"You know we can't stay in this room all day, right?" I said quietly, running my fingers through Fen's dark hair, enjoying the way it felt against my skin.

"We can stay for a bit longer," he murmured, his voice muffled as he pressed his face deeper into the crook of my neck.

I smiled softly but shook my head. "The kids and Ambrose are starting to worry about you. You've barely left in three days."

Fen let out a low groan, the sound laced with reluctance. "I know," he admitted, his arms tightening around me. "I just...don't feel ready to face them yet. I don't want them to see me like this."

"They've been asking about you. Lola and Abel, especially." I felt him tense at the mention of their names. "They're worried, too."

Fen was silent for a moment, his breath warm against my neck. "I don't want to upset them," he whispered. "They've been through enough."

"You're not going to upset them. They care about you, Fen. They look up to you. If anything, seeing you might help put them at ease."

He sighed, his fingers gripping the fabric of my shirt as if grounding himself. "It's just hard, you know? To be around them, knowing I might have to let them go soon."

"I know," I said, my voice gentle. "But they still need you, whether they're staying or leaving. And I think you need them too, even if it's just to remind yourself why you're doing all of this in the first place."

Fen didn't respond right away, his face buried against my shoulder. Then, after what felt like a long pause, he lifted his head slightly, his eyes meeting mine.

"Just a little longer," he whispered, his expression softening. "Then we'll go."

I nodded, pulling him closer. "Okay, a little longer."

Selfishly speaking, I would've wanted to lay in bed with Fen all day, remaining in our own little world but I didn't want to see him in such a broken state anymore and the first step to trying to help him was to get him out of bed.

"Okay," he finally said, his voice steadier. "Let's go see them."

Fen detangled himself from my grasp and got off the bed first. He offered a hand to me, which I easily took, and grabbed another set of clothes that weren't pajamas. His shirt came off first, revealing his toned chest I missed, and then his pants.

I quickly averted my gaze, clearing my throat to focus on something—anything—other than the sight of Fen undressing in front of me. The last thing I needed was to get distracted when I was trying to help him out of his emotional rut. But even as I looked away, I could still feel the heat rising, the memories of us together resurfacing.

Fen, either unaware or purposely ignoring my reaction, continued dressing. Once he was done, he turned toward me, his expression a little lighter.

"Let's get this over with," he said, offering me a small but determined smile.

I nodded, standing up and stretching before grabbing a hoodie from the chair nearby. We left the room, walking side by side through the hallway, the sounds of the children downstairs growing louder with each step. Fen slowed slightly, his hand brushing mine as we approached the living area.

Ambrose sat in the center of the chaos with children using his body as a jungle gym. Lola, Genevieve, and some of their friends were playing with dolls in the corner while two older kids were trying, and failing, to watch a movie.

In short, it was chaos.

Ambrose glanced up from his spot on the floor, spotting us immediately. A look of relief passed over his face, but he didn't say anything, likely sensing that Fen wasn't ready for questions yet.

Lola, sitting cross-legged near Genevieve, was the first to notice. Her face lit up instantly, and she abandoned the dolls to run over, her small arms wrapping tightly around Fen's waist.

"Fen!" she squealed, her voice filled with joy.

Fen froze for a moment, but then, slowly, his hand came down to rest on her head, his fingers weaving gently through her hair. "Hey, Lola."

"Where've you been? We haven't seen you a lot. Abel keeps trying to sneak up to your room, but Rosey won't let him." she stated, looking up at him with wide, concerned eyes. "You weren't sick, were you?"

He smiled down at her. "No, I'm okay. Just needed some time."

She tilted her head. "Time for what?"

Fen hesitated with the big crowd and picked Lola up. "Let's go somewhere else. Where's Abel?"

As if hearing his name, Abel's tiny feet hurry toward us and he hugs Fen's leg. My mate wasted no time and picked the toddler up too. He nodded toward Ambrose and carried the siblings outside while I followed behind.

Once we stepped outside, the cool breeze greeted us, offering a much-needed break from the noise inside. Fen carried both Lola and Abel effortlessly, settling down on a bench beneath the large oak tree in the yard. He set the two kids on his lap, one on each knee, and took a deep breath, his eyes flicking to me before settling back on the children.

Lola looked up at him with wide, curious eyes. "So, time for what?" she asked again, clearly not ready to let the question drop.

Fen sighed softly, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "Time to think," he said gently. "About everything. Like the fact that you and Abel might have some big changes coming soon."

"Adoption?" Lola asked and Fen nodded.

"Yeah, adoption," he confirmed. "I needed some time to get used to the idea because you two make me so happy and the thought of you not being here anymore scared me."

Lola's face dropped as if she'd only just considered the possibility of not seeing Fen anymore. Her hands clutched his shirt and she shook her head.

"I don't want to leave you," Lola told him with big eyes. "Can't you come with us? They can adopt you too! They're really nice. I promise!"

Fen smiled softly, though there was a hint of sadness in his eyes as he shook his head. "I wish it worked that way, Lola," he said, his voice gentle. "But it's different for me. David and Amelia are giving you and Abel a chance to have a family and a place of your own. You'll have your own rooms, a yard to play in, and everything you could ever need."

Abel looked between the two, not quite understanding what was being said but when he saw Lola's glossy eyes, he did what toddlers do: cry.

As soon as Abel's tears started, they came in full force, his little face scrunching up as sobs wracked his small body. He buried his face in Fen's chest, clutching tightly to his shirt as if he were afraid letting go would make Fen disappear.

Fen closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath to steady himself. "Hey, hey," he murmured softly, rocking Abel gently in his arms. "It's okay, little man. I'm not going anywhere, alright? You'll always have me, no matter what."

Lola, sniffling but trying to be brave for her younger brother, wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "But...if we go, it won't be the same. We won't get to see you every day."

Fen knelt so he was at eye level with both of them, his arms still securely around Abel. "I know it won't be the same," he admitted, his voice thick with emotion. "But that doesn't mean it'll be bad. You'll have a new home, a safe place to grow up, and David and Amelia will love you just as much as I do. And whenever you miss me, we'll make sure to see each other, okay? We'll still be a family. That never changes."

Lola stared at him for a moment, her lip trembling. "Promise?"

Fen smiled through the tears forming in his own eyes. "Promise. Every school event, birthday, holiday—anything. You let me know and I will try my hardest to be there, okay?"

Lola bit her lip, still unsure, and then asked, "But how will we talk to you if we can't see you every day?"

Fen abruptly stood up. "Hold on."

He disappeared into the house, leaving me to sit with the kids. I glanced down at Lola and Abel, both of them still clinging to each other, unsure of what Fen was doing. Abel had calmed down but was still sniffling, and Lola was watching the door with wide, anxious eyes.

After a few moments, Fen returned with a small, unmarked box in his hand. He knelt in front of them again and opened it, revealing a simple phone. It was old, much older than the one I'd gotten him or the one he had when he first arrived, but something about it seemed special to him.

"I used to leave home often when I was around your age. My grandparents gave me this phone and told me if I was ever in danger or needed something to call this number and they would be there right away." Fen held the phone in his hands, his thumb brushing over the worn buttons. His voice softened as he continued, "I didn't always believe them at first, but... they always came. No matter where I was, no matter what time it was. They'd show up for me and I'll do the same for you and Abel. If you call, I'll be there no matter what."

Fen continued to talk to the kids and I decided to give them a moment, so I went back inside the house. Everything basically looked the same until I saw Genevieve holding a certain fat cat in the corner.

Brutus glanced up at me before making himself more comfortable and Genevieve looked at him with a frown that had me moving toward her.

"Hey, Genevieve," I said gently, kneeling beside her. "What's up?"

She pouted, her gaze fixed on Brutus, who had sprawled out lazily in her lap. "I don't want him to go," she said, her voice small. "He's my friend."

Brutus rubbed against her hand and it was obvious to see from his expression that he was in heaven. "I understand. He's a great cat," I replied, stroking Brutus's fluffy head.

"Are you really going to let him go?" she asked, her eyes wide and pleading.

I smiled at how much she cared for the chunky feline. "Can I tell you a secret?" I asked and she nodded. "I've never really liked cats, but Brutus here loves people. He needs a home where he'll get lots of love, attention, and someone to play with him. And I think you're the perfect person for that."

Genevieve's eyes sparkled with hope. "Really? You mean I can keep him?"

"If Ambrose and the family who adopts you are okay with it then so am I."

Hearing his name, Ambrose craned his neck to look at us. "Cats are a lot of work," he warned.

Genevieve nodded. "I can handle it!"

"How about you show me you can take care of him here and then when the Page family comes to visit you again you can ask them what they think about cats, alright?" Ambrose suggested.

She squealed with joy, wrapping her arms around Brutus and hugging him tightly. "Thank you! Thank you! I promise I'll take care of him!"

I smiled at her enthusiasm and glanced down at Brutus who seemed to be enjoying the tight hold she had on him and shook my head.

A knock on the front door caught Ambrose and my attention and I headed toward it and pulled it open.

"Ambrose, we're going to start heading out—" The green-eyed man's words came to a halt when he saw me and he shook his head. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"You're fine," I told him as I locked eyes with the man behind him.

"You're Fen's mate," he stated.

"You're Fen's ex-alpha," I said, my tone much more guarded than his.

The back door opened and Fen returned with the kids in hand. His eyes scanned across the room before landing on me and the unexpected visitors in surprise.

"Nixon," he greeted.

"Fen."

"I thought you would have been gone by now."

"That's the plan," The man, Nixon, said.

The other alpha beside him who I presumed to be his mate glanced between the two for a minute before turning his eyes back to me.

"Cronan, right?"

"Yes?"

"Eli's told me a lot about you," he politely added. "Let's talk."

I didn't get the chance to say no. He grabbed my arm and pulled me out the door, leaving both of our mates stunned and me wondering where the hell he was planning on taking me.

AN:

We're almost to the end of BAC! We have roughly 10 or so chapters left, excluding bonuses and epilogues. As much as I enjoy writing about Cronan and Fen, I am going to be happy when this book is finished. This book has been my longest and most complicated to write because I had to keep editing, cutting, and rewriting chapters to make this book flow the way I wanted but we're almost at the finish line now!