Amy went into the kitchen. She saw Alba as soon as she walked into the room. Alba whined. Amy got on her knees and rubbed her head. She didn't want to touch Alba anywhere else and cause pain."You should have said something." Amy whispered."The longer I can put off letting everyone be aware the better it will be. Did Ivan tell you?""Of course, Ivan told me. You're being stupid and making me say mean things when you just need love, so stop with those thoughts. What do I need to do?""Go for a walk outside with me. It will be a while yet before the cubs come and I need to walk.""Okay, I can do that. Let me grab a jacket. Do you want the men with us?""Absolutely not! Birthing is for women and I don't care how the world has changed. When it comes to including men in childbirth I'm not changing.""I'll get my jacket. Can I at least tell them where we are going?"Alba just sent a long sigh through Amy's mind. Amy took that as a yes. Marcus was just waking up and Amy felt him. She

Another week passed and preparations for the babies' naming ceremony began. The other U.S. wolf clans would send envoys and there was a lot of work ahead. It was important for Marcus to show the strength of his clan as well as build trust among his allies. Dealing with different packs was always walking a fine line in diplomacy. The other clans had heard about his recent problems with the pride queen and expected to learn the latest news while attending the celebration. Marcus' clan was the largest in the U.S. and his fight could be theirs too.Amy was given free rein in the party preparations and she had a blast. She had never thrown a party and had no idea how much fun it would be. Alba grumbled but went along.It was obvious Alba had forgiven Ivan. He was never seen far from her side and Alba did very little growling when he was around regardless of which form she took. Ivan had taken her out for a few runs since the babies were born and Alba always appeared more relaxed when she

Philip said that Ivan left the house carrying the body of his wife. Marcus knew he should let him be alone with Alba but he couldn't. He followed Ivan's scent trail and walked miles into the woods. He heard the mournful howling long before he reached his friend.Ivan was nude and was sitting with his wife in his arms. The damage done to Alba's body brought fury to Marcus even through his wall of grief.It took a moment for Marcus to realize Ivan was speaking to him. "I can't survive without her. I want you to kill me. I need to be with her."Marcus knew Ivan asked the impossible of him. "Ivan I'm here to help, but I can't let you go. You are as much a part of me as Alba was part of me and I'm selfish. I need you; your children need you. I'm so sorry and I don't know how any of us will survive without her."The yell of grief that came from Ivan was shattering. Marcus knew he didn't have a choice and acted quickly. Taking blood would do what it always did and give the donor what he n

Two weeks later...The scream came from the kitchen area. Amy ran through the house and arrived in the room where Sierra was sitting on the cold tile floor screaming at the top of her lungs. Amy glanced around to see what the problem was. Roland was on the other side of the room being held by Philip. He was whimpering softly. It was obvious Sierra didn't appreciate being second to her brother. Amy knew Sierra received the most attention so something was up. She looked expectantly at Philip."If Roland survives his sister, it will be a miracle. She bit him on his leg."Amy walked over and took Roland into her arms. Sure enough, he had a perfect set of teeth marks on his leg. Amy couldn't believe how much the babies had grown in the past two weeks. Human teeth were another surprise and Amy herself had been on the sharp end of Sierra's.The little she devil continued to cry and finally her brother Conner came in and picked her up. She could always count on one of her brothers to giv

Dying during a challenge for alpha wasn't Brandt's original plan. But the fight continued and he realized it would solve his biggest problem; his lack of a desire to live.Cheri, his clan leader and the vampire who could help him heal from death injuries, was in Europe working to bring the overseas clans into the 21st century. So far, her success was minimal.Brandt knew she would be one pissed off vampire when she returned and found him dead. Not that it mattered because he wouldn't be around to feel her wrath. And, she would have no choice but to accept Clem if he won the challenge for alpha. Pack rules dictated that if Clem killed him, he deserved the alpha title. Unfortunately, the pack did not deserve Clem.Brandt's blood flowed and his life essence slowly faded. Over five hundred years old, three hundred of those years spent being leader of his pack, and a young barely two-hundred-year-old pup was getting the best of him. He could feel his broken ribs grinding and he knew they