Luna's wretched cries were heard across the pack house by every werewolf, Alpha Rowan entered the bedroom and walked to where his Luna was, he rubbed her back while reassuring her that everything was going to be okay.

Luna shook her head, looked at him, and asked, "why is your voice shaking then?"

Alpha Rowan Harrington stared at his mate's wet face, touched it, and looked down.

"Don't you dare cry, Rowan?" His Luna warned him.

"I am not going to cry River okay. But maybe a little?" Alpha Rowan said, his voice shaking.

Why were the Alpha and his Luna crying?

It was early, two in the morning, and every werewolf was awake. The werewolves were trying their best to console their mates, even the newborn cries carried the same meaning. It was not that of hunger, or in need of a clothing change.

Cassie walked from her bedroom to that of her parents, with her little sister in tow with wobbly feet. "Cassie, wait, please, " Cassie's sister called, rubbing her eyes.

If it was any other day Cassie would have made fun of her sister and continued walking, but it was two in the morning and Cassie understood that her sister was still sleepy.

"Aliyah, let me carry you," Cassie said to her but she shook her head, she was adamant.

Cassie stared at her sister and knew there was no need to ask her again, she had already tried that in her bedroom and Aliyah had said no.

Dark River Pack's pack house was well lit, and Cassie hoped Aliyah wouldn't fall. Cassie allowed her sister to walk in front of her. Even after trying to held her hand, Aliyah shook her head and continued to walk and for a toddler, the little wolf had an attitude.

Cassie cringed at how every attempt she tried to hold her sister failed and she knew it was going to be a very tough morning.

"Good morning," Cassie greeted a wolf standing in front of her parents' door, the werewolf greeted her back with a bow.

"A bow, seriously?" Cassie thought and cringed again.

She knocked on the door and hoped there was no one inside the bedroom apart from her parents, the last thing she needed that morning was to get another werewolf who would bow again as if she was a princess.

"Mummy," Aliyah called and then yawned. The little wolf was tired and sleepy, but there was no way she was going to miss seeing her sister before she left.

"Daddy?" Aliyah called again and stomped her little feet down.

"Aliyah, they will open, calm down," Cassie said, trying hard to make her little sister from starting to cry. Aliyah looked up at Cassie and Cassie couldn't help but look away wondering why her little sister's look conveyed the meaning of, "oh, you. I will kill you."

Knocking on the door again, Cassie became worried. There was no way her parents would have left their bedroom and gone to the meeting room, they had agreed the first thing before the meeting was to meet in their bedroom and walk into the meeting as one big happy strong family.

"Are they in?" Cassie asked the wolf standing there but got no answer. Looking at the wolf, she found the wolf was staring at her with tears threatening to fall from his eyes.

"Okay, everyone needs to calm down." Cassie thought and turned back to look at Aliyah who was staring at her, and before Cassie would ask her sister what was wrong, the door opened and it revealed the Alpha and his Luna, both eyes red.

"Mummy," Aliyah said and Luna River bent down and picked her up.

"Seriously, I asked if I can carry you and you said no," Cassie said and looked at her sister.

"Cassie let your sister be," Alpha Rowan said and looked at the wolf standing in front of his bedroom and dismissed him.

Luna River walked to their bed and sat Alpha Rowan, holding Cassie's hand asked her if she slept well, a question he knew was stupid but had asked anyway. Luna River whispered to Aliyah and Aliyah nodded her head, place her head on her mother's shoulder, and fell asleep.

"I had to reassure her that I will wake her up, I swear the little wolf has a mind of a teenager." Luna River said to Alpha Rowan who was still standing with Cassie. She looked at them and then at the bed and the both of them joined her on the bed, putting Cassie in the middle.

They talked and cried, and it was Cassie's work to reassure her parent that she was going to be okay and everything was under control. Alpha Rowan and his mate smiled at how their daughter was courageous and couldn't help but give her a proud smile.

"We know you will be okay, you got this." Luna River said and got a small blanket and covered a sleeping Aliyah.

Cassie's parents talked to her a little bit more, they cried while clinging to one another.

"If this is what I have to do for you guys to cry like this, oh, I am in." Cassie joked and her parents stared at her Luna River said to her, "Cassie, don't joke."

"It's time." Someone on the door said after knocking on the door.

Alpha Rowan stood with his family, they looked at each other with sad smiles, walked out of the bedroom, and walked to where the pack was waiting for them arriving there, the meeting room was full of werewolves, from the kids to an elder Cassie felt bad for. It was quiet and Alpha Rowan and his family walked and took a seat next to the Beta's family.

The werewolves in the room stared at the family in front of them with teary eyes.

"Hello pack, this is going to be an adventure, there is no need to be dull," Cassie said and the whole pack laughed.

"Yes, we are not going to war guys." Cassie's best friend said and looked at Cassie.

Cassie stared at her father, Alpha Rowan who looked like he was going to fall any minute soon. Cassie looked at her best friend and smiled, she had to, she knew the next hour was going to be the hardest hour of her life.

*******

Outside the witches' house, the witches were busy chanting, calling out Dark River Pack while rogues were trying to get into the Dark River Pack through the border.