Eva POV

The timing for our arrival couldn't have been better, the family is having our typical Saturday meal, usually a cookout during football season. A cookout of this size is typically half chaos, half comedy - no doubt the Gray family specialty.

Which is why invited Callum and Ben to join us, they should be here shortly, though I did sense some reluctance about meeting all of my family.

"So you guys aren't seeing anybody?" I ask.

"We're waiting for our mates. You already know that, Evan. I just hang with Sam, Gray and Jack." Ethan states.

"I just hang with Dan, Niko and his mate Ashley. Plus I still have studying to do." Asher says.

"I didn't want to drop out Ash." I mumble.

"I know sis. I wasn't trying to make you feel bad." Asher explains, but continues with a mischievous look in his eyes. "I heard you caused trouble at Blackrose."

"A little." I smirk.

"A little?! Ash, her and their Beta played more pranks in a month than we do in a few months - plus some were pretty impressive pranks." Ethan adds.

Before we could continue the conversation any further, mom calls us in to help get ready for the cookout. We walk into the kitchen to help but seem to have walked into a war zone waiting to happen. Of course, Asher being the eldest, he has to try and take control.

"Guys! I don't think this is what mom had in mind when she asked for us to help get everything ready." Asher exclaims.

"I'm hungry. I couldn't wait." Logan mumbles through a mouth full of Lay's Sour Cream and Onion potato chips - his hand inside the torn bag.

"What are those?" Asher asks Liam.

"Tomato slices?" Liam questions.

"Here let me help." I say walking over to Liam to help with his cutting. I mean they look about as thick as the hamburger might be, so I think he could use my assistance.

"Logan get your hands out of the chip bag and start putting the other bags of chips in bowls. Liam bring a dish over for the tomatoes, lettuce and onions. Levi grab the hamburgers and hot dogs, so they can start being grilled. Ethan quit laughing at me."

"I knew you'd be a great Luna." A voice calls out from beside me, startling me a little.

"Hey Callum - Hey Ben. If you want to help stick around, if not find chairs out back to sit and relax."

"Do you relax?" Callum jokes.

"When I can. Right now there is a household of hungry people and the rest of the Gray clan hasn't gotten here. Sophia is almost three month pregnant and I'm sure she'll be plenty hungry. With approximately 15 to 20 people at big family dinners, organization is imperative."

Callum walks over and wraps an arm around my waist and someone clears their throat behind me.

"Sorry Asher. Yes, introductions are in order. Callum, this is Asher, my oldest brother. You've met Ethan and Logan, and this is Levi and Liam - Logan's triplets. Elliott is upstairs somewhere. Sophia and her mate Landon, Sam and my aunt and uncle will be over in just a little bit. Everyone this is my mate, Callum Walsh."

Right on cue a voice comes booming from the front of the house.

"Elliott Thomas Gray!" I hear dad hollar, and we all know that trouble is brewing.

Elliott rushes past everyone and hides behind me. I've always been the one he come to for comforting or to try and help him get out of trouble.

"What did you do this time, Little E?"

"I thought it was paper that I could do my sketches on."

With this admission, I don't ask any further questions. There is no telling what paperwork Elliott got his hands on. I will just have to help dad later with damage control - or maybe mom would be better help with getting dad to calm down.

"Mom, dad needs your help." I yell out.

"What with this time?" Mom questions.

"Looks like Little E got a hold of something he shouldn't have been doing sketches on."

"Goddess help us all." mom sighs and rushes towards dad's office.

After mom leaves the room, I move away from Elliott slightly.

"And this is Little E." I said as I patted his head although he's not that much shorter than me.

"You can call me Elliott. Only family calls me Little E, and I don't trust you." He informs Callum with all seriousness. Wow this might be harder than I thought.

Some of us go back to the kitchen to help with getting the rest of the food together while another group takes the hamburgers and hot dogs out to grill.

Callum POV

After the preparations were done and cookout was in full swing, we had mingled around and had conversations with some of the family members, me glued to Eva's side while Ben followed Sienna around like a lost puppy. She tried to pretend she didn't notice him, but I could tell that she had at least stopped telling him to, in her words not mine, 'fuck off'...I guess that's an improvement.

As far as meeting her family, I don't think I've made much progress...most of them seem to be leery of me even though they are polite, especially Eva's mother...and her brothers. Both have given me strange looks that I'm not quite understanding...

But it doesn't matter too much, I'm Eva's mate, like it or not they're going to have to get used to it.

"So I see that you've met the princess." Logan says to me.

"Princess of pain and mayhem." Sienna interjects.

"Where was the damage this time?" Ethan questions.

"You don't know the half of it. Their Beta and Eva were quite the pair." Sienna continues, but I just scowl. Another male - Another male! She was close to another male - how many more males was she close to?

"Better than here?" Ethan pouts.

"Way better. Let's see jolly ranchers in the shower heads, maximum strength orajel in Julian's toothpaste, mayo in Julian's creme filled doughnuts, soy sauce in Eva's Dr Pepper, green dye in Julian's cereal bowl, slash tire, and confetti in the car vents." Sienna explains winded.

"Don't forget the moving cat, the barrier at the end of the stairs, and the baby powder in the hair dryer." Eva chuckles.

"You two were a force, weren't you?" I try to joke but internally I'm fuming.

"Well I might have replaced his pillows with bubble wrap the day I left, so I am waiting to hear his reaction to that." Eva smirks.

"Goddess help us all!" Sienna cries out and walks off.

This little exchange hasn't made me happy - at all - not at all! Eva isn't going to be friends with a bunch of males - I won't have it. She is my mate, not everyone else's, and she better learn that quick!

Lexi POV (Eva's mom)

Looking out over the cookout, I spot my beautiful daughter laughing with her brothers and cousins - that mate of hers never leaving her side. Even if parents are supposed to be cautious of mates, I don't like this one.

"You've been giving that boy looks since the moment he walked in our house darling, what's going on?"

I snap out of my thoughts to see my mate staring at me curiously, and I force a smile.

"Like you haven't been giving him looks yourself? He is the mate of your daughter after all."

"True, I think that boy is a little big for his britches, but why don't you like him?"

I hesitate, but sigh.

"I have a bad feeling about him...more so than with Isaiah..."

"Like a vision?" He asks, placing a hand on my cheek.

"Something like that, they are still so shifty and uncertain at this point...but each time they leave me so unsettled." I explain, and worry fills his eyes.

"Do you think we should-"

"I don't know..." I interrupt, knowing on one hand that if I tell her and I'm wrong it'll just cause problems...but if I'm right, and don't...she won't see it coming.

What does a mother do in a time like this? My dreams or what would be classified as visions come sporadically, sometimes accompanied by Lucas. Yes, he still visits me in my dreams on occasion. The visions aren't concrete though, anything in the vision can change based on the path the the individual or individuals take. That's what makes me so uncertain about saying anything to people about these visions. They have become stronger in the last 20 years that I've been having them, but they can still be unpredictable. What if something I say actually changes the course of a person's life, although maybe that is the point sometimes. In Eva's case, I've been getting too many visions lately - about too many things - many of which are disturbing, even for someone who has seen battles and death. It seems as if the years to follow won't be easy on her, and I wish I could take the pain away. My only comfort coming from knowing that I see the potential for a future full of children and happiness. That's my only comfort at the moment in all of these visions.

Eva POV

Once the food was cooked, we all sat down to enjoy. I was especially liking the time I was spending with my cousin, Sophia and her mate Landon since she was currently three months pregnant and I probably wouldn't be able to be here for the birth. They found out they were going to have a girl, but Landon was stuck on the name Charlie. So it's going to be little Charlotte Anna Clarke - Charlie for short. With all of the dark-haired people in this family, I pray that Charlie inherits her father's blonde hair.

Some of us are sitting around catching a football game when my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and recognized Rin's number, something might be wrong with Devaney. I quickly scurried away to answer.

"Is everything ok, Rin?" I asked concerned.

"Things are going pretty well, but Devaney is missing you." was her reply.

"I miss the little munchkin too, but she knows I will be back to get her."

"Her insecurities are causing her to go slightly backwards in her progression. I'm not trying to pressure you, but do you think it will be long before you come to pick up Devaney?"

Looking at the phone and then out the window I was pacing in front of, I took a deep breath.

"Maybe another week? I just got back to my parent's pack yesterday, so I haven't had much time to visit with everyone here. With me finding my second chance mate, I guess I'll have to move to his pack after I come to get Devaney. I wanted to spend some time here, but if you think she really needs me I'll try to get there as soon as possible."

"A week won't be so bad for her. She can wait that long."

"Tell the little one that momma loves her and I will be there in a week."

"Sure will Eva. Have fun and enjoy your family."

As soon as I ended the call, Callum was in front of me wanting to know what the conversation was about - and probably to whom I was speaking. I'm not liking all of this jealous, possessive stuff - not sure if I can do much about it though.

"I have to go back to the Blackrose Swamp Pack." I told him.

"It's to see him, isn't it?" He accused. I'm assuming Callum is referring to Romain since I've told him about my date and short relationship with Romain.

"What the fuck Cal? No it's not. He is part of my past, you are my future. But there is a little girl there that lost her pack. She's only 3. She hasn't spoken one word in the six months she's been there. Her first word was 'mama' one day when I walked in to see her. I'm not abandoning that baby!" I explained with a slightly cold edge to my voice.

"Fine, I'll support you." He conceded.

"Thank you, babe." I responded, as I gave him a quick kiss.

He better change his tune. My wolf warned.

I figured he would. I internally smiled.

That is our pup now. My wolf said with pride.

Yes she is. We will go get her soon.

Good. She's special.

Yes she is.

My biggest hope was that Devaney and Callum would get along. I had no idea what I was going to do if those two didn't like each other.