A hand pressing again my shoulder startles me out of the midday nap I had been taking. Blinking open my eyes, I look up at the rude person who interrupted my sleep, something that is hard to get during the night.

A familiar face comes into view, a smile on their face as they sit down on the blanket I have spread out across the grass.

"How are you feeling?" Taylor asks, laying Rosalie on the small patch of blanket between us.

"Alright," I answer, my eyes fixed on the small baby lying next to me. It seems like she is bigger everytime I see her, growing more into a real person.

"Better than this morning? Taylor runs his hand over Rosalie's stomach, soothing both himself and the squirming baby.

Nodding my head, I try not to think too much about the incident this morning. For some reason, the morning sickness that everyone talks about pregnant people having, crept up on me out of the blue. It was the first time I have been sick this entire pregnancy, and Tate happened to be the poor fellow who walked in on me purging my guts into the toilet early this morning.

He had quickly turned around and bolted, returning shortly with a sleep rumpled Taylor. The omega had just looked at me with a soft look in his eyes, understanding coming over his features. Tate had quickly been shooed away by his boyfriend, his brows crinkled in confusion, but he had gone anyway.

Now, hours later, my stomach is back to its normal state, and I am very appreciative. My experience this morning had not been a fun one, and I hope that this was just a one-time thing. Not likely, but one can hope.

Nodding my head, I look up at Taylor. "Way better than this morning. My stomach feels perfectly fine again."

"Good."

Neither of us says much more after that, instead choosing to lay back on the blanket and soak up some of the warmth the sun is giving off. It is too hot and bright out to be lying directly under the sun, but underneath the shade of an old maple tree is the perfect place to be.

My eyes are just starting to drift off again when Taylor asks the question I have been dreading.

"Have you talked to Alpha Seren yet?"

A feeling of unease settles in my stomach once I remember the conversation I was supposed to have with the Alpha a couple nights ago. Initially, I was going to talk to him the night that I came back from the creek, still shaking from the close encounter with the humans. But, when I had gone up to see him in his office, he was busy talking to Jesse.

My mate's eyes had widened when he saw me, sweeping over my frame before quickly turning away. The alpha had looked between us, before sighing and leaning back in his chair, asking me to come back later.

I had quickly nodded, then turned to leave, my eyes taking in as much of Jesse as they could before the door closed behind me.

Since then, I haven't worked up the nerve to go and talk to the Alpha. It has been three days since the incident, and I can tell Taylor is getting more anxious with every passing day.

"Not yet," I say, answering Taylor's question without opening my eyes.

A soft sigh comes from Taylor, and I feel the blanket shift as he tries to get more comfortable. "You really need to tell him, Micah. Who knows what those humans were searching for. They could possibly be a threat to all of us and just ignoring the problem could cause us harm in the future."

Guilt starts to pool in my stomach, and it only gets worse when I hear Rosalie's coos coming from beside me. My hand drifts down to my stomach, rubbing at the small swell. Honestly, it isn't much, it just looks like I had a large lunch. But I know that it is a baby inside me, depending on me to keep them safe.

And keep them safe is what I will do, even if talking to Alpha Seren is the last thing I want to do.

Cracking open my eyes, I turn my head, just enough so that I can see Taylor. The omega is staring at Rosalie, a soft smile on his face as he smooths down the few tufts of hair on her head. As if sensing my eyes on him, Taylor looks up at me.

"Alright," I whisper, meeting his gaze. "I'll talk to him tonight."

Taylor's lips turn up in a small, satisfied smile as he lays back down on the blanket, his eyes closing in contentment. "Good."

*****

The day went by quicker than I had wanted it to, as it does whenever I am dreading something in the future.

My stomach clenches as I head towards the stairs, but the encouraging nod from Taylor pushes me up the steps.

The second floor is completely quiet, the only noise coming from people walking on the floor above and the young ones running around in the living room downstairs. No one occupies this floor, it is mainly used for storage and the Alpha's office.

A few of the stairs let out squeaks as I step on them, and the noise is comforting in the silence. Sooner than I want, I am at the top of the stairs and making my way down the hallway, only stopping once I reach the last door on the right.

Raising my hand, I knock solidly on the wooden door, heart pounding wildly in my chest as I wait for a response.

Alpha Seren's deep voice cuts through the silence when he calls out a wary, "Come in."

Wanting to get this moment over with, I quickly turn the knob and step through the opened door.

Alpha Seren looks up from his notebook, his eyebrow raised questioningly as I close the door behind me.

"Micah?" he asks, gesturing for me to sit in one of the leather chairs across from him. "What brings you here?"

Taking my seat, I rest my hands underneath my legs, preventing me from tapping incessantly on the arms of the chair. Looking up, I see that the Alpha has his full attention on me, his notebook and pen pushed to the side as he studies me with a worried gaze.

"Is everything alright?" he asks when I don't say anything in response to his earlier question.

"Uh, probably," I mumble, my eyes falling back down to my lap once Alpha Seren's brows crease even more in worry.

"Probably?" he repeats. "That doesn't sound very promising.

"Mm."

"Are you hurt, is that's what is wrong?" he asks, his eyes flitting down my body as if searching for any injuries.

"No," I answer.

A look of confusion spreads across Alpha Seren's face before smoothing out into one of understanding. "Oh, this has to do with Jesse, doesn't it?"

My head snaps up so fast at the mention my mate's name that I wouldn't be surprised if I pulled something. "What? No. What is going on with Jesse?"

My heart seems to speed up, feeling as if it is about to rip out of my chest. Is something wrong with Jesse? I don't think I could handle something happening to him. My sister has already been taken away from me, not him too.

The look of understanding melts away from Alpha Seren's face, once again replaced by a look of confusion.

"Alright, so Jesse wasn't the reason for you coming here either."

My hands slip out from underneath my legs, clenching into fists as I try to reign back my panic. Something is obviously wrong with Jesse, and Alpha Seren knows about it. He wouldn't have mentioned it otherwise.

"Tell me what's wrong with Jesse!" I snap, my words coming out harsher than I meant for them to.

Alpha Seren lets out a long breath while slouching back into his chair, his fingers coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He mumbles something under his breath before looking back over at me, his eyes more exhausted than I have ever seen them.

"That is not my story to tell," he says.

"He is my mate. I deserve to know if something is wrong with him." My voice wavers slightly at the end, no matter how hard I try to keep it even.

"I agree; you do deserve to know." He nods his head slightly, his fingers rubbing over his days old stubble. "But he needs to be the one to tell you, not me.

If the alpha isn't willing to share what information he knows about my mate, then something must truly be wrong with him. A wave of nausea comes over me, and I barely hold myself together, wanting nothing more than to run out of here and find my idiotic mate.

I should have known something was wrong, and that is why he was being more of a jackass than usual. That is something mates are supposed to know. But knowing Jesse, he felt like telling someone that something was wrong was admitting defeat.

The alpha sees me looking over at the door and clears his throat, bringing my attention back to him. "Alright, why don't you tell me what really brought you here, and then you can leave to find Jesse."

Reluctantly, I look away from the door in order to meet the alpha's eyes. It takes all of my will power to remain in my seat, knowing that the information I am about to tell him is important.

"A few days ago, I went down to the creek that runs through the territory. Unknowingly, I had drifted pretty far down, far enough that I was at the edge of the fence." Alpha Seren's eyebrows raise slightly in surprise at my words but nods his head for me to continue. "On the other side of the fence, I heard voices, and they weren't coming from anyone in our pack. They were human."

"Human?" the alpha says, the disbelief clear in his tone. "Are you sure?"

Giving a quick nod of my head, I hope that he won't keep me here any longer, wanting to go after Jesse already and force him to tell me what is going on with him.

"They didn't have any scents distinguishing them as werewolves, and as far as I am aware, there are no other supernaturals in the world besides us."

The alpha doesn't even seem fazed by my sarcasm, his eyes distant as he mulls over my words.

"Do you remember what they were discussing?"

Shaking my head, I try to remember their exact words, but they seem to have slipped from my mind. "Something about finding something that had escaped. They seemed intent on finding it, saying that it was too dangerous to be allowed out."

Alpha Seren's eyebrows crinkle slightly but don't give any other clue as to what he is thinking. After what seems like forever, he finally looks over at me with tired eyes, his chair letting out a slight creak as he slumps back in it.

"Alright, Micah, I won't hold you any longer."

As quickly as I can without tripping over myself, I stand up and cross the room over to the door. Just before I can step out into the hallway, however, Alpha Seren calls my name, making me turn around and pause.

"Thank you for telling me about this. Knowing that humans are still alive right now is critical. Who knows what they are capable of doing."

Nodding my head, I wait for him to give me a tired smile and a shake of his head in dismissal.

The door shuts quietly behind me, and I waste no time in crossing the hallways and hurrying down the stairs. It is completely quiet on the first floor, the only sound coming from the ticking of the grandfather clock in the hallway. Everyone must have gone outside, wanting to enjoy some of the late afternoon sunshine.

Knowing that Jesse is more than likely outside as well, I slip on a pair of flip flops before going in search of him.

The sun is not nearly as warm as it was just a few hours ago, now that it is setting, and everyone seems to be relishing in the cool down.

Liam and Taylor are sitting on a couple of camping chairs, their little ones sitting on their laps while nursing. Elliot and the twins seem to be trying to build a ramp for their hot wheels cars, Tate and Erik assisting them in the task. Ethan, on the other hand, is under the hood of his father's truck, face screwed up in concentration as he tries to fix the engine. Avery is standing next to him, seemingly trying to explain something to the alpha, and getting frustrated when Ethan just shakes his head.

My eyes scan across the rest of the yard, finding Andrea and Nik stacking some wood on the other side of the house. Even Alexis is out here, legs crossed in the grass as she proceeds to sharpen her knife. But Jesse is nowhere to be found, and the anxious twisting of my stomach is just getting worse.

She must feel my eyes on her because Alexis looks up from her knife, eyes easily meeting mine from where she is sitting under the shade of the same maple tree Taylor and I had been laying under this morning.

Her hands still from their task, and she sheathes her knife before hooking it to her waist. Pushing herself up off the ground, she starts in my direction, tilting her head to the left, indicating for me to follow her.

It only takes me about ten seconds to cross the yard, meeting her next to the trail that leads to the creek.

"With how anxious you look, I'm assuming you're looking for Jesse?" Alexis asks, her arms crossing over her chest.

Pursing my lips, I nod my head, not bothering to try and be snarky with the beta standing in front of me. Honestly, she scares me a little bit, always has. The scar running from her hairline down to her collarbone makes her look even more intimidating, even though I know she would never hurt me.

She lets out a long sigh before nodding her head to the left of us, where the trail that leads down to the creek begins. "He is down there, fishing at the creek and doing his usual brooding." Her eyes run along my body, seeming to notice every little thing, before once again meeting my eyes. "Maybe you two can finally start to patch up your strained relationship."

My eyebrow lifts incredulously at her words, but Alexis just shrugs before walking back over towards the maple tree she had been sitting under before.

Not wanting to waste anymore time worrying over my mate, I head down the familiar trail, stepping over all of the tree roots in the path that like to trip me whenever I am walking too fast.

Ten minutes later, the trees start to become sparser, until I completely walk out of the tree line. The creek trickles in front of me, the sound soothing.

My eyes scan around the area, taking a few minutes to find Jesse, sitting on a rock that slightly hangs over the creek, letting his feet dangle over the edge without getting wet. A fishing pole is in his hands. Meeka sits right behind him, fast asleep.

That dog likes to come and go as she pleases, sleeping in the house at night, but staying outside for the entire day. She fits in well with our pack, being able to take care of herself, yet still wanting to be around others.

Taking a deep breath, I close the distance between me and Jesse. He doesn't seem to notice me at first, eyes unfocused as he stares off into the distance. It is only when I say his name from right behind him that he tenses up.

Carefully, I drop down next to him effectively trapping him on the rock. If he wants to escape, he will have to jump into the creek. I don't doubt he will if he truly wants to get away, but I am hopeful that he will stay for at least a little bit. There are important things we need to talk about, after all.

"Micah?" the way he says my name, voice deep yet still soft, makes heat run through my body. Not anyway sexual, more like a comforting feeling. Being this close to my mate is making some of the anxiety I have been carrying around melt away, knowing that I am safe next to him. "What are you doing out here?"

The worry in his voice makes me want to smile, but I hold it back, raising an incredulous eyebrow instead.

"I come out here all the time, Jesse, I am not incompetent."

Frustration comes over his face, his eyebrows scrunching together and making his blue eyes look darker.

"I didn't mean it like that," he says, his words low as he stares down at his hands. They clench together, showcasing all the tension in his body. In all honesty, it looks as if he is bracing himself. "You shouldn't be around me, it isn't safe." He says the last part harshly, shame filtering in through his words.

My own eyebrows scrunch together, but with confusion and worry instead of frustration. Before I can stop myself, my hand reaches out, settling on his back. "Are you alright, Jesse? I-Is something wrong?" It takes everything for me to say that last sentence, my entire being just wanting to recoil at the thought of something being wrong with my mate.

Jesse becomes even more tense at my words, which I did not think was possible. He doesn't say anything though, which is answer enough. It feels as if something inside of me is breaking, and my breath hitches, seconds before tears start to form.

"No, nothing can be wrong." My words come out harsh as I try to hold back my tears. My hand falls to my stomach. "Because I need you right now, Jesse. I need you to be okay."

Jesse must see my movement out the corner of his eye, because his face turns toward me, gaze dropping down to the small curve of my stomach that my hand is resting on. His eyes widen as understanding falls over him.

His voice sounds strangled when he speaks next. "You're pregnant?"

Nodding my head, I keep his gaze, not wanting him to see how scared this unplanned pregnancy and him being absent has made me. It is only because of my need to not crack under the tension, that I see the transformation come over Jesse.

His bright blue eyes seem to flicker, changing quickly between gold and his normal blue. His breathing becomes harsh as he tries to hold himself back, but it is no use. Tufts of hair sprout out around the edges of his face and his teeth start to elongate into sharper canines.

Jesse meets my gaze one last time before jumping down from the rock into the water and running off into the trees as quick as he can.

My heart speeds up at what I had just seen, but it was what was so clear in Jesse's eyes that scares me the most.

Fear.