Closed eyes, calm breathing, and a head buried underneath a pillow. A smile formed on my face as I stared at my mate's sleeping form. I raised my hand a traced it along his warm, bare back, feeling as he shivered beneath my touch.

"Stop that," Cronan murmured lowly without getting up.

"Good morning," I greeted.

The pillow shifted slightly, revealing the pair of blue eyes I loved seeing every day.

"You can never let me sleep, can you?"

"I missed you."

"I'm right beside you."

"Yeah, but it isn't the same." I pulled him closer, nuzzling my head into his neck. "I missed you."

Cronan huffed as if my words somehow annoyed him, but I didn't believe it. Not when I could see the corners of his mouth rise. Without thinking, I yanked back the pillow and did what I wanted to do all along—pull him into a kiss.

...

"Good morning!"

My eyes snapped open and I searched around the room and paused when I saw Lola and Abel standing at the door with another little girl, Genevieve, who was the same age as Lola.

"Good morning," I greeted the three rascals. "What are you doing up here this early?"

"It's twelve. It's not that early," Genevieve pointed out.

"Hungry." Abel pouted.

"Has Ambrose not made you breakfast?"

"He's been gone all morning," Lola explained. "Eddy made breakfast but his food is disgusting!"

I cringed at the thought of Eddy, one of the older kids, in the kitchen. As helpful as he tried to be, cooking was not his forte.

"Okay, okay. Let me change and then I'll make breakfast. How about that?"

The three kids lit up and simultaneously shouted, "Okay!"

If I wasn't awake before, I sure was now.

Their tiny feet hurried out of the room, shutting the door behind them and I sighed. My mind drifted back to where it shouldn't—to Cronan—and I groaned out loud. He already haunted my memories. Why did he have to haunt my dreams too?

And cause problems I definitely shouldn't be having while staying here with Ambrose.

I sat in bed for a few minutes, willing my mind to clear itself, before getting up and grabbing clothes for the day. I had no plans, but I was sure something was bound to happen eventually.

I stood up and grabbed a random shirt and jeans, then headed to the bathroom to brush my teeth. The cool water helped clear the last bits of sleepiness clinging to me, but it couldn't wash away the thoughts of Cronan still lingering in my mind. The dream, so vivid, left me feeling both empty and full at once.

I missed him. More than I wanted to admit.

I missed waking up next to him and hearing his voice, and I missed the way he'd complain about CJ as if he didn't like the cat.

CJ. I missed my cat. How could I leave him behind? In the heat of the moment, the thought hadn't crossed my mind to take him with me, but fuck, I missed that little furball and I wanted him back. But going back to get him meant I had to deal with Cronan and I wasn't ready for that. Not yet.

Pushing those thoughts away, I rinsed my mouth and ran my hands through my hair.
Today was just another day and it would be a good one—I'd make sure of it. I gave myself a once over before exiting the room, mentally preparing myself for whatever chaos the kids might have stirred up.

I walked down the long, empty hallway, but just as I was about to turn the corner, I heard the frantic sound of a door shutting and sighed. The top floor, the one I was currently on, only had two people living on it: Laken and myself. Both of our rooms were at the end of the hall though which meant the noise likely hadn't come from him. It didn't help that some of the kids had a bad habit of trying to hide in the empty rooms when they were up to no good.

I rounded the corner and grabbed the knob, fully prepared to scold a child, but instead, I was greeted with the unholy sight of Ambrose and Laken deep into a kiss that definitely wasn't innocent.

One of Ambrose's hands was gripping the front of Laken's shirt as he sat perched on the bed with Laken between his legs while the other hand was locked within the man's hair.

Laken's hands had already disappeared underneath Ambrose's shirt which I was sure would come off in a matter of seconds, so I did what any good friend would do: I quietly shut the door and turned away, acting as if I saw nothing.

I guess that explained why Ambrose didn't make breakfast.

I stepped into the kitchen, where the kids sat at the table, their eyes full of hope as they waited for something edible. Eddy glanced over at me, his expression halfway between guilty and hopeful like he was waiting for either a compliment or a reprimand. Judging by the burned toast crumbs on the counter, I had a feeling I knew which one he deserved.

"Morning, Eddy," I greeted, making my way toward the stove. "Thanks for trying, but I've got it from here."

"No problem," he muttered, clearly relieved, and quickly resumed washing dishes with more enthusiasm than before.

I turned my attention to the kids, who looked like they were ready to eat the table. "Alright, what do you all want? Something simple, or should I get fancy?"

"Fancy!" Lola shouted.

"Simple!" Genevieve countered, eyeing the stove warily.

Abel stared at me blankly, pointing to his belly in an exaggerated motion. "Hungry."

I laughed and shook my head. "Alright, let's compromise. Pancakes it is."

I grabbed the ingredients and set to work, trying to push thoughts of Cronan, CJ, and the scene upstairs out of my mind.

One thing at a time. First, breakfast. Then, maybe, I'd figure out what the hell I was going to do with the rest of the day.

As the pancakes sizzled on the stove, the kids' chatter filled the kitchen. Lola was animatedly telling Genevieve about a new game she'd invented, and Abel was trying to get a better look at the pancakes.

Suddenly, Lola turned her attention to me. "Fen, what's a mate?"

The question took me by surprise. "A mate?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Lola said, nodding earnestly. "Like, what does it mean when someone says 'mate'?"

I glanced at the other kids, who were listening intently. "Well, a mate is like a special partner or friend," I began, trying to keep it simple. "It's someone who you care about a lot and who cares about you, too. In some places, it means a person you choose to spend your life with."

Genevieve's eyes widened. "Like a best friend forever?"

"Kind of," I said, smiling. "But it's usually someone you're really close to and share a lot of your life with."

Lola asked, "Do mates have to be together all the time?"

I thought for a moment. "Not all the time. They might not always be together, but they stay close in their hearts and support each other."

"Do you have to be with your mate?" Eddy questioned.

"Not necessarily. Some people choose not to be with their mates for personal reasons. It depends on the person."

Eddy nodded thoughtfully. "Good because I have stuff to do."

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow, smiling a bit at the teenager. "What do you have to do?"

"I'm gonna be rich," he confidently responded. "Make lots of money so I don't have to go back to the den."

I frowned a bit hearing him say that. It made sense that he would remember it more than others, given his age.

"Even if you aren't rich, you aren't going to go back, Eddy. Ambrose and I won't let that happen."

"Nothing's guaranteed though," he muttered. "I know Ambrose wants us to find families and all, but come on Fen. I'm fourteen. Nobody wants an older kid, especially one that came from the den."

I could see the worry and resignation in Eddy's eyes, and it pained me to hear him voice his fears so plainly. I set the spatula down and turned to face him fully.

"Eddy," I said gently, "I understand where you're coming from. It's tough when you feel like you're out of options, but you have to remember that you're not alone. Ambrose and I are here for you, and we believe in you. We're doing everything we can to help find families who will appreciate and care for you."

Eddy looked down, not quite convinced. "But what if it takes a long time? What if I end up stuck here forever?"

I knelt down to his level, trying to offer him some reassurance. "Even if it takes time, it doesn't mean you're stuck. It means we're working on making things better for you. And sometimes, the right opportunity takes a while to come around. But that doesn't mean you're not valuable or deserving of a family."

Genevieve and Lola listened quietly, their earlier excitement about breakfast giving way to concern for Eddy.

"We're all in this together," I continued, trying to sound as comforting as possible. "And while we're working towards finding the right family for everyone, we're also here to make sure you're safe and cared for. I know it's hard, but don't lose hope."

Eddy's expression softened a bit, and he nodded slowly. "Thanks, Fen."

I gave him a reassuring smile and ruffled his hair gently. "Now, let's not dwell on this too much today. How about we enjoy these pancakes and see what else the day brings? Maybe we'll come up with something fun to do together."

The kids opened their mouths, likely to suggest ideas, but their squeaky voices were cut off by the sound of a growl. A growl I could spot from anywhere because I'd been on the receiving end of it a million times in the past.

Nixon's growl. And it wasn't a friendly one either.

"Stay here," I told the kids and hurried outside the house to see what the problem was.

I followed Nixon's scent deeper into the woods, making sure to scan everything, but when I saw him, I froze. Not because his aura was radiating, not because his teeth were bared, and not because his mate was equally as on guard as he was, but because of the blue-eyed wolf they were staring at.

Cronan.

Cronan was here.

Cronan was here, about to get mauled if I didn't intervene.

Those blue eyes shifted away from Nixon and found me instead. And, as if my body was on autopilot, I moved so that I was in front of him. Nixon stared at me with a confused expression and his eyes flickered between Cronan and me for a moment before it finally closed.

This irritating wolf was my mate.