Happy New Year to all. Thank you for the reviews and for adding me to your list of favorites. I especially want to thank –V.V- Every time I read one of your encouraging reviews I got a little extra incentive to write.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

Chapter 42

"No way! I hope they try, that'll give me an excuse to kill those sons of bitches." Jacob paced in his father's office furious to the point of rage. His fists clenched, his jaw tense and his crazy-ass eyes giving off an air of danger.

"Son, calm down, I've been moving my game pieces and they will not get away with it." Billy vainly tried to calm down his son, but it was no use.

"I'm sorry Billy", said Edward. "I trust you but this is too much to handle. I just can't believe they are trying to pull this stunt. I have half a mind of just grabbing Embry and high tailing it out of here." Edward's movements mimicked Jacob's, both men were desperate; both men dangerously close to the end of their rope.

That morning a messenger delivered a message from the council. They were on their way to investigate some infractions that were supposedly taking place at the Black's. According to them the clause that allowed a slave to be freed for a heroic act that benefited his master didn't apply to Embry. Even though technically Billy owned him, he was supposed to save Sam's life to qualify for that reward. Of course everyone went in an uproar, all this while trying to keep it from the submissives.

As scary as the news about Embry were, it didn't hold a candle to what the council had planned for Seth. "Seth is my mate and nobody is going to take him away, I really want to see them try. This is a new low; they want to make him their bitch. Those self-righteous bastards thought that by telling you I could keep the babies everything would be fine. They had the audacity of saying that Seth would carry their children, so the honorable members of the council could have progeny." Jacob had all the right to be pissed off. It went beyond anger, he was furious and indignant.

Quil had been standing silently in a corner. He couldn't even begin to imagine how Jacob and Edward felt, but he shared their determination to protect their mates. Jacob only stopped his pacing to slam his hands on his father desk. It was a scary sight, one that none of them had ever seen before. Quil walked toward his friend and placed his hand on his shoulder making him stop his rant. "Brother, we are all in your corner. Nobody is going to take them away. I'll do whatever is necessary to guarantee their safety. They have been through enough."

"Yes they have, please trust me. I have a battalion of men coming and they will serve as witnesses to what's going to happen. We're tired of this system that degrades human beings. Some dominants might be harder to convince but I know my people and there is a lot of good among us. I've made many landowners aware of the content of the ancient scrolls; they were as surprised as I was. The elder of Emmet's village did all of us a great favor by translating it to English. I can't wait to see Aron's face when he is confronted with this. His lies will come to the light and everyone will see him for the criminal that he is."

"Dad, thank you for everything you're doing."

"C'mon you don't have to thank me, I'm happy to help. Why don't you and Edward go for a run to blow off some steam? Remember it's vital that the submissives remain unaware of what's going on. Seth is very fragile and too much stress could put him and the babies in danger." All the wolves nodded, it would be a monumental effort to remain calm for the sake of the submissives when their wolf's howling inside them demanded justice and blood.

As they exited the office they carried with them the burden of the information they received. They all shared one sentiment, an intense hatred for the council and everything it represented. The council not only profited from the sale of human beings, they insisted on torturing them.

Embry had a worried look on his face. "What could be taking so long? The guys left over three hours ago, what could they possibly be talking about all this time?" He stood by the door, trying to peek out into the hallway without much success. Their protection detail wouldn't let him leave the clinic, he was told he needed to keep Seth company, but something was off about this statement.

"I don't know, I have a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. It could be nothing but it could be something serious." Seth tried to convince himself he was being paranoid.

The submissives tried to distract each other with lame jokes and silly comments. Unfortunately it was doing very little to appease the feeling of dread they were experiencing. Seth absentmindedly rubbed his stomach like he was trying to comfort his unborn children. Several hours later a freshly showered Jacob walked through the door. Even though he made a gigantic effort to pretend everything was fine and dandy his lover could easily see through his façade.

"Babe good news, you've graduated from the clinic. Our room is ready and we're moving you up there today. Embry and Edward will be in the room across from ours so you'll have your buddy close by." Seth could've benefited from a few more weeks under Carlisle watchful eye but their room provided much better protection.

It was the logical decision, aside from the iron gates in every staircase that provided access to that floor and the bars on the windows, orders had already been given to dozens of soldiers to stand guard. Every hour more help arrived from the outer posts and landowners kept trickling into the property, each one of them with their own pack. They waited at a safe distance from the house so Seth wouldn't detect their scents or hear them.

One thing that Jacob ignored was that with the pregnancy Seth's senses were heightened. "Does this decision have anything to do with the horde of wolves waiting half a mile from here?" Jacob was flabbergasted, his little submissive never ceased to surprise him.

"What wolves?" The alpha tried to play dumb but it didn't really suit him.

"Jake I'm pregnant, not deaf. I started hearing like a buzz of voices and heartbeats that have been increasing each hour. What's going on?" By then Embry had noticed his friend's distress and after sitting beside him placed his arm over his shoulders.

"Nothing that you need to worry about love. Now upsy daisy…" He tried to pick up his mate but Seth gently pushed him off.

"Jake…" The submissive was resolute on not leaving the clinic until he was told the truth.

Jacob recognized the fierce determination in his mate's eyes and had to relent. "Carlisle, can you please come to Seth's room?" The doctor swift steps were heard an instant before he walked through the door.

"Is everything ok? Seth, are you in pain?" He asked worriedly

"He is fine, I need to tell Seth what's going on and thought it would be better to have you here." He sat beside his mate and taking his small hand kissed it lovingly. "We're just being extra careful; you are too precious to us. The council announced they will be paying us a visit and as you can imagine we're all on high alert. They don't have a good track record with us. It's all a precaution." The instant Seth heard the fatidic news the feeling in the pit of his stomach intensified, he looked from his mate to Embry trying to figure out if he was being deceitful.

"Brother, if Jake said it's just a precaution that's all it is. I for one can't wait to see your new room. And Jake…" Said Embry to the alpha. "I think Ed won't be happy with you for telling me the big secret. I've been pestering him, knowing that he was keeping something from me, but he wouldn't budge. Now you spilled the soup and he won't be happy."

Jacob was grateful for Embry's intervention. He was able to put Seth's mind at ease and make him smile. Now he had another thing to thank him for. Seth breathed a sigh of relief. If he hadn't been a free man he would've worried. The last time the council visited was to take him away but he knew that was not the case this time.

The next three days passed with a constant influx of packs. Their chatter was mixed with the sound of the welders working around the clock to add more and more safety measures. Emmet and his pack arrived with the elder in tow. They spent hours in Billy's office ironing out the finishing touches to the Aleph's plan. Not even Jacob knew all the details; after all, Billy needed to wait until the elder of Emmet's pack gave him more information. Communicating through their link would be too risky since they didn't want any information to reach the council's ears.

The morning of the council's arrival Seth woke up early and with more energy than in the past few days. He contemplated whether or not his mood was related to being back in his own room and away from the sterile environment of the clinic. Being back in the room made him yearn to make love with his mate but they had been warned against it. Carlisle had been adamant about it, under no circumstance Jacob could be inside him. Without ways to see the exact location of the babies inside Seth's stomach, it presented too much risk for both father and babies.

Edward and Embry came in the room mid-morning and were greeted by the alpha. Both submissives could sense tension in the air and neither one missed the way their mates looked at each other, like they were having a silent conversation. They were about to ask what was going on when a small hurricane in pigtails darted inside the room followed closely by her mom. "Seth! Mom said I could visit and see the babies' room!" Jacob was able to get her just in time before she jumped on the bed where his mate rested.

"Hey baby girl, if you promise not to jump on my belly I'll tell your uncle to let you climb on the bed with me." She nodded ceremoniously and was granted passage to Seth's kingdom as she had renamed his bed after she heard Jacob calling him his king. Immediately and with unexpected gentleness she rested her head on her friend's stomach. "What are you doing Sophia?" Asked Seth.

"Listening of course, I want to know what the babies talk about in there." Her innocence made everyone smile.

"The babies can't talk yet and they won't for a while." Explained Jacob sitting beside Seth and pulling Sophia to his lap. Having a hyperactive little girl so close to his mate was making him nervous.

"I know silly, mama told me. That doesn't mean they don't speak, maybe it's you who don't understand them." She stated matter-of-factly.

"Maybe you're right; I don't know much about babies. I've only seen one in a long long time. I have so much work to do in my office, thank you for keeping Seth company, I know he gets bored."

"No problem Jake." Answered Emily, she knew very well what was going on. That was the main reason for her presence in their room. Paul and she had agreed that would be the safest place for her and Sophia during the council's visit. If anyone wanted to reach them they would need to go through several levels of protection and countless wolves that had one common goal, protect the alpha's mate even at the expense of their own lives.

With the news about the arrival of the council and their lackeys to the Black's territory the plan was set in motion. Nobody would reveal themselves until the precise moment. Billy stood outside, far enough to be out of Seth's earshot. Neither Jacob nor Edward were with him, they needed to stay near their mates. Instead he had Paul, Quil, Eric and Carlisle flanking him. "Hello, I would say welcome but I won't lie. Please know that the only reason you and your minions were allowed to enter my lands is because I'm allowing it. You have no inherent right to be here and are definitely not welcome."

"Billy, why so much hostility?" Since the comedic approach didn't serve them for anything the council decided to cut down to the chase. "The law states very clearly that we're in our right to dispose of the slaves as we see fit. If you're worried about your investment, we're willing to compensate you." Aron stated conceitedly.

"Your assumption is flawed from the beginning. The submissives in this household are not slaves. They earned their freedom by risking life and limb to save my son's life. Why don't you save yourself some embarrassment and leave right this minute?" Billy counted on Aron's legendary arrogance; there was no way he would be chased away from his property.

"Why don't we take this conversation somewhere else? We're tired after our long trip." Billy shook his head no. He didn't want them fouling the air in his home with their stench.

"You should've saved yourself the effort. The submissives are not going anywhere."

"William Black, this is insubordination! We are the ruling caste in our system and you have to do as we say. Hand over the submissives and nobody gets hurt. We have a pack ready to attack and I'm sure you don't want your precious nirvana to suffer any losses. This is the second time you challenge us and there will be serious consequences" The council's personal guard, in their wolf's form, stepped forward; they stood their ground uncertain of how to proceed against the Aleph.

"Are you done? I will not respond to threats. I'm done playing your games; I did it for far too long for reasons not even I understand. You say you have a pack behind you, I want you to take a look around you." That was the cue for the wolves that had been hiding to step forward.

One by one the packs stepped out of the shadows and moved closer to the retinue. So many pairs of paws created a hum not unlike the humming of an angry hornet's nest. Their amber eyes burned the skin of the members of the council. Their mouths twisted in a vicious snarl and their white fangs itching to be buried in the miserable flesh of the cowards. Led by their alphas the eleven packs stood around the council. The terrified councilmembers could almost smell the anger and the lust for blood. Aron, Christopher, Cai, Eli and their group looked around and felt a cold shiver that began on the base of their necks and ended in their lower back. The situation was not only serious but very volatile.

The Aleph spoke: "Brothers, the honorable members of the council came here today with the intention of taking away two valued members of my household. Seth and Embry served as slaves for over a decade. At our hands they suffered every kind of humiliation. We as dominants have shamed our ancestors, our spirits and humanity as a whole. It doesn't matter if you had sex with one or one hundred slaves or if you killed one or more. The fact is that we are all guilty; we could've done something to stop these fiends and we didn't. But that's over; I will not stand back and allow these beasts to continue their reign of terror. From this moment on all my territories will be independent. The council will have no say in my lands. I don't know about you but I'm tired of their abuse of power."

"You can't do that!" Bellowed Aron.

"Says who? You? Oh please, you are but a worm, cowardly, cruel, deceitful and greedy. I could go on but it's not worth it, I don't even have to say it, every person here knows you. You don't deserve to lead. Aron, you're a murderer."

"May I remind you that your son is ten times worse than me?"

"You don't have to remind me. My son has on his conscience the rape and murder of numerous men. That will torture him for the rest of his life. Even in his dreams the ghosts of those who perished at his hands will be demanding justice. Those horrible memories will haunt him until the day he leaves this earth and will probably send him directly to hell. But we're not here to talk about him, today is your day, honorable council." Billy's skin was crawling, the anger and need for justice making his blood boil. All he wanted was to wring Aron's miserable neck and rid the earth of his stench.

"You tried to hide the truth by destroying our libraries. You tried to erase the past so you could write the future. What you saw in our ancient scrolls drove you to design a mechanism to slaughter a whole sector of our society. This was genocide. But every secret comes to light and all your vicious lies will serve to judge you." Even though everybody suspected the council was behind the destruction of the libraries nobody had proof. As the fair man he was, Billy wouldn't have made such a strong accusation unless he had proof. The elder who translated the scroll to English gave him the last piece of the puzzle. So many things made sense now, all the new information was making his head spin.

Aron's voice's trembled, "I think you've lost your mind. We have no secrets and everything we've done is by the book. We didn't break any law regarding the submissives because the laws we wrote allowed everything we did. I have no idea what you mean about the scrolls. I'm insulted by your insinuation; we had nothing to do with the destruction of the libraries." Christopher intervened since fear finally made Aron lose his voice. The bullies were being called on their transgressions and instead of manning up to their actions they decided to lie like the cowards they were. Every member of the council was getting ready to phase, they felt stronger and more protected as wolves. Billy saw this and ordered them to stop. It was not his intention to allow a fight because the members of the council would be killed and he had other plans for them.

"Liars! Face it, you didn't succeed on destroying us as a nation. You fed your greed with the blood of every submissive. You betrayed the spirits of our ancestors and for what? Money? Land? Stupid shit that you will not take with you when you die. You facilitated the murder of countless men, even took pride and joy in torturing other human beings. You did burn our libraries and destroyed every sacred artifact we had. The stories of our people are lost and all we have is what we have in our memory. You should be ashamed of yourself; you knew the submissives were to be venerated and cherished, not destroyed. They are not only smarter and wiser than any dominant; they have the empathy, the courage and the compassion necessary to lead a nation." Billy was trying to remain calm but this was proving to be extremely challenging. His wolf was clawing his insides, demanding to be released; it wanted justice for its brothers.

"Brothers, these charlatans knew that a submissive was destined to be the leader of the council, just how it had always been. We didn't know about them, they seemed to have popped out of the earth after the pandemic, but now we know they were protected by their packs. I failed them, instead of paying attention to my father's teachings I was too busy trying to live my life. My father mentioned them, there were none in my reservation but they existed. The council would meet in secret and the leader was never seen by anyone outside that reservation. My son's mate is pregnant after fifteen years as a slave. Many other men could've fathered children, but that opportunity was taken away from all of us when they were killed."

Quil had only one thing in his mind, his brother. The men before him were responsible for taking away the only family he had. They had destroyed him; he was condemned to walking the earth searching for him. It was not fair, the disgusting bugs before him lived a life of privilege while Albert had been denied even the more basic rights. The usually calm and collected man disappeared leaving in its place a hungry beast. Quil exploded into his wolf making every head turn in his direction. Aron didn't have time to react and couldn't phase because of Billy's order. Before he knew it Quil was over him, his powerful jaws latched onto his neck, a split second away from snapping it.

"Quil, son, don't do it. Don't give into the anger. Killing this man will not bring justice to your brother. He deprived Albert of his freedom, now we'll do the same to him. Because of him he was left at the mercy of every dominant; let him feel in his own flesh the pain he caused others. In jail he'll meet more than one man who is related in one way or another to a submissive, maybe a brother, an uncle or a friend. Aron, Christopher and Cai will be hated, starved, raped or even killed and nobody will interfere. Much less spill a tear for any of them. Don't get your hands dirty with these filth, you're a good man, don't make your spirit suffer because of them." Quil loosened his grip on Aron's neck and stepped back slowly. Many of the wolves that were part of the council's entourage abandoned them. They were nowhere to be seen and the few that remained vowed not to move a finger to protect them. Quil would not end his life at that moment but would take great pleasure on sitting outside the jail listening to his shrieks of pain. He was not proud of his thoughts but he earned the right to enjoy it.

"I'm an abolitionist, I will not hide anymore. We have turned our brothers into things. We stole their dignity, their innocence and their possibilities. They have talents that you wouldn't believe, Seth is a tracker and Embry is a healer. In the scroll that survived the massacre it mentioned how some submissives had telekinesis, telepathy, some could sense danger and others could even communicate with animals. Many, if not all of them, had superhuman senses and agility. Their spirits were humble and pure to the point that our ancestor, the great wolf, would communicate with them. But you turned your back on all this because you wanted a position of power which you vitiated and corrupted to the point of turning our council into a cesspool. I'll make your arrest the first official act of this independent state. You will be in jail for the rest of your life for the crimes committed against our brothers and against us as a nation. We have to bring balance to our world; the remaining submissives will be treated as equals. I'm declaring slavery illegal, any dominant who owns a submissive must give them their freedom or will sit in a cell with these bastards. As of this moment the submissives have the same rights, responsibilities and privileges as any other citizen."

Billy trusted his allies but years of conditioning could not be changed overnight. He needed to guarantee the safety of every submissive, he had a great debt with them that he intended to pay dearly. He summoned the great wolf, something nobody had done in hundreds of years. Only the Aleph could do it, no mere alpha knew this well-kept secret.

"Listen to me all of you, I forbid any type of abuse against a submissive. No one will ever hurt them, it's an order!" This command couldn't be ignored by anyone, its strength making every beast sink to their knees and flatten their bellies to the ground. The council was especially affected by it; after all they did try to resist it more than everyone else. They held their heads in agony as blood dripped out of their ears.

"Eli you'll be spared the jail sentence. You have been serving both God and the devil but your cooperation with the abolitionists has been greatly appreciated. You will be banished from my lands to never come back. Consider yourself lucky since I'm willing to overlook your involvement in the sale of submissives. Any member of the council's guard that wants to join our ranks is welcome to do so. You will be assigned one of the outer posts. Don't request to be transferred to the main house, it will not be granted. Eric please assemble three teams to accompany you and Quil to the jail. Don't underestimate these bastards. I ordered them not to phase but I don't trust them. If they give you any trouble you have my authorization to kill them. Believe me; you'll be doing the world a favor. Do try to deliver them alive, I know they will have the hero welcome they deserve." Billy was anxious to give his son the good news. Hopefully this will be the last any of them see of the ex-members of the council.

Billy walked in his son's bedroom accompanied by Edward, Emmet and the elder who translated the scroll. He had expressed to the Aleph his desire to meet Seth. His help was so determining in the victory they were currently enjoying that he granted the permission without a second thought. Jacob intercepted the group before they could get close to the partition between the sitting room and the bedroom. "Dad, everything ok? What are these men doing here?" He eyed the visitors suspiciously.

"Everything is over, the guilty party is on its way to jail and we can all breathe a sigh of relief. Emmet asked if he could see his old friend, I told him that you'll have the last say in this matter. I know Seth will like to see him and I'm personally very grateful for all their help."

"I don't have last say in this matter dad, I'm not Seth's master anymore. It's up to him if he wants to see him or not, but I have a feeling he will be more than happy to oblige."

Emmet extended his hand to Jacob, a silent truce and a new beginning. "Thank you." There was no need for any other words.

The instant Seth saw his old friend his face lit up as he opened his arms to him. He didn't waste time and dived to the sub's arms like his life depended on it. The strength in their arms was nothing when compared to the love inside them. "Damn it Seth I thought I would never see you again!"

Without asking permission he placed his big hand on the sub's abdomen and traced its contour with his fingers. "How do you feel? You look so beautiful, you're practically glowing."

"Well I think the little guys inside me have a lot to do with it."

"You couldn't just get pregnant, you had to break some kind of record and go for three at a time." The atmosphere was one of camaraderie, the smiles were sincere and the words were real.

Emmet's smile fell as the memory that was branded in his brain attacked him once more. A heartbreaking sob escaped his lips as he rested his face on Seth's belly and wept bitterly. "Why did it happen now? Why couldn't it happen fifteen years ago? I don't think your dad would've allowed me to marry you but at least I would know you were happy and were being treated the way you deserve."

"Those are questions that will remain unanswered. If you think about it, none of it really matters anymore. It's in the past and will never happen again. Please buddy, stop crying, I don't want any more tears from anyone." Seth wiped the tears that were streaming down his face and held his friend's tear-streaked pitiful face between his hands.

Jacob had demonstrated a great self-control. He was mad; he was insanely jealous and couldn't stay away any longer. He sat on the bed inching himself toward his mate until his thigh was touching the sub's thigh. Seth noticed this and guessing his lover's state of mind grabbed his hand interlacing their fingers.

"I think there is something you and Embry need to hear." Billy announced to the room but especially to the submissives. He told them everything that led to the dissolution and incarceration of the previous council. Then he asked Seth and Embry the most unexpected question.

"Would you consider leading the new council?"

The submissives were choked up, not in their wildest fantasies they would've come up with something so preposterous. Edward held Embry in his arms while Jacob did the same with his mate. The suggestion took both submissives by surprise and neither one knew how to answer. This was a completely alien idea to them.

"I know this is a little overwhelming, I for one will sleep better at night knowing that our nation is being led by you two. Maybe if I explain the reason behind my petition it will make your decision easier. Please know that you don't have to answer now and it will not be held against you if you decide not to do it." Billy proceeded to tell all those present the discoveries they had made about the real purpose of the submissives and their place in the council.

Everyone thought that Seth's tears were of joy but nothing could be farther from the truth, he was fuming. "You mean to tell us that we have been tortured for over a decade because of the council and their sickening greed? And what about all the other that suffered as much as we did or even more?" The room went deathly silent and Seth couldn't remain seated. He awkwardly stood up and walked away from the bed and in the direction of the nearest window. Jacob walked two steps behind him while all the others followed him with their eyes. Embry was the only one who understood what was going on through the sub's mind and knew he had to comfort his friend. If Seth felt half as enraged as he did he must be ready to kill any dominant that crossed his path.

Ever so gently, Embry got closer to Seth. "Brother, I know how you feel, it's not fair but it's over. We're being given the opportunity to make a difference. Don't cry please, the men who did this to us don't deserve your tears and you shouldn't get too upset in your condition."

"I know Em, it's just so painf… horrib… unfa… hell there is no word that describe it! Also, for what it's worth I think you should be the one to lead the council. In a few months I'll be up to my eyeballs in diapers and feedings. Having three little ones at once is no walk in the park but I'm up to the challenge. I don't want to miss a second of my children's lives and I know this position will involve more work and responsibility than I'm willing to assume. Even though I have always wanted a family of my own, it is only now that I realize that my mate and my babies are my most sacred responsibility".

Embry turned to look at Edward who was beaming with pride for his lover. He was excited about the possibility but had one reservation. "I love the idea, it's a great honor that you consider us capable of such an important position but I don't want to give up my studies. With me as the main doctor Carlisle will be able to concentrate on his research. Could I serve the council on a part time basis?"

"Of course Embry, we'll make it work. Just know that you will have all of us in your corner." Answered Billy truthfully.

After the group left their bedroom Jake and Seth snuggled together on the bed. They were both exhausted for very different reasons. The submissive was tired after the strangely busy day and even though he felt the dominants were keeping something from him, he didn't want to start a conversation he knew his mate was too tired for. Jacob had been riding a roller coaster since the moment Seth was taken away from him. The long months searching for his mate, the excitement of not only finding him but learning of the miracle that had occurred, the constant worry for his well-being and the looming threat of the council's visit had taken its toll on him. It didn't take long for them to enter dreamland.

In the following months Seth became stronger than before his pregnancy. His appearance had changed quite a bit too. His hair had grown at a steady rate and looked shinier than ever. His rounded belly was a source of fascination to every person who saw it. More than one hand had found its way to Seth's stomach only to be batted away by his jealous mate. Seth was not bothered by it at all, after years of trying to be invisible he was proud to be seen. He felt it was an honor to be giving life to a new generation of shifters, one or more of them a possible alpha and maybe the next Aleph.

"Jake." It was the middle of the night when Seth tried to wake up his boyfriend. "Jake." No answer, he didn't even stir. "Jake, baby, wake up. C'mon I'm hungry." He shook him again.

"Baby I'm tired; there is food in the mini fridge and on the table." After one too many trips to the kitchen at all hours, Jacob decided to install a mini fridge in their bedroom to placate his mate's insatiable appetite.

"I ate it all already and I'm still hungry. Come with me to the kitchen or I'll go by myself."

"Ok we'll go, just give me two minutes." The last word had not left his lips when his soft snoring filled the room. He had tried on previous occasions to put his foot down, but that was one battle that was lost from the beginning, he couldn't deny his boyfriend anything.

Seth's frown deepened as his determination grew. He could try to go by himself but that was easier said than done. He not only had to go through three gates, he needed to convince the guards to let him through. His puppy dog eyes and rounded physique could potentially convince even the most stubborn wolf but it was a long shot and he was way too hungry. An idea popped into his head and he immediately put it into action.

He climbed onto Jake's stomach to make him wake up. He straddled him while shaking his shoulders without any success. His mate was dead to the world or so he thought, he was startled by Jacob's voice. "Please baby, tell me that Carlisle said it was ok for me to have my wicked way with you."

"Darn it Jake, don't do that! You startled me." The alpha's crystalline laughter filled him with joy. "And no, I'm still off limits until the pups are born."

"You're no fun; my poor balls are beyond blue, they are turning purple already." Jacob stopped talking when he became too distracted admiring his mate. Every day he looked more beautiful, with every look he fell more in love with him.

"You'll survive, now let's go!" Seth climbed off his mate with ease, even though he looked about to give birth he was very agile. Before leaving the room Jacob ran his fingers through Seth's silky hair ending up with the sub's face between his hands. His lips found his mate's plump soft ones. He was caressing his obsession. This was a ritual they kept from the time when their love was forbidden. They would kiss before leaving their island of peace to enter the cruel world. There was no need for that practice anymore but it was one of those things they didn't want to part with.

They quietly walked hand in hand trying not to wake up anyone. From the moment Seth felt strong enough to walk he insisted on walking everywhere. Still Jacob managed every once in a while to have his way and carry him. The sub humored him, he was spoiling him rotten and he loved it. "Ok Mr. Black what are you craving tonight?" Asked Jacob looking very much like a cooking show host.

"I'm not officially Mr. Black yet. The wedding is not for two more weeks." Jake pout was adorable and made Seth smile. In his heart though, he was a Black, he had been one for almost a year.

Jacob went around the kitchen island and stood between his mate's legs. "And those two weeks cannot pass fast enough." He tucked a kiss into Seth's hair before moving away. "So what will it be?"

"Ice cream, Ed made some today. It's in the walk-in freezer." A minute later Jake emerged from the freezer carrying his bounty. Seth clapped delightedly, his mouth watering in anticipation.

After Seth ate his weight in ice cream he was satisfied enough to go back to bed. Jacob was ready to topple over from exhaustion but still managed to bring a big basket filled with goodies back to their room. Tucked back in bed the sub succumbed to a sugar induced slumber. His mate by his side, the way he prayed it would always be.