Stupid, Chauvinistic Werewolves. . .

Before, During, And After Victory.

I sat in my office, chewing my thumbnail.

Breathe, Mal.

It had been hours since everyone had left, and I haven't gotten word from anybody.

I took a deep breath.

No news is good news, right?

I'd know if something went wrong, right? I mean, I am Alpha.

I sighed. Slumping back in my plush desk chair, I turned on my computer in hopes to distract myself.

Hmm.

I enjoy looking random things up on Google, but I need to come up with something first.

Tapping my lips with my index finger, I leaned back and looked around my office. Maybe I could look up the author of a book or something.

Baby-to-be-named kicked and I smiled down at her and rubbed my tummy.

Then I froze.

Seth and I had come to an agreement about tattoos. He could get them, as long as he didn't get a weird one in a weird place (which he was often prone to do). I could get them as long as I didn't tell him about it first, and didn't drag him to the session.

Something about protectiveness of me and needles.

Anyway, while we had agreed to that, when we found out I was pregnant, we wanted to get something to do with our baby.

Looking up at the screen, I started searching for tattoo artists who were good with portraits and things like that.

Two cross-eyed hours later, my office door burst open.

I looked up, ready to threaten the person when I saw Seth standing there, in one piece.

I flew from my chair and buried my head into Seth's chest. He hugged me, while moving back behind my desk.

I felt him chuckle.

"I told you she was probably on Google." He said to someone over my head. I reluctantly pulled back enough to see who else was there.

Kody stood there, with Car wrapped around him like I was Seth. Nate was balanced on her hip, eating a Popsicle. Don and Mel were also there, holding a baby boy. He was looking around him curiously, and I tilted my head, looking at him.

He had Don's curly brown hair, but his mom's stormy blue eyes.

I don't know why, but I just had to go over there and hold him. He didn't seem to mind me holding him, but my baby bump seemed to bother him. He didn't seem to know what to do with his feet, and he was giving my stomach a look I couldn't decipher.

Mel and Don didn't seem to mind me holding their son either, but I handed him back and went to go push Seth into my chair, sitting down on his lap, before waving for everyone else to have a seat as well.

Dylan kept looking at my stomach, but I ignored it, and made Seth and everybody tell me what happened.

Seth POV

Why are hostages always kept in basements?

Is now really the time to be thinking about this? You have to focus. We have mate and child to get back to.

I know that.

So? Why are you thinking about where bad guys keep their hostages?

Well, why would I think of it any other time, huh?

Shut up, and focus.

Whatever.

I crept down the stairs, Don and Kody behind me. None of us could tell if there were anymore wolves down here, but we were reasonably sure that they were all lying in pools of blood above ground.