Calm down, Bloodmoon, Lee told himself as he watched the truck speed down the narrow street. Easier said than done. His inner wolf howled at him to chase the vehicle and rip its tires off in retribution. No, he couldn't do that; he had no authority to punish a member of another alpha's pack. Besides, there was a child in the truck. Clenching his fists, Lee took a deep breath and stood on the sidewalk until the throbbing in his head subsided and his heartbeat returned to normal. Through the bond, he could feel Kelsi's anger morph into concern and sadness.

Okay, he told himself, running a hand through his hair, now what? He'd never dated women with kids before, so he was unsure how to proceed. He glanced back at his car, then remembered what was sitting in the passenger seat: a bouquet for Kelsi, plus the science kit Sawyer recommended for Riley. At any other time, he would've asked for a raincheck. Instead, he retrieved the gifts and walked to the house.

The front door was open, so he carefully eased himself inside. Kelsi's father and sister were sitting in the living room and they looked up when he entered.

"I'm sorry if I'm intruding," Lee told them. "I brought these for Kelsi and Riley ..." He gestured helplessly with the gifts.

Victoria glanced at her father, then stood up. "I'll take them," she said.

Lee handed the presents over. He loitered there, awkward and empty-handed, until Mr Kohl gestured for him to sit. He chose the couch while Mr Kohl rocked, stone-faced, in his recliner.

"That asshole was Riley's father," Mr Kohl told Lee without preamble.

Lee glanced down the hall. Victoria knocked on a door and slipped inside. A child's sobbing drifted out into the corridor and was quickly cut off as the door closed. Instantly, Lee's temper flared. He had no context for what occurred before he arrived, but whatever happened made an innocent child cry and that was inexcusable.

"Did he hurt her?" Lee asked, tilting his head down the hallway.

Mr Kohl shook his head. "Only in here," he said, tapping his chest. "That boy knows I'll kill him if he ever lays a hand on my girls."

Bold words from an omega, but Lee agreed with the sentiment. He nodded and the two men lapsed into silence.

Lee's cell dinged and he pulled it out of his back pocket—a message from his mother: << Sorry to bother you, honey, but we found a great piece of land. Check this out when you have the chance. >>

He clicked on the link, which led to a Zillow listing of a large tract of barren land. A hundred acres of flat, tree-less land, dotted here and there with scrub brush and dried grass. Lee sighed and rested his head in one hand as he scrolled through the pictures. In one photo, a dilapidated barn with the vestiges of red paint decayed in silence.

<< Gonna have to get Sav on this, >> he wrote back. The desolate landscape ate at Lee's soul. All he'd known was thick forests and the feel of grass between his paws. There was nothing taller than a bush on this property. Not even a cactus for Hecate's sake. As a green faerie, Sawyer could transform this eyesore into something beautiful.

<< Do you want me to put in an offer? Have you shown this to Kelsi yet? >> his mother replied.

Lee glanced at the hallway. << Not yet. >>

<< Ok. Your father got the paperwork from the bureau. You'll have some forms to sign when you get home. >>

Ugh, Lee groaned, rubbing his forehead. There was a lot of paperwork to deal with when an alpha claimed a city. Essentially, cities—or villages in his case—operated like Native American reservations. They governed autonomously, subject only to regulations passed by Congress and the Bureau of Werewolf Affairs. Monies generated by the city mostly stayed put, with a small percentage going to the US government in taxes. That didn't mean alphas and their families could tax the crap out of its citizens (although a few tried); their wealth mainly came from large businesses, such as the Stillwater family casino.

A business that Lee did not currently have.

He tapped a quick reply to his mother and stuffed the phone in his pocket.

"Is everything okay?"

Lee looked over at Mr Kohl. This omega would be his father-in-law, so he might as well start sharing information. "My mother sent me a listing for some land down in Silver Rush," he explained, digging the phone back out. He scooted over to the other side of the couch and pulled up the listing to show the omega.

"Fifty thousand for a hundred acres?" Mr Kohl asked, brow scrunching up.

Lee nodded. "Surprisingly cheap. But I guess I should be grateful because we're going to have to build a house and a compound for future generations."

"Cheap ...?" Mr Kohl slowly shook his head and handed the phone back. "Good luck with that, son." He reclined in the chair, looking at the opposite wall with pressed lips.

"Do you think that's too much?"

Mr Kohl rolled his head to look at Lee. "Son, that's what I make in a year."

Lee glanced down at his phone, then up at the older werewolf. "Oh. I, uh—" Shit. Now he felt like an asshole. Omegas generally made far less than betas, but Lee had never come up against that discrepancy before. Now, sitting in the Kohl home, it was quite evident: the old, worn carpeting in the living room, the faded and worn fabric of the couch and recliner. Their kitchen table was scratched and one leg was propped up by a piece of wood. In the neighborhood, houses were close together, with postage-stamp-sized yards and narrow streets.

"Sir, I didn't mean to imply—"

Mr Kohl held up a hand. "I've worked long, hard hours, true. But we're comfortable. There are folks out there who are worse off."

Comfortable. Lee looked around the room again, trying to see past the wear and tear. He found it in the photos on the wall, the toys in the corner, and the crayon drawings displayed proudly on the refrigerator. Yes, the house was old, but he didn't see anything taped up or broken down.

Lee cleared his throat. "Still, Mr Kohl, I didn't want you to think I think less of you and your family."

The older man studied Lee with an intensity he'd never expected from an omega. "I think you're a nice young man who was raised right and thrown into a difficult position. As long as you treat my girls right, we'll be fine."

Girls.

Kelsi and Riley.

Lee leaned forward. "About that ..."

The door to Riley's bedroom opened and the three older Kohl women emerged. Mrs Kohl and Victoria drifted in the direction of the kitchen while Kelsi walked into the living room. Lee sat up straight on the couch, his question about Riley's father forgotten as Kelsi approached.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I need a raincheck for today." She sighed and pushed her blonde hair away from her face, looking stressed and sad. "Riley's just ..." She glanced over her shoulder and shrugged.

Lee stood. "No, I understand." Inside, he was cursing her ex for ruining this day, leaving him with precious little time to get to know Kelsi before the wedding.

If there was going to be a wedding.

Now's not the time to think about that, Bloodmoon, he told himself.

There was a creak and the bedroom door opened a second time. Little Riley shuffled out into the living room, clutching the science kit to her chest.

Goddammit.

Lee's heart broke for her tear-stained cheeks and puffy eyes. He no longer wanted to rip the tires off of the ex's truck; now he wanted to shift and tear the whole thing apart and pelt the insufferable gamma with the parts.

"M-mommy said you bought this for me," Riley whispered.

Lee glanced at Kelsi, who looked shocked. He dropped to the floor to get on the little girl's level. "I did. Do you like it? My sister said it's a very popular kit."

Riley nodded. "Y-yes. Thank you." She hugged the kit tighter, causing the plastic to crinkle.

"I'm Lee, by the way," he said, sticking out his hand.

Riely's arms remained crossed over the science kit, clinging to it like a lifeline. "You're the alpha who's going to marry my mommy."

That caught him by surprise. "I, uh—"

Kelsi dropped to the floor beside him. "We had a conversation about who you were and what you were doing here," she said quietly, looking at the floor, then at her daughter.

"Oh."

"Mommy said you were going out," Riley told him. "Are you?"

Lee stared at the girl. Hadn't she just been crying and now she was interrogating him? Is this what having kids was like?

Hell, was this what whiplash felt like?

Kelsi reached out and touched Riley's shoulder. "No, Ri."

"Oh." The child looked crestfallen. "That's okay. My daddy said I couldn't go to the zoo, either." Her breath hitched and a tear formed at the corner of one eye, slowly rolling down her cheek.

Lee began imagining tearing Kelsi's ex apart.

Kelsi's sharp glance in his direction tore Lee out of his bloody fantasies. He rocked on his heels, struggling to find his way through this conversation. "Do you ..." he began slowly. "Do you want to go to the zoo?"

"Oh, Alpha Lee ..." Kelsi began, as Riley exclaimed, "Yes!"

The little girl spun around. "Please, Mommy? Please?"

Kelsi looked over at Lee. "You don't have to do this."

No, but he couldn't stand to see Riley upset. And he barely knew the kid. "Why not? You're a package deal, aren't you?"

A strange sort of fluttering slipped through their bond as Kelsi stared at him. Did that mean she liked the idea? Lee had to study the whole mate-bond thing more when he got home. If he could get a moment's peace away from paperwork, that is.

"You're certain," Kelsi pressed.

"Yes." He glanced at his watch. It was past one in the afternoon. The Peacewood Zoo closed at seven in the summer. "We'll have to hurry, though."

Kelsi stood up. "C'mon, kid. Let's hustle." She glanced back at Lee before hurrying Riley back toward her room. Lee stood up and brushed off his knees reflexively. He could feel three pairs of eyes on him and he slowly turned to the kitchen where Kelsi's sister gave him a thumb's up.

By Hecate, I hope this works, he thought, running a hand through his hair.