Fate Heals

Chapter Sixteen

Walking along the fence line, I keep my eyes open, looking for anything out of the ordinary. It has been calm over the last few weeks of summer, and it is unsettling. We all had thought the humans would have found us by now, knocking down our fences and attempting to take us all as captives.

But none of that has happened. Instead, we have all watched as the warm summer days slipped away, and now we are in the beginning of autumn. The days are starting to become cooler, and all of the summer chores have been completed.

Alpha Seren has everyone on high alert, preparing for an attack that could come at a moment's notice. Our training sessions have increased, going from only a few times a week to a couple times a day. At first, it had been difficult for almost everyone, not used to so much rigorous training, but we have all improved. Since we have come from a variety of packs, we all have our own lessons to teach the others, different fighting techniques or even how to set traps.

Micah is the only one who hasn't participated, not being able to since he is so far along in his pregnancy. Taylor has been keeping track of how far along he is, saying that it is imperative, especially since he has finally entered the third trimester. It doesn't all make sense to me, but whatever keeps Micah safe, I am happy to go along with.

Now, there are less than twelve weeks to go until there is a new member of the pack. Just the thought of there being another person, so small and innocent, to protect causes my body to tense. Micah is doing an amazing job already with Noah, responding to his every cry and never seeming to be upset, despite his sleep being interrupted every two hours.

I know he must be exhausted, especially since he has taken to falling asleep while nursing Noah, both of them passed out in the bed when I come up after my nightly patrol of the grounds. Something inside me- maybe my wolf, but it is too weak to tell now- swells inside me when I see the two of them sleeping in bed. Micah always has one arm wrapped around Noah, keeping the baby close, while his other makes sure that his pillow stays in the perfect position. Noah, the mama's boy that he is, doesn't make a peep the entire time, just sleepily eating.

He always gets a little upset with me when I pull him away, scrunching his tiny nose in displeasure before I can slip the pacifier in his mouth. He never wakes, though, just relaxes again once I place him in his bassinet, making sure that he has a blanket on him to keep him warm.

Alexis always remarks on how protective I am of the two of them, always checking in to make sure they are safe and not being able to sleep unless they are both in the room. But who wouldn't be in this world we live in? At a moment's notice, something could go drastically wrong, and I don't want to leave Micah and the babies unprotected.

Especially since I had to leave them already, in order to get my wolf under control. That already makes me feel guilty. Now, though, I don't have any plans of leaving them, knowing that we all need each other.

A few days after our pack meeting to discuss what the humans have been getting up to, Micah had been waiting up for me in bed. He had handed me a sleeping Noah, watching with tired eyes as I laid the baby down in his bassinet.

Once I had slipped into bed, Micah had curled close to me, resting his head on my chest. It was clear that he was upset about something, but I knew not to rush him. He would tell me when he was ready and was more likely to clam up if I pushed him.

I was on the verge of sleep by the time he finally spoke, his words soft. "Do you think anyone will come looking for Noah?" he had asked, tipping his head back so that he could look at me.

Mulling over my thoughts, I answered him as honestly as I could. "I don't think so. The girl who had given him to us had said that the mother was killed after she had failed to shift into a wolf. She made no indication of the baby having any other family."