Erin's eyes widened with surprise at my casual remark about having a baby, and I couldn't help but laugh at her reaction. "Oh, no, not yet," I clarified, chuckling. "I was just teasing. Brad and I haven't really talked about it seriously. We're still figuring things out, you know?"She let out a relieved sigh, playfully swatting my arm. "You scared me for a moment there! But seriously, you and Brad would make amazing parents one day. I can already imagine your little ones running around the pack grounds, causing mischief. You could be running around too, trying to catch them, and Brad would be the most involved dad ever!"I smiled at her words, touched by the genuine excitement to hear in her voice. "Thank you, Erin. That means a lot. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Right now, we're just enjoying being together and working on our relationship. There's still so much to do in the pack getting married is the least of our worries right now. "With a shared laugh, we bid each other g

Later that night, we found ourselves at the pack grounds, the familiar smells of soil and freshly crushed leaves filling the air. It was time for our scheduled shift, and the pack members were already gathering, the smells of their prepared meals and the noise from their excited chatger charged the air with something I couldn't place. As we stood together, our hands tangled in each other's, I looked over at Brad, his eyes meeting mine with a faint smile. He had not forgotten that this was my first shift after missing two, being stuck in the dungeon at Alpha Dan's pack, and he could sense how tentative I was. Faced with that dilemma, the events of the past days seemed distant now, and I felt a shudder run through my body. I had been so self assured when I had told everyone that I was going g to show up at the shift tonight, but now that I was here, something felt off. With a nod, Brad gave me the go ahead to start the shift, and as though they could sense that it was about to begin,

Brad's brows furrowed in concern as he glanced from the broken mug to the plate with the stale bread. "Did either of you leave this here?" he asked, his voice edged with concern. I stood there mute for a minute and kept on staring at him, and in response he snapped a finger in front of me.“Well, did you? ” he asked, annoyed. Erin and I exchanged bewildered glances. "No, I didn't," Erin said, her voice barely above a whisper. She looked between Brad and I, confused. “Is there something-”"I didn't either," I replied, my heart pounding in my chest. The meaning of seeing the familiar metal plate in our home sent chills down my spine, and I began to shake uncontrollably. “Oh god, oh god, oh god.”Brad's expression hardened, his protective instincts kicking in. "Layla, I want you to go to Kimora's cabin for the night. I need to make sure the pack house is secure. Something doesn't feel right. If neither of you put it there, and I didn't put it there either, then someone else has been in

The night fell quickly, casting a blanket of darkness over the forest. We, Brad, Margot, Kimora, Wally, and I, returned to the pack house, a feeling of tension lingering in the air. Even as we walked into the pack house, each of us had a doubt of their own about what we were doing; what if Dan and Leon had found their way into the pack house and were now waiting for us. The few pack members had been distributed around the perimeter of the pack house stood there, eyes sharp, senses alert. As we entered the house, the women immediately moved towards the kitchen to prepare a meal, at least once thing was certain, no matter how serious the entire ordeal was, we were going to have a meal. While the women cooked, Brad turned to Wally, curiosity carved on his face. "Wally, how did you find that bread? What made you notice it on your bedside table?"Wally hesitated for a moment before answering, his voice filled with shaky confidence. "I had just come out of the shower, and it was sitting

The morning sun began to climb in the sky, and it cast a nice, orange glow over the pack house and the newly erected fence that surrounded the pack. As the pack members separated and went to their cabins to catch some much-needed rest, I felt a mix of gratitude and exhaustion wash over me. I had slept the whole night, but I felt exhausted. I was tired of all the chaos. Sick and tired of it. The moon goddess's warning echoed in my mind, reminding me to remain very aware despite the apparent safety of the extra-secure pack house.Just as I was about to go back inside the pack house where it was safe, a familiar face popped up near the entrance. It was Erin. Her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the number of people leaving and the bustling movement of pack members. I hurried over to her, my exhaustion momentarily tossed aside. It felt like I had not seen her in an entire week, and I felt bad all over again for the was we had shooed her out of the pack house that night, and sidest