Summer is drawing to a close, the sun not staying as long in the sky, yet the afternoon is still hot. The leaves are changing colors, from the bright, startling green to a rusty orange and a brick colored red. It seems too beautiful outside, completely opposite of the sadness in my heart.

Ever since Erik's confession, none of us have talked. Erik and I have even taken up sleeping in different bedrooms, leaving Liam the one we used to claim since it is the one with the crib. It has been too long, almost a month, since we talked to one another, and my mate bonds are starting to ache.

The bites that both Liam and Erik gave me have been flaring up recently, burning red hot for long periods of the day, and no matter what I do, I can't get the burning to stop. It has been hard to feel anything besides the pain.

I never knew that Erik was hurting so much, never knew that he regarded himself in such a negative light. He has always been protective of me, which has always driven me crazy. Especially since he claims it is his duty since he is the older brother. By just a few minutes, but he never listens to me when I try to tell him differently.

He deserves to be happy, just like the rest of us. I just have to prove to him somehow that I am not angry with him about sending me out first to scout out our pack lands. Sure, I had been mad at first, mostly because that was right when I knew something was not quite right with the relationship. But knowing my brother, he did it in an effort to protect me, most likely in a subconscious sort of way. After all, it was him and Jesse who were captured by Zalo and his minion.

I have to do something to help heal him. To know that he is in pain is just causing me more heartache. Liam is hurting too, his eyes puffy from crying every few days.

The argument repeats in my mind, but this time, I find myself focusing on one part. Erik had said that Matty did not like him, and that should be a clue that he is not a good person, someone not worth loving.

Matty has always been finicky, not minding if others hold him for a second. Anything longer than that, though, he starts to get upset. Liam is his favorite, most likely because he feels a special connection with him. After all, Liam did carry him for nine months and has provided milk for Matty for as long as he wants.

But I find comfort in the baby, always have. During the night, I would always be the one to wake up with him, hold him against Liam while he nursed and then rocked the little boy to sleep. It has never bothered me, and when asked why it was always me to get up with him, I had a hard time answering. It does not even register for me to leave him to cry until one of my mates wakes up. Besides, by now, Matty knows that I am the one who gets him in the morning when the others are sleeping, and we always manage to get a solid hour of cuddling in before Liam wakes up to nurse him.

Looking back on it, I cannot really remember a time where Erik spent any alone time with Matty. The baby is a year and a half old and still has not had a chance to bond with his Papa.

The thought makes me sick, barely managing to duck my head in a bush before my lunch leaves my stomach. I cannot even imagine not being close to my son. Ever since he was born, it was like my heart grew. Being away from him for the periods of time where I had to be, were hard.

It is easier to understand why Erik is so upset, especially since Matty does cry if he goes too long without being held by either me or Liam.

This will have to be the first step in healing us. It is not something that directly involves our relationship, but it does have a huge impact on all of us. Pushing myself up from the ground, I start to head back to the house.

I was supposed to be fishing while out here, but I just did not get around to it. To make up for the lost food, I set some traps and snares in the trees. Hopefully something will stumble across them. Usually, we don't hunt inside the fence, not wanting to decrease the number of animals who live here, but with the increasing threat of the infected and humans, we have not been outside the fences.

Jesse and Alexis returned not that long ago, bringing with them a new baby. Apparently, the humans out there really have gone insane, forcing werewolves into their wolf forms and using them as guard dogs. It's slavery, is what it is, and it is sick.

Shaking my head, I continue down the path, relishing the last of the sun's daily warmth. This is my favorite time of the day when the sun is about to set, and it is still warm but not absurdly so. If I was not in such a rush to get back to the house, I would be taking my time, looking out for the last of the summer berries and watching as the animals skitter across the forest.

The little ones are playing in the yard when I make it back to the house, Avery and Nik playing a game of chase with Elliot and the twins. Taylor is laying back on a blanket, chatting with a pregnant Micah, while both their babies nurse. Matty is standing in between them, his hands resting on Taylor as he looks over the yard. My dad is talking with Tate and Jesse over by the woodpile, the two of them nodding along with whatever he is saying. But I can't seem to find Erik or Liam anywhere.

Walking over to the blanket, I watch as Matty spots me, a bright smile on his face. He has a few teeth now, making him look more like a little boy than a baby.

"Da!" he cries, reaching his arms up for me. He wobbles a bit, but I to pick him up before he manages to topple over. He giggles as I blow raspberries in his neck, little fingers twisted in my hair in a desperate attempt to escape the tickles.

"Were you good for Micah and Taylor, little love?" I ask, holding him against my chest.

He nods his head eagerly, a new thing that he has learned. His blue eyes are wide, reminding me so much of Liam. He starts to babble at me and I nod my head, not understanding a word he is saying but enjoying his happiness nonetheless.

Taylor and Micah are both watching me, the conversation halted as I listen to Matty. Micah has a small smile on his face, the understanding clear. He has gone through his own troubles with his mate, the both of them struggling for a while. They seem to be getting better though, ever since Jesse returned with the newborn Noah.

But Taylor, it is easy to see that he is unhappy with me. He doesn't say anything, but the way his brows are pinched together and his lips are pursed are clear indications of what he is thinking. He is overprotective of Liam, always has been since the day they met. So it is no surprise that he is not happy with me since Liam is suffering just like the rest of us.

"He was great," Micah says, his eyes squinting against the sun. "He was starting to miss you guys, though."

Nodding my head, I lean forward to press a kiss against Matty's cheek, causing the little boy to let out a happy cry, rubbing his cheek back and forth across mine. "Thanks for watching him."

"No problem," Micah says. Taylor stays silent until Micah's hand swats him in the leg, causing the other omega to give a stiff nod of his head.

Feeling the tension in the air, I decide to head back to the house. Matty is reluctant to be put down, so I just hold him while he munches on some blackberries, his lips turning purple from the juice. He is content enough after that, so I am able to go in search of my mates.

Liam is first, so I can see if he agrees with my plan. It is not too hard to find him, my mate curled up in our bed, the one I haven't slept in for weeks. The curtains are drawn closed, swaying from the slight breeze coming in from the open window. My mate is nothing more than a curled up ball under the blankets, only a few wisps of dark hair peeking out from the tops of the blankets.

"Liam?" I whisper, my voice sounding too loud in the silence of the room.

He moves slightly at my voice but still remains under the covers. It isn't until I sit on the edge of the bed, my hand resting on his leg that he eventually peeks out at me.

"Ethan?" he says, voice raspy from disuse. His eyes are red-rimmed and his cheeks are puffy and blotchy, making it obvious that he has been crying. "What are you doing in here?"

Biting my lip, I watch as Matty crawls out of my lap and over to his mama, laying his head on Liam's chest.

"I don't think any of us want this relationship to fail." Liam's brows draw together in puzzlement, but he nods his head anyways. "So I think we need to start moving to fix it. We've had our time apart, and it has been the most painful few weeks that I have experienced since... since Mom died." Liam nods his head again, lower lip wobbling as I try to swallow back the lump in my throat that always appears when I think of my mother.

"We'll take baby steps," I say, voice coming out stronger than I was expecting. "And I think the first step is to get that baby," I point at the now half asleep baby, "to bond with his Papa."

Liam sits up then, allowing Matty to cuddle up against his chest again. He brushes away the dark wisps form Matty's face, nodding his head as he does so. "Yeah, I think that's a great idea."

He uses his thumb to wipe away some of the blackberry juice still on Matty's face, before letting the baby nurse like he wants to. Liam cradles him close, leaning down to press some kisses on Matty's face while brushing back the hair from his eyes.

"We can start by having him be the one to get Matty in the morning, maybe?" he suggests. "That way they will both be in a good mood."

I nod my head, watching as Matty starts to drift off. He always does whenever he eats. Nursing is the perfect way to get the baby to sleep, and despite only waking up from a nap a few hours ago, he is already tired from all the playing he did outside.

"Liam," I say, causing my mate to look up at me with those sad eyes. "We're going to fix this." He licks his lips, giving a shaky nod of his head. "And, I love you."

His breath catches at that. "I love you, too."

"La!" Matty exclaims, smiling at us before going back to nursing. It's his little exclamation that brings a smile to my face, hope blossoming in my chest. For the first time, I feel like we really can fix this. We can finally have what we were supposed to have from the beginning.