After speaking with Tess, I didn't expect to suddenly be hauled off by several random Pack women. It was a welcome reprieve from the dark cloud Tess had cast over my mood.

The women couldn't stop cooing as they spoke about how lovely their Alpha was.

They also made it abundantly clear that he was naughty for keeping me hidden away. I just about laughed. I didn't think Jude would appreciate hearing the women in his Pack deem him naughty as if he were a primary school boy.

"We just needed more time." I supplied helpfully but my words fell on deaf ears. They eagerly tugged me to a field close to the Pack house where the children were already gathered on the grass.

"Today, we decided to play with our little ones outside since the weather has been so nice." One of the women equipped.

The children were in the midst of speaking animatedly but when I approached, they fell into an abrupt hush.

Jane spotted me from amongst the gaggle of children and ran towards me with a beaming grin, "Luna!" She greeted warmly, "The children are excited to meet you formally."

"Is she Alpha Slater's girlfriend?" One of the boys sporting a smirk and floppy black hair asked. The other boys around him giggled under their breaths, eyeing us with curiosity.

"Hector!" Jane chastised, clearly embarrassed on his behalf.

Hector rolled his eyes but sighed, "I was just asking." He mumbled.

"Aella is Alpha Slater's mate and she is now our Luna. Be nice. You were there at the ceremony. I'm sure your mother wouldn't like to hear you being smart with the Luna."

"But Jane." His smirk shrunk into pout.

"Don't even think about it Hector."

I pretended to wipe something off my cheek to hide the smile threatening to unfurl at my lips. These kids were adorable- attitude and all. Jude had his hands full with these little ones.

"Do you have a crown too?" A little girl approached me with big innocent eyes alight with inquisitiveness. I immediately recognised her as the triplets' little sister.

I shifted to my knees, so we were eye-to-eye. "Nope. No crown for me. I think I would break it if I got to wear one."

"But Luna Aella, you're Alpha Slater's mate." She looked so rightfully appalled on my behalf, I almost melted from the cuteness. I struggled to stifle my laughter and held her tiny hand in mine. "Don't worry, I might get Alpha Slater to make me one."

"That's nice. We can both have crowns. Alpha Slater gave me one and it's so pretty. Isn't it Maxim?" She grinned, calling out to her brother who nodded dutifully in return.

"Yes Daisy."

"Well kids, today I thought it'd be nice to have our Luna here with us. We can start with a nice game of soccer."

It was still so strange for me to hear them refer to me as their Luna. Jude hadn't been wrong. They had accepted me and maybe this was their part in slowly integrating me into their Pack. No one had said anything or made me feel inferior aside from the woman who shall not be named.

The kids cheered with glee and ran towards a lady who held out two different coloured shirts to signify different teams. Daisy sprinted back with a purple shirt for me and another for her. "We can be on the same team Luna Aella." She beamed up at me before wiggling into her shirt. Considering the shirt was a kid's size, I just wrapped the material around my wrist.

Once the team was sorted into purple and blue, someone threw the soccer ball onto the field. It was no surprise that Hector was the first to connect feet to ball. He was a fast little bugger, even the older kids were struggling to keep up with him.

At one point, he kicked the ball to a team member. The said team member lost the ball to Leon who claimed it with excitement, passing it to Daisy.

"Luna Aella!" Daisy screamed her lungs sore, snatching my attention as she kicked the ball to me. It didn't reach me, but I made a run for it just as Hector and Maxim collided in front of me.

I managed to coerce the ball with my feet away from the little feet aiming for it and dashed towards the goal. Some kids tried to tackle me, and I allowed them to move me despite my wolf wanting to effortlessly knock them all down. She knew we were just playing so she didn't mind jostling about to appease the little ones.

I passed to Daisy who yelped when some kid tried to sneakily swipe the ball away from between her legs.

From my peripheral, I was aware of the parents that had started to congregate on the side-lines. The competitiveness notched up and I was suddenly caught into a tangle of short arms and skinny legs. I'm pretty sure someone jabbed their bony elbow into my face since I felt a bruise beginning to mark my cheek.

Laughter erupted from the kids I fell with. They wiggled their arms and legs, trying to get up. I got elbowed in the boob and barely missed a flying leg from hitting me right between the legs.

It was chaos and some of the kids had managed to change into their wolves, now running after the ball with their tiny paws.

"Luna!" Maxim shot the ball my way. I ran with it, dashing for the goal.

I was aware of the small bodies chasing after me, especially the sneaky gremlin Hector running at my heels, eyes trained on the ball in determination.

The crowd of parents whooped in excitement. On the side-lines, a few girls who had decided to sit out to rest, screamed for Hector who obviously got his fill as he puffed his chest out with pride and ran a tad faster.

Hector managed to steal the ball, but I had seen him coming. I just didn't think the Pack would appreciate me trying to out manoeuvre a small kid just for the sake of winning. Hector kicked the ball into the goal and the parents did their part in hyping him up. Some began blowing shrill whistles. The boy blushed fiercely as he ran back to his group of friends, earning hi-fives from every kid around him.

The game went on for another twenty minutes until the other team was declared winner by a single point.

Daisy huffed at my side; her face scrunched up irritably as she watched the other team celebrate across from us. "I'm hungry now."

"Maybe we can ask Jane for some food."

"We can ask my mummy. She makes great food." She beamed, taking my hand, and leading me to where her mother stood near the net.

***

"Aren't they just so cute?" Jane cooed, flicking through albums that contained baby images of the triplets. "Alpha Slater is really fond of little children. When do you and the Alpha plan to have some little pups?" She asked politely. I was glad she wasn't looking at me just as she popped the question.

I almost swallowed my chicken whole.

The women so far in the Pack had been welcoming, it had been a good surprise. Jane and her husband Joel had joined in on the late afternoon snack with Daisy's mom, Bella, who was hosting the whole thing. She had recognised me from when the time the triplets had tried to take Jude's crown. She'd been wrecked with nerves when I had approached her. It was only when we sat down and began nibbling on the healthy spread she had prepared earlier in the day, that we settled into a comfortable flow of conversation. Most of it was partly due to Jane's infatuation with the triplets who were currently in the next room over, playing with Daisy who had run in a couple of times to show off her array of princess dresses.

So far, the conversation had flowed from the lovely weather, to me, to the kids in the Pack, back to the triplets and now onto my future plans on having kids.

The topic had never come up with Jude before and I was unprepared for it.

Jane seemed to finally notice the hesitance on my part and glanced up, closing the photo album between her palms, "Aella?"

"The girl is blushing. Leave her alone for now." Joel who hadn't spoken a single word, came to my defence.

Unfortunately, Jane was undeterred by her husband's words and watched me eagerly as if I would spill all my thoughts just because she was being adorable fluttering her lashes.

"I'm sure I'll be popping out babies sometime in the far future." I grinned, despite wanting to bury myself into the ground. The women all seemed to find this hilarious since they began chuckling amongst themselves. Joel simply rolled his eyes and returned to reading the newspaper sprawled in front of him.

"You'll make beautiful babies." Jane assured me.

I died a little inside with embarrassment but nodded.

***

"She what?" Pen laughed, rolling on her back.

"Argh, I'm not repeating it to you for the tenth time Pen. I'm glad you seem to find this funny."

"It's not that, it's just that it's so weird to see you blush like that."

I palmed my cheeks, hating how they felt incredibly hot against my skin.

"You look cute. Don't hide those cheeks."

"I'll kill you Pen."

Ten million hours later, when she finally stopped from her continuous belts of laughter, she sank beside me on the grass, raising her fingers to frame the fluffy clouds like she was in the midst of taking a picture.

"Those changelings with the red eyes...I haven't seen them in a while or heard anything. What do you think happened with them?"

I noticed the same thing but kept a look out each time I was out. I hadn't sensed any of them recently and it was bugging me. There was no way they could hold off for this long. Either that, or they were becoming more cunning in retrieving their victims.

The thought that the twins had somehow entangled themselves with them still made me shiver with disbelief.

"I hope we don't see one again. They give me the creeps."

I agreed. They were troublesome predators for the Pack. They were more unnerving considering it was next to impossible to stop them until it was too late. I'd been lucky the last time. If it wasn't for Jude, I would've been buried under dirt rather than talking with Pen. The thought was scary.

Now that my mind was clear and quiet, my thoughts wondered off to Jude. I didn't feel anything unusual in the bond, but my own worries floated around.

Did he find Ma yet?

Were they okay?

Did someone find them?

I sighed, trying to ease my mind. Jude was okay. He could look after himself. If there was anyone who could get Ma into safety, it would be him.

Pen sat up, taking my hand into her own. "I can literally hear your thoughts from here."

"I'm just worried even though I know he'll be okay. He didn't go alone so that brings me a bit of comfort."

Pen nodded in understanding, "I won't sit here and say he's fine, but your mate is probably the strongest changeling I know. At first, I used to be scared of him...well, still am but he's fair. He hasn't treated me any different from the other Recruits."

My heart softened at her words. Not many people from outside the Shadow Hunters could see Jude in a different light. They didn't see him laugh, play with the pups in the Pack or toss jokes around with the cheeky old women when no one was watching.

Outside the Pack, he took on a completely different demeanour. Maybe it was part of his tactic to appear emotionless and practical so no one would dare mess with his own. He was incredibly protective of the people he had under his wing, and he never let them down. He worked hard to keep his Pack safe and well secure but that too had consequences on his own character.

He couldn't always be the smiling Jude I saw too rarely.

"You have that look on your face." Pen gestured to my face.

"I...."

"You already know what it is you feel." Pen grinned knowingly.

Her words sank into place, bringing the jigsaw pieces together.

My heart whispered what was true and my wolf didn't fight me either.

I loved Jude Slater.

Heart, might, mind and soul.