"Charlotte."

"Mmmm."

"Sunshine."

"Mmmmmm."

"Charlotte come on," Ethan said, his tone like a warm smile while he gently shook me awake.

I groaned and turned towards him, cuddling into his chest while he laughed into my hair. "We have to get up baby."

"I was having a good dream, it was one where you bring me coffee," I said, a sleepy smile pulling at my lips while my eyes blinked open to look up at him.

He pushed some of my hair back and dipped down to kiss me. "I had a good dream too."

"Ya?"

He nodded. "Yup."

"Want to elaborate?"

Ethan kissed me again before his hand moved under my shirt and over my belly. "It involved you, and your stomach, and maybe twins..."

"Twins?"

"I was thinking a boy and a girl, but whatever the moon would give us would be fine with me sunshine." I groaned and pulled the covers over my head while Ethan's chest vibrated as he laughed. "What?! It could happen baby."

"You're ridiculous Everette. We don't even know if that could happen."

"Well, we'll just keep trying."

"Ethan..."

"What?!" he said while he kissed my neck. "Actually, we should start practicing now."

"Practicing?" I asked with a raised brow while his hand slid down the bare skin of my stomach.

"Mhmm," he hummed against my neck. "Practicing," he murmured as his hand dipped into my panties, reaching for a place that drew a little gasp from my lips.

Needless to say, Ethan and I did a lot of practicing that morning. Practicing that I didn't mind too much, I didn't mind at all.

I was sitting downstairs in one of Ethan's shirts and some of his boxers, drinking some coffee, while he made blobs when Dagny and Derek knocked a the door. Smiling, I waved them in while Ethan flipped another pancake.

Dagny walked in, almost dancing in her steps. Her ombre pink hair looked longer, almost to her waist in waves like the ocean; she had on tapered black pants, red booties, and a lacy Victorian looking baby blue shirt with pearl clasp buttons up the back all the way to the neck. Alice was in her palm, sporting a light blue ribbon around her neck while Derek zipped to me.

I hugged him while he kissed my cheek. "Where's Elliot?"

"Hunting with Vincent," Derek answered, slyly eyeing Dagny. "Vincent's been a little moody."

I rolled my eyes while Dagny huffed. A few days ago, Dagny came over to do some research while Ethan and made calls to some regional alphas to coordinate a meeting. Vincent was over and the awkwardness around them was like a stuffy middle school dance. A few times Dagny allowed Vincent to sit next to her; she ended up really appreciating Dominic's compulsion on Vincent.

"Dominic and Wynona?"

"She's with Cora," Derek replied while Ethan handed him a cup of coffee. "And Dom went hunting with them."

"Barrett and Evie alright?" I asked into my mug.

"Yes," Derek sighed out. "Dominic's helped quite a bit actually. He's been calling covens that have been more, well, tough for Barrett. Apparently, Steven always liked Barrett and Evie. He more or less said he doesn't care what you do as long as you stay off his ass."

I sighed while Ethan eyed Derek. "That's not bad, but if Steven is part of the problem then he needs to be dealt with."

"I agree," Derek added with a nod. "But for now, I think this is a good start. We can't fight multiple wars at once. Let's just take it one at a time."

Dagny nodded. "Thank you Ethan," she replied with a smile as Ethan handed her a cup of coffee. She gently placed Alice on her shoulder then took a long sip of the dark liquid.

"How's Sylvia?"

Derek shrugged. "Helen's been a huge help to her–to us. She's more or less helped keep our home base going. Sylvia was alive longer than Elliot and I put together, she's been with Leo for a long time. I don't know–I don't blame her if she does. Right now she seems more set on making things better."

"Good," I replied. "Dagny where's Bernard?"

"The tree," she sighed out. "Actually Ethan, could we wrap some breakfast up for him? He's been there non-stop."

"We should make him get some rest," I said.

Dagny nodded. "Agreed, I'll see after if I can't put him to sleep or something–Actually where's Dominic."

I chuckled. "Considering their history that may not be a good idea."

"Dominic did save his life."

"He did," I breathed out.

"I used to hear horror stories about him," Dagny said. "But it seems like he's really trying to change, you can't help but want to support someone who sincerely has a desire to do better."

"It's true." I took a sip of my coffee then set it down on the island. "Did you get a look at what Lyanna found?"

She nodded. "I did. We need Barrett or Evie to dream walk-on Lucas. It could have meant a lot of things and what he saw could be a lot of things. You have to understand first that we know very little about the other side–the other realms. It's for a good reason, much of that information is very dangerous, it's why a lot of those Forbidden texts were destroyed. That kind of information in the hands of the wrong people, like we have seen, is not safe.

"Anyways the other side from what I have studied is not like here, obviously. What Lucas saw could have been grass, he could have touched something real or it could have been figurative. The voices he heard could have been you but it also could have been something else, there's no telling."

"I wonder if that's how she found her soulmate," Ethan mused.

"What's that babe?"

"Well," Ethan said while he flipped a blob. "You know how Leo told us that the moon goddess walked back and forth after her mate died?"

"Ya," I said into my mug as I took a sip of coffee. Dagny took a seat beside me while Derek started to pull some plates out.

"Well, she had to find him right? Like there are a lot of realms that apparently people over there don't know about–like where your dad is at. Remember how Lucas told you before he came back that they didn't know where he and his twin were?

"She couldn't just have walked over. I mean, she could have, but if it was me then I would have wanted to know where I was going. I would have wanted to have an idea of where that person was." Ethan paused while he poured some more batter into the sizzling skillet. "Also, there's the idea that she would want her soulmate close to the door. What if she didn't have a lot of time or what if the door was 'shaky,' if you will. I can't imagine that a preferable situation would be walking for miles on the other side, she probably would have wanted him really close so it would be easy to go between,"

"So she called him," I added.

Ethan nodded. "Don't you think?"

Dagny picked Alice up and kissed her head then set her in her lap. "Well it would make sense. Logistically you have a good point Ethan. We'll see what Barrett or Evie can tell us. We can't afford for either of you to touch that tree anymore. Bernard and I have placed a lot of spells and hexes over it, but Aurelia is very clever. She could be watching and I fear she has other ways too. It's just too dangerous, I'm sorry."

"I understand," I sighed out, my heart dully throbbing at the thought of never seeing our loved ones again. "So Dagny, what about Vincent?"

"What about him?" she asked innocently while Derek smiled deviously.

"I mean, I don't know, he's kind of your light."

"He is my light," she said, her teeth chewing on her bottom lip.

"He's not them you know? He's not the ones that killed them."

"I know," she sighed out. "And really Derek, please don't take it personally. Alice and I do enjoy your company along with the others."

Derek waved her off. "Really, you're fine Dagny. I know how horrid some of us can be."

"It's just hard," she said before looking at me. "It's one thing to move on, learn to work with the people that killed your parents, then become friends with them. Evie and I do get along well. It's another thing to learn that they're supposed to be your soulmate. It's just a lot."

"You should try," I said gently. "I mean, he's your light. You only get one, how horrible can it be?"

"At least he didn't have to chase you up a tree," Ethan added.

I rolled my eyes while Dagny giggled. "He chased you up a tree?"

"Yes because he was an idiot and roaring his damn head off," I replied, throwing Ethan and mock pointed scowl. "You should give him a chance."

She nodded and looked at her coffee. "Well, Alice does like him."

"How bad can it be?" I asked. "By the way, we should go see Cora. We can try giving her my blood, and if she's more lucid than maybe she knows about the rebel operation?"

Ethan gave me a long look then sighed. "Fine, but you're not draining all your veins. Just a little, alright?"

"Alright, alright," I sighed out.

"Well, Elliot needs to help call covens with me along with Dominic," Derek said while he passed us some forks. "I think Vincent would probably like to come if that would be ok?"

Dagny eyed him then nodded. "Six feet away, though."

Derek chuckled. "He can't unless you ask him. Dominic's compulsion is strong. Vincent is very old, but even he wouldn't be able to break it unless he really tried; even then I don't know if he could. I've never seen anyone do it besides Alex..."

I gave Derek a sympathetic smile and rubbed his arm while he sat next to me. Ethan walked over with a big plate of blobs then winked at me while Alice's little ears flickered forward. Dagny laughed. "Alice loves pancakes."

Ethan raised a brow and started to put some pancakes on my plate. "Rabbits eat pancakes?"

"Alice does," Dagny answered simply.

"Does Bernard have a familiar?" I asked as I took my plate from Ethan. "Thank you," I murmured to him.

He smiled while Dagny put some blobs on her plate. "He did a long time ago, I think he had a cat? A lot of witches have them but they sometimes don't always travel with us. He could very well have it back at his coven."

We finished eat breakfast quickly; I practically inhaled mine, then inhaled another helping after Ethan insisted. Derek zipped away after breakfast, he was going to meet Elliot and Dominic back at his place while Ethan and I threw some clothes on.

I trotted back down the stairs in a some Ked's and a navy t-shirt dress while Dagny played with Alice on the living room floor. "Ready?" I asked.

She nodded and scooped Alice upright as Ethan trotted down in jeans and a fresh gray t-shirt. He walked over to me and took my hand, kissing my temple before he pulled me out the door. "Have you talked to Levi?"

"No why?" I asked as we all started to walk down the path from our home towards the pack house.

"Well, apparently Pen was getting picked on at school and knocked some kid's teeth out."

"What? Why?"

"I guess this kid's parents were talking about how Claire was going to jump next," Ethan said, his voice a slight bite. "He was giving Penny shit."

"That's horrible!" Dagny breathed out. "Did Levi handle it I hope?"

"No Lucas did," Ethan said with a satisfied smirk. "Apparently he talked to the boys, then told his dad. His dad told him to go handle their parents."

"And?" I asked.

"Well, I guess that boy's father was talking shit at dinner one night with some of the other warriors. Lucas told him what happened with Remi, and told him that he's entitled to his opinion but that his kid can't just go around spatting shit off and saying hurtful things to people like Penelope. He told him it was the pack's job to help each other not tear each other down, and that he should get his mind right and do that."

"And?" I asked.

Ethan chuckled darkly. "Well, Lucas reminded the four of them how fun an ass beating from him is. I guess one of them mouthed off to Lucas–pretty good shit. Levi was pretty proud."

I felt some pride swirl in my belly and smiled. "Damn, I'm pissed we missed that."

"Me too," Ethan replied quickly. "I told Remi to video it next time."

"Good idea," I replied while something zipped towards us.

Vincent slowed down and waved cautiously while Dagny sucked in a breath next to me. His golden brown hair was like ocean waves; hair you would imagine that a Greek god would have. He had forest green pants on and a chambray shirt tucked in, his boots a little dirty from his hunt. "Well, good morning."

"Vincent," Ethan greeted before we looked at Dagny.

She sighed. "Vincent, you can walk with me to the pack house."

His eyes widened and Ethan just shook his head before he pulled me forward while Vincent zipped around to walk next to Dagny. "Is that a pet?" he asked, eying the bunny in Dagny's palm.

"No, she's my familiar. Her name is Alice," she simply replied.

He nodded then looked over at Ethan and I. "So, what's on the agenda?"

"More calls and Char is going to try and give Cora some blood," Ethan answered.

"Poor thing," Dagny murmured.

Vincent nodded in agreement, slightly itching closer to Dagny. "It is a shame. Horrible thing it is."

He inched a little closer and Dagny's magic crackled. "Three feet away vampire!" she hissed before she stormed forward.

He sighed and looked over at Ethan who shrugged. "Is it always this hard."

Ethan barked out a laugh. "Oh, you have no idea."

"Hey!" I said while swatting his chest.

He caught my hand then kissed my palm. "But very worth it sunshine."

Ethan kissed my hair and snaked his hand around my waist while we walked to the pack house together; wolves wound run past us and yip at our group, causing Dagny to wave before she put Alice in a little purse she had slung over her shoulder.

When we got to Cora's room, Sam was already there with Jake. I rubbed my cheek against Sam's before she picked up some folders. "So how is she?"

"Well, the dialysis is working. She's doing much better. Do you still want to try your blood?"

"I mean it can't hurt right?"

Sam shook her head. "I don't think so. I am going to take a sample of yours and see if I can't do some testing in my lab if that's ok? I've got a couple of interns right now that are very bright, I think if it does work–well hell, we may be able to do some good things with it."

Ethan sighed and looked at me for a long moment before he nodded to Sam. "Nothing too much."

"Roger that Alpha," she said with a mock salute. "You're staying with her I assume?"

"Yes," Ethan replied, his voice firm.

"As am I," Dagny added. "Can I go in now?"

"We can all go in," Sam said. "I need to get some things to do a blood transfusion, but you all can go in. Like I said, she's doing much better."

"Come on," Jake said with a smile. "She's actually been out running with me the last three mornings."

"That's great news Jake," I said with a smile as we walked in.

Cora seemed so much more alert and lucid; it was almost like looking at a different wolf. There was still this haze about her, but she seemed like she was almost out of the fog.

She turned and snapped her eyes to us, a smile blooming on her face. "Hi Charlotte, hi Ethan."

"Hey Cora," Ethan breathed out. "How are you?"

"Ok," she sighed out. "Tired of the needles."

"You sound good Cora," I said while I walked to a chair next to her bed.

She nodded. "Ya, I guess the blood box is working."

"Blood box?" Ethan asked.

"Dialysis machine," Jake answered while he went and sat on the edge of her bed, his hand giving her leg a light squeeze.

Vincent was leaning against the door frame while Dagny practically fluttered over to Cora. "Hello dear, remember me?"

Cora nodded. "Dagny."

"That's right, and Alice," she replied, holding up the little bunny that made Cora smile. "Sam is going to try to give you some of Charlotte's blood. We think it may help–it certainly can't hurt."

"Why? What's so special?" she asked quickly the bun her hair was tied up in bobbing as she looked back and forth.

"I have King blood–I am Hadrian King's daughter, Aurelia and Hayden's cousin," I breathe out quickly.

I paused as Cora stared at me with wide eyes. She opened her mouth and looked over at Jake, who nodded gently to her. "She's not like them Corabear, you know that."

"It makes sense," she thought out loud, her eyes still wide.

"What does?" Dagny gently prodded while Alice hopped out of her hand and over to Cora, rubbing against her arm until Cora carefully picked her up and nuzzled her. "She likes you," Dagny giggled out.

Cora nodded with a slight blush. "She's so soft. Jake, can I have one?"

Jake looked quickly at us then back at Cora. "Uh, you want a rabbit?"

Cora looked at Alice and shrugged. "She's so cute."

Jake sighed then scratched his head. "Maybe Corabear. Let's see how much longer you have in here, ok?"

"Ok," she breathed out while she nuzzled the bunny some more.

"What did you mean before Cora when you said it made sense?" I asked.

"They always wanted you, wanted you to join them. They said you were special and that you needed to come back to where you belong."

"What do you mean? Where did they think I belonged?"

"In the north, with the packs they had built," Cora answered simply. "They wanted pure King's. King's to rule and rule and rule like it should have been."

I sat back, my eyes wide. "A pure King line?"

"Of wolves of course. A pack that had never been but should have been," she answered tiredly as she laid back on the pillow. An answer that sounded like she had been made to memorize.

I felt my stomach churn while Ethan was stiff as a board next to me. My hand found his while Dagny gave me a sad smile.

"I feel better. I feel like myself," she breathed out. "It felt like I was trapped in my mind. Like my wolf was taking over, but it wasn't her. It was like something snapped in her and she just reverted to this thing we both knew we weren't."

"I'm sorry," Dagny said.

Sam came back in with some supplies. "Char, I need you close to that nightstand. Why don't you switch with Ethan?"

I nodded and changed seats with Ethan while Sam started to set out some medical supplies on the nightstand next to me. Cora looked over, her eyes wary and her fingers nervously grabbing at the sheets. "More?"

Sam shook her head. "No Cora, this is for Charlotte. We're taking a break until tonight, remember?" Cora sighed and nodded with a light smile while Sam wrapped a rubber band around my arm. She tapped at my veins a few times before she found one she seemed to like. "You sure about this?"

"Yes," I said while Ethan took my free hand in his.

"Ok," Sam replied while she hooked the empty bag up to a tube. She picked up a needle that was at the end of the tube and gave me a reassuring smile. "It's going to prick, sorry."

"Go on," I reassured her.

She pressed the needle against my skin, sliding it easily into a vein while I hissed a little from the sharp pain; my blood started to trickle down the tube and into the empty back. Sam brought me a squishy ball thing to squeeze between my palm if the 'current' ever got too slow.

"Alright, should take around ten minutes," she said with a smile.

Cora eyed the needle in my arm that Sam was taping down and winced. "I'm tired of needles."

"I can imagine," I said while Ethan's thumb rubbed over my skin. "So Cora, do you remember anything at all from before? Anything from when Hayden captured you?"

"Hayden?" she asked with wide eyes.

"Is dead," Jake said, his head dipping so he could look her in the eyes. "Dominic killed him Corabear, he can't hurt you anymore."

Cora nodded then looked back at me. "A little. I remember there were a lot of us."

"Of who?"

"Daughters," she said while she leaned against her pillow, her face still turned towards me. "Alpha's daughters. They were my friends."

"Where are they now?"

She shrugged. "They kept us in tents, so many tents. When we were bad we were sent to the caves–the bad ones never came back from the caves."

I felt my mouth open slightly while Ethan pushed back a growl–they caves were where they also kept the rogues. It was in that moment that I was pissed that Dominic killed Hayden so quickly–he deserved several hundred slow deaths. My beast agreed. She wanted to open the door back up just so we could pull Hayden out and kill his ass again.

"Do you know where they took the blood Cora? Where they were taking it from people?" Jake asked.

She shook her head. "She only came once and did that. She was so angry, always angry at him. She told him he was an unruly child that just wanted to play with his toys; that she was the only reason their father's plan was working."

"What else did she do?" I asked while the bag slowly filled up with my blood on the nightstand?"

"That's all I saw. I didn't see her after that."

"Did you see any bloodstones?" Ethan asked.

Cora shook her head. "The only stones I saw were black. They wheeled them out of tents. That's it."

"Did you ever hear her or Hayden talk about their father anymore?" I asked.

Cora bit at her bottom lip then wiggled her head back and forth. "To make things as they should be. He said they were starting what they finished; finishing what he started when he created us."

"What did he start Corabear? Can you remember?" Jake asked, his hand giving her calf a light squeeze.

"What he didn't finish, but he said he would come back. He and his father would return and they would have a pack again. They would have a place in the world–be King's of the world again."

I shuddered while Ethan let out a long sigh. "Was there anything else Cora?"

"She always wanted her," she said softly.

"Who?" I asked.

"You," Cora said with a yawn. "Blood of her blood. Her brother said she wanted her, he said she was so mad at him."

"Why Cora?" Ethan asked.

"He wanted her killed, he told them to kill her–he wanted to hurt the ones who had hurt them, the unloyal wolves. He would break their hearts and make them kneel.

"She wanted her. He said she just wanted a baby–she was so mad when there wasn't one. She was so furious at him when he told her he killed you. He said they didn't need you. You had dirtied yourself with the traitors and tainted your blood.

"He was a fool. He said she just wanted the child-what a strong child that would have been."

Ethan and I were both staring with wide eyes. Sam quickly walked back in, her smile breaking up the award tension that seemed to even cause little Alice to stand frozen on Cora's lap. "Well Char, I think that's good. We'll start giving this to her right away."

I nodded while the words caught in my throat. Dagny looked back at Vincent. "I want to stay with her."

"I'll stay then, if that's ok?"

She sighed then nodded. "You may come sit with me, if you like."

Vincent let out a tense breath while Sam put a cotton ball over where I was bleeding from the needle. I held it down while Ethan helped me up, his beast fighting to stay in his skin. "Cora, we have to go, but maybe we can go run soon?"

"Really?" she asked with excited eyes.

"Yes," I replied with a forced smile. "The four of us can go. Sound good?"

"Can I Jake?"

He nodded. "Let's see how this blood does first, ok Corabear?"

"Ok," she said with a smile.

"Come on sunshine," Ethan said before he nodded to Jake.

He pulled me out of the room while Vincent walked in slowly and sat down with Dagny; Alice hopped in his lap, nuzzling his arm while Dagny sucked in a breath.

"She's doing better," Sam said, jogging to us while Dagny talked to her. "She's just afraid and it could take some time. I don't know how this will work, but washing the bad blood out seems to be working."

"Here you go," Dagny cooed to her. She rubbed her fingers together then snapped, a bunny made of all these little lights dancing out of her palm and running over to Cora. "Now you have a friend too."

"What is that?" Vincent asked in awe.

"Light magic," Dagny answered while she watched the little bunny made of what looked like hundreds of stars hop around on the bed. "That charm in particular, is called 'Light of The Night.' It's great for children or if you just don't like the dark. I suppose no one does."

The bunny hopped off the bed then ran onto the ceiling, eyeing Cora who was laughing at it while her eyes stared in awe. "Thank you."

"Not a problem," Dagny said while Jake mouthed 'Thank You.'

Ethan sighed then nodded to Sam. "Thanks, Sam."

Ethan and I walked quickly and quietly down to Ethan's office, both our beasts pacing wildly in our minds. Ethan pulled me in then shut the door before he let out an angry breath. He was clutching the edge of his desk, his skin like waves moving as his beast begged to be let out.

"Ethan," I said gently. I walked to him and ran a hand over his tense back. "Ethan," I said again.

"Did you hear what I just heard?"

"Yes," I replied quickly. "I was there I heard."

"They want to kill you, they want to take a child away from us, and then what? They decide they want a pure line instead?"

"Ethan that's insane, I can't get pregnant unless I'm in heat..." I said as my voice trailed off while the thought clicked. "Oh my God, could that?"

Ethan let out a shaky breath. "You just have to be in heat baby, that's why it's so dangerous. That's why males take their females away, it's not just so you don't cause the pack to go nuts, it's so no other male tries to take her."

"Oh my God," I rushed out as my knees buckled.

Ethan turned quickly and caught me. He quickly picked me up and sat me on his desk, his eyes frantically looking over me. Sighing, he kissed my forehead while I sucked in gulps of air. "Just breathe. I won't let them take you. They're not taking you from me again."

"How could they do that?" I said, my breath labored and words raspy. "All those women? All those rogues? And now they want to force me into having some child for them?"

"Hayden is dead," Ethan bit out. "The only children you are having is ours."

Even though I knew his words were supposed to help, I was just afraid still. I was afraid for any child of ours right now. I started inwardly making bargains with the moon, praying I would not have a heat again for a while; if I did then Ethan was either wrapping that shit up or I would just suffer. I was not about to put a child of mine in this kind of risk.

"They are not taking you from me again," Ethan said, more reassuring himself than me. "I'll take you away myself if I have to–"

"No!" I bit out, pushing Ethan slightly back so I could look at him. "We are not running. We start running, we never stop running. I will not run Ethan. I won't so do not ask me to do that."

Ethan sighed and gave me a long pained look. "I just want to keep you safe."

I tilted my head. "Even if we ran you know they would find us. They found my mother, and Dominic easily found my father–it's not an option, not anymore. We need to end this Ethan. We need to end this and end this bullshit with Alex so we can just worry about getting old and fat with a mini-herd of children."

"Mini?"

"Mini."