Thank you Maya_2011 for everything! For being there for me to bounc ideas off of and, for most importantly, editting this story for me. Without you this would truely be a mess. You're amazing!

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In the month that Mikko had been back, I'd only talked to him three times.

In a moment of weakness, I sought him out for comfort and at the end of that comfort I was left rejected and in tears.

I had learned my lesson. I needed to seek affection from someone who'd appreciate it... after I lost some more of this baby fat.

My body image was poor before Mikko solidified that I was undesirable, without even having to say anything. Mikko had probably considered he was doing me a favor by bedding me.

Since then, the only time I spoke to him was when I was talking about our children. They were officially two days over being seven months old, and I was stuck trying to rush getting ready while I tried to get all three of them changed.

I was frazzled and feeling a bit nauseous. My guts told me something was wrong, but I didn't have time for that today.

All three of the kids were in the bathtub when the phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, I knew it was from Finn's house. Maybe it was Mikko calling to say he was on his way to help... yeah right!

I out the call on speaker as I answered. "What?" I snapped, making Cassandra burst into tears.

"Want some help?" Alexia's voice held amusement for my current predicament, but I couldn't pass up the chance.

I gasped in relief. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Mikko left thirty minutes ago!"

"I'll be there in 20."

"Alright." I hung up.

Lexi was an angel. She had helped so much with the kids and had gotten so much better as she stayed here. I would be sad to lose her help, but I knew it was good for her that she was finally going home.

I knew she was in love with Mason and from his frequent visits; it was obvious he loved her too. I was incredibly envious of their relationship.

When she got here, I was drying off the last baby.

She smiled down at the babies hanging on my legs, trying to balance. It wouldn't be long until they were walking. I was convinced they'd be walking before they were ten months old.

I laughed at the rollers on her head, which also mesmerized the babies. "That's so smart! I should've done that this morning!"

She smiled. "I knew you'd need my help, that's why I did this!"

I hugged her once, before she lifted one of the babies by my feet into my free arm. She grabbed the third and led me to the kitchen. It was time for these monsters to eat!

Lexi fed them and shooed me away telling me to get ready. That woman really was a god send. I could talk to her about Mikko and sometimes she'd offer me insight to what she's experienced with Mason.

It didn't take me long to get ready. I wasn't trying to impress anyone. I just didn't have the time for that stuff!

I put spanks on to pull in some of that baby fat before putting on some leggings and a loose fitting top. The problem with giving birth to triplets, was after they were out my uterus shrunk back to its normal size, I was stuck with lots of skin from the huge belly I had. I did my best to hide it and act like it didn't bother me, but it did.

I put on some stud earrings (I learned not to wear dangly earrings really fast once Ben pulled on them) and a nice necklace that would hold up to the kids tugging on it.

When I walked back into the kitchen the kids were fed, cleaned and changed. "Waiting on your mommy," Lexi teased. I grabbed Ben, who was left in the high chair and we went to the van. She handed me Angelina then Cass and we were on our way to the alpha’s house.

She was off quickly when she realized her pack was already there. She handed Ben off to Philip and was up the stairs by the time I shut the front door.

Philip smirked at his nephew. "Girls are crazy."

My son giggled, which made his uncle smile proudly as his ability to earn a smile. "Let's hand you off to the girls," he said to Ben, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "They're dying to see the triplets." He smiled and led me to the kitchen where women were going crazy trying to cook everything.

Every woman gushed and stopped what they were doing to see the kids. It was just as I expected. I didn't have to worry about my babies. The other women kept passing them around. Of course I took care of everything on the stove since I didn't want my babies around anything that could splash onto them.

"Are those Mikko's babies?" A woman I had never met before squealed. She instantly took Benjamin out of the woman's hands. "Oh he looks just like his daddy." She kissed the side of Ben's face. Two boys and a girl, all children, behind her exchanged looks and quickly ran out the back door.

"Who are you?" I had never met this woman. She was carrying my child and gushing about Mikko. She couldn't be one of his past girl's, right? I couldn't handle that right now.

She smiled sheepishly. "Oh, I'm sorry. I must look like a crazy woman barging in here and stealing away your baby." She came closer to me and held out her hand. "I'm Casey Meyers."

I recognized that name and smiled. "Oh! You're Lexi's friend." She smiled widely. "She talks about you all so often I feel like I know you!"

Casey laughed. "She has talked about you too. It would've been more, but Mason would steal away the computer so no one else could talk to her." She looked around the kitchen. "Can I help out around here?"

I nodded. "Of course you can. There's always food to cook at a gathering like this."

She smiled. "Well I would be more than happy to help you guys out. I know my guys shovel food down like they're never going to eat again."

And just like that, the kitchen was in full swing. Each of Casey's pack members came through the kitchen, giving me an introduction before she showed off my babies.

The last member, Chris, tried to steal some food, but he was quickly threatened with a wooden spoon, causing Cassandra to laugh in Casey's arms. My babies were so easily entertained. “Keep your paw off! I’m not going to tell you again!” When he rolled his eyes at Casey, she whacked him with the spoon, making him hiss. “Go outside and sell your guys.” He shot her a dirty look before walking to the back.

“I’d better go with him,” Mason said from the entrance of the kitchen, making all of us look over in his direction. Mason followed Chris out to the backyard.

Lexi was smiling like a happy woman in love as Mason walked away. “There you are!” Casey said gleefully before the two women met half way in a quick hug. “It feels like you’ve been gone forever!” Even Cassandra decided to give Lexi a hug.

 “It does. I’ve missed you guys.” Lexi smiled and held Casey close. She really had missed everyone from her pack.

“We’ve all missed you too!” Casey's face held a smirk as she let go of Lexi. “Of course Mason’s missed you the most.”

Lexi blushed and looked away. “Yeah, well…”

Casey's smirk changed into a smile. “I’m glad to see that you’re okay. I was really worried for you.”

“I was too.” Lexi's smile turned somber. She was in obvious need of some humor.

I huffed. “You’re not the one who was around her,” I said to Casey. “I can’t wait to get rid of her.” I tossed Lexi a wink to reinforce my joke with her.

Lexi knew that I would miss her when she left, but she was ready to go home. She needed to be with her pack. She needed to be with Mason. He was what made her truly happy.

Then Mikko opened the sliding glass door, stepping into the house. I couldn't help but shoot him a dirty look. I was still so mad at him. He took off without helping me with the babies this morning. But I knew why I was really mad at him. Why couldn't he just give me a shot? Couldn't someone like me make him happy? I had given him three beautiful children, but obviously that wasn't enough.

I knew the damage my body received from the pregnancy made me undesirable to look at. Maybe what had attracted Mikko to sleep with me was gone since my midsection was destroyed.

Mikko froze in the doorway before quickly retreating into the backyard. Whatever he had wanted from the house now wasn’t important enough to get.

When Mikko left I felt light and clammy, like I would before I threw up. I brought the back of my hand up to my mouth. The triplets had a nasty bug a week ago. I could be coming down with that now. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to get some kind of balance on the sickening feeling that was threatening to expel from my mouth.

 “Are you okay?”

I looked over at Casey, looking at me with obvious concern in her features. “I’ve got what the babies had not too long ago.”

Casey cringed. “I hated when that happened. It would go through all the humans twice before it was gone in our house.”

I tried to offer her a smile, but it wasn't so strong. “I only have to deal once since we’re the only humans here.”

"You're lucky."

"Luck isn't something I've had recently," I muttered turning my attention to one of my cranky babies.

It's going to be a long day, I thought to myself.

I wasn't wrong either. I was constantly trying to keep an eye on my children. I didn't know most of the wolves here. I didn't know if they could all be trusted.

Getting the triplets to go to sleep was no problem after all the excitement today. They were kept awake being passed around. Benjamin and Cassandra were asleep before they even got into their cribs, but not my Angelina. She was by far the trouble baby. Mikko tried putting her in her crib, but she just started to fuss immediately.

"Give her to me. I'll rock her to sleep." I smiled at my spoiled baby.

Mikko handed her over. "Are you ever going to talk to me again?"

I took Angelina to the rocking chair and sat down. "I am taking to you Mikko."

He shook his head. "You talk at me. You haven't tried to talk to me about anything in the past month. It bothers me."

I scoffed. "It bothers you." I rocked the baby who looked wide awake now that her daddy was talking. "You have never cared what bothers me. Why should I return the favor?"

Mikko sat on the footrest that came with the rocking chair. "Look, what happened a month ago wasn't supposed to happen like it did."

I felt the anger spark in me. "Now isn't the time Mikko. I'm trying to get her to sleep. We can talk about it later."

He was frustrated when he stood. I could see it in his tense shoulders and flexed arms. "Don't postpone it too long. I have to leave soon for negotiations."

I sighed. "How long this time?"

Mikko's shoulders hardly moved. "I'm not sure."

"Come back after I put her down."

Mikko nodded and left me alone to put Angelina to sleep. I really didn't want to talk to Mikko about that night. I closed my eyes. It could've been the best night of my life, but it turned into the opposite.

I had been stressed beyond what I could handle. Mikko took me out while his father watched the babies for the night. Everything was great. We had dinner then we went out dancing and had a couple drinks. Mikko was the same guy I had met at the bar almost year and a half ago when I first met him… and the night ended the same way.

Except this time, it was very different. Mikko's eyes turned bright amber and the bone structure changed in his face slightly. He looked dangerous, but I wasn't afraid of Mikko. He had intended on marking me. Well, his wolf planned on that. I didn't make any moves to stop it. I wanted a complete family with Mikko, I wasn't afraid of the consequences. He'd be mad for a while, but he'd get over it because I would have been his mate. He would've been bonded to me. If anything, I wanted to encourage it. I had my head turned to the side, giving him complete access of my neck.

The man however regained complete control seconds before the wolf would've bit in to the side of my neck and claimed me as completely as a wolf would claim a human.

But Mikko stopped it. He became furious that I wouldn't fight him from marking me... as if it were my fault that his wolf took control over him. The wolf and the man were usually on the same page.

Mikko kicked me out of his bed like I had tricked him into marking me. As if I would mastermind something like that.

I pulled my thoughts away from that memory. I looked down at my sleeping daughter and sighed. At least I had my kids. They would love me. They wouldn't ever hurt me like Mikko had.

They would make me happy. I had to get over Mikko. I wouldn't have a good life with him and that wasn't fair to me. The sooner I moved on from Mikko, the sooner I'd find someone who I deserved, someone who deserved me.

After putting Angelina in her crib, nausea reared its ugly head again. I sprinted to the bathroom and puked out what was left of my dinner. I felt better immediately after I got rid of the extra food.

I brushed my teeth to get rid of the smell. Not that it would matter, the werewolves would know anyway. Their smelling was just too good. I didn't even feel sick. I didn't feel off. I felt fine. In fact, I felt great. Maybe the work outs I had been able to get in we're just starting to mess with my body.

I went downstairs halfway expecting Mikko to be lurking around, but he wasn't. I could see him pulling his brother away from Lexi and Mason. They looked quite cozy sitting so close together next to the bon fire.

Before Mikko could trap me inside, I walked out towards the bon fire Finn was sitting at. It was that or hangout with the love birds or Abigail. Finn was the best option. I sat down a few feet away from him and stared at the fire.

I felt Finn looking at me, but I didn't glance over. I didn't want to talk about whatever he was thinking of.

"I got an email request from Nikki for a visit next week."

I instantly smiled. I hadn't seen Nikki in a little over a month, since her emergency visit after my incident with Mikko. She had almost been attacked outside my-Mikko's home when she had arrived because the visit had been so unannounced.

"She wants to pitch a website idea to me."

"Oh yeah?" I looked at him with a smile. "And how long will this proposed pitch take?"

He feigned forgetfulness with a creased forehead and a thoughtful expression. "I forget. A week? Two? I don't remember."

I couldn't help but smile. I missed my best friend. The babies had grown since she was last here. I was feeling much better emotionally about my life and everything in it. My life would be amazing if I only had Nikki to hang out with everyday again.

"I knew that would make you happy." Finn smiled at me. "I like seeing you happy."

I grabbed Finn's hand and smiled. "Thanks for letting Nikki come here so much."

He tightened his grip momentarily on my hand before letting it go. "I'd do anything for my family."

It was touching that Finn thought of me as family. Having a family, having loved ones made me feel powerful, like I could rule the world because of them. It was too bad that Mikko didn't feel the same.

Philip sat down beside me, so close our legs touched. He huffed and grabbed the bag of marshmallows, stuffing two in his mouth right out of the bag. "Mikko is a fun-killer."

He offered me a marshmallow, but the smell was sickening. I immediately turned away and shoved the bag away from me.

"If you don't like them you could've just said so," he said indignantly. "More for me then."

I stuck my tongue out at him. I had never been a huge fan of marshmallows. I liked them with s'mores, but that was about it.

Mikko tapped on my shoulder. "Come with me for a minute."

I threw one more glare at Philip when he threw a marshmallow at me.

"Philip." His father warned.

"What?" Philip's mouth was still full of those dreadful things. "Just having fun. No one around here seems to know what that is anymore."

I followed Mikko into the house before I could hear Finn's retort.

No one was in the house. Mikko would have taken me into the study if there was. I double checked the baby monitor on my hip before focusing on Mikko.

He sat down on a sofa. He actually looked regretful, maybe even a little sad about what we were going to talk about. "I'm sorry," was all he said when I sat down across from him.

"Sorry doesn't make everything okay. It's just a word people use when they feel guilty."

Mikko leaned back against the sofa, adjusting because I knew he wasn't comfortable where his conversation was probably going to go. Even as mad as I was at him, he was still the most attractive guy I had ever known. I still wanted him, when I knew I shouldn't. He wasn't worth it anymore.

"Then it fits how I feel. I know what happened was my fault. The night should've ended before I brought you back home."

"Well, it went farther than you wanted it to go."

"I should've had better control."

"You should have," I agreed with a nod. "You know what I want. I've made it clear to you. You yank me around one more time and I'll shoot a couple holes through you."

He smirked. "You'd shoot the father of your children?"

"Bet your ass I would." I didn't hesitate. I was done letting Mikko hurt me. "I won't kill you, but I'll make it hurt."

"I'd probably deserve it." I huffed at his understatement. He'd more than deserve it. "You were right about Jess's death affecting the way I do things. When she died, I vowed I'd never lose someone I loved as much as I loved her to the change again." He was avoiding looking at me. Open honesty wasn't something that came easily to Mikko, or any other werewolf as old as he was. "I lost it after Jess died. If I lost it again, I wouldn't pull it back together. Now that I have three kids to think about, losing it like I did back then isn't an option. It's not something I can risk. Not on you, not on anyone."

"That didn't mean you had to hurt me. You didn't have to treat me so horribly. We could've gotten along. We could've kept it friendly. This could've been so different if you just would've talked to me."

Mikko leaned his head back and looked at the ceiling. "I'm not a big talker, especially when I didn't know you."

"This little talk isn't going to fix the damage between us Mikko. There's some serious work needed to fix whatever it is that's between us."

Mikko nodded. "I know."

"What will happen if I make the change? Will you be willing to give us a shot then?"

Mikko processed that thought for a while. I knew it would take him a few minutes to come up with an answer to that. "You should really think positive about that. You should use 'when' instead of 'if'." Mikko looked at me. "When you make the change I'll be open to that idea."

"Just because I make the change doesn't mean I'll live forever. You have a lot of enemies who will always be stronger than me."

He nodded. "I'll just teach you how to survive. You've been around enough altercations between wolves to know how it gets."

"But those wolves were going for the kill."

"A mother defending her children is a force to be reckoned with." Mikko was serious about that. "I'm counting on that being the edge you have against anyone who would try to come after my children."

"We'll just have to wait and see where we end up."

Mikko stood up. "I guess we will."

I heard fussing on the monitor. When it didn't stop I knew I was going to have my hands full if I didn't get to the fusser soon.

"I got it." I told Mikko as I started towards the stairs. I made it up soon enough that Benjamin didn't start screaming his head off. He was always the hungriest of the three.

I sat in my rocking chair and fed my son and thought that my future wouldn't be so bad. As long as Mikko stayed open to me, we would work everything out. As long as his enemies stayed away from us, we wouldn't have any problems.

My life had changed so much in the 15 months that I had known Mikko. My life would probably change more in the upcoming year. There would be a lot of changes in store for me and I was ready for them. Change wasn't always a bad thing. Change brought me triplets that I otherwise would've never had. I just had to store my faith in the people who wouldn't let me down.

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has read this story and enjoyed it.

There will be a sequel, eventually. I'm working on another story before I start the sequel, so it will be a while. Its title is going to be Changed Fate.

ANY INFORMATION REGARDING THE SEQUEL (Changed Fate) CAN BE FOUND ON MY PROFILE PAGE. If you ask when the story is going to start, I'm probably not going to answer it. IF/WHEN THE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ABOUT THE ETA ON THE SEQUEL (Changed Fate), IT WILL BE FOUND THERE!

I know several of you are disappointed in the ending. I'm sorry about that. This was a story about her going through a pregnancy. Not her falling in love or turning into a werewolf. Just a pregnancy. We'll deal with real problems in the sequel.

And to address one idea that was disturbing to me in the comments: Emily WILL NOT fall in love with Philip. I mean seriously. Emily isn't the kind of person to jump ship to the brother.

Feel free to ask about any unanswered questions you have from the story. Maybe I can help you out if you missed something. Don't hesitate.