We left shortly after Christopher's outburst, Cole and Rowan not wanting to cause any heat that was irreversible. Cole had made a big deal of how he had some memorials to organise, which was in fact true, but he also wanted to show the humans that death was a big thing for the wolves. They felt as if it was their job to mourn the dead and give them a proper send off. They deserved it.

I wanted to help, especially since we had lost Cassia. We wouldn't be where we were without her, and Cole would have most likely died if she hadn't sacrificed herself. She deserved to have people speak kindly of her at her send off.

"Well, that didn't go as planned," Rowan mumbled as he ran his hand through his sandy blonde hair, shaking his head.

Cole looked pissed, not only because of what Christopher had said, but because of what I had admitted to him back at the house. I realised that my plan had been reckless, but I truly believed at the time that I could have done something to stop people from being killed.

I wanted to talk to him about it, but it still wasn't the right time. Rowan was by our side and they were feeling even more stressed after Christopher's hostility. It was hard to tell if the other humans agreed with him, but judging by what my Father had said, Christopher wasn't the only one who wanted the wolves gone.

My guess was that some of the humans were playing along with Cole and Rowan's 'nice' façade. They wanted them to believe that they didn't have much to worry about regarding them.

I was sure that Cole and Rowan could see right through it though. They weren't stupid.

"Do you trust any of them?" Cole asked Rowan, who sighed.

"No," he admitted. "Not really. The only person I'm close to believing is Kassandra. She seems genuinely just concerned about Finn."

"I agree," I spoke up as we continued to walk. "I don't know why, but I trust her."

Cole hummed in response, scratching at his jaw that desperately needed a shave. I wanted to run my hand along it, and he caught me staring, his eyes going a darker shade as he smelt my lust.

Even though he was mad at me, he couldn't deny our bond. He wanted me just as badly as I wanted him.

"Any more ideas on what we should do regarding Amber?" Cole suddenly spoke, snapping his eyes away from me and gazing at Rowan, hurt panging in my chest. He really was pissed off.

"You know where I stand on the topic, but she's also just a child. It might be worth visiting her Mother and seeing if she has anything to say about it," Rowan suggested, trying to throw Cole a bone.

Rowan wanted Amber gone, but he also understood that she had made a mistake as a young child. She had been manipulated and it wasn't fair to blame her entirely. Markus had been cruel, but Rowan wanted to give Cole a reason to make up his mind. Perhaps talking to her Mother would help him do so.

"Have the doctors still not managed to figure out what is wrong with her?" I asked, and Rowan shook his head.

"No, it's not often that wolves get sick, but it's not unheard of. They can develop cancer and other illnesses in rare cases, so it's possible that she has something that our doctors haven't yet come across."

I hummed. I was under the impression that wolves were practically invincible.

Rowan and Cole seemed to be wracking their brains for ideas as we walked, and it wasn't long until we reached the outskirts of the pack. Rowan rushed off in the direction of the training field, mumbling something about being late for his session, leaving Cole and I awkwardly side by side.

I cleared my throat as I kicked at the dirt, opening my mouth to speak. However, Cole nodded in the direction of the house, moving his legs. Following after him, we reached the front door, and he pushed it open for me.

"I'm going to my office," he said. "I've got work to do."

I furrowed my brows, not liking the idea of leaving things the way they were. I also didn't want to be alone.

"Can I come?" I asked, hopeful.

Cole sighed, shaking his head. "I would prefer if you didn't. I'll be back later."

He leaned down to kiss the top of my head quickly, walking away, tears brimming my eyes. I didn't want to cry. I wasn't going to cry. I wasn't going to sit at home and feel sorry for myself either.

I watched Cole round the corner from the window, and when I was satisfied that I couldn't be seen, I exited the house. I wanted to spend some time with Amara and Tirus. I was just hoping that they wouldn't mind seeing me at such short notice.

Strolling over to Amara's apartment, I tried to push the thoughts of Cole to the back of my mind. He would get over being annoyed at me. I understood the pressure that was on his shoulders and hearing that I was going to go against his orders to keep me safe frightened him. I had learned from my mistake.

I pushed the door to the lobby open, smiling at a few wolves who were mingling around. Making my way to Amara's apartment door, I knocked on it, hoping she was in. I wasn't sure on her schedule, but normal activities hadn't started up again yet. Everyone needed a few more days of relaxation.

"Coming!"

I smiled as I heard Amara's voice from the other side of the door, and she frantically pulled the door open with a scowl, only to realise it was me. She yanked me inside, wrapping her arms around me, laughing.

"I have been hoping and praying that Cole would finally release you and allow you to come and visit me," she chuckled, dragging me over to the couch. She picked up her half drank cup of wine, gesturing towards the bottle sat on her wooden table.

I hummed. I knew that humans weren't supposed to drink when pregnant. I was unsure what wolves did, but I didn't want to risk it. "I'm okay, thank you."

"Are you sure?" asked Amara, gulping it down. "You look like you could use one."

"Yeah, I'm still recovering and my alcohol tolerance isn't the best," I lied, smiling, causing Amara to laugh out loud.

"Tirus is busy at the moment, but he's coming over later. I also spotted Anthony and Amber leaving Cole's house yesterday," stated Amara, arching an auburn brow at me, obviously digging. "Anthony looked pissed off. Did him and Cole have an argument or something?"

I cleared my throat, trying to come up with a quick lie. I couldn't tell Amara that Amber was being interviewed by Cole and Rowan because she was the informant. As much as I loved Amara, nobody was supposed to know and I didn't want to hurt Anthony and Amber like that.

"Oh yeah, I think Amber had struggled with the evacuation," I said, causing Amara to narrow her eyes at me. I really wasn't sure where I was going with the lie, but I hoped that Amara was going to leave it.

"Oh? So Anthony wanted to talk to Cole about it?" Amara questioned, seeming confused.

I shrugged, deciding to play it dumb. "I think so. I wasn't there for the conversation to be honest."

"Oh, okay."

We settled into silence, but it wasn't awkward. We were soaking up each other's presence, enjoying it. I found my hand moving to my belly, and Amara's eyes snapped to it, her brows almost reaching her hairline as she watched me.

I widened my eyes, trailing my hand up towards my ribs in an attempt to look casual. "My ribs are killing me. The doctor said that they were bruised."

Amara scowled, offering me a cool cloth to place on them, but I denied it. I was just hoping she hadn't realised what I had been doing. I couldn't help it. It was a habit now, something my body had been doing without even thinking about it. I believed that it was my maternal instinct kicking in.

A baby.

I was going to have a baby.

And soon.

When we were still in danger.

Panic was beginning to set in, and I found myself breathing heavily, Amara setting down her wine to lean over and place her hand on my knee in concern. "Reya? Are you okay?"

I had to talk to someone about this. I felt alone hiding my pregnancy. I was scared. So scared, and Cole was annoyed with me. My emotions were all over the place and I felt like bursting into tears. There was a chance that this baby was going to be born into a world of pain and war.

"Reya," Amara mumbled, moving closer so she was perched next to me. "It's okay. You're safe."

"I'm pregnant," I mumbled without even thinking about it, my eyes going wide as Amara froze, her hand on my knee feeling ice cold.

"You're...what?" she all but spluttered.

I nodded once, pinching the bridge of my nose. "I'm pregnant with Cole's child."

Amara's face was masked with shock, but she soon beamed at me, engulfing me in a hug and patting my back. "Oh My Goodness! Reya, congratulations!"

I smiled at her, but I knew it didn't reach my eyes.

"You don't look very happy. Why aren't you happy?" Amara asked.

My eyes filled with tears, and I wiped them away, my bottom lip wobbling.

"I am happy. I am," I spoke, gulping. "The timing just isn't great. Our pack is still in danger. I can't say much more but I just feel alone because I can't tell anybody."

This was supposed to be a happy and magical time. Instead, I felt like my pregnancy had thrown a spanner in the works of an already very intense and emotional time. I wanted this baby. I already felt protective over it, but I couldn't help but feel like I was going to have to do this alone when Cole was busy.

"You can't tell anybody?" Amara wondered, looking concerned.

"To keep me and the baby safe," I said, shaking my head.

Amara nodded once, looking like she wanted to ask more questions, but my awkward expression stopped her from doing so. She nodded once, grabbing a hold of my hand.

"Okay," Amara spoke. "Okay, that's fine. I won't say a word. You know I won't."

"Thank you," I said, squeezing her hand.

"Does Cole know you're feeling this way?"

I shrugged. "It's only been one day, but I just need someone to speak to about this."

"I understand," Amara said. "I won't say a thing. I'll act like you haven't even told me. I promise."

I continued to breathe heavily, my lungs feeling as if they were being constricted, and Amara smiled sadly, fetching me a cup of water.

I sipped on it, tilting my head back, allowing my hand to gravitate back towards my belly.

"Do you have a stomach ache?" asked Amara, winking at me, confirming to me that she really was going to pretend she knew nothing about my pregnancy. "I can get you some painkillers if you would like?"

I smiled at her. "Thank you, Amara."

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