Someone cleared their throat from the doorway to the kitchen, and I looked that way to see one of my pack members standing there with his hands behind his back. He smiled and bowed his head, submitting ever so slightly. "Alpha," he said.

"Leo," I said and nodded in greeting but frowned when I saw that he looked grave and nervous about something he was sent to tell me. "What is it?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question while I stared at him. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Leo cleared his throat and bowed lower while he shifted on his feet. "You have a guest waiting for you in your office, and he looks grave and nervous."

Thd hair on the back of my neck stood at attention, and my whole body grew still. "Oh?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question while I continued to study him. "Who? Who is waiting for me in my office?"

"Roger," Leo said and bowed again. "Roger is the one that is waiting for you in your office. He says that you have to meet him quickly and for you to meet him alone." He looked at my mate before he looked at me, biting back a small frown. "That means that our Luna can't go, so my apologies to you, Alpha," he said and bowed his head as if I would be annoyed at him, even though he was only the messenger.

I bit back a tired sigh and slowly nodded while I moved a hand through his hair. "Ok," I said before I looked at JJ and Katie, biting back a small smile. "I do not think I will be able to finish the pancakes for you both. Do you mind if Jesse takes over and finishes them for me? He makes some mean pancakes, too."

Jesse nodded in agreement. "I can make sure that you have some of his pancakes later, or the ones that he has made already." He gestured toward the two that were on the plate that I was going to use for their finished pancakes.

"And Jesse will make sure that you both stay safe while I am in this meeting. I trust him with my life, and my mother trusts him with her life, too."

"That is because I was also a student of hers," Jesse said and stood before he cleared his throat and licked his lips while he grew serious. "She had also saved my life and made it so that I lived here instead of where I lived in the past."

Katie cocked her head to the side and furrowed her brows. She raised an eyebrow in question while she studied him, and I could tell that she was interested in his past and what he meant by saying that my mother saved his life.

Jesse bit back a small smile and bowed his head. "I can tell you later, Luna, but I would like it if we could talk in private. Your mate will be with us because I know damn well that your mate will not let us talk alone. Is that ok?" He looked at me and then at my mate to see what she would say.

My mate hesitated and slowly nodded, biting back a small smile. She didn't say a word to him and looked at me. 'Go ahead and go see Roger,' she said. 'JJ and I will be fine here. Ok? Pancakes will be ready when you are back.'

I bit back a small chuckle and slowly nodded. "Ok," I said and looked at Jesse, growing serious. "We can talk whenever," I said. "I would suggest that we talk after the fight, though. Is that ok?" I raised an eyebrow in question, and Joey nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, Alpha," he said. He cleared his throat and shifted on his feet before he walked over to the stove to make pancakes. "Now, go ahead and go. See when we will be fighting because I have a feeling that it is going to be soon."

I bit back a tired sigh and slowly nodded, moving a hand through my hair. "That is what I am fearing," I said before I cleared my throat and licked my lips. "Excuse me, I will be back as soon as I can."

"But first, say goodbye to your mate," Jesse said, and I rolled my eyes and bit back a small snort. He flashed me a small smirk and a wink. "And then you can go ahead and leave us while you talk with him."

I bit back a small snort before I shook my head and looked at Leo, growing serious. "Tell Roger that I will be there as soon as I can after I say goodbye to my mate, which will not take me long at all."

"Yes, Alpha," Leo said and nodded. "Excuse me." He bowed and started to make his way toward the office, and I couldn't help but shake my head at him before I turned my attention and walked over to my mate.

Katie bit back a small smile and tucked her head closer to her chest. She didn't say a word, and a look of worry flashed through her eyes while she stared at me as if she was nervous that something bad was going to happen to us.

I bit back a small smile and tucked my head closer to my chest while I stared at her. "You will be fine, Katie," I promised and pulled her into a small hug, and she instantly wrapped her arms around my waist and buried her face into my chest. "I will be back in a bit," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I will be fine, and so will you. Ok?"

Katie bit back a small whine and slowly nodded. She didn't say a word and grabbed me tighter. Her whole body was tense, and I could tell that she was nervous, scared even because she didn't like it that I was going to leave her when there was too much danger in the air.

I bit back a small chuckle and placed a kiss to the side of her head, and she closed her eyes and smiled. "I will see you in a bit," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "Take care of JJ and show her around if you want to. She doesn't need to keep hiding like she has been. Ok?"

Katie nodded again and grabbed me tighter. She pulled away from me and looked at JJ, who was watching us with a nervous and an amused look on her face. 'He is right,' she said and tucked her head closer to her chest. 'I will make sure that you stay safe while you explore.'

JJ bit back a small smile and slowly nodded. A look of worry and sadness filled her eyes. She didn't say a word, and I could tell that she didn't like that I was leaving her in the care of someone else, even though I trusted him with my life.

I bit back a small smile and walked over to her, and I opened my arms to see if she wanted to give me a hug.

JJ hopped out of her seat and walked over to me. She didn't say a word and hugged me, jumping ever so slightly as if she wanted to be picked up and not standing on her own two feet.

I bit back a small grunt and took a step back before I picked her up, and she instantly wrapped her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck. "You will be fine, ok?" I pressed a small kiss to the side of her head and squeezed her, reassuringly. "No one is going to hurt you because you are my cousin, and both your aunt and I will hurt anyone that tries. All right?"

JJ bit back a small whine and slowly nodded, and I had this feeling that she didn't believe me. "Ok," she said, and her voice was barely above a whisper. She squeezed me tighter before she cleared her throat and licked her lips. "Is it bad that I am still scared?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, and I couldn't help but chuckle and shake my head.

"No," I said and placed another kiss to the side of her head, and she closed her eyes and buried herself closer to me. "It is not bad that you are scared. You are in a new place, and it is understandable that you are scared. If you weren't, then I would be worried."

"Why?" she asked and furrowed her brows. She pulled away from me and bit back a small frown, cocking her head to the side while she studied me. "Why would you be worried if I wasn't scared?"

I bit back a small smile and tucked my head closer to my chest while I set her down until she was standing on her feet. "Because this is something new and different from what you have grown up with and have learned in the past, so it is understandable if you are scared. And if you weren't, then I would be worried because I would have been scared if I were in your position and you were in mine."

"Really?" JJ asked and cocked her head to the side, raising an eyebrow in question. Shock and surprise filled her eyes, and a look of wonderment flashed through her eyes while she studied me, trying to see if I was telling her the truth.

I bit back a small smile and slowly nodded in confirmation. "Really," I said and moved a hand through her hair, and she groaned and wrinkled her nose while she pursed her lips in annoyance. "Now, go ahead and sit back down, JJ. When he is done with the food, go ahead and get something to eat. I am sure that he will be done with the pancakes soon."

"Will you cook us pancakes at some point, too, please?" JJ asked and cocked her head to the side while she studied me. "Or is that not going to happen?" She did what I told her to do and sat down with Katie sitting beside her.

I bit back a small smile and tucked my head closer to my chest while I stared at them. "I will make you and Katie pancakes as soon as I am able to, but unfortunately that will not happen today."

JJ nodded and looked satisfied with my answer. "Good, now go and see what's going on and why Roger wants you. Also, if you are on a call with my daddy, can you tell him that I am safe and alive?" she asked and cocked her head to the side while she studied me, biting back a smile. "Please?"

"Absolutely," I said and nodded my head in confirmation. "I can do that for you. Now, if you will excuse me, I will take my leave and see what news Roger has for me."

And with that, and without another word, I left the kitchen and went to go take care of this business, silently praying that nothing bad would happen to my mate and cousin while I was away.

Oh Goddess, please keep them safe while I do this...

Please...