Nora's POV

The evening golden hue reminded me of a time long ago when I was single and dreamed of a day Id be rocking in a rocking chair in my Mate's lap. The journey may not have been how I envisioned it but we had made it. I survived being nearly kidnapped, three times, and escaped being captive twice both times in New York, the CommonWealth Games -a game to the death and an crazy ex, Stephanie.

My brothers had decided to stay over with us at the Villa, Xavier persistent that four pregnant Lunas should be together for it made protecting us easier. His words, not Damon or mine.

A hand went to my stomach, rounded like a melon nearly twice its average size. The other hand went to my groggily eyes, trying to rub the exhaustion from staring at the pages of my latest read. I sigh and then yawn, my back arching which took more effort than it should've, my feet curled up on the softness of the bed-like sofa alluring my senses to sleep. At least my grey PJ's were soft and mint Pj bottoms lined with fur, it helped with the laziness. The tea Damon brought wasn't very helpful with the sleepiness either.

The bathroom door opened, a cloud of warm steam coming out as Damon stalked out with a thick black towel wrapped to his lower half. His hair was flickering with water as he ran a hand through and strode over to me by the window, bowing to kiss my forehead. I shut the book, allowing it to slip down as I rested my head back to survey him.

He kisses me again, this time on the lips, with more just unwavering love. I urge him to kneel at the foot of the sofa, arms snaked around his neck while I got myself a bit upright. My shortened hair shifted from laying to a side to my back, Damon's hands snaking down my top's tightened chest and going to my stomach when I felt 2 strong continuous shoves from inside. "Ooof."

"Whats wrong?" Damon asked, eyes growing wide and bright with alarm when seeing I had pushed myself away. My hand rested on my stomach between Damon's, my other hand on mouth left hanging with a horrified expression. "Ill have Antanio dragged by his ass-"

"What no! And stop swearing, you're already a worse influence than Christina, Lia and Kaden together. Even Kaden is mindful not to to drink in front of me!" I exclaim, calming myself with a deep breathe for explaining. "Give me your hand again."

He gave it without thought, allowing me to guide it down to the roundest part of my midsection and press it slightest. A returning duo of kicks lightened his features with happiness and delight. "Its our babies kicking, you experienced it the first time with me."

Damon opened his mouth, shutting it immediately and staring down in admiration. I felt him take in a shaky breathe, worry weighing on his shoulders. "What is it?"

"Nothing," He breathes, looking down still.

"Damon," I call. He looked up with a blank expression. "What is it?"

The elastic tightening from under my breasts from the shirt's gathering hurt. It was for design, to make it appear as a dress-like shirt but it suddenly felt as if it were stabbing at the center of my chest. Damon eyes wandered and noticed the unusual incline of my chest, as if he knew it hurt. "Nora breathe."

"Damnit Damon, you ever wish to share anything?"

"I-I, Im sorry mio amore," Damon stuttered, wide eyed and flustered. "Nora."

"Damon?" Damon hadn't stopped calling me that since what happened with Stephanie. The realization would hit me like a bundle of bricks all at once whenever I recalled that Stephanie called Damon her mio amore. Her my love. He hadn't even mentioned her once since.

He looked up with what could be pity, sadness or anger. "Nora, you know about how the neighboring Packs have been experiencing an increase in burnt experimented bodies?"

I nod, remembering how Leila was reluctant to say anything. "We've experienced an increase in the number of bodies lately, it's been been only growing since late February."

He eyes me gravely, chewing his lips for the words. "The number of rogue attacks on the patrol have nearly quadrupled since then, no matter how many defenses we have it's been getting worse. They're getting stronger day by day, too fast for us to train our own.

"What I'm about to say now, so highly dangerously and remarkably stupid of me for even mentioning it and I really hope Xavier punches me for it," Damon said lowly, not weakly. "We, as in your brothers and I, have received a letter from an Alpha we don't know and have no information on what-so-ever. We knows he's an Alpha because he's the leader of these rogues and not just any rogues. Nora remember the day you ran from me, the evening before our flight to New York. You encountered that wolf which was no ordinary rogue. Rossi confirms it was altered, in ways I really don't want to bring up and have you vomit on me."

He winces, pausing to allow me to digest. "So right, the letter. In the letter he mentions that he plans to eliminate us. SilverRoses and RedBlood alike."

My breathing hitches drastically. He looked over me sadly. "Nora, the attack on you the day of the baby shower was by them. The note they've send confirms it and also the car ride kidnapping in New York by Taylor you escaped from. The day you were in the panic ground was them too, when Leila was wounded and you saved her."

We fell silent. Holding one another, when Damon arose to avert his eyes and began to walk to the closet. My heart raced, he didn't need to tell me any of this, and yet he did and knows Xavier will put a hole in his teeth for doing so.

He had come out wearing dark sweats, shirtless and towel in hand. I lift an eyebrow at what he wore. Those were a part of his fighting wear for when he was fighting or training. I never saw him in them besides that.

"When are they attacking?" I found myself asking, twirling a curled lock of hair. Damon halted, staring up with an ounce of dread.

"Today."

I felt the ground shift at his words, not even the babies daring to stretch another limb while my eyes threatened to close. So heavy they had grown, I wander if I was becoming ill at the thought.

"Nora," he strode up and caressed the hair from my face. His hands were so warm, I nearly fell to asleep in them. "Mio amore I told you because you had to know. Today after I came back from final meeting with your brothers I suppose to put a mild sedative in that tea you drank just now and wait till you were to be passed out, before trying to carry you to the cars Xavier had awaiting downstairs right now to drive you and the girls to the safe-house."

I couldn't resist glaring at the empty cup atop the side table.

Damon settled besides me, stroking my hair back and holding me as I tried not to think of the war I knew I was brewing and should have expected. The eyes I had first grown to despise and then later adore, were wrecked with sadness and worry and anger like a volcano going to blow. "I didn't though, I never added the sedative but rather an relaxing agent, one that would ease you for when I tell you all this and maybe perhaps you maybe a bit sleepy."

"I understand," I rasp, glazing the muscles under his jaw with a fingertip. His skin was so hot and flushed, I began to tremble. "I understand why. I'd let you sedate me, inject me or do anything if it meant you be honest with me beforehand. Thank you though, for not sedating me first." I quirk a faint smile, one that I knew would help ease Damon's worrisome eyes.

"I do not condemn this. I told them this was bad, you'd all be sedated and if God's forbids anything were to happen," He gave a gulp, "You'd all be unconscious to defend yourselves even, though you'd have guards of course but we should've asked you too."

My lower lip wobbles as I bring our foreheads together. "I love you."

"I love you too mio amore," with that he halts my sob with his lips to mine, gently pressing with no tongue nor playfully shoving. I felt his love outpouring. Flying out of his mouth into mine. His love that knew no boundaries

"Its time to go," he smiled sadly, holding me tight. His mouth found mine again, his hands slipping under my oddly outstretched to hoist me into his arms. My arms locked over his neck with my fingers woven in his outgrown dark hair, his stubble brushing my skin as he savored the taste of me on his lips.

We walked to the door, Damon planting a restlessly long firm kiss to my brows before regarding me with an apologetic look. I nestled into the crook his shoulder, my free hand laying idle on his biceps and the other around his neck. I give a squeeze of reassurance and my eyes close with the memory of Damon's face.

I heard the ajar door to our bedroom creak on its hinges, and I heard footsteps before a voice.

"We need to get them out fast."

It was Ryan, sounding unusually hoarse as if he were on the edge about this all just as much as Damon. Damon didnt reply, turning his heel in the direction of the staircase to go out. "Damon."

He halted, my head slightly tipping back to hit his bare chest when he whirled us around. "She'll forgive you for it all when you explain it to her in the end."

His tone was earnest, cold truth tasting bitter which suggested to me it breaking Ryan to part with Angel like this, without a proper goodbye even. He may not even return after today and Angel will be left to bare the last words he said to her, however stupid or mundane they may have been. The thought didnt sit well with me.

Thankfully Damon turned back to the direction we were heading, Ryan's parting footsteps growing further and further away. Goodbye.

I felt the breeze to know we were outside, Xavier's scent with another's creeping in from our behind.

"Let's go," said Xavier with icy indifference. He'd do that, silence his key to deal with anger, he'd become bitter and distant whenever he wouldn't like something or was displeased with a matter.

A door slammed shut. Damon walked a step or two when he halted, my eldest brother's scent becoming so overwhelming unexpectedly. A hand as soft as the wind passing by ran my hair, a kiss laid on my hairline above my left eye. "She'll understand Damon."

I refused to cry. It was like those time I was reading, I reminded myself, in bed alone with a flashlight at two or three in the morning. When Xavier's footsteps would be come from the hall to check up on me. When I'd slip the book and flashlight under my pillow whenever he'd creak the door open and Id fake sleeping.

Zayn came shortly after when I felt the coldness of a seat under me. His callused hands ran my enlightened hair back, hair he teased me to have cut because it was stroking my buttcrack he'd joke, the ends no longer than past my chest now. Despite being Alpha he had a gift for hair, the only reason why I allowed him near my neck with scissors.

It was getting harder to not cry. They were making themselves the scapegoats so their Mates could live. How could I not tear up? Id be loosing such a big part of my family and I couldnt help but feel angry with them for deciding this without consulting us. Assuming we'd even want to live if they were to be gone.

The door was closed, the other further one opening from my adjacent before also shutting. We were moving when Damon breathed, "Nora you can open your eyes."

They open instantly and come to spot the last face we saw before closing. "Damon?"

"Hunter's driving and he knows," He replied lowly.

Hunter gave an encouraging smile from the driver's seat, with a mocking incline of his head to represent a bow exactly like how he had given me on the day of our marriage when we first met. "Why is everyone making the pregnant girl cry?"

He gave a huff of laughter, averting his eyes to the road ahead. I smile from the memory, although this time it wasn't nearly as heartwarming as the first time. I first met Hunter and he was willing to go to the cells for me. Now nine months later he's willing to go the war for a change. A change Damon had referred to in all these months, a change he awaited for and was now fighting for. A new reformed Pack with glory and resilience.

"I had suggest we all take separate cars so we get some time alone with our Mates," Damon said, lacing our fingers together in a silent promise.

I sob, my eyes tearing up naturally at the sight of how he had changed so much so he could bring a new change upon his Packs. "Damon?"

"Yes?"

"Come home," I said, my voice small and on the verge of cracking, "At the end of all this, just come back home to me and our kids. We'll be waiting for your return, at the door, I promise."

"I...I don't know what to say, Nora. Oh Nora," That anger and fear I had contained within was now starting to fray away like a loose thread and I found myself beginning to inch closer to Damon. His smile was saddened but he held me nonetheless, rocking and soothing my back.

"Luna, Alpha," Hunter intruded, the car now going slower, the numbers of trees decreasing along the lonely swerving road. "Alpha, the safe house."

"Rest mio amore," He whispered lowly, rubbing at my sides and helping me lay back. Eyes again closed, there was a kiss pressed to my forehead. The wind tore at my clothes through the opened door from Damon's side. I shivered and soon was hoisted into the arms of someone with a spark full touch, it was warming enough and I allowed myself to wrap myself close to Damon.

"Rest, I got you," Like so he kept murmuring whispers into my ear close by his mouth, my flapping hair covering most of the movements of his lips. I love you.

I felt my heart's pounding lessen with each word. We ascended the steps with long strides, Damon squeezing me harder whenever I felt a kick from my pregnant belly. Resisting the urge to reach for the roundest part of my stomach, I heard three other weighed footsteps before catching a whiff of their scents.

Each of my brothers were aside Damon, Zayn and Ryan to my right with Xavier to my left and slightly ahead, stirring us through the halls. I knew this place like the back of my hand. It was another one of those private houses we owned which also had a pocket of memories within the walls. This is the house that had been rebuilt after my parents demise and my own attempted murder 17 years ago. Damon stiffened, standing up straighter with an odd urgency to his step to get closer to Xavier at the head.

"What is this place?" His voiced bounced the rafters and I knew we were passing the extended halls just below the bedrooms. The place was just as I recalled whenever I came, icy, gloomy and tensed even after the construction. I would be trembling if not for the furnace holding me.

"When it was reconstructed, in secret, we turned it into a safe house and since then, no one really remembers it."

"They believe it's in ash and cinders." Ryan offered from behind, his tone shallow.

"No one would dare come, not even our Betas." Zayn mentioned.

It was true. No one besides my brothers and I knew of this place ever existing. Not even Christina, Angel or Mia knew of the possibility.

Relieve tore at my back when I was lowered atop a soft cushion mattress, a low moan of gratitude slipping. The heated comforter were hastily brought up and Damon's hand held my own, squeezing and begging me to continue playing our charades. His soft lips melt the backside of my palm and then our babies, two firm and long lived presses before he came at my lips, hand in hand still. His free palm ran my scalp and I whispered, biting at the tears, "Im proud of you as my Mate."

He kissed my brows when I felt something wet drop onto my face, just below my own lashes and I heard the door gently close shut.

...

Heyyy...

Going to Playland in a couple of moments, which is like a big carnival with a dozen of rides, and with no one other than my besties for a school field trip. Weird timing, huh.

P.s. If your friend/sis buys you a large Rolex chocolate shake a night before the trip, they're the real family. 😉

The Author; xbookgirlx15