"Why are you crying?

There's a beauty of a moon in the sky

But I guess when you've been leading such a sheltered life

You never lift your head and look so high
You don't have a lot, but it's all that you've got

And you can turn it into more than it seems

Just give it a shot,

Fantasize every movement

And imagine every inch of your dream"

-Meatloaf

The pack was gathered at Alex's house for our first meeting since Nick's death. Michel called the meeting to order then Alex stood. "I know that I should say some words of wisdom but I suck at that so I'll just say what I'm thinking," he said. "This past year has been hell. It was only ten months ago when Jack died and I took over. In the time I was leader out pack was divided, we lost some pack mates and many of us were nearly killed.

"Now we've mourned our losses and salvaged everything that we could. I can't promise you that things will get better. I can promise that I'll try to keep us together. I can also promise that I'll protect this pack and everyone in it with my dying breath."

"He's good," Haley whispered to me.

"Now it is time to looking into the future," he finished. He extended a hand to me. I placed my hand in his and stood. He placed a possessive hand on my stomach. "We're expecting a new pack member." There was brief silence before everyone began talking. Haley hugged me and began talking really fast.

I didn't really hear much of what she was saying. I was too busy studying the group around me. The women were fawning over me while the men teased Alex. I smiled. This was the first time that I had seen them all this happy since Nick and his pack came into town. Now we were truly reunited and things were back to normal. All deaths were mourned as a pack but all births were celebrated as a pack.