Running.

That's all I remember doing after Micah told me about him and... and the baby.

To think that my mate is pregnant and the both of them being in danger while around me, makes me just want to claw at my skin, be rid of my wolf spirit that is so out of control right now.

When he told me about him being pregnant, mixed emotions had surged through me. Happiness, that Micah and I had created something wonderful together. Sadness, that I wouldn't be able to be around him during his pregnancy. Anger, that my wolf spirit is so out of control that I can't be with him, even if I want nothing more than to work out our issues, now especially.

And the feeling that seems to be flooding through me the most is fear.

My wolf spirit had almost gained control when he told me, pushing me as hard as it could to complete the mating bite. But I knew that even attempting to do that in my state would result in Micah getting hurt. Him being weaker than my wolf would make it impossible to fight me off.

I didn't want to leave Micah after he told me about being pregnant, but I could feel my wolf spirit forcing itself to the surface. My face had started to sprout fur, and I could feel my teeth start to elongate and sharpen into ones of a wolf. Using what was left of my control, I had forced myself to jump in the creek and run as far away as possible from Micah, not wanting to risk hurting him.

Now, I find myself collapsed on the ground, panting as I try to catch my breath. Clenching my hands, I feel the dirt underneath me, using that to try to center myself and gain control of my body. My wolf spirit fights hard but is weaker now that I have put some distance between me and Micah.

After what seems like forever, my wolf spirit recedes, allowing me to be myself again.

Exhausted, I flop down on my back, eyes half-lidded as I stare up at the blue sky peeking in through the green leaves of the trees that surround me.

Now that my mind is completely my own again, I think back to what happened by the creek. Micah had looked wonderful, which is nothing unusual. He has always been beautiful, having softer features than his older brother. His eyes, blue with hints of green, are framed by dark lashes, making them standout even more. The paleness of his skin has always contrasted greatly with his dark hair and rosy lips, and it makes my fingers itch to feel the softness of it.

To think that he is pregnant with our baby makes something inside me twist, pride and happiness flooding through me. Too bad I am too messed up right now to be with him.

I can't keep him safe and being around me is a danger to him and the baby. Leaving is the only way I can guarantee I won't hurt them, and even though it feels as if a part of me is dying whenever I think about being away from him, I know I have to do it.

It is what is best for Micah, and I will always put him first.

"I thought I might find you out here," a voice says from my right.

Not bothering to get up, I just turn my head in their direction, finding Alpha Seren standing less than ten feet away from me with a hiking pack on his back.

When I don't answer him, he makes his way over to me, leaning against a tree that is only a couple of feet away from me.

"I talked to Micah earlier today, and I had a feeling something would happen after you talked to him." His eyes flicker down to me before he continues. "Your wolf is only getting stronger, Jesse, and I believe after today, you won't be able to control yourself any longer around your mate. It is time for you to leave so you can gain control again."

I know his words are true. Hell, I had just been saying the same ones to myself minutes before he came, but that doesn't make them hurt any less.

Nodding my head, I force myself to get up, stumbling a bit when I first get to my feet before gaining my footing.

"I have a pack here for you all ready to go," Alpha Seren says, shrugging the backpack off of his shoulders before handing it to me. "Everything you need is in there: some rope, food, sleeping bag, matches. There is more, but you already know that."

Nodding my head, I take the pack that Alpha Seren is holding out to me. "Thanks," I mumble, not able to work up the effort to say anything else.

Alpha Seren nods his head. "But before you leave, I should tell you what Micah came to talk to me about."

Curious and worried, my eyebrows scrunch up as I finally meet his eyes. The alpha standing before me looks worn down, his exhaustion clear as day on his face.

"Apparently, there are humans near our border," he says, voice even as he speaks. "Micah saw them when he was out by the creek that is by the southern fence line."

My eyebrows scrunch up in confusion at his words. "Humans aren't too much to worry about, as long as you stay away from them. They have all gone insane."

The alpha hums, nodding along with my words. "That is what I thought as well since I haven't had any encounters with the humans since the beginning of the outbreak. I thought they had all either died from the infection or from each other, but it seems as if I was mistaken.

"Micah said the ones he heard were speaking rationally. Well, at least one of them was. They were apparently looking for something that had escaped, potentially dangerous."

"Could it be a danger to us?" I ask, mind wandering as I try to imagine what else is outside these fence lines. I thought I had seen it all, but it seems that I have not.

Alpha Seren looks off to the side, face pinched. "I have no idea, and it is driving me crazy." His jaw tightens as he clenches his teeth together in frustration. "It may be something that is only dangerous to the humans or something they only perceive as dangerous but truly not." He looks over at me, the tightness never leaving his face. "Or it could be something that could attack us here, wiping all of us out."

A bolt of fear runs through me, causing my entire form to be rigid. A creature that could potentially wipe out our entire pack is near our home. The wolf spirit inside me flares to the surface, wanting me to run to Micah and make sure he is safe. For once, I actually agree with my wolf, barely restraining myself from protecting my mate and pup away from any possible threat.

But I am a threat as well, and that thought is the only thing keeping me in my spot and not running towards the pack house.

"This is a serious threat, Jesse, and it needs to be treated as so." Alpha Seren's words snap me out of my thoughts. Looking over at him, I see him already watching me.

"Of course," I respond, my words coming out steadier than I thought they would. "What needs to be done?"

Alpha Seren looks pleased by my answer, some but not all of his tension bleeding away. He turns to the right, gesturing for me to follow him before walking. Without hesitating, I follow behind him, noticing that we are walking back in the general direction of the house. Before we come anywhere near it, though, Alpha Seren deters off the path and into the underbrush. For about ten minutes, we both walk in silence until we finally reach a tiny shack that has plants growing alongside it.

The alpha walks right up to it, pulling a key out from behind a patch of ivy growing on the side of the shack, before inserting it into the lock. It takes a little bit of effort, but the door finally swings open.

My curiosity pushes me to follow behind him, not waiting for his permission before entering the small shack.

The sight before me causes a surprised and intrigued, "Whoa," to slip out before I can stop it.

The walls of the little shack are completely covered, only small sections of the wall visible. Weapons- including all types of guns, machetes, batons, and dynamite- are neatly organized along the surface of the walls. Two skinny tables are pushed to the sides of the shack, stacks of wires and chemicals covering the surface of one. The other one has glass bottles with corks sealing them sitting on top of it. Inside the bottles is a dark red, almost black liquid, and even when I take a closer look, I can't recognize what it is.

"Infected blood."

The words cause me to halt, looking over my shoulder at the alpha. He nods his head in the direction of the glass containers.

Slowly, I turn my head back around so that I can look at the liquid again. Intrigued, I reach out and carefully pick one of them up, bringing it closer to my face so I can take a look. The dark red liquid is thicker than I expected, glopping from one side of the container to the other as I tip it from side to side.

"Why the hell do you have containers of infected blood?" I question, finally setting the glass container back down on the table. "And how did you even get it?"

Alpha Seren picks up a small pack from the corner, carefully filling it with all sorts of weapons. He doesn't answer my questions until the bag is nearly full, coming to stop by me in order to grab two of the containers.

"It deters the infected away since they don't like the smell. It isn't fresh and clean like the meat they are looking for." He carefully wraps the glass containers in a towel that was laying on the table before setting them in the bag. "This blood is the only thing that keeps that infected from attacking our fences every other day since it is placed periodically around the fence line. And as for how I got it," he shrugs his shoulders while zipping up the pack, "well, it isn't too hard to find an infected in town and drain it after I finish it off."

He turns me around by pushing my shoulder, making it possible for him to clip the small weapons filled pack onto the one already on my back.

Once I know that he is done, I turn back around, following him as he walks out of the shack. He pauses for a second to relock it and stash the key away again before coming to stand by me.

"With those humans out there, clearly looking for something dangerous, you have to be prepared for what you might encounter." He starts walking back in the direction that we had come, easily trudging through the underbrush. "Now, I know how good you are at tracking and observing, so I am going to ask something of you that is very important."

"Okay," I say, somewhat hesitant to hear what he has to say.

We reach the fence line, and Alpha Seren turns to face me. "You need to track those humans and see where they came from. Perhaps you can find out what they may be looking for and how much of a threat they are to us."

Honestly, what he is asking from me is something I had already decided to do as soon as he told me about the humans that Micah had heard. No way would I be able to sit by while a potential threat was so near my mate and pup. Besides, I will need something to do for the few months that I am outside these lands.

"Alright," I say, "I can do that."

For the first time during this entire conversation, Alpha Seren's lips twitch into a small smile. He reaches up to pat me on the shoulder, a move that would have been awkward had it been anybody else.

With a weary sigh, I give my home one last look before turning away from the alpha and walking over to the gate in the fence. Before I can open it, however, fast footsteps crash their way through the woods, getting closer and closer until the person finally comes into view.

"Don't you dare think about leaving without me, Jesse Blue Davis," Alexis says, her voice breathless from the hard running she had just done.

She has her own pack on her back, the front clasps not even clipped from her haste to get here. Her hair is thrown up in a hasty ponytail, leaving her scar on full display, making her look even more dangerous than I already know she is.

Knowing that arguing with my sister would be pointless, I just shake my head, a smile creeping up on my lips. She makes her way over to me, giving a brief wave to the alpha before stepping through the open gate after me. The gate swings closed, and the click from the lock is audible in the relatively quiet air.

"Wouldn't dream of it."