"What about Robert."
I shook my head and stuck my tongue out.
"Then he'll grow up and want to be called Bob or Bobby-"
"Would not- fine... Dalton?"
"Ewe Danny- no, plus it sounds too much like Paton-"
"They'll be twins babe, its okay if their names match... Okay not Dalton, but we got to come up with something... How about Jack?"
"Jack and Daniel, you don't see anything wrong with that? Might as well call him Captain Morgan." I scoffed. His face lit up. "What?" I asked, stopping our walk around the field.
"I like that-"
"We are not naming our son Captain Morgan." I put my hands up, but he just rolled his eyes.
"Not Captain Morgan- just Morgan. I like that name. We can name one Morgan Joyce Snow. That way if we have more than one girl they'll both have our mothers names as middle names." He shrugged.
"I'd actually really like that." I nodded, the name, like the other we had decided on, seemed to resonate within me, and I knew it was meant for one of them. Payton and Morgan... They sounded perfect together.
"Don't cry babe-"
"Shut up! You know I can't help it lately." I said with a chuckle, continuing our walk. "Just promise you won't tell them she's named after rum?!" I laughed through the tears. He laughed and shook his head.
"I swear. We still have to come up with a boys name though- I'm telling you there's a boy in there-"
"And I'm telling you there are only two-"
"I hear three Cora, maybe four-"
"No- no stop." I laughed.
"Hey- I told you I want a boy." He teased, pulling me in towards him to kiss me. I swatted at him.
"Well we better keep thinking of names then." I said.
"Benjamin?"
I shook my head and he shook his as we kept walking.
"Trevor?"
**************************************************
Just keep running!
Move!
Don't let up!
I pushed harder, further, my ears high on my head, my shoulders tense.
I let out a call to let Danny know I was fine, and he replied; he wanted to come check on me, I knew it, but I howled a command to keep pushing forward.
We were running in a Z formation and looping back around the houses. Durst was given permission by Danny and I to stay alert at home, to protect the land around the property, and to change only if the rogues broke through the outer ring of our territory. I had taken one down tonight already, but we weren't sure if it was a related case to the rogues we handled a month back. They had showed no signs of returning the last month, but they hadn't showed signs the last time they came either. With Danny home, and with all of us on alert, we weren't sure if they would return anytime soon. We caught word they have traveled east, and might have gone as far as the upper side of Canada. With them we could never be certain though.
They were like a plague.
A plague we would eradicate, the next time they decide to attack as a whole.
For now I pushed forward, willing another rogue to attack, I have this. I could sense Heather's apprehensive behavior from hearing there was a rogue, but she pushed forward, and so would I.
Two hours pass.
Nothing.
Three.
Nothing.
There's another rogue, but it isn't attacking.
Danny chases them down, and when the rogue attacks instead of turning around Danny makes a move.
The rogue runs, and Danny let's him when I call for him to stay close, to not let them break our formation.
Night falls and I'm running home, clothed, and ready for the comfort of the sun. I have always loved the moon, but now the sun means we are safe. The sun means the rogues are gone for another night. Years of near peace and now we are always on alert.
I sigh with relief as my feet slow down, the house in view, and the others walking home behind me.
"What was up with that? Rogues almost never run..." I say to Danny as he and Dylan approach first; Frea, Owen, and Winny trailing behind closely.
"They were probably spying- you know, trying to figure us out more." Dylan said, taking a seat on the porch as we all congregated there.
"This may not even be related to these other rogues." Winny said with a shrug.
"You both may be right." Danny nodded. "We can't know for sure..."
"Why would they show us particular treatment? Why not other packs they've attacked?" Frea asked. The others arrived, sat amongst the porch and listened.
"We're the fasted to rebound." I said. Owen nodded.
"We're like a prize." Owen agreed. "I think those were weaker members."
"Definitely." I nodded.
"Well we just have to stay head strong." Danny said, with a worried sigh.
"Let them try to get past us again." Heather said, a darkness to her tone. She had only been back a week. She was pushing herself harder than ever; Danny and I worried, but we knew why she was doing it.
We all wanted revenge.
Revenge is wrong- sure- but our children were on the line, our homes, our family.
"I know what they're doing."
We all turned to Hunter.
His face was nervous, like he had a secret, like he didn't want to say it.
"I've been thinking it for a while..." He cleared his throat. He shook his head.
"What's your idea Hunter, you're a scout now, I'd like to hear." Danny said, and I could feel him persuading him into speaking, his presence and aura changing.
"Yes Sir. I uh- I took this Zoology class in school once..." Hunter started, looking to Leon nervously for support. Leon nodded. "Have you ever watched a documentary on the behavior of Lions?"
"We're wolves not Lions Hunter." Owen said curiously, with a hint of humor.
I had the exact opposite feeling.
I felt no humor in what Hunter was saying, because it instantly clicked.
I have seen documentaries like that.
The images of grown lions killing cubs flashed before my eyes. Their small limp bodies in their jaws as they prowl their new territory.
"They wouldn't..." I said, placing my hand on my stomach.
"Why not?" Hunter said grimly.
"I'm confused." Alice said. Sam gulped, and looked from her to Danny, he knew too.
"When lions take over new territories they put the women in fear, they kill all the males that aren't willing to comply, and they kill... They kill all of the cubs, to stop the male lineage." He said shakily, as if he feared explaining it to Danny. Sam's eyes didn't look up at him again as he spoke. Hunter nodded, agreeing that it was exactly what he meant.
"They must have- they must be trying to find a pack to take over. It makes sense, every time they attack we prove we're strong, we prove we have strong women, good genes, something worth taking..." Leon said in disgust, looking over at his mate nervously.
There was a long silence.
So long it drove me crazy, wondering what they were all thinking, wondering if they were in more fear because of this revelation. I tried to calm them, but even the wolf inside of me was nervous, unable to comfort them. She had our cubs in mind.
"It doesn't matter what their intentions are. We won't let them go through with it." Danny said grimly.
"No, we won't." I agreed, trying harder to push the negative thoughts away, trying to calm them. "No one is going to break us apart. Not rogues, not custody lawyers, not even the gods above. We fight. And we win. They want to take what we have? Well then they better be prepared. The next time they come down here we show no mercy. If they run we catch them. If they come for us, we show them we're not for the taking." I say firmly.
Danny nodded, intertwining our fingers, and then he looked at the others.
"We may know their possible motive now, but our battle is still the same. We train, we fight, and end them. They've hurt enough of our brethren, enough packs have suffered, and we will not let it continue. Our best strategy is to keep doing what we're doing. I'll get in contact with the others, let them know our theory, and warn them to show no mercy." Danny commanded.
"Yes Sir." We all said in unison.
"We'll need to think of having more scouts in the near future as well. I think we should start opening training to the younger pack members, ones who are about to change or have just changed. They are the most vulnerable in our pack as a whole. They may never end up scouts, but they'll be our greatest resource for new ones. They'll want to prove themselves, and they'll be easy to add to our group, we have these three now and they're proving to be a great addition. I'll let the council know about my decision and they can inform the other families. If you all agree that is a reasonable plan." He added.
There was apprehension on a few of their faces, but they all nodded.
"Older scouts definitely won't cut it." Owen said, asserting his approval as Beta. "If the young is who they want to attack then we'll teach them how to fight back."