With the steady rain outside, everyone has been hanging out indoors. Summer has officially become fall, and I am already excited for next year's summer. The little ones hate being cooped up indoors, their tempers shorter when they can't run around as easily. Avery has done a great job keeping the older ones entertained, but the babies have not been as easily fooled.

"Mama," Matty says, toddling over to me from where he was playing with his blocks. Apparently, they aren't entertaining anymore. Rosalie is babbling to herself while she swats at the toys dangling in front of her. Tate had managed to construct a type of play mat for her, complete with small stuffed toys tied to ribbons for her to try and grab.

"What is it, little love?" I ask, picking him up once he reaches the couch.

He stares up at me with his big blue eyes while I brush a few wispy strands of hair from his face. He is in desperate need of a hair cut, but it makes me sad to even think about cutting his baby curls. I'll have to get over that before his hair completely covers his face.

"Da?" he says, looking around the room. "Pa?"

"Daddy and Papa are working with Grandpa right now," I tell him. "They'll be back soon."

Matty doesn't like my answer, squirming away from me so that he is standing on the ground. He quickly toddles over to the door, catching me by surprise. He usually isn't one to wander far away. It takes me longer than I like to shake off my shock, and by the time I manage to catch him, he is already trying to crawl up the stairs.

"Matty." He just tries to crawl up the stairs quicker, causing him to slip and smack his face into the wooden flooring. "Oh, love."

He seems too surprised to cry at first, but then the tears build up as the pain increases. He buries his head in my neck, hands fisted in my t-shirt. "Pa, Da."

"They're busy right now, love." I whisper, rocking him as he continues to cry. "We'll see them soon."

He shakes his head, the feeling of snot being rubbed into my skin making me cringe. "No." He pulls away enough so that he can look at me, his eyes wet with tears. "Pa, Da."

Knowing my son and how stubborn he can be, I decide to just go find my mates, see if they can take a break so that Matty can calm down.

"Alright, let's go find Papa and Daddy."

Matty settles slightly at my words, but he is still sniffling. He is on the verge of another meltdown, so hopefully my mates are able to visit for a little bit. There is nothing worse than watching my baby cry and not being able to soothe him.

Erik and Ethan are in a meeting with Alpha Seren and a few of the others. Ever since Jesse got back a few weeks ago, they have been discussing how to handle the humans. It is worrisome to think about how the humans are kidnapping weres and forcing them to be in their wolf forms at all times. But, we have also been through a lot of shit. I don't doubt for a second that we will be able to handle the situation.

Voices rumble from inside Alpha Seren's office, making me hesitate to knock. The hopeful look on Matty's face has me pushing past the hesitation, giving a few short knocks on the door.

The voices stop inside the room, and a few seconds later, the door opens to reveal Alpha Seren.

"Liam?" he says, voice tinged with surprise. "Is something wrong?"

"Ah, not exactly," I say.

"Da! Pa!" Matty yells, causing Alpha Seren to raise an eyebrow. His lips turn up into an amused smile before he steps back from the door.

"We were about done anyway. Why don't you go get your Da and Pa, Matty?"

The baby wiggles out of my arms, making me almost drop him in his mad dash to get down. Alpha Seren chuckles as Matty toddles past him into the room.

"Pa, up!" he demands, raising his arms up when he reaches Erik.

My mate looks surprised at the demand, only hesitating for a second before bending down to pick up his son.

Both Ethan and Erik look at me once they notice the tears in Matty's eyes, the confusion clear on their faces. "He hit his face on the stairs in his mad attempt to get up here. He has been missing you both this entire morning."

Alpha Seren walks over, ruffling Matty's hair on his way past to get to his desk. "Why don't you guys go take some time together. We can pick up where we left off tomorrow."

My mates both wander out of the room, too busy listening to whatever Matty is babbling about to notice that I stayed behind. Alpha Seren notices, though. He raises a questioning brow at me, waiting for me to explain.

"I wanted to have a date night with my mates. Usually, I would ask Taylor to watch Matty for me, but he is busy hovering over Micah. Would you be able to watch him for a few hours?"

Alpha Seren sits back in his chair, hands coming to rest in his lap. "Sure, I don't mind taking him for a few hours."

"Thank you," I say, excitement bubbling inside me at the prospect of having a baby free night.

Just as I am about to leave, Alpha Seren calls my name, making me pause with my hand on the door. "You three need to take care of each other. Maria loved all of you, and she would hate to see you struggling."

Giving a shaky nod of my head, I step out of the room, closing the door behind me. It still hurts to think of Luna. She has been gone for almost two years now, which seems crazy. Sometimes, it still seems like it was only yesterday that she was sitting down to talk to me about the pregnancy.

The alpha's words make me even more determined to make the relationship work. I know that my mate's and I are perfect together. We have an adorable son and we have survived through hell together. We can get through this bump in the road.

Matty's babbling draws me in the direction of the living room. He has a wide grin on his face, revealing his tiny teeth. Those bastards are now almost completely in. Too many nights have been spent in pain while Matty teethed, and my nipples hated every second of it.

Erik is sitting on the ground, nodding his head as Matty explains something in earnest while building his block tower. Ethan is sprawled on the ground, handing Matty blocks and smiling softly as he watches Erik trying to interpret whatever the baby is saying.

Seeing that they are all occupied, I decide to start on something for dinner. The clock above the sink tells me that it is pushing three o'clock. I should have known. Matty has already been up from his nap for an hour and is probably hungry for a snack. Not wanting to stop to nurse him right now, I grab one of the fruit leathers that Micah had made the other day.

He has gotten very homey while being pregnant. Whenever Noah is asleep, he manages to make his way to the kitchen and create another masterpiece. Too bad he is most likely napping right now or else I would be asking him for help with dinner.

Deciding to go with something simple, I fill a pot with some water before setting it on the stove to boil. Casserole is easy enough, and I will be able to make a big portion, enough for everyone to eat throughout the evening.

While the water is going, I go into the living room to give Matty his fruit leather. By now he is sitting on Erik's lap, letting out a squeal of delight when Ethan knocks over the block tower, only to start rebuilding it.

"Here's something for him to munch on while waiting for dinner."

Erik takes the fruit leather from me with a small smile, giving it to the little boy. Matty is delighted by the prospect of the snack, letting Erik hold it for him. He isn't satisfied with just sitting in Erik's lap though, and insists on going in between the brothers. It is only when his face starts to screw up in irritation that Ethan scoops him up and goes to sit next to his brother, his right side pressed against Erik's left. This seems to satisfy the baby, who just munches on his fruit leather while completely sprawled across his Papa and Daddy.

"I'll be back in a little bit," I tell them, watching as Ethan mutters a quiet, "alright," while Erik just gives a small nod of his head.

Now that I am baby free, it is easier for me to get around. Making dinner is methodical, mixing the noodles with some fresh elk meat, veggies, and cheese before dumping it all in a cooking pan. Once that is all done, I sprinkle some more cheese on top and then place it in the oven.

Just as I predicated, some of the others came into the kitchen while I work on the side dishes. The casserole is cooking nicely, the smell permeating throughout the house and catching the attention of those who are hungry.

Taylor comes into the kitchen after I shoo Nik out of the for the second time, coming over to lean against the center island and watching as I prepare a salad. The tiny, rundown greenhouse in the backyard has allowed us to grow some vegetables year round. I know that Alpha Seren wants to expand it, but with the worry of the humans attacking, he hasn't gotten around to it.

"What has you working so hard in the kitchen?" Taylor says, crossing his arms over his chest as he watches me.

"Date night."

"Date night?" He raises a brow at me, clearly waiting for me to elaborate but not wanting to push me.

"Yeah. Date night." Mixing the lettuce and veggies, I set it to the side, grabbing a towel to dry my hands. "My mates and I need a night alone, without Matty. That way we can actually discuss some things."

Taylor nods his head, a smile on his face. "I'm proud of you."

His words cause a bubble of satisfaction inside me, something that I can't help. We have been close, ever since Taylor threw down that flimsy ladder to let me into his treehouse. He is one of the strongest people I know, to survive all the damage the Warriors did to him and to get over his own troubles while pregnant with Rosalie.

"Thanks," I whisper, returning the smile. He is the closest thing I have to an older brother, and it is nice to know that I have someone who is always watching out for me.

"Do you need me to watch Matty for you?" he says, pushing himself away from the counter. "I can take him for a few hours."

"No, it's fine. Alpha Seren is going to take him."

"Alright," he grabs a tomato from the salad bowl, ducking away before I can flick him. "Have fun tonight."

His words cause a blush to spread over me. Having the type of fun he is talking about is not in the plans tonight. I don't want my mates to think I am only doing this because I miss the sex.

The oven beeps, letting me know that the casserole is done. Slipping on a pair of oven mitts, I pull out the casserole, setting it down on the counter to cool for a few minutes.

My mates are still playing with Matty by the time everything is prepared and set out on the dining room table. Everything smells amazing, and I know the others are going to be making their way to the kitchen soon, so I put the second casserole into the oven to start cooking.

Peeking my head into the living room, I see that Matty is starting to get fussy, most likely hungry. He waddles over to me when I step into the room, bottom lip trembling as he lifts his arms in a silent way of asking to be held.

"Dinner is ready," I say, scooping Matty up. "Go ahead and wash up. I'll take care of Matty."

"It smells amazing, whatever it is," Ethan says before wandering over to the bathroom, Erik following close behind.

While they are in the other room, I walk into the kitchen, taking out the container of casserole I had in the fridge cooling down. Once I have that and a plate laden with food, I climb up the stairs, going slower than usual since I have to balance everything.

Alpha Seren is still in his office and calls for me to come in when I give a lazy knock.

"Ah, there he is," the alpha says, standing up from my desk. He comes over, taking Matty from me and giving him a hug. Matty eats up the attention but soon starts to wiggle, trying to reach for the food in my hands.

"I have dinner ready for both of you," I say, placing the food down on the coffee table directly in front of the door. "We should be done anywhere from an hour to two hours. If he is becoming a hassle, though, you can always just bring him down."

"Oh, he's never a hassle for grandpa. Are you, Matty?"

Matty stares up at him with a wide smile, being the perfect picture of innocence. He can't fool me, though. I have spent many nights up with him while he was in a mood and many days trying to quell temper tantrums.

"We'll be fine, Liam," he says, looking back over at me with a fond smile. He always does get a bit soft whenever Matty is around. "Enjoy your date."

Nodding my head, I make my way out of the room. Nervousness is starting to bubble up inside me. I have been with my mates for over two years, yet I still feel nervous around them. Maybe it is because, to me, this dinner is a big deal.

Giving myself a mental pat on the back, I walk down the stairs and into the dining room. It is better to have this conversation now, instead of allowing my relationship to fall apart, all from a general lack of communication and understanding. No matter how painful this is, I will get through this dinner.

Heart in tact or not, I have no idea.

*****

This chapter came out a lot longer than I was expecting, so I decided to split it into two. The next update will probably be sooner than Friday. :)