Noah closed the cabin door quietly.

He had left to get Eva and help her get what she needed from the infirmary. Then the two of them made a detour to get an electric fan from the pack house. Since the temperatures in the summer usually didn't go over a hundred degrees, none of the cabins in the village had air conditioning. But there was a small stock of electric fans in the pack house, just in case.

Eva went ahead of him into Lillian's room. She paused in the doorway.

"Uh, Noah? Wait for a second, okay?" Eva linked him.

Noah frowned, tilting his head to look around Eva's frame. Before she closed the door in his face, he caught a glimpse of Lillian, laying on the bed with her back to the door, the white sheets down to her waist.

Noah cursed under his breath and turned around. The curve of her waist and the line of her pale back was an image he had no doubt would stay inked into his memory for the foreseeable future. Trying to think about something else, he decided to check on the twins.

He cracked their door open and peeked inside. They were sound asleep. Elijah slept upside down on his bed, his feet on his pillow, and Ezra sprawled, starfish, their soft snores filling the room. He smiled at the sight, his earlier indecent thoughts subsiding for the moment.

Eva opened Lillian's door and ushered him inside. Lillian was now on her back, decent and heavy-lidded. Her pulse thudded rapidly, as it had been doing the entire evening, and her skin glistened with a sheen layer of sweat.

"Heat exhaustion," Eva said, sitting beside Lillian. "She needs to cool down and drink plenty of fluids. She says her headache isn't as bad anymore."

"So she'll be fine?"

When Eva nodded, his heart no longer felt like lead in his chest.

Noah brought a full pitcher of water and a glass, put them on Lillian's bedside table, while Eva turned on the electric fan.

Noah was restless. His wolf wanted to climb in bed with her, lick her entire body up and huddle around her. Noah was tempted to do just that, but reasonably knew he couldn't. He hated seeing her ill.

Lillian was made for running on a warm spring day, for snow fights on a white winter afternoon. She was made for sunshine and laughter, for first snows and warmth. Seeing her limp with sickness was such an abnormal sight that Noah felt nothing was right with the world anymore.

Eva left. Noah sat beside Lillian on the bed and made her drink glass after glass of water, the cool air from the fan seemed to help. And an hour later she looked a whole lot better. Under the soft whir of the electric fan, her pulse was no longer wild and her breathing evened out. She lay on her side, eyes wide awake.

A small smile played on her lips. "Thank you, you didn't have to stay and... you know."

"I know," Noah cocked his head at her. He had long ago realized she wasn't one to depend on others. Being part of a pack had cured her of that to a certain extent, especially when the twins were concerned.

"I know you don't like being fussed over. It means a lot that you let me do it," Noah said, his voice low.

"It's not that I don't particularly like it." A furtive glance away before her blue latched to his gaze again. "I'm just not used to it. I've always had to take care of myself. Ever since I could remember."

"The orphanage..." Noah trailed off. He knew almost all about her life before she came to the pack. Harvey's report was extensive. But they were just facts. A series of events recorded on paper. Life was much more than that.

Lillian pulled the sheet tighter to her chest. "Not much of a home, I'm afraid. It was just a place to sleep and eat until I turned eighteen. The director of the orphanage was... well, he was an asshole, to put it plainly. I never knew why he didn't like me. I was just a child. And, well, other children mostly got adopted. I was unlucky enough to stay there while they came and went. Then I was pregnant. The director couldn't exactly throw me away, no matter how much he wanted to. But as soon as I turned eighteen, I was on my own."

Heartbroken for a childhood stolen from her, Noah swallowed the questions barreling their way into his lips. He wanted to know. He wanted to know everything about her, but didn't want to make her uncomfortable by asking.

As if reading his mind, Lillian gave a small grin. "It's okay, you can ask. I don't mind talking about it. And it's not like you don't know the most important facts, anyway."

Noah winced, remembering the day she'd found out that little detail. A soft touch on his hand. Lillian's hand covered his where it lay beside him on her bed. "It's okay. Ask away."

She retrieved her hand, and Noah resisted the urge to reach out for it. He searched her eyes, finding only acceptance. "Your real parents?"

"I don't know anything about them. I was found by a nurse on the doorsteps of a hospital in a small town when I was a baby. Other than that, I've no clue where I come from." Lillian picked at the sheet covering the bed. "I don't really want to know anything about them. Sometimes, especially since I've become a mother myself, I wonder how and why they were able to give their child away. But then again, there are always circumstances beyond our imagination. So who knows, maybe they're decent human beings. Maybe they're really bad people. I'm fine not knowing anything about them for the rest of my life."

Noah doubted that. Maybe she believed those words, but Noah couldn't. He knew Lillian's soft heart would care. If there was a possibility to know anything about her parents, he had a strong suspicion she wouldn't be as detached.

"Before I came to the pack, the one person I truly considered family was Lydia." Lillian's voice broke. She blinked hard, cleared her throat then continued, "After I was out of the orphanage, I had some government help and stayed in a shelter for a while. I was already close to giving birth, and work wasn't easy to come by when you're waddling like a whale."

She smiled, her eyes looking in the distant past. Lillian, heavy with child. That would be a sight for sore eyes. No doubt about it, she would have been glowing.

"Anyway, I was at the end of my rope. I remember one evening I was coming back from yet another failed job interview. It was cold and the rain caught me unaware. I had no umbrella. And in the middle of the street, my water broke. I was so panicked that my knees buckled. Lydia was driving by, visiting a relative in that town. She stopped, helped me drag my weight into her car and drove to the hospital. I remember thinking that if I hadn't been feeling so helpless, I would've balked at getting into the car with a stranger.

"But it turned out well. Lydia stuck by. After delivering the twins, I stayed in the hospital for a couple of days then went back to the shelter. I couldn't stay there indefinitely with two newborn boys. So I took a leap of faith and accepted Lydia's invitation to go home with her."

Noah stared at her. God, she was so strong. So beautifully strong. "You amaze me," he whispered.

"Why, thank you, good sir," she replied jokingly, her smile small and shy.

The whir of the electric fan was the only sound in the room for a long minute. Noah dreaded the turnout of this conversation. He knew from the look on Lillian's face that she had questions. About him.

He sighed heavily, the memories of his past a constant weight on his chest. Lillian's presence, and the twins', made him forget that load. But it was there, always. Looming. Accusing. He remembered the day his father's reign ended with stark clarity. all the little details were so vivid in his mind.

So much blood, so much hurt.

Lillian knew the moment Noah's mind drifted away from the present. She had her doubts about the reason he never spoke of his past. Ever since she came here, there had never been any talk about his parents. Considering they had been the alpha couple, Lillian found it odd, but decided not to ask any questions until he was ready to tell her.

She had just poured her life story on him, and he must feel the pressure to do the same. Lillian was curious, true, but if talking about it stripped his eyes from their usual light as it did now, then she didn't want him to.

Lillian's hand closed the distance to his again. Her touch seemed to pull him out of the well of memories. He blinked, looked down at their hands, then turned it slightly so his fingers tangled with hers. Lillian's heart fluttered.

"You don't have to talk about it," she whispered. He closed his eyes, brought their clasped hands to his mouth, pressed his lips in a long, soft kiss to her knuckles, then looked at her.

The raw emotions in his gaze hit Lillian like a freight train. Gratitude, affection, desire, heat. He blinked, banishing every trace of it away, and nodded.

"I do have one question. How come your eyes are amber? I think you're the only one whose eyes are so close to the wolf's."

"I was born with the color." He shrugged those massive shoulders, his thumb brushing her knuckles. "I guess I'm genetically blessed with such pretty eyes."

Lillian was surprised into laughter. "How very humble of you."

His eyes crinkled at the corners, and someone reached into Lillian's chest and squeezed.

Lillian wiggled a little. "On a more serious note, I think my bladder is about to explode."

Amusement sparked to life in Noah's face. Lillian rushed to the bathroom.

She felt a lot better. Her head was almost back to normal, her nausea disappeared, and she no longer felt the urge to strip her skin away from the heat. Ever since she was a kid, she had always recovered rather quickly.

Relieved, she washed her hands, splashed cool water on her flushed face and neck, and went back to her room to find a black wolf sleeping on the floor by her bed.

Lillian's brows shot to her hairline. "Um..Noah?"

The wolf raised his head off his paws and stared at her blankly. She blinked back.

"You don't have to spend the night here," she said. "I'm already feeling much better."

The black, scarred wolf settled his head back on his paws and closed his eyes. Fine. Noah had spent the night in her house before, in wolf form. But they hadn't slept in her own bedroom, and the twins had been there with them.

She couldn't muster any feelings of embarrassment or reluctance, though. Everything with him felt so natural, so right.

So after another glass of water, she curled back under the sheets. The breeze of the electric fan soothed her skin. Along with the imposing presence of Noah by her bed, Lillian drifted into peaceful sleep.

"Mommy! Wake up!"

Lillian groaned, Elijah's weight crushing her ribs. The twins were growing heavier by the day. Light spilled in through the window, blanketing her room in gold and warming her body.

"Where's your brother?" Lillian mumbled, hugging Elijah to her chest and pressing her lips to his tousled hair.

"He's helping Noah in the kitchen," Elijah said. He propped his sharp elbows on Lillian's chest making her wince. "He's making breakfast, a big breakfast! With meat and everything. Noah said to wake you up."

Lillian flipped them over so Elijah was under her. He squealed loudly when she attacked his bare tummy with kisses.

"Stop! Mom!" He gasped between laughs. Lillian grinned. She felt as good as new this morning. Her bones ached a bit, but her son's laughter first thing in the morning was a miraculous balm to her soul.

"Alright. Let's go big boy."

They had slept in. It was past the time they usually woke up, thankfully the twins had a day off school today.

Elijah ran ahead of her, giving her time to dress. She put on sweats because she didn't want to bother with anything else. Comfort came first, especially after being sick. She paused at the doorway of her room to admire the scene in her kitchen.

This must be a fantasy all women must have at least once in their lifetime. Noah was in the kitchen, half naked as always, his muscles rippling under the sun coming in through the window. Ezra stood on a chair beside him, equally half naked, and Noah spoke to him in low tones.

Her fingers twitched at the sight of those defined muscles. Damn it. She was acting like a hormonal teenager.

Elijah ran toward Noah. Noah leaned down and picked him up so naturally. The sight made her throat close up with unnamed emotions.

Noah turned just then, warm amber settling on her. His bicep bulged with the weight of Elijah. "Good morning. Breakfast is ready."

Lillian's ovaries almost exploded.

She cleared her throat and ran her hand through her hair. "Thank you so much. You didn't have to. I'll freshen up and be right there."

She escaped to the bathroom, threw some water on her flushed face and pinched herself to snap out of her silly mood. After freshening up, she gathered her hair in a ponytail and ventured outside.

The twins were setting the table, a pan was sizzling and the heavy aromas of cooked eggs, meat and coffee wafted to her nose.

Lillian helped Noah finish up and they all sat down. She stared at the piles of food on the table. Scrambled eggs, a stack of pancakes, sausages, and venison patties. The twins were vibrating with hunger. As soon as she picked up her fork, they dived in, Noah having already dished out a bit of everything into their plates.

"This is amazing," Lillian said after a forkful of creamy eggs. "I didn't know you could cook."

Noah shrugged one big shoulder, shifting in his seat. Lillian had come to learn he was uncomfortable with compliments. "I'm decent, I guess. But I can't claim the compliment for the venison patties, Jennifer sent them."

He was more than decent. Apparently the twins agreed.

"Your cooking is more delicious than mommy's," Ezra said absently, shoving half a sausage into his mouth.

Lillian agreed with him, but she put on an act. Putting one hand on her heart, she gasped.

"That's so mean, Ezra! How could you say that? I was going to make you boys some brownies, but since you don't like my cooking, I don't think I will anymore."

"No, mommy! your cooking is great!" Elijah jumped in, alarmed. He shot his brother a scowl.

Ezra's eyes widened, he chewed quickly and swallowed. "Um... your brownies are better!"

"Better than what?" Lillian asked. Noah was watching the scene unfold, his features openly amused.

"Better than Noah's!"

"Have you ever tasted Noah's brownies?"

Ezra looked at Elijah, then back at her.

"No," he rushed to add. "But-but your brownies are the best! ever!"

"Hmm," Lillian focused back on her food. "Well, my feelings are hurt. I don't know if I want to make brownies anymore."

"But mooom!" The twins said simultaneously.

Lillian shook her head, slowly cutting a piece of pancakes. When the twins fell silent, she sneaked a look at them to find them staring at Noah like he was their next bite. Noah looked between the two boys, the corner of his lips twitching upward.

With wide, innocent blue eyes that no one could resist, they both asked at the same time. "Can you make brownies?"

Little traitors.

*** *** ***

After breakfast, during which the twins were sorely disappointed to discover that Noah's baking skills were limited to pancakes, Lillian put them out of their misery by reneging on her decision to not make brownies.

They went out to play with the other pups, while Noah helped Lillian in the kitchen. She washed the dishes and he dried them off with a kitchen towel.

Elbows rubbing against each other, fleeting touches and stolen glances. Lillian and Noah worked in companionable silence. His warmth and scent filled the small cabin.

"I was wondering," Noah said when they finished their work. "If you could help Eva with Violet and the others who will be settling in our pack."

Lillian dried her hands. "Sure, I'm gonna have to tell Robert first. He's going to be expecting me in a little while."

"No need. He already linked me. He said to tell you to rest today."

Lillian narrowed her eyes at Noah. Did he have something to do with it? As if reading her mind, he held his hands up. "I have nothing to do with it. He heard from Eva that you were sick and linked me this morning."

"Hmm. Well, I feel pretty good today." Lillian smiled. "But I guess if he could go without me, I can help Eva. I missed Violet anyway."

"She seems taken with you."

"I like her, too." Lillian's smile dimmed. "Such a good girl, and what she had to go through... It's so unfair."

Noah's knuckles grazed her cheek, igniting her skin. "She'll be fine, they all will."

On the trail of a deep sigh, Lillian nodded. They would all be fine, hopefully. "You'll put them all in a cabin?"

"There are two females and a male," Noah said, leaning on the counter with his arms crossed. "The male will stay with a warrior who isn't mated yet, and the two females will share a small cabin like this one. This means we'll have to start building more cabins soon. Almost all the cabins in the village will be occupied by the end of the year. The ones left are outside the pack village, on the edge of the territory, for guests."

"You build everything yourselves, right?" Lillian asked.

"Pretty much. Having strangers inside the pack village isn't a wise move."

Lillian remembered something. "Hey, before we found Violet and the others, you guys have been saying that someone was leaking information to the kidnappers, someone from inside the packs."

"True, we found out that some witches who have been working with those packs were responsible for providing information for some of the kidnappings. But there are other packs, like Benjamin's, who don't allow outside witches a lot of freedom in their packs. They get in, do their work under strict surveillance, then get out."

"So if not the witches, then who?"

Noah's expression turned grim. "I don't want to judge anyone, but we mostly agree it has to be one of the transferred wolves. Transfer wolves are usually in a very sensitive position. They have links with their former pack, a link with the new pack's alpha, but they're not yet a member of the new pack. They're not part of the pack link, which makes them a weak spot."

"That's why packs grant very few permissions for transfer wolves," Lillian said, her work with Sean made her aware of that fact. She had always wondered why so many of the transfer demands were denied.

Noah nodded. "That's why. If someone wants to break a pack from the inside, the easiest way to begin is through transferred members who are still in the trial period, the ones who haven't yet taken the blood oath."

Wolves who live in a pack but who still are not part of it. The pack's magical dynamics ensure that every single member works for the interest of the whole. But those dynamics don't extend to transferred wolves until they conclude the blood oath at the end of the trial period.

Lillian pondered Noah's words, a feeling of uneasiness crept up her spine, raising the hairs on her nape. "Our pack has transferred wolves, too, right?"

Noah put a hand on her shoulder. "Yes, a few, but don't worry. We don't let them anywhere near the pups. And after the incident with the rogues, I've been discreetly keeping a closer eye on them."

"You think one of them may have something to do with it?" Lillian whispered.

"We don't know for sure, but we can't disregard the possibility." A muscle in his jaw ticked, he gently squeezed his hand, searing the flesh of her shoulder through her clothes. "The fact remains that there are a lot of things that don't add up about those kidnappings unless they had an insider working with them."

Her gaze flickered to the front door. Lillian whispered again, as if afraid someone might hear. "I don't like it. The pups are always running around the pack unescorted, what if-"

Noah's eyes glowed. "The pups know not to venture deeper into the woods. Besides, we've been keeping a tight perimeter around the village recently, to keep an eye on curious pups. Don't worry, no one will put their hands on them."

"Okay." Lillian forced a shaky breath into her lungs. "Okay. Right. You're right."

"Of course I am," Noah said, his voice lighter.

Lillian's lips twitched even as she rolled her eyes. Standing so close, he appeared bigger, stronger. He could snap her neck as easily as he would a twig. But she felt that she wouldn't be safer anywhere else in the world. Foolish of her? Maybe. But her entire being hummed to that truth; that he would never hurt her or hers.

"Thank you," she said, putting a hand over his where it still rested on her shoulder. "For yesterday, and, well, for everything."

"Don't thank me," he replied, then flipped his hand, took her hand in his and brought it to his lips.

Lillian gulped, holding his gaze. He squeezed her hand and dropped it. "I'll tell Eva to be expecting you."

Then he was gone, leaving her to catch her breath and try, in vain, to calm her racing heart.

*** *** ***

Eva was still working when Lillian went to the infirmary. Violet, and two other wolves, James and Kiano, were sitting in their beds, nerves clear on their faces.

The other wolves would all be gone by the next day, either to join one of the other packs, or, more rarely, to go back to their lives as lone wolves. Lillian said her goodbyes.

After Eva wrapped up her work, she and Lillian accompanied the three new additions to the pack village.

According to Eva, the wolves would have to swear a blood oath to Noah. Nothing as binding as an integration oath, just one to make him able to link with them and to ensure they did no harm in their stay here.

The trial period for them was set to one year, by the end of which they would either integrate the pack as fully fledged members, or leave, depending on their desires and how well they fit in with the rest of the pack.

They received curious glances, some covert, others not so much. A small gang of pups followed them around as they first got James settled in with one of the male warriors. Then they went to a small cabin, which, to Lillian's delight, was quite close to her own and with an identical layout; an open-floor plan, the living room blending with the kitchen, two rooms and a bathroom.

Called to tend to a young wolf who fell and broke his arm, Eva left Lillian with the two females.

"There's no food in the fridge yet," Lillian said, watching from the doorway as Violet and Kiano went inside and took in the space. "You can have your meals in the pack house if you want; there's always food to go by. Later, we'll drop by the pack house so you can get everything you need. Toiletry, food, clothes, and if there's anything you need that's not available, just tell me or Eva and we'll make sure we have it ordered."

"This is amazing," Kiano said. The tall, lean, young woman with dark skin, long tresses of black hair and haunted brown eyes, smiled at her. "I still can't believe this is ours."

"You better get used to it," Lillian said, a grin stretching her face. "I will give you a tour of the pack, don't worry about all the stares. The pack is just curious, but they mean well."

Violet looked down, shuffling her feet. Kiano wrapped her arms around herself and smiled. "Right. Hopefully we'll fit right in."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll get used to things in no time at all." Lillian winked. "After all, I'm human and I already feel like a member of the pack."

Lillian then took them on a tour of the pack village. Kiano appreciated the beauty of the scenery around them, but other than that, her reaction was normal. She had been in captivity for only a couple of years, as opposed to Violet who had been locked up since she was a child. The latter fact showed on the young girl's face. Her reaction to every simple thing was intense, her namesake eyes wide as they took in all details of people and nature around them. She stuck close to Lillian and Kiano's sides.

Lillian hoped Violet would soon adapt to her new life. It would take time and courage, but Lillian would do her best to help Violet build a nice life, as far away from the confines of the past as possible.

The training grounds weren't as crowded as Lillian feared. Only a couple of rings were occupied. Violet's body turned stiff as a board when she caught sight of the fighting pair closest to them. Her eyes turned the bright amber of her wolf.

Lillian recognized the two seasoned warriors. They were really going at it. Blood a vivid red against their skins, the sound of bones crunching under powerful blows, grunts and groans of pain, Lillian didn't know what had set Violet on edge. She exchanged a worried look with Kiano. The other woman shook her head slightly, looking toward the trees where they came from. Lillian took the hint, they needed to leave.

Wanting to do just that, Lillian intended to put her arm around Violet's shoulder. But the moment her hand made contact with Violet's clothes, the young wolf jumped away, her hand pushing Lillian with enough force to send her flying several yards backward.

"Shit!"

Lillian heard the curse, but she was too disoriented to figure out who spoke. She groaned, realizing she was staring up at the sky, her back on the ground, hurting.

"Lillian!" A warrior's face filled her sight, he was one of the warriors assigned to watch over them, Lillian had forgotten all about them, but apparently, they had been following behind all along. "You okay?"

"Yes," Lillian said, sitting up with a wince. "Yes, I'm fine."

Beyond the warrior, Kiano crouched in front of a huddled form on the ground. Violet. She had her knees drawn up to her chest, her head buried in them, her hair a brown curtain around her. She rocked back and forth, low growls escaping her throat.

"Is she okay?" Lillian asked.

Kiano looked over her shoulder with a tense smile. "Don't worry, just a little spooked." She looked back at Violet. "She's fine, Violet. See? She's alright."

But Violet's rocking only increased.

"We should go to the infirmary," the warrior, who Lillian now recognized as Blake, one of the transfer wolves, said. His features scrunched up in concern. He touched a spot on her face with cautious fingers. "You're bleeding."

Lillian frowned, touching the same spot. At the sight of blood, the stinging on her cheek and collar bone made itself known. Violet's hand must have been clawed.

"Oh dear," Lillian mumbled, then looked back to where Kiano had her arm around Violet. The wolves who'd been sparring ceased their fights and approached the unfolding scene.

Lillian felt it then, a chilling wave of rage that touched everything on the training grounds. Kiano looked at something over Lillian's shoulder, and her gaze changed from concerned to sharp and defensive, her body tense. Lillian looked behind her. Noah was marching closer, wearing a pair of dark shorts and a darker scowl. Murder was written all over his face. His amber eyes jumped from Violet and Kiano to Lillian. His nostrils flared.

Uh-oh.

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Hey guys! Hope you're doing well.

How did you like the chapter? Don't forget to vote and comment if you like it. I appreciate it.

Much love <3

M.B.