Lazarus drove home with his mind churning over every little detail that happened tonight. He told the truth about his family to Sophia, which he never intended to do yet. Except, when he sat in her home, he couldn't hide that part of him anymore. He found himself being ripped open and at her mercy, like all he wanted was for her to know what his past really was and accept him.

She not only accepted his truth but cried for him.

Lazarus's grip tightened on the steering wheel. A surge greater than a hurricane shook him to a point that it was impossible to recover. The kiss they shared had not just lingered on his lips, it had imprinted on his soul which was a far greater than any other sensation he experienced. Everything from his past vanished when he looked into her kind blue eyes and tasted her with all his might. The sweetness of her silken lips against his own had been nothing but pure seduction.

He could still feel her... still taste her honeyed mouth... it called to him... even now.

Lazarus was losing the grip on himself and his wolf who had gone berserk since the moment they left her. His wolf fucking hated that she was all alone without them there to protect her; Lazarus agreed.

Spending this evening with her had exceeded his expectations, not just about himself but how she was with him. It was perfect with her, as if she fit him like a puzzle. All his hard edges connected with the sweet softness of her body and her heart.

Sophia was beautiful and adorned in that silk red gown with the rubies around her neck had him weak in the knees. He had held himself back from the moment he laid eyes on her. But the entire time, provocative thoughts of caressing her body through the silk and kissing the delicate lines of her neck over the rubies were distracting him. He tried to divert himself but when his eyes coasted to her hair that was left open in curls it only added to his thoughts; and his wolf wasn't helping either who had already promised that he would do all of that and more.

As Lazarus drove the rest of the way home, he decided that he needed to tell the pack about Sophia because from the way things were looking he wasn't going to be able to resist for long. Sophia was already his. His wolf bonded with her tonight when he kissed her. He still couldn't believe when his wolf marked her with his scent, which was what wolves did to ward off other shifters from touching what's theirs, otherwise the consequences were severe. In this case, Lazarus's wolf would rip anyone's head off for going near his mate. Lazarus found himself promising to do the same.

When Lazarus arrived home, he knew everyone would be in their rooms. He parked the car in the garage and went inside. The lights were off in the main hall and the kitchen, the dim light of the moon showered through the high windows and that was all his guide- not that he needed it.

Going nowhere else but his bedroom, he closed the door behind him and took off his suit's jacket and draped it on the chair. He took out his cellphone and placed it by the table near his bed, when he heard a soft knock on his door.

"Come in," he said.

"Lazarus," it was Ashley's voice in a hushed whisper.

He met her by the door and she had sneaked inside. A grin on her face as she stood in her bubble-gum pink nightgown and a fluffy robe that dragged behind her slippers. Lazarus closed the door and let her into the room.

"Thanks for covering for me," he said.

"You're welcome," she smiled, "but we have a problem."

There was another knock on the door. "Lazarus," it was Rosalie's voice this time. "Can I come in?" Ashley hurried and opened the door bringing Rosalie inside from the hall. Rosalie started to laugh when she realized they had gathered secretly.

"What's going on?" Lazarus asked them.

"She knows," Ashley revealed.

"You told her," astounded Lazarus.

"Actually, I figured it out on my own with the way you two were behaving today," Rosalie said proudly, "and Ashley can't lie to me at all."

Ashley smiled at Lazarus with guilt on her face. "It's true," she said. "Rosalie called me out the moment I said you were gone for a cooking class."

Lazarus groaned. "What about the others?" he asked.

"I don't think they figured it out," said Rosalie, "but forget about them. I'm so happy for you." She came over and hugged him. "I heard your mate is Vivian's new teacher."

"She's lovely, Rosalie. Isn't she, Lazarus?" Ashley jested.

Lazarus hadn't answered but his expression was all they needed to figure out that he believed she was more than just lovely.

"We should invite her over and get to know her," suggested Rosalie.

"First, we have to tell his brothers," said Ashley.

"Don't remind me," said Lazarus. He was still figuring out how to do that himself.

Suddenly, there was another knock on the door. Ashley went to open it when she froze in front of whoever it was. Lazarus didn't need to guess because only Isaiah had such a powerful scent.

His big brother stepped into the room. "What are all of you doing here?" he asked as his eyes pinned each of them.

"We were just asking how Lazarus's cooking class went," Ashley quickly said.

Isaiah's stern grey eyes looked at his pretty mate. "Uh huh," he crossed his arms. "Tell me the truth-" that was when Isaiah's eyes went straight to Lazarus- "Now."

Ashley gasped dramatically. "You don't believe me-" she put her manicured hand over her heart- "I'm speechless."

Isaiah towered over Ashley. "Do you want to get in trouble?" he asked grimly.

"Isaiah," Ashley chided. "How could you-"

"Ashley, it's okay-" Lazarus interrupted, her eyes looking him with uncertainty. "I was going to tell him anyway."

"Tell me what?" Isaiah asked.

"I found my mate," he revealed and it was as if a weight had come off his chest and he was able to breathe again.

"I already know that," Isaiah said. "But what's the problem?"

All three of them gaped at him.

"How'd you know?" The girls asked.

"Was it Ashley or Evelyn?" Lazarus asked his brother.

"Both," Isaiah said, "and you can't hide anything from me either, Lazarus."

"But I'm great at keeping a secret," Ashley said looking at her mate with disbelief.

He smirked. "You only think you are," Isaiah remarked leaving her astounded.

"That's not fair," she muttered.

Isaiah pinched her cheek teasingly. "I need to talk to my brother," he said to the girls. "Can you give us a moment?"

Ashley slipped a piece of paper into Lazarus's hand before she stepped out of the room with Rosalie. As soon as the door closed, Lazarus felt the tension radiating off his brother.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Isaiah asked.

"I wanted to make sure I was right before I said anything," said Lazarus.

Isaiah's grey eyes brewed like a storm. "That's fair. So, then what's bothering you?" he asked.

"She's human," Lazarus revealed.

A flash of alertness went through Isaiah's eyes, his jaw grew rigid like he was measuring what to say next. "You met her tonight, didn't you?" he said more than asked. "Did you tell her everything?"

"Only about our family," he answered his brother. "She still doesn't know about our world."

Isaiah nodded with the lines between his brows straining. "Who is she?" he asked then.

"You've met her already," said Lazarus. "Sophia Bloom-"

"Vivian's teacher-" Isaiah said right away.

Lazarus nodded to confirm it. "I wanted to tell you but I was just-" he couldn't find the words to explain to his brother that he was worried. Sophia was beautiful, kind and despite everything he told her she had accepted him. But being told that the man you are dating is a wolf shifter is a whole other problem.

"I understand why you would be worried," said Isaiah. "But you shouldn't be."

Lazarus looked into his brother's eyes that were a completely different colour than his own, but that gaze had always been so familiar and trusting. "Why not?" he asked.

"If someone told me a few years ago that our goddess was indeed real and helping us, I would've laughed at them and told them to grow up," Isaiah revealed. "But with everything that we've seen and now the life that we have, I can't help but think that Maya truly does take care of us. I met Ashley and she blessed me a daughter that is literally my soul. Adrik has Rosalie and Vivian, and Zeiden has Marcello. Maya chose Sophia for you despite her being human. There must be a reason for that."

Lazarus stared at his brother like he was staring at a whole new man. In the years that they lived in the Petrov pack, their goddess was never mentioned and no one worshiped her. She was dead to them because moonlight never shined in that purgatory. Everyone that was prisoned in that house had no faith that they would be saved by her one day. They saved themselves and now were living on a stronger foundation built on loyalty and trust.

"When I told her about our past..." Lazarus still felt a warmth fill his body when he remembered, "she cried for me. I never thought in a million years that she would."

Isaiah laid his hand on Lazarus's shoulder. "We've gone a long time without compassion, brother. So, when it is shown to us, we don't know what to do," he shared.

"I don't know how to tell Sophia what we are," Lazarus said.

"You don't have to do it alone," said Isaiah. "I can help. We all will."

Lazarus accepted those words like a lifeline. "Thanks," he smiled a little.

"Should we invite her over?" asked Isaiah.

"And throw her into the pack of wolves," remarked Lazarus fretfully. "I think it'd be better to take it slow."

"You know that's not our style," Isaiah retorted. "Besides, she's becoming a member of the Iron pack, we need to test if she can handle all of this-" his hand gestured around him.

Lazarus broke out into laughter. "You guys are going to scare her off," he said.

Isaiah raised a brow. "If she hasn't run off after meeting you, she should be fine with us," he said.

Lazarus raised a brow. "What the hell does that mean?"

Isaiah rolled his eyes. "Goodnight, brother," he said, "and get some rest."

Lazarus was left alone. Finally, he looked down at the piece of paper that Ashley gave him. It was a note with a phone number written on it and a glittery pink heart drawn beside it.

This is Sophia's phone number in case you didn't already have it, the note said.

Lazarus saved the number right away in his contact list.

After a shower, he dried off and went to bed wondering if Sophia would be ready to face his family because whether she was or not, they were all ready to meet her.

All except Zeiden and Lazarus had woken up in the house and were gathered in the kitchen to eat breakfast and head to work. Ronin was brewing coffee for them and Justin had made them a fresh salad to enjoy. Ashley was packing the lunches for the pups and the rest of them were sitting around the table.

Zeiden walked into the kitchen then. "Good morning, everyone," he greeted.

"Good morning," they replied.

"Where's Lazarus?" Zeiden asked as he rounded the table and took a seat next to Marcello.

"He's probably working on something somewhere," answered Isaiah.

"No, he's not," Ronin said as he came over with a fresh pot of coffee. "I haven't seen him."

"I went on a run at dawn and he wasn't outside," Adrik added as well.

They all shared a puzzled expression. "Don't tell me he slept in," said Rosalie.

"Lazarus never sleeps in," said Isaiah.

"Someone go get him because breakfast is ready," said Justin as he brought the salad bowl to the table.

"Sure," added Zeiden smugly. "Whoever wants their head cut off this fine morning can wake up that beast."

"Zeiden, go wake up your brother," ordered Isaiah.

"What the-" Zeiden blurted. "No! You go."

"Is uncle Zee scared?" Evelyn asked from her dad's lap.

"Pfft, I'm not scared," Zeiden replied curtly.

"That's not what it looks like," remarked Rosalie who was putting salad for Vivian on a plate.

Zeiden glowered. "None of you have experienced Lazarus's wrath in the morning," he accused. "One time I was thrown out of the window."

The group laughed, even Marcello.

"You probably did something," believed Ashley as she joined them by the table.

"No, he's telling the truth," said Ronin and this time the group listened carefully. "I went to wake him up for work once and he almost cut off the hand I touched him with-" he lifted his sleeves and showed a long scar- "see I even have the scar to prove it."

"Okay, all of you officially scare me," Justin remarked with a bewildered expression.

"Someone just go get him otherwise we're going to be late," Isaiah said.

They all shared a look wondering who'd go to wake him up.

"Let's send the pups," Zeiden suggested. "He'd never hurt them."

"You'd seriously do that," Justin astounded.

"You go then," Zeiden exclaimed.

"Hey, my hands are worth millions. I can't have him cutting my livelihood off," Justin remarked. "Besides, he's your brother."

"I'll go," Ashley offered.

"No, you won't," said Isaiah quickly.

"You guys are such wimps," Marcello said over the rim of his cup.

"Says the one not manning up and going," remarked Ronin.

Adrik pushed back his chair and got up, he silently crossed the kitchen. He disappeared up the stairs and they didn't hear anything.

"He's the only brave one we got," Zeiden remarked.

"He has a death wish," said Ronin.

"Nothing will happen," reassured Ashley. "You guys are just-" a loud clatter was heard from upstairs like glass hit the floor and had shattered into a million pieces.

All of them silenced and looked back at the stairs. Moments went by and Adrik appeared looking rather dishevelled.

"What happened?" Rosalie asked her mate.

"He threw the lamp at my head," Adrik responded.

Zeiden burst out laughing. "Didn't I tell you," he remarked.

Adrik came around and smacked the back of Zeiden's head. "Shut up," he warned.

Leaving Lazarus to sleep in, they ate their breakfast and had their morning coffee without any interruptions.

Just as the kids were packing up their bags to leave for school, the beta of the pack arrived with a garbage bag in his hand. He was dressed in a biker jacket made from suede leather over his shirt with jeans.

"Good morning," Ronin remarked.

"Leave me alone," Lazarus retorted making them laugh.

"Is that the lamp?" Ashley asked.

He held up the bag. "Yeah," he said. "Yo, Adrik, sorry for throwing this at you. I didn't mean to."

Adrik shrugged a shoulder. "No problem," he said.

"Um, where's my apology for when you threw me out of a window?" Zeiden asked.

"It was a window on the first floor and you landed in the bushes," Lazarus remarked. "Stop being a wuss."

Zeiden went right up to his brother with challenge written on his face. "I should throw you out of a window and see how you feel," he grumbled.

"You want to take this outside, kid?" Lazarus growled back.

"Can you two cut it out-" Isaiah intervened but he was quickly ignored.

"I'm ready if you are, old man?" Zeiden snapped over Isaiah's voice.

"A fight!" Evelyn's bumbling voice exclaimed. "I want to join."

"Oh no, you don't," Ashley grabbed her daughter who was about to run into her uncles. "Zeiden! Lazarus! Don't make me come over there."

Ronin stepped between the brothers and pushed them off to the side. "Do you two want to hit by Ashley's Chanel purse and embarrass yourselves?" he asked.

"Uncle Zar," Vivian's voice spoke up then. "We're getting late for school. Can we go now?" That was enough to erase the irritation off Lazarus's face.

"There is never a quiet morning in this house," Isaiah complained.

"If it was quiet that means we're getting boring," said Ronin.

"God forbid that ever happens," remarked Marcello.

Isaiah opened the front door and everyone walked out. "Lazarus, drop the girls off and meet us later," he said and Lazarus nodded.

Everyone got in their cars and drove out of the property for the early start.

"We should drop the girls off to school first, Lazarus," Ashley suggested.

"Are you with Rosalie today?" he asked her.

"I am," she answered.

"Thank you again for agreeing to help me," said Rosalie. "I hate organizing my reports alone. I fall asleep every time."

"No problem," said Ashley.

As Lazarus drove, he remembered why he woke up late this morning because he couldn't sleep at all last night. His mind was running like a damn train. He didn't know what he had to do in order to bring Sophia to the house and introduce her to everyone. Plus, there was the wolf issue and how to tell her. He couldn't find any way that was remotely proper or smart. He needed a miracle or two to help him.

After driving through morning traffic, they arrived at the school. He circled into the drop-off section and pressed down on the brakes to stop the car in front of the school.

Lazarus unbuckled his seatbelt to help the pups out of the car. He saw Rosalie and Ashley get out too. There was no need for them to do so, that was until he saw the two women whispering to each other.

Lazarus opened the door and helped Vivian and Evelyn out of the car, when a chill ran down his back, and the brisk breeze carried that mesmerizing scent that he could never forget. A primal need arose inside him and his wolf emerged intensely too, his eyes tracking that vibrant scent. He put Evelyn on her own feet on the ground and turned to see Sophia walking out of the school doors. She was stunning in a floral dress and her chocolatey brown hair was curled around her shoulders. Lazarus dug his fingernails into his palms to control himself- it didn't work.

"Hi, Sophia!" Ashley greeted. "How are you doing?"

Sophia's eyes shimmered under the sun. "I'm good," she answered with a smile. "What about you?"

"Absolutely fantastic," Ashley responded with a cheeky grin. "I wanted you to meet Rosalie. This is Vivian's aunt."

"It's nice to meet you," Rosalie stuck her hand out to Sophia. "I've heard so much about you that I feel like I already know you."

Sophia chuckled. "It's nice to meet you as well," she said as her eyes lifted glancing at Lazarus who was standing behind them. He caught the blush colouring her cheeks like she remembered last night like he had.

He couldn't hold it in and grinned at her. "Hi," he said softly.

"Hi," she smiled shyly before realizing that the other two were still with them. "Um- I need to head inside. Come on, girls," she ushered Vivian and Evelyn to join her.

"Sophia, before you go, we wanted to ask if you'd like to join us on a picnic tomorrow?" Ashley asked surprising them.

Picnic? What picnic, Lazarus wondered. They didn't have anything planned from what he knew.

"Wh-what?" Sophia was caught off guard.

"That's right," said Rosalie too. "We'd love for you to join us."

"Er- I don't know," Sophia recoiled. "I wouldn't want to intrude."

"You won't be," Lazarus answered.

"Please, Ms. Bloom," Evelyn said. "We'll have so much fun."

Sophia smiled. "Alright, I'd love to," she said.

Rosalie and Ashley shared a victorious smile. They returned back to the car leaving them alone, even the pups ran into the school when the bell went off.

Lazarus reached over and laced his hand with hers. He needed to touch her otherwise he was afraid that he'd combust this very minute.

"Are you sure you want me to join your family tomorrow?" she asked.

"I'm sure," he declared firmly.

Sophia smiled softly at him. "Okay."

"When do you have lunch?" he asked then.

"Twelve o'clock sharp," she answered.

Lazarus ran his thumb over her delicate knuckles that weren't hard-edges and busted like his own. "I'll bring lunch for you," he said.

"I'd like that," she said. The second bell went off. "I need to go and so do you." But neither of them moved from the other. "I really want to kiss you right now. Would it be inappropriate?"

"We are at a school for kids, Sophia," he teased.

"This is your fault," she smacked her fist on his chest which felt like a flower was thrown at him.

Lazarus stepped closer, towering over enough to make her look up at him. "You can kiss me somewhere secretly later," he suggested.

Her mouth dropped open. "You need to go right now," she pushed him towards his car.

Lazarus grabbed her arm and pulled her plush against him. "I'll see you later," he said before he kissed her soft mouth memorizing her every detail to hold onto in his heart.

Sophia pulled out of his arms and left to go back inside leaving him to his glowering self again. Lazarus got in the car only to find himself being stared at by the two women in the car.

"Are you an imposter?" asked Rosalie dazedly.

"Someone, pinch me," Ashley mumbled. Lazarus pinched her arm like she asked and she jolted rubbing her arm and making Rosalie laugh.

"Mating suits you, Lazarus," Rosalie teased. "Doesn't it, Ashley?"

"It does," Ashley agreed.

Lazarus rolled his eyes as he changed the gear off of park and went to drive.

"We'll have to prepare for the picnic now," Rosalie said.

"You leave that to me," said Ashley confidently.

Lazarus dropped them off at the ballet academy before he joined Isaiah at work. Annoyingly, it was busy the entire morning. He didn't know if he could leave at before twelve to meet Sophia or grab lunch.

They were walking back from a meeting where Isaiah met his company's shareholders and they reviewed the year and what needed to be achieved in the future. Lazarus wasn't focused throughout the whole meeting even though it involved him.

"What's up with you?" Zeiden asked as he joined his side.

"Nothing," Lazarus lied.

Zeiden narrowed those smoky greyish-blue eyes on him. "First, you wake up late this morning and now you keep looking at the clock," he said, "you're hiding something."

Lazarus was baffled by his brother that he figured out even this much. He gave the boy some credit. "You know, you're not as stupid as you look," he said.

Zeiden almost tripped over his own foot. "Who are you calling stupid?" he astounded.

"Can you not fight in the hall," Isaiah rebuked from behind them.

Lazarus turned. "I need to be somewhere by twelve," he said to Isaiah. "Can I go first? I'll meet you later."

Isaiah's grey eyes flashed with realization. "Sure," he agreed. "Have fun."

"Why does he get the day off early?" Zeiden rebuked.

Ronin put his arm over the man. "That's because you need to finish your homework and hand it in on time," he jested.

Zeiden glared at him. "Go screw yourself," he said.

"You need to be a good boy for your big brothers, Zeiden," Adrik remarked.

Zeiden found himself opening and closing his mouth in front of Adrik because he couldn't say anything to him.

It was then that Lazarus saw Ronin gesturing for him to escape while Zeiden was occupied. He took the chance and left the group. He wanted to tell Zeiden but he knew that the boy would never let any chance pass to joke about it. So, he'd wait until the picnic tomorrow. Zeiden's probably going to lose his head, which was not something Lazarus was looking forward to.

Lazarus got in his car and drove off to the deli near the school. He grabbed two sandwiches and iced coffees as well. He arrived at the school and parked, but before he could text Sophia, he spotted her coming outside from around the yard. Lazarus got out of the car to meet her.

The moment she spotted him, a flash of something sweet and pure passed through that sky-blue gaze.

"How's your day been so far?" she asked him.

"Exhausting," he answered truthfully.

She chuckled. "I have a spot near the park, we can enjoy lunch there," she said.

Lazarus grabbed the brown paper bag from the passenger seat and followed her. The only problem was that he wasn't holding her hand like he wanted to. As he matched her steps, he realized that she had tied her hair up probably from the hectic classes with the kids. He could see himself running his hands over her nape to relive the tension and run his fingers through her hair after.

"It's just right over here," she directed.

Oh right, they were walking across a field towards a bench table under a huge tree where there weren't any kids nearby. She took a seat and he joined her side. He put the bag on the table and took out the iced-coffees, giving her one to start enjoying.

"I was craving an iced-coffee all morning," she said as she put the straw into the cup. He put the sandwich in front of her too.

He took off his jacket and put it on the table and faced Sophia as she ate. "I told my brother about us," he said.

She stopped chewing and stared at him. "How'd he take the news?" she asked.

"He was fine. Great, actually," he shared.

"I told my mom about you," she said.

"Was she horrified?" he teased.

Sophia laughed. "No," she said. "My mom likes you."

"She never met me," he said.

"She heard your voice," she shared.

"My voice?" He frowned. "She liked me from my voice alone. That's new."

"You do have a very nice voice," she complimented, "it's deep, sultry and definitely very hot."

"Anything else you've been thinking that's hot about me?" he said with a smirk.

Sophia blushed. "Can I finish my lunch without you embarrassing me?" she asked.

He repositioned with his back resting against the table and his legs out in front of him and found himself simply listening to her as she ate and talked. He finished off his coffee and sandwich while Sophia talked to him about anything and everything. He noticed that she had a quality that allowed him to be comfortable with her. There wasn't a moment that he thought he needed to ask her about anything or help her be open with him.

As they sat, his hands moved on their own. One moment, he would be caressing up her bare arm or play with her fingers intertwined in his own. She didn't mind him doing that to her as she talked away about meeting Rosalie this morning. Maybe, a long time ago, he thought that it'd be better for him to be alone. But this one woman and the way she was with him made his life come alive. He could see her by his side and he wasn't alone when he was with her.

Lazarus put his hand on her nape, his fingers pressing down slightly letting her feel the sweet release of tension. She closed her eyes in relief and let him continue without complaint. He pulled off the elastic binding her hair and let the curls fall around her shoulders.

"Is that better?" he asked softly.

"Hmm," she mumbled as she opened her eyes then, "but I know something that will help me more-" she moved off the bench and straddled his lap, he swiftly bent his legs at the knees so she could reassuringly put all her weight on him. She bent down and laid her lips on his.

At first, she was tentative, teasing him, only allowing her lips to brush against his own, nothing more than that. She was inciting him and at the same time controlling his every response. He didn't want to push her though and let her play. He'd never stop her. However, having her sitting on his lap in that floral dress that was riding up her thighs had him on the edge. The soft feminine curves of her body tempted every dark part inside his mind. He couldn't think straight especially when her fragrance heightened with a sensual heat that licked him like a slick flame.

Lazarus kept his hands off her this time, otherwise he was going to pick her up and bend her over on this very bench.

Sophia sensed his tense demeanour and smiled against his lips. "Should I stop?" she whispered as her hands caressed down the column of his corded neck.

"Don't you dare," his voice a sultry growl.

She brushed her lips against his own again... soft and slow... it was driving him insane. "Is there something you want from me?" she asked sweetly because she knew exactly what she was doing. "You can tell me-" she shifted back and tried to move off him. He didn't let her.

Lazarus put his hand on the small of her back and brought her back where she belonged. Surprised, she planted her hands on his shoulder to steady herself from the sudden bit of control he used on her. He showed her rather than tell her what he wanted. He brought her down to meet his lips capturing her into a hypnotic kiss. His tongue intruded her mouth and took control, it was fast and hard nothing like how she was exploring him earlier. It was clear that he needed to make her yearn from this alone and she had. She moaned into his mouth and tightened her thighs that straddled his legs. Her body told him so much about her pleasure. She never withheld anything from him. He loved that about her.

As his tongue caressed hers, he held her securely against his form. She flourished under his touch, he couldn't stop himself from invoking more from her. Under the large tree, where the sunlight soaked her soft skin, he breathed in her fragrance that made his blood rush through his veins and thunder through his heart. He combed his fingers through her heavy hair, he fisted it enough to make her moan from a bit of pain but undeniable pleasure.

"Lazarus," she squirmed on his lap.

He silenced her whimpering with his lips again.

Suddenly, a loud bell rang through the fields. Sophia jolted from surprise and remembered that she was at work. She pushed at his hulking shoulders and even though it'd take a lot more than that to move him, he didn't give her trouble, and moved away despite aching to pull closer.

"You know, I'm at work," she chided as she clambered off his lap.

He leisurely got to his feet as well. "You started it," he said.

She fixed her dress and tied her hair again too. "I won't kiss you then," she said.

Lazarus grabbed her by her arm and pulled her back to him. "Don't ever say that again," his tone was low but stern.

"I take it you like kissing me then," she jested.

Lazarus wrapped his arm around her waist and tilted her head back so he could kiss the raging pulse on her throat. "If you keep this up then we're going to be doing a lot more than just kissing," he said huskily against her neck.

Sophia bit back her smile. "I need to get back to school," she said.

Lazarus drew in a controlled breath. "Of course, I wouldn't want to keep you from all the kids," he grumbled making her laugh.

They cleaned up the bench and walked back to his car together.

"I'll see you later when I pick the girls up," he said.

She leaned up on her tippy toes and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for lunch and the kiss... it was delicious," she remarked making him smile despite his usual grim disposition. She laughed at his expression before walking back into the school.

A chill shuddered through Lazarus the moment he found himself alone without Sophia. This bond was powerful and consuming him in a way nothing ever did. No desire to kill was as strong as the need to be by Sophia's side and protect her smile. This urge to possess her and make her his was overwhelming him enough that he couldn't breathe. Lazarus had to tell her soon about his wolf because if she liked it or not, it was too late to leave him.

He was going to return to Isaiah but he got a text message saying that all of them already returned home. Adrik went to pick up Rosalie and Ashley from the ballet academy. Lazarus went home to join everyone.

Just as he arrived, so did Adrik with Rosalie and Ashley. The two women were eager to tell everyone about the picnic tomorrow. They hadn't said anything about Sophia coming, but Lazarus already told Isaiah. Ashley picked the perfect spot in the woods near the pond.

Lazarus was nervous about tomorrow, but eager to bring Sophia here as well. So much was changing for them and for him. He couldn't stay in the past forever, and nowadays, he didn't want to.