Protective Mate

Holland Brothers 3

Toni Griffin

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Cover Artist: Meredith Russell

Editor: Erika O Williams

Second Edition

PROTECTIVE MATE: HOLLAND BROTHERS 3 © 2014 Toni Griffin

All Rights Reserved.

Published in the United States of America.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED : Protective Mate: Holland Brothers 3 is a work
of fiction. Names, places, characters, and incidents are either the product of the
author's imagination or are fictionalized. Any resemblance to any actual persons,
living or dead, is entirely coincidental. The story contains explicit sexual content and
is intended for adult readers.

Any person depicted in the Licensed Art Material is a model and is being used

solely for illustrative purposes.

PUBLISHER

Mischief Corner Books, LLC

Dedication

To my brothers and the women that love them. Thank you for your endless

support.

visit SUPERIORZ.ORG for more mm books

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The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the

following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

Amazon: Amazon.com, Inc.

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iPod: Apple, Inc.

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Fly Away Home by Jane Edgecombe & Stuart Martin. Published by The Book

Company © 2002

Prologue

The first day of high school and Zack was feeling overwhelmed by everything.

He'd been at the top of the food chain in primary school, a big kid. Now he was
starting at the bottom again. High school not only had a completely different feel to
it, but also a different program, and Zack knew it was going to take some time to
get used to it.

How he was going to remember what classes he had every day and where they

were all located was beyond him. Let alone all the new teacher's names he'd have
to learn. The primary school format of having one classroom to spend the entire
day in was so much simpler.

Zack shouldered his school bag and headed in the direction of an empty table

across the quad so he could sit in peace and eat his lunch. Luck wasn't with him
though, as just as he was about to sit down he was nudged in the side by someone
else trying to sit in the exact same seat.

Zack looked up, expecting to find a bigger kid about to tell him to buzz off.

Instead he found himself staring at a pair of the brightest green eyes he'd ever seen,
a cute nose and a smiling mouth.

"Sorry. I didn't see you there," the girl said, waving her book at him. Zack

understood. He'd been looking in his backpack for his lunch and wasn't paying
attention to what he was doing either.

"Me too," Zack said as he turned to start walking away.
"Hey, you don't need to go. The table is plenty big for the both of us." She

waved at the remaining empty chairs.

"I wouldn't want to disturb you," Zack said.
"Nonsense. Name's Sarah Stewart. Who are you?" she asked as she took a

seat and stared at Zack, waiting for him to sit down and start talking.

"Well, I'm me, obviously," Zack replied with a straight face.
Sarah giggled and the ice was broken. By the time the bell rang to signify the

end of lunch, they had become fast friends and by the end of the week they were
inseparable.

Their high school years flew past with the two of them sharing everything,

including Zack's biggest secret.

The evening of the first full moon after Zack turned sixteen, he and Sarah were

lying on the floor in the lounge at his place doing their homework. Zack's entire

body heated, like his blood was boiling, then his arms started sprouting fur. He'd
looked over at Sarah, saw her wide eyes staring back at him and said the only
thing he could think of.

"Please don't scream." He hadn't expected this to happen quite yet, and he

hadn't planned on his human best friend being there when he changed forms for the
first time in his life. He really hoped Sarah could deal with what was going on
because he couldn't lose her as a friend.

Sarah's eyes widened even farther as his words registered, and then his bones

started to reshape. Zack's face elongated and before he knew it, he stood on all
fours tangled in his jeans and shirt and staring at his best friend as she looked back
at him in complete wide-eyed shock.

"Holy shit!" Sarah said breathlessly.
Zack's mother came through from the kitchen. "Honey, would you two like—"

Her question cut off when she noticed Zack. His mom stopped in her tracks,
mouth hanging open. Gathering her wits quickly, she looked at Sarah to gauge her
response to what she'd just witnessed. "Sarah, honey, are you okay?"

"That is so frickin' cool!" Sarah turned and quickly picked up her homework

before waving it in front of Zack's face. "Come on, Zack! Be a good boy and eat
this for me. That way I don't have to do it, and I'll have such a good excuse."

Sarah broke into a fit of giggles as Zack took a playful bite at the hand holding

her homework.

"Zack!" his mother scolded. Gentling her tone a little, she said, "Go on up to

your room, Zack, until you can shift back. Sarah and I need to have a nice long
chat."

Zack looked between his mother and best friend a couple of times, but not

seeing any anger or worry from either of them, he did as his mother directed and
padded out of the room.

Sarah tried to get him to eat her homework several more times after that day,

always laughing at her own joke, and Zack just smiled at his friend indulgently.

After that everything else seemed like a piece of cake. Zack confided in Sarah

when he realised the boys at their school held more appeal to him than the girls.
Sarah simply hugged him and kissed him on the cheek, said being gay didn't matter,
and she would always love him.

"You have to tell your parents," Sarah said as she pulled back from the hug.
"But what if they stop loving me?" Zack asked, biting his lip. Zack also didn't

want his folks to be disappointed in him, and he was afraid if he told them he was
gay, they would be.

"Zachary Thomas Bennet!" Sarah scolded him. Zack cringed slightly at the tone

in her voice. "Your parents love you to death. There isn't a single thing you could
tell them that would change that fact. You remember how wonderful they were to
me when I found out your big secret?"

Zack sighed. Sarah was right. He knew his parents loved him. It didn't stop

him from being scared though.

That night he sat down in the lounge room with him parents. Zack took a deep

breath and wiped his hands on his jeans, he was sweating so much. He picked up
the remote and muted the television.

"Zack?" His dad looked at him with a furrowed brow.
Zack took another deep breath and then just blurted it out, "I'm gay."
His mum surprised him. "Oh honey, I already knew that… Well I didn't know,

but I'd suspected for a while."

Zack stared at her like she'd grown another head. His mother just smiled

brightly at him.

Zack's dad stood from the chair he had been relaxing in. "Come here, Zack."
His tone was firm. Zack stood and slowly made his way to his father. He didn't

think his dad would hit him, that wasn't the kind of man he was, but people had
been known to do things they wouldn't normally when emotions ran high.

When Zack stood in front of him, George Bennet pulled Zack roughly into his

arms and hugged him. Zack stood stiffly for a moment in his father's arms before he
relaxed and hugged his father back. After a time his dad pulled back, but kept hold
of his shoulders. "Your mother and I love you, no matter what. As long as you're
happy then so are we."

Zack nodded, a lump caught in his throat as his eyes started to fill.
"Now, enough of this, can we get back to watching the news?"
Zack chuckled and nodded. "Sorry," he said lightly as he stepped away and

turned the sound back on.

"Nothing to be sorry about." Zack knew his dad really meant that. He really

did have the greatest parents in the world.

Sarah, however, kept the knowledge of Zack's homosexuality from her parents

until after they'd graduated from high school and moved into an apartment together.
Her parents, being the religious, God-fearing people they were, were adamant
Sarah have nothing further to do with Zack once they were told.

Sarah refused and they informed her God would punish her for associating with

him. The sneer directed towards Zack as he stood there and looked on was
something he'd never experienced before. The utter hatred these two people had
for him was mind-boggling. All because of the sex of the person Zack wanted to
spend his life with.

"You can take your God and go and get stuffed," Sarah told her parents before

she turned, took Zack's hand, and pulled him out of the house.

Zack didn't even want to contemplate what their reaction would have been had

they known he was a werewolf as well as being gay. They'd probably have keeled
over in apoplectic fits. Zack chuckled at that idea and continued to follow his
friend.

When they got home to their apartment, Zack walked inside and noticed a

collar and lead hung beside the door. He stared at them for a moment. They hadn't
been there when he'd left that morning. Zack turned as Sarah exploded in laugher.
He stood there and watched as his best friend doubled over in glee before he
raced down the hall and slammed the bathroom door closed. Zack shook his head;
he knew after this afternoon Sarah had needed the laugh and he didn't mind being
the instrument behind that. He loved Sarah and he had to admit the collar and lead
were kinda funny.

Chapter One

A sharp jab in Zack's side had him groaning as his eyes fluttered open. His

eyelids felt heavy, and it took him a moment to remember why. Sarah. Zack came
awake instantly and rolled over, looking for his best friend. Sarah was lying in the
queen-sized bed right next to him, staring at him. Her eyes were still puffy from all
the crying they had done the previous night when she had told Zack she'd been
diagnosed with cancer.

Zack felt like his heart was breaking. He couldn't lose his best friend, he just

couldn't. He was about to open his mouth to tell her that they would fight this with
everything they had, that he would be there every step of the way when Sarah beat
him to the punch.

"Will you give me your sperm?" she asked him, her face masking any emotions

she might have been feeling.

Zack was speechless. He blinked several times as his still-sleepy brain tried to

comprehend the words that had just come out of Sarah's mouth.

"Uhhh." Apparently his brain-to-mouth receptors hadn't quite kicked in yet as

evidenced by the garbled sound.

They continued to lay there on the bed facing each other. Sarah was the first to

reach out, and she gripped his hand tightly in her own and squeezed.

"You know I'm gay, right?" Zack knew she knew this, but he couldn't help but

check. Maybe all the high emotions and how scared she was about her diagnosis
had caused a momentary memory lapse. That was the only logical conclusion Zack
could come up with.

Sarah playfully punched him with their combined hands.
"Hey, oww," Zack complained as he reached up with his other hand to rub at

the spot she had hit.

"You're an idiot." The grin on her face conveyed the depth of her feeling for

Zack, even if she was insulting him.

"This is not news to either of us. Now can you please run that question by me

again, because seriously, woman, my poor brain just cannot make the convoluted
jump to wherever the hell your thoughts currently are."

Sarah giggled and Zack sighed. Even with the worst case of bedhead, eyes still

red and puffy from her crying jag, and what looked suspiciously like dried snot
stuck to her face, she was the most gorgeous woman Zack had ever seen. Her

personality matched her looks. A nicer, gentler person you would never find.

Zack considered himself lucky every day that Sarah had decided to be his

friend.

"I'm dying," Sarah said with a small hitch in her voice.
"No!" Zack said adamantly. "I'm not going to let that happen. We can fight this.

I can't live without you. You're my entire world." Zack could feel the tears starting
to slide down across his nose and into the pillow under his head.

Sarah reached up and cupped his cheek. "Honey, we both know the doctors

have only given me a maximum of two years to live. I don't want to put myself
through the process of chemo only to prolong my pain-filled days by a couple of
months."

"But—"
"No, Zack," Sarah interrupted him. "I love you, you know I do, you're my best

friend, and my life has been blessed because you're in it, but I need you to do
something for me."

"Anything," Zack choked out.
Sarah smiled wanly at him.
"I want your sperm."
Zack must have still looked as confused as he was when she'd originally

mentioned that because she patted his cheek and then snuggled closer. He
extracted his hand from the tight grip Sarah had had on it, wrapped his arm around
his best friend, and pulled her in until she was resting against his body.

"I want a child, Zack." Her voice was muffled but clear enough Zack could

hear with his enhanced abilities. "You know I've always wanted to be a mother,
and I can't think of someone I would rather have a child with than you."

Zack's heart stopped. A lump lodged in the back of his throat, and his eyes

continued to shed tears. He shook his head. There was no way. Sarah must have
felt his movement as the arm she had wrapped around him tightened.

"I can't do that to you," Zack choked out.
"Yes, you can. This is what I want, Zack. It's my body, and I know what I'm

capable of doing." She paused and pulled away slightly until she could look Zack in
the eyes. "Please, you have no idea how much this means to me."

But Zack did know. They had talked over the years, telling each other their

hopes and dreams for the future. Sarah's had always included the perfect husband
and a huge family. She wanted to be a mother more than anything. Zack wanted
desperately to grant her wish, but how could he when it would mean she wouldn't
be receiving treatment for her disease, which could cause her to be taken from him
all the sooner.

"Honey, please?" Sarah begged. "This is my one and only chance to see that

dream come true."

Zack knew that if he went through with this he would be the one to raise any

child they had. He really didn't want to think about a time when Sarah wouldn't be
there with him, but he knew, as much as he hated to admit it, that Sarah wouldn't
get the opportunity to see her baby grow up. Did he want to be a father? Was he
ready for a commitment like that?

There was nothing in this world he wouldn't do for his best friend. Zack had

never really thought much about having children due to his being gay. The more he
thought about it, the more he liked the idea. He also realised having a child with
Sarah would guarantee that he would always have a part of her with him. He
hoped he would be a good dad.

Zack looked down into the eyes of the only woman he had ever loved and

nodded. It was really the only thing he could do. He choked out a sob, and Sarah
launched herself the short distance between them until they were pressed tight
against each other. They lay there for several hours crying and holding one another
and making plans for the baby they would have together.

Zack pulled back eventually and wiped at the still-damp cheeks of his best

friend. "How in the world are we going to tell my parents?" Zack asked.

"Are you kidding?" Sarah arched an eyebrow at him. "Your mum's going to go

nuts, she'll be over the damn moon."

"Yeah, she will, won't she?" Zack said, a huge grin breaking out at the thought

of how happy his mum was going to be at this news.

"You're going to make us grandparents?" Zack's mum asked, excitement

lighting up her face in a way Zack didn't think he'd ever seen before.

He watched in stunned silence as his mum launched herself off the chair she

was sitting on and wrapped Sarah in her arms, hugging her tight enough he was
surprised he didn't hear a couple of ribs crack.

Zack had looked at his dad and noticed a happy, contented smile on his face

as well.

"Dad?" Zack asked.
"You've done good, son. We love you no matter what, you know this." Zack

nodded, he knew his parents loved him. "When you told us you were gay we didn't
care. It doesn't matter who you love, just so long as you can find someone to make
you happy. I can't deny though that we were a little disappointed in the fact we
wouldn't be getting grandcubs."

"Dad, you know in this day and age anything's possible."

"Yes, I suppose you're right. I think we just got it in our head that gay meant no

children, when that's just not true anymore." His father reached out and pulled him
in to a quick hug before he released Zack once again.

Zack glanced over at his mum and Sarah and watched as the pair spoke softly

to one another, foreheads pressed together and tears running down their cheeks.

"Have you thought about how you're going to pay for this?" his dad asked.
"We have some savings. It's not much, but we're hoping it'll be enough for one

or two rounds of IVF."

"Keep your money, your mother and I have plenty put away in the bank, we'll

cover the expense."

Zack was momentarily floored.
"Dad… I can't ask you to do that," Zack said.
"Nonsense. This is going to be our grandcub, let us help you out."
Zack wiped his eyes before he hugged his father tight. "Thank you," he

whispered.

* * * *

They were lucky and Sarah had gotten pregnant on the first attempt. Then

Zack had to watch the strain the pregnancy put on Sarah and her poor body, but
she never once complained. She loved their child and it showed in her every action.

Zack and Sarah were lounging on the couch, Zack's hands on Sarah's swollen

stomach, feeling his child kick from within. The phone rang, breaking the peace that
had settled around them.

Reluctantly Zack stood and picked up his phone from where he had left it on

the kitchen bench. Zack didn't remember an awful lot after that. His world seemed
to collapse in on itself. His parents were dead. They'd been driving back from his
dad's Christmas party when a driver of a semi-trailer had fallen asleep at the wheel
and crossed into oncoming traffic.

Zack remembered dropping the phone moments before his knees buckled. He

remembered Sarah wrapping her small arms around him and holding him while he
sat on the floor and cried.

He vaguely remembered having to go down to the morgue and identify his

parents' bodies. Sarah never once let go of his hand. The truck had hit them head-
on, and they'd both died instantly. Even being a werewolf couldn't save you from
some things. Zack cried over the fact that he was alone in the world now, but
mostly he cried because his parents never got to meet their granddaughter.

The days following their deaths were a blur. Sarah hovered over him, making

sure he slept and ate, and, most of all, showered. She helped him do something
Zack had never in his worst nightmares thought of doing, arranging his mum and
dad's funeral.

She sat beside him throughout the entire ceremony, a solid rock that he could

cling to in a sea of overwhelming grief. He wanted to rage at the world that it
wasn't fair. That they didn't deserve to die, they were too young, but Zack knew it
would do no good. It wouldn't bring his parents back, no matter how much he
wished it to.

Zack knew that without Sarah, he never would have made it through the weeks

and months following his parents' death. They left him their house, which was debt
free, so Sarah and Zack moved out of their apartment and into the home he'd
grown up in. Sarah gave birth to their beautiful baby girl the following March, and
they named her Hayley after his mum.

* * * *

Simon Holland rubbed at his chest, unable to explain the sudden ache that had

hit him. He'd just gotten out of the shower and was about to get into bed when he
felt like his heart was about to break. He breathed heavily through the pain, at a
complete loss as to explain what was happening.

Being twenty-six and a werewolf, Simon doubted he was having a heart attack,

but damn if he didn't think it felt like it. Simon managed to stumble to the bed
before he collapsed to the floor and lay down. He continued to rub at his chest, to
no avail.

Simon thought of his mate, as he often did, and said a silent prayer the feelings

he was experiencing weren't being caused by something taking place in his life. He
hoped all was well with is mate and that they would meet sooner rather than later.

Chapter Two

Zack stared down at the perfect face of his little girl. She was currently lying on

the powder blue change table Sarah and he had picked out for her nursery. Hayley
looked up at him from her tear-streaked face, her cheeks a rosy red from her
crying jag. She'd woken up with one hell of a mess in her nappy and she was
hungry as well.

"Shh, baby girl, we'll get you cleaned up and then we can get you something to

eat," Zack soothed her as he pulled off the little shorties that covered her nappy
and then pulled at the grips holding the nappy in place.

Zack had to blink rapidly as the smell hit him. Holy cow, that one was ripe.

Zack reached for the wipes that were within easy reach, even as he kept one hand
on Hayley at all times. She was older now, they had celebrated her second
birthday last month, and his girl could move fast when she wanted to. There was no
way he was going to let her roll off the table. He had been potty training her, but
during naps, he still dressed her in a nappy.

Just as Zack reached into the top drawer of the cabinet beside the change table

for a pair of nickers for Hayley, he heard the doorbell ring. He wondered who that
might be, as he didn't get a great number of visitors.

Zack didn't hurry; he took his time making sure Hayley was clean and dressed

properly before he lifted her into his arms. Hayley's arms went around his neck as
she snuggled in close to him. Zack turned his head and blew a raspberry on her
smooth cheek. The sound of his girl's laughter was like a balm to his soul.
Everything seemed right with the world when he could hear that sound.

"Dadda," Hayley said amidst continued laughter.
Zack placed the soiled nappy in a bag and tied it off to take down stairs with

them. The bell rang again when they were halfway there and he called out,
"Coming."

A quick stop at the bin to dispose of the bio-hazardous waste material he held

in his hand, and they were at the door shortly after.

Hayley had stopped her giggling and now rested her small head against his

shoulder, still tired from her nap.

Zack opened the door and stood there in confusion staring at the people on his

doorstep. He wondered if they were at the wrong house. They must have been, he
couldn't think of any other reason why a well-dressed woman, a man in a suit and a

uniformed police officer would all be standing on his front doorstep.

"Zackary Bennet?" the woman asked as she lifted her gaze to first him and then

to Hayley.

"Yes. Can I help you with something?" Zack rubbed his hand up and down

Hayley's back as she started to fuss in his arms.

"Belinda Cartwright, Department of Family and Children's services. This is my

colleague Bob Fisher and Officer Williams."

Zack scrunched his eyebrows in confusion, what in the world did FaCS want

with him?

"May we come in please?" the woman asked.
"Can I enquire what this is about, please? I haven't called to report anything,

nor have I witnessed anything recently that I could be of any help to you with."
Zack's mind was running a million miles a second, trying to come up with a possible
reason why these people would be here.

"We're here to investigate a complaint lodged against you, stating your

daughter—" She paused and looked down at the clipboard in her hands that Zack
had completely missed. "—Hayley is in danger and naming you as an unfit parent."

For the second time in Zack's short life, his heart stopped beating. White noise

was all he could hear as he stood there and stared at the three people getting
restless on his front doorstep. Zack took a hasty two steps back and leant against
the wall to the hallway before his legs could give out on him and he collapsed to the
floor.

He pulled Hayley tighter to his chest, not wanting to let his little girl go. He

shook his head, unable to believe this was happening to him.

Unfortunately, he had left the way into his house open, and all three people

stepped inside. Zack watched in detachment as the officer closed the door behind
them, the click sounding loud in the sudden silence that surrounded the Cartwright
woman's announcement.

"You received a complaint against me?" Zack asked, struggling to believe what

he was hearing.

"Yes, I'm sure you can understand that we need to take these matters seriously

when a child might be in danger," Bob Fisher said, his voice deep and seemingly
annoyed at Zack's reaction.

"Who lodged the complaint?" he asked, his brain finally starting to kick in

again.

"I'm afraid that's confidential," the woman said, "Now, if you will, please hand

Hayley over to me so I can assess her. I suggest you take a seat in the living room
while Officer Fisher and Mr. Williams search the house." She held out her arms,

expecting Zack just to hand his daughter over to a stranger. She had another thing
coming.

Hayley shrunk away from the strange lady, her arms wrapped around Zack's

neck, holding on for dear life. Zack tightened his hold on Hayley just a little more,
not enough to hurt her but enough that she was held close against him. Hayley must
have sensed something was wrong as she started fussing. Zack tried to calm her by
rubbing her back.

"Mr. Bennet, I know this is hard for you. I don't want to have to ask Officer

Fisher to remove your daughter from your custody and arrest you, however, I will
if you force my hand. This would all go a lot smoother if you would please hand
Hayley over and allow us to do our jobs."

Zack could see sympathy in her eyes, but he also believed her when she said

he would be arrested if he didn't cooperate. Zack couldn't be arrested. Reluctantly
he disentangled Hayley's little hands from around his neck and handed her over.

"Dadda," Hayley cried out as she reached for him.
"I'm right here, baby girl. I'm not going anywhere." Zack tried to calm his little

girl, but she started crying. He felt helpless as all he could do was stand there and
listen to her and watch as a stranger from the government lifted her clothes and
inspected his daughter.

He lost track of time as the men left them and searched his house, but what

they were looking for he had no idea.

Listening to his girl, anger started to take over as the prominent emotion he was

feeling. Ms. Cartwright may have said the information was confidential in regards to
who lodged the complaint but Zack knew, he had no doubt in his mind that Valerie
and Howard Stewart were behind this.

They hadn't wanted anything to do with Hayley up until now. They'd never

approved of Zack, had all but disowned Sarah when she had informed them she
was having a gay man's baby.

Zack had hoped it would stay that way, that he could raise his daughter in

peace and live their lives without the bigotry that seemed rife whenever the
Stewarts were around.

That dream seemed to have been shattered though.
He looked up at the sound of a throat clearing.
Ms. Cartwright was holding Hayley out to him. Zack leapt up from where he'd

collapsed into the couch, God knows how long ago, and practically snatched his
daughter out of her hands.

"Dadda, hungwy," Hayley said happily to him. She'd calmed down since Zack

had had to hand her over.

"I know. We'll go get you something to eat in just a minute, pumpkin," Zack

assured her.

"Thank you for your cooperation in this matter, Mr. Bennet. Your daughter

seems to be in good health and there were no glaring problems noticed by Mr.
Williams or Officer Fisher. We're sorry to have disturbed your weekend. We'll be
in touch." With that, Zack watched as all three of them turned and walked out of
his house.

He would have collapsed back on the couch beneath him except Hayley's

tugging on his shirt reminded him he needed to feed his daughter. Zack carried her
to the kitchen, even though she was more than old enough to walk or run by
herself. Zack just wanted her close. Hayley must have sensed his feeling, as she
didn't put up a fight.

Zack was reluctant to let her go when they arrived in the large kitchen and

dining room. But he placed her in her booster seat at the table as he went into the
kitchen to get a small bowl of grapes and some yoghurt.

"Here you go, pumpkin," Zack said as he placed the bowl on the table in front

of Hayley, opened up the yoghurt, and gave it a stir.

"Yum." Hayley dove right in grabbing up a handful of grapes and placing them

in her mouth, her small cheeks bulging.

Zack couldn't bring himself to even crack a smile at his girl. How could Sarah's

parents call child services on him? He was a good father. Zack loved Hayley more
than anything in this world. He would never do anything to hurt his daughter.

The rest of the day was a blur for Zack. He went through the motions, making

sure to spend plenty of time and play with Hayley, even while his thoughts were in
turmoil. His chest ached at the thought of some government department taking his
precious child away from him.

Even though he hadn't done anything major with Hayley, by the time he put her

down to sleep that night, Zack was utterly exhausted. He stared down at his little
girl, her face peaceful in sleep. Zack reach out and gently swiped her wayward hair
out of her face, her perfect little bow mouth open slightly and making the cutest
noises as she slept.

Zack wiped at the tear that ran down his cheek. This was his daughter, his and

Sarah's, and no one was going to take her away from him. Hayley had already lost
one parent; there was no way Zack would allow her to lose a second.

He bent down and place a kissed on Hayley's forehead and whispered, "Sleep

well, pumpkin. Daddy loves you." Then Zack quietly made his way out of her
room.

Zack locked up the house, not in the mood to do anything but curl up in bed

and try to forget this day had ever happened. He sat in on the edge of his bed and
stared down at the phone in his hand. He had no idea how long he sat there and
stared at the number for Sarah's parents before he finally pressed the connect call
button. He never once thought he would be dialling this number.

The call picked up on the fifth ring and Valerie's uppity 'I'm better than you'

voice rang through the line. "Hello, Valerie Stewart speaking."

"How dare you!" Zack was so furious that these people who hadn't even laid

eyes on their granddaughter had reported him as an unfit father.

"Excuse me? Who is this?" Valerie's grating tone set Zack's teeth on edge.
"I said, how dare you! What gives you the right to call Child Services and say

I'm an unfit parent? You've never even met Hayley. You wanted nothing to do with
her."

"Ah… Zack." Valerie's tone now had a smug edge to it. "Yes, well, we can't

have our only grandchild being raised by someone like you."

"Someone like me? What? A man? A father? Maybe you meant you can't have

her being raised by someone that loves her unconditionally? Something you
obviously know nothing about. Is that what you meant?" Zack knew full well it
wasn't but wasn't about to give her the satisfaction.

The snort that came down the line only served to annoy Zack further. He

paced his bedroom now with the phone clenched so tightly in his hand his knuckles
were going white.

"You know that that's not what I was talking about. You are an abomination,

and unless you repent, you will be going straight to hell along with Sarah."

Zack paused in stunned silence for a second. How could anyone think Sarah

would go to hell? Furious at the people who were supposed to love her no matter
what, Zack gritted his teeth and forced the words out, "Now you listen to me, you
hateful old woman. Your daughter was the best thing that you have ever done in
your life and you turned your back on her. You made your decision years ago and
as such, you have no say whatsoever in the life of our daughter. Stay the hell away
from us!" Zack hung up the phone and threw it at the wall.

He collapsed on his bed and curled into a ball, his body shaking with the force

of his sobs. Zack had lost too many people in his short life, and now these hateful
people were trying to take his daughter as well. He knew one thing though, he
would fight them every step of the way. Hayley was his, and he would protect her
with everything he had.

* * * *

Relief swamped Zack as he collapsed back in to the chair. His lawyer, Mark

Douglas, clapped him on the shoulder from where he sat beside him.

"What did I tell you?" Mark said, grinning widely at him.
"Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me," Zack said, almost

breathless. He still couldn't quite believe it was over. Finally.

Zack watched in semi-stunned amazement as he was told to rise, and the judge

stood, stepped down, and walked out of the court room.

He still couldn't believe he'd ended up here in the first place.
Angry mutters finally broke through the joyous haze his mind had been in since

Judge Carlisle had denied the Stewarts' request for custody of his daughter,
Hayley. Zack had never been more thankful in his life. He didn't think he would
have survived if Hayley had been taken from him as well. He'd already lost Sarah.
He couldn't lose their daughter.

Zack had known as soon as Sarah passed that Valerie and Howard Stewart

would make things difficult for him. The simple fact that two months after he'd had
to bury his best friend representatives from FaCS showed up just proved his point
as far as Zack was concerned. The phone call he'd made to the Stewarts following
that visit made chills run down his spine every time he thought about that horrible
day. He just never imagined the lengths they would go to.

Now here he sat in a courtroom, a judge having just decided his fate. Zack

couldn't express the overwhelming relief he felt at the decision going his way. Not
once when he and Sarah set out to have a child did he ever imagine that he would
have to get up in court and defend himself to a judge.

"This isn't over," Howard snarled. He sent his lawyer a death stare then he and

his wife stood.

"Give up. You've thrown everything at me trying to take my daughter away and

still you've come up empty-handed. The court has decided and there's nothing you
can do about it." Zack couldn't help the satisfied smirk that crossed his face. He felt
wonderful, even in the face of such hatred.

"We'll appeal," Valerie said as she stuck her nose in the air.
"Go ahead. One judge has already ruled in my favour and no doubt any

subsequent judge will do the same thing. All you'll do is continue to waste your
money." Zack hoped he sounded confident as he sure didn't feel that way. His
insides were a huge mass of nerves. Despite what he said, Zack had no way to
know that any other judge would vote in his favour. He could hope they would do
the right thing, but then again Zack knew that people's prejudices often showed
even when they shouldn't.

Howard snorted but didn't say anything else. He took his wife by the arm, and

Zack watched as they stalked out of the courtroom.

"If they appeal, then we'll deal with it. Although I really don't think they have a

leg to stand on. You heard what the judge said," Mark said reassuringly as he once
again patted him on the shoulder.

"Listen to your lawyer. The Stewarts are idiots if they try to proceed further

with this. As the judge said, this should never have even made it to court in the first
place." Zack was shocked as the Stewarts lawyer added his two cents' worth as
well.

"Thank you." He nodded in appreciation.
"Now," Mark said to him, "don't you have a daughter to collect and take

home?"

"God, yes," Zack said with utter happiness.
After everything he had been through, Zack was starting to think it might be

time to make a move and start somewhere fresh. Too much bad had happened
recently that it was starting to drown out all the good that had come before it. Zack
didn't want to raise Hayley in a place where they were subjected to constant
badgering from people that should have loved her.

For now, though, he had a daughter to collect. He walked out of the

courtroom with the two lawyers.

He turned to face Mark one last time. "Thank you," he said from the bottom of

his heart.

"You're very welcome. Go get your girl and give her big kiss. If you have need

of me, just call."

Zack nodded and they shook hands. He even shook hands with the Stewarts'

lawyer before turning and heading to the car park and his vehicle. The entire way
to the day care Zack thought more and more about uprooting his and Hayley's life
and moving somewhere where he would no longer have to deal with the Stewarts.
The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea.

The second he walked into the day care and Hayley spotted him she came

running, screaming, "Daddy," with her arms out wide, and Zack knew. It was time
to make a change.

Chapter Three

Zack sat at his dining room table with his laptop open in front of him. Hayley

was fast asleep upstairs. Zack had talked to his principal as soon as he'd returned
to work and notified him of his plans. It was a little scary to hand in your
resignation when you didn't have a job to go to, but Zack knew if he didn't resign
then he would always have an excuse not to leave. He needed to take his daughter
and get away from the Stewarts. Plus with midyear school holidays just round the
corner, now seemed like the perfect time.

"I'm really sorry, Bernie, I hate to have to put you in this position halfway

through the year," Zack said to his principal.

"I know, Zack. I can't say it wasn't expected though, with all the problems

you've had of late I knew something like this would happen." Bernie looked at him
in sympathy.

"Thanks for understanding. Do you think you'll have trouble filling my position?"

he asked.

"Lydia Hawkins has been sharing your class load for the last six months, since

you cut back. She's put in an application for a full-time position. The kids respond
well to her, and she seems to know what the hell she's talking about. I don't
foresee any problems in replacing you."

Zack didn't know if he should be happy or sad about the fact that he could be

replaced so easily. He smiled and nodded.

"Thank you for everything," Zack said to his boss. "I've really enjoyed my time

here at Greenville High, and if it wasn't for the problems I'm having in my personal
life I would have been happy to continue on here."

"You've been a great member of our staff and we will be sad to see you go.

But you have to do what's right for you." Zack shook hands with his boss before
he left the office.

He felt lighter knowing the first step in starting over had just taken place. Now

he had to find a new job.

Last night he had spent hours updating his résumé, checking that all his teaching

credentials were listed and up to date. Now he was searching the job listings.

Zack read and read for what felt like hours. There were so many positions

available it wasn't funny. Most of them weren't in fields he was interested in or
qualified to teach, the others needed to be waded through. One in particular caught

his eye.

High school year nine maths teacher, located in a small rural town named

Leyburn in Victoria. Zack was positively giddy at the thought of moving to another
state.

He read the position description and the job requirements and after composing

his application letter and completing the selection criteria, Zack sent in his
application along with his résumé. Zack sent out three applications for jobs located
in different parts of the country. He didn't want to limit himself to just one area.

It took a week for Zack's phone to ring and for him to be offered a telephone

interview with the principle of Leyburn High, Donald Murphy.

Zack still hadn't heard anything from the other two applications, but since they

were government schools he knew just how slow the recruitment process could go
sometimes. He was actually astonished at how quickly Leyburn High had gotten
back to him, as they too were government funded; he figured they must be pretty
desperate. He accepted the interview right away, and they set up a time for the
following day during Zack's free period.

He was a nervous wreck all night. Zack didn't think Hayley noticed though,

which was a good thing. Zack had started packing up the house as soon as he'd
made the decision to leave. Everything Zack wanted to keep he boxed and placed
in the living room against the wall. Everything else was going to go in a garage sale.
He wanted to be ready to leave as soon as he had an idea of where he would be
going.

The interview went well, Zack thought. Donald Murphy seemed like a nice guy

and someone Zack could see himself working for. He'd explained that the old
maths teacher had handed in her resignation when she left to have her baby. They'd
had a relief teacher taking the maths classes for the last several weeks as they'd
been unable to fill the position permanently. However, maths was not her strong
suit and the kids were being disadvantaged by this. No one wanted to move to a
small town in the middle of nowhere anymore. For Zack, that was exactly what he
wanted to do.

They talked about the job and the town itself for a few more minutes, and Zack

thanked Donald for the opportunity to interview and they said goodbye.

The nerves that had plagued him for the last day leading up to his interview

were back in full force now as Zack replayed every answer he'd given, every word
he'd said. One more day left and then he'd officially be unemployed. Luckily he
wasn't given much time to stew on things though as the bell rang, signalling the start
of the last lesson for the day.

Zack received the phone call the Monday of the following week letting him

know he was the successful applicant for the position. He wanted to jump for joy
knowing that he'd gotten a new job out of state, but at the same time he wanted to
throw up for exactly the same reason. Zack had never lived anywhere but here
before and packing up his and Hayley's life and moving interstate was scary as hell.
He knew it had to be done though and as terrified as Zack was, he was also equal
parts excited.

He thanked Donald Murphy and informed him he could start at the beginning

of the new school semester. School was currently out for midyear break but would
be starting again the week after next. This would give Zack enough time to finalise
his packing, hold a garage sale and hand the keys over to the new owners of his
childhood home. The house had been placed on the market a few weeks ago and
immediately snatched up by a lovely couple with two children. Zack was happy a
new family would be able to make happy memories in the house he'd felt so much
love in.

He also needed to call his Alpha and find out if there was a pack in the town he

would soon be moving to. He hated the thought of leaving his pack, but hoped the
move would be the start to the rest of his and Hayley's lives.

* * * *

After spending the last half hour sitting there in silence, pretending to be paying

attention to the television, but really watching his brothers, Simon Holland could
admit two things. One, he was starting to worry a little for his youngest brother,
Rick, and two, Simon wanted a mate of his own.

Simon had noticed Rick starting to withdraw more and more into himself ever

since Alex and Jason had mated. He'd originally thought that maybe Rick had a
problem with Jason, but after watching his brother and paying close attention, he
knew that wasn't the case at all. What Rick was having trouble with was the same
thing Simon was: they both wanted a mate of their own.

What really had Simon worried about his younger brother were the late-night

outings, the dark circles under his eyes, and the fact that Simon had smelt alcohol
on him on more than one occasion after he'd arrived home at some ungodly hour.
In order for a shifter to smell that strongly of alcohol, they had to have consumed
one hell of a lot.

Simon was getting to the stage where he wanted to talk to Alex and find out if

he knew what was going on with Rick. He'd tried to broach the subject with Rick
on more than one occasion, but Rick had simply patted him on the shoulder and
told him everything was fine. Everything was not fine, that was clear as day. Simon

just didn't know how to go about making his brother happy.

Alex was also still wrapped up in his new mating with Jason and saw everyone

as being as happy as he was, even if they weren't. There was no way Alex knew
that Simon's insides burned with jealously when he was forced to sit and watch his
two elder brothers and their mates moon all over each other. That he wanted to
scream out his frustrations at the universe that he still hadn't met someone he could
love and build a family with.

He also didn't know that Simon lay in bed most nights, unable to sleep,

imagining what his mate would look like, how old he would be, what he would do
for a living. Simon wasn't about to tell Alex either. His brother was truly happy for
what was probably the first time in his life, and Simon wasn't about to spoil that for
him, whatever the reason.

He would keep an eye on Rick, and if things didn't start to improve, then he

would either pull Alex aside and talk to him, or he would go to someone that he
knew would be able to get through to Rick. Their mother.

Simon stood, unable to watch the peaceful expressions on Jason's and Brian's

faces as they both cuddled up with their mates.

"I'm going to call it night, guys. I'll see you in the morning," Simon said as he

faked a yawn and stretched, his yawn turning real after moments.

"You sure?" Alex asked as he twisted his head around so he could look at

Simon. "It's still early." It wasn't really though, it was after ten already.

"Yeah, I've got a lot on my mind at the moment."
Alex's eyebrows pulled down as he stared at Simon. "Everything okay at

work?"

"Just the usual." Simon smiled, though it felt forced. He hoped it didn't come

across that way.

"We'll see you in the morning. Night, bro," said Alex as he turned and faced the

television again.

A chorus of goodnights rung out from everyone, and Simon said his goodbyes,

turned, and headed down the passage to his bedroom.

Closing the door behind him, Simon leaned back against it and just breathed

for a moment. Deep down he knew his time would come eventually. That didn't
stop him from wanting him mate now. Simon was ready for a mate and all it
entailed. He wanted someone he could come home to, someone he could talk
about his day with, discuss their hopes and dreams and someday have a family
with.

Along with all that, Simon also wanted someone he could curl up on the couch

with and hold tight against him while they lay in bed. Someone he could wake up to

every morning, look into his eyes and just know that he would be perfectly happy
for the rest of his life, just so long as they were together.

Both Marcus and Alex had been lucky enough to find that special someone.

Simon hoped it would be his turn soon.

Simon levered himself off the door and made his way through his dark room to

the bedside table, thankful all the way for his enhanced senses. He flicked on the
lamp, the room suddenly bathed in the soft glow of light.

He stripped off his clothes and placed them in the wash basket and then made

his way to the shower. Simon stood and waited for the water to warm up before
stepping under the spray. The heat felt great against his tense muscles, and Simon
could feel his body relax for what felt like the first time all day.

Simon didn't know how long he stood there, his thoughts a jumbled mess as

the water poured down over him. Eventually he stepped back and picked up the
body wash, scrubbing himself clean before rinsing off.

He flicked the water off and stepped out onto the bathmat, grabbed the fluffy

chocolate brown towel from where it hung, and dried himself. One last furious rub
to his head to get rid of the majority of water still clinging to his hair, and Simon
hung up the towel. He turned out the bathroom light and walked naked back to his
bed, closing the en suite door behind him.

Simon crawled into bed and stuffed a couple of pillows behind his back to

prop him up slightly. He picked up his tablet from where it sat on his bedside table,
but after ten minutes of flicking from application to application unable to decide
what it was he wanted to do, Simon sighed in frustration and set it down again.

He couldn't get his thoughts to settle on any one thing. Simon removed the

extra pillows from behind him and scooted down the bed until he was comfortable.

Still not tired, Simon gave some thought to watching a little porn, but then ix-

nayed that idea as well. Instead he used his imagination and tried to conjure in his
mind what he thought his mate might look like.

He'd suspected he was gay at fifteen. Kissing his best friend Mark after school

when he was sixteen confirmed his suspicions. They'd fooled around together and
he discovered what it was like to have sex with another boy. Now though, he
didn't want just anyone. Simon wanted his mate.

Simon trailed his hand lightly down the flat planes of his stomach and through

the coarse hairs that surrounded the base of his shaft.

He wasn't hard yet, but he wrapped his hand around his dick and gently

stroked himself. His mind still tried to picture his mate. Simon's prick perked up
and wanted play within moments, his mind however was having a harder time.

Simon thought that might be because he really didn't care what his mate looked

like, it was more the feelings that went along with the mating than the looks of the
person he was mated to that he cared about.

He wanted to love and be loved in return, to feel the desire to see his other half

more than anyone else on the planet. He wanted the longing for his mate to be by
his side and the sense of peace that his brothers told him they felt now that they had
met their other halves, like a piece of them had been missing and had now been
returned.

Simon wanted all of that more than anything. He sighed in frustration again as

his cock, which had perked up, went soft once again in his hand. He gave up and
rolled over, punching the pillow below his head in an attempt to get comfortable.

It will happen, Simon kept telling himself. He just needed to give it more time.

His mate had to make his way here or maybe Simon had to think about leaving
Leyburn for a while. That stray thought struck him still for a moment.

Simon had been in Leyburn all his life, except for the few years he'd left to

attend uni and then he'd come home again. Who was to say his mate wasn't waiting
for Simon to come to him just like Simon was currently waiting? What was to say
that Simon couldn't go out there and look for his mate instead of staying put where
he was?

He liked the idea the more he thought about it. Unfortunately, things weren't

always that simple. He had a job that depended on him, workers he supervised,
and a family. He couldn't just pack up and walk away from all his responsibilities.

Maybe it was time for a holiday though. He could get away for a couple of

weeks, go somewhere he'd never been before, and maybe, just maybe he could
meet his mate.

Simon resolved to start looking into his options first thing tomorrow morning.

For now, he would try to get some sleep and he was determined to be more
cheerful around his brothers and their mates. Simon closed his eyes and he felt at
peace for what felt like the first time since Brian had come into their lives.

Just as he was drifting off to sleep, the image of a man with red hair and the

prettiest brown eyes Simon had ever seen in his life came to him. But before Simon
could think on the image further, he was out.

Chapter Four

"Daddy?" Zack looked in the rearview mirror at the most important person in

his life. His daughter sat in her booster seat surrounded by everything they owned.

"Yes, pumpkin?" Zack constantly flicked his eyes back and forth between his

precious cargo and the road ahead.

"Are we dare yet?"
Zack sighed. The question had been constant for the last several hours. It had

to be hard for Hayley. Within the space of a six-month period, she lost the mother
she loved, the house she grew up in, and was being taken from the day care she
knew and friends she loved.

"Not yet, Hayley, but soon, okay?" Zack answered sombrely. "We'll find the

motel and unpack the car, and then we'll find a nice park where you can play for a
little while. How does that sound?"

He tried to inject some happiness into his tone. It must have worked, as the

squeals of delight from the backseat let Zack know Hayley was onboard with the
park idea.

Glancing back again, Zack couldn't believe how much she looked like her

mother. Her sparkling jade green eyes and the cutest little button nose you had
ever seen above a small mouth with rose pink lips reminded him daily of the only
woman he'd ever loved. But her best feature Zack thought, the only feature she'd
gotten from him, fell past her shoulders in loose, bright auburn ringlets. One of
Sarah's favourite things before she passed was to brush Hayley's hair. Zack felt
momentarily overwhelmed with grief at the thought of his best friend.

Determined not to once again get lost in his memories, Zack looked into the

mirror and noticed his daughter was starting to nod off to sleep, her favourite toy, a
plush wolf, held close to her chest. Concentrating on the road ahead, Zack
wondered what he was going to do without his best friend.

There wasn't anything tying him to his hometown in the Blue Mountains

anymore. His parents and best friend were gone, and the house he'd grown up in
no longer belonged to him. He thought it best to get as far away from Sarah's
parents as he could.

The sale of his parents' home had allowed him to pay his lawyer's fees, pack

what little he wanted to keep, set aside a generous amount for Hayley's schooling,
and have enough for Zack to set up a new home for him and Hayley in a new

place.

That's how Zack ended up on this lonely stretch of road, driving towards a

town he'd never been to before and starting a new job in a week's time. His only
possessions were what he could fit inside his small Toyota Camry.

Zack could barely contain his excitement about his new job. He loved teaching

and missed not having a class all to himself after he'd cut his hours back when
Sarah got sick. Zack looked forward to getting back into the classroom, but he
didn't fool himself the kids would be excited to see him. They were teenagers and
had much better things to do with their time. He didn't care. Zack loved the feeling
he got when he saw understanding dawn on a teenager's face as the youth started
to understand what he was trying to teach them.

One of the first things Zack did when he received the news he'd gotten the job

was to call his Alpha and find out if there was a pack in the area. Jeremy Stretton
was a good Alpha and looked after all his pack. He didn't discriminate over the
colour of a person's skin or sexual preference. Alpha Stretton let Zack know a
pack existed in the area and was led by a man named Alexander Holland.
Unfortunately, Alpha Stretton hadn't known much about the other Alpha as he'd
only recently taken over the pack from his father and Jeremy had only had only met
the man once at the yearly Alpha gathering.

Alpha Stretton gave him the number he had on record for Alex Holland. Once

Zack hung up with his Alpha, he called Alpha Holland and arranged to meet when
he got to town. Zack was a little nervous, if truth be told, about meeting his new
Alpha. He hoped he wasn't some bigoted asshole. He needed this job and didn't
want to be forced to leave town before he even got a chance to get settled.

Zack was hoping for somewhere he and Hayley could move on with their lives

and heal after everything they'd been through. He knew Hayley didn't understand
everything that had happened, but that didn't mean there weren't times his daughter
had known something was wrong. He wanted peace and acceptance, not more
bigotry and fighting.

Zack had no idea how long he'd been lost in his thoughts, but it must have been

for some time as he noticed the welcome sign on the side of the road and realised
he'd finally reached his new home.

Glancing in his mirror again, he saw Hayley still slept soundly and hoped she

would stay that way long enough for Zack to find the hotel and check in. He
slowed the car in accordance with the speed signs, and the directions he printed
from his computer showed the way to the hotel.

Navigating through the streets, Zack eagerly surveyed his surroundings and

liked the look of the town. It was smaller than where he grew up in the mountains,

but he thought he could be happy here. Businesses lined the main street, and there
seemed to be plenty of people bustling about as well. The place had a very friendly
vibe to it Zack thought. Arriving at the hotel, he pulled up in the driveway and
stopped in front of the reception. Zack left the car running in the hope Hayley
would sleep for a little longer. He stretched out his muscles that threatened to
cramp from sitting in a car all day. Once he felt a little better, he headed inside to
check in.

A middle-aged lady with greying hair sat behind the counter and smiled at him

as he approached.

"Good afternoon, sir. How may I help?"
"Hi, I have a reservation for a week under the name Zack Bennet." Zack

watched as the lady clicked away on the computer.

"Ah, yes. Here we are, a queen bed with a port-a-cot," she read from the

screen.

"Yes, thank you, if it's not too much trouble."
"Not at all, sir. The room should already be set up for you. If you just wait one

moment, I'll get the paperwork." Zack nodded as she walked to the printer and
waited for it to spit out the forms.

Zack stepped back and looked out the glass doors to the car, heaving a sigh of

relief when he realised Hayley was still sleeping peacefully in her seat. Turning his
attention back to the reception desk, he found the paperwork, with a pen, waiting
for him to complete. After filling out the form and handing over his licence and
credit card, Zack received his room key and a map of the hotel grounds that had
his room circled with red ink.

"If you need anything else or there is something wrong with the room, please

don't hesitate to call reception. Our hours are from seven am to eight pm."

"Thank you, I will." Zack picked up everything and headed back to his car. He

drove around the side and found his room. After parking in the space provided, he
once again left the car running until he had the room unlocked.

Opening the door to his current home, Zack looked around. The room wasn't

much. For the money he was paying, he definitely wasn't expecting the plaza. The
queen-size bed dominated the room, with a once-brightly coloured quilt that
looked faded from being washed so often.

After unbuckling Hayley from her car seat, Zack carried his daughter inside the

room and gently laid her down in the port-a-cot. The cot barely fit between the left
wall and his bed. Once he was sure Hayley was okay, Zack turned on one of the
bedside lamps to give him a little light.

The carpet was an ungodly green colour. It looked to be stained in several

places and worn in several others. It wasn't home by any means, but it would do
for a week or so while he looked for a place for him and Hayley.

Zack headed back to the car and started to unload his luggage. Placing his

suitcases on the luggage rack and the small table, the room quickly filled with their
belongings. On his third trip back to the car, he heard his daughter cry out. Zack
rushed back into the room and bent down over the cot to pick Hayley up.

"Hey now, pumpkin. Everything's okay," Zack reassured in his most soothing

voice. He straightened himself up and patted her back as he rocked her a little.

Hayley's sniffles ended quickly and she leaned back to look him in the eyes.

"Daddy, park now?"

Zack chuckled. "Yes, Hayley, we're here. Let me finish unloading the car then

we can have a snack and go to the park." Zack kissed his beautiful little girl on the
cheek and placed her back in the cot.

Hayley's excited screams about the park followed Zack as he went to get

another load of boxes from the car. Half a dozen trips later, the car was finally
empty. Zack went to the cooler he'd packed some food into with ice that morning
and pulled out a pureed fruit tub, then found a spoon. Setting Hayley in one of the
chairs at the table, Zack fed her the snack. When she was finished, Zack went to
the bathroom, wet one of the face cloths, and cleaned his daughter up. No matter
what Zack tried, Hayley always seemed to end up with food all over her face. The
mess was always worse when she fed herself.

Checking his watch, he noticed it was five to four. He'd arranged to meet with

Alpha Holland at his place at five thirty. That gave him plenty of time to take
Hayley to the park. He picked up the phone and dialled reception. After several
rings, the same lady who'd checked him in earlier answered. "Reception, how can I
help you?"

"Hi this is Zack Bennet from room 122. I was wondering if there was a kids'

play park nearby?"

"Yes, sir. If you head back to the main street and turn right, there's one not too

far down on the left."

"Thank you, have a good day."
"You too, sir. Enjoy."
Zack hung up the phone and made his way to Hayley. "You ready to go play in

the park, pumpkin?"

"Yay!"
Zack broke into a smile at his daughter's excitement. If only his life was that

simple. Zack picked Hayley up and made his way out of the room and to his car
while listening to the excited chatter of his two-year-old the entire way.

Chapter Five

"Do you have to do that here?" Making out again? Really? All Simon wanted

to do was relax after a long day at work, and he came home to find both his
brothers and their mates making out in the living room. For the third time that
week.

The television blared in the background, long since forgotten. Simon didn't

begrudge his brothers their mates, really, it just seemed every time he turned
around they were attempting to get into each other's pants. They could barely be in
the same room together without constantly touching. Simon knew he was a little
jealous and that was the main reason he was so bothered by this, but a little
restraint would go a long way.

Simon wanted to find someone who lit up the room when they walked in,

someone whose touch caused his body to ache in such a good way, someone who
looked at him as if he was their whole world, someone he could lose himself in and
forget the world around him.

The growl coming from his brother, Alex, was actually quite impressive since

he continued to kiss his mate, Jason, the entire time. Jason finally broke the kiss
and giggled. He leaned his head back on the couch and looked up at Simon
standing in the doorway.

"Sorry."
Alex growled again. "Don't apologise, sweetheart. If he doesn't like it, he can

always leave." Alex then started trailing kisses down Jason's neck.

Jason swatted Alex on the arm. "Be nice."
"Don't worry about it, Jase. I think I might go for a run anyway. Things are a

little too steamy in here for my tastes. That should give you all time to finish
whatever you're doing. Be back in about an hour or so." Simon turned and walked
down the passage to his room, not bothering to wait for a reply from anyone.

Running had always been one of his favourite things to do, whether in wolf or

human form. Simon could always manage to lose himself and forget everything
going on in his life in the rhythm of his feet hitting the ground.

In his room, Simon undressed and found his running clothes. Once dressed in

shorts and a tank top, Simon slipped on his Nike running shoes and found his
armband for his iPod before finding the device itself. Searching through his bedside
drawers, Simon then found his headphones. Connecting everything up and

strapping the player in, Simon did some quick stretches, then headed out of the
house.

Simon jogged down the drive and turned left along the footpath. His body soon

loosened up and he settled into a rhythm, heart beating steadily, feet pounding the
pavement in time with the heavy bass beat of the music. Simon cleared his mind
and let all his thoughts and worries flow right out of him. All that mattered was
putting one foot in front of the other. Everything else could wait.

The sweat soon dripped down his back and his leg muscles started to ache,

but Simon was just getting started. He turned down the main street of town, most
of the shops already locked up this late in the afternoon on a Monday. The
footpaths were clear except for the occasional teenager on a bike. He passed the
park where parents played with young children, gradually fading into older kids on
skateboards and rollerblades as he neared the skate park.

Simon wanted to be one of those people more than anything. He would give

his left nut to be able to find his mate and settle down and raise a family with him.
Being gay though, he'd resigned himself to a long hard battle in order for that dream
to become a reality.

Simon soon found himself at his turning point and he crossed to the other side

of the street and headed back the way he'd come. A half hour later Simon's hair
was wet with sweat as it dripped from his face and ran in rivulets down his back,
his tank top plastered to his skin, and his leg muscles burning. Simon finally turned
onto his street and noticed a Toyota Camry parked out front of his house. He
didn't recognise the car and it had out-of-state plates. Must be the new pack
member Alex had told him about.

Simon stopped on the front lawn and took ten minutes to do cool-down

stretches. If he didn't, his body would rebel against him. His muscles would cramp,
and he would barely be able to walk.

Once Simon finished his stretches, he turned his iPod off and pulled his shirt off

over his head. Simon hated the feeling of his sweat-soaked clothes clinging to his
body when he finished exercising. Making his way to the house, Simon pushed
open the front door and stopped at the sight before him.

A little girl with bright red curls and the greenest eyes he'd ever seen stood in

the passageway clutching a little wolf plush toy to her chest. Simon didn't want to
frighten the small child so he quietly closed the door then crouched down with his
back against the wood. "Hello there, pretty girl. What's your name?"

Simon watched as the girl's eyes roamed over him. "Hayley," came the soft,

sweet reply.

"Hello, Hayley. I'm Simon. How old are you?" Hayley seemed to think about it

for a minute then held up the arm currently not holding her toy, displaying two
fingers.

"Two, oh wow! You're almost a big girl." Hayley's smile broke across her face

and she nodded her head in agreement. "And who is this?" Simon asked, pointing
to the stuffed wolf in her arms.

"Woofie." Hayley thrust her toy out in front of her so Simon could get a good

look. Her voice held certainty; she knew exactly who her teddy was. Simon smiled
at her and patted the toy wolf.

"Hayley?" The most beautiful voice Simon had ever heard made its way to his

brain. Hayley turned her head and squealed in delight as the voice was quickly
followed by the most stunning man Simon had ever seen.

He stood roughly five foot nine with pale skin, freckles dusted his nose and he

had the plumpest pink lips Simon had ever seen. The man's beautiful red hair was
just long enough for Simon to run his fingers through and be able to grasp at the
right time. Whoever he was, he took Simon's breath away. Simon thought there
might be something familiar about the man, but he couldn't put his finger on what.

With hair that colour, he would surely have to be this little girl's father. Right?

Simon's thoughts were confirmed as the girl ran up and jumped at the man crying
out, "Daddy."

Simon heard an "Umph" as the man caught the young girl. Simon ran his gaze

down the stranger's body and came to a halt at his crotch when he noticed a rather
impressive bulge behind the jeans' zipper. He sucked in a breath at the sight before
his eyes, and that's when the scent hit him. It was like being hit between the eyes
with a hammer. All his relaxed muscles tensed and his cock, which was already
half-hard at the sight of the man and his impressive package, hardened completely,
draining the rest of the blood from his body and pooling it in his tight running shorts.

The scent tickled his senses. It smelled like warm summer rain and something

else Simon thought might be baby powder but wasn't sure. He couldn't believe it.
His mate was in his house…and he had a child.

Simon put his hand on his knees and kept his back against the door as he

slowly pushed himself up. He didn't want to scare his mate. He noticed the man's
eyes work their way down his body then quickly lift back up when they got as far
as his groin. The pink blush that stained his cheeks was sexy as hell, and all Simon
could think about at that moment was kissing this gorgeous man.

Simon took one step forward before Alex's voice broke through his fog.

"Zack, did you find her? Is everything all right?" His brother's larger frame followed
his voice from around the corner and he was soon standing behind Zack. "Hey,
Simon, glad you're home. Good run?"

"What?" Simon shook his head trying to remember what he was doing. Right,

run. He had been running. "Ah, yeah, it was okay."

"This is Zack Bennet. He's just moved here from the Blue Mountains. And this

little cutie is his daughter, Hayley." Alex grinned as he lightly tickled Hayley. She
squealed and squirmed in her father's arms.

Simon nodded and stepped forward again and held out his hand. "Nice to

finally meet you." Zack's blush seemed to darken as he reached out and shook
Simon's hand.

"You too" was the softly spoken reply. Electricity raced through Simon's hand

and up his arm, all from one small touch. He couldn't wait to see what would
happen if he ever got the chance to get his mate naked.

His thoughts about his naked mate were interrupted by his brother's deep

voice. "Zack, would you and Hayley like to stay for dinner? It would be a good
opportunity to get to know you a little better."

"Umm, okay, if you're sure it's no trouble," Zack stammered without taking his

eyes off Simon's body. Simon's prick grew impossibly harder in his running shorts,
and he felt sure his predicament was obvious.

"None whatsoever. Brian cooked up a huge pot of spaghetti Bolognaise, so

there's plenty of food."

Hayley screamed her enjoyment at hearing what was for dinner. "Yay, basketti

bollolaise! Daddy, can I have some? I'm hungry." Simon smiled at the girl's
pronouncement of their dinner and watched as she turned imploring eyes up to her
father.

Zack seemed to shake himself and finally looked at his daughter. "You can

have some when dinner is ready, pumpkin." Then he leaned in and kissed her lightly
on the cheek before lowering her once again to the ground.

"How long until dinner, Alex? Do I have enough time to go shower?" Simon

caught the sudden flair of heat in Zack's eyes at the mention of him showering.

"Yeah, you've got plenty of time."
With that Simon turned and headed towards his room. If he stayed any longer

with Zack looking at him like that, he would jump the man right then and there, no
matter who else was in the room, Simon didn't think that would be entirely
appropriate behaviour for Hayley to witness. He'd probably end up scarring the
poor child for life.

Closing his bedroom door behind him, he quickly stripped out of the rest of his

sweat-soaked clothes and made his way to the bathroom. Turning on the shower,
Simon let the water heat before stepping inside and rinsing the sweat and salt from
his body.

Simon ached; he was hard enough to pound nails and what he really wanted

was to go grab his mate and drag him into the shower with him. He knew that
wasn't going to happen anytime soon, so he reached for the conditioner and
poured a generous amount into his hand. Reaching down between his legs, Simon
grasped his hard length and stroked from the base right to the tip, stopping to rub
his finger through his slit. He groaned at the number of feelings shooting through his
body with just that simple touch.

Simon let his imagination run wild as he thought about what it would be like if

Zack joined him in the shower, kissing his mate until neither of them could breathe.
He set a nice steady rhythm as he imagined himself kissing his way down Zack's
neck, stopping every once in a while to lick at the water that ran in little rivulets
down his mate's body. Simon would stop when he reached one of Zack's nipples
and drive the man wild as he licked, sucked, bit and kissed the little nub before
moving on to the other.

Simon's hand sped up, while his other reached down to cup and play with his

balls. He could almost hear the moan coming from Zack's mouth before he would
pull away from Simon and sink to his knees in front of Simon's hard, straining
length.

Zack would lean in and run his tongue around his balls before sucking one, then

the other, into his mouth, releasing each with a loud pop. Simon could feel his
tongue on his shaft as he made his way up to the head and dipped his tongue into
the slit to lap at all the pre-cum before opening his mouth and swallowing Simon
down to the root.

Simon howled Zack's name as ropes of pearly white cum shot from his cock

onto the tiles below to be washed away with the hot water. Leaning his arm against
the wall, Simon took deep breaths, trying to get his body to calm back down after
the most explosive orgasm of his life. Once he was sure he could stand unaided
without his knees giving way, he washed the rest of his body and turned the shower
off.

Quickly running a towel over his wet body, Simon walked to his closet. He

wanted to get dressed and get back out to his mate as soon as possible. Grabbing
a pair of well-worn jeans he knew his ass looked great in, Simon found a shirt and
pulled them both on, not bothering with underwear. He was already hard again at
the thought of his mate and didn't want the extra layer of fabric constricting his
body. Running his fingers through his hair, Simon was as ready as he would ever
be.

* * * *

Zack sat at the dining room table surrounded by his mate's family.

His mate .

Being gay, Zack never thought he would have a mate. Never thought there would
be the perfect match for him out there. After everything he'd been through recently,
he wasn't sure he could handle the fact he did indeed have a mate. Having nearly
everyone he loved taken away from him, could he survive if he mated with Simon
and then something happened to him as well?

Looking at his daughter sitting quietly in the chair next to him, Zack had another

thought. What did Simon think about kids? Did he like them? Did he want one?
Would he help Zack to raise Hayley? God this was such a mess.

"So, Zack, what brings you to our small town?" Alex asked him. Their meeting

earlier had been cut short when Zack realised Hayley had wandered off, then with
the invitation for dinner they never got back to it. It seemed Alex was going to
continue the questions with the rest of the family present now.

"I got a job at the local high school their previous teacher resigned to have a

baby. I'll be teaching maths and social studies." Zack stopped and took a breath.
His body stilled as the most glorious scent permeated his senses. The smell was
rich, musky and all man with a hint of soap. Zack turned in his seat to see the drop-
dead gorgeous figure of his mate standing in the doorway. Simon had his arms
crossed over his chest and his hip resting against the doorjamb.

With his mate looking right at him, Zack smiled shyly and couldn't help but

notice how sexy Simon looked in his faded jeans and tight black t-shirt, his hair still
wet from his shower. A smile broke out across Simon's face as he pushed off the
doorjamb and stalked towards Zack. Zack's breath caught in his throat at the
predatory look in Simon's eye.

Everything else faded into the background when Simon stopped in front of him.

Simon raised a hand and cupped Zack's cheek, and tingles started under his skin
from the contact with his mate, making their way through his body straight to his
cock. Simon's thumb brushed gently across his bottom lip before the hand cupping
his cheek tipped his head backwards.

Zack's focus narrowed down to the lips in front of him, when Simon

seductively leaned in for a kiss. Nothing else mattered except what it would feel
like to have those lips pressed against his. He watched as a pink tongue darted out
and licked the lips he so desperately wanted to taste before Simon finally closed
the small distance remaining between them.

A moan escaped from his throat as soft lips finally met his. The kiss was gentle

and searching, not hard and demanding like he was expecting. Either way was fine
by him. Zack opened his mouth when he felt Simon's tongue gently swipe against

his bottom lip, right where his thumb had caressed earlier.

Simon's tongue invaded his mouth as the kiss deepened. The sound of a throat

clearing cut through the fog created by the kiss. Simon broke away and rested his
head against Zack's. They were both breathing heavily. Simon kissed his lips once
more before straightening and looking at the other people surrounding the table.

Zack could feel the heat rush to his cheeks at the realisation he had just shared

his first kiss with his mate in front of Simon's entire family. Zack's heartbeat
quickened at the thought his daughter had witnessed his kiss. He quickly turned to
see her reaction only to find his daughter looking at him with a huge grin on her
face.

"Dadda kissed a man." Hayley sang, then broke into giggles. Everyone else at

the table laughed at the stunned look on his face.

Simon pulled out the chair on the other side of Zack and took a seat at the

table. Another throat cleared, and Zack glanced up to see Alex staring at Simon
with one eyebrow raised. "Umm, Simon, is there something you want to tell me?"

Zack's mate leaned back in his chair with hands linked behind his head and

sporting a cocky grin. "Nope."

The small chuckle from across the table pulled Zack's attention away from his

mate and had him looking instead at Jason, Alex's mate. Jason winked at him, and
his smile lit up his face.

"Simon!" The name was practically a growl from the big Alpha.
Simon's grin never faded. "It's not like you haven't already guessed."
"I want to hear you say it."
"Fine then, Zack is my mate. Happy now?"
"Yep."
"It's yes, not yep. Right, Daddy?" Hayley asked so innocently Zack was hard

pressed not to burst into laughter. Alex turned towards the little girl with an
expression of complete and utter shock. Zack doubted anyone had ever dared
correct the Alpha's speech before.

"Yes, pumpkin, that's right."
Alex's attention was diverted away from Hayley and focused on Zack with his

response, and Zack swallowed the lump in his throat before straightening his
shoulders and looking the man in the eyes.

"You got anything to add?"
"No." What more was there? Simon was his mate. They had a lot of things to

talk about, but now wasn't the time.

"Well then, I suppose, welcome to the family. Mum will love you as you're

going to make her dream of being a grandmother come true."

Before Zack could reply, Brian arrived with dinner.

Chapter Six

Dinner was, once again, a noisy affair. Simon was used to this. Things had

been very quiet for a while after Jason's attack in their home. Alex had replaced the
dining room table since Jason couldn't stand to look at it. Simon couldn't blame
him; being unable to move while a madman tried to rape him for a second time was
bound to leave some scars.

With their family growing, the table had been getting a little small for them

anyway, so Alex bought a large one that could be extended when needed. It had
taken several months, but Jason was starting to get back to normal. As cleansing as
the trial had been for Jason, allowing him to tell his side of the events, it had caused
the nightmares to come back for a time. Simon was sure there were still nights
where Jason was gripped by the horrors of his past, but thankfully, they seemed to
be few and far between these days.

Looking over at Zack, Simon wasn't sure he would have had the strength not

to kill the guy if something like that happened to his mate. He and Zack hadn't even
completed their mating yet, but Simon could already feel his possessiveness
towards Zack.

Biting back a growl, Simon concentrated on the conversation flowing around

him. Everyone talked about their day and made plans for the coming weeks. They
discussed pack business and set a time for their next dinner with their parents.

Simon was glad he had a close family, not like most households now with

parents getting divorced left, right, and centre, kids being dragged through custody
battles, not to mention the parents that disowned their kids for being who they
were. Brian and Jason had both experienced this after their parents found out they
were gay. Simon was glad he was a werewolf and had the honour of having a
destined mate. There wasn't a single case of true mates splitting prior to death.
Only if he settled down with someone not his mate would divorce be an issue. He
just hoped he and Zack could be as happy as his brothers were in their matings.

The one thing Simon was a little nervous about was Hayley. He wanted kids,

always had. Even being gay he'd never given up the hope that one day he'd have a
family of his own. Simon just hadn't expected his mate to come with a child already
in tow, not that that was a bad thing. Simon knew he would love Hayley as if she
were his own. He just hoped Hayley could love him too in time.

The little girl was cute as hell, though. With her green eyes and red curly hair,

Simon knew Alex was right that their mother was going to go gaga over Hayley.
That little girl was about to be spoiled rotten.

When all current topics seemed to be exhausted, Alex turned his attention back

to Zack. "So Zack, you said you were a teacher. What made you decide you
wanted to apply for this job in the first place? Did you have problems with your old
pack?"

Simon turned to watch his mate. Zack seemed to take his time deciding what

to say. The table sat in silence as everyone waited for an answer. "Never had any
problems with my old pack."

"Did they know you were gay?" Brian interrupted.
"Yeah, I came out when I was younger. My parents were great and the other

members of the pack didn't care who I slept with. I was never treated any
differently." Zack smiled.

"You were lucky," Jason commented. "Both Brian's and my parents and our

birth pack turned their backs on us."

"Jeremy Stretton and his father William are great Alphas. There's never been

any type of discrimination within the Blue Mountain Pack. As for why I decided to
leave…" Zack paused and took a deep breath. Simon watched the emotions cross
his mate's face and wondered what he was thinking about. "There was nothing
holding me there anymore but memories, and I needed to put some distance
between my daughter and my hateful in-laws."

Simon was curious about Zack's last statement. In-laws? Had Zack been

married before? Was this person Hayley's mother or someone else? Zack had said
he was gay so had he been married to a man or woman? God, Simon had so many
questions, however, Alex beat him to the punch once again. "What do you mean
hateful in-laws? If there is going to be problems, I need to know."

Simon looked over at Zack who had been wiping Hayley's face and hands

clean of spaghetti sauce. Nodding once at Alex, he finished cleaning his daughter,
then picked her up and sat her on his lap. Cuddling Hayley close, Zack started to
talk.

"My parents were killed in a head-on collision nearly three years ago."
Simon inhaled sharply at the thought of his mate losing his parents. He didn't

know what he would do if he lost his folks. Reaching over, Simon took Zack's
hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Zack returned the gesture and smiled at him.

"At the time my best friend, Sarah, was pregnant with our daughter. Sarah had

been diagnosed with cancer and wasn't given very long to live. She didn't want the
treatment because she wanted a child. She asked me to be the father," Zack said
sombrely. He leaned down and kissed the top of Hayley's head, the light in his eyes

as he gazed at his daughter tinged with sorrow for the friend he'd lost. Zack
continued, not taking his eyes off his little girl. "I agreed. I would have done
anything for her. Mum and Dad gave us the money we needed and she got
pregnant. They died before Hayley was even born. They never got to meet their
grandcub."

Simon raised his hand and wiped away the tear that was slowly running down

his mate's cheek. His heart broke for his mate; he'd suffered so much loss in his life
already. Simon wanted to take him in his arms and kiss all the hurt away. But he
couldn't do that yet.

"Sarah's parents were like your old pack, Jason and Brian. They are extremely

religious and wanted Sarah to have nothing to do with me. She refused so they
basically disowned her. They wanted nothing to do with Hayley since she was the
daughter of a filthy pervert, an abomination, in their words. That all changed when
Sarah succumbed to her disease."

Simon was continually astounded at the cruelty of some people. Looking over

at the little girl snuggled in her daddy's arms, Simon didn't know how anyone
wouldn't want anything to do with her. She was so cute and innocent, had barely
had a chance to start a life.

"Not long after I'd buried the only other person in my life that I loved, apart

from Hayley, they called child services on me. They reported I was an unfit parent.
I received a rude shock one afternoon when I found two support workers and a
policeman on my doorstep." Simon could hear the anger in Zack's voice. He didn't
blame his mate in the slightest. He would have been fucking ropeable if he'd been in
the same situation. "Apart from burying the people I loved, that was the worst
experience of my life. I stood there and was forced to hand Hayley to these
strangers so they could examine her while they searched our house for evidence of
my neglect."

Simon couldn't take it anymore. He moved his chair as close as he could and

wrapped his arms around Zack, pulling him close. Zack sighed and leant back,
resting his head against Simon's shoulder before lightly kissing his neck. Zack then
kissed Hayley on the head and finished his story.

"When nothing came of the house visit, the Stewarts got lawyers involved and

took me to court for custody of Hayley. It seemed as long as their daughter was
alive, they were fine with ignoring our existence, but once Sarah died they couldn't
handle the idea of their only grandchild being raised by me."

Simon looked at the expressions on the faces of the rest of his family. Every

single person at the table had similar looks of anger and disgust at the lack of
tolerance of some people. He knew his face mirrored those of everyone else.

Simon couldn't believe what Zack had endured in the last couple of years. How
could someone think Zack would neglect his daughter? Simon had only known him
for several hours, and he could already tell how much his mate loved his daughter.
That girl would never want for anything if it was within Zack's power to give it to
her.

Tightening his hold on Zack, Simon listened as he finished his tale.
"I was lucky to get a good judge who could see what the Stewarts were trying

to do." Simon could hear the anger and annoyance in Zack's voice at what the man
had been put through. "Once the social workers got on the stand and said they
couldn't find any evidence of neglect on my part and Hayley was a healthy, happy
two-year-old, the judge had heard enough.

"I was awarded sole custody. Valerie and Howard weren't happy with the

judge's decision and tried to appeal. The appeal was quickly denied. The Stewarts
vowed to get Hayley away from me no matter what any judge said." The waver in
Zack's voice had Simon tightening his hold on his mate. No one was going to take
Hayley away from her father if he had something to say about it. "With the threats
from Valerie and Howard, I couldn't risk anything happening to Hayley. I had
nothing left holding me in town and with all the bad memories of late… I just
couldn't stay there any longer. I put the house up for sale and the money I got for it
let me pay off the lawyer's bill and set a decent amount aside to start a new life
with. I packed all our possessions, found a new job, and here I am."

Zack seemed to hold his breath when he finished talking, waiting to see what

the reaction to his story would be. His answer wasn't long in coming.

"Holy shit!" Jason exclaimed.
"Those bastards," Rick joined in.
Alex sat there stony-faced for a minute before he finally spoke. "Do you think

the Stewarts were serious in their threat to take Hayley from you?"

Zack seemed to think about his answer. "Yeah, I do. After everything they've

put me through, I don't think they're just going to let this drop."

"It's okay, you're not alone anymore," Simon tried to reassure his mate.
Zack bit his bottom lip before slowly nodding his head. "I'm really sorry to

bring this problem to your doorstep. I wish they would just leave me alone. I've
never done anything to them. They even liked me before they found out I was gay."

Alex shook his head. "Don't worry about it. You're family now, even if you

haven't completed the mating yet. Even if you weren't, we would help you; we're
not in the habit of turning those away that are in need of help. Plus when Mum finds
out you've made her a grandmother, you're going to come face to face with one
protective woman."

Jason and Brian giggled at Alex's description of his mother. Hayley looked up

from where she'd been cuddling her daddy at the sound of the laughter. Glancing
around the table, her gaze settled on Simon. A wide grin spread across her face
before she quickly turned and launched herself from her father's arms straight at
Simon.

Simon grunted as he caught the flying two-year-old before he pulled her in

close for a cuddle.

"Hayley, please be gentle," Zack admonished his daughter.
"It's okay, she didn't hurt me. Surprised me more than anything." Simon turned

his attention to the grinning redhead in his arms. "Well, hello there, darlin'. Did you
enjoy your dinner?" Simon smiled at the quickly bobbing head. "Would you like
some ice cream for dessert? Maybe with some chocolate topping?"

The gigantic smile coming from that small face, with her chubby checks still

lightly stained with spaghetti sauce caused Simon's heart to skip a beat. Simon
knew in that moment he would do everything possible to keep this young girl, who
would one day be as much his daughter as Zack's, safe. Simon leant down and
lightly kissed Hayley on her cheek.

"Hmm spaghetti, yummy."
Hayley giggled, and then her eyes lit up as Brian placed a bowl with vanilla ice

cream with chocolate topping on the table in front of her. "Thank you," sang the
delicate voice from the little girl in his lap before she picked up her spoon and
started eating.

Simon kept hold of her while she messily ate her dessert. Looking over at

Zack, Simon wasn't sure what the look on his face meant, but it gave him hope for
the future he wanted with these two wonderful people.

* * * *

Zack watched his daughter sitting in his mate's lap eating ice cream and loved

the sight before him. He couldn't believe how quickly Hayley had taken to Simon,
although he shouldn't have been surprised. Hayley never had any trouble getting to
know new people and was always looking for cuddles no matter where they came
from. She always managed to wrap any adult around her little finger within minutes
of meeting them.

Zack could feel eyes on him and glanced up to see Simon watching him. Simon

seemed happy. Zack leant forward and brushed a kiss across his lips. Simon stilled
beneath Zack's lips, and so he pulled away and looked up at the bigger man. A
lascivious grin spread across Simon's face, and Zack wanted to dive right back in

and taste the man some more.

Zack was a parent first though and didn't want to take things further with

Hayley on Simon's lap, so Zack settled back in his chair, resigned to wait. He tried
to subtly adjust his pants, which had grown tighter with the merest touch of his
mate's lips on his own, but Simon caught him, and the shit-eating grin said the man
liked the effect he had on Zack's body.

The conversation around the dinner table turned to everyone's plans for the

upcoming weekend. Zack sat quietly and listened, thinking about what he needed
to do. His plans for the weekend included trying to find a place for Hayley and him
to live. He'd paid for a week at the hotel and really hoped he wouldn't have to
extend the stay longer than that. As much as he loved his daughter, he wanted a
room to himself again. Sharing a space with Hayley severely limited what he could
do once she was asleep for the night. Living out of suitcases wasn't his idea of a
good time, and the bed at the hotel left a lot to be desired.

Turning his gaze towards his mate again had all sorts of thoughts racing through

his mind, thoughts of things they could get up to if they had some privacy. Zack
could just imagine the hard, chiselled body of the sexy-as-hell man in front of him,
could imagine running his tongue around dark brown nipples before sucking one
into his mouth and biting down gently. Zack could almost feel Simon's naked body
pressed against his own as Simon gradually slid his hard, thick cock deep within his
aching body.

Shit!
Zack's prick hardened at some point during his runaway thoughts, and he felt

his underwear dampen. Shaking his head to try and clear his lusty thoughts, Zack
couldn't believe he'd gotten hard thinking about his mate in front of Simon's entire
family and his daughter. Zack's cheeks burned as the blood ran to his face as he
remembered the pheromones werewolves emitted. Every single person at the table
would know exactly what Zack had been thinking about.

Zack reluctantly opened eyes that he hadn't realised he'd closed to find

everyone at the table staring at him. They all looked to be trying to hold back their
laughter. He groaned and slumped down, trying to make himself smaller.

Jason sat forward and patted his hand, his face still lit up like he was

desperately trying not to bust a gut. "Don't stress about it. We've all been there.
Hell, I was showing off my new nipple piercings to Brian when Maryanne and Joe
walked in. Talk about embarrassing."

Zack chuckled at Jason's little story.
Simon leant forward and whispered in his ear. "I don't know what thoughts

were going through that pretty head of yours, but I'm thinking I would love a live-

action replay at some point."

Simon's tongue flicked out and licked the lobe of Zack's ear before he pulled it

into his mouth and nibbled on the sensitive flesh. Zack felt his cock throb again and
his body shiver at the sensations Simon was causing to shoot through his body. His
mate chuckled before kissing the side of Zack's neck and pulling away.

"Can you stay for a little longer, or do you need to get back to where you're

staying?"

Zack looked down at his watch and noticed it was getting on towards eight

o'clock. He really needed to get going. Zack looked into Simon's eyes and hoped
he conveyed how much he desperately wished he could stay.

"I'm sorry, but it's getting late and it's past Hayley's bedtime. I really need to

get her back and showered and put down for the night, otherwise, she's going to
be a real handful tomorrow. I wish I could stay."

Simon smiled at him before he leant in for another brief kiss. "I understand,"

Simon whispered against his lips. Pulling back, he turned Hayley around in his arms
so she was facing him. "Now, you, princess, be good for your daddy, okay?"

Simon tickled her sides and gave her a kiss on the cheek as she squealed with

laughter. Giving her a last quick hug, Simon then handed her back to Zack.

"Thank you for a wonderful evening. Dinner was delicious. I look forward to

getting to spend some more time with you all." With that, Zack stood, Hayley in his
arms.

Alex stood and extended his hand to shake. "It was our pleasure. You're

welcome anytime you like. You're family after all." Alex smiled at him. "We'll
organise to have you officially join the pack next week after you're settled in."

Zack extended his hand and clasped it in the strong grip of his new Alpha.

Letting go, Zack stood back and felt electricity shoot up his spine as Simon placed
a hand in the middle of his back.

"I'll walk you out."
Zack couldn't reply as all the saliva seemed to have disappeared from his

mouth. God, this man's touch sent his body into overdrive. Nodding his assent,
Zack turned and followed Simon through the passage and out the front door.

They walked together to Zack's car, and Simon kissed Hayley again on the

cheek before wishing her a good night. Simon waited as Zack unlocked the car
and got Hayley settled in her seat and started to buckle her in. Zack couldn't
believe just how well his little girl was holding up. There had been a large number
of changes in her life recently and now there were even more. It hadn't even
crossed his mind that he'd be throwing yet another spanner in the works by
packing up and moving their lives to Leyburn. Yet here he was, not even twenty-

four hours in town, and he'd met his mate.

The wolf in Zack was overjoyed at this fact, hell, the man that he was was

pretty happy about this new development as well. The father in him, though, was
worried about yet another change in his young girl's life. Zack knew that along with
a mate, he would get the entire family, and as he saw tonight, that wasn't exactly
small.

Everyone that he'd met had been wonderful, and he hoped Simon's parents

would be as well. But it didn't stop him from worrying about how Hayley would
react to even more people. She'd never had the opportunity to meet his parents,
and Sarah's folks had tried to have Hayley removed from his custody, not leaving a
great impression as far as grandparents were concerned. Zack sighed, he would
watch Hayley closely, and mate or not, new family or not, his daughter would
come first, whatever she needed.

Satisfied she was secure, Zack kissed his little girl and closed the door. He

turned and found himself immediately engulfed in the strong arms of his mate.

"Hmm." Zack snuggled in against Simon's hard chest. He felt a warm tongue

against his neck and moaned at the wonderful feeling. Lips followed the tongue
before Simon slowly pulled away.

"Drive safe and think about me tonight." Simon's smile was addictive.
"No worries there." Zack grinned impishly up at Simon. "I'll be lucky if I can

get you out of my thoughts long enough to be able to sleep." Zack placed a quick
peck to Simon's lips and then stepped back while Simon chuckled at Zack's
confession.

"I have a feeling I'll be in the same boat as you," Simon said as he leered at

Zack. Zack took another step back while he still had some control over his body,
then walked to the driver's side door.

Zack bit his lower lip for a minute, and then blurted out the question that was

burning up his insides, dying to get out. "Can we see you tomorrow?" His cheeks
heated at the desperate note he could hear in his voice.

Simon's reply was quick in coming and calmed his nerves a little. "Absolutely.

I'll be counting down the hours. Maybe we could all go out for dinner or
something?"

"Sounds great." Zack knew the smile on his face was a mile wide as he got in

his car and started it. He put the car in gear, looked out the window at his mate
one last time, then pulled away from the house. Zack watched in his mirrors as he
drove down the street. Simon stayed standing on the curb the entire time.

Zack drove back to the motel, his thoughts back at the house he'd just left. He

groaned as his cock twitched in his pants, reminding him he was still hard and

wanting with no relief in sight. Zack loved his daughter, but he really would have
loved some alone time with Simon as well. Looking in the backseat, he noticed
Hayley was happy sitting and chattering away to herself.

Pulling up outside his hotel room, Zack turned the car off and got out. He

adjusted his hard cock so it wasn't quite so painful before getting Hayley and
making his way into their room. "Okay, pumpkin, shower, then a story and bed.
How does that sound?"

"Ladybird, ladybird," Hayley cried excitedly.
Zack chuckled. He should have known. "Sure, sweetheart. Get ready for your

shower while I try and find it."

The Ladybird book was Hayley's favourite story. She just about knew all the

words and loved the pop-up illustrations. Zack had made a point to pack the book
in his case so he would be able to get to it easily.

Once Hayley was washed, dried, and dressed in her favourite pink princess

pyjamas, they cuddled up on the bed so Zack could read her the story. Halfway
through, Zack heard a little snore and looked down. Smiling at the angelic look on
his daughter's face, he moved her gently and placed her in her cot. She was getting
to be too big for a cot; he would have to think about getting her a big girl bed when
he found somewhere for them to live.

Zack made sure Woofie was within easy reach and tucked her in tight. He then

had a quick shower and crawled into bed wearing a pair of boxers. Zack usually
preferred to sleep naked, but with his daughter in the room, he decided a little
modesty was in order.

He was exhausted. He had started a new life today, in a new town with a new

job and apparently a new mate. Zack hadn't expected to meet his mate, but after
spending a little time with Simon he couldn't be happier with who the fates had
chosen for him. Now if only they could get some time alone together. With that
thought Zack drifted into a peaceful sleep filled with images of Simon and himself
curled together in bed.

Chapter Seven

Simon hadn't been able to concentrate all day. Work passed slowly without

any major drama, which was great as he wouldn't have been in the right frame of
mind to deal with it anyway. As it was, the spreadsheets he worked on made no
sense to him today, and no matter how many times he tried, he couldn't get the
damn things to balance. Simon was thankful he didn't have any meetings and that it
was Friday.

He called Zack during lunch and just the sound of his mate's voice soothed his

soul. They talked for his entire lunch break as Hayley had her afternoon nap. Zack
was going to pick him up tonight since he had a seat in his car for Hayley, and they
would all go out for dinner.

Simon was still reeling slightly from meeting his mate and finding out he had a

daughter. Hayley was a wonderful little girl, and Simon couldn't wait to become a
part of her life. He was going to be a daddy. Simon had lain awake half the night
pondering that simple fact last night. He could freely admit that he was scared
shitless.

He then started thinking that if he was feeling that and he was twenty-eight,

what must Hayley be feeling? Her entire world had turned upside down in a matter
of months, and now there were all these strangers suddenly in her life. Simon hated
the mere idea of Hayley being scared or upset. She'd been through enough. He
wanted the opportunity to show the little girl just how much love he had inside to
give her. Simon hoped he was given the chance.

As soon as five o'clock came round, he was out of the office and headed

home. He wanted to have a shower and get ready for his date. Could you really
call it a date if you had a two-year-old with you? Shrugging his shoulders, Simon
decided it was a date no matter who was with them. Hayley was a part of the
package, and he was lucky to be able to spend time with both of them.

Pulling into the driveway at home, Simon waited for the carport door to open;

as he wasn't using his car tonight he might as well put the vehicle away and leave
room for everyone else's cars. They might have to start thinking about expanding.
With everyone finding their mates, they kept adding cars as well as people to the
house. There were currently six different types of vehicles vying for parking space,
and if he could convince Zack to move in with them then he would add a seventh.
Deciding to talk to his brothers about the space issue over the weekend, Simon

locked his car and went inside.

He found Brian in the kitchen making a start on dinner. Walking to the fridge,

he grabbed a beer and took a seat to chat with his brother-in-law for a few
minutes.

"So are you going to be in for dinner?"
Simon could feel the smile breaking out across his face at the thought of going

out with Zack. "Nah, man."

"Ohhh! Does someone have a date?"
Simon laughed at Brian's teasing tone. "Zack and Hayley will be by to pick me

up. We're going out for dinner."

"That girl is so cute. You're so lucky, Simon."
Simon frowned slightly at the wistful tone to Brian's voice now. He knew Brian

and Marcus really wanted kids.

"Hey, man, none of that. You and Marcus are going to make great parents. It

will happen for you. Just wait and see. I'm right." Simon downed the rest of his
beer before walking over and giving Brian a gentle squeeze. "It'll happen when the
time is right. I don't know how, but you two were meant to be parents. Same with
Jason and Alex."

Brian sighed. "I really hope you're right, Simon. I just don't know how we're

going to get the family we want."

Simon knew deep in his gut he was right. His brothers were meant to be

parents. He didn't know if they would have to get a surrogate or if they were going
to adopt, he just knew they would have the kids they always wanted.

Simon turned and headed to his room to get changed. Once undressed, Simon

made his way into his bathroom.

After a quick shower and a shave, Simon grabbed his favourite pair of jeans

and pulled them on; when he wasn't working he preferred to go commando. He
loved the freedom and the feel of not being constricted. Plus he was already half-
hard and didn't want anything in the way if he should get at all lucky tonight. Simon
did up his belt and pulled on a nice deep-blue button-up shirt. He'd been told he
looked great in the shirt and wanted to look nice for Zack.

Simon sat on the edge of his bed and pulled on his black boots. Alex was the

only one in the family who rode a motorcycle, but all the brothers seemed to have
similar fashion with the boots and leather jackets. He walked into the bathroom
and checked his appearance in the mirror.

"Not too bad, if I do say so myself." Simon chuckled at himself.
Being a werewolf, he forewent any cologne as the smell irritated his senses.

Simon grabbed his jacket and headed into the living room. Everyone else was

home from work, and they were all relaxing, having a beer on a Friday afternoon.
Simon snapped his head to the left when he heard a wolf whistle.

"Well, don't you look hot?" Jason teased, grinning at him. Simon laughed as

Alex growled and pulled Jason closer against his chest. "What? He does." Jason
said as he smacked Alex's chest.

"You aren't supposed to be looking at my brothers." Alex's growl came out

deep and grumbly.

"Oh don't be ridiculous. You know you're the only one for me," Jason said as

he leant forward and placed a soft kiss against Alex's lips. Alex growled again and
deepened the kiss. Simon just chuckled and took a seat. Alex was so possessive
over Jason. Although after everything the little man had been through, he couldn't
really blame his brother.

Simon gave the pair thirty seconds to quit what they were doing before he

picked up a cushion and threw it at them. Brian and Marcus laughed at the
shocked expression on Alex's face. Simon would have laughed as well if the
doorbell hadn't rung. His heartbeat accelerated at the thought of seeing his mate
again. Getting up from his seat, he headed to the door.

Opening the door, he stood there for a moment and just stared as he took in

his mate for the first time that day. Simon couldn't believe how much he'd missed
the man today.

"Hi," Zack managed to get out before Simon reached out for him, threaded his

fingers behind his neck, and dragged him close. Their lips sealed together and
Simon groaned at the first taste of his mate all day. The kiss was cut short however
by an insistent tug on his jeans. Breaking away from Zack, Simon looked down
and noticed Hayley hiding behind her father's legs.

Simon squatted down so he was at her level. "And hello to you too, princess.

Don't you look pretty in your pink dress!" Simon couldn't blame Hayley for being
wary; all the new people were probably getting overwhelming for a two-year-old.

Hayley shyly stepped out from behind Zack and swayed back and forth a

couple of times showing off her dress. Simon chuckled and held his arms out to
her, letting her decide if she wanted to come to him or not. Hayley hesitated for
only a moment before she stepped forward and allowed Simon to lift her up. He
stood and smiled at Hayley as he tickled her belly.

"Someone seems to like me," Simon said to Zack.
"Well, she didn't run screaming so that's a plus," Zack replied teasingly.
Simon huffed and turned his attention back to the princess in pink. Simon

honestly hated pink. He thought there couldn't have been a worse colour ever
invented, but looking at the girl in his arms who was swaying back and forth

holding the skirt of her dress proudly, Simon had a bad feeling there would be a lot
of pink in his life from now on.

Hayley beamed up at him. "Daddy, daid I wook coot as a button. Do you

wike my piggy twails? Daddy did dem. Are we going out? I'm hungwy and Daddy
daid we were habing dinder wif you."

Simon's head was reeling as the little girl spewed one question after another.

"Whoa there, sweetheart! One question at a time." Simon chuckled. "You look
adorable, your hair is beautiful, and yes, we are going out to dinner."

"Sorry," Zack said. "She's at that stage where she wants to know everything."
"No problem. I'm sure I'll get used to it in time. Now, how about we head out

so this little one can get something to eat?" Simon said as he tickled Hayley in the
belly. Her squeals of laughter were met with a smile from Zack. "Come in and we'll
say goodnight to the guys."

Simon reached out and took Zack's hand while he moved Hayley to his hip.

Turning around, Simon led them towards the full living room.

Simon watched as Zack greeted his brothers and their mates and settled into a

comfortable conversation about their days. He wasn't really paying much attention
to what was said until Rick's voice broke through his thoughts.

"You three look good together."
Simon was surprised by the comment from Rick but couldn't help the smile that

broke across his face. He looked at Zack and noticed the pink staining his cheeks.
Simon squeezed Zack's hand before turning back to his family.

"Thanks, man. We're heading out, so you guys have a good night."
After all the goodbyes, they went outside to Zack's car. Zack took Hayley and

buckled her into her seat. Simon slid into the passenger seat and was surprised at
how clean the car was. With a two-year-old and after a long road trip, Simon
wasn't expecting the clean interior. The car couldn't have been more than a couple
of years old.

Once Zack joined him and started the car, they pulled out of the driveway.
"So where to?" Zack asked.
"I was thinking about the steakhouse. I know it's not real romantic, but they do

a hell of a steak and I believe they have stuff to keep kids entertained." Simon
wasn't sure what type of food Zack liked but figured as Zack was also a werewolf
he would go with steak. It seemed pretty safe.

"Steak sounds fantastic. I've haven't had a decent one in ages." Simon gave

directions and within ten minutes, they were pulling into the car park of the local
steakhouse. Zack and Simon got out of the car, and Simon headed to the backseat
to unclip Hayley. Once she was out of the car, Simon took one of her hands and

Zack took her other one.

They walked into the restaurant and stopped at the counter to wait to be

seated. It didn't take long before one of the waitresses came up to them.

"Hey, Simon, what brings you out tonight without your brothers?" Isabella was

pack and her parents owned the place so he wasn't at all surprised to see her
working.

"Hey, Bella, we're on a date. This is my mate, Zack, and his daughter Hayley."
"Mate… Oh, wow… You must be so happy. I can't wait 'til I find my mate."

Genuine happiness radiated from Bella for Simon. "So, table for three, then?" Bella
went around the counter to consult her book before coming back with the menus
and some crayons for Hayley. "Right this way."

Simon and Zack followed Bella through the restaurant until she stopped at a

table and placed the menus down. Once they were seated, she set a couple of
colouring pages and a cup of crayons down. "There you go, sweetheart."

"Thank you."
"Oh, what wonderful manners. Can I get you boys something to drink?" After

taking their orders, Isabella promised to return with their drinks and then walked
away. Looking around, Simon noticed the restaurant was about half-full. It was still
early, and he knew the place would pick up soon.

Five minutes later, they had their drinks and their orders placed. Simon

reached across the table when Zack put his beer down and took his hand, running
his thumb across the back of Zack's hand. Simon let his gaze wander around the
restaurant and groaned when he realised who had just walked through the doors.

"What's wrong?" Zack asked with a puzzled expression on his face.
"I hope you don't mind, but I believe you're about to meet my parents," Simon

said as he watched his parents notice him and head in their direction, ignoring the
table Isabella was trying to show them to.

"What?" Zack choked out.
"Yeah, sorry, was hoping to keep you to myself tonight, but it doesn't seem to

be working out that way." Simon turned away from his obviously nervous mate and
gazed up at his parents. His dad was grinning from ear to ear and his mum had a
perplexed expression on her face.

Simon stood when his parents arrived and gave his mum a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey, Mum, Dad. What are you guys doing out for dinner?"

"Oh, your father's taking me out for our anniversary."
"Nice and romantic, Dad." His dad chuckled at him.
"Oh, stop it. You know what he's like. Give him a steak and he's a happy man.

This place is fine. It's just nice to go out." He watched as his mum's eyes kept

darting back and forth between himself, Zack, and Hayley.

Simon looked at Zack and grinned. He didn't want to ruin the surprise too

soon. He looked back at his parents in time to see his mum elbow his dad in the
ribs. Chuckling, he looked at his dad and raised an eyebrow.

His dad sighed in resignation. "So, son, are you going to introduce us?" He

knew his dad couldn't deny anything his mum wanted and what she wanted most of
all right now was to know who he was with.

Looking at Zack, he couldn't help but grin as he made the introductions. "Zack,

these are my parents, Maryanne and Joe Holland. Mum, Dad, this is my mate,
Zack Bennet and his daughter, Hayley."

His attention rushed back to his mum at her quickly indrawn breath. One hand

was covering her mouth and the other seemed to be squeezing the life out of his
dad's arm.

"Mr. and Mrs. Holland, it's lovely to meet you. Your sons are wonderful men."

Zack held his hand out for his dad to shake.

His father shook his mate's hand and grinned widely. "It's nice to meet you too,

young man. Welcome to the family. Please, call me Joe."

Simon looked at Hayley who sat quietly watching everything. Simon held out

his hand for her. "Hey, princess, can you come here for a minute? There's someone
I would like you to meet." Hayley nodded as she stood and walked around the
table before she took Simon's hand.

Simon looked at his mother and smiled at her. "Hayley, this is my mum and

dad." Simon looked at Zack to make sure what he was doing was okay. The smile
and nod he got in return let him know his mate was happy for him to continue.
"You can call them Nanna and Poppy if you like."

Hayley looked up at him and blinked, "Okay," she said shyly. She let go of

Simon's hand before she walked up to his mother and looked up at her. "Do you
wike my dwess?" Her soft melodic voice questioned before she lifted her arms in
the universal symbol of 'Up.'

Simon watched his mother as a tear ran down her cheek before she bent and

picked the little girl up into her arms and crushed her in a hug. "Your dress is
beautiful and so are you."

Simon looked away from the sight when he heard a throat clearing. Looking at

his dad, he couldn't help but be in awe of the love he could see shining on his face
for his wife. He hoped he and Zack would be that happy in the future.

"You do realise your mother is going to spoil that poor child rotten. And I'm

never going to get a moment's peace around the house anymore."

Simon just laughed and nodded.

"So, Zack, Alex tells me you're a teacher."
"Yes, sir. Maths is my main subject but I also teach social studies."
"Alex told you about Zack?" That would probably explain the grin on his face

when his dad had seen him sitting there with Zack.

"Yep, and let me tell you, keeping that a secret from your mother was one of

the hardest things I've ever done. Thank god we saw you tonight, I don't know if I
could have kept something as big as a grandchild from her for very long."

Simon laughed again. His dad had never been able to hide anything from his

mum.

"Anyway, Zack, it was nice to meet you, and I'm sure we'll get plenty of

opportunities to get to know you better, but we should really head to our table and
let you get back to your evening."

"You too, Joe, Maryanne, enjoy your dinner." Zack took Hayley's hand and

led her back to the table. Not two minutes after they settled down again, their
meals arrived. Simon watched as Zack took a bite of his steak, which was quickly
followed by the most sexual noise he had ever heard.

Simon had to bite back his own growl as his cock hardened at the moans

coming from his mate. "Enjoying that steak, are we?"

Zack's eyes snapped open and a blush covered his cheeks. God, he was

gorgeous. "Sorry. Didn't realise I was doing that. This meat just melts in your
mouth. And it's cooked to perfection."

Simon looked at Hayley who was happily dunking her own piece of steak and

chips in tomato sauce before attempting to get them in her mouth. Leaning across
the table, Simon lowered his voice so he was sure Hayley wouldn't hear him. "It's
fine, but next time I hear that noise coming from your mouth, I would prefer it if we
were in bed and naked."

* * * *

Zack could feel his cheeks heat even further before he put his knife and fork

down. The thought of him and Simon being naked in bed had his cock sitting up
and waving hello. However, it wasn't as simple as that. He had Hayley to think
about. He needed to make sure Simon was in this for the long haul. That the idea
of helping him to raise Hayley for the rest of their lives was what he wanted. He
would give up his mate, as hard as that would be, if there was any chance that his
mating could adversely affect his daughter.

Zack had been nervous about meeting Simon's parents. He definitely wasn't

expecting it to happen in the middle of a restaurant on their very first date.

Maryanne had loved Hayley and that was a good sign. She needed grandparents
to spoil her. The thought that his parents never got the opportunity hurt his heart. It
hurt even more knowing her other biological grandparents were cruel, bigoted
assholes who were trying to take Hayley away from her father.

Zack shook his head trying to get his thoughts back to where they needed to

be. Looking over the table at his mate, he noticed Simon had stopped eating as
well and was watching him. He seemed to be waiting for whatever Zack was going
to say.

Schooling his nerves, Zack bit the bullet. "As much as I would love to fulfil that

idea, I need to know how you feel about Hayley first. You have to understand, this
is a package deal. I'm all she has left, and I won't give her up for anything. Not
even my mate."

Zack was watching Simon closely and didn't miss the hurt that quickly flashed

across his face before being replaced with something Zack hoped was
understanding. "I would never ask you to give up Hayley. She is a part of you and
will always be. As soon as I met you, I knew this was a package deal. I always
wanted a family, Zack, and Hayley is a beautiful little girl."

Simon reached across the table and once again took his hand as it started to

shake. Giving the hand a gentle squeeze, he continued. "I've never really been
around kids much apart from my brothers, so you're going to have to help me. I
want us to be a family. I want my mate, and I hope one day Hayley can be our
daughter along with any other children that may come along."

Zack didn't know what to say. Actually he didn't know if he could say anything

to that. The lump that had taken up residence in his throat felt like it was the size of
a tennis ball. Instead he sat there and nodded his head as tears streaked down his
face.

He watched as Simon stood up and walked around the side of the table until

he crouched down bedside Zack's chair. The feel of Simon's hand gently cupping
his cheek and wiping away his tears was so wonderful to his touch-starved body.
The soft whisper of his mate's voice had shivers running down his spine. "We'll
work it out as we go, honey. You're mine and I'm not letting go of either of you." A
soft kiss was placed on his lips before Simon stood and resumed his seat at the
table.

"Daddy, you okay? Why you cwying?" Hayley's voice broke through the fog

that was trying to take hold. Turning to face his daughter, Zack couldn't help but let
out a bark of laughter at the sight before him.

Hayley had managed to get sauce everywhere. And when he said everywhere,

he meant it. The sauce was in her hair, on her dress, up her arms, on her forehead,

and all over the table. The only place it seemed she didn't get the sauce was the
napkin he had tucked in the front of her dress.

Zack could hear Simon chuckling across from him. "I'm fine, pumpkin. Look at

you though, you're a mess." Hayley just beamed up at him, like it was every day
she went around wearing tomato sauce. Zack laughed as he started to wipe his
daughter down. "It's all Simon's fault, isn't it, sweetie?"

"Me? What did I do?" Simon voiced in mock horror as he tried to defend

himself against the allegations.

"Yeah, it's all Simon's fault." Zack laughed and Hayley giggled along with him

as they condemned their dinner companion.

"Fine, okay. I admit it was me. I was trying to make a tomato sauce monster.

How do you think I did?"

"I think you succeeded," Zack admitted as he wiped the sauce from Hayley's

hair. Once Hayley was semi-respectable again, he helped her finish her dinner as
he and Simon finished theirs. They ordered Hayley some ice cream while they sat
and sipped on coffee. Zack couldn't help but smile across the table at Simon. He
didn't think he'd been this happy since the day his daughter was born and even
then, that happiness wasn't complete as he could see the toll everything had taken
on Sarah's body.

"What are you thinking about?" Simon's question dragged his mind back to the

here and now.

"Huh?"
"You looked really happy for a moment and then your expression fell like you

were remembering something sad."

Zack wasn't aware he showed his thoughts so clearly, but it wasn't anything he

wanted to keep secret so he told Simon what he had been thinking about.

"Happy looks good on you."
Zack could feel his lips turning up at the corners with that pronouncement.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I think I'm going to make it my mission in life that you're always happy

and smiling." Simon lowered his voice a little. "You look sexy as hell when you
smile."

Zack couldn't help the blush that rose up his cheeks or the wide smile from

forming on his face. The fact this beautiful, intelligent, and sexy-as-sin man in front
of him wanted to make him happy for the rest of his life caused his body to heat
and his heart to melt.

"Come home with me tonight. Please?"
"Simon." Zack sighed. God, he wished he could. He wanted nothing more in

that moment than to go back to Simon's and get naked and sweaty with his mate.
Just thinking about it had his cock hardening against his pants. "I wish I could, but I
have Hayley."

"I know, Zack." Simon reached over and caressed his cheek. Zack couldn't

help but turn into the touch. "I understand anything we do from here on out will
include Hayley, and I'm fine with that. I was suggesting we go back to the hotel and
get what you will need for the night. There is a guest room right next door to mine
at home."

Zack had to admit he really wanted to agree. Spending the night with his mate

would be wonderful, but he had to think of his daughter. "There's been so many
changes in Hayley's life recently, I'm just not one more major change is what's best
for her, no matter how badly my body aches to join you in bed." Zack felt like he
was being pulled in two different directions. His head was telling him to be sensible
and give it time, allow his daughter to become accustomed to Simon and his family;
his body, though, was practically begging him to take Simon up on his offer.

Zack watched as Simon stood and made his way around the table until he was

squatting beside Zack's chair. Zack twisted to face his mate. Simon took Zack's
hands in his own and lifted them to place a gentle kiss to the backs.

"The last thing I ever want to do is put any pressure on you. If you're not ready

or you think Hayley needs more time, then I'm fine with that." Simon leaned in
close and lowered his voice. "My wolf might growl a little about having to wait, but
even he can understand that cubs come first." Simon placed a kiss on his cheek,
then leaned back and smiled up at Zack.

"Thank you," Zack said sincerely. "Maybe if we can just give it a day or so, let

Hayley get to know you a little more, I just want to make sure my girl is okay."
Zack bit his bottom lip, hoping Simon was okay with that.

"That's more than understandable," Simon said before he kissed Zack once

more and then stood up. "This little one's had a couple of very big days, so how
about I pay the bill and then we can get Hayley back to the hotel and into bed?"

How Zack wished it was him getting to go to bed, but he was a father first and

had to do what was right by his daughter. "That sounds good to me." Zack turned
to help Hayley pack up her colouring, then helped her out of her chair. Zack
cringed a little at just how sticky his daughter was. "Do you mind if I take her to the
bathroom quickly to clean her up a little?"

"Not at all, take your time and I'll meet you out the front," Simon said as he

kissed Zack's cheek, then headed up to the front of the restaurant and the register.

Zack turned and headed to the bathroom with Hayley sitting on his hip. He

could smell the combination of spaghetti and ice cream she'd been covered in. The

restaurant didn't have a parents' room so Zack stuck his head in the men's room
and noticed a guy standing at the urinal. He hoped he wouldn't be too long and
chose to wait for a minute before he took Hayley inside.

Sure enough, not even a minute later the man came out. He noticed Zack

waiting with Hayley and smiled and nodded as he walked passed.

Zack checked once again and, happy the coast was clear, took Hayley into the

bathroom.

"Do you need to go potty, pumpkin?" Zack asked.
"Umm." Such a decisive answer, Zack decided he better not chance it and

took her into one of the stalls.

He was glad he did a couple of minutes later as they made their way to the sink

so he could clean Hayley up a little. Hayley squirmed and giggled as he wiped her
down with some wet paper towels.

Zack found it fascinating the different reactions he got from men as they walked

through the door, only to stop dead at the sight of a little girl in the middle of the
men's room. Zack had been scared shitless once when the biggest biker-looking
guy he'd ever seen walked in on him and Hayley.

The man was bald, his brows furrowed in a scowl, and he had a thick bushy

beard and tattoos covering most of his body. Zack had stood rooted to the floor
and held Hayley close as the guy walked right up to them and then started cooing
at Hayley and tickling her belly. Hayley had burst into laughter and pulled on the
guy's beard.

It just went to show that you never could judge a book by its cover. Tonight

though, he just received a couple of nods as the men disappeared into the stalls.

Satisfied Hayley was as clean as she was going to get until she got a bath, Zack

picked her up once again and they left, making their way through the restaurant and
to Simon. Zack smiled as soon as he laid eyes on his mate. The man really was just
about perfect. He hoped he stayed that way and didn't turn out to be an ass. From
the little time they'd spent together and meeting Simon's family, Zack didn't think
that was going to happen, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

"You all set?" Simon asked.
"Yes."
"Then how about we get this little spaghetti monster back to the hotel?"
Hayley laughed and squirmed in his arms as Simon tickled her, and Zack

couldn't do anything but grin stupidly as he watched his mate and his daughter
interact.

"Sounds like a plan to me."
It wasn't until they were outside and Zack was buckling Hayley into her car

seat that he remembered he'd picked Simon up earlier.

"Simon, I need to take you home first." Zack's voice held the disappointment

he felt at having to say goodbye sooner than he'd anticipated.

"Don't worry about me. Let's get Hayley back to the hotel, cleaned, and into

bed. I can call one of my brothers later and get them to pick me up." Simon smiled
reassuringly at him.

"Are you sure that's no trouble?"
"It's fine, mate. They'll understand and won't mind in the slightest."
"Okay," Zack said as he opened the driver's door and got into the car. Simon

slipped in the passenger seat beside him, and once they were buckled in, Zack
pointed the car in the direction of the hotel where he was staying.

Zack removed an obviously tired Hayley from the car five minutes later, and he

watched as Hayley knuckled her eyes before she cuddled up close against his
chest.

"Come on, pumpkin, let's get you ready for bed." Hayley didn't reply.
Simon followed Zack as they made their way to the room. Once inside, Zack

grabbed Hayley's pyjamas and a pair of pull-ups and took his daughter to the
bathroom for a quick clean-up.

He turned to look at Simon before he left the room. "Make yourself

comfortable. We shouldn't be long."

"Will do," Simon replied with a gentle smile.
Zack got Hayley undressed and in the shower in short order and cleaned his

daughter as best he could without completely saturating himself in the process.
Satisfied Hayley was as clean as she was getting, he turned off the taps and
wrapped her up in one of the hotel towels, rubbing her vigorously to get her dry.
Hayley squirmed and giggled under his ministrations, and Zack thought for what
must have been the millionth time that there really was no better sound in the world
than that of a child's laugh.

Hayley stepped into the pull-ups and then her nightie. All dressed and ready for

bed, they cleaned her teeth and then Zack picked her back up and held her close.

"Story and bed."
"'Kay," Hayley said tiredly.
Zack walked back into the hotel room and stopped dead. Simon was lying on

the bed, and his shoes had been removed and placed neatly out of the way. He
had pillowed stuffed behind him, so he was more lounging that laying down. His
long jean-encased legs were crossed at the ankles, and his hands were behind his
head. The man looked absolutely delectable, and Zack wanted to eat him up.
Instead he picked up the Ladybird book his daughter loved so much and made

sure she had Woofie before he sat beside Simon and got comfortable, Hayley held
against him.

"Ladybird, Ladybird, fly away home. Your house is on fire, your children are

flown," Zack started reading. He knew the book off by heart after the number of
times he'd read it to his girl. Simon sat up a little and moved in closer to them,
threading his fingers through Zack's where they rested against Hayley's smaller
frame.

It didn't take long at all for Hayley to close her eyes, and by the time Zack

ready the last line, the soft even breathing told him Hayley was fast asleep.

"She's so beautiful," Simon whispered to him as he stared at Hayley.
"I know. She's everything to me. I don't know what I would have done if the

Stewarts had been successful in their bid to take her from me," Zack replied just as
quietly, his gaze locked on the peaceful face of his sleeping child. "I'm scared to
death they're going to find a way to take her from me."

"That's never going to happen," Simon said adamantly as he squeezed Zack's

fingers lightly.

Zack smiled hesitantly at him and then released his grip on Simon and stood,

holding Hayley close and trying his hardest not to wake her up. Zack kissed her
forehead before he lowered her into the cot, covered her up, and made sure
Woofie was tucked in beside her.

He wandered back over to the side of the bed he had been sitting on and

flicked on the table lamp, then turned off the overhead lights.

The room darkened immediately with only the small amount of light emitting

from beside him.

Zack lay down on the bed and turned on his side to face Simon. There were so

many things he would love to do with his mate right now and not a single one of
them included them being fully dressed. With Hayley so close though, none of them
were an option. Zack watch as Simon scooted down the bed and got comfortable
lying in a similar position opposite him. He reached out and tucked a stray strand of
hair behind Zack's ear.

"You're so gorgeous," Simon said, making sure to keep his voice quiet so they

didn't wake Hayley.

Zack blushed. He didn't feel gorgeous. Most days he was exhausted after

work and spending time with Hayley; then he'd find himself covered in some
substance or another, all thanks to his beautiful little girl. Zack wouldn't change it
for the world though, no matter what he got covered in.

"You are," Simon emphasised. "So sexy and loving and you're such a great

father. I hope you will give me the opportunity to help you raise Hayley. I want to

be a part of both of your lives, a big part." Simon's hand had trailed down Zack's
arm until their hands were once again clasped together.

Zack swallowed past the lump in his throat. "I want that as well," he whispered.

"I hope you understand why we need a little time, though." Zack breathed a
relieved sigh when he saw Simon nod.

"I do," Simon said, then rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling, Zack

watched as Simon's jaw clenched. He couldn't help the momentary pang of hurt
that flashed through him at Simon's actions. Was he mad that Zack was making him
wait? "Sorry," Simon said after a moment. "It's just you're so close, and I can see
you, hear you, smell you, and we're holding hands, so there's touch as well. My
body is going into overdrive, wanting to jump your bones and ravage you
senseless." Simon groaned at his own words and flung his other arm over his eyes,
cutting off his sight.

Zack chuckled lightly, then moaned himself when he saw the prominent bulge in

Simon's jeans. "Umm, maybe this isn't such a good idea having you here."

"Nonsense," Simon argued. "I can control my body. I want to spend time with

you and get to know my mate if that's all right with you?"

Zack's grin couldn't have been bigger. "I would like that very much," he said as

he squeezed the fingers wrapped tight around his own. "So what would you like to
know?"

Chapter Eight

Wednesday afternoon Simon left work early and headed home. He'd been

shopping the previous night for everything he was going to need. Now all he had to
do was put the picnic together and pick up Zack and Hayley.

An hour later, he directed Zack to pull in at the park. Hayley squealed in the

backseat as she saw all the play equipment she could climb all over. Zack laughed
and Simon motioned him on while he got out the bag with their food and the
blanket he'd packed.

Simon settled the blanket on a patch of grass and started pulling out the food.

When he was done, he sat back and watched as Zack helped push Hayley in the
swings. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have everything he'd ever wanted
given to him.

Zack came over with Hayley shortly after, and they all sat down together and

enjoyed the picnic.

"Would you like to go for a walk through town? It might help to familiarize

yourself with where you're now living," Simon asked, wanting to prolong their time
together as much as he could.

"That sounds wonderful," Zack replied.
Bellies full, they packed up the car, locked the doors, and set off down the

road on foot. The walk was wonderful, simply getting to spend the time with Zack
and Hayley. They walked with Hayley between them, holding their hands, and
Simon couldn't even begin to describe the feelings that flooded him when Hayley's
small hand curled into his own much larger one.

When Hayley got tired of walking, she allowed Simon to pick her up and carry

her instead of Zack. Simon was floored to say the least, but once he had that small
girl in his arms, he felt so protective of the young life that he was being given a
chance at helping to grow. God help any boy that tried to date his little girl.

"What about thirty-five?" he asked Zack as he held Hayley close.
Zack stopped and stared at him as if Simon was speaking in code. "Um…

Thirty-five what?" Zack asked in obvious confusion.

"The age that we let Hayley start dating. There's no way in hell I'm letting any

boys near my little girl, be they teenage or young men. Not going to happen,"
Simon said adamantly, like it was normal to talk about locking a child away for the
next thirty-three years of her life.

Zack's rich laughter broke through his thoughts. "It gets to you, doesn't it?" He

smiled indulgently at Simon. "Would it make you feel better if I told you I had
similar thoughts when she was born?"

"No, not really. I'm still not letting her out of the house." Simon just had a

wicked thought. He grinned evilly at his mate. "And if she manages to sneak out, I'll
just sic her uncle Alex on her. Could you imagine being confronted by a six foot
five Alpha werewolf in full-on protective mode? The boys will run screaming in the
opposite direction."

Zack continued to laugh. "Hayley might hate you if you did that to her."
"I don't care, as long as she's safe." Simon looked down at the girl in his arms

that looked back at him with stunning green eyes. Simon could tell she had no idea
what they were saying, but her huge grin reflected the joy in Zack's expression.
"No one is going to be good enough for you, princess."

"Pwincess," Hayley said happily.
"That's right, you're a princess," Simon said as he tickled her lightly. When

Hayley stopped squirming, Simon took Zack's hand in his and they continued their
walk through town.

* * * *

Simon sat at his desk the following day, and he couldn't remember a time when

he'd been more uncomfortable. Since the night at the hotel, he had spent the next
three days walking around in a perpetual state of horniness. All someone had to do
was mention his mate, and Simon's dick would stand to attention thinking it was
about to get some action.

Lying on that damn bed next to his mate after their first dinner date and not

being able to touch him more than the simple holding of hands had nearly killed
Simon. He'd been close to saying fuck it and jumping Zack on several occasions.
The only thing that had reined his wolf in was the thought of the young cub sleeping
in the cot beside the bed. Instead they had spent hours whispering in the near dark
getting to know one another. Funny stories were shared back and forth, and the
more Simon heard about Sarah the more he wished he could have met her before
she'd passed.

Simon had shared his worries with his mate about Rick and his increasingly

erratic behaviour. He was at a loss as to explain what was wrong with his younger
brother and hated the fact he might be hurting and hadn't told any of them. Zack
had been wonderful and listened as Simon poured out his heart.

The time had passed so quickly, before they knew it the clock read one in the

morning and Simon had had to leave. Marcus had been kind enough to wait up for
his text and came to collect him when Simon was ready to leave.

The kiss goodbye was slow and sweet and would stay with Simon for the rest

of his life. Zack had clung to him, like he didn't want to let Simon go, which Simon
completely understood, as he was reluctant to walk away from Zack. The only
reason he was able to was the knowledge he would be able to see them again the
following day.

Since then Simon had been spending all his free time with Zack and Hayley.

The second he finished work he made his way over to the hotel where they were
staying, every date better than the next. Hayley's growing trust cemented how
Simon felt about becoming a father.

Simon's phone rang, interrupting his thoughts, and he answered it. "Simon

Holland."

"Hi." Zack's sexy voice floated down the line to him, and Simon immediately

sat up straighter, even though there was no one in his office but him.

"Good afternoon, gorgeous, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Simon purred.

His body already reacted to the small amount his mate had said.

"I was wondering if you've had lunch yet?" Zack asked.
Simon looked at his watch, which read twelve thirty. "Not yet."
"Did you have any plans?" Zack asked.
"I usually go home if I can, but today I was just planning on wandering to the

deli down the street and getting a sandwich and eating at my desk," Simon
answered.

"Would you like some company?" Zack paused then continued. "Are you

allowed to have company?"

Simon chuckled. "Yes, I'm allowed to have company at work, after all I am the

head of the department, and I would love for you and Hayley to come visit me for
lunch. Would you like me to pick you up something?"

"No, I can pick up lunch on my way if you like," Zack replied.
"That would be great, thank you. I can't wait to see you and Hayley."
"Us too. We'll be there in about a half hour."
"See you soon, bye," Simon said and hung up the phone. Simon had meant

what he'd said. He couldn't wait to see Zack and Hayley again. His body ached to
be near his mate. He hoped once they'd claimed each other the need that had been
constant within him since he'd met Zack would diminish slightly. Simon knew it
wouldn't go away entirely, and he was thankful for that, but he hoped it would cool
off a little. He was finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate on things other than
his mate the longer he went without claiming the man.

Simon got back to work and tried to get as much work done as he could

before Zack and Hayley showed up. His stomach grumbling broke the silence in
his office mere moments before there was a knock on his door.

"Come in," Simon called, his eyes still reading the monitor in front of him.
"Simon," Hayley called as she raced into the room. Simon snapped his head

around and barely had time to push his chair back from his desk before a two-
year-old in bright pink was launching herself at him. Simon laughed happily,
snatched her out of the air, and hugged her close.

"Hello, princess. I'm so happy to see you," Simon said as he sat her on his lap.
"Hungwy, Daddy, Simon here now."
"Yes, Simon's here so we can eat," Zack said as he entered the office at a

more sedate pace. He followed the path his daughter had taken and wandered
around the desk to where Simon sat. He bent down and kissed Simon hello. The
press of lips was light and fleeting, but with Hayley in his lap, Simon couldn't
complain.

"Hi," Zack said as he pulled away.
"Hi, yourself," Simon said and smiled at his mate.
"Hungry?" Zack asked.
"Starved," Simon said at the same time Hayley called out, "Yes."
Zack chuckled, then looked at Simon's paper-covered desk. "Umm. So you

mind if we move some of this?"

"Not at all." Simon scooted his chair back in to his desk, Hayley chattering

away to him as he picked up the papers and stacked them neatly where Hayley
hopefully couldn't get them.

Zack walked around the desk and sat in one of the visitor chairs, then started

to unpack a bag he'd brought with him. "Hayley, would you like to come and sit
over here so you can eat your lunch?" Zack asked, pointing at the other visitor
chair next to the one he currently sat in.

"Nah uh." Hayley shook her head and Zack chuckled.
"Is she all right on your lap?" he asked Simon.
"She's just fine," Simon said, feeling like a million bucks that Hayley wanted to

stay sitting where she was.

"Okay, but consider yourself warned. You have seen her when she eats."
"What's she got for lunch?" Simon asked warily.
"Vegemite sandwich." His mate cackled, fucking cackled evilly at him, as he

waggled his brows. Simon groaned. He knew his nice clean clothes, and probably
his desk too, were more than likely going to end up covered in Vegemite, but there
was no way he would make Hayley move if this was where she wanted to sit.

He sighed in resignation and watched as Zack placed a sandwich cut into four

small triangles, a banana, and a popper on the table in front of Hayley. Simon
pulled the chair in close and got Hayley situated more securely in his lap so she
could reach her food without any problems.

In short order Zack had another sandwich placed in front of Simon, along with

a bottle of water and an apple. This sandwich though was a damn sight bigger than
Hayley's.

"What have we got here?" Simon asked as he reached out with the one hand

he wasn't holding on to Hayley with and picked up half his lunch.

"It's a homemade chicken club. It's nothing fancy seeing as I'm working out of

a hotel room, but hopefully it still tastes good."

"It looks and smells fantastic, Zack. I'm sure it will taste the same." Simon's

mouth watered as he lifted the large sandwich to take a bite. He was right,
delicious.

They took their time with lunch, enjoying it while catching up with each other.

By the time Hayley had finished eating, Simon was indeed covered in black smears
of vegemite. Simon took solace in the fact he wasn't the only one. Hayley also was
wearing a fair amount of the spread.

Simon bent down and kissed a smeared cheek. He made sure to make a loud

smacking noise as he did it. "Ohh yummy. I'm still hungry and you taste delicious.
Can I eat you?" Simon asked as he dove in and pretended to eat Hayley's cheek.

Hayley squealed in delight and tried to fend him off. "Nooo!" the young girl

screamed as he laughed.

"Oh fine." Simon pouted as he pulled away.
Zack chuckled as he walked around the desk with wipes. Simon pushed his

chair back and Zack manoeuvred himself between Simon's legs and the desk. He
wiped down the desk with a couple of wipes then sat on the edge and proceeded
to clean up both Hayley and what he could of Simon's clothes.

"Don't worry about me. It'll come out in the wash easy enough," Simon said as

Zack tried to wipe at a particularly large smear on Simon's shirt.

"I'm sorry."
"It's perfectly fine. I had a wonderful lunch and if we're going to be a family

then I'm sure there will be more occasions in the future where my clothes will get
dirty. It's really not a big deal," Simon tried to reassure his mate. He wrapped his
hand around the back of Zack's neck and pulled him down for a kiss. This one
lasted a little longer than their hello kiss but he still didn't deepen it.

Zack pulled back after a moment and smiled at him, his eyes alight with

pleasure. "I think I like the sound of that," Zack said quietly.

Simon knew his grin was huge. He couldn't help it. "Will you come home with

me tonight?" Simon asked, then quickly continued. "We could have dinner first and
that way it should be almost bedtime for a certain little someone by the time we get
there and hopefully she won't feel too overwhelmed with the new surroundings."
Simon desperately wanted Zack to say yes.

"What about everyone else, Simon? It's not like you live alone, and having a

two-year-old in the house can be exhausting, and distracting," Zack asked as he bit
his bottom lip. Simon could see his mate wanted to say yes but he needed to
reassured first.

"The guys will be perfectly fine with having both you and Hayley there. Marcus

and Brian want kids anyway, and I think, Alex and Jason are going to want them in
the near future as well. As for Rick, he's been going out a lot recently so he
shouldn't have a problem with it either."

Zack continued to bite his bottom lip and looked at his daughter, "Hey,

pumpkin?" he asked.

"Yes, Daddy?" Hayley looked at him.
"Would you like to sleep over at Simon's house tonight? You'll get to sleep in a

big bed, but Daddy won't be in the same room. Just like it was before we moved
here. I will be in the room next to yours." Simon watched the interaction between
the two, he tried to keep his face neutral, but wasn't sure he succeeded. He wanted
Hayley to say yes more than anything. He needed his mate.

Hayley looked like she really thought about what Zack had said. Simon wasn't

sure how much of what Zack told her she really understood considering her age,
but she looked cute anyway.

"Can I thtill sleep with Woofie?"
"Of course, we'll make sure to pack your princess jammies and some clothes

for tomorrow along with Woofie."

The grin that broke across his daughter's face—and Hayley was his daughter,

he didn't care that Zack and he hadn't yet mated, they would, and that was all that
mattered—at the mention of her favourite pyjamas was priceless. So was the
excited bobbing of the head and the loud "Yay!"

"I take it that's a yes?" Simon said, chuckling.
"It is indeed," Zack replied, locking gazes with Simon once again. He knew all

the heat and desire he felt for Zack was visible in his eyes. He couldn't wait to get
his hands on his mate's naked body.

"So—" Simon had to clear his throat. "—how does Italian sound for dinner?

There's a great little restaurant that I know of not far from here," Simon asked, his
voice lower than usual, lust at the thought of finally getting to claim his mate riding

him hard.

"Sounds perfect," Zack said. His voice had a husky quality to it as well.
"Meet me there at six? And don't forget to pack an overnight bag."
"We'll be there with bells on."
"Bells, Daddy," Hayley said happily, wanting to join in the conversation.
"Yes, pumpkin, bells. Now, we need to say goodbye to Simon as he needs to

get back to work, but we'll see him again tonight."

"Bye, bye," Hayley said cheerily and she turned in his lap and flung her arms

around him, hugging him hard.

Simon returned the hug and then set Hayley on the ground and stood. If their

girl wasn't in the room, Simon could easily be having fantasies about bending his
mate over his desk. But Hayley was there so he refused to let his mind wander in
that direction. It was a great deal harder than he thought it would be not to go
there, considering Zack was still perched on the edge of his desk. His wolf also
was of two minds. A part of him wanted to take his mate, but an even stronger part
wanted to growl at Simon for having such thoughts in front of a cub.

Zack waggled his eyebrows as if he knew exactly what Simon was thinking,

then stood, kissed him quickly, and whispered, "Later," against Simon's lips.

"I can't wait," said Simon.
"Me either," Zack replied as he gathered his belongings from around the desk

and took Hayley's hand in his.

They waved as they walked out the door, Simon's eyes glued to his mate's ass

until the view was cut off by the door closing between them.

He sighed and sat back down again, then winced and adjusted himself until he

was as comfortable as he was going to get. Tonight. Simon was finally going to get
to claim his mate, and he couldn't wait.

Chapter Nine

Simon couldn't believe how hard his cock was as they pulled up outside his

house later that night. Images of what his mate would look like naked and writhing
under him had plagued him the whole way from the restaurant. His wolf was riding
him to lay claim to his mate and Simon was just as impatient, but he knew they
needed to get Hayley settled for the night before either he or his wolf would get
what they wanted.

Getting out of the car, Simon grabbed Zack's overnight bag while Zack

released Hayley and pulled her out of the car. "Let's get this pizza sauce monster
washed and in bed, huh?" Hayley giggled at him as he tickled her side lightly.

"Sounds like a good plan to me," Simon agreed with him.
Simon held Zack's hand as they headed inside. It wasn't late and the others,

less Rick, were all in the living room watching the Friday night football game.
Simon wasn't sure what was wrong with his youngest brother. Recently, since Rick
had been going out nearly every night, Rick wasn't coming home until after
everyone else was fast asleep.

He resolved to talk to Alex about it in the morning. Something needed to be

said and done to hopefully help Rick deal with whatever it was that seemed to be
eating him alive. At the moment though, he had more pressing issues to concentrate
on than what was going on with his brother.

Alex looked up at them as they walked into the room. "Evening." Alex caught

sight of the bag Simon was holding, and his expression changed to one of smug
understanding. Instead of saying anything, he just raised his right eyebrow at
Simon. Simon glanced at Zack and noticed his cheeks were once again pink. This
caused Simon's cock to jerk in his pants. His mate looked sexy as hell when he
was trying to hide his embarrassment.

Turning back to his brother, he smiled. "Zack and Hayley are spending the

night." With that pronouncement, he grabbed Zack's hand, turned and left the
room. He could hear the chuckles follow him as he led Zack down the
passageway. Once they reached Simon's room, he turned to talk to Hayley.

"This is my room, princess. Your daddy will be in here if you need him at any

time, okay?" Hayley nodded and snuggled farther into Zack's arms. "Would you
like to see where you will be sleeping?" Once again the little girl nodded in her
daddy's arms.

"See this door right here? This is your room." Simon opened the door next to

his and walked inside. The room, being in a house of so many males, was
extremely masculine. The bed was thick chunky wood with a dark blue quilt and
pillows. The chest of draws and bedside table were made to match the bed and
gave the room the overall feel of belonging to a man. They would have a lot of
changes to make if he could convince Zack and Hayley to move in with him. He
knew he wanted his mate with him always but wasn't sure how Zack would feel
about living with his brothers.

Simon was aware their living arrangement wasn't the most conventional of

setups, but it worked for his family. The brothers had all been close growing up
with only a few years between each one, and Simon wasn't sure he wanted to live
apart from them yet. His wolf liked living in a large group and living under the same
roof as his alpha gave Simon the added sense of security. He would have to talk to
Zack about moving in with them and see if he could persuade his mate. Simon
imagined all the different ways he could go about persuading Zack, and his prick
throbbed in his pants.

"Wow, look at the bed, you're going to get lost in there tonight," Zack

exclaimed.

Hayley giggled at her father before he let her down. They watched as she ran

across the room, then attempted to climb up on the bed. She was just a little too
short to be able to heave herself up entirely. Simon went to help, and once Hayley
was up, she climbed right to the middle and settled down with a soft sigh.

"Oh no, you don't, missy. It's shower time. You need to get washed and

dressed and brush your teeth. Come on." Hayley reluctantly crawled to the edge of
the bed where Zack took her and helped her down. "We'll just be a minute," Zack
said to him as he picked up their overnight bag and headed into the attached
bathroom.

Simon sat on the edge of the bed to wait. He looked down at the erection

currently tenting his pants. "Soon," he muttered. The damn thing wouldn't go away.
Simon was lost in thought ten minutes later when Zack emerged from the bathroom
with a sleepy-looking Hayley in his arms.

"Let's go say goodnight to everyone then we'll tuck you in."
"We don't need to say goodnight to everyone if you don't think Hayley would

be comfortable," Simon said. He wanted his girl to be happy, not worried about
people she hardly knew.

"Thank you," Zack said as he smiled. "But we're in your home and it's only

polite to say goodnight to everyone else. It won't take very long, and I think
Hayley's probably too tired to get worked up about strangers. You ready,

pumpkin?" Hayley nodded and Zack let her down. She held Zack's hand and in the
other she clutched her wolf teddy tightly to her chest.

Simon followed them out. He leant against the wall leading into the living room

and watched as Hayley said goodnight to his family.

She walked right up to Alex and held her arms out asking for a hug. Simon was

shocked for a moment and then realised Hayley could probably feel Alex's calming
Alpha nature. Simon scolded himself for not thinking of the calming nature the
Alpha had on cubs earlier. He mentally shrugged. It didn't matter, he wouldn't trade
the time he, Zack and Hayley had spent together getting to know one another for
the world.

Alex seemed to be startled by Hayley's gesture and didn't know exactly what

to do. He looked at Zack and silently asked what she wanted.

"She would like to give you a hug goodnight," Zack said softly. Alex, finally

understanding, sat forward and picked Hayley up, giving her a gentle hug before
putting her back down. The expression on his big Alpha brother's face when he let
go of Hayley was so tender and caring; he had never seen his brother look at
anyone but his own mate like that.

Hayley walked around and gave everyone else a good night hug. Brian seemed

to hold her extra-long and when he let go, he turned to Marcus and said so quietly
Simon could barely hear him, "I want one of these."

"I know, we'll get there," Marcus replied just as quietly.
When Hayley was finished, Simon pushed off the wall. "Goodnight, everyone,"

he said as he turned and led the way back to Hayley's room. Once she was tucked
in tight and a nightlight was plugged in for her, Simon leant across the bed and
kissed her on the cheek. "Goodnight, princess."

"Night night, Simon. Night night, Daddy."
Simon watched as Zack leaned in and gave his daughter a big hug and a kiss

goodnight.

"If you need us in the night, we're right next door. Okay, pumpkin?" Hayley

nodded but didn't reply as her eyelids were already closing.

Simon took Zack by the hand and they quietly left the room, shutting the door

behind them. Once they were in the passageway, Simon couldn't hold back any
longer and pushed Zack against the wall. Threading his hands in Zack's hair, he
closed the distance between them and brought his lips down against Zack's,
devouring his mate's mouth.

The needy little whimpers that escaped from Zack only served to enflame

Simon's body. Reaching down, he grabbed Zack's hips and pulled him forward so
their hard cocks were mashed against each other as he continued to plunder Zack's

mouth with his tongue.

Simon could feel Zack's hands pulling on his shirt until he was successful in

getting the material released from his pants. The feel of his mate's soft hands against
his hard abdomen caused his cock to jerk and leak.

The sound of a throat clearing invaded the fog that had filled his brain at the

slightest touch from his mate. Reluctantly pulling away from their kiss, Simon
looked down at Zack and groaned. His lips were red and kiss swollen with a light
sheen of spit coating them. He was panting heavily and his hair was a mess from
where Simon had grabbed him. The throat clearing again made Simon turn his
head.

Brian stood not too far from them with a knowing look on his face. "As hot as

that was—and it was hotter than hell—" Brian paused for a second. "—get a
room!" He then turned and continued on his way.

Simon groaned and rested his forehead against Zack's. "Sorry, babe, but I just

couldn't hold off any longer."

"I understand, Simon. How about we take your smart brother-in-law's

advice?"

"God, don't say that within hearing distance of Brian. He'll get a big head."
Zack's small giggle was cut off when Simon leant down and kissed him again.

"Come on, time to get you naked."

"I couldn't agree more."
Simon stepped back, then practically dragged Zack through his bedroom door

before closing it behind them. "Naked, now" was all Simon could seem to get
himself to say. His brain was misfiring with his mate being this close to him and
knowing what they were about to do.

Simon watched as Zack hurried to try to rid himself of his clothing. His mouth

was watering as Zack's chest was bared, the small pink nipples hard and wanting.
Zack's stomach was nice and flat; he wasn't muscular, but Simon didn't care. He
had always preferred smaller men to muscular ones. His eyes zeroed in when Zack
slid down the zip on his pants, but didn't drop them.

Simon trailed his gaze back up Zack's body and finally reached his eyes. "You

know this won't work if only one of us is naked?" Zack stated, eyeing Simon's still
fully clothed body. Simon laughed then started tugging at his own clothes.
Unzipping his pants, he watched as Zack studied his body. He hoped his mate
liked what he saw. He wasn't as muscled as either of his older brothers, but he did
work out and had a nice firm six-pack he took pride in.

He let his pants drop and watched as realisation hit Zack that he had gone sans

underwear. The needy little whimper that came from Zack caused his cock to bob.

He loved the noises his mate made. Zack quickly dropped his own pants and
pushed his underwear down. Kicking off his shoes and getting rid of his socks,
Zack stood in front of Simon gloriously naked.

Simon's eyes roamed his mate's naked body before coming to a stop at his

groin. The hard dick that stood out from Zack's body was probably a good six
inches in length and nice and fat. A thatch of neatly trimmed bright red curls
surrounded his prick. Simon couldn't wait to taste his mate, to feel that thick cock
sliding in and out of his mouth.

Growling, Simon reached out and pulled Zack against his body. Simon couldn't

have held back the moan that escaped his lips at the first touch of their naked
bodies against each other if his life had depended on it. Threading his fingers though
Zack's soft silky hair, he pulled his head back until it was tilted to just the right
angle where Simon could take possession of those lips again.

Refusing to break the contact their lips had made, Simon slowly started to walk

Zack backwards towards the bed. When Zack stopped, he gently pushed and
Zack fell on his back onto the bed. Simon followed him down, continuing to rain
kisses down on Zack's body as he went.

Working his way down Zack's neck towards his chest, Zack moaned.

Reaching a small pink nipple, Simon stuck his tongue out and flicked it across the
hard nub before taking the morsel into his mouth and sucking. Biting down gently
on the hard nipple, Simon was amazed at Zack's reaction. The loud gasp followed
by his back arching off the bed and Zack threading his fingers through Simon's hair
and pulling his head down against his chest had Simon's cock leaking copious
amounts of pre-cum.

Kissing his way across Zack's chest, Simon hungrily bit Zack's other nipple

before soothing away the sting with his tongue. Zack writhed and moaned beneath
him, thrusting his hips against Simon.

"Simon, please, feels so good." Zack's breathy moans only served to inflame

Simon's lust further.

"Shhh, babe, I know what you need. Scoot up the bed, then lie back and

relax." Simon knelt, allowing Zack to move from underneath him. Zack
manoeuvred himself to the centre of the bed, then settled back against the pillows.
His hard cock jutted out proudly from his body, a tiny clear drop of fluid beaded
on its head. Simon slowly crawled up his mate's body to continue his exploration,
kissing his feet, calves, and thighs as he went.

When he finally reached the hard straining erection bobbing erratically with

need, Simon didn't even pause to think; he simply opened his mouth and
swallowed the dick to the root. Zack screamed beneath him, thrusting his hips, his

prick going deeper down Simon's throat.

Simon pulled back until just the head was held in his mouth. He flicked his

tongue against the slit, tasting the pre-cum that had gathered. Simon groaned as the
taste of his mate burst across his taste buds. Zack was sweet yet spicy with just a
hint of tang. Simon lowered his head again, then started up a steady rhythm.

Making his way to the tip of Zack's cock, Simon once again dipped his tongue

into the slit. The noises coming from Zack only served to add fuel to the fire.
Licking down the vein that ran the length of his mate's dick, Simon made his way to
the tight, hairless balls. Taking them one at a time between his lips, Simon rolled the
small orbs around inside his mouth before pulling back as far as he could before
letting go.

Sucking two of his fingers into his mouth, Simon's gaze roamed up his mate's

flushed body until their eyes met. Zack was still panting hard, his fists clenched in
the sheets beneath him. His eyes were half-lidded and his lips were still swollen
from their earlier kisses. He looked absolutely fucking adorable.

* * * *

Zack's body was going to go up in flames. He just knew it would. Simon's

hand sent tingles shooting through his body from the tips of his toes to the top of his
head. As he looked down his body at the sight before him, Zack couldn't hold
back the pleas as he watched his mate sucking on his fingers, getting them ready to
enter his needy body.

"Simon…" The name escaped him as barely more than a whisper, but his mate

still heard him.

"Lift your legs, babe."
Zack hurried to comply, lifting his legs and pulling them back to expose his tight

entrance to the man he was quickly falling for. Zack's cock looked obscene
between his legs, jutting forward, still wet with Simon's spit, the tip leaking pre-
cum.

Zack moaned as Simon rubbed a finger around his hole, gently applying

pressure before pushing it inside. Thrashing his head back and forth against the
pillows beneath him, Zack wanted more. He concentrated on relaxing his body as
he didn't want to hinder Simon in any way from getting to where they both wanted
to end up.

Feeling the thick finger push all the way into his body before starting its retreat

had all sorts of things falling from his lips. "More… Please, Simon, I need more…
need you…want your cock…hurry."

"Don't want to hurt you," Simon said as he pushed a second finger inside Zack.

Zack moaned at the feeling and tried to thrust his hips back. Simon drove them fast
and deep a couple of times before bending them and stroking the inside walls of his
channel. Zack couldn't help but scream again when Simon's fingers grazed against
his sweet spot. God, he hoped the walls were thick.

Simon leant forward and swallowed Zack's dick to the root again as he added

a third finger to his hole. Zack's hips trust up of their own accord. "I'm ready…
Please, I don't want to come until you're inside me… I'm so close, Simon."

When Simon pulled back, Zack whimpered at the sudden feeling of being

empty. Simon crawled up his body and laid claim to his lips in a kiss that sent his
heart racing. They were forced to pull back due to lack of oxygen, and it was then
Zack noticed Simon was holding a bottle of lube.

"You ready, babe?"
"Oh yeah, I want that gorgeous cock inside me now."
Simon chuckled as he flipped the lid and squirted a generous amount onto his

prick. Zack watched in fascination as Simon gripped his shaft and slowly spread
the viscous liquid. He was so fascinated at watching his mate's cock, he jumped in
surprise when Simon squirted the cool liquid against his hole.

Zack pulled his legs back again and watched as Simon settled between his

legs, his thighs rubbing against Zack's ass cheeks. Simon had a hold of his dick and
was gently teasing it against Zack's hole. "Ready?"

"Simon… Now, goddamn it!" All the air left his lungs as Simon seated himself

within Zack in one smooth, hard thrust. They both moaned at the feeling of finally
being joined together the way mates should be.

"So good…so full…" Zack panted as Simon started a slow and gentle thrust.
"So tight, babe…love the way you squeeze my cock. Feels like you're going to

burn my dick, you're so hot."

"Harder, Simon! I won't break. Make me scream."
"As you wish, babe." Simon leant forward and kissed him, matching his tongue

thrusts to those of his cock. Zack let go of his legs and wrapped them around
Simon's waist, threading his arms around Simon's neck to hold on.

Simon pulled back and left Zack panting for breath as he quickened his thrusts.

Simon pushed Zack's thighs back until he was just about bent double. The quick
hard thrusts were forcing him up the bed. Simon pegged his gland with every thrust,
and Zack knew his orgasm wasn't far away.

There was one thing Zack wanted above anything else at that moment and he

wanted it before he came. "Bite me."

Simon seemed to pause for a moment before he continued with his rhythm.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, claim me. I want you as my mate for now and forever. Please, Simon."

Zack turned his head to the side, offering his mate his neck. He knew it was a
submissive gesture and had no problem making it to his mate. He watched in awe
as Simon lost control. Simon's eyes shifted and his teeth elongated. Zack could feel
his mate's claws start to lengthen as they gripped his hips.

With a loud roar, Simon jammed his cock home and bit into the base of Zack's

neck as hot cum flooded his passage. The dual sensations were too much for Zack.
He screamed as he barrelled over the edge into orgasmic bliss, wet heat spreading
between their heaving bodies.

Zack nearly cried out again as the knot extended from Simon and latched onto

his prostate. He had completely forgotten about the mating knot. Simon slowly
extracted his teeth from Zack's neck and licked the mark closed before leaning
over and kissing him to within an inch of his life.

The pleasure was too much for Zack, and he felt his body shudder one last

time as he was swept away in another mind-blowing orgasm, so powerful he had
no other way to cope but to surrender to the darkness.

Chapter Ten

Simon woke feeling as if someone was staring at him. Opening his eyes, he

blinked, trying to get them to focus. Noticing the light streaming through the gaps in
the curtain, he realised it must be morning. Finally able to make his brain work,
Simon realised two things at once. He was still completely naked and wrapped
around Zack, and Hayley was standing at the side of the bed looking at him.

"Good morning, princess. Did you sleep well?" Simon asked in a whisper while

he discreetly moved the sheets to make sure both he and Zack were completely
covered. The movement stirred Zack and he rolled over and snuggled deep against
Simon's chest, placing a small kiss to his neck. Simon bit back his moan as he
noticed Hayley still standing there watching them.

"I'm hungwy." The loud voice of a two-year-old broke through any remaining

fog that lingered from his sleep. Zack startled awake at his daughter's voice, and he
sat bolt upright, rubbing at his eyes.

"Easy, babe. Everything's fine." Simon felt overwhelming joy at the simple

fact he was now able to communicate silently with his mate.

His mate . He still

couldn't believe he had finally found and claimed the man destined to be his.

Zack calmed down at his voice before smiling and turning to kiss him. When he

turned back to Hayley, he was wide awake. "Well hello there, pumpkin. Did you
sleep the whole night in that big bed all by yourself?"

Hayley smiled at her daddy before lifting her arms, wanting to be picked up.

Zack made sure he was sufficiently covered before lifting Hayley up on the bed and
into his lap. Zack kissed Hayley on the cheek, and Simon decided he should get in
on the action too. After scooting over, he placed a big wet sloppy good morning
kiss on Hayley's cheek.

The little girl squealed and giggled in her daddy's arms. "Scratchy," Hayley said

as she rubbed at her cheek.

"So I hear you're hungry?" Zack asked their little girl.
"Yep!"
"Yes, Hayley, not yep," Zack corrected lightly.
"Sorry, Daddy."
"It's okay. Go wait outside the door and Simon and I will get dressed. Then we

can all have some breakfast."

"Okay, Daddy," Hayley said as she climbed from her daddy's lap before sliding

off the bed and running for the door.

Once Hayley had left the room, Zack turned to Simon. "Now, where's my

good morning kiss?"

Simon, still not believing he had found this man, scooted forward and laid a

kiss exactly like the one he had on Hayley on Zack's cheek.

"Urgh!" Zack laughed as he pulled away from Simon. "I'll get you for that."
Simon couldn't help but laugh as he jumped from the bed and ran to the

bathroom. Before he could reach the door, Zack caught him and pinned him
against the wall.

"Now this feels familiar." Zack's voice was a low sultry purr, and Simon felt his

dick get hard immediately. "Now, where is my proper good morning kiss from my
mate? I'm not leaving until I get one."

"That doesn't really entice me to kiss you good morning, babe. I would be

quite happy to stay right here with you all day, naked and hard." Simon punctuated
his words with a gentle thrust of his hips.

"As much as I would love to, we have a little girl who would like some food."
Simon knew this, so he gave in and kissed his mate good morning. The kiss

was slow and unhurried, a gentle melding of tongues and lips. When they finally
broke apart, Simon stared Zack in the eyes, more happy then he had ever been in
his life.

"Good morning, babe."
Zack's smile lit up his whole face. "Good morning to you, too. Now let's get

dressed."

* * * *

Zack was walking on cloud nine as he made his way through Simon's house

looking for Hayley. He knew he had a big goofy grin on his face but didn't care.
Reaching up, he gently ran his fingers over the mark Simon had left on him last
night. Zack shivered as the touch sent electric currents racing through his body.

Walking into the kitchen, Zack stopped as everyone seated around the table

turned and looked at him. Zack realised he was still lightly fingering his bite mark
and lowered his hand, his face heating at being caught. Strong arms wrapped
around his waist from behind, and he was pulled back against a hard chest.

Zack's body turned to mush, and he moaned at being held in Simon's arms.

Simon nuzzled into his neck and kissed his mating mark. Zack's knees gave out,
and if it wasn't for Simon's arms around him, he would have ended up an
embarrassing puddle on the floor.

"You okay there, babe?"
"Uh huh." Simon chuckled, then kissed him again before making sure he was

steady on his feet and stepping away.

"Come on, time to get something to eat. Would you like some coffee?"
"Huh?" Zack was still having difficulty getting his brain to recognise any sort of

higher communication as tingles still raced through his muscles.

"Coffee?" Simon asked again and laughed. "Why don't you sit down, babe?"
Sitting? Now that he could do. Zack made his way to the table and sat next to

Hayley, who was currently on what looked to be her second piece of toast with
vegemite. The crusts were scattered over the plate and table, and Zack was sure
she had more vegemite on her face than in her mouth.

Looking at his daughter, Zack finally got control of his body. "Look at you.

You're a mess again. Last night a pizza sauce monster and this morning a vegemite
monster! Again!"

Simon placed a steaming cup of coffee in front of him, and Zack took it with

thanks.

"Okay, guys, breakfast is ready. Can someone help me with all this?" Brian

called out from the kitchen.

Zack looked at Simon, wanting to know what was going on.
"Brian does most of the cooking around here as we're all pretty much hopeless

at anything like that. We usually have a cooked breakfast on the weekends since
we all have a little more time than we do during the week. Plus we generally get to
go running and burn of all the calories."

Zack smiled wistfully at the thought of going running. He hadn't been able to let

his wolf out and go for a run in at least six months if not longer. Ever since Sarah
had died and her parents had started their vendetta against him, Zack hadn't trusted
anyone else to look after his daughter. So he had put his needs and those of his
wolf to the side and concentrated on raising his little girl.

"Everything okay?"
Zack couldn't believe how attuned to him Simon seemed to be already.
"Yeah, just would love to be able to go running as a wolf. It's been a

while."

"How long's a while, Zack?"
"Umm. Over six months."
"Jesus, really?"
Everyone in the room turned to look at Simon at his sudden outburst. Zack just

nodded his head, too embarrassed to answer. When everyone realised nothing else
was going to be forthcoming, they all turned back to what they were doing.

"Don't worry, we'll sort something out," Simon leaned in to whisper in his ear.

All conversation then stopped as the food was placed on the table and everyone
dug in. Zack cut up some sausage to let it cool down and placed the pieces in
amongst all the crusts on Hayley's plate.

"I don't think I can eat this," Brian said suddenly.
"Baby, are you okay?" Marcus asked. Zack glanced up and noticed Brian was

looking rather pale. Brian shook his head before covering his mouth quickly and
running from the room. Marcus swiftly followed behind him.

Zack wondered what was wrong with him. Being werewolves, they rarely got

sick as their bodies were immune to most human diseases. Wondering if he should
ask, he noticed every head at the table looking at the door that Brian and Marcus
had just gone through. Zack decided it couldn't hurt to ask.

"Is everything okay with Brian?"
"I'm not sure, babe." Simon answered his question and wrapped an arm

around his shoulders.

Breakfast after that was a quiet affair; Brian and Marcus didn't re-join them.

Once everyone had eaten at least half their plates and downed god knows how
much coffee, they all seemed to regain a little vibrancy.

"So, Simon, it's your turn today," Alex said with a little too much enjoyment for

Zack's liking.

Simon groaned next to him and seemed to deflate in his seat a little. What the

hell were these people talking about? Simon saw the obvious confusion on his face
and explained.

"I already told you Brian does the cooking here." Zack nodded and Simon

continued, "Since Brian does all the cooking, we now have the problem of grocery
shopping, and none of us like doing it. So to make things fair, there's a list on the
fridge. You write whatever is needed and we take it in turns to do the shopping.
This way, we each only have to do the shopping once a month, which isn't too bad,
but as Alex and Jason did it last week, he thought he would rub it in that he's done
for another three weeks and it's my turn."

Zack laughed at what his mate had said. Seriously, they used a schedule for

doing the shopping? How the hell had they survived before Brian arrived? He
couldn't believe four huge strapping brothers were so hopeless when it came to
household chores. He'd been doing his own cooking, cleaning, and ironing since he
moved out of home and in with Sarah.

Zack was still chuckling when he leant over and gave Simon a kiss on the

cheek. "Don't worry, Hayley and I will go with you so the big bad supermarket
doesn't scare you."

Simon's cheeks heated and everyone else at the table laughed before going

back to their breakfasts.

"You'll pay for that, but thank you," Simon growled in his ear before kissing

him.

Things definitely wouldn't be dull around here, that was sure, Zack thought

before he picked up his knife and fork and finished his breakfast.

Chapter Eleven

Simon hated shopping with a capital H. But he had to admit it was a hell of a

lot nicer doing the dreaded chore with Zack and Hayley than it was by himself.
Hayley sat in the front of the trolley chattering away to herself while Simon pushed
and Zack consulted the shopping list they had been given. Hayley constantly
pointed things out on the shelves she wanted, and every so often Simon would
sneak one of the items into the trolley when Zack wasn't looking, much to Hayley's
delight.

Simon had an uneasy feeling ever since they'd left home that morning. The back

of his neck was tickling like he could feel someone watching, but he'd been unable
to see anyone who looked suspicious. He didn't want to alarm Zack yet; after
everything he'd been through he deserved a break.

Turning around when he felt like daggers were being stared at him, he just

caught someone ducking around the end of the aisle. Not sure if the person was
simply another shopper, Simon wasn't going to take a chance and leave Zack and
Hayley by themselves. He would mention his feelings and thoughts to Alex when
his brother got home from work that afternoon.

They finally finished and were loading the groceries into the back of Zack's car

when he felt it again. Looking around, he noticed a couple in their early fifties
driving down the street, staring straight at him and not at the road. They sped off
before Simon had a chance to ask Zack if he knew who they were. Simon didn't
like this one bit. He had a feeling he knew exactly who the couple was. He would
have to ask Zack what the Stewarts looked liked.

Once they were home and the groceries were put away, they inquired about

Brian. Today was one of Marcus's rare Saturdays off, and Simon was thankful for
that since he couldn't help but think Marcus would be driving himself sick with
worry if he'd had to go to work while his mate was ill.

Marcus informed them Brian was in bed and resting. He was feeling extremely

nauseous and was having trouble keeping anything down so Marcus had tucked
him in and told him to try to get some sleep. Simon could hear the worry in his
brother's voice. Hopefully it would sort itself out soon and Brian would be his
normal happy self again.

Lunch was once more a quiet affair. Alex came home to check on things and

have a quick bite to eat before he had to go back to work. Simon didn't get an

opportunity to talk with him about his suspicions regarding the Stewarts. He hoped
it could wait until tonight when he finished work.

Once they put Hayley down for her afternoon nap, Simon walked into the

living room where Rick and Jason were situated in front of the television watching
the afternoon football game.

"Hey, guys," Simon said as he entered, pulling Zack along behind him.
"Hey, what's up?" Rick said as he glanced up at them before turning his

attention back to the game.

"Nothing much, would you mind keeping an ear out for Hayley? She's just

gone down for her nap and, hopefully, should be out for a couple of hours. I just
wanted to take Zack for a run since he hasn't had a chance to let his wolf out in a
long time."

Simon could feel the anticipation just about rolling off Zack as they waited for

confirmation from his brother and brother-in-law.

"Yeah, no worries. Hayley's a little angel, so it shouldn't be any trouble if she

wakes. Just be careful since it's the middle of the day. We don't want anyone to
see you," Rick replied.

"Thanks, little brother. Don't worry, we'll be careful." Simon smiled as Zack

practically vibrated standing next to him.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Zack said excitedly from beside him.

Simon could just imagine what Zack was feeling. His wolf had to be close to the
surface, knowing it was going to get a chance to get out and run soon.

"We shouldn't be more than an hour, hour and a half," Simon said as he started

to lead Zack from the room.

"Take your time and enjoy. Don't worry about anything here. Marcus and

Brian are still here as well."

Simon led Zack into the garage and motioned to Zack to get in his car. Once

they were on the road to the pack land, Zack seemed to calm a little. Simon,
remembering earlier that morning, kept a keen eye on his rearview mirror to make
sure no one followed them. Not seeing any sign of the Stewarts, or anyone else,
Simon relaxed and enjoyed the drive with his mate.

After pulling up in the car park, Simon parked the car and got out. He walked

to the front and waited for Zack to join him.

"Usually we undress here. But as it's the middle of the day, how about we walk

into the pack meeting area and we can shift there?" Simon asked. There weren't
any other cars in the car park, but they could never be too careful when it came to
keeping their secret.

"Sounds good. Let's go," Zack said as he grabbed Simon's hand and started

dragging him towards the bush. Simon laughed and pulled against Zack's hand. His
enthusiasm was catching.

"It's this way, babe," Simon said, pointing in a completely different direction to

the one Zack was leading him in.

"Well, lead the way, then. We don't have all day." Zack laughed. Simon led the

way through the bush, and they were soon at the pack's meeting grounds. By the
time Simon turned around to look at Zack, his mate was already out of his shirt and
was working on his pants, having kicked off his shoes. Simon couldn't help but
chuckle.

"A little excited, babe?"
"Yeah, a little. Sorry. But if I don't undress, I'm not going to have any clothes

to wear home. I don't think I can hold him off much longer."

"It's okay. Go ahead and shift. I know how long it's been for you."
"Thanks." Zack didn't get a chance to say anything else as the change swept

over him. Watching someone change always fascinated Simon. To see the fur
erupting along his skin and the bones disjointing and reshaping was mesmerising to
watch. Simon knew exactly what Zack was feeling as he let his wolf have free rein
over his body.

In less than a minute Zack, the man Simon was quickly falling in love with, was

no longer standing in front of him. Instead, he was left facing the most
breathtakingly beautiful red wolf he had ever seen.

Zack's coat was a mixture of reds and oranges with flecks of brown running

through it. The colours made it look like his coat was on fire, and Simon had never
seen anything so beautiful in his life. He couldn't think of any other word but
'stunning' to describe how his mate looked in his wolf form. Simon knew he was
staring, but he couldn't take his eyes off the beauty in front of him.

It wasn't until Zack walked up to him and nudged him that the spell was broken

and Simon was able to gather his thoughts once again.

"You are the most

gorgeous creature I have ever seen," Simon conveyed with awe as he started to
get undressed.

The wolf in front of him seemed to huff, then leant forward to lick his hand

before sitting back on its haunches and cocking his head to the side, waiting. Simon
got the message and quickly divested himself of the rest of his clothes.

Once he was naked, Simon allowed the change to take over. His skin started

to tingle, signifying the start of the change, fur sprouted all over his body, and his
bones popped and reshaped themselves. Within moments, he was on all fours and
couldn't be happier. Walking up to his mate who was still sitting and watching him,
Simon noticed he was larger than Zack in this form as well. He licked Zack's

muzzle before dipping his head a little and gently biting his neck. Zack sat still the
entire time Simon rubbed up against him, marking his mate with his scent.

Once Simon was happy he had marked his mate for all to smell, he stepped

back. "Come on, babe, let's run. " Zack didn't need any more encouragement
than that and took off towards the bush, leaving Simon behind. Simon huffed and
took off after his mate, the scent of the bush filling Simon's lungs as he ran. He
never got sick of this area. There was always something new to see, from the
banksia flowers and wild orchards to the large eucalyptus trees. This bushland had
been his home for his entire life, and Simon couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

Nipping at Zack's heels, Simon got his attention before leading him through the

bush to a small creek. They sat and lapped at the water like animals dying of thirst
before taking off once again. They playfully chased a couple of rabbits, not wanting
to catch them as they had no reason to kill. They were not hungry and didn't need
to eat.

When Simon decided they had been out long enough, he led Zack back to the

clearing so they could change and go home. Simon stopped next to their clothes
and once again allowed the change to flow through his body. Standing naked in the
middle of the clearing and looking at his equally naked mate had Simon's cock
rock hard in seconds.

Zack ran and jumped on him, wrapping his arms and legs around Simon's

body. Simon staggered under the additional weight but was able to keep his feet.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, this place is wonderful," Zack said as he peppered

Simon's face and neck with kisses.

"You're welcome, babe." Simon wrapped one hand around the nape of his

mate's neck and pulled him down for a proper kiss. Taking control, he thrust his
tongue into Zack's mouth and moaned as the unique flavour of his mate burst onto
his taste buds.

Simon could feel Zack's cock harden against his stomach and wanted nothing

more than to take his mate here and now. However, he didn't want to hurt Zack
and he hadn't thought to bring any lube. He wouldn't be making that mistake again.
Pulling away from the questing, eager tongue of his mate, Simon smacked him on
the ass. "Down, babe."

Zack's face fell as he lowered his legs from around Simon's body and stepped

back.

"You look cute when you pout," Simon whispered in Zack's ear before placing

a quick kiss on his lips and turning away. Simon grabbed the clothes on the ground,
but instead of handing them to Zack, he laid them out on the ground to form a
crude blanket.

Turning back to Zack, he held his hand out for his mate. The smile that split

Zack's face when he realised what Simon was doing made his whole face light up.
Zack placed his hand in Simon's and allowed Simon to manoeuvre him to where he
wanted. Once Zack was splayed out on the clothes to Simon's satisfaction, he
dropped to his knees between Zack's spread legs.

He ran his hand's lightly up and down Zack's trembling thighs. Crawling over

his mate, Simon soon looked into the eyes of the man he would spend the rest of
his life making happy. Zack gently rubbed his hands up and down Simon's back,
and Simon felt his emotions just under the surface as if they were a living breathing
thing and wanted to get out.

This beautiful man under him was all his. Everything Zack had been through just

showed how strong his mate was and made Simon love him even more. He would
do anything to protect his mate and their daughter and make sure there was nothing
but happiness in their lives from now on.

Simon lowered himself and kissed the one he loved. This kiss was gentle and

sweet, a melding of lips and tongue. Simon hoped the kiss conveyed everything he
was feeling, but just in case it didn't, he pulled away. Gazing once again into those
beautiful hazel-brown eyes, he wanted to let Zack know how he felt and prayed it
wasn't too soon for his mate.

"I love you, Zack," Simon whispered. He watched as Zack's eyes widened a

moment before a smile lit his features.

"I love you too, Simon."
Simon was so happy he thought his heart would burst. "Move in with me,

please?" Simon figured he may as well go for broke; he wanted his mate and their
little girl with him always and the thought of them living somewhere other than with
him was painful.

The wary expression Zack now wore said he needed a little convincing, and

Simon was more than happy to do it.

"I understand after everything you and Hayley have been through that you

would be hesitant to make such a huge commitment so quickly." Simon couldn't
blame is mate for his hesitancy either, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to do
everything in his power to change his mate's mind.

"However, please think of the positives. Wouldn't it be good for Hayley to see

what a loving and caring extended family looks like? To know that she is
completely safe at all times and has not only family but pack to keep her that way.
Alex's calming presence should also help Hayley not to feel completely
overwhelmed by everything."

Zack bit his bottom lip as he listened to Simon pleading his case. "I'm not naïve

enough to think that there won't be any problems to begin with, but I think no
matter what you'll have them. Hayley is still going to have to get used to living in a
new house in a new town with new people around her. Why not get her settled in
the one place that you know you're going to be forever, instead of finding
somewhere else and then moving again in six months' time?"

Simon took a breath and brushed his hand tenderly down the side of Zack's

face "Please, babe? I want you and Hayley with me always. We can redo the
spare room to make the place a more kid-friendly one. We can even paint the
room pink if you'd like. The guys love her already and it's calming to live with pack.
Please, just say you'll think about it at least?"

Zack nodded, then kissed him again, and all thoughts fled from Simon's head

as his mate took possession of his mouth. Simon broke the kiss several minutes
later and started to work his way down Zack's body. After having their hard cocks
rubbing against each other while kissing, Simon was going out of his mind with
want.

Kissing his way across Zack's flat stomach, Simon was finally where he wished

to be. Flicking his tongue out, he lapped up the clear drop of pre-cum that had
beaded on the head of Zack's cock. Once the flavour hit Simon, he wanted more
and swallowed Zack down whole.

Zack screamed and thrust his hips, pushing his dick farther down Simon's

throat. Simon pressed his hips back to the ground to still his movements and
continued a steady rhythm up and down Zack's prick.

"Simon, please. I want to taste you too." The breathless moan came from

above him. Now that was an idea Simon could get on board with. Not wanting to
let go of his prize, Simon swung his body around and manoeuvred his legs so they
rested on either side of Zack's head.

The feeling of his cock being engulfed in wet heat caused him to moan around

the length that was still in his mouth. This caused a reaction from Zack and Simon
could soon feel the vibrations running the length of his dick as Zack moaned or
groaned or cried out, he couldn't tell which. Moving one of his hands, Simon gently
cupped Zack's balls and swirled them in his fingers. The other hand he brought to
his mouth and sucked two fingers in alongside the prick he currently had filling his
mouth. Once his fingers were good and wet, he made his way to the hot clenching
hole that was just waiting to be filled.

Pulling back on the cock in his mouth, Simon concentrated his attention on the

head, he speared his tongue in and out of the slit, gathering all the pre-cum he
could. Running his finger around Zack's hole several times, he waited until the
muscles loosened, then pressed forward. He was immediately sucked into the tight

velvety walls of his mate's ass. Simon spearing his finger in and out several times
seemed to drive Zack wild. He bucked his hips several times before screaming.

The cock in his mouth pulsed, and burst after burst of his mate's cum filled his

mouth. Groaning at the taste, Simon couldn't hold back any longer, thrust his hips
towards Zack's mouth, and let his own orgasm take over as he swallowed down
his mate's thick, tangy release.

Once Zack had finished coming, Simon licked his dick clean, determined to get

every last drop of his mate's essence. Pulling away, he swung his leg over and
collapsed on the ground next to his mate; they were both breathing heavily.

Their hands found each other and they lay there in the middle of the pack

clearing, sun shining down on their sated, naked bodies, and held hands while they
tried to recover from what had just happened.

"Simon, I hope you know if it was just me I would have said yes in a

heartbeat," Zack whispered.

"I know," Simon replied just as quietly, not really wanting to disturb the peace

that had settled around them.

Zack took a deep breath, and Simon prayed he liked what his mate was about

to say. "Okay, we'll move in with you." Simon's heart leapt, but he forced himself
to listen as Zack continued. "I really want to us to be a family: you, me and Hayley.
I hope by living with your brothers it will help to serve as a deterrent should the
Stewarts try anything."

Simon could understand Zack's worries and even shared them himself.
Zack continued. "On my own I'm not sure I would be able to protect Hayley.

As it is I moved states to try and get away from them, as I couldn't guarantee my
own daughter's safety if we'd stayed." Simon could feel his mate's emotions like a
living entity buffeting at his skin.

Simon rolled over and faced his mate, making sure Zack was looking at him. "I

can feel your emotions, babe, but please remember that you're mated now and it's
okay to let your new family help in any way they can," he said gently, wanting Zack
to understand that there was nothing wrong with asking for help.

After a moment of silence Zack smiled, "However, I do have one condition."
Simon's heart leapt for joy at the thought of having Zack and Hayley with him

full-time. He didn't care what the condition was, he would do anything to make
Zack and Hayley happy. "Anything, babe."

Zack giggled. "I want a repeat of that."
"Now?" Simon wasn't sure if he was up to going again so soon, but he would

give it a good try.

"I don't think I could, even if I wanted to." Zack giggled again. "No, I just mean

I want several repeats of that at home."

"Your wish is my command. But at the moment, I think it's time we got dressed

and headed home. Hayley should be up soon."

Zack groaned but got to his feet. Once they were both dressed, they made

their way hand in hand back through the bush and to Simon's car.

Chapter Twelve

Pulling onto the street, all of Zack's euphoric feelings from his run and the

amazing sex he and Simon experienced fled. In front of the house there was a car
parked that Zack didn't recognise. He had a bad feeling about this, though. As they
got closer to the house, Zack's feelings were confirmed as he recognised the
couple standing at the door, trying to push their way inside.

Simon growled in the seat next to him; Zack just wanted to get the car parked

so he could go and make sure Hayley was safe. Not taking his eyes off the pair
currently trying their best to get into the house, Zack jumped from the car when
Simon pulled into the garage. Yanking the door open, Zack ran into the house.

"Where is she?" he yelled.
Jason poked his head down the passageway. "Calm down, Zack. She's in the

kitchen with me having some ice cream."

Zack didn't stop on his way to get to Hayley. He had to make sure she was

safe with his own eyes. Finding her at the table just as Jason had said, making a
mess with ice cream, Zack finally took a breath and allowed his heart to slow
down. Walking up to his daughter, he picked her up and crushed her to his chest.

Simon came in and hugged her from behind, pulling Zack into his arms as well.
"Hi, Daddy."
"Hey, pumpkin. Did you have a nice nap?"
"Yep. I got ice cream," Hayley said brightly, pointing at her rather large bowl of

chocolate ice cream. Hayley's smile slowly faded from her face. "Mummy's
mummy and daddy are here," she said quietly. Zack's heart broke at everything his
little girl had been through. Why wouldn't these people just leave him alone?

"Yes, sweetheart, not yep. And I know, but don't worry. You're safe. They are

never going to take you away from me. You stay here and finish your ice cream
with Jason. Simon and I will go sort everything out." Zack and Simon both kissed
her on the cheek before Zack put her back in the chair at the table. Hayley
immediately picked up her spoon and dug it back into her rapidly melting ice
cream.

"Would you mind keeping an eye on her?" Zack asked Jason.
"No worries. She's safe here."
Zack nodded. Simon took his hand and squeezed it before leading them

through the house to the front door. Rick was currently blocking their paths, but

Zack could clearly hear the filth coming from both Valerie and Howard as they
tried to gain entrance to the house.

"Rick, would you please be so kind as to go and get Marcus. I know Brian's

still sick, but we might need him," Simon asked from next to him.

Rick nodded, then growled once at the couple on the doorstep. Both Valerie

and Howard took a step back at the animalistic sound coming from the man in
front of them. With a satisfied smile, Rick turned and left to go get Marcus.

"What are you doing here, Howard, Valerie? We've been through this and the

courts gave me full custody."

"The courts were wrong. You're a disgusting pervert and you don't deserve to

have a child," Valerie sneered at him. Simon snarled and took a menacing step
forward. Zack caught his wrist to stop him from going too far. The Stewarts took
yet another step backwards.

"Just let us take Hayley, and you'll never see us again," Howard added.
"Hayley is my daughter and you have no right to try and take her from me. If

you even try to, I will have you arrested."

"Just try it. No one would believe a filthy homo like you anyway."
"I would," Marcus said from behind Zack.
"And who the bloody hell are you? Another homo?" Valerie asked.
"I'm Detective Marcus Holland," Marcus answered as he showed them his

badge. "I suggest you get back in your car and leave before I arrest you both for
trespassing, attempted kidnapping, breaching a court order, and anything else I can
think of. Oh and, yes, I am also gay."

Marcus smiled at the pair. Zack could just kiss him, but thought now might not

be the best time.

"You can't do that," Howard said, sounding a lot more confident than he

looked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I can. And I will do it, with pleasure, if you so much

as come anywhere near this town again," Marcus said rather smugly "Now, your
car is that way," Marcus said, pointing to the sedan parked at the curb. "Get in and
go home and forget all about Zack and Hayley. If you don't, I will come down on
you like a tonne of bricks and make sure you both serve time in prison."

Simon had moved up during Marcus's speech until the brothers were standing

next to one another, arms crossed over their chests, looking very intimidating. Zack
noticed another car pull up to the curb and wondered who else was coming to join
the party.

"You haven't heard the last from us, Zack," Valerie said as she pulled on

Howard's arm.

"Yes, he has, unless you really have a hankering for prison life."
Joe and Maryanne had made their way up the path to the front door by this

time.

"Where's our little girl?" Maryanne was just about bubbling over with

excitement at getting to see Hayley again, and Zack couldn't help but break out in a
smile.

"She's in the kitchen stuffing her face with ice cream at the moment," Simon

replied.

Valerie and Howard stopped in their retreat to face Joe and Maryanne. "Don't

tell me you're okay with that sick homo raising an innocent child!"

Maryanne sucked in a breath at the hateful words. Joe, however, didn't even

bat an eyelash. He simply cocked his fist back and let it fly right into Howard's
nose. Howard screamed like a girl and crumpled to the ground.

"You watch how you talk about my son." Joe scowled, looking down at the

simpering figure Howard made on the ground. Zack was nearly gleeful. He wanted
to jump up and down and clap his hands at the same time. He could hear a little
snicker escape from one of the men standing next to him but wasn't sure which one
as they had both schooled their features quickly.

"Zack's not your son. His parents are dead," Valerie practically screamed at

Joe as she tried to help Howard up off the ground.

"He's as good as. Now if you don't mind, I have a grandbaby to go and spoil,"

Maryanne said before she turned her back on the pair and walked up to the men
standing in front of the door.

Zack didn't know what to say. He simply stepped forward and kissed her on

the cheek. "Thank you," he whispered in her ear.

Maryanne patted his cheek a couple of times before she spoke. "You're family

now, Zack. That's all there is to it."

Zack nodded and let her into the house.
"Detective, that's assault, I want to press charges." Howard was once again on

his feet, his face dripping with blood. Zack wondered if Joe had broken his nose.

"Sorry," Marcus said. "I'm not sure what you're talking about. I didn't see a

thing. Did you, Simon, Zack?"

"Nope. Sorry," Simon said. "I must have been looking the other way."
"No, I was more interested in watching the grass grow," Zack added, trying

desperately not to break down in a fit of giggles.

Marcus laughed before turning back to the couple on their lawn. "I suggest you

leave now." He then turned and walked into the house followed by Joe, Simon,
and Zack.

Zack closed the door behind him and leant back against the hard wood,

closing his eyes. God, he hoped this was over now. Zack opened his eyes as he
felt a hand come down on his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, Zack. I think they got the message, and if not, if they as

much as sneeze your way, I will do as I said and arrest the pair of them. Now
excuse me, I have a sick mate to get back to."

Zack nodded. He couldn't believe that they'd seen the last of the Stewarts. Not

after everything they'd gone through already to try and take Hayley from him.

"How is Brian?" Zack asked, wanting to think about something other than

Howard and Valerie.

"A little better than this morning, but he's still feeling quite nauseous. I just wish

I knew what was causing it."

"Thanks for all your help. And try not to worry too much. I'm sure Brian is

going to be fine."

Marcus nodded before he turned and disappeared up the stairs.
Zack made his way through the house to the kitchen where his new family

awaited him.

Chapter Thirteen

"What are your plans for Hayley while you're at work?" Maryanne asked him

as Zack sat at the kitchen table with everyone else.

"I booked her into the day care on High street last week. I'll drop her off on

my way into work on Monday and pick her up once I'm finished," replied Zack.
He didn't have a great deal of time between when he arrived and when he started
his new job, so he'd needed to organise the most pressing things while he had a
chance. He'd been lucky there was even a place available.

Maryanne humphed and Zack smiled indulgently.
"I don't suppose you would consider letting me have her some days?"

Maryanne asked.

Zack was torn. He really wanted to say yes to the wonderful woman, it was

obvious she adored Hayley, but they still didn't really know her. Zack opened his
mouth, to say what, he still wasn't quite sure when Simon beat him to the punch.

"Mum, I know you want to spend time with your first grandcub, but how about

you let Hayley and Zack settle in a little first. Get to know them better, let Hayley
get used to you, and then we can revisit the idea a little later. I'm sure Zack will be
more than happy to let you take Hayley for a day or two a week in the future."

"Thank you," Zack sent to Simon. He would be more than happy to let

Maryanne look after Hayley once things settled down.

"You're welcome, Mum's just a little eager to spend time spoiling her first

grandcub." Simon smiled at him.

"Understandable."
"Fine," Maryanne said as she glanced happily at Hayley, who sat at the table

eating some grapes. "Just get used to seeing a lot more of me around here."

Alex groaned at that announcement and then tried to duck out of the way as his

mother swatted him across the back of the head. Alex wasn't fast enough though
and copped the hit. Zack laughed at the sight of his Alpha getting wacked in the
head.

"Mind your manners," Maryanne scolded lightly.
"Sorry," Alex said, not sounding it in the least.
Joe cut in before the conversation could go any further. "What have we got to

do to get you guys settled in here? I'm assuming you and Hayley will be moving
in?"

"I have asked Zack to move in, yes, and he's agreed. I thought we could

convert the spare room into a bedroom for Hayley if that was alright with
everyone?" Simon asked, looking around the room.

His brothers all nodded in the affirmative, but it was Alex who asked, "Do you

need a hand with clearing out the room?"

"That would be great," Simon said as he glanced at his watch. "There's still time

this afternoon. I would like to take Hayley and Zack and go pick out some
bedroom furniture. If we could borrow your old ute, Dad, then we wouldn't have
to wait until next week for delivery."

"That shouldn't be a problem," Joe agreed. "Okay, I'll drop you off at home so

you can take the ute and go shopping, while the rest of us will remain here and get
the room sorted and ready. We can paint and decorate it a little later. The
important thing right now is for Hayley to have somewhere to sleep tonight," Joe
announced confidently. "Let's get a move on, people, daylight's a-wasting." He
clapped his hands and stood. Everyone else quickly followed suit, Alex a little
more sedately than the rest.

Two hours later Hayley had laid down on just about every bed the furniture

store had to offer and picked out her favourite. The single bed sat raised above the
ground on a solid white wood base with storage drawers. It had a solid footboard
and bookshelf bedhead with six large compartments where Hayley could store her
favourite toys and stories. There was also a matching three-drawer bedside table.

Along with this, they bought a tall boy and a toy chest, then went shopping for

sheets and a lamp.

Zack giggled every time Simon cringed when Hayley picked something in pink.

His poor mate was going to have to get over his aversion to the colour as they had
a little girl that just loved it to death.

Weighed down with bags, Zack and Simon followed Hayley up the path to the

house. Simon dropped his bags on the porch in order to open the door for them.

They walked in to the house and made their way through to the room that was

now Hayley's. Zack looked around at the now-empty room and placed all the bags
down in the corner, so they were out of the way. "Wow, they certainly don't mess
around, do they?" Zack said as Simon too dropped his bags in the corner.

"No, they want you here just as much as I do," Simon said as he leant down

and kissed Zack. "Now let's go get some help and move that furniture in here and
get our girl all set up."

They walked out of the room only to be backed back into it when Alex and

Rick came through carrying the large bedhead. "Where do you want this?" Alex
asked as they stepped into the room.

"Up against that wall, please," Zack said as he pointed out where he wanted it

to go.

All four of them trooped back outside again to unload the back of the ute.

Simon had done an amazing job of squeezing everything in. The ropes that had tied
everything down securely now lay in a mess on the ground. They would be coiled
up when they were done.

Being a werewolf had its advantages that was for sure. Where humans may

have struggled with the weight of the furniture, they had no problems, and in short
order the cartons that contained Hayley's new bedroom set were all stood neatly in
the room awaiting assembly.

Maryanne bustled into the bedroom. "Right, where are the sheets? I'll quickly

run them through the washer and dryer so they're all set by the time they're
needed."

"Thanks," Zack said as he pointed to the bags in the corner.
Maryanne pulled out what she needed and then left the room, taking Hayley

with her.

In short order the room was filled with empty cardboard boxes and Styrofoam

pieces. It was dark before they were finished putting everything together. The last
thing they did was slide the new mattress into place.

"A few little touches here and there and it will look like a room fit for a

princess," Simon whispered in Zack's ear. He wrapped his arm around Zack's
waist and pulled him close.

"It already does. Hayley's going to love it." Zack knew his little girl was going

to go gaga over the room.

"We'll go over to the hotel tomorrow and collect all your stuff."
Zack nodded, then lifted his head, and Simon kissed him lightly.
"Dinner!" The call came from the kitchen.
"Great, I'm starved," Joe said as he walked out of the room, followed by a

grumbling Alex and Rick.

"Let's go eat," Zack said as he took Simon's hand in his and led his mate out of

the room.

Marcus and Brian came down to join them, but it was obvious to everyone at

the table that Brian still wasn't feeling very well. He picked at his food for a while,
not really eating much, thanked Maryanne for cooking, and then went back
upstairs to lie down.

After dinner Maryanne had insisted on making Hayley's bed, and after kisses

and cuddles goodnight, they left to head home again.

The look of sheer delight on Hayley's face when they walked into her room

was priceless. "Daddy," Hayley said, awe tinging her little voice. Then she squealed
and raced for the bed. Simon laughed from beside him.

"I guess she likes it," Simon said as he wrapped his arms around Zack's waist

and pulled him back against Simon's body. Zack cuddled in for a moment as they
stood there and watched their little girl roll around on her new bed.

"Come on, pumpkin. Time for shower and bed," Zack said as he reluctantly

pulled away from Simon. Simon placed a kiss on his cheek.

"You need a hand with anything?"
"No, we should be just fine. We'll come out and say good night when we're

ready," Zack replied as he stepped up to his girl and laughed as he dragged her
from the bed.

* * * *

"She go down okay?" Simon asked as Zack walked into the living room.
"Out like a light," Zack said and grinned.
Simon stood and said goodnight to his brothers.
"It's a little early yet, isn't it?" Zack asked him with a puzzled expression on his

face.

"I never said we were going to sleep right now. Just that we won't be seeing

my brothers anymore tonight." Simon grinned lecherously at his mate, then took his
hand and dragged him off down the passage to their room.

"I think I want to have a shower with you so I can get you all dirty and then

wash you clean again."

Zack moaned. "I like the way you think."
The door to their room closed behind them and Simon pushed Zack up against

it. His hands pinned Zack's above their heads, Simon pressing his thigh in hard
against Zack's rapidly filling shaft. Simon kissed his mate with all the love and
desire he held for him. Simon was so happy he would get to wake up with this man
every day for the rest of his life.

Zack arched below him, trying to get more friction to his hard dick. Their

tongues duelled in a back and forth motion, Simon wanting to taste every inch of
his mate's mouth. Pulling his head back forcefully, Simon broke the kiss, the harsh
sound of their ragged breathing the only noise in the room. Simon skimmed one
hand down the length of Zack's arm, the light touch causing goose bumps to rise in
his wake.

Simon continued his trek down Zack's body until he reached the hem of Zack's

shirt, which he fisted in his hand and then pulled up. Zack eagerly wiggled out of his

clothes, and before long they were both naked and Simon was leading the way to
the bathroom.

He got the shower running, and while he waited for the water to warm up, he

pressed Zack against the tiled wall. Zack hissed as his bare skin came into contact
with the cool wall, but Simon soon took his mate's mind off anything but what they
were doing.

Simon reached between them and fisted Zack's rock-hard length. He squeezed

gently, then tugged up and down a couple of times. Zack moaned wantonly and
arched into Simon's touch. Fuck, his mate was goddamn beautiful.

"Stunning," Simon whispered as he trailed his lips down the side of Zack's neck

and latched on, sucking up a mark. He knew it was teenaged of him, but he didn't
care. He wanted his mate covered in the marks of their lovemaking. Zack groaned
and tilted his head, giving Simon room to do what he pleased.

Simon lifted Zack's thigh and placed it over his hip, then ran his fingers over the

soft skin and down Zack's back and into the crack of his ass. The first touch to
Zack's puckered entrance had a gasp escaping his mate and got a small thrust up
before he pressed back against the digit.

"So perfect," Simon whispered as he pulled back to admire the dark mark he'd

left behind. His wolf bayed in satisfaction at marking this man as his.

Simon pressed his finger deep, the single digit sliding in with little resistance.

"Jesus, fuck," Zack exclaimed as he rode the finger then panted out, "Want you so
bad."

Simon looked around quickly, wanting to find the slick. He spotted a tube

sitting on the bench near the sink. "Don't you fucking move," he growled at his
mate. Simon reluctantly removed his finger from the warmth of his mate's body,
stalked over, and snatched up the half-empty bottle.

He opened it and liberally coated his cock, pumping himself several times, and

made sure his fingers were also covered before he dropped the bottle, uncaring of
where it landed. With a couple of large strides, he was back and lifting his mate
into his arms. Zack wrapped his legs once again around Simon's waist, his back
pressed hard against the wall.

Simon's quickly stretched Zack's entrance, unable to take the time to do things

slowly. Need was riding Simon hard, his dick leaking at the prospect of being
buried once again within his mate.

"Simon, now," Zack snarled as he rode the fingers Simon speared deep within

his mate's body.

Taking his mate at his word, Simon removed his fingers and lined himself up,

then with one smooth motion, buried himself to the hilt within his mate. Simon

groaned in ecstasy at the same time Zack cried out. Too keyed up to stop, Simon
pulled back and pumped deep once again. He hooked his arm beneath Zack's left
leg and lifted it higher, opening his mate up more for him.

"Oh, yeah," Zack cried out as Simon set a steady pace, fucking his mate.

"God, yes, just like that." Zack arched his back, his head going backwards, the
cords of his neck straining. The dark mark that Simon had placed there earlier
stood out starkly against all the white creaminess of Zack's skin.

Simon increased the power behind his thrusts, the sound of skin slapping

against skin as he pounded in and out of his mate such a turn-on. His cock felt like
a damn lead pipe he was so hard.

Wanting to get deeper, Simon stopped and took a step back, his cock slipping

out of his mate. Zack whimpered in protest and wiggled and tried to seat himself
again, but Simon let Zack's legs fall to the ground. Once he was sure his mate had
his footing, Simon spun him around and pressed his chest against the wall.

"Stick your ass out for me," Simon said as he held his cock in one hand,

running the head of it up and down the length of Zack's crack, enticing his mate to
do as he said.

Zack's hands went to the wall, holding himself there, his head was turned to the

side, and his back arched with his ass sticking up, begging for Simon to finish what
he'd started.

Simon allowed his wolf to come out a little and his claws extended from his

nails, and he ran his hands down the length of Zack's pale back. The skin turned
white in his wake and then turned the most stunning shade of pink. Simon took
hold of Zack's hips and hitched them to the perfect height, then plunged back
inside.

"Fuck!" Zack screamed and Simon tended to agree. That was exactly what he

was going to do. Deeper and harder he thrust into his mate, one hand gripping his
hip to hold him in place and the other holding tightly to Zack's shoulder.

"Close, so fucking close," Zack panted as he took everything Simon had to

give him and more.

Simon leaned over Zack's back, their sweaty skin sliding easily against one

another, and growled, "Now," before he bit down harshly on Zack's neck, his
canines punching through the skin. Zack screamed as he erupted in orgasm. Simon
had never felt anything so wonderful as his mate tightening and releasing around his
length as he fell over the edge into bliss.

Simon thrust once, twice, three more times before he pulled back and howled

out his release as he followed his mate over the precipice.

Long minutes later when Simon was sure he could stand by himself without

collapsing to the ground, he slowly stepped back, his half-hard cock sliding out of
Zack, to his mate's moans of protest.

Sound seemed to permeate his brain for the first time in forever, and Simon

could hear the shower running off to the right of them. He'd forgotten all about his
plans of taking his mate under the running water.

"Holy fuck. I think I just died and went to orgasm heaven," Zack said, his voice

a little scratchy.

Simon preened a little at being able to make his mate feel so good.
"Give me five minutes and let's see if I can get you there again. I do believe I

promised you a shower."

Zack groaned. "You're trying to kill me, aren't you?" But he didn't protest as

Simon picked him up and carried him into the shower stall.

"Not yet, give me another at least another fifty, sixty years with you first,"

Simon murmured as he kissed the love of his life.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Zack agreed as they continued to kiss under the

falling water.

Chapter Fourteen

Things looked to be settling in to place for them finally. They had seen neither

hide nor hair of the Stewarts since that day over a week ago. Zack had started his
new job, and even though he came home of an evening exhausted sometimes, he
was also happy, and that was all Simon cared about. The joy on his mate's face,
that he was once again doing something he loved, was well worth it in Simon's
eyes.

Hayley was blossoming before his very eyes, and Simon found himself

absolutely loving being a parent to the young girl. He'd never thought he'd get the
opportunity, but now that he'd been given this chance he was taking it with both
hands and he wasn't going to let go, ever.

Simon had to admit that it had taken a little adjusting in the house for so many

men to get used to having a small child around. The swearing was their biggest
issue, and Zack had implemented a swear jar, much to the delight of Hayley who
loved telling on anyone who broke the rules. Unfortunately, Simon wasn't immune
and had paid his fair share for the offences he'd committed.

Along with the bad, came the good though. there were hugs and kisses galore

as Hayley got more and more used to everyone. There were story times as well.
What Simon found himself loving more than anything though, were the occasions
when Hayley would crawl into his lap and simply sit there with him as they watched
television or he talked with his family.

Simon had finally had a chance to sit down with Alex and discuss his worries

over their brother. Alex had informed him that he too was worried about Rick and
would try to talk to him, and if that failed then Alex had no problems with allocating
the job to their mother. Although his worries eased having shared them with Alex,
they didn't disappear entirely.

Simon glanced at his watch as he sat at his desk, wondering just how long he

had to wait before he could be with his family again. For the last week, Simon had
been finding himself doing this same thing practically every day. Three thirty. He still
had at least another hour and a half, if not two hours, before he was finished for the
day.

Zack, on the other hand, should have left work already, collected Hayley, and

been on his way home. Just the thought of his mate and daughter brought a smile to
Simon's face. Simon got back to work, determined to get what he need to done so

he could go home to his family.

Five minutes later Simon was nearly knocked off his ass at the feeling of

despair and overwhelming loss coming from his mate.

"Zack, what the matter?" Simon asked quickly, wanting to know what was

going on. His chest ached at the emotions he was getting from his mate.

"She's gone. They took my baby," Zack sobbed.
"What do you mean she'd gone? Hayley's at day care."
"Valerie came…and gave the staff… a sob story about being her

grandmother…said they were in town to surprise me…they let her take my
Hayley. Simon, they took my baby girl." Zack broke down.

"Fuck!" Simon yelled allowed. He jumped up from his computer and raced out

of the office. "I have to go. Family emergency." Simon called out to his assistant as
he raced passed, not caring whether she heard him or not.

"I'm on my way, Zack. I'll be there shortly."
"They took my baby." Zack mumbled again as continued to cry.
"We'll get her back, Zack. I promise."

Simon wouldn't settle for anything

less. As he jumped in his car he pulled out his phone and dialled Marcus, his next
call would be to Alex.

The phone rang a couple of times before Marcus answered, "Simon, to what

do I owe this pleasure?"

"Hayley's been kidnapped from the day care. I'm on my way over there at the

moment. Zack's beside himself with worry." Simon didn't have the time for long
explanations. He needed to get to his mate.

"Fuck, I'll grab another officer and meet you there in ten," Marcus said and

hung up.

Simon sped down the road as he pressed the speed dial number for Alex. He

hoped like hell his brother wasn't in the middle of a tattoo right at this moment. He
was in luck as Alex answered his call. "Hey, bro."

"Alex, Hayley's been taken from the day care."
Simon could hear the thump of Alex's shoes hitting the ground. "Those fuckers

think they can take my niece?" Alex's voice, low and dangerous, sent a shiver
down Simon's spine. He was thankful Alex was his brother because he would hate
to meet that pissed-off werewolf face to face. "I'll call the folks and meet you there.
Then you and I are going to go hunting."

"Thank you, brother," Simon said, emotion clogging his throat. Zack may be

Hayley's biological father, but Simon loved her just as much. He thought of that
little girl as his daughter and someone had come to his town and taken her from
them. They would get her back, purely for the fact that Simon wouldn't accept

anything less.

The tires screeched as he slammed his foot on the brake as he came to a stop

out the front of the day care. He turned the car off and raced inside. "Zack," he
called out, not caring about any of the other parents there were there collecting
their children.

"Mr. Holland?" A young woman wearing the day care's logo on her shirt came

up to him.

"Yes, where's my partner, Zack Bennet?" Simon asked as he looked around

but couldn't see Zack.

"He's right this way. He's in the office with the manager of the centre trying to

sort out this misunderstanding."

Simon stopped dead in his tracks.
"You think this is a misunderstanding? You people let a child go into the care of

a person not listed as being approved to collect her. And you call this a
misunderstanding? I have already called the police and reported the kidnapping of
my daughter. They will be here shortly." Simon was furious.

"Was that really necessary?" she asked him, a frown on her face.
"Too fucking right it was necessary. These people have done everything in their

power to take Hayley away from her father, going so far as to petition the court for
her removal. They were denied and ordered to keep their distance by the judge.
Do you call this following the courts orders, because I certainly don't. Now take
me to my partner, and show the police in once they get here." Simon turned and
strode in the direction he had been heading in previously.

The young woman jogged to keep up with him and then knocked on a closed

door before opening it.

Simon stepped into the office and found himself with an armful of sobbing

mate. "Shh, Zack, Marcus and Alex are on their way, probably with the rest of the
family as well. We will get Hayley back, I promise you," Simon reassured his mate,
"You can be damned sure that they will never get another opportunity like this
again." Simon rubbed Zack's back, trying to calm his mate down.

"Simon, I need my little girl." Zack looked up at him, his red-rimmed eyes

pleading with Simon to make this better.

"I know. I'll get her back to you just as soon as I can," he promised. Simon

turned to the older woman standing behind the desk. She didn't look too happy,
her mouth was pinched and her arms were crossed. "As I informed your colleague,
the police have been notified and will be here shortly."

She didn't look any happier to have heard that than the other woman, but at

least she didn't argue with him. Simon sat in one of the chairs and pulled Zack

down on his lap. It wasn't thirty seconds later that a commotion outside let Simon
know the cavalry had arrived.

Marcus strode in to the office, trailed by one of the other detectives, Paul

Mearns. Simon recognised him as one of the officers that had shown up when
Jason had been attacked.

Alex followed them into the office along with their mum and dad.
Simon could see the steel set to his dad's jaw, and he didn't think he'd ever

seen his mother look so pissed off in his life.

Alex clapped his hand down on Simon's shoulder and squeezed, offering his

silent support. They stood and waited as Marcus and Detective Mearns showed
their badges and started asking questions.

The manager's answers were short and clipped. Simon got the impression she

thought this entire encounter to be a waste of time. He could feel his hackles rise
and a growl start to work its way up his throat until Alex squeezed his shoulder and
shook his head minutely at him.

Marcus came over and got Zack's statement. His mate could barely talk, and

he clung to Simon like he was the only thing in the world that was keeping Zack
tethered to the ground.

Simon watched as Paul stepped away and called it in.
Marcus squatted down in front of them. "They have a couple of hours' head

start. Do you think you'll be able to track them?" Marcus whispered so the others
in the room wouldn't be able to hear what he was saying.

Alex nodded. Simon had faith in his brother's ability. There was a reason he

was Alpha after all.

"Right. It's probably best you head on home, Zack, we'll keep you informed as

to the process of the investigation," Marcus said for benefit of the others in the
room.

Simon stood with Zack still held in his arms and carried him out, his family

walking along behind him.

"We'll follow you back to the house," His dad said and Simon placed Zack in

the passenger seat of his car. Simon kissed his mate's forehead. "I promise," he
murmured softly, then removed the keys Zack still had clutched tightly in his fist.
The skin was bruised from the force Zack had used to hold onto the keys.

He threw them in his father's direction as he jogged around the front of his car.
"Can you or Mum drive Zack's car back to the house?"
"We'll get it done," his father reassured him.
Simon climbed in the driver's side and buckled himself in. Zack sat slightly

curled up on himself, staring out the window as Simon drove them home.

"You find her, Simon," Zack said, his voice breaking as he turned to look at

Simon. "You find our little girl and you bring her home. Promise me."

"You have my word. As soon as everyone's home, Alex and I will shift and

track her down. We'll bring her home. I promise." Simon reached out and Zack
grabbed his hand and squeezed hard.

"I can't lose her too."
"You won't. I won't let that happen."
Zack nodded then lapsed into silence.
They pulled up at home five minutes later. Brian, Rick, and Jason met them at

the door, Brian still looking a little like death warmed over. His illness continued to
baffle everyone, but that was something to think about another day. Unfortunately,
they had more pressing concerns.

Jason pulled Zack into a bone-crushing hug and then ushered him into the living

room and got him settled on one of the couches.

Alex and their parents wandered in after them.
"You ready?" Alex asked him.
"Fuck yeah, I want my girl home," Simon responded. He walked over to

where Zack was sitting and squatted in front of him. "I love you. Remember that.
I promise when I come home I will have our little girl with me." Simon kissed
Zack passionately before he stood.

"I love you too," Zack's voice whispered through his mind.
Simon strode from the house with Alex and they got in the car. "Do we have

any idea what direction they left town in?"

"According to Marcus, one of the childcare workers saw the car turning left

onto the main road," Alex told him.

"We're heading in the right direction, then."
Alex nodded. They drove in silence to the pack grounds where they parked

the car and got out. There wasn't another person for miles around them so they
undressed and locked the car up before they both shifted. Alex's shift was
complete before Simon's, but not by much. Simon shook his head and howled out
his agony at having Hayley taken from them to the sky.

Alex waited patiently for him, then took off through the trees in the direction of

the main road.

* * * *

Zack felt numb. He should have known that just when his life was perfect that

something like this was going to happen. He'd thought Hayley would be safe at the

day care centre. They were supposed to have rules and regulations in place so
something like this didn't happen. That was the whole reason behind completing the
paperwork and listing the people that were allowed to collect Hayley.

Only three people were marked down on those pages. Simon, Maryanne, and

Zack. No one else should have been able to take his daughter out of that day care
centre. The simple fact that Hayley had confirmed Valerie was her 'mummy's
mummy' had made up the worker's mind. She thought she was doing something
nice. Instead, Zack was now living his worst nightmare.

The mood in the house was sombre, everyone talking in hushed whispers. He

had no idea how long it had been since Simon and Alex had walked out of the
house. Darkness had fallen outside, but the only reason he knew this was the room
had gotten dark and someone had turned on a lamp.

"Would you like something to eat, dear?" Maryanne asked as she came to a

stop in front of him. Zack slowly raised his eyes up to the kind face of his mother-
in-law and shook his head.

"No, thank you, I don't think I could eat anything right now."
"You need to eat, keep up your strength," Maryanne tried to cajole him.
"Maybe in the morning. I think I'm just going to go lie down in bed," Zack said

as he slowly climbed to his feet.

His body felt heavy, like he didn't have full control over it. He was sure his face

was puffy and tear streaked, but Zack just didn't have it in himself to care right
then.

He kissed Maryanne on the cheek lightly. He did appreciate what she was

trying to do for him. Zack just wanted to be alone for the time being. He shuffled
through the house and entered his room, closing the door behind him. Zack
crawled up onto the bed and pulled Simon's pillow to him as he collapsed. He
hugged it tight, allowing Simon's scent to surround him entirely and help calm him
down a little.

He knew Simon would keep his word. Zack just had to be patient and trust in

his mate. Zack breathed deeply and allowed the connection with his mate to open
between them.

He could practically feel the crunch of dried leaves under Simon's paws as he

raced through the forest tracking their daughter. As much as Zack would have
loved to have been, there he realised he was in no shape for what Simon and Alex
were undertaking and if he couldn't trust in his mate and his Alpha to return his
daughter to him, then there was no one he could.

Zack sent his mate a wave of love and trust then eased back from the

connection. He didn't want to distract Simon from the job at hand. He curled

closer to the pillow and closed his eyes, doubting sleep would come anytime soon.

* * * *

Simon pushed his body to the limits. He and Alex had run well into the early

morning hours, following the faint traces of Hayley's that still lingered in the air.
Simon figured they must have been driving with the windows cracked open for
there to be such a trail for them to follow. Of course, Valerie and Howard Stewart
had no idea werewolves were after their ass.

They slowed down when they reached the outskirts of Haven, taking more

care not to be seen as they travelled through the town. They stopped several times,
making sure they hadn't lost the scent before they continued. It took them another
hour to finally track down the end of the line. Simon sat on his haunches in the
shadows across the street from the hotel that held his daughter.

Now that they found her, Simon really didn't know how there were going to

get her. If they shifted then they would be naked, and they couldn't exactly explain
that to the police. They also couldn't just walk into the hotel and ask for the
reservation information. Alex made a sound from behind him and Simon moved
farther back into the darkness.

Alex shifted, and Simon followed suit.
"What's the plan?" Simon asked, sure his brother would know what to do.

Simon just wanted to storm the castle and get his girl back, but he knew he would
end up in all sorts of trouble if he tried to do that.

"If my memory serves me right, there's a pack in town. Let me get in contact

with the Alpha here and explain the situation. Hopefully he can lend us some
clothes and we can call the cops. That way we'll be decently attired when you get
your daughter back." Simon nodded.

"Sounds like a solid plan," he agreed.
"I want you to stay here though," Alex continued, "and keep watch. I'm not

sure how long it will take me to track down the Alpha. I don't expect them to move
out before first light, but better to be safe than sorry. If they go, contact Zack and
have him relay the message to Jason and that way he can pass it on to me. It's a
bugger we can't carry mobile phones when we shift," Alex said, trying to lighten the
mood.

Simon gave him a half chuckle for his try, but until his girl was back in his arms,

he didn't think he'd be finding anything very funny.

"I'll be as quick as I can," Alex assured him. Simon nodded. He trusted his

brother.

They both shifted again, their senses more acute in this form. Simon stood

watch at the edge of the shadows, and Alex disappeared into the night. He'd found
her. First obstacle was down. Now Simon just needed to have her in his arms so
he could return to his mate and they could live out their happily ever after.

* * * *

Alex lifted his head and breathed in. The numerous scents of the town filled his

senses—people, cars, pollution, garbage, food—he had to concentrate to single
out the one he was looking for. He had smelt wolves as soon as they had gotten
close to the town, now he just needed to find the Alpha and hope the man didn't
take him turning up on his doorstep uninvited in the middle of the night as an act of
aggression.

He didn't kid himself. Alex knew there were some real pieces of work out

there that called themselves Alphas. Alex just hoped this wasn't one of them. He
couldn't remember ever dealing with the Alpha here previously, so he had no idea
what he was walking into. But his niece was in trouble and Alex would do
whatever it took to get her back.

Alex sat up straighter when he had a thought. "Sweetheart?" he reached out

to his mate.

"Have you found her?" Jason asked hopefully.
"We've found where the trail ends for the moment, but I need to get in

contact with the Alpha in town. Can you please contact the Panneath Alpha
in Atherton, his details are in my office, explain the situation, and ask for the
address details for the Alpha in Haven. A name would also be helpful," Alex
asked.

"I'm on it. Give me a minute."
Alex waited, but instead of sitting still, he started to follow the distinctive scent

of another Alpha. He wouldn't know for sure if he was heading in the right direction
or not until Jason got back to him, but he needed to be doing something.

Five minutes later Jason finally sounded in his mind again. "Alex?"
"I'm here, sweetheart."
"His name is Maxwell Cutting, and he lives on Strathborn St."
"Thank you, sweetheart, I don't suppose you can pull up a map of the

town on the computer and let me know how to get there?" Having the name of
the street wasn't going to do Alex much good if he still had no idea which direction
to head in.

"One step ahead of you. Where are you now?"

Alex looked up to see if he could find a street sign.

"Corner of Henry and

Mitchell streets."

There was a pause for a moment, while Alex assumed Jason entered the details

into the computer. "Okay, take your first left down Jackson and follow that all
the way to the end. Turn right on Irene and follow that for half a dozen
blocks to the end, and then you're at Strathborn. It looks like he lives on the
edge of town."

"Thank you, sweetheart. try not to say anything to Zack until we have

Hayley back. I don't want to get his hopes up as something could still happen
to prevent us from getting Hayley."

"I understand. Stay safe. I love you," Jason said and then pulled back from

the connection.

Alex set off with renewed fervour in the direction his mate had told him. It took

him maybe a half an hour to make it to the street Alpha Maxwell Cutting lived on.
Once he'd found the street, it was easy enough for Alex to follow the now-strong
scent to the house the Alpha occupied.

The houses on this street were spaced a fair distance apart, and the ones lining

the right had side of the street all backed up to the forest. Alex could see why the
Alpha had chosen a house out this way. It was exactly where Alex himself would
have chosen to build.

When he came to the side gate, Alex shifted and made his way through, closing

it as quietly as he'd opened it. Alex stepped up on to the back porch and rapped
loudly on the back door. He had no idea if the man had a family or was single, or
even if the Penneath Alpha had been in contact with him to notify him of Alex's
imminent arrival.

Alex was shocked when a young man dressed in boxer shorts pulled the door

open. The guy's eyes widened and then darkened as he took in Alex's naked state.

"Who the fuck are you?" the guy practically screeched.
"Well you're not Maxwell," Alex replied. There was no way in hell an Alpha

would be caught dead making a sound like that. "Is he in?" Alex asked as politely
as he could.

"Who the hell are you? You think you can show up here in the middle of the

night and replace me in his bed, you have another thing coming!" The guy stomped
his foot. Actually stomped his bloody foot as he ranted and raved, his hands flying
left, right, and centre. In any other circumstances Alex would have found it funny,
now he was just downright annoyed.

Alex took a step forward to push his way inside when a voice sounded behind

the man who was still going on like a lunatic. "Nicky, it's time for you to go home."

The deep timbre cut through the raving man's monologue and he spun around and
faced the man Alex assumed was Maxwell Cutting.

The man was almost as tall as Alex and just as broad across his shoulders. His

chest was covered in a mat of brown curls. Sleep pants hung low on his hips, not
leaving a lot to the imagination. His hair was buzzed close to his skull and his eyes
were dark and narrowed on the man who was now sputtering in his direction.

"I'm not going anywhere, especially not until you explain to me why you have

naked men turning up on your back door in the middle of the night." Nicky's voice
was getting to the grating decibel again and Alex wanted badly to knock the man
out just to make it stop, but that would be poor manners, and he was already
standing on thin ice.

Maxwell crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't have to explain anything to

you. This was a one-time deal, as I told you before I brought you home in the first
place. Not once did I promise you anything more. Now please gather your clothes
and leave. I have business to attend to."

"Business, business…"
"Enough," Maxwell boomed out, cutting off Nicky's screech before he could

really get going. "Now, Nicky." Maxwell and Alex stood in silence and watched as
the screeching harpy got dressed and left, slamming the door behind him as he
went.

After a moment of silence Maxwell turned back to face Alex and raised one

eyebrow. "Now, would you please be so kind as to tell me why the hell I have an
Alpha in my house in the middle of the night, unannounced and naked?"

"I would be happy to take the time and explain everything to you. But please, I

need two sets of clothes and a phone so I can call the police. My niece was
kidnapped, and I've managed to track her to a hotel in town. The culprits are
human and the police are already looking for them." Alex would be happy to go
into greater detail later, but for now he needed to get back to Simon and the hotel.

Maxwell eased his stance considerably. "The other set of clothes for someone

the same size as you?" he asked as he headed down the passage to what Alex
assumed were bedrooms.

"Roughly yes, thank you."
Alex waited for a couple of minutes, and then Maxwell walked back out fully

dressed and threw him some clothes. "For god's sake, cover up. Not that I don't
appreciate the view, but it would never work between us."

"Damn straight it wouldn't. Jason would have my balls on a platter if I even

thought about trying, which I wouldn't," said Alex as he shoved his leg into pair of
jeans.

"Jason?"
"My mate."
"You're an Alpha and you have a male mate?" Maxwell looked genuinely

curious.

"Yes, is there a problem with that?" he asked, wary now.
"Not at all. In fact it gives me hope for the future."
"You mean you and the harpy weren't a love match?" Alex asked, grinning.
Maxwell snorted. "Not hardly."
Alex buttoned up the jeans and pulled on the shirt before he strode forward,

hand out, introducing himself. "Alex Holland, Alpha of the Leyburn pack."

"Max Cutting, Alpha of the Haven pack, but somehow I think you already

knew that." Max shook his hand, then let go. There was no posturing over who
was the toughest werewolf in the room, instead he picked up his keys and looked
at Alex. "Right, where are we headed?"

Alex liked this man.

Chapter Fifteen

There was a whirlwind of activity as soon as Alex arrived back at the hotel and

confirmed with Simon that Hayley hadn't left the building yet. Simon quickly
dressed in the clothes he was given. Shortly after, police started to arrive on the
scene.

A couple of them broke away from the main pack and walked in their

direction. Simon could smell wolf on them immediately and assumed they were
members of Max's pack.

They were introduced as Micah North and Gabriel Banks. Simon related the

story of everything his mate had gone through at the hands of the Stewarts and just
how they came to get their hands on Hayley. Simon also gave them Marcus's
number so they could contact him for anything they might need to in regards to the
case.

How Simon and Alex came to be in town was left out of their notes though.

Instead they jotted down that a friend of the family had noticed the car earlier and
called them about it. They'd come running to confirm it was actually Hayley and
gone from there.

Simon hated having to involve the human authorities. It was a hell of a lot

simpler if things could be kept within the pack, but seeing as how the Stewarts
were human and there was no way in hell Simon was going to enlighten them to the
fact werewolves existed, he had to work within the allotted areas, and that meant
fudging a few details here or there.

Max waited patiently with Simon and Alex, and the two policemen wandered

back over to the others. Several had gone inside earlier, but Simon had no idea
what was going on now. He could hear the quiet conversation taking place
between Alex and Max but didn't pay any attention to it.

His nerves felt frayed. His limbs twitchy from expending so much energy on

their trek here, Simon wanted to collapse on a bed and sleep for a week, but he
wouldn't allow himself that luxury without Hayley.

It took another twenty minutes before anything happened. Simon stood up

straight from where he'd been leaning against Max's SUV and watched in
satisfaction as Valerie and Howard Stewart were led from the hotel in cuffs, police
flanking the pair of them. They were put in the back of separate police cars,
Valerie spewing filth the entire time. When the door closed in her face and

drowned out the noise, Simon wanted to clap.

Instead he looked around for his little girl. He had started to walk forward,

wondering where she was, when he finally spotted her. Hayley was held in the
arms of a policewoman as she was carried from the hotel, Woofie clutched tight to
her little chest.

"Hayley," Simon called as he raced towards her.
Hayley looked up, her head no longer resting on the policewoman's shoulder,

and spotted him. "Dadda Simon," Hayley cried out happily.

Simon's heart stopped for a second. She'd never called him that before. Hayley

held out her arms, and Simon plucked her right up and pulled her in tight against
him. He breathed in the scent of his little girl and opened his link to his mate.

"I

have her, we're coming home."

Simon heard his mate sob in relief.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you,"

Zack whispered to him.

"We'll be home as soon as we can," Simon assured his mate.
He turned to the policewoman and thanked her profusely. She smiled at him.

"I'm just doing my job, sir."

"Unca Awex," Hayley said as Alex stepped up to them. The big strong Alpha

melted under his niece's gaze and bent to kiss her on the cheek.

"Boy, am I glad to see you, squirt."
Hayley smiled and then her expression fell. "I want Daddy," she said softly.
"I know, princess, we'll head home shortly and you can see Daddy, I promise."
"'Kay," she murmured as she cuddled in close to Simon.
Hayley eventually fell asleep against him, but Simon didn't mind in the slightest.

They answered more questions the police had and then gave their contact details in
case of any additional follow-up questions.

Alpha Cutting offered to drive them back to Leyburn himself, and considering

that was going to be a five or so hour drive, Simon was extremely thankful.

Simon sat in the backseat with Hayley buckled in as best she could be, since

he refused to take his arms from around her, and held her close. Simon finally
allowed himself to rest as they headed for home.

"Simon, you might want to wake up. I have a feeling you're going to have one

hell of an anxious mate on your hands." Simon blinked his eyes open as Alex's
words penetrated the fog surrounding his brain.

It was only then that he recognised the street they were driving down. They

were home. By the cars parked out front, they had a full house.

The car pulled to a stop at the curb, and Simon got out. He'd had just enough

time to unbuckle Hayley and lift her out as well when the front door opened and

Zack came barrelling out.

"Hayley," he cried out.
"Daddy!" Hayley screamed, and Simon found himself with a daughter and a

mate in his arms. Zack was kissing Hayley over and over again and Hayley was
giggling because it tickled and Simon was flooded with happiness that he had his
family back together again.

"Thank you," Zack said to him as he glanced up at Simon. Simon caught his

breath at the look in Zack's eyes. Christ, Zack was looking at him like he'd hung
the moon just for him.

"Love you, Zack," Simon whispered softly as he bent to press a soft kiss to

Zack's lips.

"Love you too," Zack replied.
Simon held his family close, refusing to let go of them for the time being. He'd

never felt more protective of anyone than of these two people in his arms. They
were his very life, his reason for living, and he wasn't going to give them up without
a fight. God help the next person that tried to take them away from him, he would
tear them to shreds.

He watched in amusement as his mother sunk her claws into Alpha Cutting.

Maryanne fussed and scolded and wouldn't take no for an answer as she ushered
the Alpha inside the house. Max was so screwed. He'd delivered Maryanne's
grandcub back to her, and there was no way in hell she was going to let him get
back in his car and drive away.

* * * *

The car park was full as Simon pulled up at the pack meeting grounds. Zack

looked left and right constantly scanning the area, on the lookout for anyone that
might hurt Hayley. Simon sighed. He knew Zack just needed time, but it hurt that
his mate didn't fully trust the members of their pack. Yes, this would be Zack's first
pack meeting, but if you couldn't trust your pack to have your back then you were
screwed.

Simon turned off the engine and they got out. Zack carried Hayley instead of

allowing her to walk. They made their way through the forest to the clearing and
headed in the direction of their family.

Brian stood, looking pale and leaning heavily on Marcus. Marcus had his arm

wrapped tight around his mate, no doubt helping to hold Brian up. Alex stood with
Jason and Jake off to one side quietly talking while Rick stood with their parents.
Simon watched as Rick's attention constantly strayed to Alex's little group.

Simon kissed his mother hello on the cheek and nodded at his dad. Maryanne,

however, went straight for her grandcub, taking her right out of Zack's arms. Simon
could see the protest forming on his mate's lips and headed it off before he could
voice it.

"She's safe with my mother, Zack, you know this."
Zack sighed. "You're right, I'm sorry." Simon bent down and kissed his mate

lightly on the lips, Zack's rigid posture didn't diminish though. His mate kept his
eyes on their daughter at all times.

When it looked like the last of the pack members had arrived, Alex took

charge.

"Welcome, everyone," he said kindly as he stood tall, holding his mate's hand.
"Tonight I have the pleasure of announcing to the pack that my brother Simon

has found his mate. Zachary Bennet and his daughter Hayley will be joining the
pack shortly." The pack cheered happily for Simon and the grin he sported felt like
it was going to split his face.

"Eva Daniels," Alex continued, "has also found her mate on a recent holiday

she took to the Barossa Valley. Unfortunately she has since left our pack to join
that of her mate's. She will be missed." The pack nodded their agreement with their
Alpha.

"Along with Zack, we have two new members that have petitioned for and

been granted entry into our pack."

Simon watched on with pride and Zack and Hayley were both sworn into the

pack, Zack taking the oath on behalf of his daughter. He had to swallow past the
lump in his throat as Alex welcomed Zack to the pack. Simon strode forwards and
picked Zack up in his arms, swinging him around before he kissed his mate
soundly.

Laughter and chuckles sounded from all around him along with clapping. Simon

led Zack back over to the rest of the family where they watched the other two new
members take that oath.

When everything else was finished, Alex turned and nodded at Marcus, who

stepped forward with Brian. Alex turned back to face the pack. "Lastly tonight, I
ask for your help. Brian Townsend, my brother Marcus's mate, is ill. It was
previously believed that as werewolves we couldn't get sick. Our pack doctor,
Stephanie Owens, has examined Brian and is unable to come up with an
explanation as to what is causing his illness.

"If anyone here may know of a reason behind this, please let me know. If

doesn't need to be tonight and it can be in private if that is what you prefer. It's just
answers that we seek. Thank you," Alex said calmly to the assembled pack.

Marcus stepped back with Brian, holding him tight the entire way.
"Now, does anyone have anything they would like to discuss with the pack?

The floor is yours if you need." Simon looked over the crowd and noted they all
shook their heads. Usually there were one or two that had something to discuss but
not tonight by the looks of things.

"Fantastic. Then let us shift and run. May your hunt be fruitful," Alex announced

and everyone turned their attention back to their own small groups. Children too
young to shift were being taken home. Marcus lifted Brian up into his arms and
carried him away through the forest in the direction of the car park.

"I'll take Hayley back to your place and get her ready for bed. You boys enjoy

your run."

"Thanks, Mum, you're the best." Simon said. He kissed Hayley goodnight and

then watched as Zack reluctantly did the same. Simon then pulled Zack away
before his mate could protest Hayley being out of his sight.

"She'll be fine, Zack, I promise."
"But…"
"Zack, do I need to tell my mother that you don't trust her with our daughter?"

Simon knew he was playing dirty but he tried to soften it with a cheeky grin.

Zack's eyes widened as he shook his head vigorously. "Uhh…no."
"Yeah, that's what I thought," Simon muttered as he leant down and kissed

Zack's neck.

Zack immediately tilted his head back, giving Simon the room he needed to

drive his mate wild. Zack was panting in a matter of moments, and Simon knew he
had to stop, as taking his mate in the middle of the clearing during a pack gathering
was not in the cards for the night.

Simon placed one last kiss over the bite mark he had left on his mate weeks

ago and grinned in satisfaction as Zack shuddered in his arms.

He stepped back and pulled his shirt off.
"Come on, sexy, I want to run with you under the moonlight," Simon said as he

started to work on his pants. Zack didn't take too long to catch up. By the time
Simon had kicked off his shoes and shucked his jeans, Zack stood before him,
stunning in all his naked glory.

"Beautiful," Simon said in reverence.
"Eh." Zack shrugged nonchalantly. "You could use some work."
It took a moment for Simon to register what he mate had just said. "Why you

little—" Zack cackled and shifted before Simon could grab him.

He shifted as well and took off after his mate as Zack led him on a merry chase

through the forest. Simon had no doubts whatsoever he would catch his prey and

make him pay for that comment, and he would have fun doing it too.

Epilogue

Simon rolled over as the sun streamed through their bedroom window. He

checked and noticed the bed was empty except for his mate and smiled happily.
Simon loved Zack and Hayley, but since Hayley had been kidnapped, his mate had
been a little clingy, which meant Hayley had been sleeping with them every night.
Subsequently, Simon was suffering the worst case of blue balls.

This morning though the coast was clear and he had just the right way to wake

his mate. He reached into the bedside table drawer and searched until he came up
with what he wanted.

Pulling the lube out, he quietly opened the bottle before rolling back to his side

and snuggling up against Zack's back. Simon gently moved his hand under the
sheets and manoeuvred his mate's top leg forward, opening Zack's hole to his
questing fingers. Pouring slick on his hand, Simon quickly applied the liquid to his
straining erection before rubbing his fingers over Zack's hole.

Simon pushed two fingers deep into Zack's warm welcoming body, finding him

still stretched from their previous night's lovemaking. Simon quickly added a third
finger, and after he was satisfied he wouldn't hurt Zack, he removed his fingers and
lined his cock up.

Slowly pushing forward, his cockhead breached the ring of muscles and he

stilled, allowing Zack's body to get used to him. Zack moaned and pushed back
against him until Simon was seated fully, his balls resting against Zack's ass cheeks.
"Hmmm. Morning, baby, feels good."

"Missed this," Zack said sleepily.
"Me too, babe," Simon whispered huskily. They had been living together for a

week prior to Hayley being taken and in that time Simon had woken Zack with a
blow job and by rimming him. He had even, one morning, tied Zack's hands to the
bed with his silk ties and run a feather over his entire body, driving him crazy, until
finally making slow love to him. Since that horrible day though, nothing.

Simon hoped this morning was a sign that Zack was going to start relaxing his

hold on his daughter again. He didn't want to be selfish, but he missed being with
his mate. They needed alone time as well.

He looked forward to thinking up new and exciting ways to entice his mate to

make sure they were alone in bed when they awoke. For now he was going to
enjoy alone time with Zack and finish what he started. Simon slowly pulled out until

just the head of his dick was held in place before slamming forward again.

Zack grunted and moaned and pushed back again for more. Simon set up a

steady pace and reached around Zack to wrap his hand around to his mate's hard
leaking cock. It only took three strokes before Zack was turning his head and
biting the pillow to stop from screaming and ropes of cum shot from his dick.

The feeling of Zack's muscles contracting and clamping down on his cock was

enough for Simon; he leant forward and sank his canines into Zack's neck, then
followed his mate into orgasmic bliss. Simon continued to stroke Zack as the knot
extended and clamped onto his prostate. Zack screamed into the pillow once again
as his body erupted for the second time before going limp beneath Simon.

Pulling away, Simon licked the mark he had made and pulled Zack close as

they waited for the knot to recede. The last couple weeks had been a roller coaster
for them. Zack had refused to let Hayley out of his sight for the first day she was
returned. Zack was lucky and his work was understanding about the kidnapping
and gave him some time off, even though he'd just started.

The morning he'd had to go back to work though, Zack worked himself up into

such a worry over what could happen to Hayley Simon was scared his mate was
going to pass out. It had taken a lot of talking for Simon to calm Zack down again.

There was no way in hell either of them trusted that day care centre with their

daughter, so Simon's mum got her wish and became the official babysitter while
they were at work. This helped settled some of Zack's nerves knowing there were
werewolves willing to fight for his daughter if needed.

Not that it was needed anymore. Valerie and Howard Stewart had been

arrested and charged with kidnapping a minor. They had been released on strict
bail conditions, including wearing ankle monitors, and were awaiting trial.

Simon honestly thought they had seen the last of the Stewarts. That didn't stop

Zack from becoming the world's worst overprotective parent. Simon couldn't
blame him but Zack couldn't continue on the way he had been, otherwise Hayley
would soon grow to resent him, and Simon wouldn't allow that to happen.

Feeling the knot give way, Simon kissed Zack's cheek before popping him on

the ass.

"Come on, lazy bones, shower time. You can't spend all day in bed."
Zack grunted before he rolled over and reluctantly followed Simon into the

bathroom. "Have I been a bad father recently?" Zack asked him quietly.

Simon pulled his mate in to his arms and kissed him soundly. "No, you've just

been a little more protective than most, and after what we've been through, I think
that's very understandable." Simon took deep breath and continued. "You do need
to loosen your hold a little though before things get out of hand."

Zack looked at him and Simon bent and kissed his mate again. "I'll try," Zack

muttered.

"That's all anyone can ask." After a quick shower and shave, they got dressed

and joined the rest of the family for breakfast.

Hayley was already up and at the table having her morning vegemite on toast.

Looking around, he noticed Marcus and Brian were missing. They hadn't found out
what was wrong with Brian, and he was still having trouble keeping some foods
down. Marcus was trying to top him up with Gatorade in order to get some
electrolytes into him, but even they seemed to come up eventually. They were all
hoping something might come of last night's pack meeting.

By mid-morning everyone but Marcus and Brian were gathered in the lounge

room. Hayley was lying on the floor colouring in one of the books Simon's mum
had gotten for her when the doorbell rang.

Rick went to answer and a few minutes later, he walked back into the room

followed by a couple Simon recognised as pack members. Tegan was carrying a
small baby, who couldn't be more than a couple of months old if that. They
stopped and bowed their heads in submission.

"Alpha, sorry to interrupt your Sunday at home."
Alex got up from where he was sitting before walking over to them and

acknowledging their respect to his position.

"That's okay, Mitchell, Tegan. You're not interrupting anything more exciting

than the television. How can we help you?"

Tegan looked at Mitchell, then nodded. "Umm. We might know what's wrong

with Brian." Mitchell stated quietly. Everyone in the room seemed to sit up straight
at that.

"I think I'll go see if Marcus and Brian can join us." Rick, who was still standing

with Mitchell and Tegan, headed out of the room.

"Why don't you take a seat?" Alex offered them the couch where he and Jason

had been sitting. Alex sat back down in one of the recliners, and Jason took up
position on his lap. Once everyone seemed to be settled, a quiet descended on the
room as they waited for the others to join them.

Less than five minutes later, Rick walked in and took a seat on the couch with

Zack and Simon. He was followed by Marcus who was carrying a very pale-
looking Brian in his arms. They settled in the other recliner and all eyes once again
turned to the visitors.

"Boy or girl?" Zack broke the silence from beside Simon.
Mitchell had a sad smile on his face as he looked down at the little baby held in

his mate's arms. "Boy, Lucas James, named after his fathers."

"Fathers, as in plural?" Alex asked in confusion.
"Yes, my brother, Lucas, and his mate, James. They were killed four weeks

ago when their Alpha found out James had given birth to this little one here."

Simon did a double take at that. Looking around the room, everyone else

seemed to be in the same state of shock that he was. Both Alex and Jason had
their mouths hanging open.

"Umm. Excuse me?" Brian squeaked, his voice not hiding his astonishment and

fear at what he had just heard. "Did you just say James gave birth?"

Mitchell nodded. "As there aren't many gay werewolves, I guess it's not a

widely known fact. We certainly didn't know anything about this until I got the call
from Lucas to let us know what was going on. Unfortunately, that's all I know. But
I reckon if you went to the shops and got a pregnancy test, it would come back
positive."

Brian seemed to take all of this in before he looked down at his belly. He

gently laid a hand on his stomach and started to cry. Marcus placed his hand over
Brian's and kissed him on the forehead, pulling him close. Simon could see silent
tears make their way down Marcus's cheeks too.

"Thank you for coming and telling us. I don't have to tell you to please keep

this news to yourselves for the time being," Alex spoke quietly into the room.

"Not at all, Alpha, we'll leave you and your family to get used to the news.

Sorry we couldn't have been more help." Mitchell and Tegan stood, ready to leave.

"You've been more than helpful. Thank you once again, and we're sorry for

your loss," Alex said as he shook their hands solemnly, sympathy evident in his
expression.

They nodded and Rick showed them out the door before coming back.
"Well, that was unexpected," Jason said, the broadest grin breaking out on his

face.

Simon couldn't help but laugh at Jason's comment. It was the understatement of

the century if you asked him.

"You know, we're all here for you if you need us, Brian, Marcus," said Alex.
"Thanks. If you don't mind, I think I'll take Brian back to bed so he can rest."
Alex nodded his acceptance, and Marcus stood, still holding his mate in his

arms, and walked out the door.

Simon was having a little trouble trying to wrap his head completely around

what they had all just learnt. "How the hell did this happen? And why doesn't every
werewolf, gay or straight, know about this?" Simon found himself saying to the
suddenly quiet room.

No one knew the answer to his questions.

"Oh shit!" Simon spun around at Jason's exclamation.
"What's the matter?" Alex asked his mate.
"Does this mean we all have to start using condoms? 'Cause I've got to tell you,

that's going to get expensive."

Alex growled at his mate and pulled him into his lap. "Never. There will never

be a barrier between you and me, you hear?" The Alpha's deep voice rumbled
before he pulled his mate into a scorching kiss. Simon, however, saw the brief flash
of uncertainly in his brother's eyes.

Simon hadn't even had time to think about the repercussions of not using

condoms; his brain was a jumbled mess. Could he and Zack have children? Was
Zack, at this very point in time, pregnant? Did they want to add more to their
family? Simon's runaway thoughts were interrupted by his brother.

"After that revelation, I think I have some phone calls to make. Not the least of

which is to Mum and Dad." Alex stood and headed out of the room, quietly
followed by a slightly dazed-looking Jason.

Simon could just imagine what his parents would say. The next few months

were certainly going to be interesting. Wrapping his arm around Zack, he pulled
him close and kissed his forehead. Zack gently patted his stomach, trying to
comfort him.

"Everything will work out, you'll see." Simon had no doubt his mate was

right. Whatever the future held for them, as long as Zack was by his side, he could
handle it.

The End

About Toni Griffin

Toni Griffin lives in Darwin, the smallest of Australia's capital cities. Born and

raised in the state she's a Territorian through and through. Growing up Toni hated
English with a passion (as her editors can probably attest to) and found her strength
lies with numbers.

Now, though, she loves escaping to the worlds she creates and hopes to

continue to do so for many years to come. She's a single mother of one and works
full time. When she's not writing you can just about guarantee that she will be
reading one of the many MM authors she loves.

Feel free to drop her a line at

[e-mail]

anytime.

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/toni.griffin.author

Webpage:

http://tonigriffin.net

Blog:

http://tonigriffin.blogspot.com

Email:

[e-mail]

For a complete list of books, go to:

http://tonigriffin.net/Current_Books.html

SUPERIORZ.ORG

Also by Toni Griffin

Available from Mischief Corner Books

My Christmas Present

"A Bear in the Woods" in the Cabin for Two anthology

"Archie's Accidental Kidnapping" in the Horns and Halos anthology

"Once a Cowboy" in the Hot Off the Range anthology

THE HOLLAND BROTHERS

Unexpected Mate: Holland Brothers 1

Determined Mate: Holland Brothers 2

Protective Mate: Holland Brothers 3

Forbidden Mate: Holland Brothers 4 (coming in 2014)

Available from Extasy Books

TASSIE WOLVES

Hidden Wolf: Tassie Wolves 1

Available from Silver Publishing

A Very Holland Christmas

HOT ENCOUNTERS

Frankie's Vamp

Bryce's Cop

THE THOMPSON AGENCY

Dealing with the Dead

Dealing with the Past

7+( $7+(5721 3$&.

/LDP

Ben

Corey