Mavros had no clue what he was doing here at the Centauri pack. But he lost his goddamn mind when he jumped in front of a bullet for Gabriel. Now, he stood here in the chaos unable to escape.

He turned his eyes over to the one he did this for in the first place. Mavros couldn't let Viola be in pain and he'd never let her cry again because Gabriel was hurt. So, he jumped in front of the alpha. As much as he thought that it was a good idea to be a guest at the pack to get close to Viola. He thought it'd be normal but this was anything but normal.

Upon their arrival, he got out of the car and the entire pack was swarming the field as they rushed towards Gabriel and the others. Mavros never saw anything like this before. The pack adored Gabriel and the ground he walked on, which was irritating at hell. Once again, this just reminded Mavros what he didn't have and could never achieve no matter how much money he had in his several bank accounts. Mavros was the orphan and the outsider here. He'd never become a part of anything like this and that bitter ache in his chest tormented him more than the bullet he took in his shoulder.

The doctor even put an annoying brace on his arm, so he didn't move it around and tear his stitches. But he was taking this off the moment he got the damn chance.

Viola turned towards him and he stared into her lovely hazel eyes. "Welcome to the pack," she said with a sweet smile that he ached to kiss off her lips.

Mavros tried to hide the thoughts in his head but she could see it through his eyes. "This wasn't what I expected," he told her.

Viola glanced at everyone behind her. "Yeah, everyone says that," she answered him. "We're not a typical pack. It'll be better if you just get used to it."

Mavros tilted his head. "I'm only staying the night," he said because if he stayed longer than his restraint wouldn't hold out long. Viola was right here and she'd be sleeping in the same house as him. He wasn't sure what he'd do.

"Mavros," Gabriel came up to them. "This is my mate, Sabrina and my daughter Rose."

"I heard you saved my mate," Gabriel's mate stepped in front of him. She was a beautiful woman with brown hair and aqua eyes. He felt like he's seen her somewhere but he couldn't put his finger on it. "Thank you."

"No problem," Mavros answered before he looked down at the tiny little girl in her arms. She was staring up at him with her round aqua eyes.

Gabriel and Sabrina escorted him towards a house, that had a white porch and normal chairs with roses all around the area. This was another thing to the list of the things he didn't expect. He always thought Gabriel would live in a majestic mansion built for gods. However, this house was ordinary. Mavros didn't know how to react. In fact, he was uncomfortably aware of his bulky figure that would break the vase or bump into the photo frames all over the place.

King nudged his shoulder. "I'll show you your room. I'm sure you want to run away already."

"Is it that obvious?" Mavros asked as he followed King up the stairs.

"It helps that I had the same reaction as you," King sighed.

"He did," someone said behind them. Mavros and King turned facing a man with golden hair and gentle emerald eyes.

King put his arm around him. "This is my mate, Klaus," he informed dutifully.

"Oh, right," Mavros stared at the one smiling at him sweetly. Klaus shared that quality with Viola. "It's nice to meet you finally."

"King's told me a lot about you," Klaus said. "I always thought you were the one who almost killed my brother."

"It was all a misunderstanding," King remarked.

Mavros wondered if the whole pack knew what he did.

Klaus chuckled. "Well, you saved Gabriel today, so you're family now," he declared. "Come on, I'll show you a room where you can clean up." He walked off down the hall leaving Mavros stunned since he was the man who shot Gabriel three times.

"He does that," King said.

"Mavros," a voice called out.

He looked down and saw another old friend here. "Bone," he remembered. "You still work with King."

Bone chuckled as his blue eyes softened and he joined them too. "He can't function without me," he said.

"Um- excuse me?" King glowered.

They walked together down the hall and saw Klaus opening the door for the room at the end of the corridor.

"So, what made you two join the pack?" Mavros whispered to the men while Klaus showed that there was a balcony.

King leaned in. "Honestly, I was about to kidnap Klaus and take him to my island," he confessed.

"Why didn't you?" Mavros asked.

"Gabriel caught him," Bone revealed. "Twice."

King sighed and Mavros chuckled. "Gabriel has cameras on me," King mumbled. "I just know it."

"There's also a rain feature in the shower," Klaus announced with a smile as he opened the bathroom door.

"Well, since you two are my friends in this weird Willy Wonka world-"

"You know about Willy Wonka?" Bone astounded.

"Yeah, it's a long story," Mavros sighed.

"What the fuck is a Willy Wonka?" King grumbled.

Mavros shook his head. "Viola's my mate," he confessed to them before he walked away and found Klaus arranging the towels out of the cabinet.

"We're probably going to order pizza for dinner," Klaus told him. "Do you have a preference?"

"No, I'm fine with anything," he smiled at him.

"Sure," Klaus turned to leave.

"Hold on," Mavros stopped him. "Am I alone in this hallway?" he asked him.

Klaus frowned. "Er- no," he answered. "Why?"

"I sleep walk," he lied. "I just don't want to bother anyone."

Klaus seemed confused by his confession. "Well, King and I have a room down the hall and Viola's room is also here," he told him.

"Perfect, thanks," Mavros said with a smile.

Klaus walked out of the bathroom and Mavros came out too while King and Bone stood bewildered by the door.

"Guys, let's go," Klaus ushered but the men didn't move. "King? Bone?" He waved his hand in front of their eyes.

Mavros smiled as he knew that those two were still processing what he told them. "They know about my sleep walking," he revealed to Klaus.

"Oh," Klaus was still confused as he passed them and left the room.

King shut the door quickly and Bone had to open a window as he breathed the cool night air in big gulps like the stifling air was stressing him out. Mavros took a seat on the bed that had grey sheets which matched the rest of the interior.

"Okay, okay," King paced in front of Mavros, "so you're obviously dead when Gabriel finds out. Did you write your will because you're dead soon?"

Mavros sighed as he stared at one pacing the floor and the other was still trying to breathe. "You aren't making this better," he remarked. "Did you lose braincells while living here?"

"Oh god," Bone freaked out over there. "Gabriel's going to kill us, King."

"You're right," King froze. "You and I know about this. Gabriel's going to think we helped Mavros."

"No, no, no," Bone came back to the room as he tugged off the tie from his collar. "I'm not good at lying."

"You're not," King vouched for him.

"I'm not telling either of you to lie for me," Mavros stripped off his jacket and put it on the bed.

King laughed. "I wasn't going to lie for you," he retorted.

Bone stood in front of Mavros. "I mean, we're your friends and we want the best for you," he told him.

"Thanks," Mavros smiled at him.

King raked his dark hair as he pinched the bridge of his nose- "this is getting ridiculous."

"Hold on, does Viola know?" Bone interrupted.

All eyes were glued to Mavros now. "She knows," he told them.

"And she hasn't murdered you yet?" King astounded.

"Maybe, she doesn't know," Mavros said. "I mean was pretty clear about my intentions."

"How clear?" Bone asked.

"Well, I told her that she's mine," Mavros answered.

Both men groaned and mumbled that they were all dead.

"How could you go and tell Gabriel's Centauri's baby sister that she's yours?" King grumbled at him.

Mavros rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't care if she was God's sister, I'd still claim her," he answered. "Hold on, didn't you marry a Centauri too?"

King crossed his arms as he remembered the shit he had to go through and still does. "Don't bring Klaus into this," he chided.

"So, you're telling me that you would have let Gabriel keep you away from Klaus?" Mavros said then.

King's sapphire eyes blazed alive and his pheromones darkened. "That would never happen," he answered sternly.

"Right," Mavros nodded with his sarcastic tone. "But I need to stay away from Viola?" King and Bone couldn't say anything to that now.

"Maybe, we can talk to Gabriel," Bone offered. "You know, butter him up and give him a rose or two before he decides to slaughter Mavros in front of his newborn pup."

Mavros chuckled as he realized that these two men were crazy. "If you're done being insane, can I take a shower?" he asked them.

"No-" they answered firmly.

"Wait, we need to figure out Viola feels," King said.

Bone gasped. "You're right," he added.

"Because if she likes Mavros then that changes everything," King proclaimed.

Mavros took off the brace around his arm and shoulder throwing it on the chair before he unbuttoned his shirt. "I still need to work on seducing her," he added.

"Well, work quickly," King urged.

"Is that why you took the bullet?" Bone asked then.

Mavros hadn't thought about that. "I just didn't want her sad if Gabriel got hurt," he confessed. Bone and King stared at him in silence. "What's wrong with your faces?"

"Gabriel's not going to buy it," King remarked.

"None of the brothers are going to buy it," Bone added.

"You two, get out," Mavros got up and tried to push them out.

"I forgot about Hunter, Vincent, my Klaus and even the twins," King listed. "Holy shit, the entire pack is going to kill you, Mavros."

"I can handle it," Mavros said.

"Can you?" Bone asked like he was surprised.

"If I can't die for Viola then I shouldn't be here," he said as he opened the door and pushed them out.

"Aw, that's kind of romantic," Bone smiled. "How about you give her some roses. I can prepare them for you."

"She'll probably set them on fire," King admitted.

Mavros shut the door on their faces.

Finally, some silence.

Mavros stripped out of the rest of his clothes and got under the shower to clean himself up from the blood and grime. He used the rain feature that Klaus showed and the shower gel that was already here. He stayed under the hot water as he understood King and Bone's concerns. A part of him was very aware that he was going to be killed once Gabriel found out about the bond. But he wasn't ashamed or afraid of this fight. Mavros would use everything he had to win Gabriel over and make sure that Viola accepted the bond.

After the shower, he grabbed the towel and wrapped it around his waist. He went in front of the mirror, swiping his hand across the wet fog revealing his wounded shoulder. He had taken the bandage off and the black stitches reflected to him in the mirror. But it was barely viable with the tattoos all over him. He opened the drawer trying to find a first-aid box and he was able to find one at the bottom shelf.

Mavros grabbed some gauze and tape as he secured it onto the stitches before he stepped out of the bathroom. Since the window was left open, the room was cold as ice. He didn't mind it though since he hated being hot. Opening the cabinet, he saw some clothes already hung. However, there was a knock on the door.

"Mavros," it was King's voice.

He went and opened it revealing his friend who stood with some clothes in his hands.

"Here," King passed him the stuff. "You're about my size."

Mavros accepted it. "Thanks, but I'm still taller than you," he remarked before he shut the door.

"No, you're not!" King growled and he stomped off.

Mavros got dressed in the pair of slacks and black shirt that had long sleeves. He shrugged it on and rolled the sleeves out of the way before he grabbed his phone. There was a missed called from Ilya, which was probably because he found about the attack or he was curious about the shareholder meeting. Either way, he'd call the man tomorrow. Right now, he just needed a drink or two.

Getting up, he left the room and heard the chaotic voices downstairs. He followed the sounds and went down the stairs into the big kitchen where there were a dozen boxes of pizza laid out. He wasn't sure if this was a party or the family just ate this much. He found it strange how this pack who is depicted as a powerful family with a golden bloodline was fighting over the pizza with jalapeños.

"Run while you have the chance," King said as he arrived as well.

Mavros chuckled as he leaned on the wall. "Would you run?" he asked him.

King's eyes landed on Klaus who was managing the food and trying to hand out plates. "No," he said softly. "My mate's happiness is all that matters."

Mavros felt his friend's words pierce his heart. He's known King for a long time and how much he suffered in those cages. Both of them were orphans who fought through hell to get the reputation they have now. But to see King this content with his life and actually willing to put his own desires aside for someone else was commendable.

Mavros put his hand on King's shoulder. "You've grown up so much," he remarked.

King growled a curse. "Don't make me kill you before Gabriel," he said.

"You can try," Mavros baited.

"Move," a voice interrupted them.

Mavros turned first and he lost his words as he saw Viola standing before him. She had taken off that blue dress and wore a baggy t-shirt with shorts now and her hair was tied up. He never prepared himself for this at all. His eyes raked over her multiple times, he couldn't help it because all he could think of was that she was right here in front of him. King was the one that moved and made room for her. Viola walked past them into the kitchen and he caught a whiff of her sweet fragrance.

"Yeah, we're dead," King chuckled.

"Can I pass too?" someone asked again.

Mavros snapped out of it when he looked down at the small boy who was in black clothes and had black hair in front of his soft green eyes, that felt haunted for some reason. "Er- sure," Mavros moved first.

"Mavros, this is my son, Ender," King revealed.

Mavros gaped at the boy and then at his friend. "When did you get pregnant?" he remarked.

King rolled his eyes. "Klaus and I adopted," he told him.

Mavros leaned down. "Why would you want King as your father?" he asked.

Ender revealed a little smile. "He came with my other dad," he mumbled.

"Wow," King was astounded as his son left towards Klaus to get pizza.

Mavros sighed. "You really flipped your life around, King," he voiced.

"Don't get weird with me," King said. "Do you want pizza?"

"Only if you pour me a bourbon," Mavros walked into the kitchen with him.

"Deal," King said.

Everyone got a slice of pizza and settled in the large living room instead of the dining-room. Apparently, pizza tasted better while sitting on the floor and watching movie in the dark. Mavros was just glad he had his bourbon in his hand. But he couldn't help but watch Viola sit on the ground in her pyjamas as she ate pizza with her brothers. She sat with Vincent Centauri and Klaus who seemed reasonable. However, the beta of the pack definitely matched his reputation. Hunter Centauri sat on the couch with his red-haired mate and they ate pizza together. But he held a glower in his eyes that intimidated everyone. Gabriel was with his mate as they ate pizza and discussed movie plans.

Bone insisted they watched Charlie and the Chocolate factory since King hadn't seen it. Ryder put it on right away because that was weird as hell. King was sat on the ground with his legs stretched out before him as he ate pizza and argued that everyone was lame. His son, Ender sat with him and said that he never saw it either, there was a massive black dog laid out beside Ender too. However, the second twin wasn't here and neither was his mate. Also, the one that rescued them before, that woman named Azura wasn't here either.

Mavros sat in the dark as the movie played but he felt as if he was looking inside a fishbowl. This family was unlike anything he's ever experienced and he's seen a lot in this world. Every dark part this world had to offer, he's been a part of it. But right now, he sat with a normal family that loved each other. Mavros felt this ache in his chest and he knew that this was something that he hadn't gotten. A family. A place to belong and call home. He's always had to find himself a roof over his own head and make sure that he wasn't starving every night. He glanced at the photos on the wall that were illuminated but the movie screen. He saw a bunch of kids growing up in each one and he felt lost in here.

Would Viola really want to make someone like him? he wondered. He couldn't give her a family like this. If she came to his penthouse right now, it'd be empty and she'd find no warmth there. Mavros got up from the couch and walked out into the hallway as he tried to find somewhere to find air.

"Are you alright?"

He turned and saw Viola with her empty plate in her hands. "Yeah, I just-" he couldn't say anything in front of her lovely hazel eyes, "need some air."

"Oh," she glanced behind her before she walked away in the kitchen leaving him.

Mavros should just return to his room, it'll be a lot better than being here. He moved to go up the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Viola asked.

Mavros glanced down and saw her staring up at him. "Room," he told her.

"Don't you want some fresh air?" she said then.

Mavros didn't say another word but followed her through the hallway down to the back of the house. There was a door and she opened it up for them letting him out onto the back porch. Finally, he was able to breathe as the cool air slipped down his lungs and filled his body. Mavros walked over to the edge and leaned his arms onto the white railing.

"Doesn't it hurt?" Viola asked.

Mavros was surprised she stood with him. He was sure that she would want to leave. "What?" he asked since a lot hurt right now.

"Your arm," she said. "You took the brace off too."

Mavros shook his head. "I've dealt with worse," he said despite not wanting to tell her that.

"I'm sure you have," Viola mumbled. "Is it weird being here for you?"

Mavros laughed a little. "I always knew Gabriel was lucky," he said as he viewed the massive forest in front of him.

"Why would you think that?" Viola asked.

Mavros turned around and faced his mate's eyes. "Are you curious about me?" he jested. "I mean I'll tell you everything about my life."

Viola chuckled as she shook her head. "Don't be jealous of Gabriel," she told him as she opened the door. "All of our lives sucked for a very long time." She walked away inside the house as the door shut in front of him.

Mavros sighed as he leaned against the railing wondering what she meant by that. Perhaps, there was another story to this magnificent family. Was there a darkness hidden here after all? he wondered.

After a while, he returned to the house and left for his room. He stripped off his shirt and laid down on the bed with the lights off around him. He wasn't used to sleeping anywhere other than his penthouse, so his back was a little stiff and the stitches on his shoulder were aching terribly. Mavros rolled his shoulder and tried to get the tension to ease, but it didn't work.

He knew he wouldn't fall asleep despite his eyes being closed. But the clock on the wall ticked second by second which worked perfectly fine, unlike his body that didn't want to sleep. He tossed and turned, even pulled on his stitches for the hundredth time.

It was reaching close to one in the morning when he got up on the bed and raked his tousled hair. He grabbed his shirt and put it back on as he left the room. Suddenly, the door from across his own opened right then and there. He wasn't sure what to do, until he saw his mate standing before him.

"You're in this room?" Viola astounded with a whisper.

It was dark around them, but Mavros could see her shiny blond hair around her shoulders and the outline of her figure. He leaned against the doorframe.

"If I knew you were right here, I would've joined you sooner," Mavros remarked.

"Ha-ha, very funny," Viola whispered. "Go back to sleep." She walked out of her room towards the stairs.

"Where are you going?" He followed after her in the dark.

"Nowhere," she stopped in her tracks and he bumped into her.

"I can't see," he lied.

She groaned as she grabbed his wrist and took him down the stairs towards the kitchen. He couldn't help the smile on his lips as she turned on the light above the stove, letting the golden beams wash over the dark floors. Mavros took a seat on the stool as Viola opened the freezer.

"Are you hungry?" he asked her.

"Yeah," she answered as she took out a tub of chocolate ice-cream.

"So, you have a sweet-tooth," he remarked. "Good to know."

Viola wasn't listening as she grabbed a bowl and other ingredients onto the table. The last thing she grabbed was a large spoon. She was focused as she assembled three large chucks of ice-cream into a bowl and topped it off with chocolate syrup, but that wasn't enough for her. She took the whipped-cream canister and swirled on a mountain of cream then some sprinkles too. She dug into it and put it straight into her mouth as she leaned on the counter.

"Here," she gave him a spoon.

Mavros took it but he wasn't much of a dessert fanatic. But he dipped into the bowl and took a bite; the sugar burst over his tongue and he felt as if he could run a marathon now. "Do you eat this every night?" he asked.

"No," Viola answered with a mouthful. "Only when I can't sleep."

Mavros stiffened. "Why can't you sleep, Viola?" his tone darkened.

Viola twirled the spoon in the ice-cream. "I could ask you the same," she retorted as her eyes landed on him.

Mavros took another bite. "What did you mean earlier when you said that your life sucked, even Gabriel's?" he asked.

Viola's eyes grew solemn as she straightened and looked around the kitchen. "My brothers and I were abused by our father," she revealed to him as his body grew cold.

"I didn't know," he said.

She smiled. "This family that you see wasn't always like this," she told him. "There was a time that we were scared to even walk into this kitchen with the fear that we'd be caught by our father."

Mavros felt the ache in her tone as she stared at the kitchen. "What changed it all?" he asked.

"Gabriel became alpha," Viola admitted. "He had to carry the burden of running this pack and raising his siblings with no one to guide him." She went to the bowl and ate more ice-cream. "There was a time where living in this house was a nightmare. I hated being here but I had nowhere else to go, so I took the shouting and-"

Mavros didn't like that she hesitated. "And?" His tone austere.

"Beatings," she told him.

"Your father hit you," he grumbled.

"He hit all of us," she said. "But he took most of his anger out on Klaus."

"Why?" he asked then because he didn't understand how anyone could hurt Klaus who was nothing but kind to Mavros.

"Our mom died giving birth to him," Viola revealed.

Mavros stiffened as he realized the puzzle now. Their father lost his mate and he turned off his humanity. But to take his rage out on his own children was pathetic. Where was that man? Mavros wondered. He could kill him right now.

"Robert died," she revealed like she knew what he was thinking. "Not so jealous of us, now are you?"

Mavros watched as she dipped the spoon into the ice-cream. "I wasn't jealous," he revealed. "But a part of me always wondered what it'd be like to have a family like you have. I don't have anyone, Viola. I'm all alone in this world. So, when I came here and saw how many people surround you. I realized that I can't give that to you."

Viola stayed quiet for a while before she met his eyes. "If I learned anything in my years is that family doesn't start or end in blood," she told him. "You don't need to give me anything. But if you want a family then you need to make one, that's all it takes."

Mavros never thought of it like that. He knew that he was born an orphan and he'd stay that way forever. She pushed the bowl of ice-cream towards him and told him to eat, it'll make him feel better. He continued to eat and it did work.

"It's good," he told her.

"Gabriel used to make it for us," she told him with a smile and the spoon between her lips. "Whenever we couldn't sleep or had a bad day, he'd feed us these."

"That doesn't seem like a wise choice to give a kid," Mavros jested.

Viola shrugged. "We all turned out okay," she justified feeding a thousand calories and forty grams of sugar to a kid just like that.

"You really love your brothers," Mavros said then.

Viola's eyes were as fierce as the wolf inside her. "Love isn't all I feel for them," she told him. "My loyalty and commitments are to them. I wake up and do my duty to this pack for my brothers. There was no mother or father that put us together. My brothers and I built our bond through the pain our parents threw at us-"

"Viola-"

"My mother died thinking that we'd be fine, but she merely put her responsibilities on Gabriel who had to raise kids that he didn't even have," she told him painfully. "He had to wake up and get us ready for school. He had to run the pack when he was fifteen because my dad was too busy drinking. All I could do was watch as Klaus got beat up and sent to the hospital-"

Mavros got up pulled her into his embrace. "Shhh-" he soothed as he put his hand on the back of her head. She trembled in his arms as her hands clutched his shirt. "Breathe for me, sweetheart," he held her in his arms being the strength she needed as she tried to control her shaky breath. "I'm sorry," he ran his ran down her back. "I didn't mean to bring those memories back." Her hands fisted his shirt and she leaned her head onto his shoulder. Viola felt so small in his arms, as if she'd turn into smoke any second.

She took a deep breath before she pulled away from him. He searched for her eyes, but she purposely kept her gaze away from his own. Viola put the finished bowl in the sink and he followed her up the stairs. They reached the dark hallway but the froze in front of their doors, like neither of them could separate.

"Good night," he whispered.

Viola glanced at his arm. "You- you should put the brace back on," she advised. "Dr. Stone said it'd get worse if you left it like that."

Mavros rolled his shoulder a bit and it did sting under his shirt. Viola saw the wince on his face that confirmed her suspicions.

"See, I knew it," Viola said. "Put it back on."

"Anything else you want me to do, princess?" he jested.

"Stop calling me that," she retorted.

"If that's what you act like then I have to call you that," Mavros told her.

Viola gaped at him. "You-" suddenly, the door behind them opened and Mavros moved swiftly. He pushed his door open, grabbing Viola's arm, he pulled her into his room safely, then he shut the door. "What are you-" Mavros put his hand over Viola's mouth so no one heard her.

"Shhh," he whispered as he looked down into her hazel eyes, that were golden in the dark. "Or do you want your brother to see you in my room?"

Viola glared up at him before she pushed off his hand. "Don't tell me what to do," she crossed her arms and moved away into the room.

Mavros smirked because he knew that Viola didn't want to be caught being here. So, she'd stay quiet. He leaned on the wall wondering if the hallway was clear, when he saw Viola lift the brace off the bed.

"Come here," Viola turned to him. "I'll help you put this on."

Mavros left the door and came to her side. He stood in the darkness of the room, but he felt as if Viola carried the light with her wherever she went. She stood in her pyjamas, her golden hair around her but she was as pretty as the beams of the moon in the room.

He grabbed the hem of his shirt.

"What are you doing?" Viola astonished.

Mavros tilted his head. "I don't sleep with my shirt on," he told her as he ripped it off and tossed it on the bed.

Viola's cheeks turned scarlet and he saw it even in this darkness. She focused on the brace as she slid the sleeve over his elbow.

"Ouch," he winced.

Viola gasped looking up at him. "Did that hurt?" She pulled her hands away and Mavros smiled as he grabbed her wrist.

"Gently," he warned teasingly.

Viola shook her head as she secured the latch on his shoulder. "There," she mumbled as he felt his arm stiffen in the brace.

Mavros smiled. "Thank you," he whispered.

Viola faced him as she noticed how close they stood now. He purposely kept her in his space so she'd feel as if all she could see was him. Her innocent eyes fell down to his lips and he almost smiled. But his own focus shifted to the raging pulse on her throat, it tempted the wolf inside him who was raging to mark her.

"I should go," she whispered.

Mavros blocked her path as she held her breath and he was the one who felt it through his lungs. The sweet fragrance of her pheromones leaked from her body and she wasn't even aware what it was doing to him. Every muscle in him hardened and the blood boiled in his veins as he sensed the masked arousal in her body.

"I'll let you go this time," he whispered with a dangerously low tone. "But never again."

Viola's eyes widened as she ran past him and escaped him running away to the safety of her own bedroom.

Mavros laid down on the bed after all the warmth and light left with his mate. He stared up at the ceiling wondering how he was going to make her trust him because he wasn't sure how long he'd resist her. His wolf was already convinced that she should wear their mark now. Mavros agreed with him and he'd accomplish that somehow.

However, he needed to tell Gabriel Centauri first because Viola wasn't going to do anything without her brother's approval. Then Mavros thought about how he could help Gabriel figure out who set up this attack. Maybe, if they saw that he was being helpful and an ally, then they'd warm up to him.

Mavros spent the rest of the night plotting away. By the time the sun rose, his patience dropped and he thought about kidnapping Viola back to Russia.

He glanced at the clock and it was eight in the morning when he got up and freshened up. He took the brace off, since his arm was fine now. He didn't waste time acting like a patient anymore. Getting out of the shower, he put on clothes when someone knocked on the door.

Mavros went and opened it revealing Bone who stood in a light-blue sweater that matched his eyes and a pair of black slacks.

"Good morning," Bone smiled at him. "Breakfast is ready."

Mavros put his phone in his pocket and followed his friend downstairs. The people in this house didn't care that it was eight in the morning. They all yelled their opinion and made sure that the entire house was awake. He walked into the madness as Bone offered coffee and fresh croissants. That was when the front door opened and more pack members showed up, like this kitchen was the gathering hall for everyone. There was the dog eating out of his bowl too.

"I need coffee," King walked into the kitchen in his silk pyjamas and a robe over his clothes. His eyes landed on Mavros.

"You're still as grumpy as I remember in the mornings," Mavros remarked as he drank his coffee.

Klaus chuckled by the stove as he cooked scrambled eggs.

"You find that funny?" King remarked to his mate as he kissed his cheek.

"A little," Klaus put the eggs on a plate and gave it to his son, Ender at the table.

Everyone was sitting at the table together, it was strange that it fit everyone.

"Anyone want cereal?" Hailey asked as she helped her own pup eat strawberries.

"Me," Vincent said as he grabbed the box from her.

Mavros ate a croissant as he saw the two twins that were Gabriel's friends talking to their mates too. He wondered how this family functioned this way. There was no order or system here, which made it feel uncontrolled.

"So, what's the plan today?" Zoya asked as she ate a Danish. "I need a vacation."

"After yesterday, I don't feel like going to work at all," Vincent added.

"Me either," Hailey said.

"We can take the day off," Klaus said. "I don't feel right making the kids go to school when there was a lockdown either."

"We can't just go on vacation," River said.

"Why not?" Ryder said.

"Is Paris too far?" Zoya remarked.

"Yes-" everyone answered.

"Is this how everyone is always?" Mavros asked King.

King glanced at him. "All the time," he sighed.

"Now, you know why he's permanently grumpy," Bone remarked.

Mavros chuckled when he noticed that the one named Azura was a lot calmer today. She was sitting with the members and her eyes weren't haunted, unlike last night.

"Good morning, everyone," Sabrina walked into the kitchen. "What are we discussing?" She went to the coffee machine.

"How to slack off today?" Hunter added.

"Wow!" They all chimed together.

Mavros finished off the croissant when Viola walked into the kitchen. He bit back his smile as her eyes landed on him first before anyone else. She glanced at his arm and saw that the brace was gone before she met his gaze again. Mavros winked at her and she gaped at him before she turned away to get coffee.

"Maybe, we can have picnic," Hailey offered.

Mavros missed whatever the pack pitched in because he saw that Viola took cream and sugar into her coffee, but she poured a syrup into it too. She turned and joined the group at the table and grabbed a croissant off her brother's plate.

"How about a carnival?" Viola said then. "We have the bouncy castles."

Everyone agreed to that right away and they started planning it. Breakfast was cut short as the group got up to get dressed and ran off to prepare it. Mavros stood in the disordered group wondering if he was going to survive the time he spent here.

King stayed out of it too but Bone tagged along with Klaus and the others. That was when Gabriel arrived in his white shirt and black slacks with his daughter in his arms. He went and handed her to Sabrina as he came over to get some coffee.

"Where is everyone?" he asked.

"Gone to plan a carnival," Sabrina told him.

Gabriel smiled fondly as he poured coffee into a mug. "Of course, they are," he said before he turned and faced Mavros. "How's your arm?"

"Fine," Mavros answered as the strange tension swirled around them.

If someone had told him a month ago that he'd be drinking coffee in a kitchen with Gabriel Centauri, he would have laughed in their face. But fate played games all the time, and it was Mavros's turn now.

"Wow, this is awkward," King remarked from between them.

"The two people who tried to kill me now stand in my kitchen," Gabriel remarked.

Sabrina chuckled as she got up with her child in her arms. "That's how we make friends apparently," she smiled at Mavros.

"It's the easiest way," Gabriel said. "First, they try to kill me then they drop the act of being tough."

Mavros and King stared at Gabriel shocked. "When do I act tough?" King scoffed.

"Do I even need to answer that," Gabriel said.

Mavros chuckled. "It's okay, King," he laid his hand on his friend's shoulder supportively.

King cursed under his breath. "You know what, I'm going to enjoy my coffee somewhere else," he said before he walked away.

"Don't cry all alone," Sabrina said.

"I'm not going to cry!" he shouted back making the small pup squirm.

"It's okay, Rose, your uncle's just irritable," Sabrina said as she walked out of the kitchen to the front door.

Gabriel looked back at Mavros. "Join me," he offered.

Mavros followed him out of the house too and they stood on the porch, that was when he saw the massive bouncy-castles taking form with the air being pumped into them. The entire field was crowded by the pack and everyone was arranging something big and colourful.

"Did they forget that you almost died yesterday?" Mavros remarked.

Gabriel saw the scene too. "No," he answered.

So, then instead of worrying about the attack on their pack alpha, they planned a carnival on the field like it was nothing.

"Shouldn't you be looking for the people that attacked you?" Mavros said then.

Gabriel shrugged. "They'll turn up again," he said.

"So, you're not worried," Mavros observed.

Gabriel sighed. "I am," he admitted.

Mavros frowned. "Then why are you just doing nothing?"

Gabriel smiled at his pack. "Sometimes doing nothing is the best way to clear your head," he told him.

Mavros didn't think that was a good idea. "You're not even mad that someone threatened your pack?"

Gabriel's golden eyes darkened as the air around him grew heavy. Mavros could see the intensity from his body and the way his jaw tightened like a bolt. "Don't misunderstand me, Mavros," Gabriel stared at him darkly. "I am angry that someone dared to threaten my pack. But I'm not going to let that diminish my pack's happiness. They don't need to know that I'm pissed off and they definitely don't need to know that I plan on stabbing the man who dared to touch us." Gabriel walked off down the porch stairs towards the pack.

Mavros only spent a night here and he already concluded that this pack was absolutely insane.

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