I told Bo how much I wanted to train. I couldn't be defenseless against anyone. I hate that feeling. Especially if this is going to be real. Me being a Luna. The more I thought about it, the more fidgety I got.

At first, Bo laughed at me getting some help from him, but after I chased him around the house with a butter knife, he relented.

Here we are, bright early morning trying to get my fighting stance right. Bo keeps laughing at me because apparently I suck at it. A lot.

"Your legs are all wrong," Bo comments as I try to position myself in the fighting stance. He's fighting back a grin.

I sigh loudly, "It looks like I'm never going to get anywhere."

"You just gotta try, sugar mama," Bo smiles, then we both freezes.

"Hope," we both say in unison, rushing to the pack house without a second thought. I'm running in front of Bo in a complete frenzy getting up to Hope's room.

"We would make such horrible parents!" Bo cries.

"Who forgets about their own child!" I exclaim, panting as I go up the stairs.

I bust in the room even though I don't hear anything, and there stood Raquel. Pack Doctor, holding Hope and cooing her.

"She was crying earlier, and I heard so I came and fed her. Hope you guys don't mind," Raquel told us, smiling at Hope.

"Aw, nah, you can take care of her as much as you want," Bo says, and I smack him on his arm.

"Thanks so much Raquel," I say in relief.

"Not a problem at all. Carter and I are trying for a baby since we're both settled and ready," she gives us both a sad smile, "but I don't think it'll happen. We've been trying for months. He told me how he found the baby, and he thought maybe it was some sign that it was meant for us. The Rogue give it to him, you know? But until we can figure out what baby it belongs to, we can't really do anything."

I shake my head, thinking about how much it would suck if you wanted a child but couldn't have one.

"We are still trying to catch the Rogue," Bo says.

I look at our cute baby, and can only hope for the best.

***

Once Raquel says she doesn't mind spending the day with Hope, Bo and I head back to the training grounds before Grace has a coronary about missing out The Hunt.

It sucks for me because I can't shift so in my old pack I would just look at everyone else. Julia tells me it sucks, so she would stay with me.

I'm kind of nervous because everyone is already shifting.

Grace seems to be in front of the line, with Cole and Bo next to her. "It is everyone in the pack that has been waiting for this - the great big hunt. We all know the rules. Everyone shifts....whoever catches the biggest prey wins!"

Everyone is now shifted, and my eyes wander to Lance who isn't shifted. He's walking around like a human. The wolves all go running together. I know this is a fun event because usually the Alpha is the one that takes the lead, but Lance isn't partaking in it. Instead, Bo and Cole's wolves are up in front alongside Meg and Grace.

They all run in one single direction, and I hear yips and growls.

"You can't shift?" Lance asks curiously, walking towards me. I can tell he's interested in this with his tone.

"Nope," I shrug. For the millionth and one time, how can someone like me, a defect, be with someone like him? The Demon Alpha? So far, there was nothing demonic about him. I didn't dare ask him why he didn't shift. It was just common knowledge Alphas always were running with their pack. "I'm some defect."

"You're not," Lance says firmly, and I feel my cheeks heat. He looks like he's about to say something, but suddenly stops and in an instant is in front of me, guarding me because he hands one hand out to where I am on his left.

Two wolves with a brown coating, looking like the size of bears appear in front of us. It looks like they came from where the opposite of where The Hunt is happening.

They were baring their teeth, and I think I'm going to die.

Most of the wolves from the pack were out on The Hunt. The others were probably living in the residence nearby. Still that left Lance and I wolf-less.

Why isn't Lance shifting?! Now is a perfect time to shift!

"Why have you come here?" Lance asks the rogue wolf, completely calm. How could he be so calm when these wolves look like they're going to bite off our heads? I'm shaking. There's no way that Lance would let me just die here, right? Or even Lance would die here, right?

Why isn't he shifting??!!

A thought occurred to me. Could he even shift? He had to, right? If not, we were defenseless. Oh gosh. Oh no. Oh my freaking-

The rogue wolves growl again, but Lance doesn't even budge. I hold onto the back of his shirt, clutching it.

Suddenly, a person appeared behind a cluster of trees, walking towards us. Even though these two wolves are still looking like they're about to attack, Lance doesn't even flinch. I hold his shirt a bit tighter. This man coming towards us looks like he's somewhere in his early thirties, with dark hair and a smooth stride.

The man raises his hands up as if to say he means no harm. He glares at the two wolves"Quit that you two." The man looks at Lance then and bows a little. "I am not so naive to have fought you, Alpha Lance. I know your strength. You could have killed me right when I entered your territory."

I swallow.

"I've come here to warn you," the man says.

Lance stiffens slightly. "About what?"

"There is a war coming. They're coming after you. I've gathered Rogues who have deep respect for you to help in this upcoming war. Know you have our help."

What was this solemn thing? A war?

"How do you know?" I suddenly found my voice to speak. The Rogue's black eyes land on me as he looks at me curiously.

"Whispers amongst the Rogues. We know who's side will win. Your allies are many, Alpha. Surely, your allies will include the va-"

"Thank you," Lance interrupts him. "I will keep it in mind. But I want no causalities that could be prevented. I'll try to stop this before it even begins." I swallow, not knowing what that means.

"Take care," the Rogue looks at me,behind Lance, and Lance's posture stiffens even more. "I would hate if anything happens to your mate."

Lance gives off the most blood curdling, animalistic growl I've ever heard.

I would die if he ever directed that much fury towards me. I look up at him, and his hand is blocking off his eyes, as if he's rubbing it and controlling something. I gulp and look back at the Rogue whose eyes are wide full of fear. His confidence from earlier gone.

Even the two wolves from earlier whimpered, and backing way, way off.

The Rogue bowed, and I could see he was shaking. "W-we'll see you again, Alpha." The rogue shifted and they all ran with tails between their legs, causing me to sigh in relief.

This was so bizarre. "Do you know what that was about?" I ask Lance, letting go of his shirt. Lance turns to me slightly, and he shakes his head.

Lance meets my eyes. "I don't, but I will."