Lillian woke up in her bed with no memory of how she ended up there. A brief moment of panic spiked her heartbeat before she remembered where she was. The pack. She was safe here.

Her last memory was foggy, of a brief talk with Noah about the High Council. She had the impression that she said something else, something important. But for the life of her she couldn't recall.

After dropping the kids in their lessons, she made a quick stop at the pack house before going to the fields where Robert was already elbow deep in the earth.

"Good morning!" she chirped, holding a tumbler of sweetened coffee, just the way he liked it, to his face.

Robert straightened up, took off his work gloves and accepted the coffee with a thank you. Lillian bent her head until she caught his eyes, then gave him a wide grin, batting her lashes.

"I'm not mad at you," Robert grumbled, pushing her face away with a finger on her forehead. "I needed a kick in the butt."

Lillian breathed out a sigh of relief. She didn't regret the way she spoke to him the day before, but that didn't mean she didn't feel bad about it. She liked Robert. And she was beginning to learn that she was fiercely protective of people she cared about, even at the expense of their own comfort. She still didn't know whether that was good or not.

"Great!" Lillian said, then headed to the shed to put on her work clothes.

Minutes later, she was kneeling on the ground next to Robert, her hands in the soil. "So, how did it go?" she wiggled her eyebrows. A hint of pink touched Robert's cheeks under the shade of his hat.

"Shut up," he grumbled, flicking his fingers her way. Flecks of dirt touched her cheeks. Lillian grinned. All's well that ends well.

Robert didn't go into details, but he did say he had a long talk with Jasmine, and that he was going to do his best and see where things went from there.

"I'm still not sure about this," he said, his eyes squinting at the sparkling lake. "But you're right, you know. Taking a step forward, wherever it leads us, is still better than idling in the same spot for years."

"Well, I'm glad you're finally getting your head out of your ass-"

"Hey!" More dirt flew her way.

Lillian sputtered, dirt coming out of her mouth. "What? It's true!"

Robert grumbled something under his breath.

Lillian didn't know if she was just imagining it, but Robert's eyes seemed brighter, his shoulders no longer hunched over. She smiled, certain that Jasmine would be as good for him as he would be good for her.

They spent the rest of the morning in companionable silence, interrupted by small chatters here and there. The sun was blistering, and Lillian regretted not putting on her hat. She'd wanted to get some color on her face other than the blotches of red she now had on her cheeks and nose. She could feel her brain boiling.

"Going for lunch yet?" Lillian asked when lunch time arrived.

"Not yet," Robert cleared his throat. "I'm actually cooking lunch for Jasmine and I."

Lillian grinned, opened her mouth to talk. Robert held a handful of dirt. "I dare you."

"Hehehe." Lillian widened her grin then sauntered away, not saying a thing.

The afternoon in the pack house office went in a blur of emails and documents, going from her own office to Sean's next door, or to Noah's where Lisette was stationed.

By the time training time rolled around, someone was hammering nails inside Lillian's head. Still, she pushed through. After a quick stop at her cabin to change into workout clothes, she dragged her heavy body to the training grounds.

She caught a glimpse of the twins on her way, sitting under a tree with the rest of the pups around a woman with snow white hair and kind eyes; one of the pack's elders.

She'd never seen the pups sitting so still, rapt expressions on their faces as they hung on the elder's every word. The twins would no doubt tell Lillian all about it when they got home.

She met Kate on her way. The blonde warrior gave her a quizzical look. "You look... red."

Lillian rolled her eyes. "Yeah, my attempt at tanning wasn't the most fruitful."

Kate laughed at that. She had beautiful golden skin that Lillian envied. After today's scenario, Lillian would just have to be satisfied with her blotchy face. From now on she'd be wearing her damn hat.

"Some people just aren't built for tan skin," Kate said, patting Lillian's shoulder. Lillian winced, since she had been wearing a sleeveless top the entire morning, her shoulders, too, were burnt to a crisp.

"You sure you can work out like this?"

Lillian waved Kate's concern away. "I'm fine."

Lillian was excited. She had been getting better and better everyday. It was like her muscles were getting used to the way she moved, and it wasn't taking her as long to memorize and execute new fighting exercises Kate came up with.

They reached the busy premises of the training grounds and went right to their usual place, one of the smaller rings on the edge of the trees.

As always, Lillian performed the sequence of moves Kate had taught her up to that day, then watched as Kate performed a new one.

Kate then followed Lillian's moves as she copied her, pausing to correct her stance every so often. By the time Lillian learned the series of moves to heart, sweat was dripping down her back.

"Alright, keep going," Kate said. "I'll make a quick round and be back."

Lillian nodded, wiped sweat off her chin and fell back into the routine. The focus that came with giving all your body and mind into exercising was addictive. She came to love the rush of energy, the exhaustion afterward and the sore muscles the morning after. It was all worth it.

Lillian was nowhere near a six pack; she loved food too much for that and she was okay with it. But her body grew stronger every day, her muscles more toned. And although she hadn't actually fought anyone yet, she had a little more confidence in her ability to defend herself.

She felt him coming before her sight caught him. Her entire body tingled in awareness. Pausing to catch a breath, she turned to look behind her, hands on her hips.

He strode through the fighting rings, his dark gaze almost a physical caress against every inch of her body. The muscles of his abdomen, arms and calves flexed and stretched as he closed the distance between them.

Then Phoebe was there.

She stopped him. They weren't close enough for Lillian to know what Phoebe said, but they were close enough for her to see Phoebe put her hand on his forearm. An ugly feeling twisted Lillian's guts. She actually moved a step forward before catching herself. What was she going to do anyway?

Grumbling under her breath, Lillian turned away from the sight of the two wolves together. They kind of made a pretty picture. Phoebe was tall, fit, and curvy in all the right places. Lillian's complete opposite.

Lillian wished Phoebe would trip and fall flat on her face. There, she said it.

It was pathetic, but Lillian was honest with herself to admit she was petty that way. At that instant, she was jealous of the other woman. She wanted to be the only one who had the right to touch Noah, unreasonable as that was.

A squeak made Lillian turn around. Noah was walking toward her again, Phoebe behind him glaring at the ground. She had just tripped on a rock.

Lillian swallowed her laughter. Laughing would be rude. A snort escaped before she slapped a hand on her mouth.

Noah finally reached her. His brows tugged down, darkening his eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Hmm?" Lillian said. "Why?"

"You look... red."

"Just too much sun."

He looked unconvinced, but didn't say anything else on the matter. "How is it going?"

"Um, good, I think?" Lillian replied.

Noah nodded. "Kate says you're ready to start sparring with others."

"Really?" Lillian's eyes widened. She knew sooner or later she would start sparring, she was kind of looking forward to it. But now that it was real...

"Yes. Let's see it." He walked a few steps away from her and sat cross legged on the ground. His attention completely attuned to her. Whoa, no pressure there. None at all.

Lillian looked around. "Um, right now? Here?"

Noah nodded. Lillian took a deep breath. Then, ignoring her heart's sudden palpitations, she started with the very first routine Kate had taught her and worked her way up to the last, all the while trying her best to imagine it was Kate watching her every move, and not the smoldering gaze of Noah.

She finished the routines, breathless. She leaned down with her hands on her knees, her lungs screaming for more air. A drop of sweat dripped off her chin and darkened the dirt near her feet.

"So?" she asked Noah, who was still sitting in the same position.

"Good," he flowed to his feet. His voice sounded much deeper than usual. "I think we could work with that. I'll talk to Kate about your sparring partners."

"Okay." Lillian blew out another breath, straightened up and fought a wave of dizziness. Dots danced in her vision.

In a fraction of a second, Noah was inches from her, his hands on her arms. "Are you okay?"

Lillian nodded. Oops, Bad idea. The world tilted. "Yeah, I'm good. But I think I'm done for today. Can you tell Kate I'll leave?"

Noah's concerned frown deepened, but he nodded anyway. "I linked her. Come on, I'll walk you home."

Lillian was too lightheaded to object. Any other day, Noah's touch on the small of her back would have seared her skin with heat. Not today. Her body was too hot. Quite literally. Which was alarming since Noah's body was normally warmer than hers.

They walked in the woods. The sky darkened with the approaching dusk, deepening the shadows among the trees. A cold evening breeze blew, raising goosebumps on Lillian's sweaty skin. She was thirsty. She realized she hadn't drank much water during the day. With the heavy workout and the sun's heat, that could be a problem.

Noah made a turn to head to her house.

"I need to get the twins," she said, pointing to where they were playing with the other pups. If she didn't go and physically drag them home they wouldn't come no matter how long she called.

"I'll get them," Noah said, a gentle push on her lower back. "Let's get you home first."

"I'm not that tired," she mumbled, but went along with him toward her cabin.

"Okay." His tone made it clear he did not believe her.

They went inside. Noah pushed Lillian to sit down on the couch, then went to the kitchen and got her glass of water.

"Drink."

Lillian took the glass, drank the entire thing then stood up. "It's okay, now. I got it from here. I'm sure you're busy-"

Noah took the glass from her and went to the kitchen. Lillian scowled at his back, following him.

"Noah-"

"Drink another glass and go take a shower." He handed her the refilled glass. She looked up at his dark brown eyes.

"I can-"

"I know you can," Noah said, taking her hand in his much bigger one and putting the glass in it. "But you don't have to do everything yourself. Drink."

Lillian looked at the water. Noah walked around her, she heard the door close behind him.

She had been taking care of herself ever since she could remember, doing everything a child shouldn't have to do. Relying on other people had never been an option, maybe she did that for a while when she lived with Lydia, but even then, it was difficult.

She didn't want to be an inconvenience.

The words escaped the box where she'd tucked all her unpleasant memories. Exhaustion made it easier for them to nudge the person she'd been as a teen to the surface.

Lillian drank the water then took a shower. She had barely washed her hair and body when she felt another wave of dizziness, her headache having progressed from heavy throbbing to downright hammering. She put on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt and stumbled into the living room.

The twins were sitting at the table, having what looked like soup. A kitchen pot that didn't belong to her was on her stove. Noah was nowhere to be seen.

"Mommy, are you okay?" Ezra asked, abandoning his dinner and coming to sit beside her on the couch, followed shortly by Elijah. He touched his small hand to her cheek. "You're really hot."

Lillian was too tired to crack a joke at that. She ran her fingers through her son's short hair. "I'm fine. Give mommy a hug?"

Ezra hugged her arm, Elijah climbed into her lap and hugged her neck. Their small weights and familiar scent was a balm to her soul.

"Are you sick?" Ezra asked in a whisper.

"I'm just a little tired, I think." Lillian hugged both her boys, kissed their heads. "Why don't you go finish your dinner, hm? I'll be right here."

They obeyed, quietly resuming their dinner and stealing glances at her every so often. Lillian's heart hurt at the wariness clouding their demeanor and dampening their spirits. She knew she was partly responsible for it.

Back when they lived with Lydia, Lillian had made them grow up faster than they would've done otherwise. Being werewolves put so many restrictions on their lives, made her instill in them the need for wariness and teach them the dangers of being wolves in a world of humans from a young age. And Lydia's death did not help.

Guilt nipped at Lillian's throat. But she pushed it down and forced herself to her feet. She dragged a chair between the twins and sat down, brushing her hands over their heads and faces and asking them about their day. Their cheerful chatter soon came to life again, and Lillian smiled.

They were children, and children were more resilient than anyone gave them credit for. Lillian would know. That did not mean that their past would not leave an imprint on their personalities, but Lillian would shower them with enough love and care to make the first years of their life a faint memory, and not the gaping wound that Lillian's own childhood was to her.

Lillian was talking herself into getting up, cleaning the kitchen and helping the twins prepare for bed, when the front door opened. Noah was near her a second later. He put his hand on her forehead, winced, then combed through a tote bag he brought with him.

He pulled a thermometer, nudged her lips with it until she took it in. Noah's eyes were the most tender she'd ever seen them. He looked genuinely worried. His hand cupped her cheek, the side of her neck, her forehead. Lillian leaned back and closed her eyes. All the stubbornness leaked out of her.

Okay, fine. She was more than tired. And she probably had a fever. She needed someone else's help, she couldn't possibly take care of the twins in the state she was in.

Noah moved around in the kitchen. Lillian leaned her head on the back of Ezra's chair and closed her eyes. The twins moved, whispers buzzed to her ears, dishes clanged and water splashed in the sink.

The thermometer moved out of her mouth. Lillian blinked her eyes open. Noah was there, pursed lips and a dark frown glaring at the thermometer as if it was a weapon of mass destruction.

Her head was not functioning properly. That had to be why Lillian reached up with her index finger to smooth the vertical lines between Noah's dark brows. Surprise flickered in his eyes for a moment before Lillian dropped her hand.

A short sigh slipped past his lips. Nice lips, really. Then Noah was picking her up and striding to her room. A meek protest was all Lillian could manage past the dizziness the movement triggered.

"Shh," Noah said, his hands on her back and thighs squeezing for an instant. He put her in her bed, on top of the covers. She sat up.

"I need to help the boys -"

"They already had dinner," Noah said, pushing her back to lay down. "I'll help them take a bath and put them to bed."

Lillian put her arm over her eyes and nodded. She had the fleeting thought that if she was still in her human town, and a man she knew for a couple of months offered to help the twins take a bath, she would have kicked his ass to the curb. She smiled. How her life had changed.

Noah would cut off his hands before hurting a member of his pack, he would carve out his own heart before even thinking of harming a pup. Almost all the men in the pack, at least those she had come in contact with, hadn't raised any alarm bells in her head.

Sure, there was always an overly flirty guy here and there, a male with an inflated sense of ego, but none of the pack males had ever made Lillian's skin crawl.

Anna had once told her that shapeshifters who live in groups, connected mentally through a mind-link, were the most balanced and uncorrupted communities in the world.

Especially a pack with a good alpha and a balanced sense of power. Such packs were almost always void of individuals with sick criminal tendencies. The flow of magic throughout the pack bonds works to purify its members from negative energies and balance their characters.

Rapists, pedophiles, mass murderers or other unhinged individuals rarely, if never, exist in packs.

It also helps that werewolf packs usually live in small numbers. Everyone knows everyone, they grow up together, eat together, play together, spend most of their time together. The pack was a large family. And Lillian had experienced that first hand ever since she came into the pack.

"Sleepy?"

Lillian startled, removing her arm away from her face. Noah stood by the bed, a smoothie in hand. He sat the glass on the bedside table, helped her sit up and propped the pillow up on the headboard so she could rest her back against it.

"You need liquids," he said, handing her the large glass. It was cold to the touch. Lillian touched her cheek with the cool glass. It felt so good. She took a sip.

Noah handed her a couple of pills. "For the headache."

Lillian blinked. "Thank you."

He nodded. His eyes, streaked with flashes of bright amber, watched her every move. His muscles coiled, ready to spring into action.

"The twins are in bed," he said, watching as she washed down the pills with the light smoothie.

"Thank you."

"Do you need something? Do you want something?"

He was hovering, Lillian thought with distant amusement. She gave him the halfway full glass. "No, it's okay. You can go home. I'll be fine."

She was too hot, even her clothes felt abrasive against her skin. She tugged at the collar of her t-shirt. Noah looked at the window. It was dark outside. The faint lights of lampposts sneaked in, but otherwise the room was dark.

Noah stood up without a word and walked out. Lillian heard the water go off in the kitchen for a moment, then the front door opened and closed. She quelled the sense of disappointment that threatened to suffocate her further. She had told him to leave. She shouldn't feel disappointed that he did.

Lillian stripped down to her underwear, throwing the clothes to the floor. She couldn't stand being covered with the heavy blanket, so she gritted her teeth against the nausea and crawled out of bed to the closet where she kept a spare bed sheet.

The lightweight material felt like heaven on her skin. All the lights in the house were off. She lay there, staring at the dark ceiling. The pills kicked in shortly and her headache faded down enough for her to fall asleep. 

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Hey guys! I hope you're doing well. How did you like this chapter? Leave your thoughts an don't forget to vote! I appreciate it.

Much love <3 <3 <3

M.B.