“We’re almost there, right?” I open my eyes and squint against the bright, setting sun. I need to pee like a freakin’ racehorse!” I cry out.

“Yup. Look in front of you,” Freddie says.

In the near distance is the beautiful Scafell Pike. I smile, feeling a strong sense of purpose. Then, I remember what happened back at the motel. I fall silent again.

“It’s okay. I feel it too,” Freddie says. “What happened to Tristan isn’t fair. We just have to keep pushing forward.”

“I don’t understand the outer realms. Why do they have to mess with everything?” I ask.

But I know that no one can give me a definitive answer. Freddie pets back, but doesn’t respond. He doesn’t need to. We’re almost home. We can find those answers later.

Today, the triplets are kicking against my belly more than they ever have before. I feel pretty darn exhausted, but the hope I have within me gives me new energy. Parking the van at the foot of the mountain, I quickly realize that I’ll need a lot more of it.

“Shit,” Eric sighs. “We’re going to have to climb that thing. Aren’t we?”

Freddie shakes his head. “No,” he says. “I am.”

Dark clouds form at the very top, slowly spinning around the mountain’s peak. The beauty that once resided in this place is now gone. “Wait. You can’t go alone,” I say.

His hand rubs across my thigh, gently. It’s not helping. All it does is push me closer to him. “Honey, in the painting there was a solitary wolf, howling at the full moon. I now realize that image is supposed to be me. All of you will have to find the cabin. I need to find out what is at the top of this mountain,” he says.

I’m full of worry, yet again. I don’t want to let my alpha go. I’m about to have these triplets. “But I need you with me. Our babies need you with me. We can’t lose you, papa.”

“Papa,” he whispers. His eyes fall to the floor. He’s stuck in a hard dilemma. In the end, I know I’m the one being stubborn. It’s not his fault. We have to find a way home.

“I just wish there was another way,” he says while opening the car door. “But there isn’t. And I’m getting everyone home safely if it’s the last thing I do.”

The whole group jumps out of the van. Below the gray sky, they stand silent. The capes around their bodies flap against the wind. They look stoic and proud.

I run toward my mate and kiss him. Our lips crash together in a moment of genuine and passionate love. Our arms cradle each other’s bodies. The warmth is penetrating and profound.

“Be careful, alpha,” I whisper. “Who knows what’s at the top of that mountain.”

“I will, omega. I promise. I’m going to raise those triplets with you. We’re going to be a happy family. We can have it all,” he says.

Both of us shoot a glance toward the top of the mountain. The rock is pure black and curled like a devil’s horn. Henry throws his arms around us. “I don’t remember it looking like that,” he says.

“Everything is changing,” I whisper. “Look. In the distance! There’s a light shining now.”

All of us look at the tiny, yellow light, surrounded by an ethereal, foggy mist. “That has to be the cabin, right?” Gregory asks.

Loke’s grey hairs show more present in this light. He looks older than I thought. He possesses fine wisdom to him. For the first time on this journey, he takes charge. “Yes. That’s where we are heading. Come. We must leave now!”

Drake nods and pulls his blade out. “Get off your bums, lads! I’m here to serve you.”

Gregory doesn’t take his eyes off Freddie. A single tear falls from his eyes. The last time they parted ways, they didn’t see each other for again for what felt like forever. It’s hard to say goodbye when you don’t know how long that goodbye might last.

“Be safe, brother,” he says.

“You too. We have a lot of catching up to do. Frisky Pines is waiting,” he says.

The door is locked. Can you hear me?

I let go of my mate and feel my whole body start to pull in the direction of the cabin. No one says a thing. We know exactly what to do. My arms are curled tightly around my belly. I feel those triplets kicking harder. For the past hour or two, they’ve been kicking to the point where it hurts. I’ve kept my mouth shut about it, but I don’t know how long I can stay silent.

The wind is harsh and very cold. Despite all of the hardship pushing against us, we fight forward. “Stick to the pack!” Eric yells, shifting into wolf form. He howls at the full moon above us. All of us follow in his footsteps, shifting into our animal bodies.

Drake and Henry stay in the middle of the pack, protected by us. I look behind us to see my wolf, Freddie. He is climbing his way up the dark mountain. Soon enough, he disappears into the mist.

We press forward, paws digging into the cold grass. “Freddie will be okay,” Loke says to me.

“How do you know that?” I ask him, needing more certainty.

He has a daring look to him now, and I start to wonder what he was like when he was younger. He was probably a warrior. He snarls and glances back. “Because he’s my son, and the outer realm blessed him, just like they blessed you. That’s all I need to know,” he says.

Eric barks in agreement. “Sometimes, you have to cling to your faith, even if it seems flimsy in the present. We always knew he’d find us. Now’s the time he brings us home.”

The light in front of us grows in strength, but the path is longer than expected. An hour or so passes, and we are exhausted and hungry. We sit down at the edge of a giant lake that blocks our path to the cabin.

“Shit,” Gregory sighs.

“I’ll make a feast,” Loke says, gathering the supplies.

Once the fire is started, and the beans are cooking, we can begin to think a little more clearly. Loke grabs a spoon and tastes the beans. “Dig in, everyone,” he says. “It’s not much, but it’s all we have for now.”

“That lake,” I say. “We’re going to have to make our way around it.”

Gregory nods, looking fearful. “There’s no path,” he says.

Henry clears his throat suddenly. We all look at him, curiously. “There is one way,” he says.

“Speak up,” Loke says. “It’s cold, and we can’t waste too much time here.”

“The caves,” he says. “They are a secret around these parts.”

“Caves? And they lead to the other side of the lake?” Eric asks.

I went here when I was a child. My father showed me the caves. He told me that we were the only people to know about them. I thought he was lying to me, but they’re not on any map, to this day.”

My baby bump turns hard, and a dull aching sensation pushes against my back. “Fuck,” I groan. “Guys, I think I’m having contractions right now. I’m sorry to break this party up, but if we’re going to make it home, we better keep going.”

“We should carry you,” Eric says, with alarm.

“No. I can’t make you do that,” I say, wincing again. I stand up and wobble forward. “I can do this.”

“No. No, you can’t,” Gregory says. “At the airpark, I was studying the medical books every day. You’re close to giving birth to those triplets. We seriously need to leave now, and all of us have to put in our weight to carry Jonas.”

I hate feeling like this. Before I was pregnant, I was never a burden. I was quick and nimble, and wild. Now, I’m teary-eyed, slow, and a liability. I just want to feel normal again, dammit.

“Come on,” Loke says, lending a hand. “We’re family. And family should always have your back.”