I paced as I waited for Liam to get home. I had been mulling over how to break the news to while keeping him from getting too angry or overprotective.i still hadn't figured it out when his room door opened. He looked at me expectantly.

"Well, how did it go?" He asked. I decided to just get to the point. It wouldn't do any good to beat around the bush.

"The conversation itself was fine, but he saw my eyes, and I saw his intentions in a vision because of it. He's planning an attack to take me, but before you overreact, your dad already has a plan together, and I'm staying at your house until all of this blows over," I explained quickly. A growl ripped through Liam's throat at he snarled at a spot on the ground.

"Over my dead body," he growled. I touched his arm gently in an attempt to calm him down.

"The warriors are going into training and boarder security will beef up with the excuse of rogues. I'm getting stronger every day, and I won't leave your side, okay? We just have to wait this out," I said quickly.

"What do you mean, you won't leave my side?" He asked curiously. I sighed and closed my eyes briefly.

"I... I won't leave your side. I know how anxious that makes you," I answered.

"But I still have to go to school," he reminded me.

"I know... I'll reenroll. Aria already said it was okay. I'll just be training with her after school," I caved. A small smile made its way to his face.

"And you have to stay in my room," he added, testing his luck. I sighed before I nodded.

"Fine. I'll stay in your room for a while," I agreed. He wrapped his arms around me and nuzzled his head into my shoulder.

"Deal," he said softly. I hesitated before wrapping my arms around his waist. Because of my dad, I knew how anxious a wolf could be without his mate. I didn't want to put Liam through that. Especially when things were about to get complicated because of me. I knew he wouldn't just let me leave, and this way, I could keep an eye on him as well. I knew Liam wasn't the type to stop and strategize when it came to me, his mate.

"I'll go to register tomorrow," I promised as I pulled away from him. He held on to my hand when I turned to leave.

"I'm just going to shower and change into pajamas. I'll be back," I assured him with a slight chuckle. He hesitated before letting go. I went to the guest room and did exactly as I said I would before going back to Liam's room. He was sitting on the edge of his bed waiting for me.

"Mom said dinner will be ready in half an hour," he said. I sat next to him with a sigh.

"I'm not all that hungry tonight," I replied before laying back to stare at the blank ceiling.

"I don't mean to be a pest to you, Dani. I know I can be a bit... overbearing sometimes, and I wish I could help it. I know, very well, that you don't really need me, but I can't help my urge to protect you," he admitted out loud. I turned my head to look at him. He was still sitting, facing the door, with his shoulders slouched. Defeat and helplessness rolled off of him in waves. I reached out and took his hand in mine gently.

"I know, Liam. I know that you can't help it. Why do you think I agreed to stay by your side? It certainly isn't for my sake. The only way you will feel at ease, is if you can keep an eye on me. But you are wrong about one thing. I do need you. I may not be a helpless lamb, and I may not need you to protect me physically every time, but I do need you... as my mate," I said softly. He looked at me with an overwhelming amount of love in his eyes as a gentle smile made its way to his face.

"You're smart, you know that?" He chuckled. I smiled before I kissed his cheek.

"I know," I joked.

"You should eat dinner tonight. You'll need your strength, and tonight's menu is spaghetti with meatballs. You still need to practice eating meat in front of people if you'll be going to school tomorrow. You can't skip it just because it'll be in front of people," he said. I sighed before I nodded. In all honesty, that shower woke up my appetite. He took my hand and led me down to the living room. Luna Addie and Alpha Connor smiled when they saw us.

"I was wondering if you were coming for dinner tonight. I set aside a portion without meat for you," Luna Addie smiled at me. I sit down as Liam set a plate in front of me and set a few meatballs on top.

"It's okay. I should start eating meat every chance I get. I don't want Sahria popping out at such a crucial time," I answered as they watched Liam sit next to me.

"I'm guessing you told him already," Alpha Connor said. I nodded.

"I told him everything, and... I'm reenrolling for school tomorrow," I explained.

"Any particular reason, Dani? Will Aria be okay with shortening your training?" Luna Addie asked. I nodded as I finished shallowing the bite I took.

"I know everything she had to teach me now so it's more about stamina and maintaining my physical and mental strength. Plus, Liam would probably throw a fit if I didn't stay by his side at this time. I don't want him being reckless," I replied. Alpha Connor chuckled.

"As long as everyone is okay with the arrangement, I don't see why not," he smiled happily.

"You're going to my school tomorrow?" Bella asked. I almost forgot that she was a sophomore there. I nodded.

"Although I will admit, I'm a little nervous about how everyone will receive me coming back," I admitted.

"If anyone has anything bad to say about you, they'll go through me first," Bella growled.

"And me too," Liam agreed. I laughed before taking another bite of my food. The rest of dinner was pleasant. I knew that school tomorrow would be less stressful with Liam and Bella by my side, but still, I would have to catch up on the schoolwork. Luckily, I was a wiz at speed reading and memorization now. My memory was photographic thanks to Aria. They seemed like trivial skills at the time but they were about to come in handy. It would've been wrong to cheat that way if the situation didn't call for it. I was actually looking forward to seeing Mya and the gang again in a casual setting. It'd been a while.