I didn't want to leave. Yet now here I was, resting against Ryder as we made our way back up to the castle. It had been three weeks since our wedding and Ryder and I couldn't be closer after the time we spent together. Ryder had first told me that we could stay longer if I wanted to but that changed in the last week as the rebel attacks on the castle grew and we had to return. He had promised me that we'd go back when everything had calmed down, especially if I was going to go into heat again. I don't know if I was relieved or not when after a week Ryder still couldn't smell the hormone that would tell him that I'm pregnant. Even after three weeks of pretty much non-stop love making I wasn't pregnant even though I was now protected. Looking up at him now I watch as he argues with someone in Jordenian on his phone. We had only just gotten off the plane when it had started to ring, he wanted to ignore it but it kept ringing. He apologised with a soft look as he pulled me against his chest so I could still see out of the window as we made our way past the woods that I loved. Reynolds was sat opposite us and he had an amusing smile on his face as he watched us interact. I had missed him over the past couple of weeks. He was a good friend and one of the people I felt closest to here other than Ryder. "What?" I asked him as I pulled my eyes away from outside. Ryder's speech paused and I know his eyes had moved to Reynolds. He was more possessive now that we had mated and his arm tightened its hold my across my chest. With a small smile and a laugh, I lean my head forward so I can kiss the muscled tone of his arm. A chuckle carries through the car as he shakes his head, pushing back his locks of hair that had fallen in front of his face. "It's going to be interesting to watch how you react now." Ryder growled behind me his arm tightening again. "Don't," Reynolds eyes his friend mischievously but dropped whatever inside conversation that they were having as he turned to look out of the window. From his position I could still see the smirk on his face. I was curious to know what he was waiting for now. When we arrive back at the castle I'm surprised by the amount of guards that are now surrounding us. Ryder's fingers are tightly interlocked with mine and holding me in close to his side despite still vigorously conversing to whoever he is on the phone with. Reynolds is only a step behind the both of us and he's flanked by Charlie and Theo and surrounding all of us was another twenty wolves. My eyes nervously flick around at all the tall and bulky men even the few women that were here and I felt my chest rising and falling in nerves. Instantly Ryder sensed it and hung up the phone and slipped it into his back pocket, he dropped my hand and nodded at the extra guards. We were already in the fourth floor living area so I was confused to why there were extra guards because they weren't normally on this floor. "Hey," His voice is soft and back to English as he steadily wraps an arm around my waist while one rises to my cheek. "Are you alright?" Out of the corner of my eye I see that Allie, Eleanor, Cole, Maxon and Ellie are in the room with us and my guards now. They're watching us carefully and with worry as Ryder held my body in close to his. "I'm fine, I'm sorry." Slowly my eyes slides up to his as I let out a deep breathe. I couldn't explain why I had suddenly gotten so worked up but I was still nervous about what he was still yet to tell me. He looked unsure as he eyed my expression. "Are you sure?" Nodding at him I lean up lightly to press a kiss to his lips not caring that everybody was watching us. Slowly he pulled back from me his arms staying around my waist. "I've got to go and deal with some problems with the rebels but I need you to stay up here, and don't leave the sight of your guards." With a sigh I try to keep calm. "Ok, be safe please." He smiles softly at me and leans down to kiss me again. "I love you Lottie, I'll be back soon." He squeezes my waist before he walks back down the stairs with Maxon, Cole and Reynolds following after him. Once he's gone I eye Theo and Charlie and they nod at me and walk down the stairs a little bit so they can still watch me but that can't hear what we're talking about as Ellie and Eleanor come in closer to me. I smile at them as Ellie pulls me down onto the lounge with her and Eleanor is across from us. "How was it?" Ellie asks now that she's released me from her arms. Shaking my head at her I feel warmth and colour flood my cheeks. "It was nice. He's amazing I can't believe that I have him in my life." "You don't smell pregnant though. You smell a lot like Ryder so I'm going to say that you two did a lot while you were over there." Ellie looked to Eleanor on the opposite couch as she spoke but her voice dropped significantly on level so my guards didn't hear. Surprisingly I didn't feel uncomfortable talking about this subject with them, that didn't stop my cheeks from reddening further. "Ryder says that I'm not and after the first night and I came out of my heat I was on birth control." Both of them look confused as they watch each other and eventually Eleanor turns back towards me. "Sorry, this is nothing for you to worry about, but there was a very, very small chance that you wouldn't get pregnant. It was a .01% chance."