David, Celia's uncle, above

Celia POV

"Are you okay?"

My uncle's question is full of concern; he is genuinely terrified of what I may have been through since the last time we saw each other.

"It's alright; we are safe. No one has done anything," I say.

My uncle doesn't look that bad, either. Of course, he is locked in a dungeon, but he is well fed, and his wounds seem to start healing finally.

"And how are you?" I ask.

"Bored, I just lie all day, every day, but don't worry, I'm good."

I come closer to hug him; Danny, who has jumped into his arms the moment we entered, moves a little to let me have my moment with my uncle.

Hank is standing by the entrance to the cell, looking at us. I clearly see he is not happy that he has brought us here, and I wonder why he did it anyway. This morning after breakfast, he just told us that he would take us to see Uncle David but made Kathy stay behind under the supervision of packhouse housekeeper Rose.

I didn't protest; I've never protested when he told me where to go or what to do. As long as his orders pose no threat, I'm willing to obey if it means that the children and I are safe.

"Where is Kathy?" David asks after he's released me from his arms.

"There is no way I let my daughter anywhere near you."

I hear his cold voice, and I flinch unwillingly; shit, I'm probably doing only it recently. Uncle David doesn't comment and focuses only on Danny and me. We talk about everything and nothing; Hank is listening, so there is no point in trying to discuss anything important. Even though I do think about the possibility of escaping, I know there is no chance, at least not now and probably not in the nearest future. Before we say our goodbyes, my uncle manages to whisper into my ear that I shouldn't think about him. If I have a chance to run away, I should take it.

As we slowly go back to the packhouse, I'm analyzing our situation. After one month here, we have established something that may be seen as a daily routine.

I share the bedroom with my daughter and Danny now, and I won't be lying if I say that is a big relief for me. I'm just calmer when I know that HE is no longer so close to me. The three of us sleep together, Danny still wets the bed from time to time, but at least we were provided with bed pads which makes cleaning much easier.

We spend our days with Hank. Half of the day in his office, when he works, Danny usually reads, and I play with Kathy. We keep silent, except for Kathy, she talks with us, and we talk with her but not with each other. In the afternoon, kids often have a chance to play in the garden, mostly with twins and little Rosie. Other members of the pack keep their children away, and I don't blame them. I talk the most with Hannah, sometimes with Rose and Kyle.

I recognize Alpha, his brother Hayden, and Mark. I know twins are Hayden's children, and Rosie is Hannah's sister and now somehow adopted child of her and her mate.

I've seen Kyle's and the twins' wolves when they played with Kathy and Rosie, and I must say it felt strange to me. I was always sure I would be terrified when I face that form of werewolf again. And yet that wasn't what I'd expected. I was strangely calm and even somehow astonished by how beautiful they looked. Only Kyle's wolf was the size of an average wolf; the boys were much bigger. But I must say he was the prettiest, totally white, delicate. I had a feeling that I was looking at something totally innocent, not some monster, as my clan had always repeated. I haven't seen Hank's wolf, and I'm not eager to do so.

Kathy is so happy here, and I'm not sure how I should feel about that. She's growing fond of Hank every day, and that terrifies me. Somehow I know that he won't hurt her; the way he interacts with her, looks at her, and hugs her manifests nothing but care. At first, I was petrified when she starts hugging him or asking him to read to her, but at the same time, I understand that if her wolf had detected any sort of threat, she wouldn't have been so eager to be close to her father. Kathy was always extremely good at detecting any sort of danger. If she feels safe around him, I must trust she's safe.

My father once told me that werewolves have larger parental instincts than humans, but at the same time, they value children with stronger wolves more than those with weaker ones. Does that mean that Kathy is a strong one among their kind? I wonder.

I also wonder what their plans are for me, Danny, and my uncle, and that's what terrifies me. Somehow I trust Kathy is in no danger, but does it mean then HE will finally kill me or take her away from me? I know one thing for sure, he will never let her leave, so if I want my freedom, I will have to find a way to escape from here.

We come closer to the packhouse, and I see Mark standing at the entrance. I don't know why Hank is getting immediately nervous; I've already noticed he doesn't like to interact with him.

"Mikkeli wants to speak with you; I can take them to the garden; Kathy is there," he says.

Hank nods and leaves us with Mark; Kathy is playing with the twins and Rosie under Hayden's supervision, and Danny joins them. To my surprise, Rose asks me if I want to help her in the kitchen, and I don't protest; I never do. I take care of chopping some vegetables as others who work in the kitchen do not give me a nice look. It feels strange to be surrounded by the people who my family was dedicated to butchering completely.

"Celia, can you take it to Hannah's room?" Rose says suddenly, pointing at a try with food. "She hasn't had any breakfast yet."

"Is it wise, after all, she is...?" one of the girls says, but Rose gives her a stern look.

"What could she do with the food during the 5 minutes she has to go to get to Alpha's bedroom?" she says.

I avoid looking at anybody as I take the tray and follow Rose's directions, and go upstairs. I knock but get no answer, so after a moment of hesitation as I enter the room. There is no one inside, but I clearly hear the sounds of throwing up from the bathroom.

"Are you alright?" I ask as I enter the bathroom.

Hannah is bending over the toilet as she pukes her life out; she really looks awful. I don't wait for her answer, just go to the sink, wet a towel,  and press it towards her neck. After she finishes, I help her move away from the toilet, but she doesn't stand up, just rests her back on the bathroom wall.

"I think there is no point in even brushing my teeth; this baby will make me stay here the whole day today. Please tell me you didn't bring any food. Even a mere thought of food makes me sick more."

"How far along are you?" I ask, sitting in front of her, also resting on the wall.

"Four months, but it gets worse every day; I have problems with sleeping too. And Gideon seems not to be so helpful. Humans don't mate so often with werewolves, so he doesn't have much experience with mixed pregnancies. "

She breathes hard; she really seems tired.

"Have you tried raw meat?" I ask, "It was good for me when I was carrying Kathy."

She nods and says:

"I don't puke so much after raw meat, but still, I puke a lot. It's for sure Mikkel's child; he was also so difficult to handle."

I smile a little at her comment; one thing I also noticed since I came here is how much they love each other. She stands up slowly, and with my help, we go back to the bedroom. Carson, who I haven't noticed earlier, starts crying. Since Hannah still seems dizzy, I take him and change his diaper and later hold him as Hannah tries to eat something.

"I was thinking," she says, "Would you like to help in the house regularly? You won't have to spend the whole day around Hank, and from personal experience, I know it's good to have things to do. You won't be all the time with your thoughts alone."

"You would trust me?" I ask, surprised.

"Well, it will be most cleaning and dusting, but don't worry, it's how I started my carrier in this pack."

"And now you are a Luna?"

"Mikkeli and I are true mates, so it was meant to be. Do you know what mates are?"

"Kind of. My mum told me that it's like destinated marriage, that each of your kind is born already paired with someone. But I don't know that much of your kind. My parents didn't want me to become a hunter. They wanted me and my brother to go to college and leave the clan one day. They died when I was 11."

"Sorry to hear it, mine have died recently, that's why my siblings and I moved here. However, it was quite a crazy journey. What you say about mates is partially true, they are connected by a special bond which causes very strong desire, but in the end, it's two people's decision if they decide to cherish it or break it."

For a moment, there is silence; I think about what she's just told me.

"I think I'd like to have things to do; I don't feel too comfortable around Hank," I say.

"Has he done something?" she asks, but I shake my head.

"It's just strange. I think I can trust him with Kathy, but I'm not sure if I can trust him with anything else. I know it's been years but for me, he is a stranger who hurt me."

"But you understand that now when he knows about Kathy, you can't just throw him away from your life, no matter how much you want it. I know you wish to leave this place and never go back, but Kathy needs her pack; she will always need a pack, and she can only be safe in the pack. That's how things are for werewolves."

I don't comment; I don't want to accept what she's just told me; I just want to leave and forget about Hank again.

"I can't help you with puking, but I know a way for you to sleep better." I say, "My clan has a recipe for a mix of herbs. It affects werewolves since we use this as a sedative during the fight. It will calm you and help you sleep. I used it when I was pregnant, so it's safe."

She nods, I take Carson, and we go down to the kitchen and next to a small greenhouse located next to it. I spot all ingredients I need instantly, they are easy to obtain, and the secret is to mix them in the right proportions and later cook them in the right way.

As I chop the herbs, I have a chance to look through the window at my daughter and Danny playing outside. They seem so cheerful; even Danny seems almost smiling.

Rose doesn't comment on what I'm doing, but one of the girls, the same as before, can't restrain herself from speaking.

"How do you know, Luna, it's safe? She can't be trusted. What if she gives you too much and kills you," she spits.

"I can prepare a double portion and drink it with Luna if it pleases you," I say; somehow, I feel I'm tired of being a pushover all the time. "No matter how much you drink, it won't kill you."

"How would you be so sure" she spits again, and I see that Rose also seems to have some doubts.

I gulp. I don't look at anybody, as I firmly say.

"I'm sure because I've tried to use it that way before."