I continued to brush my fingers through Dorian's hair as he kissed my stomach. I knew I had to put him in check. I'm fine if he wants to touch my stomach but we could never be what we were before.

He lost my trust and respect when he broke my heart. He sat up looking at me with a gleam in his eyes.

"We need to talk...about everything."

"I agree."

I sat up cringing at the sudden pain under my stomach. Dorian held both my hands looking at me in concern. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just a little pain. Nothing I can't handle." He smiled, nodding in agreement. "So first thing. The half-shifters?"

"The half-shifters can smell the babies. They know they're going to be lycans, that's why they're attracted to their scent. The half-shifters are also known why lycan pups never truly make it into this world, they kill the pregnant women before they can deliver and they...eat the babies when they're left alone."

He was looking at my horrified reaction. "Do they always come in big numbers the way they did?"

"Not usually, but due to there being three babies. That might've attracted more to come."

"What about Tilda and the other woman?" I asked mentally preparing myself.

"Tilda and I...there's nothing there. It was one night of stupidity that cost me. As for Cheryl...I had no idea she was carrying until the wolves told me that day I left. The baby was growing too fast and her body couldn't take it. That day, I had to use wolfsbane to kill my own son." I saw a tear drop fall down his face as he turned away.

"I'm sorry, Dorian. I didn't know you had to do that."

He dry chuckled. "You were right. It was my own fault, I was playing with those women's lives. If I could restart, I'd do it right by just sticking with you like my instincts told me to. Now everything is fucked up."

"When I was at the packhouse recovering. I heard things, outside my room. Secrets that you and the others are keeping from me."

"It's nothing you need to worry about."

"Tell me, Dorian. If it's about me or the babies, I need to know." When he continued to be silent, it irked me. "Get the hell out, Dorian. If you can't be honest then you're just wasting my time."

Later on, I was cooking when I heard a shrill scream. The sound made me drop the spatula onto the floor. Roman and Magnus were already out the front door with me trailing behind them. I stood by the door just in case a half-shifter was outside.

I squinted seeing a woman running towards us with fear evident on the way she kept stumbling. She is being chased by a half-shifter gaining on her.

Once she got closer I realized that the woman is my mother. I ran for about ten seconds before I was held by strong arms. The calmness and flutter of my stomach told me it was Dorian holding me back.

"It's my mother! Dorian please!" I begged screaming out. Immediately he let me go only for Roman to guide me back inside. Dorian ran outside towards my mother who was waving her arms, screaming for him to get in the house.

As he was running, his form started to change into his beast-like form. He started running on all fours, making my mother stop in her tracks. The half-shifter jumped on her back, then just as quickly as he landed, he was off of her. Dorian tackled the other wolf to the ground slashing away at the other wolf, growling as he did so.

Then afterward, he slowly turned around when he sensed my mother behind him. She screamed making him move towards her slowly standing up on two legs. I elbowed Roman, running to my mother with Roman right behind me. Magnus was flaking right behind us as well.

They could have easily stopped me since they were faster, but knowing that I just wanted my mother safe, they probably just let me go. My mother was backing up on the floor with her eyes glued to Dorian's beast.

Once I approached, Dorian's clouded grey eyes shifted to me. He growled slightly seeing me trying to calm my mother down. He took long step towards us, standing directly in front of me as I pushed my mother behind me.

"Dorian please."

His height was immensely tall almost hurting my neck having to look up. He huffed in my face making my hair flow back. He got closer, right in my face. My mother tugged on my arm making him look behind me growling.

I shakily raised my hand touching the side of his face. He moved quickly sniffing my neck and hair. His muzzle was on my hair then he lowered until he was leveled with my stomach. He stood there for awhile then licked my stomach.

He stood to his full height, broadening his shoulders. Roman had been with us the whole time, but he finally moved me back.

"He doesn't want you to be afraid."

I only nodded. He did still scare me in this form. "Roman get him away from here so I can deal with my mother."

I held my mother close as we started walking to the cabin. "Mom are you okay? Talk to me." She was shaking in my arms, not responding to anything I said.

Dinner was burnt and my mother wasn't talking to me. I had ordered some food that Magnus was picking up for us. I was sipping some tea watching my mother wrapped in a blanket staring at the floor.

"Mom you're scaring me. Please say something." I waited in silence thinking perhaps she was in shock. She opened her mouth then closed it.

"Since you won't say anything, I'll start. I've been closing myself off because Dorian isn't exactly fully human. He's a lycan and I'm carrying his three lycan pups, as he calls it."

I deeply inhaled when she looked at me sharply. "Pups? They'll be just like him?"

I nodded. "Yes. I understand if you won't want to be around them once they're born." When she didn't answer I couldn't help but feel emotional. My mother was so scared that she doesn't even want to be around her grandchildren.

Standing up, I walked into the kitchen holding onto the counter. I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder. I wiped my eyes then turned around.

"Sweety, today was quite overwhelming, but I've been waiting long enough for my grandbaby, well grandbabies. Three grandchildren, you said, right?" I smiled, hugging her. "I don't care what they'll be, I'll still love them even though it'll probably take time for me to get used to all of this."

I took a step back looking at her. "I'm sorry if Dorian scared you. To be honest. When he's like that, he scares me too."

"Why don't you stay with me and your father. We'll be happy to have you."

"Mom, Dorian, and the other guys are just like him. They're going to protect me from that thing that chased you. There's more of them and they want to hurt me and the babies. So staying here is the safest place."

"So the whole time, you've been keeping this from me?"

"I didn't have much of a choice. It's not exactly easy to tell you that my baby daddy is a lycan. I didn't even know until he protected me from those half-shifters. That's not it either. A lot has changed since we last saw each other."

"Then tell me. Tell me everything, Flora."

That's exactly what I did. I told my mother everything that had happened. Once I finished she immediately pulled me into a hug, even so much as crying.

"There was a reason I felt like visiting you. Something was telling me to check on you. You weren't at the cabin but a few good people were there and told me that you'd probably be here." She held my hands in hers. "Do you love him."

"Of course I do."

"Has he told you he loves you?"

I exhaled looking away. "No."

"Then maybe you two need some time apart. It'll give him and you time to think over everything. Make him dwell on the crap he's done to you. Let him work, for you."

"So, off topic question but, what do we tell dad?"

She looked to be deep in thought. "We can't tell him. He wouldn't understand if we just told him and if the other hunks around here showed him then he'll probably have a heart attack. I don't know about you but I'm not ready to lose my husband trying to prove something that I thought wasn't real." She placed her hand on my stomach. "As for my unborn granddaughter, she's a fighter and will fight to live. My grandsons will always protect her when they grow up together."

"That's a pretty picture," I said imagining how my babies will be once they're born and grow up. "Mom, what if I-"

"You'll be fine. It's the dark thoughts in your head that are bad." My mother was escorted back to her house by Roman who I'd rather let drive home than Magnus who humps anything that moves.

When I was thinking over everything I planned to say, Dorian came through the door. This time I will lay out everything. I'm tired of him letting things go, it's time I take a stand for myself and take charge of my life.