To show that I haven't given up on the story, I've written a small chapter. Most of my updates will be slow coming and they will be shorter than you all are used to. I'm trying to get back into gear. Thanks for sticking with me and I hope it's an ok chapter. And thank you LifeGoesOn31 for the picture. =)

I was tired, but the day had been slow. The babies were playing with their toys on the ground with Nikki watching over them. It was peaceful, so I was just lying there, resting. They had kept me up for a good portion of the night.

I heard the front door open and close, but I didn't have the energy to look up at whoever it was.

I recognized his footsteps as he walked into the house. "There's a party to encourage the blending of the packs tonight," Mikko said as he sat down on the floor with the kids.

I was feeling especially exhausted, so I didn't move from my lounging position on the couch. There was no way I would be doing anything. I had a hard time sleeping. The babies on the floor were moving around too quickly these days and the baby in my belly would not stop moving to give me an hour's worth of sleep.

I just shrugged. I wasn't going to commit to anything.

Mikko smirked when Ben knocked a block out of Angie's hand. She threw a pouting look at her brother before leaning against him and making him fall onto his side. Luckily they were all on their butts, so I wasn't worried. They would finish their fighting eventually.

"What's the party for?" Nikki asked from the kitchen. She was getting me some tea in the hopes that it would soothe me. I didn't think it would work. It was the baby that was causing the ruckus.

"It's showing the pack that they can get along with us without any fear. To make the pack want to join with us and sway their alpha." Mikko never took his eyes off of the kids.

The baby stretched up into my stomach and made me wince. Mikko's eye flickered over to me before he crawled, stalked rather, from the way he moved. It was like he thought he was in his wolf's skin. He put his hand on the side of my stomach and the baby moved toward the warmth of his hand. Then the baby rested.

I sighed in relief. It was nice and reassuring to feel the baby move, but I needed a break.

Nikki started saying something again, but I didn't hear it before I was asleep

---

I felt very well rested when I woke up. It felt like I had caught up on all of my sleep. I felt contented until I started stretching. This wasn't my bed.

I opened my eyes and looked around. It was Mikko's.

I sighed when I got up. I knew there was a theory going around that the pregnant women sleep better around the scents of their mates, but Mikko was nowhere near to being my mate.

I swiveled my feet out of the bed and sat there for a minute. The baby started moving again. I smiled and ran my hands over the bump. I couldn't complain about being pregnant again. I would never be pregnant again because I was going to change after I had this baby. I was determined. I wouldn't get pregnant again.

I couldn't go through this all again. I shouldn't have been happening now. But children are blessings and I would never regret giving birth to them. I would do anything for them. I would go through anything for them.

I stretched before standing up and walking out of Mikko's room.  It was amazing that I actually felt rested.

"The fiesta is in an hour!" Nikki called from down the hall.

That meant I would be cutting it close to get ready for the festivities. I knew that I couldn't play hooky. I had to go to the party.

I made a turn and went right to my room. I needed to get ready to face two packs and I had a feeling that I was going to be in the middle of it tonight.

I could hear a few sniffles and whines as the triplets slept. This cold was going them as soon as things started getting really busy with the pack. That, and I didn't have the energy to keep up with sick triplets. My tank was on empty. I needed help and I was getting to the point where I would be willing to ask for it.

I took a quick shower to wake up and reluctantly got ready for the party that I was expected to attend.

I just hoped that JJ wouldn't throw the date in Mikko's face, but I knew that was just wishful thinking.

---

The party was in full swing when we got there. Nikki and Mike had the girls while my dad took care of Ben. That allowed Mikko to show me around and introduce me to a bunch of people I didn't care about knowing. My plate was just too full to play politician's-baby-mama.

My heart seized when I saw JJ. He looked good dressed up. No one was formal, but everyone was dressed nicely. I felt mildly underdressed in my chevron dress. Luckily the bump wasn't big enough to distort the chevron pattern.

I couldn't wear the tiny dresses that some of the women were wearing, but Mikko didn't bother to look at them and made me feel good about myself. He was showing me off for once, like someone proud to be next to me.

JJ came right over and pulled me into a hug and kissed the side of my face. He had sure to keep me close when we let go and put his hand on the small of my back. I knew what was happening, but I chose to ignore it.

Technically I was casually seeing JJ. Mikko had blown his chances and everyone knew that, even if they didn't like to acknowledge it.

I wasn't waiting around for Mikko and JJ was doing an okay job sticking up for himself.

JJ smiled and made me do a twirl. "You look amazing."

I couldn't help but blush a little. "Thanks JJ, you look good as well."

He smiled and stood up a little straighter at that. Like I had blown wind into his sails. There was no way that I could tell him that next to Mikko, he wasn't even in the same league. It felt like I was lowering my standards, while Mikko was in a league all his own.

JJ pulled me close again. "Let me introduce you to a few of my friends."

I glanced at Mikko out of reflex, but it wasn't his choice. I didn't need his permission to go with JJ. No one was going to hurt me here. Well...no one who wanted to survive the night.

JJ pulled me before I could even give him a proper answer.

His smile was wide as he pulled me across the room to where his alpha was staying.

The alpha of the Valley Pack smiled at me when he saw JJ pulling me behind him. I didn't like being dragged. At least, when Mikko brought me into the house I was walking with him, not being dragged in behind him.

I mentally chastised myself. I needed to stop comparing JJ to Mikko. JJ wouldn't win in the comparison. It wasn't fair. I needed to find a way to level the playing field. The only way I could do that was not to think of them as werewolves, but to think of them as the men that they were. Mikko had wrecked me a bit and JJ had never done anything like that.

I needed to give him a chance.

A girl came up to the two of us before we could get to the alpha. She smiled widely, but there was jealousy behind those eyes. It was a woman thing to recognize. She wanted something I had. JJ or Mikko or maybe even the babies. I didn't have very many allies these days.

It took all of two seconds to realize that she was after JJ. Go figure there was always someone going after someone I was seeing.

Her smile was sickly sweet and I didn't believe it for a second. JJ smiled at her like a guy would his sister, fond, but that's about it.

She shoved her hand in front of me to shake. "It's so nice to meet you, Emily!"

I pasted on a smile and nodded while I took her hand. "Thanks. What's your name?"

"You can just call me Becca."

I nodded once. "Nice to meet you Becca. I'm assuming you're in the Valley Pack?"

She smiled and finally let go of my hand. "It's amazing to meet someone who can actually give birth to so many children from one wolf." I could feel an undercurrent. "Especially one like Mikko, he's a legend."

I could feel JJ tense beside me. Then it clicked. She was digging a thorn into JJ by the comparison.

I took a deep breath, scrambling for something to say. "Well, accidents do happen and this one just happened to be a happy accident."

She nodded vigorously. "It must be amazing to be able to have whoever you want."

I felt that one like I'd feel a slap to my face.

I shrugged. "It must be."

JJ's growl of annoyance was barely audible to me, so I knew that anyone around us would have been able to hear it.

I didn't like being in the middle of drama.

Luckily JJ moved us along without saying anything else to the woman.

"Is she an ex?" I asked quietly, all the while knowing that there was no real privacy, but I still wanted to be discrete.

He shrugged. "It's complicated."

I let it go and continued walking the way JJ wanted me to go. I understood complicated more than most.

I spent most of the night with JJ meeting people that he wanted me to make. I felt like a pawn piece in all reality, but I was trying to contribute to bringing the packs together. If I could tell that this party was a farce, everyone else would know it too.

If I could help bring the packs together this bull would be done and I could get back to my normal life. I could move onto being a werewolf without any added danger because the pack was steadily growing stronger.

But I had a feeling that with this pack, it was all wishful thinking.