Lisa didn't call that evening, and to my shame I completely forgot that she had to. Actually, I wasn't the only one. We remembered only the next day and a huge feeling of dread settled in the house. I felt it as soon as I woke up, even though I was wrapped up in Nick's arms (oh yes, that night he stayed with me, we cuddled until I fell asleep and I felt as if I were in heaven). We silently got up from bed and went to have breakfast.

Doc Evans was gloomier that before, Jonathan's brows seemed to cover his eyes they were furrowed that much, and Shirley was cooking up a storm. The twins and Lena were patrolling, Nathan and Hannah still haven't arrived. The tension was palpable. We ate silently and felt helpless.

Doc was checking his phone every 5 minutes, but didn't say a word. I started squirming in my seat and Nick placed a calming hand on my thigh. That seemed to sooth me a little, but still I was tense. No one spoke.

That was how we spent our morning, in complete silence. Everyone tried finding something to occupy their time and hands with, but me and Nick decided to use this opportunity to have some private moments and went to the back yard, lounging in the swing chair.

I was once again tucked into his side with my head under his chin, his arms around me and my hands on his chest. Moments of bliss in the middle of a madhouse our life's have turned into because of me. Stop it! My subconscious me said sternly. It's not your fault, it's the universe. Blame the universe. Yeah, right, I scoffed inwardly. Avoiding the responsibility was never in my character. You are just being negative. Life sucks, so suck it up and stop whining. Yeah, that's what I should do, I should stop whining. If only it was that easy to shoo the guilt from my mind.

"I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen" I said quietly. Nick's arms around me tightened a bit before he spoke.

"You are probably right..." his voice was calm and serious. "There's no point in denying the reality. But listen to me," he lifted my chin with his soft touch and looked deep in my eyes, "I would rather die than let anything happen to you and the baby. I promise." with that he placed his hand on my belly and lowered his lips to mine. The kiss was so soft, but it was filled with promise and a lot of things unspoken. His touch was so gentle, as if I were a fragile precious gift, and in that moment I realised that I, Emily Rose, was deeply in love with Nick. So I responded to the kiss with all I had in me, trying to say everything I didn't have the courage to say out loud yet through this kiss.

Our lips were moving in such a wonderful tandem and soon the kiss became more heated. His lips detached from mine and moved down my jaw towards my neck, my head fell back to give him more access and I felt my body light up from his touch, my closed eyes opened slightly, and the look in them probably was hooded with the passion I have never felt before. But a second passed and he stopped, froze in place.

"What's wrong?..." I whispered confused. He kept quiet for a while, taking deep breaths, but then he finally responded in a trained voice.

"I want to mark you so bad..."

Mark me? My face scrunched up in confusion, but then I remembered what it was about. That's right, I've read it in a book, werewolf's mark their mates by leaving a bite on their neck, on the spot where it connects with the shoulder.

"So why don't you? I'm not objecting..." I replied with my cheeks flaming.

He looked at me with sad eyes and after another deep breath pressed his forehead to mine.

"I can't yet." he said sadly.

"But why?" I asked confused and slightly offended. Didn't he want we? He did say he wanted to mark me, then why not?

"Because..." he said, "It might harm the baby. So we'll have to wait."

"Why would it hurt the baby?"

"I'm not really sure, but we talked with doc, and decided that the emotional and physical stress that comes with the marking could be dangerous. She is not ready to be born yet, and this kind of stress could cause the early birth." he explained his thinking.

"Oh god..." I exhaled. Shame filled my heart, how could I not think about that? How could I not think about Hope?

"Emily, don't overthink it." he said as if reading my mind.

"Yeah..." was all I said and tucked my head back under his chin. That's how we stayed until lunch, holding each other and hoping for the better times to come sooner.



* * *



We were eating lunch in the kitchen, when doc's phone suddenly rang. In an instant everyone placed their cultery down and stared at him.

"Lisa, finally!" doc answered the phone in a hurry. "We began to slightly worry when you didn't call yesterday." then he listened for a bit and said, "ok, I putting you on speaker, hold on."

And with that he placed his phone to the middle of the kitchen table and we started listening intently to what Lisa had to say.

"So," her voice filled our kitchen, "I must say that your Mayor is a definitely sketchy type..."

"Did something happen?" doc asked.

"Not exactly, but I'm worried that there might be going on something more than just a diploma fraud. Something you are not telling me, but I am not going to ask what..."

"That would be the right decision, Lisa. I apologise, but I can't disclose any information."

"I get it, doc, don't worry. I believe you wouldn't send me there if it were dangerous, right?"

"Of-course."

"Ok, I'm fine with that. So. Yesterday I had a quite interesting dinner date with the Mayor, his son and his two family friends, the McCartey's."

"These are my parents..." I said shocked. I guess I was right, my mother was involved...

"Oh, hi Emily! Anyway, I figured as much. Because they asked about you."

"They did? How did they know that you know me?"

"Well, they apparently knew that you have transferred to my department and graduated under my supervision. So I'm sorry, but I had to use your name to explain why I decided to come to that specific town. I said that I was impressed with your knowledge and skills and that it influenced the choice of the universities to start connecting with."

"Ooook..." was all I could muster to say. Doc Evans took the initiative again and continued conversing with Lisa.

"I don't like it, but I see why you did that, it was probably the right decision not to lie to them."

"I think so too. They didn't ask a lot of questions, only said that they had some family fallout with you and were worried, because they haven't spoken to you in a long time. But they never asked me how to contact you, and I personally think that it is not quite ... homey?"

"Yeah... well, they did have a fallout, but ok. What else did you find out?" doc continued asking questions.

"Actually not much from that conversation, although we stayed out pretty late and my phone died, that's why I didn't call. But what I did find out today is that they are leaving."

"What do you mean leaving?" Asked a worried doc.

"I spoke to the dean this morning, I proposed another meeting with the Mayor and he said that if I wanted to talk to him again, I should hurry, because he was planning to go on some business trip later today, so I rushed to his office and when I arrived I saw him, his son and the McCarteys driving away all together. That was actually a couple of minutes ago, I decided to call you right away."

"Again the right call, Lisa, thank you. I suggest you stay a couple more days and connect with the dean, just to clear up your story, and then head back. And Lisa, be careful."

"I will, doc, no worries. I have the gun you gave me. It's in my purse and always by the hand. Although I sure hope I wouldn't need to use it."

"I'm sure you won't. Keep in touch and don't forget to call me every day until you're safely back, ok?"

"Sure thing, doc. And I hope you get the bastard, whatever it is he has done."

"I hope so too. Thanks."

Then after a quick goodbye they both hung up and Nick reached for his own phone.

"I'm calling Nathan."

While he was dialling Jonathan raised his brows in doc's direction.

"You gave Lisa a gun?" Doc just shrugged and said quite nonchalantly:

"Yeah, with silver bullets, just in case."

"Oook..." Jonathan shook his head.

"Nathan," Nick spoke into his phone. "We've got news from Lisa."

He stayed quiet for a second, but then his face paled slightly.

"I see. Ok. We need 20 minutes." And hung up. The feeling of dread I had in the morning intensified tenfold. Nick squeezed my thigh a bit and looked to doc and Jonathan with a steely gaze.

"We need to move everyone to the pack house. The rogues are moving out."

"What?!" Exclaimed Jonathan. "What happened?"

"Approximately the same time Lisa called, Nathan got news from Henry. He said they were packing rather quickly and getting ready to move. He doesn't know where to, but we can't be too careful. Let's move everyone just in case."

"Ok, people! Let's move!" Was doc's harsh order and my heart fell for the tenth time this day. This was happening.

A/N Oooooo, something's gonna happen!!! What do you think? Leave me a comment! It's not long now till the end, I can't wait! Wop wop!