Amelia leaned back in her chair, the soft leather applied little pressure to her lower back. She rubbed at the kinks in her neck. Hours spent pouring over pack schedules, border patrol reports, and budgets, was beginning to wear her thin.

Damon had left shortly after their brief chat, leaving her with a migraine and a mountain of paperwork.

This wasn't supposed to be her job. She wasn't supposed to be Alpha or have to deal with any of the headaches that came with it. She should be back at the Twilight Moon Pack with her husband, her feet propped up on the couch reading a book. After everything they'd been through she deserved some time off.

"Mom?"

Amelia lifted her gaze at the sound of her daughter's voice.

Emery's head peeked in through the open door, a permanent frown etched on her face, taking in the state of her mother.

Amelia knew she looked exhausted, the dark circles beneath her eyes were deep and worrisome.

It had been nearly two years since their battle against Michael. The bastard that forced her to abandon her mate, run away pregnant, and remain in hiding for the next seventeen years until fate forced her home. Two years since the death of her brother and she was officially declared Alpha of the Wandering Moon Pack, some idiot notion of Damon's. He had sons, yet he made her Alpha.

The transition was a difficult one. Her and Gabriel had finally made amends, reforging their bond, only to be thrown for a loop when she was made Alpha of a pack four hours away.

But, somehow, they were making it work.

They had managed to divide their time between the two packs. Whenever Amelia had to visit the Wandering Moon Pack, he would come for visits, sometimes staying for weeks at a time. But over the last few months, both packs had been having the same problem, keeping them separated for the time being. Not to mention that dragged out winter that kept both of them snowed in.

This trip to her pack lasted five months and counting. The longest she'd been away from Gabriel and the Twilight Moon Pack since her return. They managed to talk every day, but it wasn't the same. She craved his touch like an addict craved a cool needle slipping in their vein. As of late, she'd been more irritable, prone to snapping off the head of any wolf that dared approach. Her current situation wasn't making it any easier.

"Mom," Emery repeated, walking farther into the office. She walked around the large oak desk, leaning back against its solid frame. "You have to take better care of yourself. Let someone else deal with this," she said, gesturing towards the mounds of paperwork scattered across the surface.

"It's these fucking Vampire's," Amelia snarled. "What the hell are they thinking coming near our lands? And it's not just us, they're doing it to your father too."

"I know, momma. But they haven't attacked. Right now, we can just smell that they're near," Emery stood up, standing behind her mother and began to rub the knots from her shoulders. "You should really go home to dad."

"I can't, not right now," Amelia shook her head adamantly. If she went home now, he'd never let her leave the house again. There was too much to do.

Emery pulled her hands away from her mother's neck, earning her a whimper.

"Why'd you stop?" Amelia cried out. "It felt so good."

"Go home to dad. You can't hide here forever."

"Yes I can," she mumbled under her breath. "Emery, you know what he'll do once I go back."

"Yes, yes, he'll lock you in your room and never let you out," Emery said flippantly, completely disregarding her fears. "You need to give him some more credit. He might be mad at first, but you two have been to hell and back and still managed to find each other. Don't forget that."

Amelia sighed deeply, leaning her head back against the desk chair, staring up at the ceiling. "He's gonna kill me."

Emery chuckled, her lips pulling up into a smirk. "Possibly."

Amelia wanted to snap at her daughter for making fun of her current predicament when the sound of her phone caught her attention.

The familiar jingle alerted her to Gabriel's call. She glared at her daughter as she picked up the phone, answering the call.

Emery showed no signs of leaving, instead settled down on the couch, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Hello?" Amelia said, answering the phone.

"Hey babe, how are you?"

The sound of his voice instantly soothed her grated nerves, the tension in her shoulders dissipated instantly. Goddess did she need him.

"I'm better now that I'm talking to you," Amelia breathed, suddenly feeling extremely tired and wary.

"What's wrong Amelia?"

She could feel his anxiety through their bond, making her smile. "It's nothing. I just miss you is all."

"Amelia, it's time to come home."

The tone in his voice told her it wasn't much of a request. "I can't Gabe. The pack needs their Alpha here right now."

Amelia could see her daughter rolling her eyes from across the room. It wasn't a complete lie.

"You've been there for five months now. I haven't seen you in almost four. I can't go another day without you. My wolf is going nuts, I'm going nuts. I know you are too. You can't hide your feelings from me. I know you've been anxious and stressed about something."

Amelia bit her lower lip, her nerves kicking in over time. "But the Vampires -"

"The Vampire's haven't attacked in months. If they do, I know Dominik can handle them without you. But I will not wait any longer. You are coming home."

Rey began to bristle at the tone in his voice. Her wolf hadn't been let out in months and even though she missed her mate, she did not appreciate being told what to do.

"Have you been talking to Emery?" Amelia asked him, her daughter feigning innocence before her eyes.

"I have been talking to my daughter and we both agree that it's time for you to come home. I'm not kidding Amelia. Either you leave today, or I will drive over there myself and drag you back. I want my wife now."

Amelia glanced at the clock on her desk. It was barely noon. If they left now she could be there before dinner was served. She missed Lena's lasagna.

No matter how much she hated being ordered around, she couldn't deny the fact that she needed him. It was finally time to confront Gabriel, for better or worse, and whether she liked it or not, they needed him now more than ever.

"Fine. We'll leave within the hour," Amelia sighed, leaning fully back into her chair once again.

There was silence on the line. "Just like that?"

"Yes."

"What's going on Amelia? You never give in that quickly."

"I'll see you soon. I love you."

Before he could pester her with more questions she hung up on him, laying the phone down on the desk. She hastily ran her fingers through her hair, pulling on the roots, anxiety overwhelming her.

Emery got up from the couch, sensing her mother's distress, and began kneading out the knots in her shoulders once again.

"Relax, mom. It's going to be okay. Dad'll be ecstatic," Emery tried soothing her mother.

Amelia shook her head, trying to shed the self doubt that plagued her. "Come on, we've got some packing to do," she said, looking down at the form fitting clothes she was wearing. "I need to change."

Emery snickered, shaking her own head at her. "No matter what you wear, there's no hiding that."

Amelia stood up from the desk, her stomach bulging out in front of her. She was only seven months along and already felt like she was going to explode.

Second time around was no joke.

Amelia had placed a gag order on the pack involving her pregnancy. Forbidding everyone in the Wandering Moon Pack from so much as muttering about her condition and had managed to hide it from her mate. Ever since her pregnant scent began to overwhelm her ordinary one, Dominik, her Beta and cousin, had stepped in the shoes as overprotective Uncle. Refusing to let her anywhere near training. Pups running through the halls was now forbidden. He even tried to tell her she couldn't walk through the paths in the woods alone. He nearly lost his favorite appendage over that one. But if her cousin had turned into an Alpha malejust by her scent alone, she could only imagine how Gabriel was going to react.

Gabriel hadn't been allowed to be present during her first pregnancy with Emery and now she had basically forced him to miss most of this one as well. She was a horrible person.

"Don't go there mom," Emery's voice cut through the sabatoging words in her head. "You did what you thought was best for both of your packs. Dad will see that. He would never expect you to abandon the Wandering Moon with vampires lingering around the boundary. But it still doesn't change that you can't hide that belly."

"Even the doctors said I'm small at this point. Maybe if I just wear a really big sweatshirt," Amelia said, more trying to convince herself than her stubborn daughter that was literally laughing at her.

"You can wear as many baggy clothes as you want, but that still won't hide your smell. Mom, you smell completely different."

Amelia turned her head, sniffing at her own shoulder. She smelled of roses and sweet berries. Not her normal roses and honey. She really did smell pregnant.

"He's gonna kill me," Amelia whimpered, her bottom lip pouting.

At the time it seemed like the right move to keep her pregnancy a secret. He would have locked her in the cells before letting her leave his sight. But the Wandering Moon Pack needed her, needed their Alpha.

Now, she was seven months along with maybe six weeks left and the father still had no clue. She groaned loudly, laying her forehead against her daughter's shoulders.

Emery reached out and hugged her mother. The round, hard bulge nudged her back, kicking her She laid her hand flat on her mother's stomach, feeling the bond between her and her sibling.

"See, even the baby is excited to go back to dad," Emery tried to be encouraging.

Amelia looked down at her round stomach, rubbing her hand along the bottom half, helping to support the growing weight. "That's because it doesn't know any better."

Emery snorted, laughing. "Come on. If we don't get ready to leave you know Dad will follow through on coming to get us."

Amelia continued to groan and complain as Emery dragged her mother out of the office and closed the door behind them.

☾ ☾ ☾

They were coming home. Gabriel could feel it the moment they crossed the pack's borders. He'd finally be able to hold his wife, kiss her thoroughly and lock themselves in their room for the next week.

Why had he let so much time pass before he saw her again? Fucking Vampire's, that's why. Snooty bastards had been lurking on both of their territories, doing Goddess knows what.

There'd been whisperings of their King looking for something, someone.

The Vampires were snobby enough to have their own monarchy. A King that's over four hundred years old. King Illias.

Their's even been talk that the Prince left their territory in France.

The monarchy hasn't left their territory in centuries. Why now, and why here?

Gabriel had a bad feeling about all of it.

Stepping out onto the front porch and breathed in the cool Autumn breeze. He loved this time of year.

The sound of a motor bike caught his attention, the revving getting closer. Gabriel frowned at the bike as it came into sight.

Why didn't they drive together? In an actual car? He hated that damn bike.

What surprised him even more was that it was Emery on the back of that death trap and not his beautiful wife, which was odd. She refused to let anyone touch her bike, let alone ride it.

Emery pulled the bike up to the front of the house, flicking the kick stand out with her foot, and jumping off in one swift movement. She pulled the helmet off her head, her ombre hair falling around her as she laid the helmet on the seat. A clear indication of her parentage.

They both ran for each other. Gabriel swept his daughter up into his arms, squeezing her tightly.

He hadn't seen his daughter in months and after missing the first sixteen years of her life, he hated being separated from her. They had grown closer over the last year and developed a unique bond. She was a bright, clever young woman, definitely her mother's daughter.

Emery pulled back, her bright smile falling into concern.

"What's wrong Em? Where's your mother?" Gabriel asked just as his wife's Audi drove into view, slowly winding up the drive.

Emery laid her hand on her father's chest, stopping him from advancing. "Listen dad," gaining his full attention she held his gaze, her silver eyes matching his. "Whatever you do, don't freak out."

Gabriel froze, his blood stiff in his veins. Ren, his wolf, was pacing in his mind with his mate just within reach. The beast was losing his cool.

"What are you talking about? What's going on?"

The Audi pulled up beside the bike before the engine swiftly turned off. He noticed Amelia sitting in the driver's seat. Through their bond he could feel her anxiety, her fear, her terror.

What happened while she was away? What had she not told him? Had she been hurt?

He lifted Emery out of his way before rushing towards the Audi the same instant Amelia got the courage to open the door and step out. He took in his wife before him. Her silver-blonde hair was pulled back in a clip, hanging down her shoulders to the side. Those piercing green eyes looked exhausted, the dark circles unable to hide the truth. He knew she would push herself too hard.

"Gabe," Amelia breathed out, the air between them charged and electric.

The sound of her voice warmed his heart, thawing the nagging anxiety he'd been clinging to since she left. Amelia stood behind the still open car door, using it as a barrier between the two of them. His eyebrows scrunched in confusion. Normally she'd have rushed into his arms by now, but instead she held firm where she stood.

He was about to ask her what was going on when the breeze blew in his face, picking up her hair, tossing it around. Gabriel froze, the scent of roses and berries choking him. It wasn't her familiar smell, it was changed, sweet and pregnant with flavor.

Ren howled in his mind, scratching at the surface to run to their mate, to protect what was his, to join Rey in their joy.

"Amelia," Gabriel called out to her. His mind knew what was happening but his mouth refused to form the words.

Amelia stepped back, slamming the car door closed. She approached him slowly like one might do a cobra waiting to strike. She stopped just in front of him, reached up and cupped his cheek, her touch shocking him back into existence.

Gabriel looked down to the bulge of her stomach that put distance between them. His mouth hung open.

The love of his life took his hand in hers, placing it gently along the side of her belly where he was met with a soft, quick nudge. Her eyes warmed, melting into pools of liquid emerald. "We're home."