I wiped my face, not caring what I looked like as I walked into the house, my slightly protruding belly hidden by the hoodie I wore.

I walked into the living room quietly, where my mother lay on the ground, still holding my father's hand as she wept with her face in the crook of his neck.

Everyone turned as I entered.

I stood at the edge of the living room as I stared down at my father's lifeless body as it lay under a blood stained sheet. I didn't understand how this happened.

"What happened?" I asked quietly to Elise.

"Bran is dead, so his title would usually go to his first born, but since he doesn't have a pup it went to the next sibling and-

"Clara is Alpha. She can shift." I said putting it together.

"Your father went to take her some water and food and she shifted for the first time. She was uncontrolled, wild, the power a first shift gives you is brief, but if aimed at someone other than an another alpha, it can be murderous if accidentally provoked. Clara...she wanted to kill your father on purpose. He's not an alpha, he couldn't fend off her attack and by the time we got to him he was so hurt. I'm sorry Charlotte." Elise said as she wiped her tears.

"But I am an Alpha. I can fight her." I said with a growl.

"She also took something of his though...I don't know if you're ready to see this though. It's gruesome." James warned as he walked over to the sheet that covered my father's body.

James peeled back the sheet slowly, and my voice caught in my throat at the sight of my father's clawed out eyes. His blue eyes. The ones so similar to mine were gone.

"I'll kill her." I said.

"You're pregnant Charlotte. You aren't going to do anything." Kieran said firmly.

I watched as everyone's eyes landed on me in disbelief.

"Surprise." I said in a monotone as I unzipped my sweater.

Elise was in front of me in a second, her hand smoothing over my stomach softly.

"How far are you?" She said quickly.

"About two weeks." I answered.

"You need an ultrasound now. You're a little bugger than normal. This stress could be harming the fetus." Elise said quickly.

I sat on the couch quietly as Leah rushed off to get the portable ultrasound machine as Elise squeezed the cold gel onto my stomach, the temperature causing me to jump at the contrast against my body heat.

I closed my eyes as Elise turned the machine on and began examining me, trying my best to listen for the fetal heartbeat, my eyes popping open in confusion when the monitor picked up an off beat rhythm.

"What's wrong?" I asked quickly.

"Nothing's wrong doll. I've heard that sound once myself. When I had the boys." She said with a small smile.

"Twins." I said immediately and she nodded.

"They grow a lot quicker than one pup. Your caloric intake is going to have to triple in order to provide enough energy for you and the boys." She said.

"B-boys? Two boys. I'm having two boys." I said in shock.

"From what I can tell yes." She said.

I looked up at Kieran who stood above me, him dropping to his knees on the side of the couch as he smoothed his hand over my stomach.

"My boys." He whispered.

"When will I have them?" I whispered.

"Their rate of growth increases rapidly everyday since there's more than one pup. Anywhere between three to five more weeks I'd assume, but I'm guessing shorter since your father is an alpha." She said.

"Was. He was an alpha ." I said quietly as I corrected her.

He wasn't here anymore.

A few weeks went by and the funeral came and went and my boys grew every day. There also wasn't a day that didn't go by without me visiting my father with my mother who missed him dearly, but she didn't cry anymore.

She was stronger now and I had to be to.

I've been on bed rest now that I was drawing near to a potential due date and I hated it since it was impossible for me to find a position I was comfortable in with being as big as a house.

I sighed as I laid in bed next to Kieran who slept against my now very pregnant stomach, Willow in between us. She was growing so fast too. She is starting to walk now and lord knows she's been everywhere and talking to everyone who'll listen to her not so coherent words.

I sat up, walking downstairs quietly so I could get a glass of water.

I grabbed a glass from the cabinet, walking over to sink to fill my glass.

I screamed as the window suddenly shattered, and I dropped to the ground on instinct, wincing as I felt something sharp graze my ear before I landed in a crouch.

I looked up, seeing an arrow sticking into the wall opposite the sink.

I touched my ear, bringing my hand down to see blood on the tips of my fingers from where the arrow had just grazed me.

I stared at the wall where the arrow was plunged, a small black bag hanging from the arrowhead. I could see my name on it on a white tag that hung from the bag.

Kieran ran in, eyes searching the room as he held Willow in his arms protectively.

Kieran shouted and I watched as Willow's guards ran in, taking her to the newly invented panic room under our fireplace as the ducked through the faux glass.

Kieran stayed out of site from the window, holding his arms out, motioning for his family who appeared from the hallway and stared down from the stairs to stay out of sight.

I crouched low, struggling from the size of my belly to balance as I slowly moved.

I was pretty sure that was the only arrow. It was a message. For me.

I stood up, facing the broken window, waiting for another arrow to come, grateful when nothing came.

"Charlotte!" Kieran growled.

"If they wanted to kill any of us right now they could have." I said.

I walked over to the bag, plucking it down from the arrow, grabbing the letter that had my name sprawled against its front.

I opened it, Clara's stench wafting from it as I opened the paper and began to read.

I want Kieran. I am watching you and I am coming for you and your family. I challenge you for your position as Luna of the Lupin Pack and as mate to Alpha Kieran Lupin...

Challenging for a mate was one of the most traditional rituals and so rare I had almost forgotten it. The fight was to the death. And whether Kieran liked it or not, it was traditional Lycan law, just how Kieran got to choose who he would claim as his mate as an Alpha, she has the same right too as an Alpha. There was no submission, no giving up, it was to the death. Permanent and real and official law. The council would have to be present, whether we fought in our human form or wolves was her decision, it could even be both. I felt infuriated, after everything that happened she still had the audacity to threaten me and my family. When would she stop? Apparently not until one of us was dead. And she didn't care who she hurt or killed in the process including innocent children and even her own brother.

I dropped the letter, my anger threatening to bubble over as I growled as I peered into the black sack, dropping it in disbelief as piercing blue eyes stared back at me, much similar to my own. I growled, wiping my tears that wanted to spill as I stood upright.

The only way she would be able to take my position as Luna was if she killed me in a challenge for my title. The only way she could take my mate was that I and my pups would have to be dead by her hand. And I sure as hell was not going to let that happen.

"Elise I need you to induce me. As soon as my sons are out of me, I'm going after her. I won't play her game, that bitch is going to play mine." I said.