Luke went back to sleep after Gage left. He was surprised at how easily he'd fallen back to sleep, but thinking about the past week, he had been a little more tired than normal. He just hadn't allowed myself to give into it until he had an excuse. And pregnancy was one hell of an excuse.

Evan and Sean were playing a video game and Jess was tidying up in the kitchen.

"Did I miss breakfast?" Luke teased.

"Yep, we laid out the full buffet and those manly men of ours scarfed it and the vanished," she returned.

"I would have eaten an entire buffet on my own," Evan yelled from the living room.

"I thought you were looking a little pudgy," Jess returned.

"Don't start that back up now that you're pregnant, Jess. You know Dare is going to be merciless with Cole. Don't make this an all-family war."

She turned back to Luke with a chuckle. "Seriously, though, can I get you anything?"

Luke was hungry, but hardly anything sounded appealing. "Do you have any fruit?"

"I have apples and oranges."

"An apple sounds amazing."

"Granny or Red Delicious?"

"Granny, of course."

Luke filled myself a glass of water while she grabbed an apple and they sat at the table together.

"Are you excited?" she asked. "Oh, forget I even asked. That's a dumb question."

"No, I'm not excited at all," Luke said in a flat voice and with a dour expression, but he couldn't hold it for long without cracking up.

"I'm so ready for all the dumb questions," she said. "And just wait until someone tries to touch me inappropriately. Cole will bit their hand off."

"I'm actually kind of jealous about that. At least other wolves will be normal. Humans will just think I'm a weird fat guy. Oh shit, I'll have to quit work!"

Jess gave Luke a look of sympathy without pity, which is actually hard to carry off. "Man, that sucks."

Luke shrugged. "I mean, it had to happen someday? I've always wanted kids."

"Me too," Jess said. "I wouldn't have back in Cherry Creek, but with Cole and White Falls? Absolutely. I'm really glad Gage has no desire to stay there with you carrying his pup."

Luke had pretty much demolished his apple, so he set it aside. "Gage has explained some of it, and it sounded pretty backwards to me, even from his point of view. And we both know alphas don't see everything we omegas have to deal with."

"That's the truth," she said, pulling her knees up to her chest. "As kids, it's not bad. They're strict on everyone. Who you can hang out with alone and who you can't. Dressing appropriately. But once you're an adult, and especially once you're mated and have kids, it's like you've used up all your worth. And granted, it's not every family or every alpha. Gage is an example of that. But it's enough."

"It's hard to believe there are still people thinking that way. All I've ever known is the openness of White Falls."

"You're lucky. Gage had this friend, well, has, they're still friends. But they were always close. If I hadn't known he was gay, I would have expected them to end up together. Amy actually asked him to mate her before he went to college, and he just couldn't. I totally think that was the right choice, but if I had been in Amy's shoes? I would have done the same thing. Her parents were way more traditional than mine, and we always knew that if she wasn't mated by twenty, they'd marry her off whether she liked the guy or not. And that's what they did. Gage was her chance for safety. I don't blame him, but I really feel for her. I don't really know how she's doing now, but I think she and Gage keep in contact."

Married off without a say? "That sounds absolutely primitive."

Jess bristled a little bit and Luke had to remember she'd recently left. As outdated as she seemed to agree the pack was, Luke saying something negative was probably like someone insulting one of her brothers; she could do it all she wanted, but outsiders better watch out. But she smoothed her feathers before Luke had to cover his tracks. "I suppose it seems that way. But I get their reasoning behind it. Or the worldview that makes their reasoning seem logical. And I kind of wish I'd been able to change things somehow, in any small way, before I left, but really, I was just glad to get out."

Luke was definitely glad he didn't have to argue with Gage about which pack we'd be staying with.

Luke’s phone vibrated against his leg. It was Gage. They were probably done clearing his house. He flipped the phone open. "Hey, everything good?"

"Not exactly." Luke could hear the tension in Gage’s voice and he sat up straighter, leaning in as if it could bring Gage nearer to him.

"What's wrong?"

Jess turned her head to Luke, straining her ears to pick up the conversation.

"We're on our way back to Jess and Cole's to pick you up. I want to check your house too. Tell you everything when we get there."

"Okay, stay safe."

"See you soon."

Jess was already out of her seat and headed to the living room, so Luke followed.

"Hey, Sean?" She sat next to her brother and he immediately put the game on pause. "Gage just called...I don't want to push you, but he seemed upset about something. Do you have any idea what it was?"

Sean's face scrunched up and he pulled his knees to his chest, looking more like the teenager he really was than Luke had ever seen. "I'm sorry, Jess. I wish I could control things better. If I could, maybe Mom and Dad would still be around."

She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. "Oh, Sean, it wasn't your fault."

"But if I could just tell the difference between a dream and a vision all the time..."

"That's a slippery line of thinking," Luke added quietly. "If you're going to think like that, then all the lives lost in every natural disaster could also be your fault, because you didn't see them and try to warn people. Every murder, every house fire. You can't take all that on."

"But I did see this one."

"But did you really see enough to stop your parents from doing anything? You saw them swerve and crash. You didn't see them die." Thankfully, Luke added silently. "And how could you have known what night it was? Would your parents have stopped driving at night forever to prevent the possibility?" Luke sat on the other side of Sean. "Everyone has to learn to live with fear, with the possibility of what might happen. I can imagine it's harder for you, knowing what is likely to happen. Luke had always thought that the phrase "ignorance is bliss" was hogwash. But he was starting to think he’d definitely have it easier not knowing all the things Sean did. “But you really are doing so well, Sean. But you have to learn to keep things in perspective. We all do. It's part of growing up." Tentatively, Luke reached out to wrap both Sean and Jess in a hug and they leaned into it.

The front door open and they untangled to turn around as the guys came in.

"Someone's been spying on us," Gage said.

* * *

They laid the surveillance equipment out on the kitchen table. They had found three cameras, one in the living room and one in each of their bedrooms, two microphones, one in the kitchen and one in Gage’s office, and a signal box of some sort in his office as well. 

"I think this is the control," Dare said. "But I know a guy. I'd like to drop these off with him as soon as possible and see if he can get us any information before whoever put them there realizes and cuts off any connection."

"Do you want to do that before we hit up Luke's house, or after?" Gage asked. "If we do it after and there's stuff at his house, we can drop it all off at once."

"It will take him a little while to review what we've got, so I'd like to drop it off and then meet you at Luke's. Does that work for everyone?'

"No arguments from me," Gage said, and the others echoed agreement.

"Has anyone been keeping Alice up-to-date?" Jess asked.

"Me," Cole answered. "She knows what we know."

"Well, let's get this show on the road," Dare said. "Luke, you still live up Willow Lane?"

"Yep."

"I'll meet you all there, then."

They piled into Gage’s car this time, while Dare roared off in his Camaro. Damn, that car was tempting. But Gage had a sneaking suspicion his next vehicle was going to be a bit more kid friendly, like an SUV. 

* * *

"Same process as last time?" Gage asked as Luke unlocked his front door.

"Sounds good to me."

"You'll have to explain the process to me," Luke said wryly.

"First, take just a quick look around for anything obvious. Then, we'll shift and see if there are any unfamiliar scents."

"Anything fresh should just be Gage or me," Luke said. "I haven't had anyone over in quite a while."

It only took Luke a couple of minutes to look around the house. "I know everything looks really messy," he said, "but I don't think anyone has touched anything. They would have messed up the dust layers."

"Well, we want to be sure," Gage said. "Luke, you take the front rooms where any scents are most likely to get muddled and Cole and I will take the backrooms.” They stripped, and Gage was grateful that Cole turned his back toward Luke. Wolves weren't a shy bunch, but as new as Gage and Luke’s growing bond was and given the fact they were unmated, it definitely made it easier on Gage’s alpha instincts. Luke's wolf was smaller, which was no surprise for an omega, and white and black. He was beautiful. Gage couldn't help burying his more sensitive wolf nose in the ruff of Luke’s fur and inhaling deeply, committing the full depth of his strawberry and basil scent to memory. Then Gage nudged Luke and trotted to Luke’s room. All Gage could smell was them, and it was difficult not to jump on the bed and roll in it. Gage didn't have time for that today.

Back in the living room, they shifted again. 

"Nothing," Luke said.

"This place absolutely reeks of you two," Cole complained. "Open some windows once in a while, would ya?"

"As if you have any room to complain," Gage shot back. "You think your house is a bed of roses?"

"Actually, yes. I happen to think Jess smells like an entire field of roses."

He had a point there, though Gage would never have been able to pin it as roses if Cole hadn’t pointed it out. Jess always smelled like flowers in general to him. Gage grunted, and Cole grinned in victory.

"Well, this house has a little bit more stuff than yours, Gage. It's going to take us a while to do a thorough search."

"Saying this house has more stuff than Gage's is like saying a bear has more fur than a naked mole rat," Luke said, his tone affronted.

"We might as well get started," Gage said, trying to sooth Luke's irritation. "Not everyone is as incompetent at creating a home as I am."

Luke shot Gage a smile, letting him know Luke knew exactly what Gage was doing, and that it had worked. 

"Luke, who should take what?"

"Umm, Gage, you take my bedroom. I need to take my office because I don't trust either of you oafs to keep things in order. Cole can start with the kitchen or living room."

"I'll start with the kitchen," Cole said. "I have a suspicion I will find some sneaky artifacts in the fridge that will need to be inspected immediately and thoroughly." 

"Before you inspect me out of house and home, make sure you share your finds with the rest of us," Luke said. 

They split up and Gage could hear Cole banging around in the kitchen, occasionally yelling questions to Luke like, "Who doesn't have mayo in their fridge?" and "Do you hate things that taste decent?"

There was a knock on the door and Gage froze momentarily before springing down the hallway, blocking Luke from leaving his office while Cole answered the door.

"Dare! Just in time. We have sandwiches!"

"And I have something even better."

Luke grabbed Gage’s hand and they headed to the living room together.

"Better than turkey cranberry cheddar sandwiches?" Cole gasped.

"Cheddar?" Gage asked with skepticism. 

"Luke seems averse to any other kind of cheese," Cole said.

"I have bug sweepers," Dare interrupted.

"To get rid of cockroaches?" Luke asked.

"So we can search faster," Dare said. "It'll beep if it finds anything. I tested it at my buddy Eric's so I know exactly what I'm looking for."

He tossed one to Gage and kept the other for himself.

"What, I don't get to play with the new toys?" Cole asked.

"Looks like you're on kitchen duty," Dare said. 

He quickly showed Gage how to adjust the settings and scan.

"How will I know if it's found something?" Gage asked.

"You'll know," he said.

It was pretty anticlimactic when they finished sweeping the entire house and found nothing. 

"Are you sure these are working?" Gage asked.

"Yep. That's why I tested them at Eric's. There's nothing here."

"Luke, can I talk to you for a second?" Gage and Luke retreated to his room. Not that it would stop the keen wolf ears from overhearing them, but it gave them a semblance of privacy.

"I'm really not comfortable with you staying here alone." Gage’s instincts were screaming at him to throw Luke back in his car and take him somewhere he would be safe, wherever that was. But Luke was a grown man, and they weren't mated. Gage had no right to make his decisions for him, child or no child.

"I have no interest in staying here without you," Luke admitted, easing Gage’s mind.

They could both stay here. As long as Gage had internet, he could work anywhere. But he also didn't feel right about leaving Sean, as well protected as he might be with Cole and Jess. "Would you be okay with staying at Cole and Jess's a little longer?"

"Do you think they'd mind?" 

"Of course not," Gage said. "You're pack and I'm family."

"You're pack too," Luke said, caressing Gage’s face. Gage caught his hand and pressed a kiss to his palm.

"Not officially. Not yet. But soon."

Luke pulled Gage close for a kiss. "Let me at least pack up some spare clothes. Oh, what about school tomorrow? Should Luke and I go?"

It would be broad daylight. On White Falls territory. "I don't see why not. Do we need to take your car back with us? And is it okay if Sean rides with you?"

"That would be ideal. And of course Sean can ride with me. What, are you going to make me drive and have you take Sean separately? Or were you thinking of chauffeuring us both?"

"I wouldn't mind chauffeuring if you wanted."

Luke zipped his duffel shut. "We'll be fine. It's not that far, and we'll have pack around all day at the school."

Something in Gage’s gut was a still uneasy at the idea of either of them being out of his sight, but he didn't have a legitimate excuse to keep them out of school, just a bunch of unfounded worries.

"Let's get back to the house and crash, then. It's been a long few days."

Gage rode back to the house with Luke in his car and Cole drove Gage's. 

"Do you think Dare's friend will be able to get any information off those cameras?" Luke asked.

"I'm not sure," Gage said. "I don't know much about any level of security or hardware. I'm pretty strictly a software guy."

"How are you feeling?" Luke knew it was a pretty dumb question. Gage couldn't be feeling terribly awesome.

"I feel...angry," Gage admitted. "Mostly at the creep who put the stuff in my house, but at myself for not noticing."

"But how could you have? Who would have thought anyone would have reason to spy on you?"

Gage leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. "I know. And I keep telling myself that. It helps, but it doesn't get rid of it completely."

Dare and Evan left soon after they all reached Cole and Jess's house and ordered in pizza for dinner. No one was really feeling up to cooking. Then they tried to watch a movie, but Gage's leg wouldn't stop bouncing and Cole kept checking his phone and Luke was constantly checking on everyone's current state. 

"This is ridiculous," Jess said finally. "We should go for a run."

"Are you sure that's safe in your condition?" Cole asked.

"Are you sure it's safe period?" Gage asked.

Jess shot Cole a dirty glare. "You know Evan's been shifting most of his pregnancy. I'll be fine. And we'll all be together. We'll be fine."

"Can we, please?" Sean asked Gage, his eyes wide with excitement.

Now that the suggestion had been voiced, there was nothing Luke wanted to do more than shift and run. To feel the earth move beneath his claws, to roll in the dew-covered fields and breath the night air.

Gage shrugged and removed his shirt. Within moments they were all naked and out the back door, then shifted and running. Jess's wolf was more white fur than not, and Gage was nearly a solid gray while Sean was the perfect mix of the two. He was slightly smaller than Luke, and nearly half the size of Gage. Sean pounced in front of Luke and he flipped Sean over with his nose. Sean was just as gangly and awkward in his wolf form as his human, still just a pup. Cole and Jess wrestled in the yard, but Gage huffed at them all and led the way into the woods.

Once under the trees, it was like some spirit of speed possessed them. They took off as fast as they could while still remaining within sight of each other, dodging trees, jumping creeks, ducking tree limbs. Luke felt as though he could go all night, just running, his muscles contracting like a well-oiled machine. He wished the grace and power of being a wolf transferred more to his human form. But there were so many things he wouldn't give up. Like the clarity of communication as a human. And opposable thumbs. All in all, shifters had the best of both worlds.

Sean missed his landing over a creek and stumbled, then scrambled to his feet and caught up to them, yipping with excitement. Gage stopped and howled in response, and soon they all followed his lead, slowing, then lifting their mouths to the sky and singing.  The howls echoed against far hills, and several wolves in the distances picked up their song and joined. Luke chuckled as house dogs in nearby neighborhoods set up a fuss. 

The drive to run faded after that, and they started circling back to the house at a meandering walk. Luke padded up to Gage and leaned against his shoulder. Gage turned and licked Luke’s nose in return, his yellow eyes displaying just as much love and care as his human ones. He was beautiful, whether in human or wolf form. Luke couldn't help but wonder what their child would look like. Would it be a boy or a girl? Alpha, beta or omega? What would their personality be like? As inconceivable as the notion had been just a short time ago, now he could hardly wait to be a dad. He started weaving as they walked, the exertion catching up to him and sleep calling.

Soon, they were back to the house, their anxieties worn down by their physical exhaustion. Gage and Luke didn't bother putting their clothes back on, they just grabbed them to drop on the floor in their room and then crawled in bed, Luke’s back pressed against the hot skin of Gage’s chest. Tomorrow, Luke would go back to some semblance of his normal life. As crazy as the last couple days were, he was liking his new life better. He had Gage. He had their child. There was nothing he would trade for either of those.