At the Shadow Moon Pack,

Darren stared at the screen where the images of Logan and Leo could be seen with frowns on their faces. They were currently on a video call beratung all that had happened to him along with Mateo and Levi.

"We need to save them, Alpha," Logan said. It still affected him. The sight of an innocent child being tortured because they wanted something his parents did not sit well with him and never will. As one of their superiors, part of his duty was to protect the children. It didn’t matter whether he knew them or not. "And we need to kill that Jared," he added after remembering that man had spoken of the ways he would use to kill the Alpha and Luna supreme. Just thinking about it left a bitter and sour taste in his tongue.

"Is the pup still alive?" Darren asked. This was important. Those lives were important but he could not risk everything only to find out that they were already dead.

"I think he has killed them already," Leo stated and received a glare from Logan. "Don’t glare at me, you know I am right, he would kill them so they are useless to him," he said referring to Jared.

"Retune tonight," Darren instructed. They had all that was needed, their mission was complete. The family was dead. Making them stay much longer would engage them and risk everything else. He just needed to pass an order to all shifters using the Alpha authority so no one disobeyed. Not even the rogues.

"I have given out warnings before, I will give out one more, whoever is foolish enough to go near those places where the hunters recede can only blame themselves for the out one and their deaths," Darren said.

"Understood, Alpha," Leo and Logan said together.

"Return before dawn," Darren said again before disconnecting the call.

"They could have spared the pup," Levi said. He could not imagine having g hisbpyp tortured in his presence, that alone made him ball his fingers into fists. "He did nothing to deserve that,"

"Nothing can be done now that they are gone. We can only try to protect those that are still alive," Mateo said while Dareen shut his eyes. His expression looked pained and they knew what was the cause of it.

"You should rest now, Alpha," Mateoi said, placing his hand on Darren’s shoulder but it was swatted away. He didn’t take any offense to it understanding that it might be for his safety. "We would handle the rest of it,"

"I am fine," he said. Right now he was truly doing as much as he could to stay away from his mate as much as possible. He loved her, he would do whatever he could to make sure he did not hurt her but he wouldn’t take the chances. He didn’t trust that to always be possible with how everything was changing. The slightest mistake and he might kill her and their unborn child.

"Luna can take care of you," Mateo said. He knew the reason behind his refusals, he was worried for his mate but they all knew that if there was anyone who could stop the spread of whatever it was that was harming him, changing him, it was his mate, their Luna, but the Alpha was stubborn to the bone.

Darren shot him a glare that had him stepping back to avoid annoying him more than he already was.

"I am sorry," he apologized. They will have to find another way to make him go back inside his home where the only person who could help was. Not just as his mate, but also as the one with the power to heal him, though partially, it was still better than leaving him like this.

"Luna would feel lonely if you keep away from her like this," Levi said. His mate was always with her best friend so she wouldn’t be lonely while he got to stay without her. If the aloha would return, then she would come back to him. It was killing two birds with one stone.

Darren’s expression paused for a moment as he thought the words of Levi over. He was right. Kora had been staying alone at night. He stood and went for the door to leave the office. "I will give out the command by sunrise," he said, opening to leaving them without another word.

They watched him go and sighed in relief. At least they know he would be much better by morning. Those poor souls who would be receiving the command won’t be too shaken by the sudden command that would be filled with anger and hate.

"We should go too," Mateo said. They finally had the time to rest, he was found to make the most of it.

"I will pick up Emily," Levi said, agreeing to leave while they had the chance.

Darren arrived and Emily immediately bid good night to Kora, so did Sophia who had taken the absence of her mate and her time off to be with the Luna, and also took the chance to give her pregnancy a check-up. But now that he was here, it was time for her to leave. Giving a curt and respectful bow, they left the mates alone.

He stared at her, not knowing what to say. The little frown on her face told him that she was upset. He feared her anger for a reason he did not know though she had never been violent in her actions due to anger.

"You are running away from me on purpose," she said, breaking the silence that filled the house after his appearance. "Why?"

He stared at her in silence for a moment before taking small steps towards her and stopping just a good away from her. He drew in a deep breath and released it slowly.

"Why?" she asked again. She tried to push away the frown on her face because she could now see that he was in pain.

"I... I am..." he trailed off, unable to complete his words.

"Scared," she said, completing his words. She reached out her hand from where she sat to touch his face and went on one knee so she wouldn’t have to stress herself because she wanted to touch him.

"Yes, I am scared," he said, shutting his eyes and leaning into her palm. "I hear I would hurt you," he looked down at her belly, "Bitu of you," he said and raised his head to look at her again. "I don’t want that to happen,"

"Then you will be hurting yourself," she said, cupping his other cheek as well. "I can’t bear to see that," she pressed a kiss on his forehead. "It hurts me to see you like this,"

"I won’t stay away again," he said and a small smile found its way to her lips.

"You won’t hurt me," Kora said and Darren opened his mouth to speak but she beat him to it, "I know you won’t, so don’t run and keep your promise. I like it when you hold me,"

He went silent after hearing that. Following her wishes to hold her, he sat beside her and held her in his arms just as she liked it.