Selene and the gray wolves ran together for most of the night, alongside most of the lycans and Blue Lakes' pack members. As two members of our pack were leaving today, it was a way to celebrate our departure because Allison was obviously going with us.

Alec and I spent the whole time in our nest, trying to rest and enjoy each other before the long journey ahead of us.

When we returned to the packhouse, the sun was already rising, slowly replacing the Blood Moon.

We quickly went to my room to pack some of my stuff but also make sure Alec's stuff was ready after his closet had been put back in his bags when his parents arrived and he was thrown out of his room.

"Ready to eat something before we leave, little wolf," Alec asks me are we are finally done with our packing.

"Yes, I don't need much more. Just some clothes and pictures, my laptop, my phones and I think I'll be good. I'll buy more stuff once we are home," I say as I wrap my arms around his neck.

"Home? So you feel like you're not home here?" he asks me, a smile on his face.

"I suppose I will always be home here when I need it. But my real home is now in our house, with our family. Plus, we'll have to find a way to welcome all the gray wolves, and I think they will be safe in the Capitale. After all, gray wolves are supposed to be mated with powerful and pure-hearted lycans. So I suppose we'll find them in the Capitale," I answer.

"Damn, do I have to expect to create a new nursery for an army of baby gray wolves in the next months?" Alec fakes an annoyed face.

"Well, I didn't see this like that, but I suppose we should create a new school. I don't know how many awakened, but I suppose that even more might wake up when they are in age," I answer.

"I even think we should ask for the parents who would have young fraternal twins to come to live in the Capitale, so we are sure our still unknown mad man try not to abduct them," Liana's voice adds from the door.

"Good morning, mother," Alec answers.

"Of course, come in," he adds, as his mother is already by our side.

"Are you ready to come back to the Capitale? Both of us?" Alec's mother asks us.

"Actually, we're gonna make a detour. Two babies have been separated long enough from their parents," I answer with a smile.

"Well, I expected that. Try not to be too long. Your pregnancy might not last over five or six more weeks. My pregnancy for Alec was quite short, even for a lycan. Now that I see yours, I suppose it was because I was supposed to be the previous silver wolf, but I never ended my full shift as the danger was avoided. As you're fully shifted, it might be even shorter. I don't want my first grandchildren to be born in a car," she states before she hugs me.

She then turns to her son.

"Take care of your mate and come back home safe and sound. We're about to leave with your father and most of our men. You keep the ones you brought with you, and Alpha Elijah asked for some lycans to stay here to keep training some of his warriors. He'll then ask other Alphas to welcome them so the knowledge can be shared. We accepted his request, of course," she adds before we can ask for more details. She hugs her son and leaves after a last goodbye.

"Is she always like that?" I question Alec.

"Yes. And if I want to be honest, you're sometimes like that too, little wolf," he says, chuckling.

After that, we go downstairs and join the dining room, where a large buffet with lots of food is served.

When we arrive, Jackson and Eva are at a table with Malia, her mate, Anya, Joey, and Allison, who seem really relaxed. I smile at them before I walk to the buffet with Alec to grab some food. Toast, bacon, chocolate cake, fruits, yogurt, and coffee. That's an entire tray that I take with me before I walk to a table where my parents, Elijah and Julie, are already eating. Alec is just behind me and sits next to me.

"You're really going to eat everything?" my brother asks me.

"Your sister is pregnant with a lycan. She deserves to eat as much as she wants," my mother says. Damn, we forgot to tell them.

"Actually, we're having twins," Alec answers, putting his hand on my belly.

"Twins?" my father says, dumbfounded. He stays silent for a moment before his face totally changes.

"Well, good luck, Prince Alexander. I wish your pups won't be as terrible as these two," he laughs, pointing at Eli and me with his thumbs.

"Thanks, Michael," Alec answers, passing his free hand through his messed hair.

"When are you leaving?" Julie asks.

"After breakfast. We must go to Black Stone Pack to bring Evangeline and Nathaniel's babies back. I suppose they will come with us to the Capitale after that. Plus, I feel like something else is waiting for us there," I say quietly.

"Something definitely positive," I add, as I notice everyone looks at me with anxious eyes.

We finish eating with a lot of laughs, some embarrassing memories that my parents throw at my mate without a drop of remorse, and also a lot of tears.

As we say our goodbyes, I have to face a long lecture from Elijah, who then lectures Alexander. Definitely, my brother does not give a damn about Alec being a prince. Then my parents warmly hug me, and I make them promise they will visit us soon at the Capitale as I really would like to have them near when I will finally meet my little pups. Kate and Caleb finally arrive just before we leave the pack.

"Sorry, we had something to check, and we could not wait," Kate says as she hugs me.

"Is everything fine?" Julie asks as she puts her hand on Kate's arm.

"Yes, she's pregnant," I answer without thinking.

"How?" Alec asks before I stop him.

"The Kate I know would never explode like she did when we were at the prison infirmary. Plus, I had to tell her I was pregnant with twins even if she used her Reader's powers on me in the car. She didn't feel it, and I found it weird, but said nothing. I knew for sure when she drank only tea and hot chocolate during our short stay at the Oasis. A non-pregnant Kate would have drunk for two, saying something like, 'let's not ruin this chance to party.' That was quite obvious when you know Kate as I do," I answer with a smile.

"Congratulations, both of you." I hug Caleb and then hug back to my best friend.

"I'll visit you for the birth. You will need a good Reader to help you deal with the pain, and I'm the best, you know it," she says in my ear. I can feel some warm drops on my shoulder.

"Of course, Kate," I answer, pushing her head back and putting my forehead against hers.

"Call me whenever you want, and I'm sure the King and the Queen will allow you to come just as you want," I answer.

Jackson goes into the second car with Eva, Alice, and the two kids, while Malia, her mate, Anya, and Allison enter the second car with Joey as their driver. As I see them, I notice Joey holds Allison's hand tightly.

As Elijah notices my surprised look, he chuckles.

"Yep. Joey's wolf went crazy when he returned from the party they had with other lycans during your call. He jumped on Allison's wolf, and after some weird chasing, Allison licked Joey's wolf. After that, they disappeared together, and I sincerely don't want to know what they did, so I don't have more details. She's your responsibility now, sis'," Eli says before grabbing and hugging me firmly.

"Call me soon. I already miss you," he says before kissing my forehead. I toe so I can kiss his cheek, then I lift my right pinky in front of his face.

His right pinky grabs mine, and we shout a 'twin pinky promise' before I hug Julie.

Alec grabs my hand and leads me to another car. Taylor and Adam are in the front seats.

"Ready to go, your Highnesses," Taylor asks.

"Let's go to Nathaniel's pack, Taylor," Alec answers with a sigh.

—-

I would like to say that this two days long ride was wonderful, that nothing occurred, and that we could witness a fabulous happy ending story.

Everything started that well.

The first thirty-six hours were perfectly fine.

We stopped on several packs and learned that some wolves had shifted during my call. We called Alec's parents every time and explained everything. Lycans were sent by the King, and they would be taken directly to the Capitale, as I could not bring all the gray wolves into our cars.

We had an enjoyable night in a large hotel in a human town. The place was fabulous, and when I asked Alec why he chose such a place, he answered - I quote - 'our two little pups will never let us go on a proper honeymoon. So at least we have a night.'

In the morning, all was fine. It was all brilliant until we reached Alec's cousin's frontiers.

That's when we all caught the odor we all hoped not to scent again that soon.

—-

As soon as it fills my nostrils, Taylor stops. I get out of the car and run to Jackson's, which is just behind us.

"Get back to the previous pack. Don't let them find Alice and the children. Eva and you will protect these kids with your life." As Jackson looks for Alec's eyes, I turn his face to me.

"That's an order, Jackson," Selene and my voices order him.

"I will, Princess Olivia. And Selene," he says before closing his door and driving away.

"I really would like you to leave too, Olivia. Could you at least stay by my side?" Alec asks me.

"We run and fight together, mister wolf," I say, taking off my dress. I then unbutton Alec's shirt while he takes out his pants.

"Always, little wolf," he says before kissing my lips.

As we part, I see all the lycans and wolves that came with Alec for my ceremony, along with my four first gray wolves, behind us, all waiting in their underwear.

"We stick together and join Nathaniel's warriors as fast as possible. Kill every enemy on your path," Alec says.

"And you all make it through alive," Selene's voice says as she melts into mine.

Alec and I shift into our wolves, quickly followed by more than thirty other wolves and lycans.

We start to run into the woods, where the putrid smells of rogues are.

Some are really awful, and I recognize them as wolves. Some are less disgusting, and I suppose they are the missing lycans that the Council decided to reject after I killed Amber, hoping it would allow us to detect them more easily.

Obviously, the Council was right.

Waves of gray keep rolling in and we'll keep on rising.

Well, I suppose two days of peace are better than nothing.