HER Young Mate (Completed)

Part Ninety: Tradition

"Just think about what I said." I urged him.

"I'll move Heather forward, it'll encourage Hunter." He said as he rubbed my stomach. He kissed my temple. "And we'll run the rogues off long before you have to worry about it again." He assured me. "Our niece will be here soon, and then soon our pups, and I don't want them to be of age with a problem like this still around." He said softly, a growl started growing in his chest, and I rubbed his hands comfortingly.

"Danny don't get angry."

"It's getting so hard not to." He said with a nervous laugh. "If my family keeps getting fucked with-"

"Then you have to keep going on, like everything is normal, because that's what the girls need, and our kids, and Chandler, and Cheyenne- everyone else. You have to try."

"I'm not- I'm not like you Cora. I can't just bounce back. I'm young, and I'm terrified, and I'm going to be a dad. And it's all so fucking much- just two years ago all I cared about was riding my dirtbike and getting you to like me. Now I'm the Alpha, I have more responsibilities than I could have ever imagined, I'm gonna be a father- and sometimes I still feel like a teenager... And sometimes I don't feel like myself at all. I've taken out two rogue Alphas and it's put a darkness in me that I can't explain. I... I keep wondering if I can really do it all..." He was quiet as he spoke, uncertain of what he was saying, and his hands trembled for a moment as they ran over my stomach.

"Well... I've always known you to be an ambitious person Daniel, but if you ever need to take a step back from certain things you can, but this- these three- you can't take a step back from them..."

"I know- I was... I was thinking about..." He shook his head and looked down. "Forget it..." He sighed and rested his face on my shoulder again.

"What?..."

"I was think about moving away for a while..." He said quietly. I was shocked at the thought. What it implied. I was surprised he would even think it.

"I wouldn't want to. Not now, not after everything..." I sighed and stood up, and winced as the babies adjusted to my sudden movement.

"Cora-"

"I'm okay." I assured him as I paced.

"Well you just shot down something I've been thinking about since the day I found you and the girls-"

"Please, don't bring that-"

"Why not? Things have been far too much on all of you, and why do I put you all in danger now? For a rank, or a house, a title-"

"We do it for tradition. So our children know what it's like to run free in the woods that my ancestors found-"

"And so they can know what it's like to lose their loved ones, or kill other wolves, who have human lives attached to them. How much longer does this go on- until it's someone else we care about, we've both lost our mothers... I won't lose you, too." He hunched over in his chair and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Danny, I'm strong, I want to be a Luna now, more than ever. Please don't take that from me. Don't do it to yourself. You were born to lead the others. I know right now you're upset, and worried, but when you lead us I see the pride you have, I know how much it means to you, and I don't want you to give that up so easily. At least take the next few months to think about it, and try to make it work again. I love you, and I support you, but this is our home. This is the first place the girls have felt safe, the only place I feel safe, it's where I first saw you, and kissed you... And... And it's where I want the babies to be born." I stopped pacing and looked down into what will be Morgan's crib. I couldn't imagine it in some other room, in some other house.

I couldn't imagine getting normal jobs and supporting six children- one who'm might throw a lifelong tantrum if she's torn from Durst. I couldn't imagine teaching my children to walk anywhere else, but in the grass we practice in. I couldn't imagine their first birthday not under the same stars as my own, with the same trees rustling overhead, twinkling lights above their smiling faces as we dance amongst our family. I couldn't imagine them never hearing the beat of the drums match their hearts. I couldn't imagine raising them away from Chandler and Cheyenne, and all of their future cousins and other children of the pack their age- their litter.

At one point I thought I had given all of it up already, and it was torture.

"I just, I want the kids to be safe, consider my option, too..." Danny said quietly. I nodded, but I could never see myself agreeing. "Cora please don't be upset..." He sighed and walked across the room to hug me again, and kiss my temple, as the stress welled up as tears in my eyes.

"I don't want things to fall apart." I said with my face pressed to his chest.

"They won't." He promised, but I wasn't as sure.