Before leaving Georgia, Tim and I had made tentative plans with Tate and told him he could call and face chat with the pups a few times a week. This seemed to make him happy, although it was hard for him to let go. I could not imagine what it was like for him to get a glimpse of what he had been missing and then to have it pulled away from you once again.

We were now pulling back into the Haven Woods Pack Lands, I felt a sense of unease wash over me. It broke my heart, but this no longer felt like home. Just like my past the life that I had built for myself went up in smoke due to the actions of others, but I was not blameless in this. I know that there were things I should have done, could have done. If I was going to blame others for their misguided attempts in my life, I would also need to shoulder some of that blame as well.

Tim let Emma and Eli out of the car as I pulled a sleeping Edison from his car seat. Gently I moved him, careful not to jar him and wake him. I could only hope that Emma and Eli would nap, but they were wound like tops, so I knew it was just wishful thinking on my part. But still I hoped because I was exhausted, physically and mentally drained. The same exhaustion was shared by Tim, the lines on his young face seeming to become more defined at the stressors of our recent discoveries.

"I will stay out here with them." Tim said to me. His voice was distant and his eyes vacant. This was not a side of Tim I had ever seen before and it was unnerving to me.

"Are you alright?" Alarm bells were going off in my mind, something was not quite right, but I could not place my finger on what, at least not yet. Tim nodded his head to me.

"Yeah, just go put Eddie down. The twins need to let off some pent-up energy. " Again, there was the coldness in his voice, like he was distancing himself from me. Tim turned away walking toward where the pups were playing, leaving me holding a sleeping Eddie.

Inside our home I could not help but feel like I was a stranger, the distance between Tim and I making me feel even more like I did not belong here. Biting back, I could feel the swell of emotions building in the back of my throat. Walking through the familiar halls of the house I carried Eddie to his room, the familiar woodsy feel of his room, encompassed me bringing a bit of peace to my troubled mind. Laying him in his crib I covered him with his blanket and quietly walked out.

As I got to the door, I turned around watching my son sleep. I was jealous of his innocence, the weight of the world had yet to be placed on his shoulders. Yet, I knew that it was not far off, that he too was going to have to struggle with the decisions and worries of an Alpha. After all that is what he was, future Alpha of Haven Woods. A single tear fell from my eye, startling me a bit as I did not even realize that they were building in my eyes. Brushing it away I closed his door.

I wasn't sure what was going to happen in the coming days, months, or years, but the one thing I knew is that I would do anything to protect my pups.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ever since the night I spoke to Tate, I knew that Allison could feel the shift in me. I was there, we were together, but I was short, clipped, and distant. Still trying to work through my feelings on the conclusions I had come to, I was trying to determine the best way to talk to her about them. In the long run, I knew that it was going to be the best choice for all of us, but in the short term it was going to be hard.

Setting my resolve, I was going to confront Allison tonight and talk through everything with her. Once the pups were asleep for the night, I knew I would find Allison in the living room. It had become a nightly tradition of ours to sit together even if for just a few minutes to talk. Walking into the room I felt dull, like life had been dragged from me. Allison looked much the same, uncertainty and sorrow radiating from her.

Slowly I sat down across from her, Allison watched me with a guarded expression. "Why are you ignoring me?" Irritation was grating on each of her words.

"Nemo, I was not trying to ignore you." I brought my eyes to her, "I am sorry that that is how you were feeling. It was not my intention to hurt you. I was just processing everything. "

"So was I, Tim. So was I, but I did not shut you out! We are married, we are supposed to be in this together. So, why do I feel like you are shoving me away? " Allison now went from irritated to worried, I could see a wave of panic flash through her eyes.

I looked away from her, knowing that my eyes and face were going to betray me. I still wasn't sure how to say this. Emptiness hung in the air, the heavy weight of the world bearing down upon us. After a few minutes I looked back to Allison, a stern look was on her face and she slowly nodded her head. There was a bit of understanding, she knew what was coming.

"Why?" The one-word question carried the weight of a thousand words. Was my reasoning going to be enough for her? Was this really going to be what she wanted? I was not sure, but I knew that in my heart this was the right thing, the Moon Goddess would not have guided me here if it was not. I needed to trust in her and have faith that this was the way it was always meant to be.

Reaching out I wrapped Allison's hands in mine, she tried to pull away from me, but I was not letting go. "I love you Allison. I have since I first saw you step off that plane. From the depths of my soul I just knew in that moment that our lives were bound to be woven together. "

"That does not answer my question." I could see fire in her eyes now, she knew what was coming. She knew what I was going to say, so she was getting angry as a way to protect herself.

"Please just let me finish." I begged. After a few breaths I continued, although I decided to change my approach. "Do you know that I prayed to her? The Moon Goddess. That night, the one after Tate met Elias and Emmerson? " Allison shook her head, her expression softening. "I asked her for guidance, to tell me what to do."

"Did she tell you?"

"She did." I confessed. "Allison, I want us to get a divorce."

Allison jumped up, "WHAT?!? You can not be serious, Tim! What about the pups? The twins? Edison? "

"Hear me out, please." I stood up, grabbing for her hands, pulling her back down to the couch. "I want you to know that I am not saying this because I do not love you or that I do not want to be with you. But this is the right thing. " Allison pulled her hands from me but remained sitting. "I want you to move back to your old pack, with the pups and I want you to be with Tate."

"No."

"Allison, I sat in that room and I watched and listened as your entire life was laid out. Every person there, including me, had played a part in keeping you from your mate. You are supposed to be with him, not me. "

"How can you say this? We have pups together. We built a life together. " Tears were starting to glisten in Allison's eyes.

"Yes, we have pups and I am going to continue to be their father, to be apart of their lives." That was one thing I would never give up, "I need you to understand this, Nemo. I only got to be with Nikki for a short time and as much as I love you, I know I would give anything to be with her for just one more day. That is the way the bond works, and you know it. Because I know you would give anything to be back with Tate. " I drew in a breath; Allison knew I was speaking the truth. "There have been so many things that have kept you two apart, kept you from having the time you are supposed to have together. There were lessons that the Goddess needed you both to have in that time apart, now she is bringing you back together. And I need to let you go for that to happen. "

Silence fell around us as Allison digested everything I had said. The seconds ticked by slowly as I waited for her to respond to something, anything that I had said. "What about you, Tim? What do you get in all of this? How is any of this fair to you? You lost Nikki, you are leaving me, you do not get your family. Why would the Goddess do this to you? "

And there was the Allison I knew, the selfless one. The one that was always thinking of everyone else before herself. That rarely asked for anything, but instead focused her energies on everyone else making sure they were happy, safe, and cared for. "I am at peace with it Nemo. I can not explain it well enough to do it justice, but I will try. Just promise me that you will listen until I am finished. "

"Fine. I promise. " It was a weak promise, something she was saying to placate me so I would start explaining to her.

"The night that I sought out the Moon Goddess, I went seeking answers to everything. As I sat there staring at the moon talking to her, I remembered something my father taught me when I was young. " I paused before continuing, "That sometimes when you sat in silence and truly listened that you would hear the Moon Goddess answering your prayers. And she did that night. As I sat there, I thought through everything and every time I came to the right answer it felt like a weight had been lifted off of me. "

Allison was now looking at me like I was losing my mind, a bit of amusement in her eyes. "So, what were these answers that you came up with?"

"Hey, you promised to let me finish. I was getting there. " A bit of lightness had returned to us, alleviating some of the tension that had built up between us. "I started with the death of Nikki and my wolf. That was the way for my soul to learn the lessons of love, loss, and perseverance. Something that I know I needed to learn, as I look back. When the Goddess brought you into my life you were the light that I needed but had not known was missing. You taught me that it was okay to live and love again. You gave me a family. "

"But why me? Why is everything so messy? And you are marked. "

"Things are messy because life is messy. We need to learn to navigate it. " I shrugged. "I'm always going to love you Allison, but it's time for me to step aside so you can go to your mate. You both deserve it; The Goddess is willing it. And you know, I'm happy for you. I want this for you. " I pulled Allison into a hug, "Now, can I tell you how I think this should work?"

"I do not think you are going to give me an option in that. You have not really given me any so far. " She dead panned to me.

"You are right, I have not. But I know that this is right. You can go ask the moon for yourself if you do not believe me. " Allison let out a chuckle, that sounded more like a scoff, then waved her hand at me to continue. "I think we should move to Tate's pack. This will give you and him a chance to build your relationship, you and I will get a divorce. I will live in my own house there and we, meaning me, you and Tate, will raise our pups. They are going to learn the ways of both packs, Elias and Edison will be great Alpha's one day. Better than I could have been, better than Tate is, and stronger that Linc. Everything has lead us to this point. The point of bringing our two packs together, you Allison were the piece that we have all needed, that both packs needed. You are the mother of Alpha's to two packs. "

Allison gave a slight smile, the heaviness around us had eased. I could tell that she was feeling better about things, not to say this was going to always be the easy path, but it was the path that we have all been headed toward, the Goddess guiding us with each step, pushing us to where we were bound to end up. Fate is a tricky thing like that.

"This is all so much to process Tim. I am not sure that this is really what I want. It's all so overwhelming. "

"Tell me what you are questioning." I prompted.

"What about your mark? What about my internships? I have always wanted to be a doctor; I have fought for it. Am I just supposed to give it up? How do I forgive Tate and move on with him? Is that something I really want to do, I do not know. Is giving up what we have here worth it all? " Allison had so many questions and was spewing them out, so I cut her off or they would have never been ending.

"Okay, just one or two at a time." I said, "First off, I talked to Doc Stella about my mark. Since I do not have a wolf, it does not connect us the way it does true mate. If, when you and Tate decide to mark each other, mine will burn away like it was never there. Wolves marking each other is meant to be the wedding bands of the pack and since I could not mark you, it does not link us together like it would it we were mates and I had marked you too. "

"So, you're saying we could have ended everything in Vegas and not put ourselves through this torture now?" The question hit me hard in the gut, but she was right in a way.

"Yes, I suppose we could have, but I did not know it then. I only asked Doc a few days ago about it. While we were in Georgia. But what we have shared was needed. It was for Eddie; Haven Woods is going to need him in the future. " I responded to her Allison's curt question.

"As for your internships, Doc said those can be transferred, you can still finish your degree." I continued to answer her first questions. "As for how you move on with Tate, that's not something I can answer for you, Nemo. All I can do is step aside to give you both the opening to seize this chance. I hope you both take it, because for as much as I love you, if I had this chance with Nikki I would already be by her side. I told you before that Tate is always going to love you more than I do. And as much as this might sting for you to hear, I am always going to love Nikki more. It is built into our souls, tied to the core of our beings, sewn into the fabric of our bones. It is the way of the wolves. "

Tim had dropped a mega ton on top of me, giving me a lot to process. At first, I was resistant, I did not want to hear any of it, trying to shut down as soon as I heard the word divorce. Yet, the more I listened to him the more I realized that his heart was in the right place. What Tim was offering was selfless, he was not doing this for himself, he was doing this for me, for Tate, for the pups.

Once he had said his piece, he kissed me on the cheek and left me to mull things over. Tim knew me well enough to know that I was going to mull things over. In all of it the one thing that kept going through my head was his saying, "It's the way of the wolves."

Pulling myself from the couch, into the pristinely clean Livingroom. I walked out to the back patio. Slowly and steadily I walked off the patio and deeper into the dark of the night, stripping my clothes off as I went. As I hit the tree line, I shifted into my chocolate brown wolf, something that I do not do often enough. Connecting to the most primal, most basic parts of myself often times provided me with the best clarity and that is what I intended to do. I let Lily take over, setting her free, relinquishing control. As Lily ran, I listened. I listened to Lily's thoughts, to the trees, the wind, the crunch of the forest floor beneath her paws. I opened my heart, truly opened it for the first time in a long time and as I did this, I gained clarity, I knew that Tim was right. By now this should not surprise me,

Hours later Lily brought us back to the home that we shared with Tim, the light on the back patio was on and a fresh set of clothing was laid out on the patio chair. Tim had picked up the clothes I had stripped out of earlier in my quest to find my own answers to life's riddles. He was a great man and I was blessed that he was part of my life, something that I was going to forever be grateful for.

Pulling on the clothes that he left for me, I walked into our home with a new determination in life. I knew that everything was going to be alright, that we were headed to where we were supposed to be.