A/N: This is the last chapter! Thank you for reading!

Lexi's point of view

As a wolf, I could feel the strength of our bond. I knew the direction he was in and I knew that wherever he was, he was in pain.  

That didn't settle well with me. I felt possessive rage fill me. No one was allowed to hurt my mate.  

I didn't wait for the rest of them. Mason needed help and I wasn't going to sit around and wait for the others. I would do what I had to for him.  

I knew he was miles away from me but that didn't deter me. I sprinted as fast as I could. I could hear the pack slowly starting to catch up with me, so I didn't slow down.  

I ran in a straight line towards where I felt him. Our bond grew stronger as I got closer; it was harder for him to block me out as I gained on him.  

It was a double edged sword: I knew where he was, but I knew that because he couldn't maintain his mental block, he was seriously hurt. That fed my need to get to him.  

I ran until I came upon a house. I could hear only one person moving in it.  

Emerson would know I was there, and that the pack was close. I hadn't tried to sneak up on the place. He was probably amidst the change, readying himself for the fury of the pack.  

He could ready himself all he wanted, his throat would be torn out today. He cost us all so much.

He cost families their children.  

He cost those girls their lives.  

He cost the pack their safety.  

He cost Mason and me our child.  

As I listened, the rest of the pack showed up. The alpha didn't stop his stride; he barreled through the door like a battering ram. Two wolves were through the door before I could get there. When I put my foot through the door, the room exploded. I flew back from the force. The heat didn't register until I was already on the ground.  

My ears rang and my legs shook as I tried stand up. The explosion wasn't big enough to take out the house, but it had startled Mason. I felt his worry before I felt his relief. He thought I had been caught in the explosion.  

Where did he get a bomb?! My wolf's thoughts mirrored mine.

There would a couple of casualties. There had been three wolves, including the alpha, in that house when it had exploded.  

I led them here. I felt guilty for a moment before it was tucked away by my wolf. There wasn't time for guilt when we were here for Mason. It wasn't my fault that Emerson had a bomb. No one had that kind of information on him.

I managed to get to my feet and go into the house. I needed to go through it carefully. There could be more. The house wasn't really on fire. It was charred up and smoking, but the fires were small enough not to be my main concern.  

Two wolves were dead. Chunks of flesh and limbs littered through the room. The alpha was down, but breathing. He had a hole in his shoulder, but since he was still breathing, he would probably be fine.  

The other wolves didn't come inside, fearing another explosion. They would be feeling their pack mate's deaths. They wouldn't be feeling much from their alpha either, which probably made them fearful the most.  

I crept through the scorched hallway and through the open door. Mason was chained to a reinforced wall to keep him from escaping. He was sitting on his ankles looking completely exhausted but unwilling to pass out. I felt my heart race at the sight of my stubborn man.  

He was cut, bruised, and swollen, but that could all heal. The only thing I could smell in the room was his blood, which terrified me since he was covered in it.  

He looked at me with angry golden eyes. His wolf was obviously at the surface, but he couldn't do anything about this situation. There was a collar around Mason's throat, which had spikes directed at his throat. The collar wasn't bloodied, like everything else in the room. He hadn't been collared very long. If he tried to change, he'd end up choking on his own blood because of those long spikes.  

He wouldn't change until he was free. I needed to change back to human to free him, but before I could make a decision, Mason's gaze moved from me, to my right. The fury in his eyes became more intense.  

I looked over to see the wolf, silently growling at me. His teeth showed and the ferociousness showed through his eyes, directed solely at me.  

I had to get the fight away from Mason. I didn't want him getting inadvertently hit as I tried to avoid the wolf glaring at me with intent to kill.  

I had to catch him off guard first. There was only one way I could. I charged him and knocked him down because of the suddenness of my movement then I turned tail and ran. 

I ran straight through the hallway and jumped out through one of the blown out windows.  

I felt the pads of my paws cut open when I landed on the glass, but it wasn't enough to stop me. I didn't pause to look at the confused wolves, I ran straight into the trees. If I could lead him far enough away, they would free Mason and then maybe come to help me.  

All I knew how to do was run. I tried to run a loop, but the wolf could catch on to what I was trying to do and would cut me off. I knew I had to make a gutsy move, and I knew that if Mason ever found out, he'd wring my neck.  

I came to a complete stop and turned on my heels. The wolf would have barreled right into me if he had been directly behind me, but luckily, he was to the side.  

I started to run back as he reached out to hook me with his claws. I felt my fur move with how close he was. That fueled my need to run.  

I was almost back when my time ran out.  

I felt his sharp teeth sink into my backside. My knee gave out mid stride and we both toppled to the ground.  

I felt the aches and pains from the explosion as I tried to stand up. The running and the tumbling had not helped my healing.  

When I heard his growl, every worry I had was pushed to the back of my mind. I could sit down and complain when I wasn't in danger.  

I would have to fight my way out of this.

He readied himself to charge at me, but three of the pack wolves barreled into the side of him.

Alpha Dean recovered, and was very angry. From the looks of him, he barely kept control of his wolf. I didn't care if Dean lost it on Emerson. If he didn't, I would.

Dean and Emerson fought in a flurry of claws and teeth, but it didn't last long.

Dean showed Emerson why he was an alpha.

I could feel the blood trickling down the side of my muzzle when the alpha stepped back. I felt rage. This rogue was supposed to die. We had been given permission from Finn to kill any rogue that caused the pack problems. This wolf had killed women and damaged my mate.  

I wouldn't let him live.  

Before the alpha could get in my way, I leapt onto the wolf, wrapped my jaws around his neck and bit down until I felt bone. I tore out the wolf's throat when the alpha barreled through me.  

The rogue's blood sated my wolf's need for justice; for my mate and for all of those girls.  

I spit the chunk of meat out as the rogue jerked as he died. I stood up and looked at the alpha.  

He glared at me and expected me to concede to him. Protocol said I should have conceded to him, but I didn't.  

I walked around him and limped to my mate. He was out of the chains and sitting in a car.  

His golden eyes met mine as soon as I turned the corner. I felt the fury spike in him when he got a good look at me. I was caked in blood, and it wasn't all someone else's.  

He opened the door to the truck and hopped out of it. He crouched down and waited for me to come to him. It didn't take me long.  

He took my big wolf head in his hands and inspected me. He sighed as he reached into the car for a blanket. "I would like to take you home and get you looked at, but we have victims downstairs who need to talk to a woman. You need to Change." His voice was rough with his wolf's influence. It wouldn't surprise me if his wolf didn't subside until we were home. This had been a rough journey for us.  

His stiffness showed when he stood up. I started the change by the truck because I didn't want to wait to move into the house. Mason was slow and in pain. I didn't want to have to cause him anymore.  

When the change was over, he wrapped the blanket around me and held me. "That was a stupid move, you know that." 

I nodded, rubbing my face against his. Skin to skin contact with my mate was healing for my soul after this horrid case that had cost us so much.  

"Where is the girl?" I asked even though I just wanted to stay with him.  

"She is in the basement. Emerson sent her there this morning. Her name is Mary." 

I reluctantly stepped away from Mason and went into the house.  

The small fires had been put out, but the damage was done. I found the door and I could hear the whimpers from the woman.  

I slowly made my way down the steps because, one, I didn't want her to fear me, and two, because my body was beaten. I would've given into the need to collapse if I hadn't had to come get this girl.  

I tugged hard on the lock once and broke it open. "You are safe now. I'm not here to hurt you." 

Mary stayed huddled on her cot.

I sighed. "Both of the men who took you are dead. They'll never be coming back to lay a hand on you." 

"Why should I believe you? You're one of what he is." 

I sunk down to the ground knowing that this was going to take longer than I had hoped. "I am what he was: a werewolf. That doesn't make me evil or a monster." 

"Isn't a werewolf a monster?" she snapped.  

"I've met one a time or two," I muttered thoughtfully as I shook my head. "I was a police officer before I was changed. I was attacked by a rogue when I was on duty and when I woke up; I was something I didn't know existed." 

She didn't say anything for a minute or two. I knew she was coming to grips with the reality that she was going to be free again. That she wouldn't have to die like all the other women had. 

"Why are you covered in filth?" she finally asked after looking at me.  

"Because, as a wolf, I fought Emerson and ripped his throat out," I said as neutrally as I could. I didn't want the woman to know how furious and how worked up I still was over everything. I needed my mate and this woman was keeping me from him so long as she refused to come out of this basement.  

Mary's eyes went over me as if she was sizing me up. It was obvious that she had her doubts that I could have killed Emerson, but I wasn't here to prove anything to her.  

I had saved her, my job was done. It was time to go home to my family.  

"There are going to be a few ground rules that you'll be forced to follow," I warned as she started to stand. "Werewolves aren't known because we like to keep it a secret," my voice strained when I stood up. The soreness was just getting worse as time went on. I needed to eat and sleep to recover.  

"You'll be sworn to secrecy and if it's heard or found that you're letting our secrets out, someone will come for whoever it is and make sure you cannot speak anymore." 

Fear was obvious as she stood with her arms wrapped around her.  

"And, of course, if you stay quiet, you'll not be bothered; maybe you'll even get some help when you need it." 

"I just want to go home," she said. "This has been a wild ride."  

I did my best to smile warmly at her. "Let's leave this place, get some food and a shower, then you'll do some talking with the alpha and be on your merry way." 

She nodded, so I led her out of the house. A door to an SUV was held open for her to get into. I ushered her in before going directly to my mate, who was not listening while the alpha chewed him out.  

There was nothing Dean could do that affected Mason. We weren't from this pack. We owed Dean no loyalty. If anything, he owed us for what we've done for this pack. Mason and I climbed into a truck and had someone drive us to the alpha's house.

Mason's point of view 

I waited until I knew Lex was asleep before trying to move. She was beaten up and had a few healing bones. She needed to sleep so she could heal.  

I closed the door to our room before stepping outside.  

The house was quiet because there were a lot of hurt wolves in the pack.  

I dialed Finn's public number, leaving a short message because he never picked up the phone anymore. With all the calls that were made from different packs to that line, I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't get back to me for a few days. He'd call me back if he felt like he needed to know anything else.  

I glanced down the hall to see the study open. At home, the study was never left open. Important documents were in there, most not meant to be seen by anyone outside the pack.  

I made sure the door to Lex was closed before making my way down the hall silently. I spied on the person inside of the room.

Dean was in the office with Sparks on his lap as they talked. After everything, he knew he needed someone to spend his life with, someone to talk to when he needed it. Sparks was a great candidate for that. She just needed to know his secrets.

I turned and left the office.  

I was about to back to the room when my phone started vibrating in my pants. I looked down and huffed when I looked at the caller ID.  

Finn's number wasn't one that I would forget.

"I didn't think I would be hearing back so soon from you." 

"I think the events that have transpired deserved a swift reply," Finn's deep baritone came through. He could raise the hairs on the back of my neck. Even if he meant no harm, the man still scared me. "So Thomas and Emerson Lesley are no more then?" 

"Emerson killed Thomas and Lex killed Emerson." 

"I assume that she is recovering from her battle with him then?" 

I unnecessarily nodded. "She's not going to be waking up for a while. Her body needs to heal." 

"She will be fine this time then, I assume." 

I should have known he would bring up the past. Everyone knew that Lex had gone to Finn's pack to recover from her emotional trauma from her last attacker. This time she was mine alone and I would help her any way that I could.  

"She'll be fine with me. She is my mate." I couldn't help but be defensive.

"Philip will be there in two days. Then you can leave. He will stay until the pack is healed and functioning properly." Finn never left any room for negotiation, so it was best to go with what he wanted.  

"Lex will be glad to hear it," I said truthfully. After everything that had happened, I knew she would want to be home around our pack and family.  

"Rumor is that Lex was pregnant when she Changed to rescue you. Has she been checked out by the physician yet?" The empathy and sincerity was there.

"You had Aubrina look into it, didn't you?" I asked as I did my best to stay together. I had done my best not to get attached to the idea of having a child. But it wasn't until it was gone did I realize how bad I wanted it.

Grayson looked so happy with his son. Brian was always bragging about his children. 

"Yes, I had her focus in on your mate. The fetus has yet to disappear into your mate." He paused, but I had nothing to say. "You should tell her that there has never been a normal female werewolf to give birth to a child. All the methods have been tried and they've all failed." 

"That would break her heart." 

Finn sighed through the receiver. "There is a chance that the child can pull through. Adoption is always a possibility for the two of you." 

"Hopefully it will go well. Thanks for the concern." 

"Call again if anything else happens."  

Before I could reply, the line went dead.  

I shrugged and went back to my mate. A nice long nap would help get the knots and sore muscles healed up. Everything from the time I was forced to spend with Emerson was starting to come through.  

Lex was sound asleep, snoring and drooling on her pillow. Once I lay down, she'd trade the pillow for me as she slept, but I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Lexi's point of view

The reality of everything that had happened hit home as I woke up.

I had gone through the Change while I was pregnant. That was the first rule of what not to do.

But if I hadn't, Mason could have been gone.

Being curled up with him made it all feel okay. Mason was my everything and there were always other ways to have a child. Adoption was probably my only chance to be a mother now.

I cuddled up with him when the grief hit me.

I had lost our baby.

Odds had been against me from the beginning, but I had thought I could beat them. I thought I could be the exception of everything that had happened.

Mason's arms tightened around me, telling me that he was awake.

"I'm sorry baby," I whispered into his chest. "I had to get to you."

He sighed. "It's not your fault Lex. We don't even know if you lost the baby yet."

I looked up at him confused. I thought that as soon as I changed that the baby would be gone.

"Finn called about everything that happened. He had Aubrina focus on you. As of two days ago, the baby was still there."

"But I was so beat up Mason." I felt the tears collecting in my eyes.

He nodded and cupped my chin with his hand. "You've been healing for two whole days Lex. A lot could have happened."

I blinked and felt the tears starting to roll down my face. There was a chance that the baby could pull through. I would have done anything to make sure that the baby stayed where it was.

"Brian has everything ready for us when we get there. We'll find everything out when we get home."

"When do we get to go home?" I asked, anxious to get the hell out of here.

"Our plane leaves tonight. I've already packed our things, so you don't have to worry about it."

I nodded and looked over at the clock. It was noon and I was starving. "Let's go have some lunch and say our goodbyes."

He nodded and let me go when I pushed myself up. "Philip's here."

My brows scrunched in confusion. "Why's he here?"

He shrugged. "To whip this pack into shape."

I nodded understanding, "He's finishing what you started."

"Yep," he confirmed.

"What happened to Mary?" I asked as I rubbed my eyes.

"The girl?" I nodded. "She was mind zapped by Casey and Aubrina. She'll remember a serial killer and that she was rescued by passing hunters, but nothing about werewolves."

"Who are these heroic hunters?"

Mason shrugged. "She doesn't remember what they looked like. Aubrina will be checking in with her from time to time to make sure she doesn't remember anything about us."

"It's sad to say that it's for the best."

All that really mattered in the end was that the bad guys were dead and that she had been rescued

Mason scooped me off the bed and took me into the bathroom. "Time to freshen up."

---

Going home was the most nerve wracking experience I had ever dealt with.

On one hand, I was so happy to be finally going home. I had missed my family, my pack, more than I had ever expected.

On the other hand, whether or not I was pregnant was still in the air. I hadn't risked taking a pregnancy test because it probably would've just given me a false positive if the baby wasn't there anymore. I assume it would have taken more than forty-eight hours to get the hormones out of me.

I didn't want to get my hopes up to have them crushed.

After the initial welcome home from Grayson and Casey, the car ride home was silent. We were the only ones who knew about the situation with the baby, well, Brian knew too. He had to. He was our doctor.

It shouldn't have been a surprise that when we got home we had to wait for him. Willow and Matthew got into (yet another) fight. Matthew was getting the brunt of his father's anger because he only ended up covered in mud while Willow ended up with a scraped up face. They needed to learn to fight fair, and without violence.

We took our bags up to our room and barged in on everyone who was home. It felt warm and safe to be home again. Our pack bonds hadn't felt so worn until we got home again.

We didn't have to wait very long for Brian to come into the infirmary. He was still pissed off at his children, but he knew that this needed to be done.

When he saw us waiting, he smiled. "I'm so happy you two are home." He gave me a hug and kissed the side of my face before turning to Mason. "Will and Matt have been pulling some shit 'cause they know you weren't here."

Mason smirked. "I'll whip their asses."

Brian smiled at the idea. "I'm so glad you're home." He caught Mason up in a big hug, lifting him off the ground an inch in the process.

He sighed then pressed a button on his ultrasound machine. "Alright, let's see what's going on."

We waited anxiously as the machine booted up.

When the screen came to life, Brian did some typing before telling me to lie down.

He squirted that gel on me before the screen came alive with a static picture. I didn't know what I was looking at.

I glanced at Mason to see his guarded expression, which offered me nothing.

I hadn't been around pregnant women before. I didn't know what an ultrasound was supposed to look like. I didn't know if it was supposed to be moving, or show the baby's skeleton, or what.

I was just so very confused, and more worried as I had to wait for the news.

"Well," Brian said thoughtfully. "The bad news is you're not going to be allowed to change for as long as you can hold out." Brian's serious face burst into a smile. "Good news is this." He flipped a switch and put another probe on my belly.

The gentle, persistent thumping came through the speakers.

"That's the heart beat of our baby, Lex," Mason whispered into my ear.

Tears sprung out of my eyes immediately.

The baby had made it. I would withstand anything to make sure this baby made it through the pregnancy. It had been through more than it was supposed to and I was determined to make sure this whole thing was a success.

Even though this process would be difficult, I would make it through. I only had to do this once. All I needed was one baby to make me happy, and all I had to do now was keep it.

A/N: This is the last chapter! Thank you for reading!