Six Years Later...

"Mommy!" a little voice squealed as a sweet little girl ran into the living room with me, leaping onto the couch and tossing my blanket in the air as she dove under it. She lay flat across my lap and I tugged the blanket around, helping to hide her.

Her name was Claribelle, but we all just called her Belle. She had her father's hazel eyes and my brown hair that fell in little ringlets around her adorably round face. I couldn't figure out where the curls came from, but I like to joke that if Jackson grew his hair out, he'd have Shirley Temple curls, too. He doesn't laugh.

As I expected, Xavier came flying around the corner only seconds later, looking around. "Where's my Belle-bear?" he asked in a sing-song voice and I smiled as I heard a little giggle come from under the blanket in my lap.

Xavier's gaze darted to the blanket with a grin, putting his finger to his lips to tell me to be quiet. He crept silently over to our spot on the sofa, pausing in front of me for a moment before bursting into action. His fingers homed in on Belle's very ticklish sides under the blanket, making her scream and squirm. I laughed as she managed to dump herself on the floor, untangle herself from the blanket and run back out the door, Xavier close on her heels.

She was turning four today, and I still couldn't figure out where the time had gone. Her party was due to start in a few hours. Xavier had arrived bright and early this morning, helping Jackson and the rest of the pack set up the party in the back yard. It was also clear that he'd been put on "distract Belle duty" as well.

Jackson and I had been fully mated for five years and I couldn't imagine ever being happier. We had Belle only eleven months after and she was the light of my life. She was a vampire. Only a vampire. As best we could tell, our children would get one gene or the other and Belle had gotten the vampire gene.

I pulled my blanket back over my expanding stomach and rubbed it gently. I was about six months along, having a boy, and Jackson had his fingers crossed for a wolf pup with this one. He kept telling me that he wanted a boy and girl of each and I laughed every time. Fate was never that perfect but I was happy with whatever we ended up with.

I folded the blanket and sat it beside me as I stood and headed for the back door. Everyone was still hanging decorations and I could hear Belle and Xavier still running around the house as I smiled. Everything was perfect.

Jackson looked up the moment I walked out the door and onto the deck. A smile lit his face and he walked away from the ribbons he'd been hanging off the edge of the deck and towards me. His arms wrapped gently around my waist as his lips met mine in a gentle, sweet kiss. "Why aren't you sitting?" he asked. "I don't want you getting overworked."

I smiled up at him and rolled my eyes. "I can't sit down all day! I'm pregnant, not incapacitated."

"Hear, hear!' Alice cheered from her seat on the deck, raising her lemonade in toast to my statement, her own belly round with her third child.

I turned in Jackson's arms to face her, Jackson's hands shifting to rest reverently on my stomach as he held me close. "Eli has you sitting and relaxing, too?" I asked her.

She nodded and took a sip of her lemonade. "I have strict orders not to leave my seat and if I need anything, I'm to make someone else get it for me," she said, laughing.

Eli and Jackson have a habit of being overbearingly protective when Alice and I are pregnant. Jackson was also very clingy, not that I minded that. He was almost always by my side and touching me. I loved it, to be honest, but sometimes he got on my nerves when he wouldn't let me do anything. And I do mean anything. Last week, he wouldn't even let me make myself a sandwich. He steered me straight out of the kitchen, sat me on the couch and made it himself.

"So am I," I replied to Alice with a grin, "and yet, here I stand."

She laughed. "For now! When he goes back to those ribbons you're going to be sitting right next to me with your own glass of lemonade."

I rolled my eyes, even though she was probably right.

I leaned my head back on Jackson's shoulder so I could see his face. He was smiling down at me, his hands gently caressing my stomach as he did. He leaned down, slow enough to tease, before kissing me slowly.

He pulled back after a couple of minutes, smiling proudly as I tried to catch my breath. "I love you so much," he whispered.

"I love you, too," I whispered back, smiling widely.

"Why don't you go sit by Alice and I'll grab you something to drink before I get back to decorating?" he asked with a sweet smile, probably thinking his kiss had distracted me enough to be coaxed into sitting down again.

Unfortunately, he was correct, for now. I rolled my eyes, but obediently waddled over to Alice and sat down in the chair beside hers.

She laughed as I plopped down. "Told you so," she giggled.

I couldn't help laughing with her. Especially when Jackson came back outside with a glass of lemonade in one hand and a bowl of chopped fruit in the other. He handed both to me and I thanked him with a quick kiss. When I pulled back, he darted forward for one more kiss, snatched a strawberry from the bowl and bounded down the steps with a dazzling smile thrown over his shoulder.

"Want some fruit?" I asked, looking over at a highly amused Alice. She nodded and reached out to grab some fruit as I sat the bowl between us.

We sat there for a while, sipping lemonade, eating fruit and watching our men decorate for a four year old's birthday party. "I feel like we should be rebellious," I said after a while, getting bored.

Alice looked over at me with a devious smirk. "I agree. What should we do?"

"I think we should go inside and start decorating the house until they catch us," I told her.

Her head went back as she laughed. "Sounds like a plan," she agreed when she had calmed down some.

"Jackson!" I yelled across the yard, seeing half the pack stop what they were doing and look up at Alice and I at the same time Eli and Jackson did. "Alice and I are going to go relax in the living room! It's hot out here!"

Jackson spun from what he was doing and I had his full attention. "Are you too hot? Do you need me to go get you some ice water or something, turn the air conditioning up inside for you?"

I rolled my eyes at Alice, but replied sweetly, "No, thank you! It's plenty cool inside."

"Okay! You two have fun and relax! Put in a movie or something," he told us.

We nodded and waved before heaving ourselves out of our lounge chairs and heading inside. The guys were going to tackle decorating inside after they finished the yard, but I figured we could get quite a bit of it done before the guys came inside to check on us.

I knew we only had about a half hour, so we got to work quickly. I grabbed the "Happy Birthday, Belle!" banner that was supposed to hand just inside the slider door and Alice grabbed some sticky tack. After that we moved to balloons. We blew them up with the helium tanks Mason had bought the day before and tied them with ribbons. We found places all over the house for them and then started on balloons for the back yard, letting them bounce around the kitchen ceiling.

When I heard footsteps in the hall, I thought we were caught, but it was just Mason. He grinned when Alice and I froze guiltily, thinking it was Eli or Jackson.

"What are you two up to?" he asked in an amused voice.

I pressed down on the helium nozzle again, filling the balloon in my hand. "We are decorating, what does it look like we are doing, Mase?" I asked.

"Well, you two certainly aren't enjoying the air conditioning and watching a movie," he laughed. "Should I go tell a certain Alpha and Beta what their mates are up to?"

Alice and I both froze. "You wouldn't dare," I told him, slowly reaching out to grab the serving spoon from the chili.

Mason's eyes tracked the movement and he straightened. "Don't start something you can't finish, Cecilia Walker."

"Oh, I'll finish it alright," I replied as Alice slowly shifted away from me, knowing to steer clear when Mason or I looked like we were going to start a food fight.

I lifted the spoon and prepared to fling chili at Mason. He dove towards the bar where the rest of the food was and I adjusted my aim to hit a moving target.

"Freeze!" At the sound of Jackson's voice, Mason skidded to a halt and straightened up half way through the kitchen and I turned my eyes to my mate, standing in the doorway, looking none to happy.

I put on my best smile. "Jackson!" I greeted happily as if nothing were wrong and hid the spoon behind my back.

His eyes hit me and he though his lips twitched, he didn't smile back. "Put the spoon back in the chili, sweetheart," he told me.

I reached out and put the spoon back where I found it.

"Now, would someone like to tell me what's going on? You two are supposed to be watching a movie and relaxing," Jackson said, looking between Alice and I. "And you," he said, looking at Mason, "are supposed to be picking up the cake, not getting in food fights with my pregnant mate."

"She started it!" Mason yelled, pointing at me.

Jackson sighed. "Of that, I have no doubt," he said, making me glare at him. "Go get the cake."

Mason scurried out of the kitchen and Jackson turned his attention back to Alice and I. "Well?" he asked.

"We're sitting," I told him.

"Yeah," chimed Alice. "And we're relaxed."

Jackson just raised an eyebrow, making it clear that he wasn't buying it as he looked around at all the balloons and the banner hanging over the door. "Alice, I'm telling Eli on you, and Ceci," he paused, a wicked smile forming on his face. "I'll punish you later."

I knew exactly how to throw him off and I did it. Tilting my head slightly to the side, I matched his smile and asked, "Promise?" while twirling a piece of hair around my finger.

His eyes darkened and he growled low in his throat. I heard Alice chuckle and it was enough to pull Jackson out of his lustful haze.

"Living room. Now. Relax," he ordered both of us, pointing out of the kitchen.

Alice crossed her arms over her chest and I pouted, but we both stood to do as we were told, Alice leading the way. Jackson let Alice slide past him, but grabbed my arm gently, pulling me to a stop. He leaned down for a searing kiss that had me cross eyed and blinking funny before he let me go.

"You are a little minx," he whispered before going back inside.

I giggled and flopped onto the couch beside Alice.

"Well, at least we got to do something," she commented, flipping on the tv.

An hour later the doorbell rang and Alice and I both jumped up to get it, nearly knocking each other over in our haste to do something other than watch television. It was my parents.

"Hey, mom! Dad!" I greeted, hugging them both. Jackson, Xavier and I had caved and told them everything after Belle was born. She was too young to control her strength and speed, so it would have raised questions eventually. They didn't take it all that well at first, but they've gotten used to it and are very supportive.

"Hey, baby," my dad murmured, squeezing me tight. "Where's that beautiful granddaughter of mine?"

I laughed. "She's around her somewhere, probably hiding from Xavier."

He and my mom both laughed. Belled loved her uncle Xavier and whenever he was around they were off having fun together. "We'll just go off and try to track them down, then," my mom said, kissing my cheek as they moved past Alice and I.

Alice and I decided to stay by the door as the vampires from the coven all started showing up shortly after my parents. Levi was the first to show up, but he was closely followed by Jerome, Lewis, Nila, Ashton and the rest of the coven.

It had taken longer than I hoped, but Jackson and I had finally managed to get the coven and pack aquainted. Some of the pack were still a little tense around the coven, and me, but overall they'd become very accepting. I hadn't given them a whole lot of choice with the monthly barbecues here at the pack house with the coven.

"So where's Xavier?" Levi asked as the other vampires made their way to the backyard to add their presents to the pile already out there. Belle is a very spoiled and very loved little girl.

Before I could answer, there was a squeal and Belle came bumping down the stairs on her butt as fast as she could. Xavier appeared at the top with a playful grin on his face and started to follow her down.

"Uncle Levi!" Belle screamed when she caught sight of him. She completely forgot whatever game she was playing with Xavier and ran to Levi for a hug.

He squatted down and swooped her into his arms. "Hey birthday, girl!" he teased, kissing her cheek. Xavier popped up next to her and she screamed again, hiding her face in Levi's chest and making all of us laugh.

"Hey, man, how've you been?" Xavier asked Levi.

They started talking and Belle reached for me. I took her into my arms and settled her on my hip while she rested her head on my shoulder. When she had a firm grip, I let her hold on and then placed one hand on Levi's back, the other on Xavier's and gently pushed them to the back door so that we could get the party started.

They didn't pay any attention to me, talking about random stuff and following my gentle prodding out the back door. I left them on the back deck and headed back inside when the doorbell rang again. That should be the last of the guests, I thought with a smile.

I pulled the door open and grinned at the small group standing on the porch. Taylor, Kayla, Lisa and Aiden. Aiden had his arms around Kayla's shoulder. They'd started dating last year and they were perfect for each other. There were hugs all around and Belle abandoned me for Taylor as I asked them all how they'd been.

"Happy birthday, baby girl!" Kayla told Belle after everyone was caught up.

Belle smiled sweetly and waved at her from Taylor's arms before reaching for me again. I accepted her easily and motioned towards the back yard. "C'mon back and let's get this show on the road," I told them, smiling and leading the way out back.

The second I stepped out the back door, Jackson was by my side. He swept Belle out of my arms, kissing her cheek and holding her close for a moment in a tight hug. "Hi, daddy," she giggled, kissing his cheek back and nearly melting my heart.

With a small squeal she wiggled out of his arms and took off after Eli and Alice's daughter Madison who was running after her brother, Max. I laughed as the three of them ran off together and Jackson wrapped his arms around me, leaning down to kiss me softly.

I leaned against his chest and observed the party around me. Vampires and werewolves intermingling, little Belle was having a blast playing with Maddie and Max in the sandbox, my friends were chatting with Xavier and Levi and I was all wrapped up in my mate's arms, his hands resting protectively over my pregnant belly.

Later that night, I carried a sleepy Belle back up to her room for bed. As I laid her down on the bed, she blinked sleepily up at me. "Will you tell me a story, momma?" she asked.

I smiled down at her and sat myself on the edge of her little bed. "Sure, baby. Which one?"

"Tell me how you and daddy met," she requested, yawning sweetly.

"Well," I started, grinning already. It was one of Belle's favorite stories, and definitely a favorite of mine as well. "Your daddy was chasing a rogue that ran into town. Daddy went to catch him and the evil man from animal control thought he was a doggie..." I told her the rest of the story and she was out like a light by the time that I told her grandma and grandpa bought him for me and brought him home.

As I looked down at my sleeping daughter, I smiled. Standing up, I joined my handsome mate in the doorway, snuggling into his side and closing my eyes as he placed a loving kiss to my temple. Life was good.

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