Micah’s story:

I glance across at Rosy where she is curled up between her brothers. I frown when I see her eyes are closed and she appears to be asleep. It is not the fact she is asleep that bothers me, rather the fact she seems to be avoiding sleeping in my bed with me. I walk closer to where Sam and Mitchell sit relaxed on either side of her and catch Sam’s eye. I jerk my chin towards the hallway door before heading that way without waiting to see if he follows. I don’t stop in the hallway but make my way outside before turning around and waiting for Sam to reach me.

"Yeah, I guess I know what this is about," Sam says quietly as he walks through the door.

"I don’t want to push her Sam, but this will be the third night in a row she has avoided sleeping with me," I say evenly.

"Has this talk got anything to do with a concerned phone call from Doc?" Sam asks calmly.

"No," I say with a frown. "He only called to say he informed the Board of Rosy’s pregnancy."

Doc called yesterday to let me know he notified the Were Board of Governors of the pregnancy and received confirmation that it was noted in the records as with each confirmed pregnancy for a she-kitt or Queen.

"You got something to tell me?" I ask after a few moments silence.

"Doc phoned me today to ask how you and Rosy are getting on," Sam says quietly.

"Apparently the Board contacted him asking if Rosy is going to be getting married real soon," Mitchell says as he walks outside to join us.

"Neither of you thought of mentioning this to me?" I ask tightly.

"We don’t want to see Rosy pushed into anything she doesn’t want," Sam states firmly. "Doc said that when he told the Board she was seriously involved with you, they were satisfied for the time being."

"Either both of us, or one of us, was going to talk to you tonight," Mitchell says lightly. "You beat us to it."

"Rosy needs all the support she…" I start to say but Sam lifts a hand and I stop mid sentence.

"She needs to build stronger bonds with you," Sam states with a nod. "With all of us here. But at the moment I think she’s embarrassed over what happened in the lounge room, and the fact everyone was watching is making her hesitant about sleeping with you."

"I didn’t mean to lock-up inside her," I say with a glance towards Mitchell. Yesterday morning he got in a few good punches before Sam was able to make him back off. I didn’t fight back as I realised it was his punishment to me for locking-up inside his sister so early in our relationship.

"You’ll be wanting to sleep beside Rosy in the lounge room or have just you and her in your room tonight," Sam says with a quiet sigh.

"Yes," I admit. "Already there is a matebond forming. I can feel her at the edge of my mind. I can’t get into her mind but I can feel her presence. I don’t want to have to use our bond to make her let me sleep beside her."

"You sure there is a matebond forming?" Mitchell asks sceptically.

"Yes," I say firmly as I meet his eyes. Matebonds generally don’t form so quickly between couples. It usually takes several years before the individuals can feel each other subconsciously - then a shorter time before they can communicate silently.

"Maybe if we back off, Rosy will turn to you for the support and reassurance she seems to need so badly," Sam says with a sigh.

"I’m going to go see if Rosy will wake up a bit," Mitchell murmurs as he looks away from my stare and heads inside.

Sam clears his throat and looks away when I meet his eyes. He is silent for a few moments but I can tell he has more to say.

"Doc warned me it might happen," Sam says gravely after a short silence. He meets my eyes with a shrug as if not sure of something. "Doc thinks that the matebond is formed when a tom locks-up inside his mate."

"Hence the reason we are told never to lock-up inside a young she-kitt when we are playing around before marriage," I say and take a deep breath.

"If what Doc said is true Micah, Rosy might have already formed bonds with another tom. She said nearly every tom that forced her locked up inside of her. If that’s so, who is she bonded to?" Sam asks quietly. I take a deep sharp breath. I don’t want to think about that.

"Well I will just have to make sure our bond is the one she wants," I snap and head inside, desperate to be near her. The chance she might already be bonded with another tom worries me. It might be the reason she seems to be reluctant to become involved in a normal boyfriend/girlfriend relationship.

Rosy is awake when I walk into the lounge room. Steven and Malcolm are sitting either side of her and judging by the teasing going on it was one of them that woke her up. I am not surprised Steven has woken her, he has encouraged Rosy towards me every chance he got. While the support of my work partner doesn’t surprise me, the quiet way Malcolm has been encouraging Rosy to become involved with me has come as a surprise.

"You okay there Rosy?" I ask quietly.

"These two were being silly and woke me up," Rosy says with a frown looking my way.

"We weren’t being silly," Steven says seriously. "You were pulling faces in your sleep so we woke you up because I thought you were having a nightmare."

"How about I sit next to you to protect you from them?" I ask as I come around the lounge to stand near the mattress she was on. It was a new queen size mattress I purchased and had delivered from town yesterday. With an extra mattress, there would always be one on the floor in the lounge room whenever Rosy chose to take a nap in here.

"I just want to go back to sleep," Rosy protests as she lies back down and looks away from me, avoiding my eyes.

Malcolm gets up without a word and I sit down beside Rosy. She moves so she is lying on her side facing me with her back to Steven. I reach out and brush loose tendrils of hair back off her face and tuck them behind her ear. She closes her eyes and turns her face slightly so her cheek touches my hand.

It’s been like that since she accepted me - allowing me to mount her not once but twice in a very short span of time. Since then she resists contact with me but once I touch her she leans into my touch, keeping the contact as long as possible.

"Can I touch your baby-belly?" I ask softly. Rosy doesn’t answer, instead she rolls onto her back pushing the blanket down below her hips. She pulls her t-shirt up until I can see the waistband of her sweatpants.

"Someone turn the lights out," I say firmly and stretch out on my side close beside her.

I place my hand lightly on her lower stomach and watch her face. She blinks slowly and turns her face towards me before closing her eyes. The light in the lounge room is turned out followed shortly by the kitchen light. I pull the blanket up to cover Rosy up before resting my hand on her clothing over her stomach gently once more. I feel Rosy move slightly beneath my touch and then she is lifting my hand and sliding it beneath the waist of her pants. I barely breathe, not wanting to make any kind of movement that might break the fragile trust Rosy is showing.

"Rosy isn’t going to let anyone else touch her belly tonight is she?" Donny asks quietly somewhere close by. Someone immediately shushes him and I am relieved when Rosy remains where she is. I remain motionless with my hand resting lightly on her stomach until I am almost certain Rosy has fallen back to sleep. I lean towards her and brush a kiss against her cheek. I am surprised when she turns her head towards me allowing my lips to brush hers. I lift my head to look at her, expecting to find she has only moved in her sleep but I can see her eyes are open.

Deciding to take a chance I lower my head and brush a light kiss over her lips. Her lips part softly beneath mine so I kiss her again, forcing myself to keep it light. When I rest my head on the pillow Rosy crowds close to me wriggling and pushing against my chest. I roll away from her and onto my back with a sigh of disappointment, I wanted to hold her as she slept. I am surprised when she snuggles up against my side, her head on my chest and one leg thrown over mine.

"Comfortable?" I ask her quietly.

"Hmmm." Her hum of agreement is faint and I realise she is almost asleep.

I close my own eyes ignoring the tv program most of the others are watching and relax, enjoying the warm soft feeling of Rosy against my side. I am still awake when the tv is turned off and everyone but Steven heads for their rooms. I feel Rosy stir against my side and realise she was woken up by the few noises made as the lounge room emptied.

"You want me to go to the bedroom or stay out here by myself maybe?" Steven asks quietly.

I feel Rosy move slightly as if she has moved her head so she can hear my answer better.

"I don’t care what you do," I say softly. "I am doing exactly what I want to be doing. Rosy? You want Steven to go away?"

"He’s not trying to touch me or hurt me," Rosy murmurs sleepily and finishes with a yawn.

Rosy’s story:

I lie on the bed and look around the bedroom, bored. It is midafternoon and Sam has sent me to Micah’s room with orders to lie down for my mid afternoon sleep. It is two weeks since I have been allowed to return to the quarters and the relationship between Micah and myself has been getting stronger. Micah has been gentle and understanding in our relationship. When I have trouble dealing with his sexual needs he accepts there are some things I need time to allow him to do. The times I have let him have sex with me, he has been very gentle and made sure I received as much pleasure as he seemed to get from it.

The midafternoon sleep has somehow become routine since leaving the cage, probably due to my normally progressing pregnancy. I know I will fall asleep soon and roll onto my side cuddling a pillow to my chest and pulling the blanket up over my shoulders. I am nearly asleep when I hear soft footsteps and then I feel the bed dip beneath a slight weight. I open my eyes sleepily and smile when I see Jazzy settling down on the bed as well.

Since Micah and Steven left on their job a week ago, it has become a routine for Jazzy to sneak in and lie down when I am supposed to be asleep. We both know that none of the toms will order her out of the room if they think I am asleep for fear of waking me. We use these times to talk about what things will be needed for the coming baby, what colour the new room should be painted, and we get a chance to talk girl talk about the different toms belonging to the clan.

I wake to the sound of footsteps coming down the sunroom towards the room I am in. The angle of the sunlight streaming in the window tells me two or three hours have passed since Jazzy came in to lay down with me. I notice I am alone once again and roll over to face the door before I prop myself up on one arm as I look towards the doorway with sleep blurred eyes.

"Hey Darling, I was hoping you were awake." The sound of Micah’s voice sends a shiver of excitement down my spine and I sit up for several moments before speaking.

"Micah! You’re back!" I say before lying back down and patting the bed beside me in invitation. Micah needs no second invitation and hurries to stretch out on the bed beside me. One large hand immediately covers my still flat stomach and he moves it in gentle circles.

"How have you been? And how is Jelly-bean treating you?" he asks without looking away from where his hand rests on my belly.

"Good. As you can see I lie down of an afternoon because if I don’t Sam and Mitchell get cranky, and Jazzy will sit down and glare at me until I do. Mind you she doesn’t say a word - just glares," I say with a happy grin. "All of us usually end up eating outside because I get morning sickness at supper time most days now. I usually manage a tiny bit of food and have the rest of my meal about ten o’clock at night."

"You sleeping well or do you miss me?" Micah teases.

"I sleep pretty good but I usually sleep with Sam. If I sleep with Mitchell Jazzy gets so cranky if she can smell either of our scents on the other when she comes over from the house the next morning. She has even checked his bed once or twice to make sure I haven’t slept in it," I tell him.

"Hmmm," Micah says and moves his hand up to cup my breast. His thumb brushes my nipple through the fabric and I gasp as I feel moisture gather between my thighs.

"One other thing," I say breathlessly, "Your father …"

Micah growls and lifts his head immediately to look me in the face, "What has he done now?" His voice is a tight growl.

"Nothing really. Though he is usually over here at the quarters nearly everyday, mostly when Marissa brings me over some treat she has cooked or something for the baby she’s picked up when she’s been in town … although I have noticed a couple of the things have only had Wade’s scent on them with your mum’s scent on the wrapping or bag they’re in," I tell him and Micah gives an annoyed grunt that reminds me very much of the sound Wade makes when I annoy him with my persistence in keeping a good distance between us.

"Give them back if it bothers you," Micah tells me.

"I just thought … you know if you wanted … maybe … if you want to be the father of this baby then maybe you’d better practice the father thing before it gets here…" I am saying but Micah cuts me off abruptly.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Micah’s voice rises to a shout in his excitement and I flinch.

"If you want to be the father of this baby then maybe you’d better practice the father thing before it gets here," I say uncertainly now.

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes!" Micah yells and kisses me between each word, "Oh God yes!"

"If you’ll hold me nice and tight so I know I’m safe and the baby is safe then your father can touch my belly and say hallo to his grandchild," I tell him quietly as I hear footsteps hurrying towards us.

"Oh he’ll love that," Micah says and lifts his head to look towards the door.

"Is everything alright? We heard you yelling halfway over to the house," Sam bursts out as he and Mitchell along with several others skid to a halt in the doorway.

"All right? Of course everything is bloody all right! Now shut my door and get the fuck out of the quarters," Micah yells at them in annoyance.

I peer over Micah’s shoulder and watch as Sam shuts the door with a frown on his face. "You sure everything is all right?" Sam calls through the door.

"All right? Top of the world! Couldn’t be better! Frigging Won-dee-full!" Micah yells and it is hard to tell whether he is angry or excited without seeing the look of joy on his face.

"You sure? You both still got your pants on so why all the yelling?" Mitchell yells sounding half angry and half worried.

"Get out of the quarters before I get up and come out and hit you," Micah yells back angry now. I hear Mitchell growl low and threateningly and I grab Micah’s arm when he goes to get up.

"Can you all just do as Micah says and go? We’re trying to sort something out here and you’re interfering," I call out. I hate it when aggression simmers between any of the toms. I even hate watching the sparing and training they do to stay in shape and fighting condition for work.

"You’re ok?" Mitchell worries.

"I’m fine. Just go please!" I call out when Micah growls and pulls away from my light hold. Thankfully he stands by the side of the bed and faces the door angrily as he listens to the toms leave.

"That tom needs something else to think of besides my girlfriend and our baby," Micah says with a huge grin after an uncomfortable silence.

"Micah, he’s my brother, and believe it or not, we are very close even if we didn’t know each other a year ago. He’s just over protective. He’ll make a great uncle," I tell him.

Micah grunts non-committaly as he stretches out beside me to rest his hand on my belly and watches my face. After a few minutes he lowers his head to kiss me gently before lifting his head once again.

"When are you going to start thinking about proper names for the baby? We can’t keep calling it Jelly-bean," he tells me seriously.

"Well I don’t know how it works in the cat world, but in the human world that is something both parents work out together most of the time," I tell him as I slide my hands up his chest and along the top of his shoulders.

"With cats the mother has final say usually," Micah answers and lowers his head to nuzzle around my neck.

Surprisingly it is not a sexual action but one that werecats use between couples to display affection and strengthen their bond. I close my eyes and moan softly with the pleasure and contentment his gesture causes. I hear him chuckle before tensing and I open my eyes to look at him.

"Who ever it is, fuck off," Micah growls in warning as he glares at the door.

"Micah, it’s me partner," Steven says from somewhere close outside the door. "Can I come in?"

I feel Micah tense for several moments then he slowly relaxes and moves closer to me snuggling me against his body.

"Yeah," there is a trace of annoyance in his voice as he answers.

"I’m really sorry to interrupt, mate," Steven says when he opens the door and walks in closing it behind him, "but there’s going to be a problem real soon if you don’t bring Rosy out so both of her brothers can see you’ve stopped yelling at her."

"I wasn’t far off waking up from my sleep anyway," I tell Micah but make no move to get up. I am content to lie against his body.

"All right then," Micah says reluctantly. "I got a few people to talk to anyway."

"Hi Steven, good to have you back safely," I tell him.

"Hey Rosy, behaving I hope," Steven tells me with a grin before he leans down to give me a kiss on the cheek. One perk of being the girlfriend of a warrior I have found is that his partner considers himself like a honorary brother and so I have one more big warm male body to cuddle up to if I get upset.

"Steven, I want you to be the first to know Rosy has asked me if I want to practice being a father so I have the hang of it for when the Jelly-bean arrives," Micah tells him his voice thick with emotion. My hesitancy to involve Micah fully with my pregnancy up to now has been a thing of concern amongst the toms, and they discuss it frequently when they think I am unable to hear them.

"Shit mate! I’m really happy for you," Steven says as Micah gets to his feet and they embrace in a back slapping hug. "No wonder you were yelling."

"Yeah," is all Micah manages. I get up and snuggle into Micah’s arms, resting my cheek against his chest. I can hear his heartbeat and I close my eyes. I open them as I realise Micah hasn’t kissed me properly yet and I lean back as I look up into his face.

"Aren’t you forgetting something?" I ask. Micah frowns as he looks down at me and I lick my lips making his eyes light up with desire. He grins at me before dropping his head to catch my lips in a hot and steamy kiss. I groan against his lips when he slowly lifts his head and I reach up to drag his head back down to mine so his mouth can work more of it’s magic. Steven clears his throat noisily then starts whistling as Micah looks his way and I smile knowing from past experience Steven is looking up at the ceiling like it is interesting.

"Shall we go?" Micah asks. I hold on to Micah’s hand as he leads the way out to the lounge room. He hesitates and Steven moves past us to lead the way outside and towards the stone building where the others are standing in a huddled group. Sam and Mitchell move away from the group and I see both of them eyeing Micah with tight expressions.

"It’s all good now?" Sam asks me with a closed expression.

"It’s been all good all along. Rosy was telling me she expects me to start letting her call me Daddy," Micah says with a happy glance my way.

"And you got a bit overexcited," I tell him with a grin.

"I knew you’d realise toms are nothing like human guys," Jazzy exclaims as she rushes over to hug me.

We’d had a long talk about Micah and the baby and I explained to her how human men often weren’t that good when a woman already had children, often thinking of the kids as ‘unwanted baggage’ or the woman in question as ‘an easy lay’.

"What’s Jazzy talking about?" Micah asks from where the toms are crowding around him and carrying on as if he was the biological father of my baby. I know now that he will be the best father he can be to this baby and not only because he already thought of it as ‘ours’ but because he is a genuinely good person.

"I’ll tell you later," I say.

"Remember what Cantrell Yates was like when he moved in with Kaytee after Spencer died in that truck crash? The way he treated Christian and Vinnie?" Jazzy asks her brother. "Apparently it’s pretty normal with a lot of human guys."

Micah looks at me surprised and a little hurt but he nods before saying, "No wonder you were so touchy about me and the baby."

"I’m not taking chances with my baby," I say.

"I don’t blame you," Mitchell says as he comes over to give me a cuddle.

"Our baby," Micah says quietly.

"Okay, our baby. But I had to be sure I could trust you to treat the baby right. Babies, all babies are too precious not to be treated right," I tell him.

"The way Micah spoils you, how could he not treat the baby right?" Dwayne asks.

"How am I to know what is normal and what isn’t for werecats? Most of my education was received running from either strays or clan cats," I point out uneasily.

"That’s why you have us to guide you," Sam tells me.

"Let’s just change the subject," I say feeling more and more uneasy. Mitchell pulls me close to drop a kiss on my head and I know he is trying to calm me so I lean into his body more thankful of his presence.

"Dwayne I need to speak to you, and Rosy can come with me too," Micah says firmly. "Let’s go for a walk."

I am quick to fall into step beside Micah, hopeful that neither tom will think of the chain leash that Wade insists I have attached every time I am outside.

"If we hurry we can pretend we forgot that leash in all the excitement of Micah and Steven getting home, and your announcement." Dwayne says. Micah growls low in his throat as he catches my hand only to raise it to his mouth for a quick kiss before letting go, but I instantly grab his hand again and walk at his side smiling happily to myself.

"How is he going with that? Let up yet?" Micah asks.

"No, if anything he’s worse when you’re not here." Dwayne says as he comes up on my other side and catches my free hand to swing it high before letting go. "So what do you need to talk about?"

"We’ll talk in the tree line," Micah says and I realise it is something he doesn’t want others overhearing. At the tree line Micah makes sure I am seated comfortably and they sit down on the ground facing me before Micah looks at Dwayne with a serious frown on his face.

"Rosy was telling me Jazzy is getting very possessive over Mitchell. Has anything happened there we need to know about?" Micah asks firmly.

"I did come across them once out here. Mitchell had his hand down her pants playing around with her and when she offered to let him do more, he backed off telling her he wanted to do things the right way," Dwayne informs Micah.

"Mitchell never said anything to me about Jazzy," I say instantly.

"Do you have any objections to Mitchell becoming seriously involved with Jazzy?" Micah asks me and both he and Dwayne turn their heads to look at me.

"You are talking about what I think you are? Them having sex?" I ask uneasily. Micah nods and Dwayne regards me seriously.

"But Jazzy is so young," I say horrified.

"Most young she-kitts start after they have become physically mature - around legal age of consent," Micah informs me. " Jazzy is actually nineteen."

"And she is to use condoms to minimise the chances of her ending up pregnant. She seems better after the treatment your Uncle gave her but we need to be sure she is totally well before she considers settling down, getting married and having children," Dwayne states.

"She can’t fall pregnant while she takes the medicine to make sure all the heartworms are gone because the medicine will most likely prevent a pregnancy - it would be viewed as a parasite," I say quietly wondering if they should have been told this piece of information before.

"But when she’s finished all the medicine, she will be able to have babies?" Micah asks worriedly.

"The medicine will wear off after about a month or two and I know my Uncle wants her to have her heart checked to make sure there is no permanent damage. Then sure

– no reason she can’t," I say with a shrug.

"So is it all right for her to sleep with Mitchell?" Dwayne asks.

"Shouldn’t you be asking Mitchell or Sam this?" I ask uneasily.

"You get to say no if you don’t want them being together for any reason," Dwayne explains.

"Well, okay. I don’t mind if they get together and … have sex, as long as it’s what both of them want," I say then add hastily, "And you can’t bash my brother for it!"

Both Micah and Dwayne smile with relief, "I promise I’ll only bash him if he tries to interfere between us," Micah tells me. "Sam’s the one I have to watch out for."

"We need you to do something," Dwayne tells me and I look at him. "I got some condoms back in my room. I’ll make sure the packet is well covered in my scent and we need you to get Mitchell aside quietly, give them to him and tell him you were told to make sure he uses them. Now make sure you do it; it’s real important and it wouldn’t hurt to do it in front of Sam so he knows Mitchell isn’t about to get killed for what he will try with Jazzy."

"You mean I get to get back at him for all the embarrassing lectures they tried to give me?" I ask wide-eyed for a moment before glancing between the two of them. "How come you’re telling me this and it’ll be your scent not Micah’s?" I ask curiously.

"I’m the oldest brother here so it’s my responsibility. If Edwin was here it would be up to him," Dwayne explains. "Jazzy will be invited to sleep at the quarters tonight because Micah’s back. We’ll all sleep out in the lounge room and watch things happen."

"What is it with the watching?" I ask.

"To make sure Mitchell doesn’t get rough or hurt Jazzy. Some she-kitts get scared at the last moment and don’t want to keep going once it starts to hurt," Micah tells me. "A she-kitt’s passage tissue is very elastic but tight for her first two or three times, so it hurts. After that the tissues stretch more easily, painlessly."

"Even though Mitchell served her while they were cats Jazzy will still probably find it … uncomfortable," Dwayne explains and I look away as I remember the incident and my reaction to it.

Both Micah and Dwayne remain silent as they watch me absorb the information.

"Your brothers hovered pretty close the first few times to make sure you were okay with me mounting you," Micah says dropping his voice to an intimate level.

"It took four of us and Sam to stop Mitchell going after Micah when Mitchell realised Micah had locked-up in you. Mitchell had forgotten Micah couldn’t get away from you when he intended to kick the shit out of Micah," Dwayne informs me.

"Yeah he got me a few good punches the next day before Sam thought it was wise to make him back off," Micah says with a shrug.

"Does Jazzy know what to expect?" I ask uncertainly.

"We’ve told her the basics but not how much it’ll hurt at first," Dwayne admits.

"But she knows it will hurt?" I ask more forcefully.

"Yeah," Dwayne agrees.

"Good. I suppose your ways have a lot to say for them. My father hadn’t even had the birds and the … the tom and the she-kitt talk equivalent with me so when that werecat got hold of me I didn’t even understand what he was doing to me," I say and look away uncomfortably.

"But you sure knew what you were doing with me when you hauled down your jeans and presented to me," Micah says with a fond laugh.

"Not really," I deny, "not until you were in me and going for it, and then back at the quarters when I accidentally let you lockup in me. It showed me I still really didn’t know what I was doing," I look away from both toms as I feel my face burn brightly.

"But we’re working it out together now," Micah tells me gently. I nod my agreement and glance at him shyly.

"So you’ll give Mitchell the condoms?" Dwayne checks again.

"Yeah," I agree.

"Okay, my job here is done. I’ll go have a word with Justin and Donovan so they know what’s going to happen. Micah, I’ll let you have a word with Jazzy," Dwayne tells him.

"Will do," Micah agrees. "Well we better get back and attend to our business otherwise I’d be tempted to show you where the best wildflowers grow."

I blush furiously. This is the secret term Micah and I have started to use when we decide to sneak off into the trees for some time alone that usually ends up in us having sex, or coming close to it. Dwayne and Micah both get up and each take one of my hands to help me stand up before we start back towards the compound. Micah walks close beside me and his hand occasionally brushes my hand as if he can’t resist touching me. Gathering my courage I catch hold of his hand when it brushes mine and keep hold of it. Micah glances towards me with a grin before looking towards the buildings once again. I know I need to encourage his interest in protecting me and the kitt I carry.

"See," Dwayne says quietly. "Mitchell is over there just inside the doorway watching to make sure Micah behaves himself around you." I glance towards the stone building where the toms are working building onto the structure and see Mitchell just barely visible, watching. He gives a visible start and I hear Micah laugh softly as Mitchell moves out of view.

"What did you do?" Dwayne asks.

"Pretended to brush twigs and grass off Rosy’s back and butt," Micah says and I can hear the laughter in his voice.

"Good one," Dwayne says in admiration and I have to bite my tongue not to scold Micah for teasing Mitchell. When we are level with the quarters I head towards them and go inside to prepare myself something to eat as I know it is the last I will feel like eating until late tonight. I am in the kitchen making myself a sandwich when I hear footsteps and glance over my shoulder to see Sam and Mitchell come into the room. Mitchell moves to lean against the bench where I am working, picks a slice of tomato from my plate and eats it.

"Hey," I complain as I complete my preparation.

"You know it’s not that long ago you would have snatched your plate away before I could touch it," Mitchell says with a smile as he reaches out to ruffle my hair.

"And that is a good reason for you to torture me by touching my food?" I ask angrily.

"Rosy is everything really ok after Micah yelled at you?" Sam asks quietly. "You got something to tell us?" He glances back over his shoulder and I am aware of him tensing beside me.

"Everything’s fine isn’t it Rosy?" Dwayne says from the doorway and beckons to me. "Still going to do this for us?" he asks as I turn towards him.

"Yeah," I say quietly as I walk over to him and he hands me a small box I recognise from shops as containing condoms.

"See you later then," Dwayne tells me and heads off with a wave. I hold the box gingerly and feel incredibly embarrassed as I turn around to face my brothers. I grit my teeth and decide to do it immediately before I lose my nerve and decide not to. I walk straight up to Mitchell, grab one of his hands and lift it to press the box into his hand.

"I have been asked to give you these and to tell you to make sure you use them," I tell him before hastily turning away and grabbing my sandwich and retreating to the lounge room.

"What the … shit! I don’t believe it," Mitchell hisses stunned and I hear a low throaty chuckle from Sam.

"Looks like there’ll be celebrations in order," Sam says and I hear him walking towards me. He sits beside me on the lounge and holds a glass of juice where I can see it, "You left something behind."

"Thanks," I mutter hoping what I just did won’t be mentioned.

"Rosy?" Mitchell questions softly, "Do you have any idea of when?"

"Jazzy will be invited to sleep at the quarters tonight and Dwayne said we’ll all sleep out in the lounge room," I say quietly before taking a large bite of sandwich.

Sam and Mitchell move to the far side of the lounge room to talk quietly and I concentrate on the sound of myself eating as I intentionally block out their conversation. I am nearly finished with my sandwich when Mitchell leaves the quarters and Sam comes to sit down and stretch out beside my legs on the floor.

"So you’re going to let Micah be the father of Jelly-bean are you?" Sam asks softly.

"Yeah I think we can make this work between us," I tell him.

"You couldn’t have got a better tom," Sam agrees. "You are attached to him aren’t you? It’s not all physical is it?"

"It’s hard to explain. Sometimes I’m not sure I understand how I feel myself," I admit.

"So when is the wedding? You’ll want to have it before Ray decides to take things into his own hands," Sam tells me.

"Excuse me?" I ask shocked.

"Has Micah set a date for the wedding yet?" Sam queries.

"There’s been no talk of a wedding, at least none between Micah and me," I deny uneasily.

"That is why Micah took you for the walk wasn’t it? To tell you what date he had decided on for your wedding?" Sam says lightly.

"No, it was about Jazzy and Mitchell," I say and put my plate aside as I get to my feet leaving the last bite of my sandwich untouched. I turn to face Sam uneasily. "Micah hasn’t even asked me to marry him, and we’re still trying to make things work between us," I say as I begin pacing. A thousand confused thoughts try to rush through my mind at once. Why hasn’t Micah spoken of this to me? Didn’t he want to talk to me about it? Didn’t he want me? Was the baby the only thing he wanted from me?

"That’s what letting him be the father of the baby is all about. When you are married there will be no doubt he is to be the father," Sam explains.

"We don’t have to be married for Micah to be the baby’s father, just like he doesn’t have to provide the biological material to be the father," I exclaim as I continue to pace. Nerves the sizes of small birds have taken up residence in my stomach and my sandwich isn’t sitting well. I feel pressured and uncomfortable.

"I thought Micah would have said something by now," Sam tells me.

"You’ve already said something to Micah?" I ask in disbelief.

"Yeah, he walked in on Mitchell and I discussing what we were going to do about Wade turning Edwin … we knew there was a good chance Edwin would walk away from you leaving you with a child with no father. We also knew that if it had been either Steven or Micah in the cage with you, neither of them would just have walked away from you like Edwin did. They would have done the honourable thing and married you. Micah told us he was willing to step up and do the right thing by you," Sam tells me gently.

"So the three of you had it worked out between you before the results of that test Doc took came back …had Doc even done the tests when all this happened?" I ask in disbelief. I think I know the answer by the way Sam glances away before turning back to me as I continue to pace.

I feel betrayed by the way my brothers have conspired with Micah against me. The feeling of being trapped and forced to do what someone else wants is no stranger to me and fear begins to build in my stomach.

"It wasn’t an issue until Doc needed to do the tests was it?" I demand horrified.

"Rosy, calm down," Sam tells me in soothing tones with a worried look.

"No! I will not calm down! I have been fucked and fucked over," I yell at him, "I remember yous telling me the first time we met that I wouldn’t be forced! Well that’s a load of fucking bullshit! I have just been too stupid to realise you lot kept out manoeuvring me until yous thought I had no option but to do what you wanted all along!" I whirl to face the doorway as I hear toms running towards the quarters and a savage snarl rises from deep within me as I curl my top lip and wait to see who will appear first.

"Rosy?" Mitchell calls as the screen door bangs violently.

"Keep away from me," I warn as he comes through the doorway in a rush and takes a step towards me. I am standing with my feet at shoulders breadth apart and my head lowered slightly as I breathe heavily in anger. I can feel my heart beat pounding in my chest and hear my blood rushing in my ears as I snarl viciously.

"Whatever’s wrong will be okay Rosy, it’ll be okay," Mitchell says in his low soothing tone.

"Don’t fucking well bullshit to me you piece of dog shit," I scream in rage. I smother a splinter of remorse at the pain that flickers briefly on Mitchell's face before I begin pacing once again. The feeling of being trapped grows is making me edgy and fearful but my fear quickly turns to more rage.

Calmness tries to fill my mind and I feel myself stagger as I turn to face the door where I can sense something growing, forming.

"Go get the key off Wade. Tell him Rosy has already changed if you have to," I hear Micah whisper to someone before he moves into view around the door jam to take several cautious steps into the room.

"Hey Sweetheart," Micah says softly.

Just calm down Rosy, calm down. His voice whispers in my head making memories of Jasper’s voice and another, more sinister voice, in my mind. Memories of them forcing me to do things I didn’t want to do flood back. My hurt and confusion flares out of control and I grab up a ceramic cup from where it sits on the table and throw it at him in one fluid motion before I realise what I am about to do.

How did Micah get inside my head?

The cup shatters harmlessly against the door jam brushing Micah’s hair as he manages to duck it in time. Behind him toms scatter out of sight and I can hear the scuffing of their shoes as they move nervously. I focus on Micah then visualise darkness, total darkness devoid of all light and sound.

Micah’s story:

I feel the passage of whatever Rosy threw at me as it sails past my head to shatter behind me. Terror and pain fill my mind as Rosy’s eyes dart frantically from me, to Mitchell, to Sam, and then back to me and beyond where I stand poised on my toes. I can hear my blood thundering in my ears and my heart pounding in my chest. It takes me a moment before I realise it’s not my body, my emotions I am feeling, but Rosy’s.

Sam moves and I watch and feel Rosy turn her head to follow the sound even as she stares at me. She is shaking so hard I can see her body shuddering; it sparks an immense fear for the kitt she carries. I don’t know who the fear belongs to but it grows and swells drowning all else.

Come on Sweetheart, calm down.

I mean to say it very softly but Rosy’s savage animal like snarl tells me I have tried to use our matebond. Blackness shot through with violent explosions of colour explodes in my face and for a second I believe I am physically seeing it. I am suddenly aware of all traces belonging to Rosy are gone from my mind. My breath catches in my throat as I see Rosy reach up to tug at the collar that circles her throat.

I hear the sharp intake of breath from Sam and Mitchell, as well as from someone behind me. I see the muscles beneath the skin on her arms writhing and I know for certain Rosy is about to lose control of her change.

"Oh God no," I pray as I step towards her knowing the collar will choke her when she changes.

Alarm flares in Rosy’s face as she launches herself at me. Her right hand connects with my face even as I turn my head to avoid the blow meant to break my nose. My arms close around her and the scream that comes from her is barely audible as her body tries to shape-shift while I embrace her in my arms. There is the strong distinct odour of cat as I manage to turn her body in my arms so that her back rests against my front. Her body wriggles and bucks in my arms as it tries to shift to cat form. I close my eyes and let my legs fold beneath me as I sink to the floor.

My mouth and nose are close to the curve of her neck but all I smell is fear, pain and cat. It feels like she planted her feet flat to push back with her shoulders and arch back, fighting my hold. I allow us to fall onto our sides as her body twists and bucks in my arms. Pain clamps down on my right forearm like burning pokers and I open my eyes to see she is bitting me. Someone slaps her roughly on the side of the head and I hiss with pain as it pulls on my arm. Again she is slapped but it takes three or four hits before she releases her hold and I see the puncture wounds left by her semi-formed canines.

I feel her body jerk and see her legs kick out wildly. Mitchell yelps and a faint groan comes from Rosy before she slams an elbow back into my ribs savagely. I can’t help the grunt of pain that escapes me before I roll my body to pin Rosy to the floor beneath my weight. I don’t loosen my grip but she still manages to kick and buck until we are half in a sitting position. I can hear her struggling to breathe as I look around frantically. Wade should be here with the key by now, but all I see is fear and near panic in the faces of those who have ventured into the room.

Her entire body jerks as the smell of her cat becomes more pungent. Soft sounds of panic and pain come from Rosy as her raspy gasps become further apart and her struggles become weaker. The collar has tightened so much Rosy almost can’t breathe and she arches her neck back as she gasps for air.

"Rosy!" I hear Mitchell’s panicked yell. Rosy digs her heels in and arches her back once again but there isn’t much strength in her struggles this time.

"Where’s that God damned key?" I roar and Rosy jerks in my arms as her struggles weaken to little more than muscle spasms. I shift my grip on her so I now cradle her body against mine. I can feel her chest working as she struggles for breath but I can’t hear any air being moved above the rush of my own pulse pounding in my head.

"I’m not letting you go Sweetheart. I promise I won’t let you go. Just hang on, we need you to hang in there," I beg frantically as I press my cheek against the side of her face. I don’t know how long I sit there cradling Rosy against me.

"I’ve got the key! I’ve got the key!" I hear Mitchell shouting and then he is fumbling around behind the wrist of the hand I use to support her chin.

I don’t want to let her go but she is dragged from my arms and I am too exhausted to do more than sit and watch as Malcolm, Mitchell and Sam lay her on her back on the kitchen floor. I become aware of Steven checking my arm and Dwayne standing near where Sam is working on Rosy. I see the phone Dwayne holds to his ear and I realise he is talking urgently to Doc. Information is relayed back and forth and I slowly raise my eyes to Steven’s face.

"Is Rosy alive?" I ask even though I am terrified I was unable to save her.

"She’s breathing now the collar is off," Wade says quietly not far from me.

I get to my feet as I turn to face him. "Has she been punished enough for saving Jazzy’s life now?" I demand with barely controlled rage.

"Are you challenging me?" Wade demands in a cold voice.

It is only knowing that now is not the time or the circumstances, that I would be forced to leave, that has me dropping my eyes and mumbling, "No Alpha."

"Wade," Dwayne interrupts. "I think Rosy should be okay but Doc says she needs to be put somewhere warm and quiet, away from others for the present."

"Someone clean Micah’s arm up," Wade orders. "Dwayne help Sam and Mitchell get their sister settled in the containment room for strays in the stone shed. It should be warm and peaceful there."

"I’ll take her over there," I say as I take a step towards her.

"You’ll do as you’re told, or are you above my orders?" Wade demands.

"No Alpha," I force myself to say. "I just want to do what is best for Rosy."

"You making sure that arm is cared for should be your first priority," Wade snaps.

"Show me your arm," Steven says as he approaches me. He takes hold of my arm and I get a good view of the bite for the first time. It does need some immediate attention.

"Someone grab blankets and a pillow for Rosy," Sam orders quietly. "I’ll carry Rosy over there now while she is still completely under the sedatives."

Rosy’s story:

I lay on my back watching the stars through the small skylight in the roof and I long for the breeze on my face. All I can smell is fresh paint and faint traces of sawdust while I long for the sweetness of forest smells. I hear the slight crunch as several walk on gravel and I roll so my back is to the bars of the door. I am locked in the cell in the ‘containment room’ of the brick shed where I was locked after being sedated when Doc took a blood sample to check my relationship to Sam and Mitchell.

I hear faint footsteps enter the building and I listen for clues as to who they are. I don’t have to wait long as they make their way to where my cell is; I remain motionless hoping they will think I am asleep.

"Just drop the mattresses here somewhere and you can head back to the quarters," Micah says at a normal level.

"Ok, see you in the morning," Mikkarl says and I listen to him walk away.

Someone approaches the bars of the front of the cell and I hear the slight rustle of paper.

"Rosy we bought over your meal for you," Steven tells me

"Just leave it where she can reach it when she wants it," Micah says and I can’t help noticing how tired he sounds. "If she’s awake she obviously doesn’t want to talk to either of us."

I listen to the faint sounds as Steven moves away and then the noises as they prepare for sleep. Soon there is only their breathing and I listen to them as I bite my lip to stop the tears of loneliness from overflowing. There is a hollow ache inside me. I feel abandoned, alone and unhappy. All my energy is gone and it is an effort just to breathe. I can smell Micah and Steven but there is a distance between us I don’t know how to cross. I long to feel Micah’s arms around me but now I know what he tells me is a lie. I place a hand over my lower stomach and imagine I can feel a small ember of warmth within me.

I must have drifted off to sleep because I wake up sometime later. I look through the skylight and the stars have moved telling me it is somewhere between three and four in the morning. I sit up slowly and rub my hands over my face trying to dispel the lingering feeling of weariness. Reluctantly I ease off the wide bed and walk silently to where a brown paper bag and a bottle of water sit just inside the bars of the cell. In my half asleep state I accidentally kick the bottle of water sending it through the bars and rolling out of reach. I snatch the bag with my food in it and I am just about to return to the bed when Steven tosses his blanket off and gets up to retrieve the bottle of water. He picks it up and carries it back to where I stand and just as I am about to step back away from the bars and out of his reach, he places the bottle where he had put it earlier. He hesitates a moment then moves to sit against the wall not far from where the metal frame of bars is bolted securely to the wall.

I hesitate a moment before moving to sit against the wall back from the bars like Steven. We sit there in silence while I open the bag and pull a cling wrap packaged sandwich from the bag and open it. The sandwich is still fresh and I bite into it hungrily making sure to chew it well before even trying to swallow it. My throat hurts but I ignore the discomfort as I take another bite. I am very hungry and I am aware of the fact I need to eat to nourish the child I carry.

"I guess you don’t feel like talking," Steven says to me quietly and my sensitive hearing picks up the slight change in Micah’s breathing telling me he is awake as well now. I don’t reply or react in anyway as I continue to eat my sandwich.

"I’d offer to open the window and let the breeze in but it’s quite cold outside now," Steven tells me. "There’s a second sandwich in there if you’re still hungry when you finish that one. I wasn’t sure if you like mustard pickles on cold roast sandwiches so I only put it on one of them."

I don’t answer him but the sound of his voice fills some need in me and I pause to pick up the bottle of water and open it to take a drink before finishing the sandwich. Steven has fallen silent and I guess he doesn’t know what to say to me anymore than I know what to say to him now. I eat my second sandwich in silence and tuck the used cling wrap in the paper bag before rolling it closed and putting it against the bars. I take the half drank bottle of water to the bed with me and lay down with my back to the bars once again. I hear Steven get up and go back to his mattress before I close my eyes and try to go back to sleep.

"There’s a blanket here for you if you’re cold," Micah tells me. My temper ignites and before I even think about it the plastic bottle containing the water hits the bars with such force it breaks open spraying its contents on the two unlucky toms on the other side of the bars.

"Hey! What did I do?" Steven demands as he jumps up to shake the water off his blanket. I turn my face away as Micah gets to his feet slowly. I hear his annoyed grunt and the sound of a zipper before the familiar noises that tell me he is shape-shifting.

"Good idea," Steven mutters and I hear similar noises from him. Soon I hear two cats moving around on the other side of the bars. I pull my own blanket up around my ears and settle down to try to get to sleep. I hadn’t meant to burst the bottle wetting the two toms. Heck I hadn’t even meant to throw it; I just hadn’t realised how much hurt and anger was churning around inside me until Micah had spoken.

I am alone when I wake some time shortly after dawn and I look around the cell as I feel the growing need to empty my bladder. Finally I see a plastic bucket sitting in a corner turned upside down and I hurry to use it before anyone turns up. I only have to wait ten minutes before Steven walks in carrying a covered plate as well as a bottle of water and a small bottle of strawberry flavoured milk. I get up and walk to the bars of the cell to take the bottles of drink then step back as he motions me back further before he unlocks a small door to slip the plate in and place it on the floor before shutting the door and relocking it.

"I hope you’re feeling better this morning," Steven tells me quietly.

"Been better, been worse, no use complaining," I say before moving to sit down against the wall like I had last night. A strange apathy seems to be trying to envelope me, as if something is trying to drain all of my emotions from me.

"You scared the shit out of all of us when you lost your temper then lost control of your shift yesterday," Steven says worriedly as he moves to squat at the bars looking through them at me. "I don’t know how Micah managed to hold you so you couldn’t shift! Wade didn’t believe the key was really needed and took his time walking over to the quarters with it. You were barely alive when Mitchell managed to unlock your collar."

"I don’t remember much of it - only the pain of my cat trying to break free," I say as I stare at the food on my plate no longer hungry.

"I’ve heard you don’t remember much more than that," Steven says gently. "Do you want to talk about what upset you so much? Was it Jazzy and Mitchell? He’s still your brother you know."

"All of you lied to me. You tricked me into thinking you were my friends and when I came back to help Jazzy, you let Wade lock me up and then send Edwin in to me! You can’t say you didn’t know that would happen! Now you think you have what you wanted all along - a nice tame she-kitt who is pregnant and with no choice but to let one of you toms rut on me whenever it takes his fancy. Well think again," I yell as I get to my feet and throw the plate of food against the stone wall. My emotions come bubbling to the surface and spill forth like acid.

"I am not tame! I am not civilised! I am a stray. Not some milk-sop of a clan she-kitt!" I scream almost hysterically.

"You came back and pointed a gun at Wade! A lot of other Alphas would have had you killed for that. You revealed our existence to a human. That carries a severe sentence of at least a year in a cage and then a whipping with a cat-o-nine-tails! As for what happened with Edwin, if we had suspected it would happen Micah would have gotten into a fight with Edwin and been banished from the clan as a result. You’d be with Edwin now doing as he tells you when he tells you! Edwin is totally different to Micah and not necessarily in a nice way. And you’re whining because Wade hoped a baby would help straighten your thinking out?" Steven turns away for a moment before looking back at me. "You’re right about being a stray. You can’t see past how everything affects you. Fuck everyone else! And you think everyone is out to get you. Wake up to yourself! Not everything is about the pathetic little bitch-cat you are!" Steven snaps before stalking to the door angrily.

"Ever stop to wonder what it was like for Micah to hold you like he did, knowing you might die in his arms?" Steven demands. "Or what it was like for your brothers and the rest of us to watch what was happening and know we were powerless to prevent it?"

I am left to stare after him in shock as he storms out of sight. Finally I turn and make my way to the bed where I lay down and face the wall miserably. I am left to think about the punishments I could have been given and suddenly Edwin doesn’t seem so terrible. True, I hated him touching me and he had hurt me, but even before today I believed the baby was worth enduring what he had done. I refuse to allow myself to think about what it must have been like for the others in the building to see me lose control like that. No one cared about me before, I was always just a means to an end.

I try several times during the morning to change but my inner cat refuses to co-operate and I am left exhausted and shaken. I end up laying down on the bed on my back with one arm thrown across my eyes blocking out the light, and I must have drifted off to sleep because I am woken by a sharp metallic click. I wake with a start and jerk my arm down to look over towards the bars. Micah is relocking the small door and I sit up to swing my legs over the edge of the bed. Steven is standing back several steps and watching with a closed look on his face as I walk over to collect my plate of food. Beside the plate is a dustpan and brush and I glance towards the mess I made earlier. I decide to eat before cleaning up the mess.

"Can you change yet?" Micah asks quietly. I hesitate a few moments before shaking my head as I keep my gaze fixed on my plate. I find myself wanting to reach out to him but I don’t know what to do or say.

"Give it time. Just rest and take it easy for a few days. Give your inner cat a chance to forget being hurt then hopefully she’ll co-operate for you," Micah says kindly. I don’t answer, I can’t find the right words to say to him. And after a few long moments it doesn’t matter as he turns and leaves the shed with Steven following him.

I try to rest after eating and cleaning up the mess I made but it is not until close to dark that I manage to relax and I end up falling asleep. I am woken by the slight noise Micah and Steven make as they return much later with a plate of food and some bottles of drink. I retrieve the supplies and sit on the bed to eat while the two toms shift and then curl up on the mattresses in cat form to sleep.

The next four days pass in an indistinct blur of meals and resting or sleeping. I don’t talk; I can’t find the words in the vacuum inside of me. Micah and Steven make a point of being quiet and calm around me when they bring my food or come to sleep of a night. I try each afternoon to shape-shift but each time my inner cat cringes away and refuses to even try. I end up exhausted and quickly fall asleep after each session.

Micah’s story:

"Good morning Rosy," I say as I get up and begin to get dressed. I can see she is awake and she arches her back as she stretches, reaching her arms above her head. She rolls onto her side and lies facing the bars watching as Steven and I get dressed.

"Good morning Micah, and you too Steven," Rosy says.

"Hey Sweetheart," I say softly as I approach the bars. "Feeling better today are you?"

"Good day Rosy," Steven calls.

"What do you want for breakfast?" I ask.

"Pancakes and honey?" Rosy asks as she sits up. "With orange juice."

"You didn’t have any nightmares last night," Steven remarks.

It is the first night we had not woken to her screaming or crying as she scrambled into the corner at the head of the bed. Each time it happened she cowered into the corner whimpering miserably, even refusing to come to the bars for comfort.

"No I didn’t, did I," Rosy murmurs quietly.

"Do you feel up to Sam and Mitchell visiting you later?" I ask and Rosy immediately loses the faint smile on her face. Hurt flickers briefly in her eyes and she turns away to face the wall.

"No, no I don’t," Rosy answers levelly. We linger a few minutes to see if Rosy will open up again but she seems to be withdrawn once again. Unable delay it any longer I head for the quarters and the breakfast someone is sure to have started.

"How’s Rosy this morning?" Mitchell demands as soon as I step into the lounge room. "Does she seem any better? Does she want us to come visit her?"

"She seems a bit better this morning. She was smiling when she said good morning, plus she asked for pancakes and orange juice for breakfast," I say as I head for the kitchen.

"She just wants to be mainly left alone at the moment," Steven says quietly not far behind me.

"Rosy say anything about what might have caused that the other day?" Sam asks with a quick glance at me, then Steven.

"She hasn’t said anything to me," I admit unhappily.

"It’s probably trust issues," Steven says and I glance at him before reaching for a frypan and mixing bowl.

"She’s pregnant, and there was that damned collar," Steven says as he pulls a box of pancake mixture from the pantry and passes it to me. "And we don’t even know if she still wants to be here after what happened with Edwin."

"Damn Wade to hell and back!" I snarl as I fling the box of mixture against the wall. "First he punishes her for saving Jazzy and leaves her in that God damned cage until she is nearly sick! And that collar he put on her nearly finished the job! I am going to kill Edwin for being too weak to stand up to Wade and just giving in to his orders to get Rosy pregnant!"

"Stop it Micah! Just stop it!" Jazzy demands tearfully as she grabs the mixing bowl I had been just about to smash in the sink.

"What would you have done if Wade had ordered one of the toms here into the cage? Steven your partner, or maybe his brother Mikkarl, or even your own brother Dwayne?" Jazzy demands as tears run down her face. "You would have killed whoever it was the moment they walked back in here, that’s what you would have done! All because they followed orders."

"Wade is smart enough to know Edwin would never disobey an order from him. And maybe he knew Edwin wouldn’t stay and chance facing you," Dwayne says quietly. "I think Wade only saw it as a way to ensure Rosy ended up staying where she could be protected by toms, just like he believes she needs to be."

"The Stray is tough, she’ll make it through this," Malcolm says.

"Rosy is not a stray!" I snarl lividly as I stalk towards him aggressively. Surprisingly Malcolm stands his ground and doesn’t flinch when I stand glowering into his face.

"By rights Rosy is clan, I admit that," Malcolm says evenly. "But Rosy is so much more. A clan she-kitt would be a senseless idiot if they lived through what Rosy has. There is something to Rosy that no matter how hard she is knocked down, she survives it and gets back up. To Rosy, staying down is not an option. Just like any stray she comes up fighting, well maybe not fighting. Rosy comes up running."

"She is not a stray! She does not act like one," I growl even though I know what Malcolm is saying makes sense, too much sense.

"What Malcolm is saying makes sense," Sam agrees. "Only this time Rosy understands running is not an option. It would be impossible for her to keep a kitt safe off by herself."

"Rosy wants this kitt," Jazzy says firmly, "and she wants to be safe. Rosy, she wants to be normal. She hasn’t said as much but I can tell she wants a family of her own. A husband and children as well as her brothers – a real life filled with real family."

"Rosy equates being normal to being human," I say bitterly.

"Because living as a stray meant the only safety was to be alone, and to a werecat there’s little that’s worse," Malcolm states firmly. "But being alone is acceptable to a human. Rosy accepted it because it was a way for her to survive, and above all else she is a survivor."

I turn away at a loss for words. What Malcolm just said makes so much sense.

"Pancakes, Rosy wants pancakes," I mutter to myself as I look around the kitchen distractedly.

"We’ll make pancakes for her," Mitchell says taking another box of mixture from the pantry. I am surprised at how everyone seems to find a way to help prepare Rosy’s food. Some clean up the mess from my outburst, others gather ingredients together, and Jazzy stands back from it all supervising from a distance. When I have cooked the pancakes I assemble a tray with a plate of pancake, honey and juice.

I frown as I recognise Wade’s footsteps as the screen door bangs and he walks down the hallway.

"Good, you’re all here. Micah you’re in charge for the morning. I’m taking Marissa into town to do some shopping, have lunch and take in a movie. Timny, Chris, Malcolm and … Kirby, you’re our escort today. Be ready to leave in five minutes," Wade orders.

"What about Rosy?" I demand. "You were saying yesterday afternoon that Doc wants to come and check that she is recovering and hasn’t lost the kitt."

"That can wait until tomorrow," Wade says tightly as he heads outside.

I gather Rosy’s breakfast angrily and head over to where I hope she will be waiting for me to appear. I walk into the building and make my way to the inner room where the containment cage is kept. All anger leaves me as I see her moving around the cage in her feline form.

"Looks like I should have bought over raw meat instead," I say with a wide grin. Rosy gives a snort, lowers her head and watches me for a few moments. She lifts her nose to sniff the air and I see interest spark in her eyes before she leaps up onto the bed and stretches out comfortably. She rests her chin on her outstretched front legs and closes her eyes. Her change back to human form is smooth and seemingly effortless. I watch as she reaches for the edge of the blanket and pulls it over her naked body.

"Pancakes are exactly what I want," Rosy says sitting up holding the blanket up to cover her breasts. She glances at where her clothes sit on the floor and grimaces as she swings her legs over the side of the bed.

"You could at least turn around so I could get dressed easily," Rosy scolds softly when I continue to watch her. Hurt flares briefly but I shrug it off and turn around allowing Rosy to drop the blanket to get dressed in the privacy she seems to prefer.

"All good now?" I ask before turning around.

"Yeah," Rosy says and sits on the edge of the bed. I slip the food and drink through the little door and move to sit against the wall as Rosy walks over to collect her food. I smile when she settles against the wall close to the bars.

"You shifted easily?" I ask not really expecting an answer. She only talks to me when she has to.

"Yeah, it took a few moments and then it hit real fast but it was okay," Rosy says between pancakes laden with honey.

I turn my head to listen as first one car starts, and then another and they drive away.

"Wade is taking Marissa to lunch at a fancy restaurant then to see a movie that’s just come out," I tell her. I want to keep talking to her, have her talk to me but decide not to push it. I sit and watch her as she eats her food. A flock of cockatoos fly overhead as they give their noisy calls making a wealth of noise in the cool of the morning. I see the way Rosy stops eating as she lifts her head to look out the skylight overhead. Unhappiness shadows her face when she resumes eating and I recognise it is time for her to leave this cage. As Malcolm said, when Rosy is knocked down she comes up running not fighting. I know it is time for her to be able to run so she can reach that place inside herself where she can deal with what has happened to her. I watch as Rosy pushes her tray close to the door and retreats to the bed. I see the way she draws her knees up against her chest and hugs them to her while turning her face away and resting her cheek on top of her knees.

Rosy’s story:

When I am finished eating, I retreat to the bed. It’s a routine Micah has insisted on for the passing of food and drink through the small door. I stare out the window as I listen to him remove the empty plate and near empty honey jug. I hear the click of the door being relocked and after a few moments a second slightly different click. I turn my head to watch Micah walk out and I listen carefully to him leave the shed before I get to my feet and move over to check the barred door. It swings open at my touch and I step back uneasily.

My heart starts pounding as I begin to fear a trap but I can’t help myself as I slip out of the cell and move towards the door on silent feet. I stand well back from the outer door as I look outside. I see Micah just about to enter the quarters but no sign of anyone else. I strip off my clothes, roll them into a tight little bundle that I secure by using the sleeves of the shirt as ties, then drop to my hands and knees to shape-shift. I control my shape-shift smoothly and I take the time to stretch before slinking closer to the open doorway to lift my head and sniff at the slight breeze to see what it tells me. Finding nothing I decide to chance it and snatch up my clothes before sneaking out of the shed keeping to the shadows and trotting swiftly towards the closest tree line.

When I come to open space I dash forward at full speed with my ears laid back against my skull. When I reach the tree line I stop and turn to check for signs of pursuit. Seeing none I turn and head towards the swimming hole at a leisurely pace. I climb a tree not far from the waterhole to leave my clothes in a fork of the tree before getting down and moving upstream to pause and lap fresh water thirstily. I rotate my ears at the sounds of rustling near by and ease closer in a slow stalk and I am rewarded with a large rabbit and lie down to eat it slowly.

I spend the day playing in the trees and undergrowth, hunting when I am hungry and seeking out streams when I am thirsty. It is not until sunset paints the sky in beautiful colours that I stop playing and head back to the swimming hole where I go for a swim before retrieving my clothes and heading back towards the compound. I trot boldly across the open ground around the buildings and wait until I reach the shadows under the tree not far from the quarters where I stop and shape-shift back to human form and pull on my clothes hurriedly.

I can hear Wade in the quarters, the tone of his voice angry and I brace myself to face his displeasure as I walk towards the door on silent feet. I open the screen door and step inside letting it slam behind me to alert those inside of my presence. I by pass the lounge room door as I head for the bathroom planning on having a shower immediately.

"Rosy! You came back," Mitchell calls sounding very surprised.

"Just leave her be. If she wanted to see any of us she’d have come in here," Micah orders. I spin around on my toes and stalk back towards the lounge room angrily. As I reach the door I see Jazzy, Donovan and Marissa being pushed back behind all of the toms as Wade, Micah, Steven, and Sam and Mitchell step to the front.

"You do not speak for me," I say angrily as I point at Micah. "Only when I can’t speak or when I am not here do I need anyone to speak for me," I declare before turning and heading to the bathroom. My temper cools quickly beneath the warm relaxing spray of water and I am in a good mood when I wrap myself in a towel and head to Micah and Steven’s room to find something to wear.

Micahs story:

I stand silent, stunned by the beauty and fire of Rosy when her temper is roused. I glance around and find everyone else stunned as well. Slowly the warriors begin to stir. Sam closes his eyes and shakes his head with a disapproving frown while both Mitchell and Steven raise an eyebrow at me. Malcolm grins widely with admiration shinning in his eyes and I glance towards Wade to find him watching me coldly.

"She is going back into that cage immediately," Wade snaps in fury.

Images flash through my mind - Rosy stumbling into this very room behind Edwin, on a leash, almost broken by her stay in the cage in the main house. And this morning the longing I saw on her face as she watched the cockatoos, I had almost felt the pain of those bars holding her captive.

"No she will not!" I say moving to face him squarely. I know this is not how it should be but I am not standing by and watching Wade break Rosy’s spirit so she acts how he thinks is proper.

"You had better not be challenging me," Wade snarls.

"On this I am! You will not do another thing to Rosy, ever," I state coldly. "What will you do to me? Throw me out of the clan? Fine, go ahead but I’m taking Rosy with me to protect her…" I state calmly.

"There is no way I will let you take a she-kitt away from the protection of this clan," Wade snarls at me as soon as I say the words.

"Kurt Black would be happy to take his niece in and probably his nephews as well," I say in a hard voice.

"No!" Jazzy screams.

"I’ll make sure no other Alpha will give you a place in their clan," Wade snarls aggressively.

"Stop it! Stop it right now! Wade I will not let you tear what is left of this family apart!" Marissa says tightly as she pushes in between us. "I have buried one son who insisted he become a warrior so he could make you proud of him, and I have one son who can no longer come home because I was too weak to stand up for what’s right when he tried to win favour in your eyes. I will not lose another son if not my entire family!"

I step back and glance around as what Marissa said sinks in. Sam and Mitchell stand with Steven fully behind me with their support, as does Dwayne. Justin holds Jazzy who is sobbing against his chest while Donny stands stiffly beside them. The rest of the warriors stand back but are watching to see what I do. I realise I have their support as well.

Now is not the time for a revolt. The clan would need one or both of those she-kitts in full health… Baxter’s words come back to me.

"I would like you to leave my house," I say to Wade coldly before walking over to Justin and Jazzy. I take her in my arms and watch Wade as I cradle her gently; she is the one who has suffered in this outburst.

"Calm down Jasmine, I will do my best to make everything all right," I say gently. I am defiantly making a claim only an Alpha should make. I hear Wade hiss angrily and watch him coldly. I have just uttered my first words where I have no Alpha to guide me, to back my authority. I am the one accountable.

"Jazzy is your sister," Wade says tightly. "You owe first allegiance to her."

"I owe my first allegiance to my Mother," I say with a warm glance for Marissa.

"Come on Wade," Marissa says strongly. "We are going back to our house."

I watch as Wade and Marissa leave the room and listen as they leave the quarters.

"What just happened?" Donny asks uneasily.

"Micah just took control of the clan from Wade," Mitchell says cautiously. He eyes me when I turn my head to face him.

"You and I better come to some kind of an understanding between the two of us," I say evenly. "United we can remain in control until the Board is willing to let us lead as a team or separate into two couples."

I see the second Mitchell understands what I mean and then he approaches to take Jazzy who is now silent in my arms.

"I’m going to see how Rosy is getting on," I say and head for the far end of the quarters. I pause in the doorway and look back.

"Donny I know you want to stay here but can you stay at the main house with Marissa and Wade? Just until we are sure Rosy is in full control of herself again. I am not putting that collar back on her and I would feel much better if we only have to watch out for Jazzy at present, not both of you," I say kindly to him knowing how fond he is of Rosy.

Donny frowns then gives a reluctant nod. "Yeah, but I’m coming over every chance I get of a day."

"Make sure we know when you are here and when you leave," I tell him firmly before glancing at Steven.

"Steven, give Baxter a call and let him know what just happened would you?" I say then look at Sam. "Call Doc and see if he can come visit Rosy tonight?"

"Do you want Mal informed of this side of things or leave Wade tell him his version?" Malcolm asks respectfully.

"Timny, you’ll talk to Bert? Steven you..." I begin.

"Planned to anyway," Steven admits freely. "If you and Mitchell are to be the real powers of this clan, a certain amount of truth needs to be spread. The question is how much of the truth about Rosy’s ending up pregnant should become public knowledge?"

"The truth will get Edwin castrated, if not killed. And Wade? Who knows what the Board would see as fit punishment," Malcolm says soberly. "And how will the Board view Rosy and the kitt?"

"You can’t!" Jazzy protests desperately as she turns in Mitchell’s arms to face me.

Sam, Mitchell and I had sat down with her and told her the full story behind Rosy’s pregnancy not long after she returned from her holiday. Jazzy’s reaction was horror and disbelief at first but as the truth sank in without any of us repeating what we told her, Jazzy became indignant and offended on Rosy’s behalf.

"What Daddy and Edwin did was terribly wrong but I don’t believe it is up to the Board to decide their punishment, or even us," Jazzy says tightly. "It should be Rosy’s choice when she can think about it calmly and rationally. Just say she said to let them both be killed, now, while she’s so emotional. How will she feel later? Would she feel like she was a murderer? I know I would."

"It was sanctioned rape Jazzy," I snap angrily.

"But they’re my father and my brother! I don’t like what they’ve done, or the werecats they have become but I still love my Daddy and my oldest brother!" Jazzy sobs before turning to cry against Mitchell’s chest.

Mitchell meets my eyes as he rests his cheek against the side of Jazzy’s head and I note in the back of my mind that Jazzy has grown taller. His eyes are dark and angry, the blue ring around his pupils bright and almost glowing.

"We do not indiscriminately punish or torture anyone," he snarls in a low tight voice.

Rosy’s story:

Micah is standing in the doorway when I turn away from the bed as I fasten my cut offs, and I eye him a moment or two before tipping my head on the side. "Did I miss out on supper?" I ask as I move towards him.

"Some of the guys are cooking it now. Jazzy will be out there. Do you have a problem with that?" Mica asks quietly.

"I don’t have a problem with Jazzy," I say evenly as I stop several steps away from him. Micah gives a slight nod before turning and heading back out towards the lounge room leaving me to bite back an annoyed growl and follow him.

Jazzy is in the kitchen cuddled against Mitchell’s side when I walk into the lounge room and Micah points me towards the lounge silently. I sit down in the centre between Steven and Timny while Micah goes into the kitchen. Some un-defined tension hums thickly in the air making me glance around uneasily. Several of the toms avoid my glance making me feel it was my earlier display of anger that has everyone unsettled. I lean across Steven to pull the throw cushion from between his thigh and the arm of the lounge. He grunts softly as if my action was a major disturbance and I flash him a cheeky grin. I am watching some horror movie the guys have on and don’t immediately notice Jazzy walk into the lounge room.

"Get out of my way Steven," Jazzy orders firmly as she dodges nimbly around him where he is now standing. "Come on Rosy, I haven’t put my hand on Jelly-bean for days," she exclaims as she kneels between my knees and waits watching me expectantly.

Her eyes are red rimmed and slightly puffy giving me the impression she has been crying. I smile and pull my shirt up before unfastening my cut-offs. Jazzy grins widely and pushes my hands aside as she leans in to drop a soft kiss below my navel and place both hands either side of my lower stomach.

"Hey Jelly-bean, it’s your Aunty Jazzy," Jazzy announces as she watches my stomach happily. I lean my head back and close my eyes happy to just relax and enjoy the light touch on my stomach.

"Jazzy," Micah growls warningly.

"Leave Jazzy alone, Micah. I love the attention and Jazzy knows it," I snap at him without opening my eyes. Jazzy’s presence seems to soothe all the tension in the room and I take a deep breath, happy to note the smell of stress is lessening.

"I think Micah is jealous because I kissed you and I’m cuddling Jelly-bean," Jazzy says in a teasing tone and I hear Micah growl again.

"Can I put my hand on your baby belly?" Steven asks.

"When I’m finished," Jazzy growls possessively and I open my eyes startled and find her glaring at Steven.

"Hey, no fighting," I chide gently and Jazzy turns her attention back to me to lay her head against my lower stomach, her ear against my skin.

"Jelly-bean says you got to get him a proper name," she tells me seriously as she lifts her head to look at me.

"Him?" I question.

"Yeah," Jazzy says with a vigorous nod. "The boys are always born first."

Steven waits until Jazzy moves away before putting his hand on my stomach and I glance around to notice the other toms drawing closer. I turn my head as I hear Micah come out of the kitchen to stand behind me, and I smile happily up at him before turning my attention back to Jazzy who is still seated at my feet.

"Have you been hunting lately?" I ask.

"Yesterday we went out after deer," she says with a smile before turning around and leaning back on my legs. "You can go finish cooking tea Micah. I’ll make sure no-one bugs Rosy," Jazzy announces and the toms in front of her move uneasily, so I guess she must have given them stern looks.

Steven’s hand settles gently on my stomach and I relax back against the lounge once again. Jazzy keeps chatting happily and I close my eyes. The hand on my stomach is changed every few minutes and I guess Jazzy must be directing the toms because there is no playful arguing or asking for extra time.

"Food’s ready," Micah says and the strong smell of roast meat washes over me. I wait for the nausea to hit but other than a slightly queasy feeling I feel fine.

"Let’s see how much you can manage, hey?" Micah asks quietly as the others head for the kitchen.

"Sure," I agree as I take the plate of food he hands me, "hopefully the morning sickness will end soon anyway."

"That’ll be good," Sam says as he carries his food in to sit on the far side of me while Micah sits down beside me as well. "I swear you’ve put on weight."

"You saying that I’m getting fat?" I ask with a raised eyebrow as I glance at him.

"No! No!" Sam is quick to deny as he looks at his plate hurriedly.

"He means your breasts are getting … fuller," Jazzy comments as she comes from the kitchen carrying her food closely followed by Mitchell. I glance down at my chest where my breasts are bulging over the top of the cups of my bra. I glance at Sam who is busily inspecting the food on his plate.

"Hey I’m your sister! You’re not supposed to perve," I tell him.

Jazzy begins laughing, "Rosy, we’re cats! Some of us do a lot more than look at our brothers. Just ask Malcolm and Chris how close they are with Lotty!"

"It is illegal in the human world," I say with a shudder. "You pair seriously didn’t sleep with your own sister did you?"

"Yeah they did. Why do you think Jazzy was getting so upset when she thought you were sleeping in Mitchell’s bed," Sam says levelly.

"And you’re fine with them …" I break off what I was about to ask and shake my head.

"They don’t do it when Sam’s around ‘cause they know he’d kick their arse for them, but nothing will ever come of it because they’re brothers and sister," Steven says quietly.

"Well just so everyone knows, I will not be having sex with either of my brothers! And if either of them were to have tried anything even before I knew they were my brothers or in the future I will rip off their hand, arm or offending member, bash them over the head with it and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine," I exclaim tightly.

"Oh you can’t go doing that Rosy," Jazzy exclaims horrified, "What if some other she-kitt has a use for some part that might get ripped off! And what are you going to do if Micah is away for any length of time and you want a tom?"

"Do exactly what all decent human women do, wait for him to get back," I tell her.

"Oh come on there must be someone else you like, or maybe a couple of some ones?" Jazzy says in a teasing tone with a glance at the toms that were watching us with interest.

"Maybe I found someone very interesting but they’re not here," I tell Jazzy and she immediately narrows her eyes as she regards me.

"Oh that’s right! You came back from that meeting smelling like Kell Lancaster and Conner, Timny’s brother," Jazzy says wide-eyed.

Beside me Micah growls low in his throat and I am amazed to hear Steven laugh while several others chuckle.

"I guess that means there’ll be toms from other clans here when Rosy comes into heat next," Steven says and laughs.

"Over my dead body," Micah growls.

"Hey, if you don’t do the job right between now and then and if she wants more kids … maybe she’ll need to bring someone in for the job," Dwayne says and this brings laughter from most of the toms.

"After the hiding she gave him the other day he might be scared to try anything," Steven laughs.

"Hardly," Micah growls again, his mood is getting darker making me more nervous of him.

"Maybe he’s getting that old he can’t get it up when he wants to anymore," Timny says with a chuckle.

"Shut up the lot of you," Micah growls.

"Now if I had someone who looked as good as the Stray does, my hands would be all over her by now," Malcolm says getting more laughs from the toms.

"Don’t worry Rosy, if Micah can’t work up the energy to even touch you, you can sleep with me tonight. I know how to keep my hands off my sister," Sam tells me and I realise that the others are teasing Micah over the fact he hasn’t touched me yet even though he has had plenty of time and opportunity.

"Maybe it shrivelled up and fell off from lack of use," Malcolm says with a laugh.

"Nothing has shrivelled up and fallen off," Micah growls, only this time it lacks bite. "I’ll prove it to Rosy later if necessary."

"Oh wow, I believe I’m on a promise," I say doing my best to sound breathless and excited only it comes out with a nervous giggle.

"Behave," Micah orders and reaches out to grasp my knee before running his hand up the crease of my thighs to the plate that sits on my lap. "All of you."

I grab hold of his hand and lift it from my legs to slip it into the top of my still open cut-offs and he immediately turns his hand to lay it gently against my stomach. He leaves his hand there as we eat and the others fall silent. Obviously all is well in their world including the fact Micah is looking after me.

I eat nearly all of the food on my plate before I feel full and when I stop eating Micah gives me a worried look, "Not feeling sick are you?"

"Full, comfortably full," I say with a grin and he leans in for a quick kiss. My inner cat recoils and I turn my face away with a gasp.

"It’s all right Rosy," Micah says soothingly and I realise I have taken a very submissive pose - my head and shoulders turned away from him and my head bowed. "When I held you while you lost control it was very hard on your inner cat. It’s a wonder she doesn’t hate me for it."

I’m not sure how to take this new development. I want the closeness with Micah that I had come to enjoy but my inner cat has very definite ideas of her own quite clearly.

"Why don’t we all sleep out here tonight?" Jazzy asks.

"Have you moved in over here? Where’s Donovan?" I ask as I realise he is missing.

"Donovan is staying over at the main house until we’re sure you’re completely stable after what happened," Micah says gently. "We still don’t know why you flipped out like you did."

I glance at Steven but he is chewing the last of the meat off the bone from the roast and he avoids my glance. I realise he hasn’t repeated our very heated discussion. And Sam must have kept his knowledge to himself. I am suddenly in no doubt it is as much to protect Micah’s feelings as mine.

"Maybe I should talk with Doc some. Maybe that’ll help," I offer uncertainly.

"Yeah that would be a good idea," Sam says quietly.

"Rosy what ever it is we can work through it," Micah tells me. I feel my inner cat stir and only I hear the vibrations of her angry snarl as she communicates with me that she feels betrayed and trapped.

"You seriously need to do some clothes shopping soon. I’ll go along as well and we can pick out furniture for the baby," Jazzy says excitedly.

"In a couple of weeks, once I’m in my second trimester," I tell her.

"How far along exactly are you?" Jazzy asks with interest.

"Counting the weeks as I came into heat and since … about eleven weeks, nearly at the end of the first trimester. So I have another …twenty nine weeks before the baby is due give or take a few days," I tell her knowing the toms are listening intently.

"Are you having the baby here or at the main house where Mum is?" Jazzy asks seriously.

"Here so Edwin and Wade can’t get near me," I say uneasily.

"Edwin is not taking my nephew. I’ll slap him silly if he tries," Jazzy exclaims and several of the toms growl low in their throats.

I shudder at the aggression and Sam looks at me, "You okay?"

"I want to lie down for a while," I say getting to my feet.

"I’ll bring a mattress out here for you," Micah says as he puts his plate aside and gets to his feet.

"No! No! I need to get away from the growling," I protest.

"Okay so we change the subject and no more growling," Sam states.

"Good idea," Mitchell agrees from where he sits beside Jazzy.

"Sit back down and I’ll get the extra mattress and you can stretch out and relax," Micah orders and heads for the bedrooms. I hesitate a few moments as I look towards the door but when Sam catches hold of my hand and tugs gently I give in and sit back down.

"We’ve got the stuff you told us we need for muffins and tomorrow you can sit in the kitchen and order me and Chris around," Malcolm tells me.

"You aren’t going to try to get me to make them?" I ask.

Malcolm laughs and shakes his head. "You can help if you want but if you tell us what to do we can make them so we know how to do it ourselves next time," he tells me.

"And after breakfast we can go shopping," Jazzy says firmly.

"Mattress coming through, so clear a space," Micah says as he walks into the room carrying a large queen-sized mattress. Room is made for it in the middle of the room and Jazzy immediately sits on one side of it and pats the other side where Micah has dropped a pillow and a blanket.

"Oi Jazzy! I didn’t carry it out here for you. You want a mattress get one of the others to get you one," Micah orders firmly.

"It’s okay, we can share," I tell him as I move to sit on the mattress before arranging the pillow and blanket to my satisfaction and lying down. Jazzy turns her attention back to her food and when she finds the crusty nearly burnt end of the roast she breaks the piece in half and offers half to me. I take the piece and nibble on it not really hungry but not about to refuse the choice piece from her. I roll onto my side and Jazzy moves so her shadow falls across my head and shoulders sheltering me from the harsh glare of the overhead light.

I lie there listening to the chatter of the toms all around me and soon find myself nearly falling asleep. I jerk awake several times and am surprised when Jazzy pulls a corner of the blanket up over my head only leaving a small gap for fresh air. I close my eyes and I am nearly asleep when I hear the heavy tread on the gravel outside just before the screen door opens. Several sets of footsteps make their way to the lounge room and I listen warily, recognising Wade’s tread.

"What is Jazzy doing near Rosy, even if she is asleep?" Wade demands.

"Is Rosy asleep? I wanted to say hallo," Donovan complains.

"Shhh you pair! Don’t you dare wake Rosy up," Jazzy scolds and I feel her adjust the blanket over my face.

"Rosy is really good with Jazzy and lets her boss her around. Jazzy gets away with a lot that none of us toms would dare try, like covering up Rosy’s eyes and ears with that blanket," Micah says quietly.

"I still don’t want Jazzy too close to Rosy," Wade instructs firmly.

"I know Jazzy is perfectly safe or I would not let them be there alone," Micah says between gritted teeth.

"Wade, Jazzy isn’t male. Rosy wouldn’t see her as a threat," Doc says quietly. I feel a weight drop onto the mattress behind me and tense.

"Donovan," Wade scolds worriedly.

"Can I touch Rosy’s baby belly?" Donovan asks just behind me.

"No," Micah denies tightly.

"Don’t you disturb Rosy," Jazzy orders her voice close to a growl.

"But Rosy would let me if she was awake," Donovan complains in a whine.

"What is it with you and waking me up?" I grumble pulling the blanket off my head as I sit up and eye Wade uneasily.

"Rosy!" Donovan shouts happily and before anyone can stop him or I can react he grabs me around the shoulders and rests his chin on my shoulder as he cuddles me then slips both hands down below my navel to rest against my stomach.

"Donovan," Wade snaps.

"Donny! Let Rosy go," Micah roars and I flinch at the angry voices of the two toms.

"It’s okay Rosy," Mitchell says as he kneels beside Jazzy earning an annoyed look from her.

"Rosy would you mind if I listened to your stomach with the stethoscope to see if I can hear the baby’s heart beat?" Doc asks calmly as Micah gets to his feet and grabs hold of Donovan’s upper arms and makes him move away from me.

"Donny you know better than to wake Rosy up so that you can put your hand on her stomach," Micah is scolding Donovan as Doc talks to me. I watch Wade and Doc warily for a few moments before giving a brief nod. Doc pulls a stethoscope out of his trousers pocket and moves to squat near me. I am torn between keeping a cautious eye on him and making sure Wade doesn’t get near me. I see Micah is keeping an eye on Wade and glance between them as I suddenly become aware of the tension between them.

I hear a brisk rubbing sound and glance at Doc to see him rubbing the disc end of the stethoscope. "Just warming it up for you," he tells me.

I pull my top up and open the top of my cut-offs and Doc puts the earpieces in his ears before holding the other end of the stethoscope to my stomach. After a few moments he grins and nods his head slightly. "Everything sounds just as it should at this stage," he says and moves the disc around carefully for a few minutes. "I can only hear the one heart beat," he tells me with a smile.

"Can I listen?" Donovan asks excitedly.

"No I am," Micah tells him then looks at me, "that is if Rosy doesn’t mind."

"It’s okay," I assure him and watch as he squats beside Doc to put in the ear pieces of the stethoscope while Doc holds the disc to my stomach where he had been listening. Micah’s eyes widen and he looks at me as a huge smile slowly spreads across his face.

"I can hear the baby’s heart beating," his voice is an awe filled whisper. Doc clears his throat noisily after several minutes and Micah gives a start before handing back the ends of the stethoscope. Micah reaches out and gives my knee a quick squeeze before going back to where he was sitting.

"Doc, Rosy said maybe she could talk to you to see if you can help her with things," Sam says breaking the silence.

"I’m quite happy to talk to Rosy if that’s what she wants," Doc says with a glance my way. I give a slight nod and realise I am shrugging my shoulders as well and I look away uncomfortably.

"I’ll be by tomorrow afternoon with the portable ultra sound," Doc tells me, "and we can talk about how you want the birth to be."

I give a slight nod but don’t say anything as I glance uneasily towards Sam then Micah where they stand. Wade moves slightly and I look towards him uneasily but he is taking hold of Donovan’s upper arm.

"Time to go back to the house," Wade says firmly.

"But Dad!" Donovan complains.

"Come on," Wade orders and I watch as Wade, Donovan and Doc leave the room with Micah and Mitchell following them.

Micah’s story:

I follow Wade from the room; I intend to take the key to the quarters off him so he can’t come in without permission when it suits him. I realise I should have done it earlier but it is not too late to remedy that mistake now. Tomorrow I can send someone to town to get new locks for the building; tonight we will take turns standing watch.

"Wade," I say layering my tone with power as I step out the door. Ten feet away he turns to face me and I extend one hand palm upwards towards him.

"I will take the key to the quarters plus any copies you may have of it," I say firmly.

"Do not go thinking you can give orders around here," Wade growls as he rolls his shoulders. "I am the Alpha, you’re merely the chief warrior. Or should I say you were merely the chief warrior? You no longer have a place in my clan."

"That’s where you and I disagree," I say calmly, refusing to let him goad me into a temper. "You are the one who has lost his place. You no longer act with the good of the clan in mind. You are willing to blindly punish a she-kitt, a pregnant she-kitt at that, because she does not fit your idea of how a she-kitt should behave."

"I would rather Mitchell and I take control of this clan with your backing as an advisor, your experience and knowledge gained as an Alpha is valuable to this clan. But I will not stand by and watch you destroy this clan, because that is exactly what you will do with the way you are running things." I tell him firmly.

"Pack your belongings and get off of my property within the hour!" Wade snarls. "I will call Edwin home and he will command the warriors from here on out! Mitchell, you are to go on probation for your part in this. I don’t believe you came up with the idea of trying to take over the clan in this hostile manner but you have taken no steps to insure it did not happen."

"I believe there will be several warriors looking for places to live in no-man’s land come tomorrow morning. I will go through the ranks of those in the quarters and weed out any I believe might have contributed to this attempted coupe." Wade says with a glance past me towards the quarters.

"Nothing of the sort will happen as Mitchell and I will be in charge," I say firmly.

"You won’t be in charge unless you’re planning on murdering me, bedding your sister, or killing her," Wade spits angrily.

"Jasmine is my girlfriend," Mitchell says coldly off to my left.

"I am not going to dignify that remark with a reply," I tell Wade as I curl my top lip at him in disgust. "It is beneath the Alpha you once were."

I see the way Wade jerks involuntarily and know that my words have pricked his pride.

"Get in your car and get the hell off my property before I get back up in to deal with you," Wade threatens angrily.

"Kurt Black is in his helicopter on his way here even while we argue," I tell Wade evenly.

"Kurt…" Wade begins and swallows before giving an angry snort. "That kitt Rosy carries has Williamson blood as well! She stays here!" His tone changes as his mind begins to grasp facts.

"Only an hour ago you were all for locking Rosy in a cage, the first time you let her out because of concerns for her health. And locking Rosy up for even a short amount of time would expose Jazzy to a lot of stress and trauma that will not aide in her recovery from her illness. Or do you intend on sending her away from her home again so she doesn’t witness your intended punishment of Rosy? You have shown a blatant disregard for the health and well being of both she-kitts belonging to this clan." I state with a calm I am far from feeling. Every instinct screams at me to eliminate the threat of danger to Rosy and Jazzy, but I refuse to give in to the urge to rip Wade limb from limb.

"Step aside from your position as Alpha and let Mitchell, as Jazzy’s fianc

é and myself as chief warrior and Rosy’s boyfriend, lead the clan. We are happy for you to stay on as an adviser, and to teach us the intricacies of clan business dealings." I say with a glance towards Mitchell wondering how he will take his sudden elevation from boyfriend to fiancé.

The sound of a powerful motorbike turning into the driveway and speeding along the road catches my attention. I don’t take my eyes off Wade but I do turn my head slightly, listening to the bike draw closer. I listen as it parks at the far end of the gravel parking spaces in front of the quarters and the motor stops.

"Baxter," Mitchell says in a low breath.

I glance towards Baxter, none of us had been able to contact him. First his phone was busy and then all calls went straight to message bank. He is striding towards us as he takes off heavy leather gloves, the helmet he’d worn is on the seat of the bike.

"Looks like everything will be over before Kurt gets here," Wade says smugly.

"I’ve already heard your side of the story Wade, now I would like to hear their side," Baxter says firmly as he stops beside Doc. "I rushed to get here as quickly as I could, if the police were able to catch the old bike I’d have half a dozen speeding tickets. Just under an hour instead of closer to two on narrow winding roads."

"I appreciate your speed in responding to my call, as I explained Micah is…" Wade begins.

"No," Baxter cuts him off sharply. "I will hear both sides,"

"Wade is making unsound decisions. Decisions I believe will endanger the well being of both Jasmine and Rosy. I have the choice to stand back and keep silent, or step up and take control of the clan." I state firmly. "I believe Mitchell and I will make better leaders than Wade has the last five or six years since Jazzy’s future came under doubt."

"I knew this was your doing!" Wade snarls on a low hiss of anger.

"Doc?" Baxter asks quietly with a frown towards Wade for his outburst. "Do you know enough of what is happening to have a medical opinion on any of this?"

"The steps Wade wishes to take will undoubtedly be detrimental to both Rosy’s physical and mental health. Only last week Rosy came very close to dying because of the collar Wade insisted she wear. If not for extreme efforts on the part of both Micah and Mitchell, to my understanding, Rosy would have died." Doc says soberly and I have to repress the tremors that try to shake me at the reminder of Rosy’s brush with death.

"Now since Rosy no longer wears the collar Wade wishes to lock her in a cage once again, she isn’t fully recovered from her last stretch in a cage. As for Jasmine, I believe her illness has been correctly diagnosed and treated and she is well on the road to full health. I have no doubt the stress of knowing Rosy has been locked in a cage once again, regardless of whether Jasmine is here to witness it or not, will be detrimental to Jasmine’s full recovery." Doc states firmly. "And if one or both of Micah and Mitchell were to be expelled from the clan, I believe it would impact both Jasmine and Rosy strongly."

"Hmm," Baxter says and is silent for a few minutes. I glance between Wade, Doc and Baxter before turning my gaze back to Wade but listening for any movements from Baxter as well.

"The way I see it Wade," Baxter says in a gentle tone, "for as long as Micah has been chief warrior you have left the day to day running of the clan almost entirely to him. There have been numerous occasions you have cut the ground out from beneath him instead of supporting his decisions, decisions you have forced him to make by not stepping up to make them yourself."

"You have been so busy building your business ventures in the human world. Earning the money necessary to be able to keep this clan alive while your daughter’s future was under a cloud of doubt, that you sub-consciously handed the care of the clan to Micah. You didn’t choose your first-born son - you chose in the best interests of your clan. I am not saying you shouldn’t be proud of Edwin - I hear he has impressed several Alphas with his abilities and knowledge since leaving," Baxter says and I hear Wade give a faint snort.

"Now fate has handed your daughter a gift of time to be able to prove her ability to provide this clan with a future. I know Rosy reminds you of all that is bad in the American strays, yet you yourself told me she shows a lot of promise of being a good Queen. But she needs to stop running away all the time and learn to be respectful towards those in authority." Baxter says levelly. This revelation is new to me and Wade's view certainly is different to mine, I have never seen badness in Rosy only fear, the product of the bad that has been done to her.

"Obviously Micah sees the good in her, and I believe your son also would see the bad if it was there present. What about Mitchell McIntosh? Yes he is a brother of Rosy but he is also the only tom your daughter has been seriously interested in. Why would he permit any threat to his future mate by anyone? Even his own sister?" Baxter shakes his head and takes a deep breath.

"Its time to stop fighting to keep your daughter safe Wade," Baxter pauses for several moments. "You’ve trained your son well and gathered the best team of warriors around. Take the time to step back and relax, you’ve got a grandchild on the way and a wife still young enough to lead you on a merry chase through the bush. Doc believes your daughter will recover, so there will be grandchildren there as well. Step down and allow Micah to take over, enjoy what you have built for your children."

"It won’t be just Micah, we agreed it would be both of us," Mitchell says on a low growl.

"Yes that’s true," I say. "We believe the clan would benefit from both of us making the decisions."

"The clan first, how can you argue with that Wade?" Baxter asks as he folds his arms.

"I am keeping the key to the quarters," Wade announces tightly. "I will not be locked out of any building on clan headquarters while I am still in charge."

"Looks like I will just have to take the key and show you who is in charge," I say as I take a step towards him.

"Not you, that’s for sure," Wade growls back as he begins to try to walk away.

"Wade, hand over the key," Baxter advises. "That way you get to keep your dignity and you should get to see your grandchildren grow up."

"The key," I say in a hard voice as I hold my hand out towards him once again.

I see anger flare in his eyes and he hesitates a second or two before reaching into his back pocket and dropping the key into my hand.

"What are you going to do? Marry your own sister?" Wade taunts.

"Do you have any copies of this key?" I ask coldly.

"Unfortunately I gave all the copies to you traitors," Wade hisses.

"If any copy was to mysteriously appear and you were to enter the quarters with out an invitation I am likely to believe you are up to no good, forget myself and kill you." I tell him coldly. "I am prepared to do whatever is necessary to remove any threat to the safety and wellbeing of Rosy and Jazzy. Now get the hell out of here before I forget myself and only remember that you would lock Rosy in a cage, and expose Jazzy to a lot of stress and trauma that will not aide in her recovery from her illness. You have blatant disregard for the health and well being of both she-kitts belonging to this clan."

I watch as Wade walks to the main house, I don’t take my attention off him until I hear the screen and wooden doors open and shut. I look towards Mitchell first and find him watching me.

"Hope you don’t mind the promotion," I say lightly. "It’s time you thought about letting my sister make an honest man out of you anyway."

"You explain it to her," Mitchell says with a bit of a laugh.

"Does this mean Mitchell is the brains and Micah is the brawn of this outfit?" Doc asks with an uneasy glance between us.

"No, they will have to work as a team in all aspects," Baxter says quietly.

"You need to come in as soon as you can," Sam says soberly from the doorway and I turn to face him. "We heard part of the argument from inside. Jazzy is upset and Rosy is ready to start ricocheting off the walls. I think that will happen when she realises who the clan Alphas are."

I almost groan aloud at his announcement. I have been trying to find the words to start the conversation with Rosy about the change of authority since it happened just over an hour earlier. Now it is all about to come out in the open with the thick and bitter tang of aggression in the air.

"Doc, it might be wise for you and Donny to stay here tonight," Mitchell says with a glance my way. "Wade is going to be really upset."

"Mitchell’s right," I agree when Doc turns to me for conformation. "And he is co-leader of this clan. He has just as much say in matters as I do."

Sam heads back inside followed by Doc, Baxter and Donny before Mitchell and I follow. I take the time to ensure the main door is locked securely before heading through to the lounge room and kitchen.

"You gave him a beating?" Dwayne asks levelly.

"He refused to hand over the key to the quarters he had when I asked for it," I say with a shrug. "Luckily Baxter arrived in time to talk some sense into him."

I follow Jazzy into the kitchen slowly, careful not to make any sudden movements as Rosy takes a couple of uneasy steps away from where I head. I sit down at the kitchen table and watch as Mitchell folds Jazzy in his arms.

"Jazzy, I kind of promoted Mitchell to your fiancé outside," I say with an apologetic smile.

"Impossible," Jazzy snaps as she pulls out of his embrace and turns to face him. "Mitchell has never proposed to me!"

"Well, umm," Mitchell goes red faced as he glances around the two rooms self-consciously. "Will you marry me Jazzy?"

"Only if you promise that from now on I am in on all decisions about our relationship," Jazzy says soberly then flings her arms around Mitchell's neck bringing laughter from several of the toms.

"Alright then, who wants a cup of coffee or something stronger?" Baxter asks as he steps into the kitchen and heads for the percolator.

"Why don’t you sit down at the table with me Rosy so I can explain to you what has happened?" I ask quietly. I take a seat at the table so I am facing her and she is glancing between me, Mitchell and Baxter nervously.

"I can hear just fine from here," Rosy says uneasily as she watches me. I can see her nostrils flaring as she breathes and I realise she is most likely subconsciously reading the scents in the air even as she watches the interaction between all of us.

"Mitchell and I are now the co-Alphas of this clan," I say quietly and her eyes narrow in suspicion immediately. "I intend to try to devote some time each day to explaining how werecat society functions and I will also try to help you understand the rules and regulations of not just our clan but other clans as well. You are free to talk to your brothers about anything you choose if you prefer that."

"Is Rosy free to come and go from clan lands as she chooses?" Baxter asks as if curious and I see the way Rosy’s gaze sharpens as she watches me.

"Personally I hope Rosy chooses to stay here, living alone would not be a safe option," I admit with a glance towards her stomach. I see the way she instantly folds her arms protectively about herself.