfortunes crumbled up together, waiting for somebody patient enough to straighten out the wad of colors and mistakes.

I stroked my belly absently. I closed my eyes and fell asleep. Alice shook me lightly. "We're almost there." She said as I sat up straight in the seat. It was around noon. She found a hotel and checked us in.

We left the hotel and pulled into the mall. I searched through her console and found the bankcard I had left in there. It was black just like all the Cullen's bankcards.

My whole pack had life insurance on them, and when they perished I had inherited it, plus whatever money they had had, and my parents had been rich in the first place. Money meant nothing to me though.

I walked into the first baby store I found and began gathering stuff up. I found a pretty wooden cradle that had a nice cherry finish. I wrote down the display number and continued looking around.

I picked out a changing table that matched the cradle. I picked out sea green sheets and curtains for the room. Emily had told me when I was on the phone with Sam that I could turn their third bedroom as a nursery.

I found a little lamp that was a pretty sea green and added that to my list. I was going to have the stuff delivered to Sam's house. I found a book of mobiles and looked through it. It had one with wolves and different phases of the moon around it. I added that to my list.

I decided I would do the room in wolves. I found some running wolves wallpaper and wrote down the number on that. Then I found the baby clothes, but decided against buying any until I found out what the sex of the baby was.

I took my list to the front of the store. I ordered everything I needed and arranged to have everything delivered in three days. I walked from the store and found Alice waiting outside.

" Hey Cade! Let's go to Victoria's Secret." I nodded. " I need to pick up a few things from there." She had a bag in her hand and cleverly twirled it so I couldn't see where it was from.

We walked to the store and split up. I picked out some Very Sexy perfume, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. I love the smell of that stuff. I had run out before I left Montana and hadn't remembered to buy any.

I looked around while Alice flitted from one side of the store to the other. We after many shopping trips where I had wound up sitting down in the middle of the store threatening to leave, had reached a compromise.

I allowed her to pick out a few things to try on, and she let me have alone time as we shopped instead of piling me down with clothes to try on and making my traipsed around in them like a model.

She walked toward me with a piece of red silk in her hand. "I don't have a need of anything like that Alice." She smiled mischievously at me. "Every girl needs lingerie. Even if it's for their eyes only." I rolled my eyes and accepted the piece of silk from her and went and tried it on.

I stepped boldly outside the dressing room and modeled it for her. I watched a woman slap her husband on the back of the head as she modeled her clothing for him. He had been staring at me.

The silk ran over my body like water and pooled to an end about mid thigh. The straps were about as wide as my thumb and came down into a square cut neckline. It contrasted beautifully with my ivory skin and ebony hair.

I smiled at Alice and she winked at me. "What do you think Sir? Should she buy it?" She looked to the man whose wife has just slapped him. "Me?" She nodded, and I stuck a sexy pose. He sat there and finally stuttered out an answer. "Y-y-y-yes I-I-I t-th-think-k you Sh-should." I smiled and sashayed back into the dressing room.

After two days of shopping and no sleep for either of us, not that Alice sleeps, we headed home. Cash met me at the boundary line and took my purchases and placed them in the trunk of his car.

" Hey Daddy-to-be!" Alice waved to Cash. He rolled his eyes. "Hello Alice!" I waved goodbye and climbed into Cash's car. He looked at me and shook his head. "You look like you haven't slept since you left." I sighed. "That's because I haven't."

He scowled. "That cannot be good for the baby." I smiled at his protectiveness of my baby. "It probably isn't, but…" I trailed off. He looked at me as we stopped at Sam's house. "Your nightmares have come back." He didn't ask, but stated this as a fact. I nodded.

"Darius used to sleep with me and his presence kept the nightmares at bay, but he hasn't slept with me since the night everyone went out partying." I brought my knees to my chest and sat there for a moment.

Cash got out and took all my stuff inside and placed it on my bed. He came and lifted me from the car. I growled as he picked me up. "Hush you are tired as hell." He carried me upstairs and placed me on my bed and climbed in beside me.

I wrapped myself around him and let his warm body lull me to sleep. His presence barely weakened the nightmares. I woke up screaming. I sobbed into his shoulder and he rubbed my back. Emily came in and left.

A few moments later Cash climbed from the bed and left, which only made me, sob harder. I curled into the fetal position as uncontrollable sobs vibrated throughout my slim figure.

I felt the bed sink as someone sat down on it and looked into Sam's eyes. He held my hand and whispered apologies to me as I cried. I wanted to stop crying, but I couldn't.

Everyone I love leaves me. Sam got up and left the room. A strangled cry escaped my throat when he left. I heard footsteps and looked up at him. He looked disapprovingly at me. "Do you know how much stress you are putting on my baby by crying?" I sobbed harder. He wrapped me in his arms and began rocking.

I calmed in his arms. His very presence had a calming affect on me, but actually being in his arms was heaven. I fell asleep with a quiet snuffle.

When, I woke up it was dark outside and Seth was gone. Beside me though was Darius. " Hey Jelly Bean." He whispered and brushed my hair out of my face. I twined my fingers through his and snuggled closer to him.

"What's going on Cadence? Why aren't you sleeping? I thought the nightmares had stopped. Why all the crying?" I breathed in a calming breath. "Darius, you weren't there when I found the remains of my pack. You didn't have to stage their deaths to look like an accident. You didn't have to fight for the right to live since you were born, and I have."

My body shook a little as I spoke. "I have done and seen so many bad things. The nightmares returned after you found Bailey. When, you started sleeping with me here they stayed away, but for some reason you stopped sleeping with me. You left me and my imprint doesn't want me or our baby. My brother hates me, and my second in command rarely speaks to me. Tell me I don't have the right to cry."

I looked into his eyes and waited for him, to speak. "I'm sorry baby." He pulled me to him and we sat there absorbing the pain of the wounds my words had just ripped back open.

"The Cullen's want our pack to come over and practice fighting moves with them tomorrow. Just our pack not Sam's." I nodded and drifted back off to sleep.