The weather outside matches the mood inside the tent. Wind howls and rain comes down in sheets, but the tent remains upright, not being swayed by the outside forces.

Mom is by the fire, cooking some rabbit that Papa had caught in one of his traps earlier today. He keeps shooting me worried glances, but I just continue to ignore them, not wanting to hear any more about how I shouldn't worry about Rowan.

It's useless. He's been out cold for over a week now. Every morning and every night, Taylor comes over to check on him. Together, we get some water into his system, knowing that he needs to keep hydrated. But besides that, Taylor hasn't been able to do anything to get him to wake up.

Henry and Rosalie are suffering the same fate. At least Henry shifted back into a human, but other than that, the two of them have been as dead to the world as my boyfriend.

"Dinner is ready," Mom says, removing the rabbit from the grate that sits on top of the woodstove.

"Thanks," I mumble, taking the plate he offers me. We both eat in silence, the only sounds being Elias. He has been just as out-of-sorts as the rest of us. He has been clingy lately, crying whenever I put him down, and I know that he is going to start back up soon. He is kicking his legs in his basket, making little whines every once in a while.

The food is tasteless, but I force myself to eat it. My milk supply already dropped once this week, and I had to fight like hell to get it back up. Hearing my baby cry from hunger was one of the worst things I have ever experience. The echoes of his cries push me to take another bite, despite how much I just want to push the plate off my lap.

A ring comes from outside the tent, signaling that someone wishes to come inside. Setting down my plate, I get up to see who it is.

Noah, Beckett, and Aria are waiting out there. Quickly, I usher them in, the storm out there bordering on scary.

"How are you doing?" Noah asks me, setting Aria down in the crib next to Elias.

Shrugging, I cross my arms over my chest. "Fine."

He just raises a skeptical brow at me, clearly not believing a word I say. "Wanna try that again?"

Rolling my eyes, I watch as Beckett helps mom clean up, the two of them talking in low voices. "It's hard, Noah. I want him to wake up already. The bond is broken and the humans and infected are gone. Everything should be going well. But instead, I can't sleep, because I fear that if I don't watch him, he'll stop breathing."

My voice catches, and I clear my throat, refusing to meet my best friend's eyes. I know that all I will see will be sympathy, and I don't want that right now.

Arms wrap around me, startling me a bit, but it only takes a second for me to relax in Noah's hold. His hand brushes over my hair, the gesture a familiar and soothing one. "He'll wake up, Matty. He's too stubborn not too. He has you and your son waiting for him. There's no way he'll let anything happen to him. You just have to be patient."

I snort.

He nods, his chin brushing my cheek. "Yeah, I know. That really is asking a lot from anyone in your family."

His words bring a small smile to my face. Noah must know because he finally pulls away from me. "Do you want me and Beckett to stay with you tonight? We'll watch over Rowan for you while you get some sleep. You really look like you're about to drop."

After a few seconds of hesitation, I finally nod my head. "Yeah, I'd appreciate that."

"Good, because I was about to drag you over to my tent and force you to take a nap," Mom says from behind me. He is smiling, but the worried glint in his eyes tells me that he probably would have done just what he said.

Noah laughs. "Don't worry, we'll take care of him tonight. But once the sun comes up, he's all your again."

Mom just shakes his head. "That's fine with me." He turns to look at me. "I'll be back tomorrow, love. Get some rest, please."

"I'll try."

"That's all I ask." He gives me a tight hug, dropping a kiss on the top of my hair before pulling away. "I'll make cinnamon bread for breakfast."

Noah looks at Beckett." Never mind, we're staying until after breakfast."

Beckett just rolls his eyes but doesn't disagree.

Mom leaves after giving Elias a kiss on his little cheek, tucking his blanket around him. He is quick to kick it off, and his whines are becoming louder and stronger. My chest pinches, and I quickly walk over to the crib. With my milk supply barely being enough, I can't linger when I feel a let down coming on.

Noah goes to stoke the fire while Beckett ducks out of the tent, presumably to get their stuff that they will need for the night.

Elias cries as I lay down on the bed, pulling up my shirt in the process. It takes a bit of maneuvering, but I eventually get him latched. Immediately, he settles down, eyes fluttering as he eats.

My hand drifts over his head, eyes drinking in his features. Ever since Rowan fell into unconsciousness, I have found myself looking for him even more in our son. The wispy hair on top of his head is dark, but who knows if it will stay that way. His nose is all mine, but his pouty lips belong to his father. I hope he gets the freckles that Rowan has, and his smile. But those are things I am going to have to wait a while to see.

Looking up at Rowan, my heart clenches. With my free hand, I reach out for Rowan's, my finger's tightening around his slack ones.

"Come on, love. It's time to wake up." He is as still and as quiet as before. Carefully, I scoot closer to him, our son tucked in between us. "I need you here. We need you here." Swallowing, I force back the tears that are trying to overflow. "I love you so much and I don't know if I can do this without you. Even if we aren't mates, you still are the other half of my soul. You're the love of my life, and have been since I knew what love was."

Leaning forward, I press a soft kiss against the corner of his lips. They are dry, the plushness I am used to not there. Clenching my eyes shut, I lay back down on the bed, hand petting over Elias' head as he eats.

The entrance flap to the tent swooshes, telling me that Noah and Beckett must be back. Gentle murmurs of their conversation flow over me, the rustling of stuff being moved as they settle in.

Eventually, the bed dips. A hand brushes through my hair, gentle in the caresses. Peeking open an eye, I see Noah watching me, his look one full of sympathy. "Do you need anything, before going to bed?"

"No, I'm fine."

His eyes flicker over me, trying to see if I am telling the truth. After being appeased, he nods, leaning down to drop a kiss to my forehead. "Well, we're right here if you need anything, alright?"

Nodding, I turn back towards Rowan. Noah pulls the blankets up, tucking them around me. It staves off the cold more, and I find myself relaxing, despite the anxiety that is still sitting heavy inside me.

Somehow, I am able to drift off. My exhaustion must have caught up with me because I am asleep before I even know it.

But the sleep is cut short.

Something has woken me, and I blink my eyes open. It is quiet in the tent, the only sounds being the storm outside and the crackling fire in the woodstove. Pushing myself up, I see that Noah and Beckett are asleep on the makeshift bed they constructed last night. Aria is snuffling I her sleep, but not loud enough to have woken me.

Eyebrows crinkled in confusion, I look down at Elias. Even he is still asleep. He is curled close to Rowan, little fingers twitching in his sleep.

Irritated, I lay back down on the bed, but now that I am awake, I have lost the ability to fall back asleep.

As gently as I can, I pick Elias up, moving him over to his crib. No matter how slow I move, I know that it was a false hope to be able to move him without him waking up H is little nose twitches, and he starts rubbing his face on my chest.

Sighing, I move over to the chair in front of the fire, having to maneuver my way around the sleeping bodies on the ground. It is a tight fit with everyone in here, but I manage to not accidentally kick anyone.

Just as I am settling down in the chair, Elias is waking up. His hands start to move, flailing in his inability to control them yet. His little lips pucker, telling me that he is about to cry.

"Shh, it's alright, love. Mama's here." Pulling up my shirt, I get him latched. He still struggles with that. Once he is latched, I pull his bottom lip out, helping him so that it will be easier for him to nurse. "There, love."

He blinks up at me, little hand flailing. Holding my finger up, I watch as he tightens his little fingers around mine before pulling it close. A smile spreads across my face as I watch him, completely mesmerized.

This is my baby, the one I created with my soul mate. Something that I never thought I would get to have. It still blows my mind whenever I sit down to think about it.

Gently, I pick myself up from the chair and carry us back over to the bed. Elias grumbles at being moved while eating but settles once he is tucked against me. Despite my earlier desire to put him in his crib, I know I won't be able to fall back asleep with him so far away. With my family being thrown into disequilibrium, I need them as close to me as possible.

I just hope that everything gets better soon, that Rowan wakes up. Because I don't know how much more of this I can take without completely melting down.