Roger's phone rang while he was on the computer doing something, and Roger quickly stopped what he was doing and answered the call. "Roger," he said curtly and tucked his head closer to his chest.

"It's me," the voice on the other side of the line said, their voice barely above a whisper, and I had to strain my hearing to hear him.

A look of relief washed over Roger's face before he was able to cover it, and he paused in what he was doing and looked at the phone. "Ni-"

"I'll have to call you back in thirty minutes, Sir," he said, interrupting the older male from saying something. "Plans have changed, and I am not in a safe position to continue to talk to you. I have to find someplace safe."

"Bu-"

"Please, Sir," the man, Nikolai, said, interrupting him. "I need to go. I'll call you back in thirty minutes. You have my word, Sir."

Roger bit back a tired sigh and slowly nodded before he looked at me, running a hand through his hair and across his face. "Can you wait thirty more minutes before we are able to have this conversation?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

I nodded and pressed my lips into a thin line. I didn't say a word, not knowing if it was safe for me to talk or not, so I decided not to say a word.

Nikolai paused, and he narrowed his eyes. "Who is with you, Sir?" he asked, and I could hear the protectiveness and defensiveness in his voice. "Who are you asking if it is alright with them if we talked to each other in about thirty minutes?"

"Your nephew, who I had pulled away from whatever it was that he was doing before this," Roger said and bowed his head.

Nikolai paused before he breathed a small sigh of relief. "Is he ok?" he asked, and I had a feeling that he raised an eyebrow in question. "Is he hurt?"

Roger bit back a small smirk and tucked his head closer to his chest. "We will talk more in thirty minutes," he said. "He is not hurt, and I am sure that he is ok." He raised an eyebrow in question while he studied me. "Correct?"

"Correct," I said and nodded. "I will still be here in thirty minutes."

Nikolai breathed a small sigh of relief, and I had a feeling then he nodded. "Then I will talk to you both in thirty minutes." He hung up the phone before Roger or I could say another word.

Oh, thank Goddess...

***

Roger cleared his throat and closed his laptop, rubbing the bridge of his nose before he pursed his lips in annoyance. "I am sorry that you had to stop whatever it was that you were doing to wait for this conversation, Alpha," he said and bowed his head. "I hope that you can forgive me."

I waved my hand dismissively about his apology and shook my head. "Don't worry about it," I said and moved a hand through my hair and across my face, biting back a tired sigh. "I was making breakfast for both my mate, cousin, and I, and someone else took over."

Roger nodded. "Do you want to contact them and let them know that you are going to be here for a little while longer.

"I will," I said and nodded. 'Hey, Jesse?' I asked and linked the man that I had set up with my mate and cousin.

'What is it? What's wrong?' Jesse asked and grew protective. 'Did something happen to your mother? Is everything ok with you? Are you hurt?'

'Everything is ok,' I said, even though I had no idea what was going on with my mother and prayed that she was fine. 'I do not know if there is anything else wrong with my mom or not. I haven't asked and haven't contacted anyone to ask about her.'

The warrior mentally nodded, and I could tell that he was worried about my mother, just as much as I was. 'Are you going to contact someone to see how she is?'

'I wil when I am able to,' I said and mentally nodded while I bit back a tired sigh. 'I want to make sure that I am done with Roger before I do, but that is going to take a lot longer than I have anticipated.'

He paused, and I had a feeling that he scowled and narrowed his eyes. 'Why?' he asked coldly, and I could tell that he was getting protective of me and did not like the idea of me being alone with him longer than I thought I should be. 'Why is it going to take a lot longer than you have expected? Are you sure that you are ok? Are you sure that you are safe?'

'Yes,' I said, biting back a small chuckle. I couldn't help but feel amused and also proud that my warrior cared about me and my well being. 'I am sure that I am ok and safe, Jesse.' I leaned back in my seat and bit back a tired sigh while I rubbed the bridge of my nose, pursing my lips in annoyance. 'We have to wait for the person that he wanted me to talk to to call us back.'

'Why? Was something wrong?' he asked.

I bit back another tired sigh and moved a hand through my hair and across my face. 'I believe he was not in a safe position for us to talk with him. He wants to make sure that he is able to talk freely before he says anything to us.'

Jesse mentally nodded and pressed his lips into a thin line. 'Does that you want me to watch after them when they are done eating?' Jesse asked, and I had a feeling that he raised an eyebrow in question. 'I don't mind, of course, and my mate is here to help make sure that both of them are safe and sound.'

I breathed a small sigh of relief and mentally nodded. 'Please,' I said before I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat. "Jesse is going to watch over my mate and cousin with his mate while I wait for Nikolai to call us back. Was there anything else that we needed to discuss before we need to talk to him?"

Roger shook his head and set his jaw, pressing his lips into a thin line. "Unfortunately not that I can talk about without him confirming it for you, Alpha," he said before he cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. "Do you know the status of your uncle and where he is at?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he changed the subject.

I shook my head no and pressed my lips into a thin line. "Should I call him and see?" I asked. "Is the battle going to be that soon?"

Roger hesitated before he slowly nodded. "I believe so," he said. "If you have any other alliances with any other packs close by, then I would call them as well."

I nodded, and a wave of dread washed over me while I looked at the male with a grave look on my face. "Does that mean we should start preparing more for the war that is about to come?" I asked, and Roger nodded, looking grave.

"Yes, Alpha," he said, "because I am afraid that it is coming sooner than we hope, especially since we do not know the status of your mother or unborn sister. I have this small feeling that they will be here soon because of her."

"Fuck."