Mom glanced at her mate before she looked at me. Her dark gray eyes were filled with pain and sadness, and I could see a little bit of worry on her face. "We prepare for war," she said before she cleared her throat and shifted in her wheelchair. "Unfortunately, war is coming faster than we hope and like, and I don't know when it's going to happen, but I know that it is going to happen soon."

I set my jaw and slowly nodded. "Do you know when the war is going to happen?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question while I looked at her and then at Roger, who sat near her, wanting him to answer that question.

Roger sighed and moved a hand through his gray hair while he shook his head, pursing his lips in annoyance. "Soon," he said before he cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. "I am hoping that it won't happen for a while so that we can prepare and make sure that there is not a lot of death, but I am afraid that that will not be the case."

I nodded again and pressed my lips into a thin line. "Do you think that Nikolai might know?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

"That is a possibility," Roger said with a small nod. "I am sure that he has a little bit more knowledge about it now that someone decided to get captured and then escape." He looked at my mother when he said that, and she bit back a small smile while she rubbed her stomach and leaned back in her wheelchair.

"Oh, he's coming when the baby is born," she said with a small hum in her voice, tucking her head closer to her chest. "There is no doubt in my mind that is when the war is going to happen. I do not need to talk to my brother to find that out."

"And you are giving birth soon?" Roger asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

Mom chuckled and nodded. "Sooner than I would like, but yes," she said before she cleared her throat and shifted in her wheelchair, growing serious. "The doctor is thinking that she will be born within the week."

"But it's a couple of months early. Right?" I asked while I looked between the two of them before I looked at my mother. I frowned and furrowed my brows, worried for my mom and baby sister. "I mean, a human's gestation is nine months, right?"

"Correct," Mom said and nodded in confirmation while she rubbed her stomach and sighed. "But remember, I am also a half-breed. I am not just human, Daniel." She gave me a pointed look and raised both eyebrows in unison.

"So, her child could fully survive and live if she is closer to six months than nine," Roger said, and we looked at him. "And since Jess has been pregnant for more than six months..."

"Then it could be soon." She rubbed her belly some more and grimaced, moving forward with a small groan in pain. "And I am more than sure she wants out now." Pain filled her voice when she said that, and I had a feeling that my sister kicked her in the ribs or somewhere else hard.

"Are you going to induce, or..?" Trent raised an eyebrow in question while he looked between my mom and dad before he focused his gaze on my mom.

My mom and dad stayed silent while they looked at each other before they looked at Trent. They didn't say a word while they looked at him, and Trent shifted in his seat, looking very nervous and worried.

Finally, Dad sighed and shook his head, moving a hand through his hair and pursing his lips in annoyance. "We do not know," he said. "We haven't come to that decision yet."

"The doctor said it would be fine for us to have a c-section or to get induced now, or we can wait until when the baby decides to pop out," Mom said. "What we do know is that we do not want me to be in labor or pregnant when the battle comes knocking at our doors."

I slowly nodded and pressed my lips into a thinner line. "Should we call some of our alliances and tell them to be on hand?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "Or should this be an internal affair type of thing?"

"I can call Dean and see if he will allow some of his warriors to come up here and help," Mom said. She looked at my mate and smiled when she saw a look of confusion on her face. "He is my brother." She shrugged and grimaced. "Well, he's from the family that had adopted me, but he's my brother nevertheless."

"Please do," I said and nodded, "and other connections that you may have."

She nodded before she frowned. "I don't think it will be a good idea to call Bethany Ann and Damion," she said. "I've heard through the grapevine that they are having problems of their own." She cleared her throat and shifted in the wheelchair to get comfortable but looked to be failing when she huffed in annoyance. "Apparently her "father" is causing some drama in her pack, and they are on edge."

I nodded and frowned, feeling worried for that Alpha, even though I knew that he would be able to handle anything thrown his way, for he had been Alpha longer than I had been. "Did you tell them that we would be of service if they needed anything?" I asked.

"Of course," she said and nodded, "and they said that they would be of service if we needed anything, but from the sounds of it..." She shrugged and grimaced before she shook her head. "I do not think it would be a good idea."

"I will also have some men here," Roger said, and we looked at him. "It would be for the best that it stays with this pack, but I do not think it will be possible."

"Then I will contact any neighboring allies and let them know and ask for help," I said and nodded. "What are we going to do about the other prisoners that were at the encampment?"

"Well, we have already been in contact with about half of the group's packs," Trent said, "and we have set up a way for them to get home safely."

"Some of them are wanting to stay to help out and get some revenge against the group that had captured them," Mom said. "Those that have decided to stay have been set up with some accommodations and then some warriors have been set up with them just to make sure that they are not going to hurt our pack members or get hurt by them."

I nodded, feeling very relieved. "Are there any that are wanting to join our pack?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

"Not that I have heard, but that doesn't mean there isn't a chance that they don't want to join," she replied and gave me a pointed look. She cleared her throat and shifted in the wheelchair some more. "However, that is not my decision, so I can not advise them to join or not."

I nodded again. "What about the girl?" I asked while I looked between Mom and Roger before I looked at her. "Jessica?"

Mom set her jaw and looked at Roger, not saying a word while she raised an eyebrow in question.

"Nikolai wants her to stay with your mom," Roger said and gestured to Mom before he cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. "However, her mom is in the same pack that Damion is in. She's a doctor over there."

"How do you know?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

"Because I have been over there a couple of times," he replied, "and Nikolai had told me who her mother was, and I have met her before."

"Why did you go over there?" I asked and cocked my head while I studied her, curious.

Roger smiled sadly and shook his head. He didn't say a word while he looked at my mom, and I could tell that he was silently asking her if she knew.

Mom smiled sadly and nodded in confirmation. "I do," she said before she cleared her throat and rubbed her stomach. "I know that information as well."

"What information?" I asked and furrowed my brows while I looked between the two of them and then looked fully at my mother, growing curious but also nervous about what she had to reveal. "Mom?"

"Do not say a word to anyone about this. Is that understood? This goes for all of you. Nothing is to be said outside of this room until I deem it safe. Ok?"

There were a few murmurs of agreement while we nodded, silently agreeing that we would not talk about this to anyone and keep it amongst ourselves.

My mother nodded and looked at me again. "Bethany Anne is not half human and half werewolf," she said, her gray eyes turning darker and becoming filled with pain and sadness. "She's like me and Katie."

She paused and licked her lips, clearing her throat and growing serious. "She's half werewolf and half hunter with both sides activated or close to being fully activated."

She sighed and moved a hand through her hair before she cleared her throat again, tucking her head closer to her chest. "And she can be used as a weapon, much greater than me."