THECAPTAIN’SBABY

ANMPREGROMANCE

AIDENBATES

AUSTINBATES

GETYOURFREEBOOKSHERE!

GetyourFREEcopyof“CurlingUpTogether”whenyoujoinmyInsider’sClub.Youwill

alsoreceiveupdatesonmynewestreleasesandgettoknowmoreaboutme!Justclick

below.Youwillbetakentoapagetoinputyournameandemail.Thebookwill

immediatelybesenttoyouremailinbox.

Clickhere

Love reading M/M Mpreg Alpha Male Romance Books? Get your FREE Copy of the
50,000-word book “Lost in Paradise” when you join my Insider’s Club. You will also
receiveupdatesonmynewestreleasesandgettoknowmoreaboutme!

ClickHere

illsat,bundledinhishugeparka,onthesmallobservationboat,shiveringashe
watchedboththewaterandthemonitors.HehadbeenstationedintheAleutian

IslandsoffAlaskafortwomonths,sincelateAugust.Lastyear,apodoforcawhaleshad
forgonetheirusualwintermigrationandstayedthereinthecoldwaters.Willhadagrant
tofindoutwhy.

Astheirboatrockedinthenearly-calmsea,hewatchedmoreicefloatby,butnoorcas.

He began to wonder why he couldn’t have chosen to study animals in warmer weather.
Sure,hewasashifter,andhecouldhandlethecoldbetterthansome,butthatdidn’tmean
heenjoyedit.

Therestofhissmallteamoffourdidn’tseemveryhappyaboutit,either.Tracyand

GreywereplayingchesswhileRogerslept,buteveninhissleepRogertossedandturned,
slowlyfreezingastheywaitedinthefrigidocean.

Justthen,awhalecallcamethroughontheirmonitor.Willtriednottojump.

Hescoopedtheheadphonesfromthecomputerandpressedthemtohisears,listening

with intent concentration. It was definitely an orca, rather than any other kind of whale,
butwasitoneoftheirs?

Theyweren’ttheretostudyallorcas,justthisonespecificpod.However,itwascold

enough that any orca still in these waters was recorded as part of their notes. Modern
science still wasn’t clear on where, exactly, most orcas went during the winter months.
There were many hypotheses, but little hard data, and that was why Will and his team
wantedtomakesuretheywereaheadofthetrend.

They weren’t out to prove any particular theory. Will was a research biologist. He

wantedusefulandaccurateinformationregardingthemajesticanimals.

Tracywasalreadyoveratanotherscreen,checkingtheirtrackers.Theyhadthreeout

of the five members of the pod tagged, and their satellite would, with luck, pick up the
locationofthisone.

“It’soneofours,”Willsaid,andTracyconfirmedthatminuteslater.

“It’sVenus,”shesaid,referringtoamotherorcathathadbeentaggedoverayearago.

That piqued Grey’s interest and the older man looked up from the chessboard, then

stoodandlookedoutoverthewater.HerousedRogeronhiswaypastthebed.Thework

theydidinvolvedalotofwaitingandafewintenseburstsofexcitement.Theyallwanted
tobeawakeforthose.

“Isthecalfwithher?”Greyasked,tryingtospottheorcasinthewater.

TracyreadoutthecoordinatesofVenus,makingrecordingsatthesametime,andWill

continuedtolisten,focused.

Therewereafewintensemomentsofquiet,andthenWillgrinnedwide.

“Hey!Cupid!”

Theyoungorcabreachedthewaterinaplayfuldisplayforallofthem,andtheyletout

acheerofexcitement.GreysnappedphotosandRogergrabbedWill,hugginghimtight.

“Wefoundthem,buddy.It’sgonnabeagoodwinter.”

Willgrinnedathisbestfriend.“MerryChristmas,Roger.”

Cupid had been born in early spring and was no longer truly a calf, but he was the

youngestofthepodandthenewestarrivalthatyear.Rogerhadbeentheonetonamehim,
lovesick and heartbroken about being away from his girlfriend all spring. “Even on
Valentine’sday!”hehadexclaimed.

Whentheyhadfoundthebeautifulmotherorcaandhercalf,ithadbeenajoyousday.

Anyorcabirthwas,foraconservationist.Atthesametime,withanywildbirth,therewas
asilenthopethattheyoungwhalewouldmakeit.

That night, the crew celebrated the return of the prodigal son. A calf surviving the

summer meant good things for the pod, and it meant new research opportunities for the
team. They had found their autumn grounds, and they would be able to see what new
huntingtechniquesthecalfhadlearnedoveritssummer.

There were three distinct types of orca whales in the North Pacific Ocean. Transient

orcas, the type Will was studying, were skilled hunters who roamed in pods of two to
seven, and were regularly seen to take down seals, porpoises, and even baleen whales.
Recently, studies had shown these orcas stored their food, dragging large whale calf
carcassesacrossmilesofoceantomunchonthefrozenmeatlater.

Willfoundthebehavior,particularlyintheicyAleutianIslands,fascinating.

The three types of orcas had shown not only behavioral and cultural differences, but

genetic differences, and they didn’t appear to interbreed at all. The working hypothesis
wasthattheywereactuallyontheirwaytoevolvingintoseparatesubspecies.Willwanted
to know if the calf had learned the unique hunt-and-store method from his mother, or if
thishuntingbehaviorwassomehowgenetic.Hewasn’tsurehe’deverknowforsure,but
whateverinformationtheycouldget,hewouldtake.

POP! The champagne bottle burst open and they poured bubbly gold into camping

mugs.Theirmugsslammedtogetherinatoast.

“Toscience,”Tracysaidwithasmile.

“Tonature,”Willadded.

Greysmirked.“Tomothers,”hesaid.

“ToCupid!”Rogercriedrighteously,andtheyalllaughedanddrank.

Asoftbeepingstartedononeoftheirmonitors,andTracywentovertolook.

“Huh,”shesaidsoftly.“Justaweatherwarning.Stormcomingin.Doyouwanttotry

tofindport,Will?”

Willwentovertolookandshookhishead.

“We’dnevermakeitbackintime,anyway.Andwe’llloseourwhales.We’lljusthave

toridethisoneout.”

Theyhadbeenthroughstormsintheirboatbefore;theBeringSeawasnotoriousthis

timeofyearforstormsandfreezingweather.Itdidn’tseemlikeanythingoutoftheusual.
They’dmakeit.

NLY

FEW

MILES

WEST

, Captain Logan Harris ordered his crew to batten down. He

could smell the storm coming, and he knew it would be a nasty one. The captain ran a
kingcrabfishingvessel.Thedangerousseasonalworkbroughtwealthandexcitementfor
thealpha,andleftplentyoftimeduringtherestoftheyearforhimtotravelandenjoyhis
earnings.Butwhenastormlikethatrolledin,Loganwasallbusiness.

Most of the crew did what they were supposed to be doing. But he noticed, as he

observed his crew from the wheelhouse, that their greenhorn stood still, staring at the
incomingstorm;theworstonethey’dseenyet.

Theirdeckbosswasbusy,andtheywereanchored,soheleftthewheelhouseandwent

downthere.Freezingwatersprayedintohisfacethemomenthehitthedeck.

Loganclappedtheboyontheshoulderhardandlookedintohiseyes.

“Whatisit,son?”heaskedOliverseriously,inathickNewZealandaccent.

Theboywasshakinginhisboots,butLoganmadeitcleartoallthegreenhornsthatif

theycouldn’ttaketheseaswithastrongbackandabraveheart,theywouldn’tbeinvited
back.

“Nothing,Captain,sir,”Oliversaid,straighteninghisposture.

Loganwasgladtoseehimpickinghimselfupbyhisbootstraps,butheknewthatthe

fearwasstillinhisheart,andhedidn’twantthattospreadtotherestofhiscrew.

“Aegis!You’reinchargeofOliver.Seehe’sputtoworkuntilthisstormends.”

“Aye,Captain,”Aegis,anexperienceddeckhand,answered.

Hewasstillinthemiddleoftyingdowntheircrabbingpots,butLoganknewthatthe

man’swordwasgood.

“Dowhatyou’retoldandyouwillmakeitthrough,”LoganpromisedOliver.

Theboynodded.

“Aye,Captain,”heagreed,andthenAegiscalledforhim.

Manymenlosttheirlivestokingcrabfishing.Itwasmoreperilousthanmostcould

fullyunderstand,unlessthey’dbeenonaboatintheBeringSeaduringthecoldseason.
Loganhadonlyeverlostonecrewmember,buthefoundthatthethingthatcameclosest
to killing his men—more than the cold, the sea, the heavy steel equipment, or even the
sleepdeprivation—wasfear.

Fearcouldmakeamanfeelcoldbeforethecoldevenreallyhit.Fearcouldstealthe

breath from a strong and healthy crew member and turn them into a shriveled shell.
Logan’sjobwastowarmhismen’sheartswhenhecouldn’twarmtheirbodies.Hehadto
keepthemjustabitreckless.Heneededhismenbraveandreadyforanything.

Itwastheonlywaytosurvive.

STORM

HIT

HARD

, rain first, pelting Will’s small boat with vicious barbs of wet ice.

Then the wind sped up, sweeping huge waves over their boat, blowing ocean debris on
deck.Thunderrolledandthelightningwasbrightinthesky,notfarfromtheirteetering
liferaft,whichwaswhattheboathadbecome.

Willbegantodoubttheycouldmakeitthroughthestormwithoutcapsizing.Therehad

already been a few close calls with huge waves flooding the deck, and the freezing
temperatureswerestartingtomesswiththeirequipment.

Hesawthedoubtintherestofhiscrew’seyes,too,astheyhuddledforwarmth.

Anotherwave,biggerthanthelast,rockedthewholeboat,andWillmadehiswayover

totheradio.Theyneededhelp.

OGAN

MADE

hiswaybackuptothewheelhouse,andsawthattherewasadistresssignal

blinkingonhisdash.Helistenedinontheradio,hisfaceserious.

The fact was, he ran a commercial vessel, not a rescue crew. They were only

minimally equipped and they didn’t have much space aboard for anything but crab. But
theyweretheclosestforhundredsofmiles.Onlyothercrabbingvesselswerearound,and
they certainly weren’t coming to this little boat’s rescue. In this weather, even the Coast
Guardwasn’tlikelytomakeitoutintime.

Iftheydidn’tgo,theycouldbesentencingthesepeopletodeath.

Theywouldn’tmake100knotsinthisweather,buttheycouldgetthere.Hepulledthe

anchorandtoldthecrewtofindsomeplacetoholdon.

ALL

HAPPENED

FAST

.First,awindowblewasoceandebrisflewrightthroughit,and

waterpouredinthroughtheporthole.Then,astheboatbegantofillandsink,anenormous
wave washed over the boat and rolled it into the water. They were upside down, in the
black,freezingBeringSea,trappedinsidethetinyboat.

ThefreezingcoldhitWill’sbodylikeaknife.Hewasashifter,andthecoldwouldn’t

killhimeasily,buthestillhadthesamereactionthatallmammalshadwhentheymeticy
temperatureslikethat-shock.

Fightingtoholdhisbreathwhenhisbodydesperatelywantedtohyperventilate,Will

triedtomovehisachingmusclesthroughthefreezingwatertofindawayoutbeforethey
alldrowned.

Whenhefoundair,herealizedthatintherushofshockandadrenalinehehadshifted

into his wolf form. His thick coat kept him warm and he swam better that way, so he
didn’ttrytoshiftback.Helookedaround,paddlingfrantically,tryingtoseeifanyofthe
restofhiscrewhadsurvived.

ThatwaswhenhesawTracy.Clingingtoalifejacketthatwasn’tactuallyonherbody,

shegaspedandtrembledasthecoldwaterconsumedherfragilehumanbody.

Will swam over, and Tracy was so panicked that she didn’t care that he was a wolf.

Sheclungtohim,climbedontohisback,andhepaddled,tryingjusttokeepherabovethe
water,tokeepthembothafloatasthestormragedon.

The water was still so rough, and it washed over them, freezing Tracy further. She

didn’t speak, she barely moved, she just clung to Will’s fur. Will could only hope that
someonehadreceivedtheirdistresssignal.

He thought about what he knew about the human body. Tracy wasn’t a thin woman,

and that was good; his own supernatural heat and her natural body fat would keep her
warmerthannot.ButtheywereintheBeringSea,inOctober.Theycouldn’tpossiblyhave
morethanfifteenminutes.

Herbreathwashotonhisear,sohefocusedonit.Thebiggestdangerincoldwater

wasdrowning,heknewthatfromtheirtraining,andshewasn’tdrowning.

Roger.Grey.

Healmoststoppedbreathingwhenhethoughtofthem.Theymusthavebeentrapped

intheboat,orswallowedwater,or…

Hecouldn’t.Notnow.Hewantedtocryandscreamlikeheneverhadbefore,buthe

hadahumanonhisback,ahumantokeepalive.

Willtriedtocounthowlongtheywereoutthere,shivering,freezing,paddlinginthe

storm. He lost track, his eyes starting to slip closed, his breathing slowed. He wouldn’t
die,buthisbodyattemptedtoshutdown,tomakekeepingwarmeasieronhim.

Theshipcameintoviewnotamomenttoosoon.

AloudhornandbrightspotlightsmadeWilllifthishead,andhelookedupatthebig

commercialvessel,withwide,terrifiedeyes,asoakeddogwithafrozengirlonhisback.
Hehowledinrelief.

oganwastheonlyonewhorecognizedWillforwhathewas.

“Adog?”theothersasked,murmuringbetweenthemselvesastheypulledthepairup

andoutofthewater.

“Bring me my med kit!” Logan called, running across the icy deck. He pulled the

womangentlyoffofthewolfandwrappedherinawarmblanket.

Astheship’scaptain,Loganactedastheirmedic.Hecheckedthewoman’svitals,and

thenhadhismentakeherbelowdecktowarmherandkeepaneyeonher.

Loganlookeddownintothewolf’seyes,whichweredazed,butalertandfullofsoul

as they met his own. Logan’s heart suddenly throbbed, his whole body ached with
purpose.Hefeltconnectedtothesoakedwolfinawayhehadneverfeltbefore,andhe
knewwithallofhisbeingthatthiswashismate,theomegatohisalpha.

“Fuck,”hewhispered.HowfarintotheBeringSeadidawolfhavetogotoavoidhis

fate?Apparently,hehadn’trunfarenough.

He gathered his omega, who intelligently hadn’t shifted into a human, into his arms,

andcarriedthewolfbelow.Therestofhiscrewwatchedhiminconfusion.

“Captain?”oneofthemasked.“Wearen’ttakingabloodydogonboard,arewe?”

Logansnarled,hisKiwiaccentcomingoutthroughhisanger.

“Thisdogsavedthatwoman’slife,andisalive.Backtowork,allofyou!”

Hetookhismatetohisownquarters,andlaidhimgentlydownonthebed.

“It’sallright,you’resafehere,”heassuredhim,andthen,themanshifted.

Theomegawasaslenderbrunette,withsoakeddarkcurlsonhisheadandbigbrown

eyes.Hisbodywastightandtonedbutnotparticularlymuscular.Still,Loganthoughthe
hadneverseenanyonesobeautifulinhisentirelife.

The poor young man shivered so hard his teeth gnashed together. Logan grabbed

severalthicktowelstowraphimin,thenbegantodryhishair.Hepaused,hishandonthe
man’shead,andlookedintohiseyes,whichshimmeredwithintelligencebeneathallhis
sorrow.

Somethingterriblehadhappenedtohisomega,andLoganwantednothingmorethan

toholdhimcloseandcomforthim.Hewasalreadypracticallywrappedaroundhimashe
triedtodryandwarmhimatthesametime.

“I’mCaptainLoganHarris.You’reaboardthecrabbingvesselSeawolf,wepickedup

your distress signal, luckily we were only a few miles away. Your friend is alive, pretty
cold, but alive. The Coast Guard is still an hour out but they’ll be here soon to get her
propermedicalcare.”

Logan spoke gruffly. It was just how he was. He’d hardened himself against

connectionsafteratragiclossofhisown,oneheneverspokeofandrarelythoughtof.He
was not a warm man by any means, but when he spoke to Will, his heart softened. The
alphainsideofhimyearnedtobeconnectedtohisomega.

“I’mWill,”theyoungmanfinallymanagedtospeak,andheseemedbreathlessaswell

ashestaredupintoLogan’shazeleyes.“DoctorWilliamBlanchard.Youraccent…”

Loganchuckledsoftly.“NewZealand.NotAustralian.”

Thatdrewahalf-heartedsmileoutofWill.

“Gotit,”hemurmured.“NotAustralian.CaptainHarris,Ican’tthankyouenough…”

Hewasstilldisoriented,buttheyoungmanhadclearlybeenraisedwithmanners.

“Youcanthankmelater,”thealphaassuredhim.“AndyoucancallmeLogan.Your

crewmate,whatishername?”

“Tracy. Giddens. She might have ID on her, if the water didn’t—” Will froze mid

sentence.Hecurledaroundhimself.“Werethereanyothersurvivors?”

Loganshookhishead,frowning.

“Howmanywereaboard?Wedidn’tevenseeyourboat.”

“Thereweretwoothers,”Willsaid,tremblingwithsadnessnowratherthancold.

Loganwrappedhimselfaroundtheomega,unabletoresistthecontact.

“Grey,that’sDoctorPeterGreyson,andRoger—RogerT—Tipton.”

Will choked up when he tried to say the man’s name. Without having to ask, Logan

knewRogermusthavemeantalottoWill.Hehadnowordsofcomforttooffertheyoung
man. In the dark, stormy seas, his crew had seen no others, and he knew from personal
experience that the most likely fate for a man overboard in these waters was a gasping
lungfulofdeadlysea.

“CanIseeTracy?”Willfinallyasked,afteralong,sadsilence.

“Of course,” Logan said, and then he realized he couldn’t follow through with that

promise,andwinced.“Wait,I’msorry.No.Youcan’t.Mycrewsawyouasawolf.Ifyou
goouttherelikethis,there’llbequestions,and…”

Willsighed.“Youcan’taffordquestions.”

Loganshookhishead.“You’lljusthavetostayhereuntilIcanfindasafewaytoget

youofftheship.”

Willwasthoughtful.

“WhatifIgooutasawolf?Ijustwanttoseeher,seethatshe’sokay.”

Thecaptainconsidered.Noneofhiscrewknewthathewasashifter,andhewantedto

keep it that way. He hadn’t wanted anyone to ever find out, but here was Will, ready to
ruinallofthat.Logandidn’tlackcompassion,however,andthealphainhimwantedtodo
anythinginhispowertocomforthisomega.

“Fine,”heagreed.“Butyoustayawolftheentiretime,orsohelpme…”

Willgavehimalittlesmirk.

“What?You’llthrowmeoverboard?”

Thealphagrowledinwarning,andWillhelduphishandsinsurrender.

“I’m kidding! I’ll stay a wolf, I swear. I don’t really want anyone finding out about

me,either.”

Logannodded.

“Allright.YoucancomewithmewhenIgotocheckonher,”hedecided.

“Thank you,” Will said, and he pulled away, and was about to shift, when Logan

stoppedhim.

“Wait.Onemorething.”

“Yes?”Willsaid,lookingupintoLogan’seyes,andLoganwashitwithanotherwave

ofdesireandattractiontowardthebeautifulyoungman.

Logantookadeepbreath,searchingthosebigbrowneyes.

“Youknow,don’tyou?”

“Youmean,thatyou’reanalpha?Yeah,Iknow,”Willsaid,breathlessly.“Believeme,

Iknow…”

“No,”Logansaid.“Notjustthat.”

HestaredintoWill’seyes,buthedidn’twanttobethefirsttosayit.

“I know,” Will admitted meaningfully, maintaining the intense eye contact. “I know

whoyouare.Ijustcan’t…Ican’tdealwiththisrightnow,”hesaid.

The omega turned away and shifted into his wolf form, shaking the last droplets of

wateroutofhisdarkcoat.

Loganwatchedhimquietly,warringwithhimself.Shouldheforcetheissue?Willwas

hisomega.Hismate.Whatweretheygoingtodo?

He had a ship at sea in the middle of a vicious storm, a woman in his sickbay, two

deadscientistsinthewater,andtheCoastGuardontheirway.Itturnedout,hecouldn’t
bringhimselftodealwithit,either.Silent,heledthewayoutofhisquarters,alargewolf
athisheels.

HEN

THEY

ENTERED

THE

SICKBAY

,Tracywasalreadyinwarm,dryclothes,wrappedin

blankets with hot water bottles in her armpits and groin. She lay on the small cot,
shiveringviolentlystillbutawake,consciousandrespondingtoquestions,albeitbriefly.

Willwatchedasthecaptainwentovertoher,andforposterity’ssake,heaskedherthe

samequestionshehadaskedWill.Longago,Will’sparentshadtoldhimaboutalphasand
omegas, and that one day he would meet the wolf destined to be his mate. He’d never
expectedittohappenlikeithad.Whenhe’dimaginedmeetinghisalpha,hehadn’texactly
picturedsunshinepouringfromtheskyasachoirsang,butsomethingclose.Logan,and
hissteelship,rockingviolentlyontheBeringSea,wereafarcryfromthesceneasithad
always played out in his head. He’d pictured someone clean cut, respectable, maybe a
doctor or a lawyer, and maybe they’d meet at a coffee shop or a library. Faced with the
realityofhisfate,Willfeltdizzy,andtheomegafellbackontohishindlegstoobservethe
manwithhisteammate.

Tracy looked at the wolf, obviously confused, when she spoke of Doctor Blanchard,

butshedidn’tmentiontheconnectionbetweenthetwo.Shedidn’tevenknowforsureif
thewolfthathadarrivedjustintimetosaveherwasWill,butsheclearlysuspected.Will
justhadtohopethatshewouldkeephissecret,andhelookedatherwithpleadinggolden
eyes.

Loganwaswise,andledtheconversationawayfromthesubjectofherlostcrew,and

themiraculousrescuebythewolf.Instead,hereassuredher.

“TheCoastGuardisontheirway,they’lltakeyoutoaproperhospital,andsearchfor

yourlostteammates.I’msosorry,Ms.Giddens.”

Tracynodded,traumatizedandexhausted,andlethereyesslipclosedtorest.

“Thankyou,Captain.”

Withthat,theCaptainleft,andWillfollowedhim.Tohissurprise,thealphadidn’tjust

takehimbacktohisquarters.Instead,hewalkedaroundtherestoftheship,checkingon
everybody,withWillstillfollowinghim.

Willgotatouroftheship,andhegottoseeLogan’smannerwithhiscrewmembers,

thewayhedealtwithacrisis.

He was a strong alpha. Incredibly handsome, too, with short brown hair and a dark

stubble on his jaw. He had heavy brows and full, expressive lips. Serious, penetrating
hazeleyes.Thoseeyes,Willlamentedtohimself.Howwouldheeverbeabletoresisthis
alpha’sintensegaze?

Hewastoocurious.Itwasafaultthathadbeenaboontohiminhiscareer,butitgot

himintotroubleattimes.Forexample,atthemoment,hecouldn’ttearhimselfawayfrom
hisfascinationwiththisstrangeman.He’dnevermetanyonelikeLoganbefore.Hislife
thus far hadn’t led him to be associated with men who were so rugged and wild. Could
Loganreallybetheloveofhislife?

Logan’svoicewasdeepandconfidentashespoketohiscrew,asoftgrowlinevery

command.ThatKiwiaccentdroveWillcrazy,makinghimreadytojumpthecaptainthe
momenttheywerealone,buthegottheimpressionthat,despitetheirdrawtoeachother,

thatwouldbeunwelcome.

Guiltrushedoverhim.Will’sbestfriendandhiswisestmentorhadbothbeenlostin

onenight.Heshouldn’tevenbethinkingaboutsex,oranythingelse.Thestrangestthing
was,hewastrulymiserable,butthecomfortofhisalpha’sstrong,musculararmsseemed
suddenlyliketheonlyantidotetohisgrief.

No.Hehadtocontainhimself.Griefwasnobetterareasontofallintothisstranger’s

bedthanlust.Hewasascientist,damnit,wherehadhisabilitytothinkgone?Hefeltlike
ithadbeensappedfromhimthemomenthe’dhitthecoldwater.Ormaybe,themoment
he’dbeenrescuedbyhismagneticmate.

ItwasAegiswhofirstnoticed.

“Thatain’tadog,youknow,Captain.”

WilllookedupatLoganinpanic,butthecaptainkepthiscalm.

“Whatdoyoumean?Lookslikeadogtome.”

“No,thatain’tnodog.That’sawolf,”hesaid.

“Oh,” said Logan, glancing down at Will with a little smile. “Well, he seems pretty

tame to me. Maybe one of those Inuit wolf-dogs, you know? I think he must have
belongedtooneoftheresearchers.Abraveanimal,I’dsay,savingthatgirl.”

Aegisnodded,lookingatthewolfthoughtfully.

“Didthegirlhaveanameforit?”

Loganshookhishead.“No,Ididn’task.Buthedidn’tbelongtoher.IthinkI’llkeep

him.”

Willfoughtagrowl,butturnedtoleave.

“Hey!” Logan whistled. He whistled at him. Will glared at him and left. He’d been

introduced to the whole crew. He would go and stay with Tracy until the Coast Guard
came,buthewastiredofbeingparadedaroundlikeanewpet.

EGIS

CHUCKLED

LEFT

.“Lookslikehe’snotsokeenonthatplan.”

Loganbristledwithhurtprideanddroppedthesubject.

“WhenwilltheCoastGuardbehere?”heasked,nolongersmiling.

Theothermanbecameserious,aswell.“Anyminute,Captain.”

Withanod,Loganturned,andfollowedWillbelowdeck.Hegottothesickbayand

sawWilllyingwithTracy,tryingtowarmher.

“Tracy, the Coast Guard will take you to a hospital, somewhere much warmer than

here,”Loganpromised.

Will wisely got off the bed, and then disappeared out of sight. Logan was glad he

didn’thavetotellhimtodisappear.TheCoastGuardwouldhavequestionsaboutawolf,
questionshiscrewwouldn’tthinktoask.

ThecaptainknelttospeaksoftlytoTracy.

“Pleasedon’tmentionhowyouwererescued,”hemurmuredinherear.

ItwastheironlyhopetokeepWill’scover.

Oliver helped him get Tracy onto a stretcher and they met the Coast Guard above

deck. Logan answered their questions to the best of his ability in the raging storm, and
theykeptitshort,rushingTracytosafety.TheCoastGuardrequestedtheymovetheirship
awayfromthescene,sothatapropersearchcouldbeconducted,andLoganpromisedto
oblige.

Aftertheyleft,andLoganhadgivenorderstotherestofhiscrew,hefoundhimself

outside the door to his quarters, breathing slowly, his head pressed against the wooden
door.

The stress of the evening washed over him, through him, faded almost instantly into

exhaustion, melting his hardened exterior and leaving him tired, fearful, and alone. He
knew his mate was on the other side of the door, but how could he take comfort in a
stranger,knowingthatthisstrangerwashismate?Ifhedaredtodoso,Willwouldbecome
much more than a stranger. Will would become his family. That was how alphas and
omegasworked.

Hecouldn’tloseanotherfamily.Thatmeanthecouldn’thaveanotherfamily.

Loganwouldhavetodealwiththisalone.HecouldbestrongforWill,untilWillcould

findsafety,buthecouldn’tleanonhisomega,hecouldn’tlethimselfbeseducedbytheir
connection,ortheyoungman’sbeauty,orhisadmirableresilience.

Thecaptainwasusedtoshoulderingthingsalone.Hetookanotherdeep,shakybreath,

contemplatingwhetherornotheshouldgointotheroomandtrytocomforthisomega.He
wasn’tready,hedecided.Hewouldn’tbestrongenough,tosupporthimortoresisthim.

Grimacing, fighting himself, he finally gave a soft growl and turned on his heel. He

stompedbackupthemetalstairstothewheelhouse.

“You’rerelieved,”hetoldhisdeckboss,wholookedathiminconfusion.

“Captain,shiftchangeisn’tforanother—”

“You’rerelieved.I’mtakingthenightwatch.Enjoy,”thecaptainsaid,andhewasn’t

arguedwithanyfurther.

Logansatback,puttinghisfeetup,andwatchedthestormrage.Theirhugeshipcould

take it, and although there would be a rush to pull the pots in a few days, weather be
damned,fornow,itposedlittledangertothem.Asthunderrolled,notfarfromthem,but
far enough to signal the storm passing away, Logan didn’t find that comforting enough.
The fate of Will’s smaller vessel, and his friends, served as a dire reminder not to
underestimatethedeadlyseasthathe’dmadehishome.

He’dfoundhismate.Mostalphaswouldbehappy.Partofhimwas—joyousinaway

hewasn’tcomfortableadmittingyet.Hewasalsoextremelyworried.Howcouldhehavea
child with the man, and somehow raise that child, while still at sea? He couldn’t, not
really. Some of his men had families, but he’d seen how hard that was on them. He’d

alwaysthoughtthejobwasfortheyoungandsingle.Hewasn’tyounganymore,butfor
the longest time he had been blissfully unattached, running quickly from anything that
threatenedtomattertohim.

Foryearsandyears,mostofhislife,theonlythingthathadmatteredtohimwasthe

Seawolf.Ifhehadababy,he’dhavetogiveherup.

Will,thismanhebarelyknew,wassupposedtobehishusband,hismateandpartnerin

everything,butLoganwasmarriedtothesea.Howcouldamantoleratethat?Howcould
heexpecthimto?

Logan sat on the bridge for hours, his inner turmoil raging along with the storm

outside.Justlikethestorm,iteventuallyfadedandlessenedtopeltingrainandroughseas,
butnothingmore.He’dfigureitallout,atsomepoint,butforthemomenthejusttriedto
stayawake.

When dawn broke and he was relieved, he gratefully wandered down to his quarters

and sat on the edge of the bed, tugging off his boots. Things had returned, mostly, to
normal,andhiscrewcouldsurviveafewhourswithouthim.

Withouteventakingoffhisdampclothes,hepassedoutthereontheedgeofthebed,

barelyhavingenoughtimetolaydownandcurlupbeforesleeptookhim.

Nexttohim,Willshiftedinbed,goingfromawolftoayoungmanwithoutwaking

muchatall.Actingoninstinctalone,hewrappedhisslenderarmsaroundhismate,and
heldhimwhiletheyslept.

illwaswokenbyhisgrowlingstomach.Hegroanedandsatup,glancingaround
theroom,whichwassmallbutprivate.Hismatewasacaptain.Thathadtocome

withbenefits,right?Heranhisfingersthroughhissoftdarkcurls,andtheninahorrible,
sickeningmoment,herememberedeverything.

Rogerwasdead.Greywasdead.Tracyknewabouthim,andwas…wherewasTracy?

Fromnexttohim,Loganspokeinagrumpy,half-awakevoice.

“Yourfriendwastakentothehospital,she’sgonnabefine.Theydidn’tasktoomany

questions.Don’tthinkshe’lltell.”Hesatupjustslightlyandpeekedonesleepyhazeleye
athim.“Gobacktosleep.”

Will frowned, considering that. Would Tracy talk? He hoped not. He had saved her

life,evenifhehadn’tbeenabletosaveallofthem,butmaybeshewouldblamehim.He
certainlyblamedhimself.

His stomach growled again, and he heard Logan chuckle softly from next to him.

Goodears.

“Allright,allright,puppy,I’llfeedyou,”heteased.

The captain rolled over to face Will, but Will had already pulled away, covering his

nakedbodywithasheet.

“Don’tcallmethat,”theomegagrowled.“Don’tyoudare.”

Loganhelduphishands,showinghispalms.“Okay,okay.Butyouwantfood,don’t

you?Imean,you’rekindofastowaway…likearefugee…I’veadoptedyou.I’dbetter
feedyou.”

Willglared,hurtcomingtohiseyesevenmorethananger.“Ifthat’sallIamtoyou,

justsomepitycase,thencalltheCoastGuardbackandletthemhaveme.”

Logan,tohiscredit,triedtoreasonwiththeemotioninthatstatement,notthelogic.

“Look,I’msorry.You’reright.That’snotwhyIwantyoutostayonboard.”

Will shrugged, still hurt. Logan seemed like he hadn’t cared about anyone else in a

very long time, and that wasn’t really an appealing trait for the father of his future
children. Why did Logan want him here, anyway? As some sort of pet, some dirty little
secret?

Justashewasabouttoleave,Loganleanedinandkissedhim,slowly,tenderly,like

Will’swholebodyhadbeenbeggingofhimfromtheverybeginning.

“That’s why,” he murmured softly, as he pulled back, and Will stared up into those

perfecthazeleyes,lipspartedinwonder.

“Oh,”Willwhispered.

Yeah. That was why. He remembered how, the night before, he’d refused to talk to

Loganabouttheirfate,aboutbeinghisomega.Itwastruethattheybothknew,andthat
waswhyWillcouldn’tleavetheship.Hedidn’treallywantto.Hewantedtobewithhis
alpha.

OGAN

WAS

FILLED

withterrorthemomentherealizedwhathe’ddone.LookingatWill’s

shocked face, it hit him. Fuck. He’d kissed him. He’d actually done that. He wasn’t
supposedtodothat.He’dagreedwithhimselfnottogetattached,nottolovethisman,but
Willhadcaughthimwhenhewassleepy,and…andWillwashisomega.Hecouldn’trun
fromthat.

“Theseasonisshort.Assoonaswefillourquotaofcrab,wecollectourpaycheckand

gohome,”heassuredWill.“Youwon’thavetobeonSeawolfforlong.”

Willshookhishead.

“Andthenwhat?”

Loganshrugged.“I…”

This wasn’t part of his plan. He was acting on instinct, listening to what his heart

wanted.God,hewasgoingtogethurt.

“Idon’tknow.We’llseeifyoustillwanttobearoundme.”

“IthinkIwill,”WilladmittedwithasmilethatmadeLogan’sheartpound.

Howhadhebeensoluckytoendupwithsuchabeautifulomega?Whywasthisthe

firsttimehe’drealizedthat?

“Ihopeso,”Logansaidhonestly.

Goddamn it all to hell. He’d had a plan! A perfect plan. Just avoid falling for his

omega.Lookhowwellthat’sgoing,Captain,hethoughttohimself.

Andyet,ashelookedathisabsolutelystunning,impossiblyintelligent,passionateand

confidentyoungomega,hedidn’tforonemomentregretansweringthatdistresscall.How
could he? Will was everything he’d ever wanted, if he’d only allowed himself to want
anything.

Willseemedtosensehishonesty,becausehemovedcloser,openedupmore.

“Well…if we’re going to be around each other so much, I suppose we should get to

knoweachother,”hesuggested,andifWillhadn’tseemedsosadinside,sofullofgrief,
Loganmighthavethoughttheomegawasactuallyflirting.

Hiseyescertainlysparkledtemptingly.

“You’reright,”Logansaid,andpulledthenakedmanintohislap.

Hewasstillfullydressed,andhesortoflikedthepowerthatgavehim.

“What’syourfavoritefood?”Loganasked.

Willsmiledalittle.

“Well,I’mavegetarian,butIlikecheese.”

“Avegetarianwolf?”

Logantriedreallyhardnottolaugh.He’dneverevenheardofsuchathing.

Willnodded.

“It’sanethicsissue,”headmitted,andthelookinhiseyestoldLoganitwasn’tajoke.

HehatedwhenhisjokesmadeWill’ssmiledisappear,soheclearedhisthroatandthought
moreseriouslyaboutit.

“Uh…allright.Well,howaboutagrilledcheese?Tomatosoupokay?Wehavealot

ofsoup.”

AsmilesnuckbackonWill’slips,soLoganfiguredhewasontherighttrack.

“Thatsoundsamazing,”headmitted.“I…thankyou.DidIthankyoulastnight?”

Logannodded,straighteninghisshoulderswithpride.

“Youdid,butyoucanthankmeagain,Idon’tmind.”

Willgavehimanotherlook,butthistime,Loganthoughthesawmaybejustahintof

playfulness.

“Don’tpushyourluck,Captain,”Willsaid.

“Oh,”Logansmiled,“Idefinitelywill.”

WAS

strange being trapped below deck. Will had a porthole to look out of, but he

couldn’tleavetheroomunlesshewasreadytoactlikeadog.Ascruelastheoceanhad
beentohim,hewantedtosmellit.Breathethesalt.Besoothedbyitsconstant,asmuchas
hecouldbe.Hejustwasn’tinthemoodtobepettedonthehead.

Grumbling,helookedthroughLogan’sdrawersforsomeclothingtoputon.Hefound

hisunderwearfirst,andashepickedapairofboxersup,wonderingifthatwastooweird,
henoticedaphotographbeneaththem.

Itwasafamily.Aman,wholookedlikeLogan,butyounger,cleanercut,andawoman

aboutthesameage.Threeyoungchildrenstoodwiththem.Shockedandconfused,Will
staredatthepicture,butashetriedtolookcloser,Logancamein,andWillquicklyshut
thedrawer,stillstandingnaked,butwithLogan’sboxersinhishands,andaguiltylookon
hisface.

LoganstaredatWill,twomugsinhishand,eachwithabasicgrilledcheesesandwich

balancedontop.

“Uh…ifyouwantsomethingtowear,I’vegotsweatsinthebottomdrawer.Thatmight

bewarmer.”

“Ididn’tmeantoseeit!”Willblurtedout.Hewasaterribleliar.Hecouldfeelhisears

flushandturnpink.

“Seewhat?”Loganasked,confused.“Myunderpants?Hopefullyyou’llseemorethan

thatatsomepoint…”

“The-the picture, I didn’t mean to—” Will was just getting himself in deeper and he

knewit.Hedidn’thavetoexplain,Loganwouldhaveneverevenknown.

“Oh,”Logansaid,andnoddedwithasadlittlesmile.“Guesswhichone’sme?”

Willshookhishead.“Wait,aren’tyou—aren’tthoseyourkids?”

ThatmadeLoganlaugh,andWillsmiled,feelingsilly.

“Nah,that’smydad.Welookedalike,aye?”Hesetthesoupasideandpulledoutthe

photograph,pointing.“Look,there’sme.Thelittlestweeone.”

Willsighedinrelief.“Oh,”hesaid.“Ithought—”

“YouthoughtIhadthreeboys?”Loganasked,incredulousbutamused.“Nah.Never

beenmarriedtoanyonebutthesea,”hepromised.

Willsmiled,admiringthephoto.“Youwerecute,”hepointedout.

Logan nodded, tucking the photo away again. “I was. Good genes,” he said, and

winked.

Theomegaflushed,andwentovertositonthebed,acceptinghiscupofsoupandthe

warmsandwich.

“Thankyou,”hesaidagain.“IfeellikeI’malwayssayingthat.”

Logan shook his head. “I can’t expect you to bear my children if I won’t even feed

you,”hepointedout,stillteasing.

Will would be grateful for that one day, he was sure, but he wondered if it were a

defensemechanism.

“Doyou?”heasked,lookingupatLogansoberly.“Expectmetobearyourchildren?I

barelyknowyou,Logan.”

Logan seemed disturbed that he’d been misunderstood again, and Will wondered if

maybehewasjustbeingtoosensitive.

“No, that’s not…. I just… I like the idea, that’s all. But no rush, believe me. Before

youshowedup,Itriednottoeventhinkaboutkids.”

Willateabiteofhissandwichandsippedhissoup.

“Well,you’readecentcook,”hesaid,relentingalittletoLogan’sconstantattemptto

lightenthemood.“Notabadtraitforadad.”

“I’llsay,”Logangrinned.

Willgavehimanothersmallsmileandleanedintokisshisstubbledcheek.Whenhe

did,hegotagoodwhiffofhisscent,andgroanedsoftly.Itwasn’trighttowantLoganso
badlywhenRogerandGreylayatthebottomoftheseabecauseofWill.Suchaterrible
thinghadhappened,howcouldhewantsex?Hesethismugaside,feelingsickwithguilt.
And anger, suddenly. Logan should have gotten there sooner. Grey and Roger had been
trained;theyshouldhavebeenabletogetthemselvesoutoftheboat.Heshouldhavegone
backforthem.Tracyshouldhavehelpedhim.Noneofthethoughtsreallyhelped,orrang
true,buttheyallrushedathimatonce,ashismindsearcheddesperatelyforsomethingto
blameforthesenselessloss.

Justwhenhewasstartingtoreallyspiral,andtearscametohiseyes,Logan’sstrong,

warm,musculararmswrappedaroundhisnakedbodyandheldhimclose.

“IsthereanythingIcando?”Loganaskedsoftly,andWilllookedupathim,surprised

once more. His alpha did have compassion, under the growling and the joking, he had
empathy,hecouldcareandlove.Itdidn’thurtthathewassohandsomeaswell.

“Ican’tstopthinkingofwhatcouldhavegonedifferently.Howtheycouldhavecome

outofitalive.IwishIcouldhavediedinstead.Ijustwantthemback.Ihaven’teven…I
haven’tevenacceptedthatthey’regone.”

Logan kissed his forehead, and Will shut his eyes, letting his alpha’s warmth flow

from those full lips, through his skull and face, down his shoulders and into his chest,
relaxinghisbody.

“Youcan’tbringthemback,andnothingcouldhavegoneanydifferentlythanexactly

howitdid.It’sahorribletruth,butbythetimeyouacceptit,itwon’tbeashorribleasthe
thingsyou’retellingyourself.”

Will opened his eyes and looked at Logan’s sea-weathered face and his hazel eyes,

which were extremely wise and knowing in that moment. He felt like Logan really
understoodhim.Likeheknewwhathewastalkingabout.Hedidn’taskwhy,butheknew
thatLoganhadsufferedagreatlosshimself.Theyhadthatexperienceincommonnow.

“Are you sure?” he asked, searching for comfort from his alpha, finally allowing

himselftotakeit.

“I’msure,”Loganwhispered.“AndI’msureyouwon’tdotheirmemoryanyjustice

byrefusingtoliveyourlifeforaslongasfateallowsyoutohaveit.”

ThewordsrangsotruethatWillwasfinallyforcedtofacehisownsadness.Heburied

hisheadinLogan’sstrongchestandlethimselfcry,letitallflowout.

By the time he was finished crying, he was exhausted. He started to fall asleep on

Logan’schest,whenhewaswokenbythefeelingofLoganmovingoutfromunderhim
andtuckinghimin.

“Wait,”hemurmured,openinghiseyes.HegrabbedLoganbyhisshirtandpulledhim

in, giving him his own kiss, a real kiss, with the life and passion that he’d considered
denyinghimself.

Logangrowledsoftly,veryinterested,andplacedhishandsoneithersideofWillon

thebed,leaningincloser.Willrolledontohiskneesforabetterangle,pushinghistongue
intoLogan’smouth,feelinghisshortbeardagainsthisfaceandhishotlipsonhisown.

Placingonekneeonthebed,Loganslidhislarge,stronghandsupWill’sback,warm

as they stroked into his hair and held him. The kiss seemed to last forever, and Will
thoughtitmightturnintomore,whenaknockcameatthedoor.

Logansnarledsoftly,andpulledaway.

“We’ll continue this later,” he murmured intimately, giving Will a heated look and

touching his cheek. Will turned and kissed that hand, holding his wrist close for just a
secondlongerbeforehisalphafullypulledawayfromthebed,leavingWillthere,aroused
andnakedbutunabletodenyhimhisdutiesasCaptain.

“Wehadbetter,”hesaid,givingLoganatemptinglittlesmile.

ThealphagaveanothersoftgrowlandpeckedWill’scheekbeforeheslippedoutthe

door.

“I’ll be back. Be good. Eat!” he ordered, and Will smiled, picking up his mug of

lukewarmtomatosoup.

MaybeLoganwasright.RogerandGreywouldwanthimtolive.

oganwasn’tusuallyinarushtogetbacktohiscabin.Helovedhiswork,heloved
theshipandthesea,andmostofthetimehiscrewhadtofightjusttogethimtotake

anapeveryfewdays.Onthatday,however,Logandidonlywhatheneededto,andhis
shift seemed to go on forever. Crabbing was backbreaking work, and with a relatively
smallcrew,Logandidn’texcusehimselffromanyofit.

He barely had time to sneak back and bring Will food throughout the day, and he’d

beenunabletocatchmorethanjustakissonthecheekfromhismatethen.Thatkissstill
lingeredonhisskin,makinghimsmiletohimselfasheworked.

Theywerehittinganotherstorm,asmallerone,butthethunderrolledinthedistance.

Logan made sure the crew was on top of it, and then finally took his leave, excusing
himselftotrytogetagoodnight’ssleep—butitwasn’tsleephewantedatall.

Hedidn’tpauseoutsidehisdoorthatnight.Herushedin,andthemomenthesawWill,

hepouncedonthebeautifulyoungman,kissinghimpassionately,pinninghimtothebed.

Will had been reading one of Logan’s books, and he cried out with delight when he

was tackled, squirming playfully beneath Logan, their hips pressed tightly together. He
waswearingapairofLogan’ssweats,butthatwasall,andhewasobviouslyhardbeneath
Loganasthealpharubbedagainsthim,grindingdownonhim.

“Goddamn,”Loganwhispered,leaningintokissWill’sslenderthroat,inhalingdeeply.

Hepaused,andletoutalowgrowl.“Areyouinheat?”

Will moaned, grinding against him desperately. “Maybe,” he admitted, but Logan

knewthetruth.

Hecouldsmellit.Willwasgoingintoheatforhim.

Logangrabbedthosesweatsandtuggedthemoffofhismate’sperfectbody,watching

with desire as his aching, proud cock slid free over his belly. Groaning, Logan nuzzled
againstWill’schestanddownoverhisstomach,breathinginthescentofhim.Therewas
an adorable indent where his hipbones flexed, and Logan kissed it sweetly, tasting his
saltyskin.Heknewhehimselfsmelledlikethesea,andprobablylikecrabandsweat,but
Will didn’t seem to care. Logan watched as his omega’s lower lip trembled, his body
archedwithdesperation.

“Icansmellit,Will,youneedme,”hesaid,hisvoicelowandroughinhisthroat.

“Logan,Alpha,yes,”Willsaidenthusiastically,smilingupathim,hisbigbrowneyes

roundwithdelight.“Please,Alpha.”

Withananimalisticsnarl,LoganpinnedWill’sslenderhipstothebed,hislarge,rough

hands holding the smaller man down so that he could nuzzle at his dripping cock
uninterrupted.

“Weshouldgetonethingstraight,”Logangrowledagainstthebaseofhim.

“Mmmnn?”theomegawhimpered,histhighsquivering.

Loganchuckled,openinghisfulllipstosucksoftlyonjustthesideofhiscock,letting

hiswettonguebrushslowlyoverthehardlength.Finally,heansweredWill’sinquiry.

“Iloveitwhenyoubeg,”hepurred,andthenwrappedhishotlipsaroundWill’sslick

headandbegantosuckhim,slidinghisomega’seagerlengthallthewaytothebackofhis
throat.

Logankepthimpinneddown,hissuperiorstrengthlettinghimeasilycontrolWillas

hisbodytriedtothrashtowardandawayfromtheintensepleasureatthesametime.When
hefeltWillfinallysubmitandstoptryingtomove,moaninginhelplesspleasureinstead,it
waslikeadrugtohisbloodstream;itmadehimfeelpowerful,alive.Heknewthenthathis
omegatrulybelongedtohim.

“Logan,”Willmoanedsoftly,managingtogetthewordsout.“I’venever…”

Loganliftedhishead,lickingprecumfromhisfulllips,andsmiledatWill.

“Good,”hesaidgruffly.“ThenIgetyoufirst.”

Theshipswayed,andthundercrashed,closernow.Loganfelttheyoungermanfreeze

beneathhim.

“Isthereanotherstorm?”heasked,hisvoiceshakywitharousalandnow,fear.

“Yeah.Notabigone,don’tworry,”Loganassuredhim.Hefeltterribleforhismate

suddenly.Wasashipreallythebestplaceforhim,especiallythistimeofyear,thispartof
theocean?Therewerealotofstorms,alotofbadweather.

Logan kissed him tenderly, pulling him close. Lightning flashed in the porthole, and

againtheshipswayedheavily.Willshuthiseyes,hisbreathingshallowinLogan’sear.

“It’sabigship,love.Wecantakeit.”

Willnoddedcautiously.“Iknow,”headmitted,andLoganheardhimtakeadeep,slow

breath.“Distractme,”hesaid.

That,Loganthought,hecouldmanage.Hepulledaway,finallylettingWillfree,and

Willsatuptowatchhimashestripped.Logantookoffeverything,hisbootsfirstandthen
allof his seasalt-soaked clothes, lettingWill really look athim. He knewhe had a nice
body,broadandmuscularfromallofhisworkontheship,butthelookinWill’seyeswas
evenmorefullofdesirethanhewouldhaveexpected.

“Whatisit?”heaskedwithasmile,climbingbackintobedwithhismate.

Willgrinned.“It’snothing,”hemurmured,butLoganpressedon.

“Tellme,”heencouraged.

The slender omega wrapped his arms around his neck and kissed him before

answering,obviouslyembarrassed,blushingbrightly.

“You’rehuge,”hewhispered.

Logan grinned back. “Oh,” he realized, and teased Will’s lips with his own, gazing

intohiseyes.

“Don’tworry.I’veheard…”Hegroanedsoftly,spreadingWill’slegsandrubbinghis

leakingcockagainsthisbeautifulass.“Thatmates…”Withonefinalkiss,hepushed,the
headofhiscockslippingintoWillwithsurprisingease.“Fitperfectly,”hemoaned.“Oh,
God,Will.”

Willcriedoutashewasfilled,clingingtohim,andLoganpusheddeepinsideofhim,

fillinghimcompletely.

“Logan,”hisomegamoanedinhisear,andLoganknewhewasontherighttrack.

Hestartedtoslowlythrustinsideofhim,gazingathiminwonder.Will’sflushedface

wasfilledwithpleasure,pleasurehewasgivinghim,andLoganhadneverfeltsoluckyin
hisentirelife.HeknewWillwasmourning,thatnoneofthishadbeenplannedforeither
of them. But as he began to thrust harder, deeper, breeding his gorgeous mate, it felt
perfect.

Will’sfingersgrazedoverhischeek,andLoganmoanedsoftly,gazingdownathimas

he moved inside of him, the sounds of rain pelting at the porthole and their hot, eager
breathfillingtheroom.

“Areyouokay?”Loganaskedsoftly,andWillnoddedeagerly.

“Yeah,don’tstop…actually,”hemoaned,pushingathischest.“Letmeontop.”

Loganhadn’texpectedthat.Hesmirked,grippingWill’shipsandrollingontohisback

tolethisgorgeousomegahavecontrol.

Will rode him desperately, fucking himself wildly on Logan’s thick cock, his back

arched in pleasure, his whole body flushed and shimmering with sweat. Logan didn’t
knowhowlonghecouldlast,facedwithsuchanincrediblesight.Heslidhishandover
Will’s chest, down to his cock, and stroked over the length of it, caressing his swollen
head.

“Alpha!” Will cried, and Logan growled in response. Thunder crashed, and it only

madeWillsqueezehimtighter.

“That’s it, good boy, come for me,” he coaxed, his voice a mixture of violent desire

andaffectionatetenderness.

Just like that, he felt Will convulse around him, felt that hot release cover his hand,

andLogangavealoudcryofhisown,pumpinghishipsashefilledhisbeautifulomega.

Logan’s head fell back against the bed, and he gazed at Will, his heart full of

somethinghehadn’tlethimselffeelinaverylongtime.

Thestormcontinued,rockingtheirshipandhurlingwindandrainagainstitshull,but

LoganfeltsafeonSeawolfandhewantedWilltofeelsafe,too.Willfellintohisarms,still
on top of him, and Logan enjoyed his weight. He wrapped his strong arms around the
slenderyoungmanandheldhim,hopingtobringhimcomfort.

ILL

LAY

inLogan’sstrongarms,glowing.Thesoundsofthestormoutsidehadbecome

almost soothing, although he was careful not to let himself think about it too much.
Instead,hefocusedonthewonderfulsensationsofhisalphaagainsthim.Hewassofullof
Logan’sstickycome,andhewonderedifhewasalreadypregnant.Hehadn’tquiteliedto
Logan, but he was more certain than he’d let on that yes, he was in heat. It had hit him
mid-day, while Logan was still on deck working, and he’d nearly run up, blown their
cover,anddemandedthatLoganfuckhimhard.

He was glad he’d waited. Logan had made it wonderful, such a perfect first time,

despite everything, all the circumstances surrounding their love. It was love, wasn’t it?
Will certainly felt those feelings blossoming quickly inside of him, and when Logan
looked at him, he could swear, scientifically, that there was no other explanation for the
lookinhiseyesthanpure,unadulteratedlove.

Ofcourse,itwouldbeinappropriatetosayso.Heknewtheywerebothstrugglingwith

mixedfeelingsaboutthewayfatehadbroughtthemtogether.Although,moreandmore,
hethoughtLoganmightbeperfectforhim.

Thenagain,hebarelyknewtheman.Hewasinheat.Hadhemadeamistake?

Itdidn’tfeellikeamistake.Itfeltwonderful.

Logan’sstrongarmsreachedfortheblanketsandtuckedWillin,rightthereontopof

him.

“Mmm,”Willmoanedsoftly.“CanIsleeplikethis?”

Logannodded,nuzzlingagainsthisshoulder.

“Of course,” he murmured, amusement in his sleepy voice. “Do I make a good

pillow?”

Willsighedinhappiness.

“Yes,”headmitteddreamily,asthewindhowledandrainpummeledSeawolf.

Logan was quiet for a few moments, and Will thought he might have fallen asleep.

Whenhefinallyspoke,hewasmumblingandhalfasleep,butdistinct.

“Iloveyou.”

Will’sheadshotup.HestaredatLogan’sscruffyface,asifdemandinganexplanation,

butLogangavenone.Instead,hestartedtosnoresoftly,fastasleep.

“Logan?’ he whispered, but the other man didn’t even respond. He was honestly

asleep.

WilllethisheadfallbackontoLogan’schest,staringintothedarkroominshock,his

heartpounding.

“Iloveyou,too,”hewhispered,tooquiettobeheardabovethehowlingofthestorm.

stheCaptain,Logansatinthewheelhouseforuptotwentyhoursatatimesome
days. It turned out his new lover wasn’t as impressed with that as his crew. He

foughttogetbacktohim,buthecouldn’tmaketheotherssuspicious,whichthewolfon
boardalreadydid.

Despite the rough seas and eventful season, they were well on their way to making

quota.Itwasarushtodosoandgethomeasquicklyaspossiblebeforetheweatherturned
evenworse,araceagainsttime.

Will was out of heat and pregnant, they were both certain. Whatever magic the

youngerwolfhadfoundinlifeatseahaddisappeared,andLoganneverheardtheendofit
thesedays.Theenvironmentalimpactofcrabbing,thedangerinvolved,thepoorworking
conditions:Willlecturedhimlikehehadn’tbeendoingthejobhiswholedamnlife.

ItseemedWillhadfinallyrealizedhewasonafishingboat,anditturnedoutLogan’s

newmatedidn’treallyapproveoffishingatall.MostofthetimeLogancouldn’tseeWill,
andtherestofthetime,itwaslikeWillcoulddonothingbutcomplainabouthislifestyle
orjudgehimforhispractices.

Logan was drinking more, and starting to go just a tiny bit insane. Everything was

happeningsoquickly.Hehadavoidedhismatelongenoughthathe’dhonestlybelievedhe
wouldnevermeethim.Suddenly,notonlydidhehaveanomega,butWillwaspregnant.

Thewholebabyideaterrifiedhim.Oh,hewasexcited;onsomelevel,thealphainside

of him would always want a child, would always long for a family. But he had been
running from family, and from commitment, for decades. He had been quite content to
drinkhimselftoanearlygrave,aloneinthewheelhouseofSeawolf,fortherestofhislife.

Willhadotherplans,andtoldhimaboutthem,ingreatlength.Howthey’dhavetoget

a place somewhere safe for the baby, somewhere shifters were accepted. He kept
suggesting other professions for Logan, as if the man could just pick up and start doing
somethingelse.Theomegawasclearlyreadyforthisbabytochangehislife,butLogan
waslesscertainhe’dbeabletosaygoodbyetotheseassoeasily.Thenagain,howcoulda
fatherjustdisappearformonthsatatime?Hisfatherhaddiedonthatterriblenightwith
the rest of his family, but before that he had been a good one. An attentive dad, who
listenedandlovedandwaspresent.

CouldLoganbethatfortheirchild?Woulditmeangivinguphisloveforhisship,his

loveforthesea?

Hestaredoutatthewaves,sippingwhiskey,ashecontemplatedthat.Heonlynoticed

when Will wandered in and sat next to him in his wolf form, because of the scent. His
mate.Heglanceddownatthewolf,andgavehimasmallsmile.

“Hey.Yougonnahelpmedrivetheboat?”

Willgavetheimpressionofsmilingtoo,andrestedhisheadonLogan’sthigh.Logan

sighed.Ofcoursehewouldgiveitallup.OfcoursehewoulddoanythingforWill,and
fortheirchild.Hejustwishedhedidn’thaveto.

“All right, here we are, let’s move,” he called out to his crew on the intercom, and

watchedastheypulledupapot.

Ithadahugeholeintheside,andwasnearlyempty,lessthanthirtycrabstotal,and

mostofthemweren’tgoingtobeatsize,heknewthat.

“Fuck!Fixthatpot,”heordered,andthenwatchedastheypulledagain.

Thecrabscamein,moreintheotherpotsthanthedamagedone,buttheywereshort,

anditwasdraggingon.Hesighedandtookanothersipfromhisflask,hisroughfingers
movingidlyinWill’sshortfur.

“Atleastyoucan’tlectureme,whenyou’relikethis,”hemurmured,andWillgrowled

softly.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Logan said, amused. “I shouldn’t take advantage.” But it was

nicetospendtimewithhismate,justsittingwithhim,andhaveitbequietandpeaceful.It
seemedlikemoreandmore,nothingwasquietorpeaceful.

A baby wouldn’t fix that, he realized. A baby would make it worse. They’d get less

sleep,he’dbemoregrumpy,there’dbelessquiet,he’ddrinkmore…

God,hewasgoingtobeaterriblefather.Hetookanotherswig.

“Will, I’m not sure about this,” he said honestly, while the wolf was forced to listen

insteadoftalk.“I’mnotsureyoupickedagoodmate.”

Willgavehimalook,andLoganknewwhatitmeant.

“Iknow,Iknow.Youdidn’tpickme.Fatepickedusforeachother.ButWill.Baby.

I’m a fishing captain. I’m not a daddy. I don’t know the first thing about… I mean, I
barelykeepyoufed.”

Thewolfgavetheimpressionofshruggingandsettleddowntolisten.

Loganwasquiet,thoughtful,foramoment.Itfeltgoodtobelistenedto,butshouldhe

keep talking? Could he tell Will the truth, or would he just dig himself into a hole he
couldn’tgetoutof?

“I don’t want to give up crabbing,” he admitted. “I don’t want to give up Seawolf. I

knowtheworkisdangerous.Iknowsomanymenhavediedouthere,Iknowtheheavy
steel and the icy deck and the huge waves aren’t your thing, but Will, they’re mine.
They’vebeenmyonlythingforsolong.MaybeIwillgiveupeverythingforourbaby,but
Idon’twantto.Idon’twanttohaveto.”

Helookeddownatthequietwolf.Willseemedsad,buthehadn’tleft,yet.

“Iknowthatit’snotfairtoleaveyouoneseasonoutoftheyear,either.Iknowthatthe

workistoodangerousforafather,thatIshouldn’tberiskingmylifewhenIhaveamate
andakidwhodependonme,butwhatamI,ifIdon’triskmylifeanymore?IfIdon’tgo
outtosea?WhowillIbe,baby,ifI’mnotacaptain?”

Will was quiet and still no longer. He went over to him, and with a soft canine

whimper, he nuzzled at his lap, showing some sort of acceptance. They didn’t have a
solution,butatleastLoganhadbeenhonest.Atleastheknewhecouldbe,thathecould
sharehisjoysandhissorrowswithhismate.HewasalreadyusedtotakingcareofWill,
beinghissupport,especiallywitheverythingWillhadgonethrough.Butinthatmoment,
as he wrapped his arms around that furry wolf’s neck and hugged his omega tight, he
knew why he needed an omega. He knew why Will was his. That love and support and
acceptancemeanteverything.

“Forty-five, Captain!” came over the intercom, and Logan shook his head, wiping at

hisfaceashepulledawayfromthehug.

“Youshouldgetsomerest,”hetoldWill,butWilljustsettleddownthereonthesmall

floorofthewheelhouseandlaywithhim.Logansmiledinrelief.Hedidn’tinsistonbeing
alone,andinfact,hewasgladnottobe.

HILE

LAY

THERE

with his mate in the wheelhouse, watching the captain work, Will

wasgladthathewasstuckinwolfform,thathecouldn’tspeak.Hewouldn’tknowwhat
tosay.Loganhadbeenhonest,open,andvulnerablewithhim.Hethoughtitwasagood
signthathisalphaevenwantedtobe.Thatdidn’tmeanhehadanysortofsolution.This
manwasmucholderthanhim.HeknewhimselfevenmorethanWillknewhimself.Ifhis
matetoldhimthathecouldn’tleavehisdangerous,unethicaljobbecauseitwouldleave
himwithoutasenseofidentity,whatcouldhesay?Willcouldn’ttellhimhewaswrong.
Heprobablywasn’t.

AllWillcoulddo,fornow,wasstandbyhim.Hisbabywashisprimaryconcern,but

thebabywasonlyjuststartingtogrow,andwouldbefineuntiltheseasonwasover.Their
relationshipmightnotbeifhekeptpushingLogan,andheknewhehadbeenpushing.

Hewassoworried,andtherewerepaternalinstinctskickinginthatmadehimfocused

ontheirfamilytogetherattheexclusionofallelse.Hehadtowonderhowtheycouldhave
ahealthyfamilyifLoganwasmiserable.

He felt guilty for giving in to his omega side, letting Logan have him so quickly.

Especially so soon after he’d lost Roger and Grey. Logan had tried to comfort him, to
remindhimthatitwastheheat,andthatgriefdidn’tmeanhecouldneverfeelagain.Butif
Will had managed to resist, they would have had more time. He wouldn’t be a pregnant
omegaonadangeroussteelfishingboat;instead,he’dhavesomeroomtomakedecisions
beforeitwastoolate.

Itwastoolate.Hewaspregnantandstillinmourning,buthehadtokeepgoingforthe

life growing inside of him. He had a new responsibility. At the same time, he was
strugglingwithhisownlossofidentity.Thedatahisteamhadcollectedhadbeenlostat

seawithRogerandGrey,andhehadn’tseenasingleorcainhistimeontheSeawolf.He
thoughttheyprobablystayedfarawayfromthemetalgiantswiththeirstringsofcages.

Will was an environmentalist, a scientist, a conservationist, a vegetarian. Watching

Loganand his crewpull in cagesfull of live animals,only to throwmost of them back,
wasdisturbing.Hedidn’tseehowthisrecklessfisherman,themanhesawatseawhowas
hungry for money and little else, could be his husband, his partner, on land. If Logan
didn’teither,wheredidthatleavethem?

All he knew for certain was that one way or another, Logan was his mate. He loved

him,andtheyweregoingtohaveachild.Theywouldhavetofindaway.

HEN

WAS

FINALLY

timetohandtheboatovertohissecondincommandforawhile

LogankissedWill’shead,wakingthesnoozingwolf.

“C’mon,let’sgotobed,”hemurmured,andledhimbackdowntohisquarters.Will

shifted back into a naked human and stumbled over to the bed, still half asleep, while
Loganstrippedoffallofhisclothes.

Hewasalittledrunkashewrappedhisarmsaroundhisomegaandnuzzledagainsthis

neck.

“Mmm.Youstillsmellsogood.”

Willsnortedsoftly.“WishIcouldsaythesameforyou.Youneedashower,Captain.”

Logansmirked.“Yeah,guessIshouldgetonthat,”headmitted.

Willturnedandkissedhimanyway,andthatwashowLoganknewthattheyoungman

reallydidcareabouthim.Hepushedhistongueintohisomega’smouth,slidingbig,rough
handsdowntogriphistightlittleass.

“Ican’tbelieveyou’rehavingmybaby,”Loganadmitted,andWilllaughedsoftly.

“Well, you’d better believe it. I’ve never been seasick before now. And you know,

todayIgotthestrangestcraving.”

“Oh yeah?” Logan asked. He was always looking for opportunities to take care of

Will;hefeltlikehewasn’tdoingsuchagreatjobofit.

“Yeah,” Will admitted, and he actually seemed embarrassed. “I wanted a

cheeseburger.”

Loganblinked.“Acheeseburger?Likeaveggieone?”

“No,” Will said firmly. “With meat. Lots of meat,” he said, a little disgusted with

himself. He’d always managed to be vegetarian despite his wolf-form craving meat, but
now…well,thebabydidn’tseemcontenttomakethesamechoice.

“Youshouldeatmeat,then,”Logansaidseriously,lookingintoWill’seyes.“Imeanit.

Thebabyprobablyneedstheironorsomething,youbothcouldgetsick.”

Willrolledhiseyes.“Youknow,peopledon’tactuallystarveanddiewithoutmeat.I’ll

befine.”

Loganshookhishead.“No.Will.Atleastuntilyoucangetadoctortoconfirmyou’re

not… I dunno, deficient. You should eat some. We have burgers in the freezer, I’ll go
makeyouone.”

He hopped up out of bed, ignoring the look that Will gave him. From the lack of

furtherprotest,hecouldtellthatWillreallywascravingit,thathewastrulyhungry.

Logan brought back a fat, hot, greasy double cheeseburger for Will, and he could

swearhismatewassalivatingjustfromthesmell.

“Idon’twanttoeatmeat,”hetriedtoexplain,evenashereachedfortheplate.Logan

handed it to him, and watched as his mate grabbed the burger, seemingly unable to stop
himself, and took the biggest bite Logan had ever seen a man take. He smiled, pleased
withhimself.HewasfeedingWill,andnotonlyWill,buttheirbabywhoseemedtotake
afterthealpha.

Justthen,aknockcameonthestateroomdoor.

“Captain?”avoicecame,andthedoorbegantoopen.“Youmakin’deliciousfoodfor

justyourself,there?Smellsgood!”

Panicked,Willshiftedintoawolf,butachunkofcheeseburgerwasstillinhismouth,

andtheplatedroppedontothebed.

Aegislookedatthembothandsmirked.

“Captain, are you feeding your dog a fuckin’ gigantic cheeseburger?” he asked,

incredulous.“Really?”

“I…”Logantriedfasttocomeupwithanexplanation.“We’resharing.”

AegismadeafaceasWillquicklyswallowedhisbiteofburger.“Gross,man.”

“Yeah,”Logansaid,rubbingathisshorthair.“Uh.Anyway,ifyouwantsome,they’re

inthefreezer.Makeyourselfwhatever.”

Theothermanshookhishead.“Areyoudrunk,Captain?Idon’tevenknowwhatto

dowiththis,man.”

It was weird. Logan couldn’t deny that. Maybe he should get Will some bowls or

something,buthowhumiliatingwouldthatbe?Hedidn’tseehismatebeingintothatidea
atall.

“Yeah, you’re right. Sorry. I guess… I just, you know, felt bad for him. It’s just a

burger.”

Aegis raised an eyebrow. “It’s a damn good lookin’ burger to be giving your dog,

Captain.That’sallI’mgonnasay.”

He left obviously still confused, and Logan gave a sigh of relief. He shut and then

lockedhisdoor.

“Fuck.Wehavetobemorecareful,”hesaid,turningbacktoWill.

Thewolfwaschewingdowntheburgerasfastashepossiblycould,havingpounced

backonitthemomentAegisleft.Logancouldn’thelpbutsmile.AtleastWillwouldn’tbe

hungry.

Lickinghislipswithawolfishgrin,Willchangedbackintoahuman.

“Theythinkyou’reinlovewithyourdog,”hepointedout,teasing.

Logan’seyeswidened.Hehadnomemoryofthosewordsbeingexchangedbetween

them.Notyet.

“Inlove?”heasked.

Willblinked,andthenshookhishead.“Ithought…youdon’t…?”

Logancontinuedtostare,speechless.HedidloveWill,butevenhalfdrunk,thewords

absolutelyterrifiedhim.

“Oh,”saidWill,withsuchsadnessanddisappointmentonhisfacethatLogansortof

wantedtoshoothimselfrightthenandthere,justforeverhurtinghisbeautifulmatelike
that.

“It’snotthatIdon’t,Ijust…”

Will was quiet and thoughtful, but he seemed to be somewhere else. He looked at

Loganwithconfusioninhiseyes,andthenturnedawayfromhim.

“It’sokay,”theomegasaid,withthetoneofsomeonetryinghardtobeokay.

“Will,”Logansaid,tryingtoexplain.“Justlisten,please?”

Will’sexpressionhardened.

“Listen?That’swhatyouwantmetodo?Ihavebeenlistening,Logan.I’vebeendoing

nothingbutlistening,lyingaroundasyourpetallday,drivingmyselfinsanetryingtoact
like a damn dog. I hear you. You don’t love me. You don’t want a family with me. You
want to stay aboard Seawolf and make your fortune and probably die on this boat
someday,isthatright?”

Loganwaslostforwords.“No,”hepleaded,buthe’dneverseenWillsoangrybefore,

and it had disarmed him. Some of those accusations were more accurate than he would
haveliked,butthesentimentwasn’ttrueatall.Hewantedtobeagoodfather.Hewanted
toloveWillthewayhedeserved,buthewassoafraid.Forthatreason,hedidn’tbelieve
hecouldeverbegoodenoughatit.

Will stared at him, his deep brown eyes filled with hurt and anger, and Logan knew

thatheneededsomethingfromhim,buthewasn’tsurehowtogiveittohim.

“Ilosteverythingoutthere,Logan,”Willtoldhim.“Everything!Myresearch,mybest

friend,myfatherfigure…I’mnotlosingyoutoo.Nottothisocean,Ican’tdoit.”

Loganshookhishead.“Youwon’tloseme,”hemurmured.“Youwon’t.”

Theomegadidn’treallyseemtobelievehim.“Yeah,okay.Lietome.Tellmeitisn’t

themostdeadlyjobthereis,fine.Icansithere,andlistentoyoumoanaboutyourloveof
thesea,andhowmuchyou’llmissitwhenyou’regone,butallitsoundsliketomeisthat
you’llmissitmorethanyou’llmissme.MorethanyouthinkI’llmissyou.Attheendof
theday,you’retakingtheriskthatourchildendsupgrowingupwithoutyou.Isitworth

it?Themoney,theexcitement,whateverfuckedupreasonyoudoallthisfor,isitworth
that?Yoursonordaughter,withouttheirfather.”

Logan’s heart ached as he looked at Will. The man had no idea how close to home

he’djusthit,buthe’dsureashellmadehispoint.CouldsomeofWill’sviciousnessbea
side-effectofhispregnancy?Loganhadheardhormonescouldmakeanomegairrational-
butwhenhetrulythoughtaboutit,heknewWillhadapoint.Heunderstoodwhytheother
manwasangry.

“I get it,” Logan said softly. But if he stopped running, if he stopped crabbing, if he

tookthefortunehe’damassedandusedittobuildanewlifeforhisfamily,thenhewas
theoneatriskoflosingeverything,andthatscaredhimmorethantheBeringSea.

Willshookhishead.“You’rehopeless,”hedecided.“Igiveup.I’mgoingtosleep,”he

said,andpulledthecoversoverhimlyingdownwithhisbacktoLogan,refusingtolook
athimamomentlonger.

Logancouldn’tblamehim.Hefellontothebedandstaredattheceiling,feelingthe

sway and rock of the boat. If only he could explain himself. If he had the words, and
maybe the bravery, to put aside his pride and tell Will why he was so afraid to start a
familywithhim,whyhecouldn’tcommit,maybe…well,maybeWillwouldjustseehim
forthecowardhereallywas.Thatwasn’texactlyasolution,either,wasit?

Loganhadtomakeachoice,butitwasachoicehe’dneverbeenpreparedtomake.

He rolled and wrapped his arms around Will when he heard the pregnant omega’s

breathingslowenoughthathewasdefinitelysleeping.Spooninghim,hewhisperedinhis
sleepingear.

“Idoloveyou.Ido.”

Ifonlyhecouldshowhimthat.

inally, it was time to head back to port and unload all of the fresh crab. They had
their quota, and Logan could tell Will was liable to do something drastic if they

didn’tgetofftheboatsoon.Ontheirwayback,somethingstrangecameupontheradar.A
boatthatwasn’tsupposedtobethere,thathecouldn’tgetananswerfromthatwas,forall
intentsandpurposes,invisible.

Hiscuriositybroughthiminitsdirection.Itwasn’tmuchofadetour,andhethoughtit

might be another boat stranded by bad weather, maybe someone needed help and their
commsweredown.Astheygotcloser,itwascleartheshipwasn’tstranded,butalsothat
itwasnotsupposedtobethere.

Itwasalarge,unmarkedship,allblack,muchbiggerthanhisownfishingboat.There

werenocrabpots,buthecouldseeafewlargenets.Whywouldashippingvesselbeso
secretive?Hekneweveryonearoundthesewaters,orsohe’dthought.

Hemadeacallontheradiotoanothercrabbingboatheknewandaskediftheyhad

any idea what this ship was doing there, but they weren’t sure either. He thought about
callingtheCoastGuardinrightaway,butatthemoment,thenetswereup,theshipwasn’t
doinganythingillegal,itwasjustsittingthereinthewaterwaitingforsomething.

Logandecidedtopassslowly,andmakehiswaytowardport.Buthekepthiseyeson

theboat,andwhenitwasnearlyintothedistance,hesawsomethingthatmadehimstop.

Oneofthosehugenetswentdown,andashewatched,theyliftedsomethinghugeand

blackandwhite,notfishatall,outofthewater.

Theyweretakinganorca.

Loganmightbeafisherman,butdespitewhatWillthought,hehadmorals.Whenyou

crab fished, you took only large males, and left the rest, to keep the population healthy.
Andifyoueveraccidentallytrappedanotherspecies,youletthemfree.Hewasn’tforthe
wantondestructionoftheocean,orthecaptureofinnocentwildlifeforGodknowswhat
purpose,andhewashorrifiedashewatchedthemajesticwhalebeliftedoutofthewater.

Hecalledhissecondincommanduptotakethewheelandrandownstairstohismate.

“Will.Youhavetohelpme.They’retakingorcas.”

“What?” Will said in confusion, sitting up out of bed and rubbing his sleepy face.

“Whatdoyoumean?Who’stakingthem?How?”

Loganshookhishead.“Idon’tknow.Theshipisunmarked,butWilltheyhavethese

giantnetsandthey’vegotanorca.Rightnow,they’repullingitoutofthewater.Youhave
tohelp.”

Willwasappropriatelyhorrified.Hehurriedtofindclothing.

“HowcanIhelp?”heaskedseriously.

Loganhonestlywasn’tsureyet.“Youknowtheseanimals.Howcanwehelpthem?”

“Well,poachingisillegal,soweshouldcalltheCoastGuard.Also,youhavetoturn

offyoursonars.”

“Mysonars?”

“Yeah, it confuses them. The pod will be able to escape more easily if they aren’t

disruptedbythesonars.”

Logan nodded. “Meet me in the wheelhouse,” he said, and turned to rush back

upstairs.

“Logan,wait!Peoplewillknow.They’llfindoutI’mnotawolf.”

Thealphatookadeepbreath,andthenshookhishead.“Wecanexplaintothecrew

later.Ineedyouuptherewithme.”

Heleftthestateroominahurry.

ILL

FOLLOWED

HIM

,anditwasstrangetoclimbthosestairsontwofeet.Hegotalot

ofstares,andoneguyyellingathim.

“Hey,whothefuckareyou?!”hedemanded.

Willranrightpasthim,straighttothewheelhouse,whereLoganwasguidingtheboat

throughthewater,doublingbacktowardthepoachers.

“AnyluckwiththeCoastGuard?”Willasked,andLogannodded.

“They’reontheirway,theysaidtotrytoslowthemdownifwecan.”

“Howareyougoingtodothat?”Willasked,andLoganshrugged.

“Improvisation,”headmitted.

Willsatdownastheboatbouncedoveroceanwaves.Heknewthiswasadetourfor

Logan,whoreallyneededtounloadhiscrabbeforetheyspoiled.ItmadehimloveLogan
evenmore,knowingthatthemancaredenoughaboutthebeautifulwhalestotrytosave
them.

Astheygotcloser,Willmadeaterriblerealization.

“Ohno,”hesaidunderhisbreath.“It’sCupid.”

“Cupid?” Logan asked, and Will realized he hadn’t told his mate much about his

research.

“Oneofthewhalesinourpod,thepodIwasstudying.Ajuvenile,Logan,Iknowthis

whale.Wehaveatrackeronit.”

Logan’seyeslitupwithanidea.“Good.Thatmightjustbeenough.”

Logan maneuvered as close as he could to the other ship and dropped anchor. He

snatchedhismegaphoneandwalkedoutontothedeck.

“Hey!That’sourwhale!”hecalled.

Severalmenontheboathaddrawnguns,andtheywerepointedatLogan.Willwentto

standwithhim,bringinghisloverbraveryandstrength.“You’vegotthis,”hewhispered.

“Leave,oryoubothdie!”Oneofthemenwithgunsyelled,aimingforWillinstead,

butLoganwaspersistent.

“I’mafraidwecan’tdothat.Thatwhaleisours.Ithasasatellitetrackeronit.Ifyou

takeit,we’llbeabletofinditandyouroperation.”

The men stared at each other, speaking frantically. They were obviously trying to

decide if Logan was bluffing. The discussion went on for several minutes while Cupid
swunginthatwretchednet.Inthewater,hesawtherestofthepodcircling,breachingthe
waterasthey,too,triedtofindasolutiontothedisturbingsituation.Orcaswereincredibly
intelligentanimals,andWillwouldn’tbesurprisedtoseethemattemptsomethingintricate
to try to free their young podmate. He spotted Venus, and Will was sure if he had been
abletolistenwithhisusualequipment,hewouldhaveheardtheirclicksbecomerapidand
filledwithpanic.

Will reached down and took Logan’s hand in his own. “Logan,” he whispered. “The

otherorcas,look.”

Cupid,stuckinhisunnaturalprison,becameincreasinglydistressedwitheveryminute

theconflictwenton,butWillknewthattimewastheironlyadvantage.Theyhadtodraw
itoutaslongaspossible.

Logansqueezedhishand.“Howlongcanhesurviveoutofthewater?”

Itwasacomplicatedquestion,butnotreallytherightone.

“Thestresscouldkillhimfirst,”Willtoldhismate.

“Youcan’tdoshit!”oneofthepoacherssuddenlyyelled.Loganstoodhisground.

“Returnthewhaletothewater,”hesaid.“Hebelongstous.”

“Youareacrabbingboat!”anotheryelled.“Youdon’townanyorcas!”

The poachers might have been deeply unethical, but they clearly weren’t stupid. It

wouldtakemoreauthoritythanLoganpossessedtostopthem.StillholdingontoLogan,
Willhelduphisotherhandforthemegaphone.“Iknowwhattodo,”hetoldLogan.

Logan thrust the megaphone into his hand, and Will felt trusted. Those guns, ever

present,werepointedattheirheads.Anormalbulletwouldn’tusuallykillawolf-buta
headshotjustmight.Loganwasputtingtheirlivesinhishands.

“He might not have any claim over these animals, but I do,” he said through the

blaringhorn-shapedmachine,hisvoicedistorted.

Hedidn’townCupid,butitmightbetheonlywaytomakethesemenstoptryingto

pullthepoorcreaturefromthewater.ThenetstrainedunderCupid’sweight,digginginto
hisflesh.HehadtoconvincethemtoletCupidgo,beforetheorcawhalewasinjured.

“I’magovernmentresearcher,andwehavetrackingdevicesonseveraloftheseorcas,

includingthisone.HisnameisCupid.Ifyoutakehim,youwillbefound,andyouwillbe
prosecuted.”

UnlikeLogan,Willspokelikeascientist.Thestorywasjustcloseenoughtothetruth

thathedidn’tseemlikehewaslyingatall.

“Government?”heheardoneofthemensay.

Asthepoachersarguedaboutwhattodo,poorCupidwasstuckhangingintheairin

thenet,cryingtobefree.Will’sheartachedfortheanimal.Orcaswereoneofthewildest
creatures he knew, entrapment made them sick. Cupid belonged in the open ocean,
unrestrained.HetriedtowilltheCoastGuardtoflyfaster.

Thepoachershadn’tloweredtheirguns,orletCupidbackintothewater,asWillhad

hoped.Theleaderofthegrouphadgrabbedamegaphoneofhisown.

“Leavenow,”thepoacherdemanded.

Will stood in place, bracing himself. Any moment now, the men, who were growing

panicked, were going to start shooting. Will didn’t want to die, but he would go down
defending this innocent life. Suddenly Logan grabbed him by the back of the neck and
shovedhimdownflatonthewet,icydeck.Shotsfired,ringingloudlyinWill’ssensitive
ears,butmissed,whizzingabovethem.

Hisheartpounding,WilllaynexttoLogan,lettinghisalphapresshimintotheslick

planksofwood.Hedidn’twanttodie.

Just when Will thought the poachers had gotten their way, the whirr of helicopters

overheadsignaledtheCoastGuardhadcome,andtheyorderedthepoacherstolaydown
theirweapons.

Whentheyweresurethecoastwasclear,LoganandWillstoodtowatchtheresultsof

theirefforts.Cupidwasloweredbackintothewater,andWillsighedinrelieftoseehim
swimagain,gloriouslyfree.Theyoungorcadovedeepintothewater,andWillthoughthe
was gone, but then he leapt out of the ocean and into the sky with beautiful grace,
splashingalloverLoganandWill.

WilllaughedindelightandfellintoLogan’sarms.

“We did it,” he breathed, hugging Logan tightly. Logan hugged him back, and for a

fewmomentseverythingwasblissful.

Loganwasveryquiet,andafteraminute,Willliftedhisheadandlookedaround,only

toseethewholecrewstandingondeck,armscrossed,staringatthecouplewithdifferent
expressionsoneachoftheirfaces:horror,disgust,anger,betrayal,confusion,curiosity.

Willopenedhismouthtotrytoexplain,butfoundhimselfspeechlessinfrontofthe

fishermenwhohadtrustedhimontheirboat.

Tohisrelief,Loganspokefirst.

“I’msuremostofyouhavefigureditoutbynow.I’mashifter,andthisisWill.He’s

mymate.Wehidourtruenaturefromyoubecausewedidn’twanttoscareanybody.”

“Scare? Damn right! You’re a bloody werewolf,” Aegis growled, and Will winced

whenhesawOliver,thegreenhorn,coweringawayfromthem.

“We’renotdangerous,”Willtriedtoexplain,butitwastoolate.Everysingleoneof

those men was suspicious of him, even hated him maybe. Logan had been right to hide
theirtrueidentity.

Loganspokeinthatstrong,captain’svoice,andWillwasrelievedthathisalphacould

takecareofthis.

“We’llunloadatdock,andthenyou’reallfreetotakeyourmoneyandgo.Younever

havetocomeaboardSeawolfagain.Now,there’snomoretimetowastetalking.Let’sget
thesecrabbacktodock.”

Themenreluctantlydidastheywereordered,butWillcouldn’tshakethefeelingof

beingstaredat.TheywereunwelcomeonLogan’sownship.Shiftersmighthavebecome
mainstream, but there would always be those who believed they were dangerous and
untrustworthy.

Logan took Will up to the wheelhouse, and for once the couple was able to talk as

Logansteeredtheboatbacktodock.

“Fishermen are a suspicious lot,” Logan admitted. “I haven’t met many who are

friendlytoourkindatthedocks.That’swhyInevertoldthem.Itseemedeasier.Cowardly
maybe,but…”

Will nodded, reaching out to squeeze Logan’s shoulder. His mate had hidden from a

lot of things in his life, but he had put his life on the line to save an animal, and Will
wouldneverforgetthat.

“You’renotacoward,”hesaid,andLoganwasquietforafewminutes,seeminglylost

inhisownthoughts.Stillreelingfrombeingshotat,Willdidn’tmind.

“When we get to land, do you want to leave too?” Logan asked him when he spoke

again.Willstaredathim,shockedthathewouldevenasksuchaquestion.

“No,ofcoursenot,”hesaid.HelovedLoganmorethanever.

Logan took a deep breath, and Will could tell he was trying to spit out something

difficult.

“Then… You and I should leave Alaska. Find a new place to settle down, for our

baby.”

Will’sheartskippedabeat.Loganreallywantedtomakealifewithhim.Hewasready

tocommit,tobeafather.

“WhataboutSeawolf?”heasked.

Loganshrugged.“I’mnotsureyet,butI’llretireherasafishingvesselatleast.”

Willnodded.Hedidn’tblameLoganforbeingattached.Theshipwasbeautiful,and

hadbeenhislife.Hedidn’twanttojustsellher.

“Whereshouldwego?”Willwondered,astheideafinallysetin.

“Home,”Logansaid.

“NewZealand?”

The captain nodded. “Yeah,” he admitted, although there was sadness in his voice.

“NewZealand.We’llhavetoflybeforeyougettoopregnant.”

Will smiled and pressed his palm to his belly thoughtfully, looking down at himself.

Hewasn’tevenshowingyet,buttheybothknew.Neitherofthemhadadoubt.

“New Zealand,” he said, and it seemed sort of magical. He’d always wanted to see

moreoftheworld.He’dheardNewZealandwasbeautiful.Maybetheyreallycouldfinda
placetoraisetheirfamily,there.

Logannodded,wrappinghisarmaroundWill.“AndWill?”

“Yeah?”Willasked,cuddlinguptohimandenjoyingit.

“Iloveyou.”

Willgaspedsoftly,lookingupatLoganinwonder.Whathadchanged?Wherehadthat

comefrom?

“I love you, too,” he admitted, and then kissed him, deep and passionate, lost in his

embrace.FinallyLoganpulledback,chuckling.

“Ihavetosteertheboat,love.Wait.Look!”

Hepointed,andbesidetheboatoneithersideastheyheadedbacktotheharborwere

severalorcawhales,awholepodofthem.

“Will,isthatyourpod?”

Willstood,lookingout,andthenquicklyranoutontothedecktogetacloserlook.

“It’sthem!It’sallofthem,”hesaidwithdelight,ahugesmileonhisface.Hewasso

relievedtoseethisfamilysafeandhappy.Hefeltliketheintelligentanimalsknewwhat
hadbeendoneforthem,theyweregratefulinsomeway.Sayingthankyou.

HeleanedovertherailandreacheddownintothewaterandVenusjumpedoutofit,

nudging his hand with her nose. Bittersweet tears came to Will’s eyes. If only his team
couldhavebeentheretoseeit.

The pod followed them all the way back, and Will waved goodbye to the leaping

giantsastheymadeport.Theotherfishermenpushedhimoutoftheway,annoyedwith
him,butLoganwentoverandwrappedhisarmsaroundhim,holdinghimtight.

“Thatwasincredible,”Logansaid,andWillnodded,stillwipingtearsfromhisface.

“Itwas.Thankyou,Alpha.Thankyouforthem.”

Loganjustnodded,runninghisfingersthroughWill’shair.

“Itwasneveraquestion.I’mnotasevilasyouseemtothink.”

ThecaptainnuzzledatWill’sthroat,andadeepshiverwentthroughtheomega.Logan

wasirresistible.

Willchuckled.“Ineverthoughtyouwereevil,just…”

“Selfish?Unethical?”

Willshookhishead.

“My heart is yours, Captain.” It might be the last time he got to say that. It seemed

strangethatLoganwouldn’tbeaCaptainanymore.

Tohisdelight,Logangavehimahandsomesmileandreplied,“Andmineyours,my

littleseawolf.”

fter completely unloading Seawolf and docking her for the rest of the year, Will
climbedintoLogan’sredpickupandtogethertheydrovetotheAnchorageAirport.

Theydidn’thaveaflight,soLoganhadpromisedWillthatiftheycouldn’tgetone,they
wouldspendtheeveningintheairporthotelanddosomeshopping.Willwasstillstuck
wearingLogan’sclothing,andtheycouldbothuseafewthingsthatdidn’tstinklikefish.

Loganwasstrangelyhappy.Eventhoughhe’dlosthiscrew,hewouldn’tseehisship

for a long time, and they were headed back to his home which held so many tragic
memoriesforhim,hewashappy.Hehadhismate,hewasinlove,andmaybe,justmaybe,
theycouldhaveapeacefullifetogether.Onewithoutanymoretragedy.

Will fell asleep quickly in the truck, it had been a long day, so Logan turned on the

radio quietly and kept himself company for the drive. The Alaskan landscape was
beautiful,andhetookitallinformaybethelasttime.HeandWillbothhadaloveforthis
placethatwouldprobablybringthemback,butfornowhewasgivingitup.Hereached
overandputagentle,possessivehandonWill’sthigh.Seeingallthosegunspointedathis
mate had been terrifying. It had really woken him up to his priorities. His mate and his
baby; they were what he needed in life, nothing else. Maybe he’d spent his whole life
avoidingfamily,buthecouldn’tanylonger.Familywashisdestiny.

Thedrivewaslong,andtokeephimselfawakehestartedtoimaginewhattheirlives

wouldlooklikeinNewZealand.Anicelittlehouse,maybebythebeach.Maybehecould
even build it. Lots of shiplap and navy blue, and their baby could have a boat-shaped
cradletorockinatnight.Foronce,hedidn’thavetodismissthefancifulthoughtsassilly.
Theyweren’t.Theywerehonestlyhisfuture.Aslongashecouldkeephismateandtheir
growing infant alive, he would be rewarded with a beautiful young family to care for.
Theywouldneedahouse,anursery,andallthethingshedreamedof.

Hethoughtaboutwhetherornothisbabywouldlikefishing.Girlorboy,hedecided,

hewouldtakethemandteachthemhowtosail,howtotreattheoceanwithrespect,how
to take only what was necessary and never too much. He knew Will would teach their
child compassion, logic, and bravery, but he wanted to teach them hardiness,
responsibility,andleadership.

He started to see where he and Will could be effective parents, where they balanced

eachotherout.HerememberedhowWillhadsupportedhim,andhehadprotectedWill.
Hethoughttheycouldhavealifelikethat,alifeofcooperation.Alastinglove,oneforthe

historybooks.

LoganleanedoverandkissedWillgentlyinhissleep,moreandmoreinlovewiththe

omega every second. He was so strong, for him and for their baby. Through everything,
Willhadkepthisstrength,andLoganwasgratefultohimforthat.IfWillhadn’tfought
forthis,maybeLoganwouldhavespenthiswholelifeavoidingit.Thatseemedtragicto
himnow,andheknewthathehadtrulygrown.

When they got to Anchorage, Logan gently woke Will after parking the truck in the

airportlotandkissingalloverhischeeksandneck.Willsquirmed,gaspingandlaughing
himselfawake,andgavehimanadoring,sleepylittlelookthatsetLogan’sheartablaze.

“You’re so beautiful,” Logan admitted, and Will flushed. Was he glowing? Logan

thoughthemightbealready.Ormaybehewasfinallyondryland,andthatwasenough.

“Thankyou,”Willmurmured,gettingoutofthetrucktostretchhisslenderbody.

Loganadmiredhim,andgrabbedthefewthingshehadfromtheback.

“We’llcheckwhenthenextflightoutis,andthengetahotelroom,”hepromisedWill.

“I’mwasted.”

Willnodded.“Afteryoutakeanap,canweexploretheairport?”

Logansmiled.Thismanwasendlesslycurious,itseemed.Helovedit.

“Soundsgreat,”hepromised,andkissedWill’scheek.Itfeltgoodtobeabletodothat

openly.“Iloveyou,”hesaidagain,andWillactuallylaughedsoftly.

“Iloveyou,too.Youcan’tstopsayingthat,canyou?”

“No,”Loganadmittedwithagrin.“ShouldI?”

Willshookhishead,smilingjustasmuch.“Notachance,”heassuredhim.

HEY

BOOKED

aflightforlaterthenextdayandLogangotthemabeautifulhotelroom.

ThefirstthingWillwantedwasashower.

“Willyoujoinme?”hecoaxedLogan,whothoroughlystankafterallthattimeonthe

ship.

“Hellyeah,”Loganagreed,pullingWillcloseandkissinghimashebegantostriphis

clothingoff.

Willhelped,strippingLogandown,andthenpulledhimintoasteaminghotshower,

moaninginsensualdelight.

“It’sbeenwaytoolong,”hesighedinrelief,andLoganmadeasimilarlyeroticnoise,

stretchingouthislarge,muscularbodyunderthewater.

Will pressed their naked, wet bodies together and kissed Logan, thrusting his tongue

intohisalpha’smouth.Tohisdelight,Logangavealow,arousedgrowlandpushedWill
againsttheshowerwallwithhisbody,liftinghishipsandholdinghimthere.

Will felt himself harden, and he moaned softly as he rubbed against Logan’s thick

cock,tryingtotempthim.Itseemedtowork.Loganbithisthroat,shovinghishipsand
thathot,achingcockagainstWill,trappinghim.

“Alpha,” Will whispered, and he could hear the words escape his lips like he was

outsideofhisownbody.Hewasn’tinheat,buthestillneededLogan,neededhimmore
thananything.

LoganplacedWillonhisfeetandthenunwrappedoneofthetinybarsofhotelsoap

andlatheredhishandswithit.Willtrembledashefeltthosestronghandsslidealloverhis
body,hischest,hisarms,washingdownhisbackandbetweenhisasscheeks.Then,with
oneslippery,soapyhand,Logangrippedhim.Willcriedout,buckingtowardthetouch.

“Don’t stop,” he begged, and Logan smirked at him, short hair clinging to his wet

forehead.

“Iwon’t,”hisalphapromised.

Logan’s grip tightened as he stroked Will from base to tip, coaxing intense,

overwhelming pleasure from him. He could feel his whole body grow hot, his ass
clenched and suddenly he wanted nothing more than Logan deep inside him, pounding
him,fillinghimlikeheknewthealphacould.

“Please,”Willbeggedsoftly,andheheardagrowlfromLoganinresponse.“Please,

fuckme.”

Loganshookhishead,pullingback.“Notyet.Youwashmenow.”

HehandedthesoaptoatremblingWill.

Willtriedtoclearhishead.Hejustwantedtobefucked,whycouldn’tLoganjusttake

him? But he lathered his hands and washed over Logan’s strong, muscular body and
suddenlyhedidn’tmindsomuch.HescrubbedLogan’schestandback,andthenmoved
down, getting a thrill out of washing his alpha’s tight, round ass. He even knelt and
washedhislegsandfeetthoroughly,massagingeveryinchofhimexcepthiscock.

Will kissed his way back up Logan’s body and smiled at him mischievously. The

captain nuzzled at Will’s throat, and a deep shiver went through the omega. Logan was
irresistible. When he finally got to Logan’s cock, he stroked his thick length in a very
slipperyhand,lovingthewayhetwitchedandthrobbedinhisgrip.Heteasedhim,hoping
tousewhatpowerhehadtodriveLogancrazy.

JustwhenhethoughtLoganmightactuallylethimjerkhimtocompletion,hisalpha

growledandgrabbedhim,pinninghimoncemoreagainstthehardshowerwall,butthis
timechest-first.

Willrestedhischeekagainstthecooltileandhispalmscaressedthewaterdroplets;he

tookadeepbreath.Then,Logan’sthickcockpushedinsidehimandhecriedout,eagerly
pushinghisassbacktotakehimdeeper.

“Oh fuck, Alpha, fuck me,” he begged, and Logan obliged, thrusting against his

prostate,holdingWill’shipsashepushedintohistightlittleass.

“Mine,”Logangrowled.“You’remine,Omega.”

Will loved hearing that, and moaned blissfully. “Yes, yes, yours, don’t stop, yours,

Alpha.”hepanted,movinghishipswitheverysinglethrusttotakehimdeep.

He could smell the bright, clean scent of soap, feel Logan’s strong body pressed

againsthimfrombehind,holdinghimsoperfectlyinplace.Hewrithedonhisincredible
cock,andheknewthathedidbelongtoLogan,butLoganwashistoo,hismateandonly
his.

“Will,” Logan’s voice growled adoringly in his ear, his voice rough with arousal.

“Comeforme,comewithme,”heordered,almostpleaded,andWillcouldn’tresistthat,
nopartofhimcould.

Theybothcriedouttogether,theirmoansfillingtheairaspleasuretookthemeachat

thesametime.ItseemedtoWillliketheywereconnected,linkedtogether,andhenever
wantedtolosethatfeeling.

“Iloveyousomuch,”Willpanted,stillpressedtighttotheshowerwall.Thehotwater

was pouring down over them, filling the small space with thick steam. Sweat and water
rolleddownhisbodyinthickdroplets.

“Iloveyoutoo,Omega,”Loganwhispered,kissingWill’sback,hissoftskin.

Theystayedtogetherlikethatforseveralminutes,andthengentlyLoganpulledback.

In a pleasure-fueled fog, they finished washing each other, kissing and touching and
speakingverysoftly,neitherofthemwantingtoleavethemoment.

Whentheyweredoneintheshower,LoganshutoffthewaterandthenwrappedWill

in a big, soft hotel towel and Will did the same for him. They dried each other gently,
collapsingintobedformoretenderkisses.

Neither of them even bothered to get dressed. Will wrapped himself up in Logan’s

strongarmsandtheyletsleepdotherest,carryingthemtoapeacefulslumber.

OGAN

HADN

’

BEEN

PLANNING

to sleep through the night, but the exhaustion of

captaining a crabbing vessel, not to mention the other adventures that had occurred that
eventfulseason,hadfinallycaughtupwithhim.Whenhedidwakeup,itwastoabright
sun,andthesmellofcoffeeandbaconintheirhotelroom.

He groaned softly and opened his eyes, amused to be greeted by the sight of Will

guiltilyshovingbaconintohismouth,submittingtothosepregnancycravings.

“Justcan’tresist,huh?”Loganteased,andWilljumped.

“Shit!Youscaredme,”hesaid,anddroppedthebacon,ashamedofhimself.“Ifigured

I’dletyousleep,butthere’scoffeeandbreakfastforyou,ifyouwant…”

“Thanks,” Logan said, gazing at his mate with love in his heart. He could do this.

Wake up every morning to his beautiful lover and a big breakfast in a warm bed. There
wereworsewaystolive.

Willbroughtoveracupofcoffeeforhimandsatontheedgeofthebed,wrappedina

hotelbathrobe,hiscurlyhairamessinthemorninglight.Logangroaned.

“Careful,orI’lldragyourightbackintobed,”hemurmured,anditwasbothathreat

andapromise.

Willlaughed.“Wedon’thavetime.Istillwanttoexploretheairportbeforewehaveto

catchourflightthisafternoon,andwesleptin.”

Loganglancedattheclockandgroaned.

“Yeesh.Wereallydid,”hesaid,buthedidn’tregretit.Thoseearlymorningmoments

whenhehadpulledWill’sbodyinclose,cuddledhimtightly,theywerewortheverything
toLogan.Hecouldhavemissedtheirflightentirelyandhestillwouldn’thaveregrettedit.

Logansatuptosiponhiscoffee,leaningovertogiveWillanaffectionatelittlekiss.

“Goodmorning,mylove.”

Willsmiledathimbrightly.“Goodmorning,”hesaidsoftly.“Finishyourcoffeeand

getdressed,please.”

The beautiful young scientist slipped off the bed and went to finish his bacon, and

Logantookabigsipofthehotcoffee,sighingwithpleasure.Thiswasalifeworthliving.

fterpickingupluggage,toiletries,clothesandshoes,anewcomputerforWill,and
a few other necessities, they had lunch in the airport steakhouse. Logan watched

withamusementashisloverdownedanentiresteak.Afterward,theysortedthroughallof
their belongings, checked their luggage, and were browsing the airport gift shop idly as
theywaitedfortheirplanetoboard.

Willwaslookingatpostcards,wonderingifheshouldsendeveryonesomethingtosay

that yes, he was still alive. It wasn’t an easy thing to explain. The university would
probably like to know in some other way than just a postcard. He owed Tracy a phone
call, certainly. But it was tempting to send out the same thing to everyone he knew
“Greetings from Alaska! Still alive. Pregnant. Moving to New Zealand. Best wishes,
Will.”

In the end, he did pick one, with a beautiful landscape on it, to send to his parents.

Theydeservedtoknow,butprobablydidn’tneedmuchmorethanthatpostcard.

“Will!”Logan’svoicecalledtohimfromanotherspotinthestore.

He went over to see what Logan was looking at, and maybe it was the pregnancy

hormones,buttearsnearlycametohiseyes.Loganwasholdingastuffedorcawhale,the
perfectsizeforanewborn’sfirsttoy.

“Whatdoyouthink,babe?AlittlepieceofAlaskaforourkid.”

“It’sperfect,”Willsaid,takingtheorcaandholdingittohischest.

Loganwrappedhisarmaroundhisshoulders,andtookhimuptothecountertopay.

Hesawthepostcard.

“Who’sthatfor?”

Will smiled a little. “My parents. I figure they should at least know I’m alive, and

havingtheirgrandkid.”

Logan nodded, smiling back. “That makes sense. Do you have a good relationship

withyourparents?”

Will shrugged. “Sort of. We don’t talk much. Dad is an alpha in a big town, so he’s

always busy with that. Once I started studying for my doctorate they got used to not
hearingfromme.”

Loganshookhishead.“Youshouldtrytotalktothemmorewhileyoustillhavethem.

Forthebaby,too.Nograndparentsonmyside.”

WilllookedatLoganthoughtfully.Hecouldtellhismatewascontrollinghistonevery

carefully,butheseemedsad,ormaybebitter.

“You’llhavetotellmeaboutitsometime,”hesaidgentlyastheyleftthegiftshop.

“Iknow,”Loganadmitted,andWillletitgo.Logancouldtellhimwhenhewasready.

OGAN

HADN

’

BEEN

on a plane in a while, and it was going to be a very long flight.

Thirtyhours,includingacouplestopovers.Herealizedhe’dessentiallygottenasfaraway
fromhomeaspossible.Somehow,hehadtopullhimselftogetherenoughtotellWillwhy.
Itwasn’tlikeitwasasecret,butitwaspainful,andhewasn’texcitedtoshareitandbring
upthosememoriesagain.

Besides, then he would have to tell Will about his plan, and it wasn’t a very smart

plan.

HewrappedhisarmaroundWill’sshouldersandcuddledclosetohimintheirseats,

andwasrelievedtofeelWillcuddlecloseaswell,takingcomfortinhim.

The stewardess came by to offer drinks, and Will declined, but Logan paused,

checkinginwithhismate.Wasitallrightifhehadadrink?Willgavehimalittlesmirk,
asifamusedthathisalphawouldevenaskpermission,buthenodded,andLoganthought
hehadwonafewpointsforbeingconsiderate.Hewastrying.

“Doyouthinkit’sgoingtobeagirloraboy?”Loganasked,afterhisdrink.Hewas

feelingjustalittlebitmoreopen,despitethefactthattheywereonapublicplane.

Will smiled up at him, and Logan’s heart pounded in his chest. The man was so

beautiful.

“Idon’tknow.Itdoesn’treallymatter,anyway.Genderis…”Heshrugged.“ButIdo

wonderaboutwhatsortofpersonthey’regoingtobe.Whatthey’llwanttodowiththeir
life.Iwantthemtohaveeveryopportunitytheycan.”

Logansmirked.“Hopefullytheylikeadventurealittlelessthanme.”

Will laughed softly. “You’re not the only one who enjoys adventure, you know. I

wasn’toutthereinthewaterwithgiantkillerwhalesbecauseIwasafraidofadventure.”

“That’strue.You’reoneofthebravestpeopleIknow,”Logansaidwithanod.

The way Will’s face lit up was worth every word. Logan had the wry thought that

maybeheshoulddrinksmallamountsmoreoften,buthereprimandedhimselfforit.He
hadtotrytobuildbetterhabits.Beabetterman.ForhiskidandforWill.

“Thankyou,”Willsaid,andkissedhischeek.Heyawned.“Howlonghavewebeen

onthisplane,anyway?”

Logangroaned,tryingtostretchhislegs.“Toofuckin’long,that’swhat,”hegrowled.

Will smiled and rested his head on Logan’s chest. “I think I’m just going to sleep

here,”hedecided.

Howcouldheresistthat?Willlookedsosweet,hischerubicfacepeaceful,longlashes

restingagainsthischeeksasheclosedhiseyes.

“Yeah,goahead,”hemurmuredaffectionately.

Suddenly,heheardhismother’sscream.Sawamonstrouswolf’sjaws.Heswallowed

hardandshiftedabitinhisseat,tryingtocalmdown.Hedidn’thavetotellWillthatstory
justyet.Whywashethinkingaboutit?

Whatifthesamethinghappenedtotheirbaby?WhatifheandWillwerekilled,and

their child was orphaned? Would he become like Logan? Would the cycle continue? He
didn’twanthischildtobeafraidlikehewas.Hewantedthebabytogrowuptobestrong
andbravelikeWill.Resilient.Notrunning,readytotakeonanythinginhispath.Hewas
thealphaintheirrelationship,butsomehowWillmanagedtooutclasshiminconfidence
andbravery.Hethoughtitmustbethesecuritythatgrowingupwithbothofhisparents
hadgivenhim.Loganwantedthatfortheirchildmorethananything.

HeranhisfingersthroughWill’shairgently,andthenkissedhisforehead.He’djust

havetoprotectthemboth.Neverletithappen.Thatmeantheknewonealphathathadto
die.

THE

TIME

they got to Auckland, Will felt like he was much further along in his

pregnancy.Ithadonlytakenabouttwodays,butsomewhereinthattimehehadbegunto
seeabump,andhefeltheavieringeneral.Hewasgladthattheyhaddonetheflightearly
inhispregnancy.Itcouldhavebeenalotworse.

Theygotanotherhotel.WillwasprettysureLoganknewwherehewasgoing,butthat

didn’t mean they had a place to live yet, and it was nerve wracking. Adventure, he
remindedhimself.AslongasheandLoganweretogether,hefeltsafe,andhewasready
totrynewthings,includingbeinghomeless.Afterall,heessentiallyhadbeenwhenhe’d
beenatsea.Whywoulditbesodifferentonland?

Willcollapsedontothebighotelroombedwithahappysigh,hisbodystretchedout.

HecaughtLoganlookingathimandsmirked.

“Whatisit?”

“Icanseeitnow.Thebaby.”

Willflushedandpulledhisshirtdown.

“Ishouldhaveboughtbiggersizes.Idon’tknowwhatIwasthinking.”

“I don’t think either of us really thought about your body changing so soon,” Logan

admitted.“Itseemedlikeitwasoursecret.Iwasgettingusedtothat.”

Noweverybodywouldknow,Willrealized.Shiftershavingmalepregnancieswasn’t

uncommon, but there were still people, like Logan’s crew, who didn’t like shifters and
didn’twantthemaround.Usually,mostpeoplecouldn’ttell,butwhilehewaspregnanthe
was going to be subject to quite a bit of unwelcome racism, not to mention the usual

commentsfromwell-meaningstrangers.

Logan knelt by the bed and nuzzled at Will’s softly rounded stomach, kissing the

bump.

“Shhh,don’tworry,”hisalphasoothed.“Wecangetyoumoreclothes.Youcanwear

myshirts.Idon’tcare.It’sbeautiful.You’rebeautiful.”

Willcouldn’thelpbutsmile,buthewasstillflushed.

“Youthinkso?”

“Ofcourse,”Logannodded.“Look.Thisisourbabyrighthere.Injustafewmonths

ourlittlepersonwilljoinus.Howwonderfulisthat?”

Logan looked so sexy, Will suddenly realized. His Kiwi accent was strong when he

was excited, and there on his knees, delighting over his tiny baby bump, he definitely
lookedlikehusbandmaterial.

“You’rewonderful,”Willpurred,andhestrokedhisfingersthroughLogan’sshorthair,

pullinghimclose.

Hewashard.Andhorny,butnotlikehehadbeenwhenhe’dbeeninheat.Thiswas

different,lessdesperate,moreplayful.HestillneededLogan,butmostlyhewantedtoget
off.

Logangavealowmoan,andWillknewhecouldsmellthatarousalonhim.Hismate

begantonuzzleathiscockthroughhispants,andWillmoaned,too,pushinghishipsup
towardhislips.

“PleaseAlpha,”hewhispered.

Logan eased off his jeans and kept nuzzling against his swollen cock through his

briefs.HefreedWill’sachingcockandwrappedhisfulllipsaroundhim,andWillbucked
beneathhim,whimperinginpleasure.

“Logan,”hemoaned.

Hewasn’tsurewhathadcomeoverhim,butLogan’slipsandtongueweresohoton

him, they felt so amazing. He gripped his alpha’s hair and actually pushed him down,
whichmighthavepissedafewalphasoff.Logandidgrowlathim,buthealsotookhim
deeper,suckingharder,andWillcriedoutsoftly,closealready.

Logan didn’t tease him. He took him into his throat, took him deep again and again

untilWilltumbledintohisrelease,fillingLogan’sincrediblemouth.

“Alpha,”hegroanedhappily.“Thatwassogood,”hepanted.

Logansmirkedandclimbedontopofhim,straddlinghischest.

“Don’tthinkyou’llgetoffthateasily,youbrat.”

WillwasfacedwithLogan’sthick,hardcock,andhegrinnedupathim,notminding

atall.

“Makeme,”heteasedlightly,andwasdelightedwhenLogangrabbedahandfulofhis

curlyhairandpushedbetweenhislips.

Willmoaned,enjoyingthemuskyscentofhimandthesweettasteofhisprecum.He

slowly sucked, but Logan pushed himself deeper, and that just made Will squirm with
pleasure.HecouldprobablygethardagainjustfromLoganfuckinghisfacesoperfectly.

ThemoreLogangotworkedup,thelesspatienthewas,andWillwasinheavenbythe

end,happilyhavinghismouthused,thatenormouscockpulsingasitpouredalloverhis
tongue.

Heswalloweddowneverydrop,gazingupatLoganadoringly.

Loganpulledback,panting.

“Youokay?”

Loganhadbeenprettyrough,butWillhadlovedit.Hekissedhim,tastinghimselfon

Logan’sfulllips,andknowingthatLogantastedthesame.

“Mmm.I’mgreat.You’resosexy.”HepulledLoganinclose,nuzzlingathisthroat,

andLoganchuckledsoftly.

“God,you’refrisky.”

“Iknow,”Willadmitted,amused.“Maybeit’sthehormones?”

“Maybe,”Loganagreed,kissinghisbelly.“Idon’thateit.”

Will didn’t really mind, either. He’d been feeling pretty sick for the first part of his

pregnancy,soitwasarelieftofinallybefeelingbetter.Hewastrulyexcitedaboutbeing
pregnantandgettingtomeetthebaby.Thingsseemedtobeturningup.

hey spent a few blissful days in the hotel. It had been a long trip, from port to
Anchorage, and then from Anchorage to Auckland with a layover. They were both

donetravellingforawhile,justexhaustedfromit.

Willwasstartingtoaskmoreandmorequestionsabouthislife,andLoganknewthat

he’d have to tell him his story before they could head toward his home town. It was a
difficultstory,butWillneededtoknow.

He decided one night after dinner to try. They both undressed, and cuddled into bed

witheachother,andLogantookadeepbreath,holdingWillclosetohimasifafraidhe’d
runaway.

“YouknowIkeepavoidingtellingyouaboutmypast,”hesaidquietly.

Will turned to look at him, and then nodded. “I said you could tell me when you’re

ready,”hepointedout.Logansmiledalittle.

“I’mnevergonnabefullyready.It’sjustpainfultotalkabout.MostofthetimeItry

nottothinkaboutit.”

Hissweetomegajustlookedathimwithkind,concernedeyes.Readytolisten.Logan

didhisbest.

“I grew up in a town on the coast. My father was alpha there, and I had two older

brothers.Wewereallreallyhappy.Mydadtaughtustofish,andheandmymomadored
eachother.Ievengotalongwithmybrothers.Theyteasedme,but…”

Heswallowed.Hewasavoidingthepainfulpart.

“Onenight,arivalalphabrokeintoourhouse.Hekilledthemall.Mymom,mydad,

both of my brothers, he slaughtered them. But he left me alive. Some bullshit about me
beingtooyoung,andhowitwasmorehumiliatingthisway,leavingmeanorphan.”

Heshookhishead.“SometimesIwishedhe’djustkilledme.”

Willhuggedhimvery,verytightly,andLoganknewhismatewaslistening,sohewent

onbeforehecouldn’tfinish.

“I went from foster home to foster home, but nobody wanted a shifter mixing with

their‘normal’kids.Bythetimetheyfoundmefosterparentsthatactuallywereshifters,I
wasalmosteighteen.Iagedout,andthennoonewastheretotakecareofme.That’swhen

IwenttoAlaska.”

Willlookedupathim.“I’msosorry,Logan.”

Logan nodded. “Everyone has something bad in their life, I guess. Your parents die

onewayoranother,minejustdiedearly.But…eversincethen,I’veneverreallybelieved
Icouldhaveafamily.I’verunfromthat.Sowhenyoushowedup…”Heshookhishead.
“Andnow,I’mworriedthatIwon’tbeabletoprotectourfamilyifthetimecomes.Being
analphaisdangerous.”

Willshrugged. “So isbeing a captain.But you did thatfor a longtime. You need to

have more faith in yourself, my love. Besides, if we ever were attacked, it wouldn’t be
yourfault,justlikewhathappenedtoyourfamilywasn’tyourfather’sfault.”

“I often blame him,” Logan admitted softly. “He was supposed to fight for us, to

protectus.”

Willsighedandtouchedhisface.“Logan.Everyonehasalimittotheirstrength.The

manwhokilledyourfamilywasamurderer.Hedeservestheblame,notyourfather.”

Logannodded.“You’reright.”

That meant he had only one person to blame, and to think Robert Graves might still

live,whilehisfamilyhadbeendeadforsolongitdisturbedhissenseofjustice.Heclung
to his omega, trembling a little. He could close his eyes and hear the screams, and he
didn’twantto.Willstrokedoverhisbackslowly,bringinghimcomfort,graduallygetting
himtocalmdown.

“Thankyoufortellingme,”Willwhispered,andLogannodded.

“Thankyouforlistening.”

“Canyousleepnow?”hismateasked.

Logannodded,feelingexhaustedfromtheemotionalconversation.

“Yeah.Weshouldleavetomorrow.”

Willpattedhimgently.“We’lltalkaboutitthen.Rest,Captain.”

Loganletthatsweetpeacetakehimgratefully.

WAS

alottotakein.Loganhadsufferedsuchaloss,atsuchayoungage,andWill,who

wasstrugglingwithhisowngrief,couldonlyimaginehowithadaffectedseven-year-old
Logan. The next morning Will lay watching Logan as he slept, gently running his
fingertipsthroughhissoftshorthairandcaressinghisstubbledcheek.Helovedthisman
morethananythingintheworld,herealized.Fatehadbeenright.HeneededLoganinhis
life.

He kissed Logan softly, cuddling against his warm body as he roused slightly. His

alphagaveasleepy,sexylittlegrowlashewrappedhisstrongarmaroundhim.

WillknewthatLoganfearednotbeingabletoprotectthem,butwithLoganaround,he

really felt safe, truly protected by the strong alpha. If anything ever did happen, it

wouldn’t be Logan’s fault. Just as long as he could keep Logan from running away. At
leastheunderstoodwhyhismatemightwantto.

Loganwokemore,kissingatWill’sthroat,andWillmoanedsoftly,stillfartooeasily

aroused.

“Careful,”hebreathed.

Logan gave a soft chuckle against his neck and ear and kept kissing, pushing his

strongbodyagainstWill.TheomegagaspedwhenhefelthowhardLoganwas.

“Oh Alpha, please,” he whispered, grinding against him desperately. He couldn’t

resist.

Loganrolledontopofhimandpushedinsideofhim,andWillmoanedinrelief.He

rockedwithhim.Theywerebothstillsleepy,buteverymovementwasintense,working
Willupslowly.

“It’ssogood,”hewhispered,wrappinghisarmsaroundLogantoclingtohim.

Logangrowledsoftlyinpleasure,thrustingatjusttherightangleinsideofWill.

“Shhh.Goodboy,relax,”Loganpurred,slidingevendeeperinsideofhim,fillinghim

tothehilt.

Will cried out softly, squirming on his enormous, thick cock, clenching around him.

Loganwasmovingsoslowly,andhetriedtorelax,butitfeltsogood.

Loganwasrelentless.Hekeptthatslow,steadypace,workingWillup,gazingdown

intohiseyes.Willgasped,hisbreathhitchingashefelthimselfgetclose.

“Logan,Alpha,I’llcome,”hewarned.Loganseemedtotakethatashiscue.

ThelargermanbegantoreallythrustdeepinsideofWill,andhecouldn’ttakeit.Will

screamed softly, his whole body arching in pleasure, his eyes wide in amazement as he
covered himself in come. He felt Logan fill him at the same time, kissing him
passionately.

Afterwards,pantingforbreath,WillkissedLoganbackandthenpressedmorekisses

alloverhisface.

“Goodmorning,”hechuckledsoftly,andLogangrinned.

“Whatawaytowakeup,”heagreed.

HEY

BOTH

GOT

READY

QUIETLY

, even though only Logan knew where they were going,

and the truth about it. He’d been so overwhelmed the night before, explaining about his
family’sdeath,thathehadn’tgottentothepartaboutthealphawhodidit.

They packed all their bags and then Will sat, gazing down at his baby bump as he

waitedforLogan.LogantookamomenttojustlookatWillwhowassobeautifulsitting
there.

“I’mgoingtofightthealpha,”hefinallyspokeup.

Will’sbigbrowneyeswidenedashestaredatLogan.

“What?You’lldowhat?”

“I’mgoingtofightthealpha.Makehimleavemytown.Takeitback.Andthenwe’ll

raiseourkidwhereIwasraised,rightontheocean.”

Willshookhishead.“Logan,thatsoundsdangerous.”

Loganwasdetermined.“I’manalpha.Ihavemymatebesideme.I’mstrongenough,I

cantakehim.Besides,he’llbeoldnow.It’stime.”

Thatwasthenaturalcycleofalphas,Willknewthat.Whentheyfought,itwasabattle

to the death, notoriously so. Will thought to himself that it might be one of the only
acceptableformsofmurderinthemodernworld.Wolveshadtowintheirterritory.Itwas
theonlyway.

“You’dbetterwin,”Willsaidseriously.“Ifyougointothis,youneedtowin.Iwillnot

loseyou.”

Loganlookedintohismate’seyes.

“Iwillwin,”hepromised.“Let’sgo.”

DRIVE

WAS

ABSOLUTELY

STUNNING

.NewZealandrivaledevenAlaskaforbeauty,but

in a completely different way. They drove through lush, green, rolling hills and passed
magnificentmountainsthatreachedhighintotheendlessblueskies.Willwastransfixed.
Hedugoutanotebookandcurledupinthepassenger’sseat,beginningtoscribbledown
notes.

“Whatareyouwriting?”Loganasked.

Willsmiled,lookinguptogazeoutthewindow.

“IthinkI’mgoingtowriteabook.Weneverfinishedourresearch,butwemademany

insights,andtheirstory—itdeservestobetold.”

LogangavehimanadmiringlookandWillflushed.ThewaythatLoganlookedathim

these days made him feel so warm and protected. Of course, the sunny weather in New
Zealand,whichwasheadingintosummerasAlaskawasheadingintowinter,helpedwith
thattoo.Hecouldn’timagineanyonedrowninginpitchblack,icywatershere.Therewere
justgreenhillsformiles,andtheoccasionalfluffywhitesheepwanderingamongthem.

He almost wondered for one terrible moment, why Logan had left, and then he

realized what an insensitive thought that was. These hills might be home for Logan, but
theywerealsoaplaceofdeathandlossjustasmuchastheBeringSeahadbecomefor
Will.

Will kept writing, putting some of his thoughts and fears down in words. When he

rememberedthecoldlikedaggerstohischest,hewrote.Whenherememberedthescream
heheardjustbeforetheyallwentunder,hewrote.

Loganwaslargelysupportive,stayingquiet.Willknewhehadhisownfeelingsabout

returninghome.TheybothknewthatthealphawhohadkilledLogan’sparentswasmost
likelystillthere,runningthelocalpack.

Afterseveralhoursofdriving,theymadeapitstop,andWillstockeduponjerkyand

chocolate.Hewascravingthestrangestthingsthesedays,atleastforhim.Asheslidback
intothecar,henoticedLoganwasdonepumpinggas,butwasstillstandingthereoutside,
staringatthegasstationsign.

“Logan?”Willasked,pokinghisheadoutofthewindow.“Babe?Areyouokay?”

Themanwasobviouslystartled.HelookeddownatWill.

“I…We’reclose.Almostthere.Mydadusedtostopatthisgasstationwhenwewent

camping.”

Will’sheartsank.HecouldseethepaininLogan’seyes,evenalltheseyearslater.The

BeringSea,herealized,wasnothingcomparedtothedestructionLoganhadwitnessedat
home.Hebegantoseehowhismatecouldtakecomfortincoldsteelandfatcrab.

“I’msorry,”Willsaidquietly,offeringhishandoutthewindow.“Doyouwantmeto

drive?”

Loganreachedoutandgrippedhishand,squeezingit.

“Yeah.Maybethatisn’tsuchabadidea.Thankyou.”

Loganleanedinandkissedhim,andWillmoanedsoftlywhenhefelthishotlips.He

wasstillsoeasilyturnedon,butnowwasn’tthetime.

Willgotoutofthecartoswitchseatswithhim.Hebuckledupandadjustedtheseatto

fithisownsize.HewaslankyandalittleshorterthanLogan,buthewasalllegs,andnow
hehadasmallbellytocontendwith,aswell.“Yousettled?”heaskedhisalpha.

Logan nodded, quiet but buckled in. Will considered, and then reached into his bag

and grabbed a pack of jerky, opening it. He offered Logan some, and Logan smiled and
tookapiece.

“Yourjerky?Ihalfthoughtyou’dbitemyhandoffifItried,”Loganlaughed,andWill

grinned.

“It’sprecious.Youshouldfeelhonored.”

Hefinishedthepieceofmeat,andthenleftthepackageinLogan’shandandgotback

onthehighway.

Hecouldn’tfightLogan’sbattleforhim,notasanomega.Buthecouldgethisalpha

home.

HEY

STOPPED

inamoteljustoutsideoftown,andLoganimmediatelynoticedhowmuch

things had changed. This motel had once been a charming bed and breakfast with white
washed stucco and a fat cat in the window. Now, it was a grungy dirty pink all over,
extended and turned into a cheap roadside motel. Logan went inside and spoke to Lisa.
Sheandherhusbandhadruntheplacefordecades.Whathadhappened?

“Hi there,” he said to her, and he knew she wouldn’t recognize him. The last time

she’dseenhim,he’dbeenafewfeetshorterandmuchcuter.

“Hellodear!”Shegreeted.Shewassomucholderthanheremembered,ofcourse,but

hersmilewasthesame.Mostly.Maybeitwasalittlesadder.

“Iusedtolivearoundhere,backthenthiswastheMeadowInn.”

“Why,it’sstilltheMeadowInn,dear.We’vehadsomerenovations,ofcourse…”

Logannodded,frowningashelookedaround.

“Whathappened?”heaskedherquietly.Shesighed,thenlookedathimkeenly.

“What’syourname,dear?Iremembereveryonewhocomesthroughhere,especiallyif

theystayawhile.”

Logansmiled.“LoganHarris.Youprobablyremembermymotherandfather.”

Her eyes widened, and then filled with tears. The elderly woman came out from

behindthecounterandwrappedherarmsaroundhimtightly,squeezinghim.

“Logan!” she gasped. “Of course I remember you. I remember your whole family, it

wasdevastatingforallofus,howthey…”

Shelookedupathimwithwideeyes,andhetouchedherarmsgently.

“Whatisit,Lisa?”

Sheshookherhead,fearfulnow,andsteppedawayfromhim.

“RobertGraves.Youshouldknow,he’sstillhere.He’swhathappenedtothistown.”

Logan’seyesnarrowed.“Thealpha,”hesaid,andshenodded.

“Heboughtupeverything.Squeezedthemforasmuchprofitashecouldget.Hewas

theonewhoforcedustoturnthisplaceintoamotel,butsincethenhehasn’tpaidforany
upkeep.Andthat’snotall.Thewholetownhasbeenrundown,worndry.Heeventook
controlofthefisheries,andnowthelocalwatersaretapped.Theplaceisawasteland.We
don’tevengettouristsanymore.”

Logan shook his head, horrified. This town had been a prospering coastal attraction,

withbustlingfisheries,abeautifulreeftoexplore…Thatbastardhaddestroyedhishome.

Suddenly, guilt filled him. If he hadn’t been such a coward, if he had come back

sooner,maybesomeofthesepeoplewouldn’thavelosttheirbusinesses.

“I’msosorry,Lisa,”hesaid,andsheshookherhead.

“Nonsense.Youwereonlyachild.Yourpoorfamily…No.Noneofthisisyourfault,

dear,butIwouldsuggestyouleave.Youcanstaytonight,butifMr.Gravesgetswindthat
you’reintownhewon’tlikeit.”

Logannodded.Hepaidforaroomandtookthekey.

“Thankyou,Lisa.It’sgoodtoseeyouagain.”

“Ofcourse,Logan.Godbless,”shesaid,pattinghishandsweetlyasheleft.Hewent

outtothecar,whereWillwasstillwriting,andknockedonthewindow.

Willrolleditdowntospeaktohim.

“Igotusaroom,”Logansaid.“Theladywhorunsthisplace,shesaysRobertGraves

hastakenoverthetown.Thathe’llcomefindmeifhehearsI’maround.”

Willfrowned.“That’sthealpha?Theonewhokilledyourfamily?”

Logannodded.“Yes.Anditsoundslikehe’snearlydestroyedthiswholeplace.Ihave

tofighthim,Will.It’stheonlyway.”

Willhadmadeitclearhedidn’tlikethatidea,buthedidn’targue,thistime.Hejust

gotoutofthecarandgrabbedhisbag.

“You’reright,”theyoungscientistfinallyadmitted.“Youhavetofighthim.Ijustwish

itdidn’thavetobetothedeath.”

Loganshrugged.“Metoo.Ineverwantedtokillanyone.Butit’sthewayalphasare.”

Willnodded,hugginghimtightly.

“Whichroomisours?”heasked,andLoganpointedtotheirroom,whichwasonthe

secondfloor.HetookWill’sbagsandcarriedthemupthestairsforhim.

The place was rundown, but clean, and Logan fell onto the bed. He was exhausted

from their trip, but also just emotionally worn down. He would have to kill a man. An
alpha,inaproperfight,butstill.He’dneverkilledsomeonebefore.

Will climbed onto the bed with him and wrapped himself around him, and Logan

rememberedwhathewasdoingitallfor.Heplacedhishandoverthebabybump,smiling.

“Haveyouthoughtofanynamesyet?”heaskedhislover.

Willhummedthoughtfully.“Maybe…Oliviaforagirl?OrKaren.”

“Karen?”Loganasked,makingaface.“IlikeEmily.OrCassandra.”

Willshookhishead.“DefinitelynotCassandra.Whataboutaboy?Timothy?”

“Timothyisn’tbad.Timmy?IguesswecouldhaveaTimmy.”

Willsmirked.“Nowthatyousayitlikethat,no.DefinitelynotTimothy.”

They both laughed. Logan shifted down and rested his head on Will’s stomach,

listeningquietlytoseeifhecouldhearaheartbeat.Thelifegrowinginsidehismate,that
washalfhim,andheknewassoonastheirbabywasborn,theywouldreallybeafamily.
Willwasn’thishusbandyet,but…

SuddenlyLoganlookedupatWill.

“Doyouwanttomarryme?”heasked.

Willgasped,shocked,andstareddownathim.

“Areyouproposing?”

Logannodded.“Yeah.Yeah,Iam.SorryIdon’thavearingyet,butIjustthoughtofit.

Willyoumarryme?Please?Iwantyoutobemyhusband.”

Will looked like he might cry, and Logan hoped it was in a good way. His omega

pulledhimintohisarmsandkissedhimpassionately.

“Yes,Iwanttomarryyou.Iwantyoutobemyhusband,too.”Henuzzledagainsthim.

“Shouldwedoitbeforethebabyisborn?”

Logan shrugged. “That’s up to you. I could understand if you didn’t want to be

pregnantforthewedding.Justaslongaswegetmarried.”

Willnodded.“Yeah.Ofcourse.IguessIalwaysthoughtwewould,but…”

Logan smiled. “Me too, that’s why I realized I should probably actually ask,” he

laughed.

Loganfelthisomegagivehimstrength.Hewouldn’tlosethatfight.Hewasconfident

now,hewouldwin,andhewouldmakeagoodlifeforhisnewfamily,hishusbandand
theirbaby.

“WhataboutJacob?”heasked,andWillnodded.

“Ilikethat.Andforagirl?”

Loganthoughtforamoment.“Lisa?”

Willsmiledwidely.“Oh,Ilikethat.It’spretty.”

Pleased,Logangavehimahappykiss.“Iloveit.”

Willlaughedsoftly,strokingLogan’scheek,bringinghimcomfort.“Metoo.Getsome

rest,Captain.”

knockontheirmotelroomdoorwokeWillupinthemiddleofthenight.Hegotup
toanswerit,rubbingathiseyesblearily.Behindhim,Logangroanedandsatup.

“Whatisit?”hisalphaasked.

Amaninasuit,anotherwolf,staredWilldownfromtheothersideofthedoor.

“Comeoutside,”themandemanded,andWillshookhishead.

“What?No,I…”Hetriedtoshutthedoor,butthemaninthesuitpressedaguntohis

roundedpregnantbellyandWillfroze.Slowlyhewalkedoutsideanddownthestairsto
themotelparkinglot,hishandsbehindhishead.“Please,”hebeggedsoftly.

Logan rushed out after them as soon as he realized what was happening, which was

probablytheintent.Willwasledovertoablacktowncarandpushedontohisknees,the
gunnowpressedtohistemple.HewatchedasLoganapproached,snarling.

“Let him go,” his mate demanded, and Will took a deep breath. Logan could handle

this.Neitherofthemwoulddietonight,hejusthadtoconvincehimselfofthatandstay
calm.Notdoanythingstupid.

Outofthevehiclesteppedthealpha,Robert.Hewasoldernow,withslickedbackgrey

hairandatightlyfittedblacksuit,justlikehisgoons.HesneeredatWill,butwalkedover
tofaceLogan.

“Leave,”Mr.Gravessaid,andWillstruggledtoseewhatwasgoingon,buthecould

onlyseethebackoftheman’shead.

Logan’svoicewasangry,butsurprisinglysteady,considering.

“You killed my family, Graves. You killed my father in his sleep like a coward, and

thenyoukilledmymotherandmybrothers,eventhoughtheydidnothingtoyou,ever.”

Mr.Gravescackled,andWillshiveredatthesoundofit.

“LittleLogan.Iwonderedifyouwouldcomeback.Iguessitwasamistake,leaving

youalive.Lookwhatyou’vedone.Grownintoanalphaofyourveryown.Foundamate.
Youcouldhavestayedaway,butno.You’reback.Here.Thisismytownnow,Harris.You
won’ttakeitfromme.”

Loganliftedhishead.

“You owe me a fight. I remember that night. Do you? You told me that if I needed

revenge,IcouldcomeandtakeitwhenIwasoldenough.I’mhere,andI’mgoingtokill
you.”

Theolderalphalaughedagain,andWillgrowledsoftly,hatingthesoundofit,hating

howhemockedhisfiancé.

“You’regoingtodieinfrontofyouromega,”Gravesspat.“Isthatwhatyouwant?”

Logan didn’t falter. “I want to fight. For this territory. One on one, and your goons

betterletmyomegafreebeforewestart.”

Mr. Graves snarled, but he knew that it was the way. An alpha fight was between

alphas.Noomegaoranyoneelseshouldbeinvolved,andevenamanlikeRobertGraves
couldn’tgoagainstatraditionthatold.

“Lettheomegago,”hetoldthem,andtheyreleasedWill,whoranovertohugLogan

tightly.

“Don’tlose,”hebeggedLogan,andthenwentandstoodback.

Themoonwashighandalmostfull.Bothalphaswouldbealmostatfullstrength.It

wouldbebrutal.Butitwasdestiny,asmuchasLogansavingWillhadbeen,forLoganto
comebackandavengehisfamily.Hewasborntoreclaimthisterritory.

Bothalphasshiftedmid-attackastheylaunchedateachother.Willrealizedhe’dnever

even seen Logan in wolf form. He was huge, nearly black, and it became clear that
Graves,withhisskinnygreyform,wasnowherenearinhisprimeanymore.

Logantoreintotheotheralphawithdecadesofpent-upanger,andwiththestrongest

instinctintheworld—hewasprotectinghismate,andhischild.

Whenbright,crimsonbloodflowedoverhisalpha’scoat,Willavertedhisgaze,hating

towatch.Vicioussnarlsandasickeningwhimperfromoneofthemawokethedeadnight.
Afewlightsflickeredoninthewindowsofthemotel.Willthoughtaboutalifewithout
Logan and held his round belly tight, nausea rolling through his stomach like a deadly
wave.Pleasedon’tdie,Willbeggedsilently.Please.

It was over faster than Will thought it might be. When the grey wolf finally stopped

movingbeneathLogan,andtheterrifyingnoisesceased,Willranovertohimandhugged
thehugeblackwolf,hisalpha,thealphaofthistown.

“You’rebleeding,”hewhispered,butLogandidn’tseemconcerned.Graveswasalot

worseoff.

Will clung to his fiancé tightly, and watched in horror as the men in suits put their

alpha’sbodyinthetrunkanddroveoff.

“Theywon’tbeback…willthey?”heasked,lookingdownintoLogan’spainedhazel

eyes.Hehadadeep,bloodyscratchalongtheleftsideofhisface,andhisfurwasmatted
thickwithblood.Loganwouldneverbethesame,wouldhe?

Logan shook his head, exhausted and hurt, but confidently victorious. Will believed

him.Graves’erawasover.

“Comeon,Alpha,weneedtogetyouinside.”

It was still the middle of the night, and Logan definitely needed rest after that. Will

slidhisarmaroundLoganasheshiftedbackintohishumanform,andsupportedhima
littlebitastheywalkedbackupthestairstotheirmotelroom.Loganwasweary,limpinga
little.Willcouldtellhewastryingtobebrave,butheheardhimhisssoftlyinpainasthey
made their way up each step. The wounds would heal quickly for his strong alpha, but
WillworriedmoreaboutwhatmightbegoingoninLogan’smind.

Itwasthestrangestfeeling.Willknewhewassafenow,buthefelt…unsettled.That

hadbeenthemostviolentthinghe’deverwitnessed,andhefeltashamedforhavinghad
any part in it. Still, he had to admit he’d gotten the result he wanted. Logan had won.
RobertGraveswasdead.

Dead. They’d killed someone, his mate had murdered that man. For revenge? For

safety?Werethosegoodenoughreasons?

HeputLoganintothebed.Hewinced,butsaidnothing.Loganwasveryquiet,much

likehim,andWillunderstood.Hecrawledintobedandpulledthecoversoverthemboth
oncemore,tremblingalittle.Howcouldhesleepafterthat?Inonenight,lessthantwenty
minutesofhisentirelife,everythinghadchangedoncemore.Whydiditalwayshappenso
fastlikethat?Theyhadn’tevenhadachancetotrytotalkRobertintoleaving.

Notthathewouldhave.Ever.Itjustwasn’tanalpha’sway.Thiswasthewayitwas

done,andalwayswouldbedone,andWillhadtocometoacceptthat.

Inthatcase,theywerestillindanger.Wouldn’ttheyalwaysbe?Wouldn’ttherealways

beotheralphastocomeinandtrytotakeovertheland,tofighthismatetothedeath?

HebegantounderstandwhereLogan’sfearhadcomefrom,whyhehadtriedsohard

toavoidhavingafamily.AslongasLoganwasanalpha,theirfamilywouldbeatarget.
Maybetheotheralphaswouldn’tslaughtertheirentirefamilylikeGraveshad,butdidit
matter? Will wasn’t ready to lose Logan, not ever. And yet, how many alphas died a
naturaldeath?Willwasn’tsure,butafterwhathe’djustseen,hewaswillingtoguessit
wasalotlowerthantherestofthegeneralpopulation.

He wrapped his slender arms around Logan, trying to breathe slowly, not to panic.

Therewasalwaysaway,alwaysasolutiontotheproblem.Theywouldfindit,together,
aftersomesleep.

Ifhecouldsleep.

OGAN

LAY

inthedarknesswithhislover,tryingtocometotermswithwhathe’ddone,

whathehadtodo.Finally,afterallthoseyears,hehadkilledthemanwhohadmurdered
hisfamily.Justice,thatwaswhatitwas,right?

Atleasthedidn’thavetoworryaboutRobertGravesslaughteringhisnewfamily.A

murderer was dead. At the same time, a new one had been born. Logan rationalized to
himselfthathehadkilledabadman,notaninnocentfamily,notagoodmanandhiswife
andchildren,butamonster,amanwhokilledforthejoyofit,andprobablyhadlostno
sleepatallafterthatfatefulnight.

Once he thought about that, he felt better. He had done his duty as an alpha, and he

wouldjusthavetoworkashardashecouldtobringthistownbacktoit’sformerglory,to
helpthepeoplerebuild.

LoganwrappedhisarmsaroundWillandheldhimtight.Henevercouldhavedoneit

without his omega there. Will had given him so much strength and bravery, and their
threattowardhimhadonlysealedtheirfate.Loganneverwantedtoseehismatewitha
guntohisheadagain,though.Never.Hispregnantomegaseemedsovulnerabletherein
hisarms.HeknewhowstrongandbraveWillreallywas,butLoganstillhadtheurge,the
instinct,toprotecthim,tokeephimsafeinhisstrongarmsforaslongaspossible.

LogankissedWill’sforehead,andWillsurprisedhimbyopeninghisdeepbrowneyes

andgazingupathim.

Neitherofthemspoke.Itwouldseemblasphemoustodoso,Loganfelt,intheheavy

silence of the night. Instead, they kissed, their lips meeting desperately, caressing each
othersweetlyastheirhottonguestangled.Loganlosthimselfinthatkiss,lettingitsoothe
everypartofhim.Nomatterwhat,hewasinlovewiththisman.Hefelttossedaroundby
life,morelostatseathanhehadeverbeenontheBeringSea.Willwashisnewanchor,
and he held him steady, reminded him with every breath and every heartbeat what his
prioritieswere.

They would need a house, and a nursery, for their baby. Logan thought maybe he

could build the house himself, hire some help. Will could help paint, and work on his
book.Logancouldneverbecontentwithsitting-work.Heneededtobeactive,heneeded
to use his hands and his strong body and be physically useful. Eventually, he’d need to
findanotherjob,buthehadenoughsavingstoliveoffofforawhile,especiallyifhesold
Seawolf.

Thatwouldbedifficult.Hereallydidn’twanttosellher.Shehadbeenhishomeforso

long.Now,Willwashishome.Agoodlifefortheirchild,thatwashisprimaryconcern,
andafterthatcameWill’shealthandhappiness,andlastlyhisown.Anemptyboatdocked
in Alaska had very little to do with any of that, but it was sentimental. He wasn’t ready
justyet.

Finally, exhaustion really hit him. Somehow, he stopped thinking about murder, he

stopped tasting blood in his mouth. His eyelids became heavy and he slept, this time
uninterrupted.

stheweekswentby,WillsawLogangrowintohisroleasalphamorethanever.He
was out a lot, going from business to business to try to help them rebuild after

Graves’ death. Robert Graves had owned nearly everything, and most of the businesses
were floundering, scrambling to have enough money to buy back their own lives from
Robert’sdaughter,Rebecca,whohadinheritedeverythingbut,thankfully,didn’tseemto
havemuchinterestinanythingexceptcashitself.

Will spent his days mostly alone in their motel room, writing peacefully, although

inside he was anything but peaceful. Most of his social interaction was with Lisa in the
motelofficewhenhewenttogetice.Hewasgettingprogressivelymorepregnantandless
comfortable, and the subject matter of his book was distressing most of the time.
Rememberingthebondhe’dhadwithhisteamwasimportant,butitalsomadehimmourn
theirdeathsevenmore.SometimesLogancamehomeandfoundWillcrying,sittingatthe
smallwritingdeskintheirhotelroom,penstillinhandaswordsdugthemselvesintohis
heartinsteadofthepage.

Half pregnancy hormones, half grief, these episodes were becoming more and more

common.Wasn’titsupposedtogeteasierwithtime?Whywasitthatastheirlifebecame
morepeacefulontheoutside,hisinnerturmoilbecamesomuchworse?

Logan did his best to comfort him in these times, but the man was distracted by his

ownstress.Hewasbuildingthemahouseonapieceofbeachfrontpropertyhe’dbought,
and when he wasn’t in town, he was there working on the building with his hands or
overseeingthecontractorshe’dhiredtohelp.

Will appreciated that Logan was nesting and ready, but he personally was terrified.

The closer he got to having his baby, the more real it became. This child, this human,
fleshylittlebundleofjoy,wouldnotsimplybeanadorabledollwhichhecouldlayina
cribandcomebackforlater.Itwouldneedthings.Hewouldhavetocareforit,keepit
alive.Dideitherofthemreallyknowhowtobeafatheratall?

He knew that anxiety was normal. His other new hobby, other than writing, was

reading parenting books obsessively. It seemed that each author had their own, perfectly
reasonable ideas about the ‘best’ way to raise a child, and each one was seemingly less
attainable.Willwasmostlyworriedaboutmissingthebasicstuff.Wouldheknowhowto
keephischildwarm,clean,safe,andfed?Hecouldn’tfailatthis.Aperson’slifewasat
stake.Hisson’sordaughter’slife.

HebegantowritealotaboutTracy.Ashewrote,herealizedsomething.Shewasthe

onlyoneofhisteamstillalive,andyet,hestillhadn’treachedout.He’dnevercalledher
likehe’dmeantto.He’dsentthepostcardstohisparents,withnoreturnaddress,andhe’d
sentalettertotheuniversitytoalertthemtohiswhereaboutsandhisplanstowriteabook
abouthisexperienceandresearch,buthe’dnevercalledTracy.

She’dbeenthroughthesamethinghehad.Probablynotthepregnancyortheromance

withahandsomeseacaptain,butshehitthoseicywatersatthesametimeashedid,and
she’dlostRogerandGrey,too.

He really needed to call her. What was stopping him? He’d always liked Tracy,

wouldn’titbegoodtohearhervoice?

As he picked up the motel room landline and held it, thoughtful, he realized what it

was. Guilt. He’d been avoiding talking to her because he still felt responsible for their
friends.Ifhe’dbeenabletosaveTracy,whynotthemaswell?Couldn’thehaveprepared
theminsomewayforthestorm,oravoidedgoingoutinitinthefirstplace?

Tracy must blame him. Even though logically he didn’t believe she was that type of

person,deepdowninhishearthefeltsoatfaultfortheirdeathsthathealsoassumedshe
wouldblamehim.

Grippingthephonetightly,hedialedhernumber.Maybeshehadadifferentnumber

now. Maybe he wouldn’t reach her at all. He had to at least try, to tell himself that he’d
facedthatfearandconqueredit.

Thephonerangonce,twice,andhealmosthungup.Thenaclicksoundedinhisear,

andheheardhervoice.

“Hello?”shesaid.

“Tracy,” Will sighed, and he was instantly relieved to hear that she was alive, safe,

clearlyatthesamenumbershealwayshadbeen.“Hey.It’sWill,”headmitted.

“Will!” she gasped, and he heard relief in her voice, too. She must have wondered

about him, he realized, feeling terrible. Sure, she would have guessed that the dog who
rescuedherwasWill,butshecouldn’thaveknownforsure.

“Yeah.Hi.Sorryittookmesolongtocall,thingshavebeen…sortofbusy.Stressful,

youknow.”

Tracysighed.“Yeah.Iknowthatfeeling.What’sbeengoingon?”sheasked.“I’mso

gladtohearfromyou.Iwonderedif…yousavedme,didn’tyou?”

Willsmiledalittletohimself.Hefeltlikeajerk.He’djustletherwonder?Tracywas

the only other member of his team left. He hadn’t ever gotten to know Tracy as well as
RogerorGrey,butperhapsheshouldchangethat.Tracyhadgivenhimnoreasontofear
her.

“Yeah,itwasmethatsavedyou.I’mashifter.”

Tracyseemedrelievedtofinallyknowthetruth.Shewascuriouslikehewas,andhe

figuredithadtohavebeenbotheringher.

“Ithoughtso.”

“I’msorryIdidn’ttellyouearlier,”Willsaid.

HerealizedfromthewayTracyreactedthatheshouldhavebeenhonestwithherthe

wholetime.RogerandGreyhadknownabouthim,butTracyhadbeenanewmemberof
theteam,andhehadahabitofbeingcautiousaboutrevealinghimselfuntilheknewitwas
safe.Hewouldneverwanthisracetoaffecthisworkingrelationships.

“Iunderstandwhyyoudidn’t,”Tracysaid,forgivenessinhervoice.

Willfeltsafeenoughtogoon.

“Andthat’snotall.Tracy,I’mpregnant.”

“Pregnant? Oh, wow.” It certainly wasn’t unheard of, but Will knew he’d never

seemedlikethefamilytype.Toodedicatedtohisstudies.

“Yeah.Itwasasurprisetometoo,honestly,”headmitted.

“Who’stheluckyguy?”Tracyasked,andWillactuallylaughedsoftly.

“You’ll never believe this, but the captain who rescued us, Logan Harris. In fact,

Logan helped save Cupid. We were on our way back to port when he noticed poachers
tryingtotakehim.”

“Poachers?” Tracy asked, stunned. “I thought our primary concern would be climate

changeandoverfishing,notpoaching.”

“Iknow,”Willadmitted.“WecalledtheCoastGuard,andCupidwentfree,butitwas

terrifying.”

“I’mgladhe’sallright,”shesaid.“So…Loganisagoodguy,then?”sheasked.

“He is, yeah. I think so. We’ve moved to New Zealand now, and we’re building a

house,and…I’mgoingtohaveababy.Isn’tthatstrange?”

“Bizarre,” she agreed. “I’m so happy for you, though. I’m glad you’re…moving on,

youknow?Ithoughtmaybethereasonyounevercalledwasbecauseyouwereangryat
mefor…Imissthemsomuch,Will.IfIcouldhavehadyousavetheminstead…”

Willtookadeepbreath.“Well.IguessI’mnotmovingonallthatwell,”headmitted.

“I’mwritingabookaboutit,andyou’reinthebook,soI’llneedyourpermission…Tracy,
whywouldIbeangrywithyou?Ithoughtyouwouldbeangryatme.”

Tracyseemedjustasconfusedashewas.“Withyou?Yousavedmylife.”

Will sighed. “But I couldn’t save theirs, Tracy. I was responsible for all of us, and I

onlymanagedtogetyouandmeoutalive.That’shalf.Thatisn’t…Ican’tacceptthose
numbers.”

“Well,youhaveto,”Tracysaidabruptly,alittleblunt,butitworkedonWill.

“What?”heasked,stunned.

“You have to accept it, Will. That’s what we got. It’s what happened. Nothing could

have or will ever change it now. That’s just how life works. You have to move on
eventually.”

Willsighed,takingalongmomenttotrytoacceptthat.

“It’shard,”headmitted.

“Ineversaiditwouldbeeasy,”Tracyagreed,hervoicesofternowoverthephone.

Theywerebothquietforafewseconds,andthenTracyspokeagain.

“RogerandGrey…theybothlovedtheocean.Justasmuchaswedo.Theylovedlife,

andallofitscreatures,andtheydedicatedtheirlivestothat.Maybe,insteadofhangingon
towhattheywere,youshouldpassiton.You’llhaveachildsoon.You’regrowinganew
life.Honortheirlegacy.Teachyourbabytoloveallcreatures,tobecurious,toenjoythe
oceanandtoneverbeafraidtotakerisks.Thenthey’lllivewithyou,andeverydayyou’re
remindedofthem,youcansmile.”

Will wiped tears from his eyes. She was right. Inside him was a bundle of limitless

potential, not a burden. Why hadn’t he been able to see that through all of his sadness?
RogerandGreycouldliveoninthelessonshetaughthischildren,inthelifehemadefor
himselfandforthem.

“Andthebook,”hesaidfirmly.“Ireallywanttopublishthisbook.Iwanttheirnames

tobeknown,Iwantthemtobeheroes.”

“Theywereheroes,”Tracyagreed.“Thebookisagreatidea.Justdon’thurtyourself

withit.Treatyourselfkindly.Youlostthemsorecently.”

Hemanagedasmallsmile.

“Maybe you can help me. Co-author it. I’ll send you a draft, and we can work on it

together.Idon’tthinkIcanwriteaboutmyselfallthatobjectively.Besides,it’syourstory,
too.”

Tracydidn’tseemtobeexpectingthat,butshewasopentotheidea,atleast.

“Allright.Sendittome.I’vebeencontinuingourresearchfromhome,justcompiling

whatdatawehave.MaybeI’llhaveafewinsightsforyou.”

Will breathed a sigh of relief. He had a friend, one who spoke his language, again.

Maybe he hadn’t lost everything. Maybe he and Tracy could grow even closer now
becauseofthis.

“Thank you, Tracy,” he said genuinely, the words powerfully grateful. Just this one

phonecallhaddonesomuchforhimalready.

“No,Will,”shesaid.“Thankyou.Yousavedmylife,remember?”

Willsmiled.Forthefirsttime,hecouldreallyfeelproudofthat,insteadofjustfeeling

guiltyabouttheliveshehadn’tsaved.

“I’mreallygladIdid,Tracy.Maybeonceourhouseisbuilt,youcancomeandvisit.”

“New Zealand? That sounds amazing. I would love to,” she agreed. “I’ll talk to you

soon,Will.Sendmeanemailaboutthatbookofyours.”

“Iwill.Takecare,Tracy,”hesaid,andheardtheclickasthecallended.

He slowly put the eggshell-coloured phone into its cradle and sat there on the bed,

lettingthefullextentofthatconversationsinkin.Howlonghadtheybeenonthephone
for?He’dlosttrackoftime.

Hetouchedhisroundbelly,feelingthebabymoveinsideofhim.

“Hey,littleone,”hemurmuredquietly,strokingthemoundthoughtfully.“It’sapretty

coolworldouthere.Youdon’tknowwhatyou’remissing.”

Suddenly,hehadanidea.

OBERT

RAVES

HAD

DONE

a lot of damage, and his death had complicated things.

RebuildingthetownwasalotmoreworkthanLoganhadthought,andhewasn’tanexpert
infinanceorlaw,sohehadtohireexpertsinboth.

Building the house, comparatively, was straight-forward. He wished that Will had

shownalittlemoreinterestintheirfuturehome,becausehewaskeptbusytryingtojuggle
themboth,andhereallywantedmoretimewithhispregnantomega.

Itwasallworktosecureasafeandhappyhomefortheirnewfamily,buthestillfelt

guiltyforbeingawaysomuch.HeknewWillwasprobablyalreadystartingtoresenthim
forit.Heprobablybelievedthiswashowitwouldalwaysbe.Afterall,Loganalreadyhad
thetendencytorunawaywhentimesgottough.Hemightnotbeacaptainanymore,but
hecouldstillspendtoomuchtimeatwork.

SohewassurprisedwhenWillcalledhim,andaskedhimtopickhimupontheway

overtothehouse.Willusuallykepttohimselfduringthedaywritingandreading.When
Loganhad asked himto come seethe house, he generallysaid that hewas busy, or that
he’dseeitwhenitwasfurtheralong.

Willwasalsoheavilypregnant,andLogandidn’treallyblamehimforwantingtokeep

hisfeetup,buthedidworryabouthisbookishomegabecomingashut-in.

Loganpulledtheirpickuptruckintothedrivewayofthemotel,andshiveredalittle.

This parking lot was where he’d fought Robert Graves. He would always have that
association with this motel now. He couldn’t wait for their beautiful seaside home to be
readytolivein.

HewatchedasWillcamedownthestairs,andthenclimbedintohistruck.

“Hey,beautiful.I’msuchaluckyman.”HekissedWill’scheek.

Will flushed, which rewarded Logan for the gesture. The alpha had decided that life

wastooshortnottotellhisbeautifulfiancéhowmuchheadoredhim,everyday,asmuch
aspossible.Besides,hecouldn’tcarrytheirchild,sohefeltgratefultoWillfordoingso.

“Alpha,you’reheadedovertothenewhouse,aren’tyou?”Willasked.

“Yeah,”Loganadmitted.“Areyoureadytoseeit?It’sreallycomingalong.Youcan

walkthroughthewholethingnow,eventheupstairs.”

Willnoddedfirmly.“I’dliketo.IcalledTracytoday.”

Logan was surprised by that. Will mentioned often that he should, but he never had.

Loganassumedthatitwassimplytoopainful,andlikelywouldneverhappen.

“Youdid?”hesaidwithinterest.“That’sgood.Diditgowell?”

Hisomegasmiled,andLoganwasrelieved.ClearlyWill’sfearshadbeenunfounded.

Tracyhadbeennearlycomatosewhenhe’dmether,buthehadnevergottenasensethat
Willwouldadmirehersomuchifsheweretrulysuchaterribleperson.

“Itwasreallygood.Talkingtoher…helpedmerealizealotofthings.She’sgoingto

helpwiththebook,andwhenthehouseisready,shemightcomedowntovisit.”

Logansmiled,pullingWillclosetokisshim.

“I’msoglad.Youneedafriend.Someonetobitchaboutmeto,”helaughed.

Willshookhishead.“Ihavenothingtobitchabout,love.You’vebeenwonderful.Too

wonderful,Ithink.Ishouldbehelpingmorewiththehouse.”

Loganfrowned.“IthoughtImightbeworkingtoomuch.Andyou’repregnant,Will.

Farenoughalongthatyoudon’thavetohelpwithanything.”

Willshrugged.“OnlybecauseI’mlettingyoudoitallbyyourself.Iwanttohelp.In

fact… I want to do the nursery. Would you let me? I’ll work with the contractors, I just
wanttohavesomesayinthedesign.”

Loganfelthisheartwarm.Willreallywantedthis.Hewasstartingtonest,too.That

wassucharelieftoLoganthathehuggedhimtightlyagain.

“Ofcourse!Ofcourseyoucan.I’dlovetohaveyouinvolved.Inanythingyouwant.”

He felt Will hug him back, and he felt safe, and home. A rush of happiness went

throughhimwhenthebabykickedbetweenthem.

“Hey!That’sourkid.”HereacheddowntotouchWill’sbelly,veryquietandstillashe

waited, and then felt a kick. Excitement made his heart soar. That was their baby. He
grinnedupatWill,wholaughed.

“Ithinkourkidgotyourbigfeet,”heteased.HeleanedinandkissedLogan.

Logankissedhimbackthoroughly,andthenputhiskeyintheignitionofthetruck.

“Let’s go. There’s a lot of work to be done, and if you have new ideas for the

contractors,I’msurethey’dratherhearthemsoonerthanlater.”

He drove through the town, toward the beach where their house was. As they got

closertotheocean,Willrolleddownthewindows,andthescentofsaltyseaairfilledthe
cabinoftheirpickuptruck.

“Mmm,”Logansighedinhappiness.“Smellslikehome.”

Will grinned. “Did I ever tell you how grateful I am that you grew up by the sea? I

wantourchildrentothinkofthatsmellashome,too.”

“Children? You already thinking about more, darling?” Logan asked. Not that he

minded,buthewasn’tsurehecouldsayhewouldbeinthesameboatifheweretheone
thatwaspregnant.

Willshrugged.

“Let’s see how this first one goes,” he admitted with a smile. “But I’ve heard that

wolvesusuallyhavelargefamilies.”

Logansmiled.

“I’mbuildingthehousewithafewsparerooms,”hesaid.

Willnodded,takinghishandinhisownandsqueezingit.

“Goodenoughforme.”

ILL

SPENT

the next while not only working on his book with Tracy, but frequently

visiting their new property, and over time it became home. He was eager to get to live
there. Their view was absolutely stunning. The front of the house was on a quiet beach
road, but their backyard was the entire ocean. He became confident that their children
wouldhaveabeautifulplaygroundtogrowupin,thattheywouldfallinlovewiththesea
life, and that they would have collections of seashells and sand dollars to call their very
own.Oneday,hewouldtakethemtoAlaskaandshowthemtheorcas,andhopefullythey
wouldsharehisjoy.

Finally,thepaintdriedonthehouse,andbythen,Willwasreadytopop.Theyspent

the day furnishing and decorating, filling in their new home. Will was working on the
nursery,andhadkeptLoganoutofit.Itwasasurprise.

Late that night he finished, and immediately, as fast as he could with his huge,

pregnantbelly,heranthroughthehousetofindLogan,callinghisname.

“I’minthekitchen!”Logancalled.

“Well,comeupstairs!”Willsaid.“Thenurseryisdone,Iwanttoshowyou.”

Hewassoexcited.He’dbeenworkingonitallday.

Logan made his way up the stairs, and Will gazed down lovingly at his handsome,

scruffyalpha.

“Hey,gorgeous.C’mon!Thisway.”

Loganfollowed,chuckling,asWilltookhishandandpulledhimdownthehall.

Onthefrontofthenurserydoor,agoldengravedsignread‘Captain’sQuarters’.That

wasonlythebeginning.Willbroughthiminside.Hardwoodfloorsandshiplapwallsmade
itlookliketheinsideofaship.Thecribitselfwasdesignedintheshapeofboat,andthere
wasanantiqueanchormountedononewall.

Allthedetailswerethere,downtotheropetasselsonthecurtains.Theirbaby’sroom

wasnearthebackofthehouse,withwindowslookingoutattheirbeachandtheocean,
andwhenthecurtainswerepulledback,itgavetheroomtheillusionofbeingatsea.

OnelastdetailmadeLoganstop,staringatthewallwithtearsinhiseyes.

Willhadplacedaphotographabovethebaby’scrib,ablackandwhitebeauty.Itwas

Seawolf.

“Howdidyougetthis?”Loganaskedinwonder,andWillshookhishead.

“I’llnevertell,”hesaidwithagrin,hugginghismate.“Doyoulikeit?Doyoulove

it?”

“Oh,baby,Iloveit.Ican’tbelieveit.It’sperfect.Canwedoourbedroomthesame?”

heasked,onlyhalf-joking.

Willlaughed.“Idon’tthinkthecribwouldfitusboth,butsure.Whatevermakesyou

happy.”

Logannodded.“Thisdoes.Ourbaby…ourbabywillknowtheybelongbythesea.”

“Iwouldn’tbesurprisediftheycameoutwithfinsinsteadofpaws,tobehonest,”Will

admittedwryly.

It was perfect, though. The nursery had turned out even better than he’d imagined.

Loganhadmadelittlenauticaltouchesinthedesignoftheentirehouse,andthisroomfit
perfectlyintotheirhome,butitwouldbetheirchild’sownwonderland,ashipforthemto
captaintotheirdreams,andthebeginning,hopefully,oftheirlovefortheoceanandallthe
creaturesinit.

Logan was obviously thinking the same things, as he gazed around the room in

wonder.HesuddenlysweptWillintohisarmsandkissedhimpassionately,anditwasall
Willcoulddonottoswoon.

“Mmm…hey,Alpha,”hepurred.

“Hey,”Logansaid,hiswarmhazeleyesflashingwithgoldeninterest.“Guesswhat?I

haven’tshownyouthebedroomyet.”

“Yougotthebedsetup?Oh,thankyou,”hesighedinrelief.“Doesthatmeanwecan

sleepheretonight?”

Willfoundhedidn’twanttogobacktothemotel,notever,ifhedidn’thaveto.Their

new house, the beginnings of their family, it was too exciting. The baby would be born
anytimenow,andhisfearhadbeenreplacedwithgiddyanticipation.

Logannodded.“Iplanonit.We’reallsetup.Hell,wecouldcook,ifwefelttheneed,

but…”

But,itwaslate,andWilldidn’twanttocook.Hewantedtodraghisfiancétobed.

“No.Bed.Now.”

“Okay,justholdon.There’sonethingmissing,”Logansaid.Heleft,andcameback

withthatstuffedorcathey’dboughtinAlaska.Helaiditinthecribgently,asiftheirbaby
werealreadypeacefullyasleepthere.Hesmiled.“There.”

Willgroaned,stronglyattractedtoLoganinthatmoment.Thatwasoneofthesweetest

thingshe’deverseen.

“C’mon,sexy.”HetuggedLogantothebedroom.

Logan had done an incredible job with it. They had a huge king-sized bed to

centerpiecetheroom,whichwasgood,becausebothmenwereonthetallersideandWill

neededalotofroomatthemoment.Atthemotel,hehadfrequentlyshovedLogantothe
edgeofthebedwithhisneedforpillowsandspaceforhispregnantbelly.

Dark wood and navy blue accented everything, and it felt homey, the way a seaside

bedroom should. A soft breeze came in through the windows, smelling of sea salt and
home.

“It’sperfect,”WilltoldLogan,andwasdelightedtoreceiveapassionatekissfromhis

mateinreturn.

They had each other’s clothes off in moments; it had become easy, natural for them.

Will lay down, and gasped when he felt Logan lay down with him, spooning him from
behindandpressingthatachingcockagainsthim.Logan’sstrongarmwrappedaroundhis
hipandgrippedhismate’scock,andWillgasped,feelingelectricitygothroughhimfrom
hiscocktothetipsofhistoes.

“Alpha,” Will moaned. He felt that strong, rough hand caress him, gripping and

squeezinggentlyashestrokedfromshafttoheadalonghisswollenlength.Hecouldfeel
Logan’s thickness, pinned between their bodies; he shivered when Logan’s hot breath
touched his neck. Logan growled softly and nuzzled, his scruffy beard rubbing against
Will’sskindeliciously.

“Omega,”hegroaned.“Yourscentdrivesmewild.”

“Takeme,please,”Willbegged.

Logan took that invitation eagerly. Will gasped, and then moaned in delight as his

alpha filled him. It was always so perfect, the benefit of being mates, and he was in
heavenrightaway,rockingslowlyonhiscock.

ThepositionmadeLogan’sthrustsjustalittlemoreshallow,butthatwasperfect.Will

was heavily pregnant, and incredibly sensitive. He wouldn’t need much, just to be filled
byhisalpha.

Logan moaned against his jaw and started to slowly thrust and rock inside him, and

Willsawsparks.Grippingthenavybluebedcover,hegaspedforbreath,squirmingonhis
alpha’scock.

“Goodboy,shhh,relax,letmetakecareofyou,”Loganwhispered.

Willheardawhimperthathecouldn’tbelievecamefromhisownthroat.

“Alpha!Please,”hemoaned,buthetriedtorelax,triedtobreatheandletthepleasure

washoverhim.

Assoonashedid,hecouldn’tholdbackanymore.Hisorgasmtookhimhard,andhe

moaneddesperately,coatingLogan’shandinit.Tohisrelief,hefeltLogan’steethinhis
shoulderandahotwashofcomeinsideofhimonlysecondslater.

“Will,”Logan’sgravellyvoicesaidgentlyinthatadorableaccent.“Iloveyou.”

“Iloveyou,too,”Willsaid,andeasedoffofhimsothathecouldrolloverandface

him,kissinghimdeeply.

In the glowing relief of his pleasure, an almost soft, stabbing cramp filled his lower

abdomen.Hegroaned,feelingthemusclesofhispelviscontract.

Crampslikethosehappenednowandthen,andhefigureditwasjustpartofgrowinga

child inside of oneself. But then it happened again, stronger, deeper, and he gasped and
clungtoLogan,hislefthandgrippinghismuscularshouldertightly.

“Will?”Loganasked.“Areyouokay?DidIhurtyou?”

Willshookhishead.“Youdidn’thurtme,butithurtsnow,”hewhimpered.

“Isitcontractions?”Logansaidsoftly,withexcitement.He’dbeencountingthedays,

andWillwasdueanytimenow.

Will groaned. “I don’t know,” he said, as another one hit him, rocking his body. “I

hopeso,”hesaid,gasping.Ifnot,somethingterribleandfrighteningwashappening.

Logansqueezedhishand.

“I’mgoingtocallthedoctor,”hesaid.“Don’tworry,Will.”

Will cried out, kicking hard at the bed, grabbing at himself with a soft scream. He

wasn’tsurewherethebabythoughtitwasgoing,butitwantedout.

“Shhh,puppy.Holdon,”hewhisperedfervently.

t happened so fast. They’d been making love, good, sweet love, and then all he’d
known was that his omega was in pain. Such intense pain that Logan could feel it

throughtheirbond.

Thedoctorhadtriedtosendhimoutoftheroom,butintheend,Loganhadstayedfor

thewholeordeal.Willdidn’thaveanyoneelse,andLoganwasn’tleavinghimalonewith
adoctorhebarelyknew.Hestayedbyhisside,heldhishand,sharedhistears,andwhen
theirbabywastuckedintoWill’sarms,Loganlayinbedwithhim,wrappedaroundthem
both,gazingdownattheirbabygirl.

“Lisa,”Logansaidsuddenly,remembering,andkissedhersweetforehead.Shecried

softly,butsettledastheyheldherandgentlyspoketoher.

ThedoctortouchedLogan’sshoulder,pullinghimawayfromhisdaze.

“Iwanttoshowyouhowtomakeabottle,anddoacheckuponhimandthebaby,and

thenyouthreecanhaveyourpeace.”

Logannodded,andreluctantlypulledhimselfawayfromhismateandtheirnewchild.

Hecouldhardlybelieveit.Shewasreal,arealliveperson,butsosmallandvulnerable,
needingsomuchfromthem.Hejusthopedhecouldliveuptoit.

He followed the instructions carefully to make Lisa’s first meal, and then brought it

backtoher.

“Can I feed her first?” Logan asked softly, and Will nodded, smiling tiredly at him.

Logan had thought he’d never seen Will more beautiful than at the climax of his
pregnancy, round and ready to give birth, but now, he knew that had only been the
beginning.Curlsclingingtohisforeheadwithsweat,exhaustionpaintedoverhisface,the
pictureoftriumph,Willlookedmostbeautifulnow.Logankissedhim.

“Thankyou,baby,you’resobrave.Youdidsowell.”

Gently,LogantookLisaintohisarmsandnudgedthenippleofthebottlebetweenher

tinypinklips.Shestartedtoturnherheadtowarditandsuckle,sohepushedmorefirmly,
andshelatchedon,guzzlingasfastasherlittlebabymouthcould.

“Wow, hungry little tyke, eh?” Logan murmured to her. The doctor cared for Will,

checkingthathewasallright,butLogan’slittlewolfwashardy,andhadgottenthroughit
justfine.Hesmiledathisomegaadoringly.

After Lisa ate, she fell asleep, and the doctor checked her out, too. Logan got a

momenttokissWillandholdhim.

“So?Whatdoyouthink?Readytodoitagain?”Heteased.

Willlaughed.“Actually?Yeah,”hesaid.

“Really?” Logan laughed with him, amazed. He couldn’t imagine wanting to go

throughwhatWilljusthad.Ontheotherhand,ifitgavethemanotherperfectbaby…

“Yeah,”Willsaid,seemingsurprisedevenbyhimself.“Itwastotallyworthit.Lookat

her.”

HismategazedoveratLisawithsomuchloveinhiseyes,andLoganfeltblessedthat

fatehadchosensomeonelikeWillforhim.Hewassofulloflove.

“Yeah,you’reright,”Loganagreed,kissinghischeek.“Worthit.”

HAT

FIRST

DAY

WAS

CHAOS

. Lisa was a very sleepy baby, but they’d been instructed to

feedherasoftenasshewouldtakethebottle,andwhenshewasn’tasleep,thebabywas
hungry.

Will was so in love with her, and full of wonder whenever he gazed down into her

innocentfaceandkissedhersoft,roundcheeks.Hehadnoideahowanycreaturecouldbe
sobeautiful.

Hewasalsoverytired.Ithadbeenverylatewhenhe’dgoneintolabour,andthey’d

stayedupallnightandthenallday,switchingonandoffforfeedings.

Finally, when Will had been ready to pass out, Logan took over completely. He sent

Willtoshower,madethebedwithfreshsheets,andtuckedhimintosleep.

“I’lltakebabyduty,”he’dsaid,andhe’dtakenLisaofftothenursery.

Willsighedsoftlyinpleasuredexhaustion,hischeekpressedtothecool,cleanpillow.

Hewassohappy.Terrorhadsetinwhenhe’dfelthowtinyhislittledaughterwas,butit
couldn’tovershadowhisbliss.Hishandsomefiancéwastakingcareoftheirnewborn,and
hefinallygotagoodsleep.

Logan had really risen to meet the challenge of fatherhood, Will thought. He was

hopeful.Maybehismatehadfinallylearnedtostoprunning.Helovedthemansomuch,
he couldn’t stand to lose him. He had to believe that Logan would never want to leave
him,either.Theirnewborndaughterhadmadethemafamily,andWillcouldn’tbemore
gratefulforthat.

Fromdownthehall,ifhelayveryquietly,WillcouldhearLoganmurmuringtoLisa,

singing softly, some sea shanty. He’d never heard Logan sing before. Fatherhood was
goingtobefullofsurprises,heknewthatalready.

Willwasalsothankfulforhisnaturalhealingability.Hecouldn’timaginehavingtogo

throughthatasahuman.Hewasalreadymostlyfine,justalittletired,andcouldputallof
hisenergyintoraisingtheirnewpup.

Heslippedtowardsleep,hiseyelidsheavy,andinthatin-betweenspacebetweenwake

andsleep,hebegantodream.

…

Ice hit Will’s heart and stole his breath. It was dark, so dark, and he trembled

desperately.

…

“Daddy!”agirl’svoicecriedout.Willturnedtowardit,butallhecouldseewasmore

blackness.

…

Itwassocold.Heshiveredpowerfully.Hiseyelidsfeltliketheywerefrozenopen.

…

“Where are you?” he cried, and the ice-water filled his lungs, strangling him with

darkness. He screamed as loud as he could, but the water just kept pushing him down,
fillinghim.

…

“Will!Will!”Logancalledforhim,butWillwassinking,sinking,deepintothecoldest

depthsoftheBeringSea.Hewasdying.

…

“Will!” Logan said, shaking him, and Will gasped, oxygen filling his lungs. He

blinked,lookingintoLogan’shazeleyes.

“Hey.I…”Heshookhishead.Thatdreamhadbeenterrifying.Hewasstillshivering.

“Whatwereyoudreamingabout?Wasitanightmare?Youwerescreaming.”

Willsighed.“Yeah.Justanightmare,sorry.DidIwakethebaby?”

Loganshookhishead.“No.She’satoughonetowake.Can’timaginewhatshe’llbe

likeasateenager.”

Loganhuggedhim,andWillsighedandfellintohisfiancé’sarmsinrelief.Suddenly

thesadnesswashedoverhimandhebegantocrysoftly,lettingouttheemotionthrough
histears,andhealingalittleintheprocess.

“Iloveyou,”hewhisperedtohismate,justwantinghimtoknowthat.

“Iloveyou,too,”Loganwhisperedback.“Doyouwanttotalkaboutit?”

Willshivered,andLoganwrappedtheblanketsaroundhimandheldhimtohischest,

comfortinghimsosweetlythatWillthoughthemightcryagain.

“Itwascold.Coldlikeyou’veneverknown,coldlike…”

“Likethatnightintheocean,”Logansaidsoftly,frowningwithconcern.“Younever

talkedtomeaboutthat.Whatitwaslikeforyou.Mostmenaftertheycomeoutofthat,
theycannevergetwarmenoughagain.”

Will nodded, burying his face in Logan’s chest. “Yes. Cold like that. And someone

screamedformeandcalledmeDaddy.IthinkitwasLisa,butnomatterhowhardIswam,
thecoldwasallaroundme.Itwastoodark,toodarktosee,andthen…”Hegaspedfor
breath. He could almost feel the water filling his lungs again, metallic liquid pushing
deeperanddeeperinsideofhim.

Loganshookhishead,hugginghimtightly.

“Shh,baby.It’snotreal.It’sgonenow.Lisaisfine.Doyouwanttogoseeher?”

HowdidLoganknowwhatwouldmakeitbetter?Healwaysseemedtoknow.

“Yeah,please,”heagreed,andclimbedoutofbed.

Logan took his hand and guided him down the hallway to the nursery. Silently, they

peeked inside, and Will got to gaze at their beautiful newborn daughter, sleeping
peacefully.Hesighedinrelief,relaxingalmostinstantly,andhuggedLogan.

“Thankyou.”

Logangentlyshutthedoor,andtookWilldownstairstothekitchen.Willwentandsat

at the breakfast table as Logan made tea. His fiancé brought over a grey wool throw
blanket and wrapped it around Will’s shoulders. Will’s fingers caressed the soft fabric,
pulling it tightly around himself. He smiled and shut his eyes when Logan’s full lips
kissedhisforeheadsosweetly.Theystayedlikethatforalong,quietmoment,andthen
thekettlebegantowhistle.

Loganlefthimtopourwaterintomugsandleanedagainstthecounter,hisstrongbody

stretchedoutcasuallyforWilltoadmire.

His heart rate had slowed down. Between the comfort of the blanket and the tea, he

knewhewouldbeallright,buthewasgoingtoletLogantakecareofhim.Itmadeboth
ofthemfeelgoodwhenhisalphawasabletodothatforhim.

“Weshouldtalkaboutawedding,”Logansaid,ashescoopedteabagsfreefromtheir

mugsanddollopedsugarandcreamintothehotdarkliquid.

Willwatchedhimcarefullybalancethefullmugsandsetthemonthetable,andthen

Logansatnexttohim,pullinghischairovertositcloser.Logan’sarmwrappedaroundhis
waist,andWillsighedhappily,pickinguphisteaandleaningagainsthim.

Wedding. He’d almost forgotten. They’d discussed marriage, but Will had wanted to

wait until after he’d given birth, so that he could wear a suit. Now, there were no more
excusesnottotietheknot.

“I’llhavetocallmyparentsdown,”Willsighed.

“Isthatsuchabadthing?Shouldn’ttheymeettheirgranddaughter?”

“Of course, of course,” Will admitted. But they would also meet his mate, and he

hopedthattheyapproved,oratleastdidn’tmakeassesofthemselves.Loganwouldn’tbe
sensitiveaboutit,heknew,butitstillbotheredhimwhenhisparentsembarrassedhim.

“Wecanworryaboutguestslater,”Logansaid.“Butweshouldthinkaboutwherewe

wanttodoit,andwhen.”

“Here,”Willsaid,withoutasecondthought.

“Youmeanintown?”

“No,here.I’llshowyou.”WilltookLogan’shandandbroughthistea,leadinghimout

thebackdoorstotheirporchandthebeach.

“Out here. At sunset. As soon as we can,” Will decided. The more he thought about

marryinghismate,themorehewantedit.

Logansmiledandkissedhimdeeply.

“It’sperfect,”hesaid,andWillsmiled,too.Logantastedlikemilkytea.

“Whataboutourhoneymoon?”Willasked.“Wehaveanewborn.”

Logannodded.“I’mnotsure,”headmitted.“Wecanthinkaboutoptions,butI’mnot

sureItrustanyonetowatchLisaforverylong.”

“Iknow,”Willagreed.“I’mthesameway.”Theirtraumamadethembothtooreadyto

imaginetheworstcasescenario.“Maybewecanbringheralong.”

“We’ll see,” Logan said, leaving it open. “Let’s plan the wedding, first. You need to

callyourparentsifyouthinktheycanhelpusplanit.”

Willgroaned.Thatwasthelastthinghewantedtodoatthemoment.

“Doyouwantthemthere?”Loganasked,searchinghiseyes.

Willthoughtaboutit,andyes,hedid.Asmuchofapainintheassasitwouldbeto

havehisparentsaround,hedidn’twanttogetmarriedwithoutthemthere,andhismother
wouldbeagreathelpinplanningthewedding.Hesighed.

“Yeah,Ido.I’llcallthem.”

“Good,”Logansaidwithasmile.He’dobviouslybeenreadytoleavethedecisionup

toWill,butheseemedtoliketheideaofWillhavinghisfamilythere.Thatmadeacertain
amountofsense,consideringhishistory.“I’dliketomeetthem;Lisa’sgrandparents.”

Willsmiled.“Youmightregretit,”hewarnedteasingly.

“I’msureIwill,”Loganmurmuredaffectionately.

Loganhadbuiltthebackporchwithadreamybenchswing,andWillloweredhimself

onto the cushioned white wood, while Logan sat with him, draping his muscular arm
aroundWill’sshoulders.WillpressedhiseartoLogan’sheartandsippedquietlyonhistea
astheyrocked.Thesunwassetting,andtheyhadthebestviewintheworld.

tfirst,Lisahadbeensuchaquiet,happybaby.She’dbarelycriedatallinthosefirst
two weeks, and despite the frequent feedings she needed, both he and Will were

abletogetsleepwhentheyneededit.

Itwastheendofweekthreewhenthecryingstarted,andoncethefloodgatesopened,

itnever seemed tostop. It feltlike Lisa would cryfor hours andhours every single day
andeverynightafter,anditwasdrivingLoganinsane.Theytookturnsgettinguptorock
her and feed her and change her. He burped her over his shoulder and cleaned up her
milkyspitup,hespoketoherandcuddledherandgavehersweetfaceplentyofattention.
Butjustwhenhethoughthe’dfoundtheperfectroutinetostopthecryingandputhisbaby
tosleep,shewouldcryagain.

Finally,afterthesecondweekinarowofgettinglesssleepthanhehadonhisdamn

ship,Loganhadbeenthroughenough.Hejustcouldn’ttakeitanymore.Hewasn’tproud
ofit,buthisoldhabitsthenwereallhehadtofallbackon.Hecouldhandlearelationship,
now, without running away, and when he’d been stuck at sea, he had dealt with his
problemshead-on.Butitwashistendencytorun.He’dneverbeenaparentbefore.He’d
neverhadtocopewithanythinglikeit.Whywashisbabytryingtotorturehim?

Heshovedonhisbootsandgrabbedhisjacket,headingforthedoor.

“Ican’ttakeit,”hetoldWill.“Ineedtogetoutofthishouse,Ineedadrink.”

Will was rocking the sobbing baby in his arms, and Logan hated himself for the

heartbrokenexpressiononhisfiance’sface.

“What?Youcan’tjustleavemewithher!”Willprotested.“Logan…”

Loganshookhishead.“Ihaveto,”hesaid,andleftwithoutanotherword.

As soon as he was out the door, he felt terrible. Will had practically begged him to

stay,buthejustcouldn’t.Heneededamomentofpeace.

Hegotinthecaranddrovetothepub.Hehadn’thadadrinkinalongtime,he’dbeen

trying to kick the habit, but tonight he just needed the sweet caress of whiskey. Maybe
thenthedullthrobbinghisbaby’sscreechinghadcreatedinhisheadwouldfinallycease.

Besides, Will wasn’t alone. Tracy had arrived only a few days ago, and had been

stayingintheirspareroom.IfWillreallyneededhelp,hisfriendcouldhelphim.Buthis
omega was strong, and smart, and built for this in a way Logan was pretty sure, in that

moment,hesimplywasn’t.

He’dtried.He’dtriedtobeagoodfather,agoodparent,butwhenithadgottentough,

heran.God,Willwasnevergoingtoforgivehimortrusthimagain,washe?

Hepushedopenthedoortothepubandwentstraightforthebar,settlingdownonthe

stool.

“Logan!Hey,”thebartendergreetedhim.Loganneverwenttheretodrink,buthehad

helpedthemanbuybackhisbusiness,andtheykneweachotherwellenough.

“HeyClarke.Whiskey,makeitadouble,”hebegged.

Clarkesmirkedknowinglyathim.Hewasabigman,likeLogan,withabaldheadand

aredbeard,andcoveredintattoosfromshouldertowrist.Logantriedtoparseoutwhat
theywereeachtimehesawtheman.

As the bartender let one, and then two good shots spill from the bottle into a glass,

Logan’seyesweredrawntotheamberliquid.Hetooktheglassanddrankitdownallat
once,gaspinginreliefasthefieryburnrolleddownhisthroat.Hedidn’thaveadrinking
problem,hethought,butitdidmakeaprettygoodcrutch.

“Babytroubles?”Clarkeasked.“Iswear,everytimethere’sanewfatherintown,he

endsupinhere.”

Loganwassurprisedtohearthat.Hefeltliketheworstfatherintheworld,anditwas

hardtoimaginethatmostmendidthesameterriblethingtotheirmatesthathehad.

“I’m screwed. Will told me not to come here, and I did anyway,” he admitted, and

Clarkeraisedaneyebrow.

“Uhoh.Well,you’llhavetomakeituptohim.”

Thebartenderwenttopourhimanotherone,andLogannodded.

“How can I do that? This is my issue, anyway. I run. I thought I was done running,

but…Ihadn’thadababyyet.”

Clarke shrugged. “Sometimes space is all a man needs. Is it really running if you’re

planningongoingback?Youaregoingback,aren’tyou?”

Thatwasn’tevenaquestion.Logannoddedsincerely.

“Yeah,ofcourseI’mgoingback.IloveWill.IloveLisa.Shejustwon’tstopcrying,”

Logansaid,anguishedashedownedhisseconddoubleshotofthenight.

Clarkshrugged.“He’llforgiveyou,then.Maybebringbacksomethingsweetforhim,

butyou’llgetthroughit.”

Clarkeseemedtoknowwhathewastalkingabout.Loganjustneededabreak.Justa

little break, that was all. Reassured, Logan switched to beer and turned on his stool to
watchtheotherpeopleinthebar.Mostofthemherecognizedfromaroundtown,butthere
wasonemanherecognizedfromsomewhereelse.

As he strained to remember, through the fog of alcohol, where he’d seen that man

before, the man stood and walked over to him. Before Logan even realized what was

happening,hewaspunchedhard,knockedoffthebarstool.

“Hey!”heheardClarkeshout,buthewasonhisbackonthebarroomfloor,everything

spinningdizzilyabovehim.Hisbeerbottlehadsmashedonthefloornexttohim,andhe
felthisskintrytoheal,pushingglassoutofhishand.

He pushed himself to his feet and was knocked back by another hard punch. As he

narrowedhiseyestotrytofocusonthemaninfrontofhim,heremembered.Thiswasone
ofGraves’goons,oneofthemenwhohaddrivenawaythatday.

Loganpulledbackandpunchedthemaninthejaw.Theothermangrabbedhimand

threwhimacrosstheroom,sendinghimslidingintotablesandchairsoverbythewindow.

What was wrong with him? He was an alpha, but he was getting his ass kicked by

some beta with a death wish. As he pulled himself up and planned his counter attack,
lightningflashedinthewindow.Thunderrolledinthedistance.Ithadbeenraininglightly
onthewayover,butthesummerstormhadcomeinfast.

Will.Thatwashisfirstthought.Hispooromegahadbeenthroughtheworsttraumain

hislifeduringastorm.Heshouldbethereforhim,notfightingthisasshole.

The other man was obviously waiting for him to charge, but he looked at him for a

longmoment,andthenshookhishead.Heleftthebarabruptly.Hedidn’tbelongthere.He
belongedathome,withhisloverandhisbaby.

ILL

WAS

HURT

, incredibly hurt, but not surprised when Logan ran. He had always had

that tendency, and Will had thought he’d left it behind him, but apparently not. What
wouldhedo?Willknewitwasjustnewparentanxietytalking,butpartofhimworriedif
he would end up raising Lisa on his own. Would Logan always run off to the bar, or
maybeevenbacktosea,whenthingsgottough?

Hesatintherockingchairinthenursery,tryingtosootheLisaandhimselfwiththe

movement.Lightningflashedinthewindowbehindhim,brightandblinding.Thethunder
thatfollowedafterwardsentterrorstraighttohisheart.Onlysecondslater,heheardTracy
callforhim,hervoicepanicked.

The woman flew into New Zealand only a few days ago, and Will had been very

happy to have her around. Together, they had worked on his book, which had been
somewhatneglectedduringthefirstfewweeksofLisa’slife.Hewouldalwayschoosehis
daughteroverhiswork,buthewonderedifhewouldevergettogobacktohisresearch.

“Will!” Tracy yelled through the house, and Lisa wailed in his ear. More thunder

rolled.Heshivered,tryingnottopanic,nottoburstintotears,buthewasoverwhelmed.

“I’minhere!”heshouted.

Tracy burst in, terror in her wide blue eyes. The image of Tracy clinging to a life

jacket,soakedandhalf-frozen,flashedthroughWill’smind.

“Ididn’tknowastormwascoming,”shewhispered.“Will,Ican’t.”

Forbothofthem,astormlikethatwasareminderofthenightthey’dlosttheirfriends,

thenightthey’dalmostdied.Willcouldfeelthatcoldblacknessseepingintohim,andhe
knewTracydidtoo,buthewastooscaredhimselftohelpher.

He shook his head, clinging to baby Lisa in his arms, who screamed and sobbed as

onlyanewborncould.Tracycurleduponthefloornexttohim,shaking.

Theywerealone.Loganwasgone.Hismatehadabandonedhimtodealwiththis,but

hewasn’tequipped,notwhilethedarknesswasfillinghim,freezinghimwithfear.

He remembered the night on the ship, when Logan had comforted him through the

storm,butLoganhadchosentoleavehimtodealwiththisoneonhisown.Hewishedhe
couldbestrongenough.

Thewindofftheseahowledviolentlyandhurledthingsattheirdoorsandwindows,

andheheardTracyscream,andthenbegintosobrightalongsidethebaby,andhewished
hecouldsomehowholdthemboth,buthewantedtobeheld,too.

When the lights flickered, and then went out, it was too much for Will. He felt too

alone,toohelpless.Hebegantocryaswell,andthewailingfilledtheroom,butnotloudly
enoughtodrownoutthatheavythunderandpeltingrain.

Healmostdidn’thearLogan’svoicewhenthemancalledforhimthroughthehouse.

“W

ILL

!”Logancalled,incrediblyconcerned.Itwasalldark,thepowerwasout,andthe

storm was even worse by the water. He heard crying, not just Lisa’s but Will and Tracy
bothaswell.Heranupthestairsandintothenursery,andwasfacedwithTracy,onthe
floorinacorner,curledaroundherselfandsobbing.ThentherewasWill,tremblingand
cryingasheheldLisa,whowasscreamingherlittleheadoff.

It was just like on the ship, he told himself. He had to get them back on their feet,

comfortthembutalsohelpthemfindtheirownstrength,theirbravery.WillandTracyhad
bothsurvivedaneardeathsituation,hewouldn’tsitbyandletthembeconqueredbyan
innocentstorm.

ThefirstthinghedidwasgoovertoWillandtakeLisagently.

“I’m here,” he told him, touching Will’s face. “I’m back. I won’t leave again, I’m

sorry.”

Will fell into his arms, and Logan held him, until he felt the man’s heartbeat slow

down a little bit and his breathing start to go back to normal. He kissed his forehead,
bouncingLisainonearmandhugginghimwiththeother.

“Will,”hesaidgently.“WeneedtohelpTracy.”

Thepoorwomanwashavingapanicattack,andwhocouldblameher?Whattheyhad

beenthroughhadbeenterrifying.

With his help, Will stood and straightened his shoulders a little, rubbing at his wet

eyes.

“It’ssodark,”hebreathed,andLogannodded.

“You’reright.Thepowerisout.Wecanfindcandles,butfirstweneedtogeteveryone

downstairs.I’lltakeLisa,youbringTracy,okay?”

Willrespondedtohavingorderstofollowandnodded,managingtofocusenoughto

goovertoTracyandhughertightly.Loganwatched,peeringthroughthedarkness,long
enoughtoknowthatTracywascalmingdown,andthenheledthewaythroughthedoor.

“Everyone follow me closely, watch your step,” he said, but he felt them stumbling

behind him down the stairs. Tracy was still gasping wetly for breath, but Will was now
murmuringtohergently,stickingclosetoLoganandthebaby.

TheonlyonestillwailingwaslittleLisa,andLoganfoundhedidn’tmindanymore.

Once they were downstairs, he kept Tracy and Will busy by giving them candles to

lightandputaroundthehouse.Hestayedwiththebaby,rockingherandrubbingherback
gently.

The candles helped the atmosphere a lot. Logan placed the baby gently into Tracy’s

armstokeepherdistracted,andthenwenttoWillandhuggedhimtightly,kissinghim.

“Areyouokay?”heasked,lookingintohiseyes.“IknowIshouldn’thaveleft.I’mso

sorry.”

Willlookedupathim,hiseyescalmer,lesspanickedandmoreunderstanding.

“Don’tdoitagain.Don’tyouleave,”hesaidfirmly.

“Iwon’t,”Logansaid.“Iswear.”

Will accepted that, giving him one more hug, and then they both took a slow, deep

breath.

“Ithinkthebabyneedstoeat,”Logansaid.“Icanmakeabottle.Canyoulightafire?

It’scoldinhere.”

Will nodded, shivering a little. Logan knew that neither he or Tracy could tolerate

muchcoldafternearlydrowninginit,andafirewasanotherdistractionfortheirpanicked
minds.

HemadeLisaherbottlebycandlelight.Itwouldn’tbeverywarm,buthopefullyshe

would take it anyway. Sitting on the couch next to Tracy, he gently took the baby back
fromher.

“Thankyouforholdingher,”hesaid.

Tracygavehimasmile.“I’msorry.Idon’tknowwhythisscaresmesomuch.”

Logan shook his head. “I do. Don’t worry.” He squeezed her hand, and then offered

littleLisathebottle.

Thankfully,thebabytookthebottle,andfinally,theyallhadsomeamountofquiet.

Thesighofreliefthatwentthroughtheroomwasaudible,butLogan,foronce,was

moreconcernedwithhowhismateandhisfriendwereholdingup,thanwhetherornotthe
babywascrying.Babiescried.Hewouldjusthavetoacceptthat.

Whathecouldn’taccept,wasthewayWillhadlookedathimwhenhe’dleft.Theutter

helplessnesshe’dmadehismatefeel.Thefactthathehadn’tbeenthereforhimwhenhe’d
neededhimmost.Those,hecouldn’taccept.

HEN

ILL

FINISHED

STARTING

thefire,thefireplaceglowedwithwarmthandbeganto

heattheentirehouse.HeclimbedtohisfeetandwenttojoinLogan,Lisa,andTracyon
thecouch.HesatbetweenTracyandLogan,andshecuddledintohimfromonesidewhile
Loganwrappedhisarmaroundhimfromtheother.

Finally,hebegantofullyrelax.Thestormstillragedoutside,oblivioustoitsaffecton

them,butWillhadhisfriend,whosesharedexperiencemadehertheclosestfriendhehad,
andhismate,whohadsteppeduptotheplatewhenWillhadneededhim,andLisa,who
wasn’tafraidofanything,andlookedupatthemwithwet,blinkingeyesasshedrankher
bottle.She’dsimplybeenhungry.

Hekissedhisdaughter’ssweetface.

“I’msorry,”hewhisperedtoher.Hefeltbadthathehadbecometoooverwhelmedby

hisownfearandTracy’spanicattacktoclueintowhatthebaby’sactualneedswere.

LoganshookhisheadandkissedWillsoftly.

“Don’tyoudare.Ishouldhavebeenhere.Ifthere’severafire,though,you’llbethe

onecalmingmedown.”

“Storms are a lot more common than house fires, love,” Will pointed out. Maybe he

justneededtogetusedtothem.

“Idon’tcare.I’mgoingtobehereforeverysingleone,”Loganpromised.

Tracysmiledatthem,finallygettinghersenseofhumorback.

“Ineedtofindamanlikeyours,”shesaidtoWillwryly,andWillgazedatLoganwith

asmile.

It was true. He’d actually managed to find a good one. Logan had bad habits, like

everyone,butintheend,themanhadbeenonhiswaybackprobablyassoonasthestorm
hadhit.Willwassorelievedthathisworrieswereunfounded-inhispanic,hehadfeared
theworstofLogan.He’dbeenwrong.Whenitcamedowntoit,facedwitharoomfullof
tearsandpanic,he’dchosentotakeontheresponsibilityofcalmingeveryonedown,and
he’d done a really good job. He could handle this, and when Lisa was thirteen and
throwingthingsandchoppingoffallherhair,Willtrustedhimtobeabletohandlethat,
too.

“He’sprettygreat,”Willadmitted.

ATER

THAT

NIGHT

,thepowercameback,thestormdieddownalittle,andTracyandLisa

both went to bed. Logan held Will in his arms, practically in his lap, and traced the
contoursofhisomega’sslenderforearmsandbeautifulfingers.

“I’m so sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me that I would ever want to leave

you,”headmitted.Afterthefact,hecouldseesoclearlywherehe’dgonewrong.Maybe

takingabreakwasn’tsounhealthy,buthenevershouldhaveabandonedWillsoabruptly
whiletheirbabywasstillscreaminginhisarms.

“You weren’t really trying to leave me,” Will said quietly, wise as ever. “You were

overwhelmed.Justlikewewerewiththestorm.You’veneverhadababycryatyoufor
twoweeksstraightbefore.”

Loganshrugged.“Neitherhaveyou,I’massuming.Younevertriedtoleaveme.”

Willshookhishead.“Peoplecopeindifferentways.Youlearnedtorunthedayyour

familywasmurdered.Thatwillprobablyalwaysbeyourfirstinstinct.Butit’sthetimes
youturnandfaceitthatdefineyou,thatmakeyouaman.Thewayyouinspirebraveryin
people, the way you create a beacon of light in the darkness, that’s what makes you an
alpha. My Alpha. That’s why I’m marrying you. Because you want to run more than
anything,andsometimes,youdon’t.”

Loganfoundhehadtearsinhiseyes.

“I’msolucky.”

As his omega wrapped his arms around him, Logan tangled their legs together, his

tongue exploring his fiancé’s hot mouth. He rubbed firmly against him, and heard Will
gasp.

“Imentionedhowcrazyyoumakeme,didn’tI?”

Willgroaned,liftinghishipstorubagainsthim.“Onceortwice.”

LogancouldfeelthatthickheatinWill’ssoftcottonpantsandgrabbedthemsuddenly,

tuggingthemdownoffofhim.Willstrippedhim,too,tuggingoffhisshirtandunbuckling
hisbelt.Onebyoneeacharticleofclothinghitthefloor,untilLoganrolledontopofhim,
andgrippingWill’swrists,hepinnedthemabovehishead.

Willtrembledalittlebeneathhim,buthiseyeswerebrightlyexcited,andLoganknew

he wasn’t scared. There was very little Will actually was scared of. He leaned in and
kissed him slowly, teasing his lips with gentle caresses, softly tickling the other man’s
tonguewithhisown.WhenheheardWillwhimper,hebithislowerliphard.

“Alpha,”Willgasped.“Please.”

KissingdownWill’sthroat,holdinghisstronglittleomegadowntightly,henudgedhis

legsapart.

“Wrap your legs around me,” Logan said. He knew what Will needed, and after a

stormlikethat,heneededit,too.

WillliftedhishipsandwrappedeachofhisslenderlegsaroundLogan’swaist.Logan

groaned,shiftingintopositionandthenthrust.Hefilledhisbeautifulmatewithhisthick
cock, thrusting deep into him, sliding into the perfect angle easily. He knew his fiancé’s
body, Will was his and had been now for long enough that they rocked with perfect
rhythm.Theykneweachother.

HEY

CAME

TOGETHER

,Willbeneathhimbutwrappedaroundhim,trappinghimcloseso

that they shook and rocked in time for long after their climax. Noise rushed back into
Logan’searsallatonce,startingwiththeirpantingbreaths,almostin-timewitheachother
exactly.Hisstronglimbsfeltjelliedandemptyofskeletalstructure.Hecouldn’tmove,but
hepriedhisfingerslooseenoughtofreeWill’sarms.Willlefthisarmsthere,anyway.

Logantookslow,deepbreaths,andwhenhecouldmoveenoughtorolloffofWill,he

laynexttohim.

“Wow,”hewhispered.Thathadbeensoincredible.

“Yeah,”Willagreedwithadreamysmile.

“I got into a fight at the bar tonight,” he admitted, and Will glanced over at him,

concernalloverhisface.

“What?Withwho?”

“OneofthemenwhowasinthecarwithRobertGraves.Nottheonewhothreatened

toshootyou,theotherone.”

Willlookedconfused,andLoganwasgladhewasn’ttheonlyone.

“Ithoughttheylefttown.”

Logannodded.“Metoo.ThisisthefirsttimeI’veseenhimback.Hewasstaringatme

fromacrossthebar,andthenhejustattackedme.Iguesshetooktheopportunity,sinceI
wasawayfrommyomega.”

Willsmirked.“YoureallythinkIhelpthatmuch?”

Logannodded.“Ifeltit.Iwasalotweakerwithoutyouthere,baby.”HekissedWill’s

cheekadoringly.

“Shouldwebeworriedabouthimshowinguphere?Atourhouse?”

Hedidn’tlikebeingremindedthatwasarisk.Hehatedit.Theyhadagoodsecurity

systeminstalled,butitstillbotheredhim.

“Weshouldstaytogether,”hesaid.“Atleastuntilweknowhe’sreallygone.He’sjust

abeta.IcankickhisassifIneedto.”

WillnoddedandstrokedLogan’scheek.

“Iagree.”

Loganglancedoverathim.“HowlongdoyouthinkTracyisgoingtostay?”heasked.

Helikedhavingheraround.Despitehowbadhefeltaboutthestorm,shereallyseemedto
begoodforWill.Theyhadbecomeclosefriendsinthewakeoftheirtragedy.

“Iwasthinkinguntilthewedding,ifshewantsto,”Willadmitted.“We’reworkingon

thebook,it’sbeengoingreallywell.”

Logansmiled.Will’sbook.He’dputitdownforawhile,becauseofthebaby.Logan

wouldhavetotrytobearoundalotmoresothatWillcouldcontinuehiswork.

“That’sgood.Shecanstayaslongasshelikes,wehavealotofrooms.”

“Thanks,” Will said, but Logan shook his head. It wasn’t really a favour. He just

wantedwhatwasbestforWill.

“All of us should have a day on the beach. When the sun comes back. Just relax a

little.”

ThewayWill’sfacelitupsurprisedLogan.Whyhadn’thesuggestedsomethinglike

thatbefore?

“A picnic?” Will asked. “We can put out an umbrella and a blanket for Lisa to lie

downon.”

Logan nodded. “Sure. Swim a little, toss a beach ball around. Sounds good, doesn’t

it?”

Willsighedhappily,restinghisheadonLogan’sstrongchestinthewaythatmeanthe

wasfallingasleep.Logansmirkedinlovingamusement.

“Soundslikeheaven,”Willadmitted,andthenbegantoquietlysnore.

he next morning, dawn poured sun through their window, flooding the room. The
first thing Will remembered when he woke up wasn’t the storm from the night

before, and it certainly wasn’t that Logan had left to go to the bar and gotten into a fist
fight.Instead,thefirstthingthatenteredhismindwasthebeach,andtheirplanstoplay
there.Whenthesuncameback,Loganhadsaid.

“The sun is here,” Will said to Logan, nudging at him playfully. “We get to have a

picnic!”

Logangroaned.Itwasprettyearly,evenforthecaptain.

“C’mon,wakeup.Thesunishere!”

Logannodded.“Iknow,Iknow.We’llgo,”heassuredWill,butthenhewrappedhis

strongarmsaroundWillandcuddledhimstubbornly,holdinghimagainsthischest.

“Logan!”Willprotested,squirming.

“Shhh,”Loganwhispered.“Justtenminutes.It’squiet.”

It really was quiet. That was strange. Usually, the baby would have already woken

themup.

“Lisa,”hesaidsoftly,butLoganshookhishead.

“She’sfine.Shhhh,”hewhispered.

Willsighedsoftlyandshuthiseyes,cuddlinguptoLoganandenjoyingthewarmthof

him,hisstrong,steadyheartbeat.Helistenedtohisbreathing,tryingtoslowhisintosync,
andoncehedid,hefeltveryrelaxed,contentandhappy.

“Whatshouldwehaveonourpicnic?”Willwhispered.

Logansmirked.“Depends.Youvegetarianagain?”

Willlaughed.“Yes.IhavebeeneversinceIhadher.Youhaven’tnoticed?”

“Oh,Inoticed,”Loganteased,“Ijustwonderedifitwouldstick.”

Willshovedathischestlightly,buthewaslaughing.Hecouldremembershovingthat

enormouscheeseburgerintohismouth,howhungryhe’dbeenforit.

“We’llseewhathappensnexttime.”

“Mmm,” Logan said, obviously in agreement with the idea of another baby. “Next

time.”

Willsmiledtohimself.Somepeoplewouldprobablythinkhewascrazyforwanting

anotherchildsosoon,buthewassoinlovewithhistinyfamily,hecouldn’thelpbutwant
togrowit.Beingpregnantagain,thistimeonlandinsteadofatsea,hethoughtthatcould
beprettyfun.Hewasn’tinheat,buttheywouldseewhathappened.

“Okay,so…fruit.Maybeweshouldgodowntothemarket,seewhatwecanfind?”

“Thatsoundsgood,”Logansaid,“IwonderifTracywillwanttojoinus.”

Willnodded.“Wecanask.”

There was safety in numbers, it seemed. He hoped no one would be dark-hearted

enough to hurt their newborn, but if someone wanted to pick a fight with Logan, it was
betterthathehavebackup.

Logankissedhisheadgently.

“Isthereanythingelsewe’llneed?”heasked.

Willthoughtaboutthat,andthenshrugged.“Maybeabucketofsandtoys.Itcouldbe

funtobuildacastle.”

Logansmirked.“Ididn’tknowyoubuiltsandcastles.”

Laughing,Willnodded.“I’msurethere’salotyoustilldon’tknowaboutme,”hesaid,

hiseyessparkling.

“Mmm,maybeso,”Loganpurred,andkissedWill’slips.Willkissedhimslowlyfora

longtime,andthenhefinallycouldn’ttakeitanymore.

“It’sbeentenminutes!C’mon,let’sgofindTracy.”

Hepulledhimselfoutofbedandstretchedhisbody.Afteraquick,friskyshowerwith

hisfiancé,hegotdressed.

When he left his room, he became truly concerned. Lisa still hadn’t started to cry.

Panic filling his heart, he went to look in the nursery, peering over the edge of his
daughter’scrib.Shewasn’tthere.Hefoughttostaycalm.

“Tracy?!” he called. His friend had probably just gotten the little girl up when she’d

startedtofuss.

HerandownthehalltoTracy’sroom,thumpingonthedoor.

“Tracy!”

Noanswer.Heknockedagain,asloudashecould,andstillgotnoresponse.

Asheopenedherdoor,Logancameoutoftheirroomandpeereddownthehall.

“Will?”heasked.

Will didn’t answer, he was looking in Tracy’s room. She wasn’t there, either. The

coverswerethrownback.Shehadsleptthere,butthebedwasempty.

Hecheckedtheupstairsbathroom,andthenrandownstairs,andfeltLoganfollowing

behindhim.

“Tracy?”hecalledagain,alumpinhisthroat.Whyhadn’tshecalleduptothemyet?

Wherewashisdaughter?

Hewanderedthroughthefoyer,intothelivingroomandthroughtothekitchen.She

wasn’tanywheretobeseen.

“I’llcallher,”Logansaid.

Will nodded numbly. His eyes slid over a note pinned to their shiny new chrome

refrigerator,apieceofwhitepaperwithbluewritingonit,caughtbyamagnetagainstthe
metalsurface.Hesteppedcloser,liftingthepurple‘C’magnetandtuggingthenotefree.

ENT

FOR

WALK

WITH

ISA

,backbylunch!

-Tracy

SIGHED

RELIEF

,grippingthenotetightly.He’dbeensoterrified.

“Ican’tgetananswer,”saidLogan,steppingintothekitchen.

“It’sfine,”Willsaid.“Sheleftanote.They’llbebackbylunch.”

Logansmiledwithrelief,aswell.

“Oh, of course. All right. Then we have the morning to ourselves. How should we

spendit?”

Willgrinnedathimplayfully.

“Ihaveafewideas…”

HALF

PAST

NOON

,Tracystillwasn’tback,norhadshecalled.Loganwasworried.Sure,

she’dleftanote,andthey’dprobablyjustgoneforawalkandweretakingawhiletoget
backhome,butthatwashisdaughter.Hehadarighttobeconcerned,hethought.

“Will, they’re not back,” he said to his lover. They were curled up on the couch

flipping through a wedding magazine. Every now and then, Will would point out
somethingheliked,butmostlytheywerejustamusingthemselves.

Willglancedupattheclockandsighed.“Iknow.Shouldwetrytocallagain?”

Logannodded.“IthinkIwill,”hedecided.“Ifthey’renotbackinthenexttenminutes

orso.”

Will shifted in his lap. “I do wish she would have asked before just taking our baby

likethat.Lisaissoyoung.”

“She was probably trying to help,” Logan pointed out. “I’m sure she can tell how

overwhelmedweare.”

Will nodded, but silently, Logan found himself agreeing with his fiancé. He would

have liked to have had a say in whether or not their baby went out with Tracy, and he
mighthavetotalktoheraboutitwhentheygotback.Allofthisworrywasdrivinghim
justalittlebitcrazy.

Withanothersigh,Willtossedthemagazineontothecoffeetableandrestedhishead

back on Logan’s chest. Logan played with his soft, dark curly hair, looking down at his
lovelyface.

“Youareunfairlybeautiful,mylove.Youcouldbeamodel,ifitwouldn’tbesucha

wasteofyourbrain.”

Will had almost elfish features, a small, cute nose, sweet, kind lips, soft cheeks and

large,heavily-lashedbrowneyes.LogancouldseetheresemblancebetweenLisaandWill
veryclearlywhenhestaredathim,upsidedownlikethat.

Willstuckouthistongue.

“You’rejustinlovewithme.That’sall.”

Loganshookhishead.

“No,no.Objectively,really,Imeanit.You’restunning.”

Willsmirked.

“Well,objectively,you’resexyashell,butwealreadywentoncethismorning,sostop

flirting.”

Loganwasn’tsurethatwaspossible,notwhenhisbeautifulmatewascurledupinhis

lap.Hecouldn’tkeephishandsorhiswordstohimself.

Heglancedbackattheclock.

“It’sbeentenminutes,”hesighed.

Itwasnow12:42.Still,nosignofTracyandLisa.HegentlynudgedWilloutofhis

lap and reached for his phone, calling her again. It rang several times, and then went
throughtovoicemail,noanswer.

“Fuck,”hesaid,andtossedhisphonedownontopoftheweddingmagazine.

“Stillnoanswer?”Willasked,andLoganhatedhavingtogivehimthebadnews.

“No.AmIcrazyforbeingsoworriedaboutthis?”

Willshookhishead.

“Idon’tknow.I’mworriedtoo.Butifweleavetogolookingforthem,wecouldmiss

themwhentheycomebackhere.”

Willhadapoint,buthowlongshouldtheywait?

“We’llleaveourownnote,askinghertocallusassoonasshegetshome.”

Willagreed,soLoganwroteanote,explainingthattheywerelookingforthemandto

pleasecallifshegothomebeforetheydid.

“We’lltakethecar,it’llbefaster,”hesaid,andWillwasalreadypullingonhisshoes,

followinghimoutsidetotheirvehicle.

Shortlybeforethebaby’sbirth,Loganhadtradedinhistruckforapracticalsix-seater,

and Lisa’s car-seat was still strapped into the back. He took a deep breath. They were
probablyjuststillwalking.Maybethey’dfindTracyonherwaybacktowardthehouse,
andthiswouldn’ttakeverylongatall.

He drove down their street first, but to no avail. Then they began to guess at where

Tracymightwanttowalk.She’dtakenLisainthestroller,sotheywouldbeabletospot
thepaireasily,hethought.Thetownwasn’tthathuge.

They spent over an hour scouring the area, and Logan could feel Will getting

increasingly panicked next to him. They didn’t get a single phone call from Tracy, nor
couldtheyfindher.

“Maybe she’s in the park,” Will suggested. “We only drove around it. If they were

deeperinside,wewouldn’tseethem.”

Loganshookhishead.“Whywouldshebeinthepark?It’spasttwo,lunchtimeiswell

beforetwo,Will.”

Logantriedtokeephisvoicepatient.Thiswasn’tpoorWill’sfault,evenifTracywas

Will’sfriend.Theywerebothmissingtheirdaughter.

Will looked at him seriously.“I think we should look in the park,” he said. “I smell

her.”

“Youdo?”Loganasked,surprised.TheonlyscenthecouldpickupwasWill’s,right

nexttohim,butthatatleastwasarealcluetotheirwhereabouts.

Logan parked by the playground and got out, following Will, who had caught some

sort of scent. Past the playground was a field for frisbee and ball, and behind there, a
paved walking trail among trees and shrubs. Will took them down the path, toward the
trees.

As they hit the trees, Logan caught the scent, too. Lisa most strongly, but perhaps

Tracy,too.

“Tracy?!” Will called loudly. Only the birds chirping among the trees and a quiet

breezeanswered,sotheykeptwalking.

There were a few ways that the trail bent off, but Logan refused to split away from

Will,sotheyinvestigatedeachonetogether.Loganwasabouttosuggesttheygiveup,that
she wasn’t there, but had probably only been through the park, when he saw something
thatmadehisheartdropthroughhisribcage,deepdownintohisstomach.

Lisa’sstroller,madeofsoftbluefabricandnavyblueplastic,flippedintoanewborn

bassinetposition,satinthemiddleofthemostwesternsidepath.

Willranovertoit,andLoganfollowed,hatingthatheknewalreadywhattheywould

find.Thebuggywasempty.

“She’sgone,”Willsaid,grabbingLoganandholdinghimtightly.

LogansqueezedWill,angerandfearfillinghim.Hehadhisguessesaboutwhocould

havedonethis.TheyjusthadtopraythatLisawasokay,wherevershewas.

“Wenevershouldhavewaited,”saidWill.“Weshouldhavecomeouttolookforthem

assoonaswefoundthenote,Iknewsomethingwaswrong.”

Logan shook his head. “You didn’t know. We didn’t know. We’ll find her,” he

promised.

Hecouldn’treallymakethatpromise,theybothknewthat.Theirsweet,preciouslittle

two-month-oldbabycouldbelostforever,butthatwasarealityhecouldn’tfaceyet.He
justhadtofindher.

He pulled out his phone and called Tracy again. This time, he heard the ringing on

bothsides,throughthephone,butalsooutloud,behindhim.Willwentsearchingthrough
the bushes and found the phone, dropped there. He looked at it for a moment, and then
helditoutforLogantosee.

Thescreenwascracked,butitwasunlocked.OpenwasatexttoWill,withtheletters

‘HE’typedoutalready,butnothingelse.

“Doyouthinkshewastryingtotype‘help’?”Loganaskedsoftly.Itdidn’tseemlike

Tracyhadmuchtimetofightoffwhoeverhadtakenthem.

“Maybe, or maybe it was a man. You said that man attacked you at the bar. Is it

possiblehe’drecognizeTracyandLisasomehow?”

Loganshookhishead.“Iwouldn’tthinkso,butmaybe…maybeitwasascentthing.

Lisasmellslikebothofus.”

Willsighed,rubbingathisface.

“Fuck.Wehavetofindthem,Logan.”

Logantookadeepbreath,tryingtothinkthroughthepanicthatthreatenedtotakeover

his mind. His daughter. His daughter was in danger, it was exactly what he’d always
feared.Hiseyesscannedtheareaforsomesortofclueashestruggledwithhimself.

“Whatdoyouthinkhe’sgoingtodowithher?”Willaskedhim.

Logan shook his head. “I don’t want to think about it. We have to figure out where

theywouldgo.”

“We could start by figuring out if that man lives in town, maybe ask around at the

bar?”

Loganwasstilltryingtothink.Itwasn’tthatsimple.ThismanhadkidnappedTracy

andhisdaughterforareason.DidhewantTracy,orwasitthebabyhewasafter?Oneof
themwasdeadweight.

“Tracyleftherphone.Whatelsewouldshehavehadonher?Herwallet?”

Willnodded.“Keys,maybe,”hesaid.“Igaveherasettothehousewhenshearrived,

soshecouldcomeandgoasshe—”

“Shit,”Logansighed.“Thehouse.”

Will’s eyes grew wide, and Logan knew the other man understood what he was

thinking.Hedidaquicksearchofthestroller,andfoundTracy’swallet,butnotherkeys,
notanywhere.HeandWillbothsearchedthepath,andtheshrubberyoneithersideofit.
Loganscrapedhiskneeontheconcreteashebentlowtolookbeneathadensetawabush.
Hegaspedatthesting,butithealedquickly,leavingonlyastainonhisjeans.

Itwasnouse.Inhisheart,heknewwhatmusthavehappened.

“They’renothere.HetookTracy,andthebaby,andthekeys.”

HeandWilllookedateachother,andthentheyran,allthewaybacktothecar.They

jumpedin,thenspedthroughtownbacktowardtheirempty,vulnerablehome.

HEN

ILL

HAD

THOUGHT

he would die, in that icy water in the Bering Sea so many

monthsago,thathadbeenthemostterrifyingmomentofhislifesofar.Rushingthrough
traffic,theirbabyscaredandalonewithsomestrange,angryman,thatwasmuch,much
worse.

He would have happily been doggy paddling through fire instead of sitting in that

stupidSUV,waitingforaredlighttoturngreen.

“I should call the police,” he said suddenly, and Logan nodded next to him and

reached out, gripping his hand. Will squeezed it tightly for comfort, and pulled out his
phonetocallthecops,butitbuzzedtolifeinhishand,andthenrangahappy,demented
littletune.

Thecallwasfromtheirhousephone.Heimmediatelyanswered.

“Tracy?” he asked, his heart pounding. Had she really managed to get to a phone?

Maybeshe’dseentheirnote.

“Nope,”amalevoicesaid,andthenthemanchuckledinWill’sear,andhefeltsick,

hisheartaching.“Ifoundyournote.FiguredI’dgiveyouacall.Yourdaughterissafe,for
now.”

“Don’tyoufuckingtouchher,IswearI’llkillyou,”Willgrowledintothephone,and

thenturnedtoLogan.“Drivefaster.He’sthere.”

“Iwasthinkingaboutlightingalittlefire,”themansaid.“Foroldtime’ssake.”

“Don’t,”Willsaid,butthemanlaughedathim.“Letmehearher,Iwanttohearthat

she’salive,”Willpleaded.Nexttohim,Loganwasdistressed,drivingasfastashecould
throughthetown.Theywerealmostthere.

Themanonthephonehungupwithoutanotherword,andWillcriedout.

“No!” he cried, and he almost threw his phone, but Logan reached a hand out and

placeditonhisarm,stoppinghim.

“Wecouldneedthat.We’rehere,”hesaid,speedingdowntheirquietbeachroadand

screechingtoastopinfrontofit.Theybothwenttoruninside,andthenLoganstopped
Will.

“Callthecopsbeforeyoucomein,”hesaidquietly,andthenrushedinthedoor.

ThefirstthinghesawwasTracy,tiedtoadiningroomchairandgagged,tearsinher

eyes.Shewasalreadyhalfwaytogettinganarmfree,wellonthewaytosavingherself.

Heranovertoher,pullingthegagoutofhermouth.Hegrabbedaknifeandcuther

loose.

“Whereishe?”

“Upstairs,” she said, and she grabbed the heavy marble rolling pin off the counter,

holdingitdefensively.

“Youwon’tneedthat,”Logansaid,butheletherkeepitashewalkedupthestairs.“If

you’vehurtmybaby,you’redead,”hewarned.

Heheardhisdaughter’scriesfromthenurseryandwalkedinonthemanholdinghis

baby, cradling her and rocking her, with a gun to his daughter’s mouth as if it were a
bottle.

“Takeanotherstepandshewilldie,”hepromised.

Logandidn’tmove.HejuststaredatLisa,hisheartaching.

“You’refuckingsick!”Tracysaid,anditwastrue.Aguninababy’smouth?Itwasthe

mostdisturbingthinghe’deverseen.HehadtogetLisaawayfromthisman.

“Just…canyouputherdowninthecrib,sowecantalk?”

“We can talk like this. I’ll talk. Here are my conditions. You pay me two hundred

grand,takeyourbabyandyourgaylittlewife,andleave.Forever.Youdon’tcomeback
andyoudon’taskquestions.”

That obviously wasn’t going to work for Logan, but the man had a gun in his

daughter’smouth.

“I don’t have that kind of money here, I’d have to get it from the bank,” he said,

treatingthedemandasifitcamefromareasonableperson,insteadofacompletepsycho.

“Youandmeandthebabywillgotothebank,”hesaid.

Loganshrugged.“Wecoulddothat,butthecopswouldprobablymeetusthere,don’t

youthink?”

Theman’seyeswidened.“Youcalledthecops?You’refuckingdead.”

HeliftedthegunandpointeditatLogan’shead.

Withacryofrage,Tracyrushedinatthemanandslammedthatheavystonerolling

pinrightoverhishead.

Theman’seyesbulgedandhefellhardontohisface.Loganonlyhadafewsecondsto

diveinandcatchLisabeforethenewbornhitthefloor.Sighinginrelief,helaytherewith
her in his arms, and tears filled his eyes. He held his sweet girl close, relief flooding
throughhim.He’dbeensoclosetolosingherforever.

Tracy had grabbed the gun, tucked it in her waistband, and was dragging the

unconsciousmanacrossthefloor,doingherbestto,anyway.

“Weshouldgethimtiedup,”shesaid,andLoganhadtoadmireher.

“Yousavedmylife,Ithink”headmitted.Shejustgavehimasmile.

“It’sabouttimeIreturnedthefavor,Captain.”

Just then, the door downstairs opened and in came Will, with the back up of several

policeofficers.Theyrushedupthestairstofindthesituationbasicallydealtwith.Tracy
handedthemthegun.

“He’sallyours,”shesaid,andtheyputhiminhandcuffs,whichwasgoodbecausethe

lycanwasalreadystartingtowakeup,evenwiththatheadinjury.

WillranovertohugLisa,andLoganreluctantlylethergointoWill’sarms.

“She’sokay.She’sokay,baby,”Loganassuredhisfiancé,prettygladthatWillhadn’t

actuallyseenhowmuchdangertheirinfantdaughterhadbeenin.

Willsighedinrelief,restinghisheadonLogan’sshoulderasheheldher.

“Thankyou.Thankyou.”

Logansmirked.“Actually,Tracysavedus.Hepointedthegunatmeandshejustran

inandhithimwiththatthing.”

Hepointedtotherollingpin,andWillstaredatit,andthenlaughed.

“Damn,Tracy.”

“Right?”Logansaid,laughingsoftlywithhim.Nowthattheshockwaswearingoff,

thatdidseemsortofhilarious.

“Iguesswe’llallneedtogotothepolicestation,”saidWill.

The cops agreed, so Logan grabbed a diaper bag. They would need to give their

statements.HehuggedTracy,andsodidWill.

“Iguesswe’reevennow,”Tracysaid,andWillsmirked.

“Yeah.Youcouldsaythat.”

few days later, they finally got their day in the sun. Will sat on a huge picnic
blanket on the beach, while Lisa lay under a big beach umbrella, kicking and

cooing. Logan and Tracy were in the water, swimming and splashing, while he watched
with pleasure. Living on the beach really was a dream come true. He was never cold
anymore, which was nice after thinking for so long that he might never fully be warm
again.

He opened the wicker picnic basket and peered inside. Cheese, meat, crackers… he

picked out an apple and took a big, juicy bite, moaning softly with pleasure. It was so
sweetandcrisp,andonthehotdayitseemedliketheperfecttreat.

Loganranover,kickingsand.

“Areyougoingtocomeintothewater?”

Willnodded.“AfterI’mdonewiththis,oneofyoucanwatchLisa,”heagreed.

Logan smiled and flopped down in the sand, leaning in to kiss him. Will kissed him

backslowly,moaningastheirlipstouched.Itstillsentelectricitythroughhimeverytime.

“Youshouldeatsomething,”Willmurmured.

Logansearchedthroughthebasket,grinningatLisa.

“Hey, baby girl. How’s it going? You like the ocean?” He turned to look at Will.

“You’reright.Thosebabysunglassesarereallycute,”headmitted.

“I told you!” Will said. They were tiny red sunglasses, each frame in the shape of a

heart.Probablythecutestdamnthinghe’deverseenfortheirbeachbaby.Loganhadmade
funoftheminitially,butWillknewhe’dcomearound.

“Yeah.Reallycute.”LogankissedthetipofLisa’snose,playingwithhersoft,perfect

fingersandtoestenderly.

Willcrunchedintohisapple,watchinghisstrong,masculinematespeaksoftlytotheir

tinydaughter.Hesmiled,filledwithjoyandrelief.ForallofLogan’sdoubtsinhimself,
he was an adoring daddy, wrapped around Lisa’s sweet little pinky. When he finished
eating,Willleaptupandranoutintothewater,gaspingasthecold,saltysprayhithim.

Itfeltincredibleonsuchahotday.Hesighedasthecoolingliquidslidoverhiscalves

and ankles first, and then up to his waist. Tracy hadn’t gone any deeper than that, and

neither did he. He splashed her playfully, and was glad to see that she just grinned and
splashed him back, unbothered. It was hard to believe this was the same water that had
tried to drown them both, that had killed Roger and Grey, but all ocean was the same
ocean,anditwasn’tgoodorbad.Itwaswild.

“I was thinking about what we spoke about yesterday, about staying until after your

wedding?”shesaid.

“Yeah? Did you decide?” Will asked. He wanted Tracy at the wedding, and it was a

long,expensiveflighttodomultipletimes,buthecouldn’tkeepherthere,especiallyafter
whathadhappenedtoher.

“I’ll stay,” Tracy said. “I know you’ll be busy planning your wedding, but I’d really

liketoworkonthebook,”sheadmitted.“Ithinkitcouldbeareallybighit.”

“Ahit,”Willsaid,shakinghishead.“Seemsweirdtoprofitofftheirdeath,doesn’tit?”

“Isthathowyoureallyseeit?”Tracyasked,frowningwithconcern.“Ithoughtitwas

atributetothem.”

“Itis,”Willadmitted.“Ijustthinkmaybeweshouldusetheproceedstofundfurther

research,orshareitwiththeirfamilies,orsomething.”

Tracy smiled at him. “Sure. First we have to finish the book, though. You’ve been

stalling,Will.”

Hesplashedherplayfully.“Shutup.We’llfinishit.”

Tracysplashedhimfarharder,andthenranoff,backtothebeach.Shesaidsomething

toLogan,andsoonenoughhewasrunningintothewatertojoinWill,sprintingdownthe
sandybeachlikehewasonBaywatch.

Logandoveathim,knockinghimintothewater,andWillgaspedforbreath,andthen

startedtolaugh,wrestlingwithhisfiancéinthetide.Hesmackedhisstrongarm.

“You’regonnadrownme!”hesaid,butLoganshookhishead.“That’snotaseasyasit

sounds,”hepointedout.

Willsmiled.“IfIstartedtodrownagain,wouldyourescueme,Captain?”

Noddingsincerely,Logangrippedeachofhisslenderarmsinalarge,butgentlehand

andpulledhiminclose.

“Every time,” he promised, and leaned in, kissing him deep and slow, just the way

Willliked.

Will gasped, melting for him as they stood in the water, which rose to belly button

heightandthendowntotheirkneesasthetidecameinandout,rockingwithitsconstant,
dependablerhythm.

“Iloveyou,”Willwhisperedtohismate.

“Iloveyou,too,Will,”Loganwhispered,lookingdownintohiseyes.“Forever.”

WilltookLogan’shandandpulledhimoutofthewatertowardthesand.Hegrabbed

thebrightredbucketfullofsandtoysanddumpedthemout,kneelinginthesoftsand.He

pushedasideenoughsandtoclearaspacetowork,andthenstartedtofillthebucketwith
dampsand,pattingitdownaftereachlayersoitwouldcompact.

“Help me!” he encouraged, and Logan and Tracy both started to help. Logan dug a

moatandbroughtoverwatertofillit,andTracycollectedseashellsandsanddollarsto
pressintothesidesoftheirmagnificentcastle.Willbuiltitastallashecould.

When they were done, they stood back, Logan bouncing Lisa in his arms in her

adorablehatandheart-shapedsunglasses.

“Notbad,ifIdosaysomyself,”Willsaidproudly,gazingatthecastle.Itreminded

himofthehousethey’dbuilt,heandLogan,andTracyhadmadethemfeelathomeinit.
Evenaftertheinvasion,heandLoganhaddiscussedleaving,buttheyweretooattachedto
theirhouse.Itwastheirs,andtheywoulddefenditagainstallodds.

“Iwantedtoaskyousomething,Tracy,”Logansaidsuddenly,andWillglancedover

athim.Heknewwhathisfiancéwasgoingtoask.

TracylookedatLogancuriously.“Whatisit?”

“We were thinking, would you like to be Lisa’s godmother? My family is gone, and

Willdoesn’thaveanysiblings,soLisa…shecoulduseanaunt,youknow?”

ThelookonTracy’sfacewassohappythatWillknewthey’dmadetherightchoice.

“OfcourseIwould!”shesaid,andhuggedLoganwithLisabetweenthem.Thenshe

huggedWill,whosqueezedherclose.

“I guess that’s what happens when you go through what we did,” he said. “You

becomefamily.”

She nodded sincerely, happiness shining in her eyes, and then turned to the picnic

basket.

“IknowIputsomesparklingciderinthere,”shesaid.

Thecupsthathadcomewiththeirpicnicsetwereblueandmetal,andremindedWill

ofthecampingmugsthattheirexpeditionteamhaddrunkchampagnefromontheirlast
nighttogether.Tracyhandedthemoutandthenpouredthebubblyciderintothem,andhe
tookadeepbreath.

“Tolove,”hesaid.

“Tolife,”saidTracy.

LoganhuggedLisatohischest,kissinghersofthead.

“Tofamily,”hetoasted,andtheyalldrank.

LTHOUGH

ILL

’

fatherhaddecidednottoflyoutuntilshortlybeforetheweddingdue

toworkcommitments,hismotherSandrawasarrivingthatevening,andwouldhelpthem
careforthebabyandplantheweddingwhileshegottoknowLogan.Logan,ashedrove
withWillandLisainthecartopickherup,wasn’tnervousatall.Maybeheshouldbe,
meeting his fiancé’s mother for the first time, but he really didn’t see what the woman

coulddotohim.Shehadraisedawonderfulson,thathadtosaysomethingaboutwhoshe
wasasaperson,Loganfigured.

Will, on the other hand, couldn’t sit still. He kept changing the radio station and

fiddling,anditwasdrivingLogannuts.

“Okay,shecan’tbethatbad.Youwantherhereforthewedding.”

“OfcourseIwantherhere,she’smymother.”

“Thenwhyareyouso…restless,mylove?”Loganasked,tryingtobepatient.

Will shrugged. “It’s just my mother. She doesn’t… She means well. She has high

expectationsforme,that’sall.Shealwayshas.”

“Overcritical?”

Willshrugged.“You’llhavetodecideforyourself.”

Thewayhesaiditwassomewhatominous.

“Yourdadiscomingdownforthewedding,right?What’sthedealwithhim?”

Willshrugged.“Dadissimple.He’sjustamachoalpha,andhe’saworkaholic.Idon’t

knowifheeverhadalotofrespectforme,butIdidwellenoughinschoolthathedidn’t
give me too much trouble. Mostly, he worked. He’ll be really happy to meet Lisa,
though.”

Logansmiledabit.

“Good.I’dliketoshakehishand.”

Willreachedoverandsqueezedhishandsweetly.

“Youwill,don’tworry.”

Logansmirked.Hewasn’ttheworriedone.

They got to the airport and Logan carried the baby in her car seat through the busy

building.Thebabyhadbeenoutinpublic,butnowhereasbusyasAucklandAirport,and
he was a little worried about her being overwhelmed. She took it like a champ, though,
happytoobserveallthefacesandsoundsandsmellsaroundher.

He and Will waited at the gates, and when a thin, tall, exuberant woman in her 50’s

withdarkcurlyhaircameflyingatWillandhuggedhimlikeshe’dneverhuggedanyone
beforeinherlife,Loganknewthathe’dmetSandra.

“Oh,you’resothin,youlooksotired,”shesaidtoWill,tryingtofixtheman’shair.

“Mom,”hesaid,battingherhandawaylikeitwasafly.“I’mfine.It’sgoodtoseeyou,

too.”

“Have you been eating enough? You never did learn how to cook, you never paid

attention,didyou?Oh,Iknow,I’lltakeusalltoeatand—Oh!”

LoganhadbroughtoverLisa.

“Hi,Sandra.It’sgreattofinallymeetWill’smom,I’veheardgreatthings,”hefibbed,

offeringherhishand.

Shelookedathimthoughtfully,veryclosely,andthenshookhishand,toolightly,like

itmightinfecther.

“Is my granddaughter going to sound like that?” she asked Will, before she’d even

saidathingtoLogan.

“She’llgrowup,here,Mom,soprobably,”Willsaidwithstrainedpatience.

Theybothwatchedasshekneltdowntocooatthebaby.

“Oh, she’s quite plump, isn’t she?” she said with a smile, and Will rolled his eyes.

Logan just smirked. Sandra meant well, obviously. Everything she said was out of love
andconcern.HecouldtellitwouldgrateonWill’snervestheentirestay.

Without asking, Sandra unbuckled the baby from her car seat and lifted her into her

arms,bouncingandrockinghergently.Shehuggedhersweetly,andLoganspottedtears
inthewoman’seyes.

“Mygrandbaby,”shesaid,andhecouldtellitwassettinginforthefirsttime.Shewas

agrandmothernow,heronlybabyhadababy.“Youknow,itistraditionaltogetmarried
beforehavingachild,”shesaidchidingly.“Butshe’sbeautiful.”

“I’lltakeyourbags,”Logansaid.HeletWillcarrytheemptycarseat,becauseSandra

seemedreluctanttoletlittleLisago.

“Oh,whythankyou.Isupposeifyou’regoingtobethat…rugged,youmayaswellbe

strong,”shesaididly,andLoganknewhehadn’treceivedthelastofherjudgmentsonhis
appearance,andprobablyeverythingelseabouthim.Thewomanspokehermind,hehad
togiveherthat.

“Mom,juststop,”Willtried,butLoganhadafeelingthatneverworked.

“It was a compliment, dear,” she said simply. “Now, shall we go for dinner? I’m

starving.”

LoganglancedatWill,whoshrugged.“Icouldeat.It’sabitofalongdriveback.”

SandratookthemtothesteakhousethattheyhadgonetowhileWillwaspregnantand

cravingmeatlikenothingelse.Thistime,LoganfiguredWillwouldabstainfromthemeat
andgoforasaladorsomething,buthepersonallycouldgoforagoodsteakonsomeone
else’sdime.

Sandra picked on Will constantly, before they even got a chance to order their food.

Firsthedidn’tputthebabybackintohercarseatproperly,thenhesatinthewrongspotat
the table, then he scraped his chair on the floor as he stood, then he forgot to place his
napkininhislap,andthen,finally,Willsnapped.

“Mom!Stop.I’maman.Ihaveababyofmyown.Idon’tneedyoutotellmehowto

doeverysinglething.”

Shelookedveryhurtbythis,butshequietlypickeduphermenu,andforamoment,

Loganthoughttheymighthavepeace.Hewasverysadlydeceived.

“So,Logan,”shesaid,enunciatinghisnameslowlyanddeliberatelyasifshefoundit

vulgar and somehow unacceptable. He hadn’t chosen his name, had he? Apparently he

was her new target, and he was fine with that. Will had put up with decades of this, he
couldhandleitforafewweeks.

“Yes,Sandra?”hesaidpolitely.“Howwasyourtrip?”Maybehecouldcutheroffat

the pass, ask her questions about herself, although he knew that his observations would
neverbequiteasbitingasherown.Thatwasatalent.

“Oh,itwasfine,”shesaid,dismissivelywavingherhand.Clearly,shewasn’tthereto

talkabouther.“Iwasjustwondering,whatisitthatyoudo?Willhasn’ttoldmemuchat
all,he’sverysecretive.”

ThatwasanothershotatWill,withadeliberateglanceinhisdirectionandeverything,

buttheybothletitgo.Loganjusttriedtokeepupwithher,toanswerherquestionsand
keepherfocusedonpickinghimapart,ratherthanherpoorson.

“Well, currently, I’m invested in quite a few businesses in town, and I’m raising my

daughter.ButwhenWillandImet,Iwasacaptain.”

“Oh?Inthemilitary?”sheasked,andhecouldtellfromhertonethatshewasalready

preparingtolecturehimonhowdangerousthatwas,sohewasn’texcitedtotellherwhat
hereallydid,buthebravelywenton.

“No.Iranafishingvessel,kingcrabfishing,haveyouheardaboutit?”

“You’reacrabfisherman?” she cried, turning a few heads in the restaurant with her

highpitch.

Logan suddenly understood why Will avoided his parents. Sandra was a lovely

woman.Shewasintelligent,andprobablyeventhoughtshewasbeingkind.ButGod,he
wantedtostrangleher.

“Ohmy,”shesaidbreathlessly.“Well,let’sbegladyou’renotdoingthatsortofwork

anymore.Still,investment?Isthatsuchasafepathforafather?”

Loganlookedherintheeyes,suddenlyhopingtoshockher,justforthehellofit.Will

gavehimawarninglook,buthecouldn’thelphimself.

“Well, I’ve thought about going back into fishing. The port in our town used to be

prosperous,I’mprettysureIcouldpulltogetheradecentfleet.”

She gaped, obviously straining to even be able to imagine anyone having such a

desire.

“I…” For once, she was speechless, which was perfect. The waiter showed up, and

Loganturnedtomakehisorder,feelingverysmug.Therewasnothingaboutthiswoman
hecouldn’thandle.

On the car ride home, Sandra sat in the back with Lisa and spent the entire time

grilling them for information. She demanded to know about Will’s research, why he
wasn’tcontinuingit,andthen,whenhementionedit,shelatchedontothebookidea.

“Youshouldhavemeeditit,”shesuggested.

“Willmentionedyouwereaschoolteacher,”Logansaid,notsurehowhewouldhave

toleratedbeinginMrs.Blanchard’sclasswhenhehadbeenakid.Hewasstillfightingto

changethesubjecttoherlife,butshewasdetermined.

“Oh, yes. I taught at a private school for over twenty-five years and Will attended

there.I’msureitembarrassedlittleWilliam,butI’vealwaysthoughtitwasgoodthatwe
weresoclose,youknowmostworkingmothersabandontheirchildren.Iwantyoubothto
watchoutforthat,ohbutdon’tforgetaboutyourcareer,Will.”

Willgroanedsoftly,audibly.“Iwon’t,Mom.”

“Don’tgripe,youknowIhateitwhenyoudothat.”

“Iknow,Mom.”

Loganclearedhisthroat.

“TracyandWillhavebeenworkinghardonthebook.I’msureitwillinspirefurther

research,andifWilleverneedstogoonatrip,well,I’llbehereforLisa.”

“Allonyourown.Youknow,alphasaren’tthenurturingones.Logan,thatwouldbe

verydifficultforyou.”

Thatgothim.He’dbeenlettingmostthingsjustrolloff,whichseemedtobethekey

withSandra,butthatwastoomuch.

“Excuseme?”hesaid.

Willtriedtohelp.“Mom,Loganisagreatdad,helovesLisa.”

“No,Iwanthertoexplainthat.YouthinkjustbecauseI’manalphaIcan’tnurturemy

daughter?Myjobistotakecareofmyfamily.Myfirstandonlyjob,Sandra.Don’tyou
daretrytoputbullshitaboutalphasonme.”

Shehadthathurt,shockedlookonherfaceagain.

“Well,youknowwhatImean,”shesaidquietly.

“Ido.Iknowwhatyoumean,andyou’rewrong,”hesaidfirmly,staringherdown.

Sheglancedaway,andabruptlychangedthesubject,whichtoldLoganthathe’dwon

thatargument,andmaybesomerespect.

“Howfaristhistownofyours,anyway?Youknowitisn’tgoodforchildrentoliveso

farawayfromthecity.”

Thistime,heandWillgroanedinunison.

ssoonastheygotthroughthedoor,WillcalledTracydown.Tracyhadheardalot
about his mother during their time on the same research team, it had been pretty

commonforthemtoventabouttheirfamiliesandshareafewpersonaldetailswhilethey
were shivering in the cold. It had made them closer. She always thought his mother
sounded like a hilarious person, and had insisted on meeting her as soon as she had the
chance.Well,nowshehadherchance.

TracycamedownthestairsandgreetedSandrawithasmile.

“Mrs.Blanchard,it’ssonicetomeetyou!”shesaid,offeringherhand.

WillandLoganbothwatchednervouslyasSandralookedtheotherwomanover.He

shouldhavewarnedhismothertobegentlewithTracy.Thiswasgoingtogobadly.But
Sandrasimplysmiledattheplumpyoungscientist,andthenshookherhand.

“It’smypleasure.Tracy,isit?Willtoldmesomeofwhathappenedontheboat.Come

here,dear.”

She hugged Tracy in a tight, warm embrace, and Tracy grinned at them over her

shoulder,winking.Willshookhisheadinamazement.HowthehellhadTracymanaged
that?

“Oh,Mrs.Blanchard,thankyou.Don’tworryaboutme,I’mdoingjustfinenow.Did

WillandLogantellyouthatthey’vemademeLisa’sgodmother?”

“Sandra, dear, call me Sandra. Have they? That’s wonderful. Come with me to the

kitchen, these boys don’t know how to put on a pot of tea for guests. Isn’t Lisa just
darling?Ifonlytheycoulddressher.Mysonhasalwaysbeenpracticallycolorblind…”

SandraandTracywentoffintothekitchen,andWilllaughed,turningtohisfiancé.

“Well.Itcouldhavegoneworse.”

Loganlaughed,too,pullingWillinandhugginghimclose.“She’sgoingtobeagreat

grandmother.ButIbelieveyounow.”

“Good,” Will said, giving his fiancé a meaningful, amused smile. “Just remember,

she’sheretohelpwiththewedding,notplanitforus.”

Loganchuckled.“Well,maybeyoushouldremindherofthat.”

“Oh,Iwill,”Willsaid.

Lisabegantofuss,andhebentdowntounbucklehercarseat.Hesniffedather,and

thennodded.

“Yeah,sheneedstobechanged.Doyouwannadoit,love?”

Loganlaughed.“Sure,passitoffonme,”heteased,buthetooktheirbabyupstairsto

changeher,andWillwentintothekitchentomakeupafewbottlesforLisa.Hefoundthat
sometimes,whentheywerebusy,itwaseasiertojusthavesomemadeaheadoftime.

“Whatareyoudoing?”hismothercried.“Oh,thatformulaisawful!”

“Mom!”Willprotested.“Just…buttout,willyou?She’sfine.Likeyousaid.Healthy,

chubbybaby.Stopworrying.”

Shetskedandshookherhead,andthenwhisperedsomethingtoTracy,whogavehim

ahelplesslyamusedlook,butwasclearlyenjoyingbeingtheonlyoneSandradidn’tpick
apart.

Growing up, he remembered it being less annoying when he’d been a child. His

motherhadsimplybeenattentive,alwaysteachinghimaboutthings,impartinghermorals,
reminding him of his manners. But the older he’d gotten, the more patronizing and
irritatingithadbeentohavehismotherseeminglyunabletokeephermouthshutabout
hislife.

Theonlythingshe’deverreallyapprovedofwerehisgradesandhislooks,andeven

then,shepickedonthemconstantly,tryingto‘help’himimprovehisperformanceorhis
appearance.ItwasreallyamiraclethatWilldidn’thaveanyterribleselfesteemissues.As
he’d gotten older, he’d simply avoided Sandra, taking her in small doses instead. He
hopedwhatLogansaidwasright,thatshewouldturnouttobeawonderful,loving,doting
grandmother.Hedidn’twantLisatoendupfeelinginsecureaboutherweightorhervoice
orherlooksbeforeshecouldevenwalk,andhedoubtedhismotherwouldallowthemto
simplyavoidhernowthatshe’dmetherdarlinggrandchild.

“Wouldyoutwoliketolookatafewweddingmagazineswithme?”

“Oh,youshouldstartascrapbook!”hismothersaidwithjoy,butshebackedoffalittle

when she saw the look in his eyes.“Magazines are a good start,” she said, almost like a
peaceoffering.

Hesmiled,nodding.“Right,”heagreed.“Istheteaready?We’llseewhatideaswecan

get.”

“Haveyoutwopickedadateyet?”Tracyasked,bringingmugsfortea,whileSandra

took care of the teapot itself, laying it out with cream and sugar and cookies from their
cupboard.Leaveittohismothertoalreadyhavesearched,andprobablyreorganized,their
kitchencupboards.Shedidn’tdoanythinghalfway.

“We’rethinkinginafewweeks.”

“Well,you’llhavetosetadatesoon,soyourfathercantakethetimeoffwork,”his

momsaid,andthatactuallymadesensetohim.

“Okay.I’lltalktoLoganwhenhecomesbackdown.He’sjustchangingLisa,”hesaid,

settlingdownonthecouch.

Sandra opened her mouth, and Will half expected her to try to tell him that Logan

wouldn’t be any good at changing his own daughter’s diaper, but she seemed to change
her mind. She simply poured herself a cup of tea and dropped sugar and cream into it,
deliberatelystirring,intenselyfocusedontheact.

Willsmiled.Heappreciatedthatshewastrying.

“You’llhavetocheckwiththechurch,tomakesurethedateisavailable,”shefinally

kindlysuggested,andWillrealizedtheymighthaveanissue.

“Uh…Mom,we’renotgettingmarriedinachurch,”headmitted.

Shealmostdroppedhertea,andhewasgladtoseeshedidn’t.Heneverwouldhave

heardtheendofit.

“You—I—Well,whynot?”shedemanded.

He shook his head. This was going to be hard to explain to his mother. His parents

wereverytraditional,buthe’dalwaysbeentoomuchofascientisttobereligious.

“Wejustdon’tbelieveinthat,Mom.YouknowIthinkit’sfinethatyouandDaddo,

but Logan and I are getting married here, at home, on the beach, by the sea, which we
love.”

“You’llbehavingapastor,though?Won’tyou?”

Willlookedintohismother’sconcernedeyesandshookhishead.

“No,Mom.Thisisalegalwedding,notareligiousone.”

ThelookonherfacemadehimfeellikehewasspeakingItalian,ormaybesomealien

languagenotevenonEarth.Shereachedforherteacup,andherhandwastrembling.

“Mom,”hesaid,butsheshookherhead.

“Just…Showmeyourweddingmagazines,”shesaid,buthecouldtellhismotherwas

deeply disappointed in him, so truly disappointed that she couldn’t express herself, and
that was rare. He sighed and pulled out the magazines. This is not going to go well, he
thoughttohimself.

THE

TIME

they’dpickedadateandplannedthewedding,LoganthoughtWill’smother

mightkillhimforcorruptingherbabyboybeforeshe’dletthemwalkdowntheaisle.She
went along with everything, of course, and was very helpful, both with the practical
elementsofplanningawedding,butalsowithcaringforLisa,whomsheclearlyadored.

ThetensionbetweenWillandhismother,however,waspalpableateverystepalong

theway.Theirhousewasspotless,andWillhadtoldLoganonenightthathewaspretty
sure his mother had cleaned it out of spite. Logan couldn’t remember his mother ever
doinganythinglikethat.Cleaning?Howwascleaningaggressive?ButtheterrorinWill’s
eyesmadeitclearhewasdealingwithforcesLogandidn’tfullyunderstand.

She spoke to her husband every night on the phone, and Will said he knew she was

talking about them from the tone of her voice. Logan never heard any words, only her

slightlyshrill,sweetenedvoice,whichalwayssoundedlikethat.

“Justwait,”Willhadwarnedhim.“Justwaituntilmyfathershowsup.”

TracydrovetoAucklandtopickupDan,Will’sfather,andthey’dallbeenworkingon

decoratingthehouseandpreparingthefood.Theweddingwassetforthenextevening,at
sunset,likeWillandLoganhadplanned.Sandrahatedit.Weddingsshouldhappeninthe
morning,shesaid,ortheearlyafternoonatlatest.

In the end, it was their wedding. Logan and Will were both of the opinion that she

couldsitandbewitnesstothewedding,shecouldhelpthemplananddecorateandcook,
butshewouldnotdictatethetermsoftheirmarriage.Itwasn’thappening.

Most of the town would be at their wedding, and several of Will’s friends from the

university had flown in as well. His father was the last to arrive. The house seemed to
buzzwithanticipation,andevenLoganwasgettingnervous.Hewasgoingtomarrythe
man’s son. He already had a child with him. His father would certainly be protective.
Could Logan really blame him? But Will seemed much less concerned about his father
than his mother, yet he was still on edge. Maybe it was simply that another alpha, a
dominantforceofhisown,wouldbeintown,anduntilbothalphaswereintheirseparate
cornersagain,noonewouldbeabletosettledown.

The door opened, and the man who came through the door was very tall, and very

handsome.Loganfeltimmediatelythreatened.Hefeltallthehairsonhisbodygoup,and
although the man, who was well into his sixties but still looked like Harrison Ford, was
greyandgrizzled,LoganactuallyhadtoremindhimselfthatDanwasWill’sfather,and
notathreatatall.

Hesteppedforward,hisshouldersstraightening,holdinghimselftohisfullheightjust

byinstinct.Wasthishowallalphasfelt?Wasthiswhytheyhadtolivesofarapart?

HeheldouthishandandshookDan’s.

“I’mLogan,”hesaid.

“Iknow,”Dansaidwithasmile.“Mywifetoldme.Thehandsome,brutishonewho

doesn’tshaveoftenenough.”

Loganchuckled,rubbingathisfiveo’clockshadow.

“Callittoolongatsea.”

Danlaughedwithhim,andLoganknewimmediatelywhatWillmeantwhenhe’dsaid

that he and his dad would get along. Will was beautiful and fair like Sandra, but Logan
had been puzzling about the personality difference. Compared to Sandra, Dan was easy-
going, and he might not have been around much, but Logan saw a lot of Will in Dan’s
wise,goldeneyes.Theirhandswerethesame,too.

DantookoffhiscoatandLoganwelcomedhimin,introducinghimtoeveryone.The

alpha stood so tall that Logan felt like he needed to go up onto his tiptoes just to get
people to look at him. He didn’t. He stood next to Dan, and eventually settled into that.
Danwasaguestinhishome,hewasbeingpleasant,hewasn’tthreateningLogan’sstatus
asalpha.Afterthewedding,themanwouldleave.Untilthen,Loganjusthadtobeagood

host,andgettoknowhisfiancé’sfatherbeforethewedding.

ATER

THAT

NIGHT

, when their friends had gone home, Sandra and Dan sat down with

themandDanlookedatLoganlikehemightjustriphisthroatout.Willrecognizedthat
look.Tomostpeople,itwasperfectlypleasant,asmile,apleasantpatontheshoulder,a
cordiallaugh.ButWillknewthathisfathercouldsoquicklyturnintoaferociousanimal,
aruthlessalpha,atanymoment.Itwasabsolutelyimperceptiblefromhowhelookedwith
his friends, his wife, his closest confidants. That was what made his father such a great
businessman.

ItseemedlikeLoganhadslippedrightintohisfather’strap,andwasrestinghishead

betweenhisgnashingjaws.Willwatchedhismotherandfathernervously.Hehadbegged
themtogoeasyonhisfiancé,buttheclosertheygottothewedding,themoreterrifiedhe
became.Theywerelayingoutcheeseandwineandsmilingtoomuch,andthatcouldonly
meanterrible,nastythingswereabouttobesaid.

WilltookLogan’shandandtuggedhimintothehallway.Hisparentswerecallingfor

them.BloodrushedtohischeeksandhekissedLogan’shanddesperately.Hisheartwas
poundingsofast.Alloftheexcitementoftheweddinghadhimrestless.

“Just remember, whatever they say in there, that I’m going to marry you tomorrow,

justlikeweplanned.”

Loganlookeddownathim,andhishandsomealphalookedsosincereandconfused.

“Ofcourse.Whatdoyoumean?”heasked.

“I just…just promise me. We’re getting married tomorrow, out there, at sunset, just

likeweplanned.”

To his relief, his fiancé pulled him close and kissed the top of his head, and Will

wrappedhisarmsaroundhimandbreathedinhisfamiliarscent,takingthatcomfort.

“Of course. I promise. ” Logan said, in that deep, growly voice that Will loved so

much.

Heshivered.

“C’mon,let’sgodealwithwhateverthewineandcheeseisabout,”hesaidreluctantly.

Loganonlyhadamomenttoglanceathiminconfusionandworry,askingwiththose

beautiful hazel eyes whether he should be worried. Will smirked. Logan should be
worried.

TheysatdownacrossfromhisparentsandWillsmiled,justbyreflex.Hehatedhow

bothofhisparentsdidthat,andhadtaughthimtodothesame.

“So,Logan,”hisdadsaid,lookingoverathisfiancé.

Willdesperatelywantedtoscream,“No,lookatme!”buthedidn’t.Loganhadalready

provenheknewhowtotakecareofhimself.

“Ihearthatyourefusedtowedmysoninachurch.”

“No,Dad,Irefused,”Willsaid,actuallyspeakingupaboutthat.

Loganshrugged.“It’strue,butIdolikethebeach.”

Dansighed,shakinghishead.

“Do you mean to tell me you won’t be marrying my son in spirit? Under God?” he

asked.

“Actually,Idobelievethatwewillbemarriedinspirit,underGod.We’resoulmates.

Yoursonisthescientist,I’mjustasailor.Ibelieveinahigherpower.”

Will was shocked. They’d never really spoken about that in any depth. He’d always

assumed, because of Logan’s irreverent nature, maybe, that he thought the same things
WilldidaboutGodandreligionandscience.Apparentlynot.

“Areyousuperstitious,too?”Willaskedhisfiancé,amused.

“A little,” Logan admitted, and then turned to Dan. “Is that what you’re worried

about?”

Willwatchedhisfiancélookatthemboth,hismotherandhisfather,andforonce,was

veryquiet,fascinatedandrespectfuloftheconversationgoingonbetweenthetwomen.It
waslikesomesortofstrangedream.Willhadneverseenanyofthesepeoplebehavethis
way.Theyseemedtobegettingalong,atleast,noneofthemwerefightingorsnappingat
each other. Will was relieved. He drank wine heavily, however, just to counter the pure
absurdityofthescene.Loganandhisfatherdiscussingreligionandspirituality.Whatan
oddendtotheevening.

Dan nodded. “It is,” he admitted. “I want to know that you’re marrying my son, not

just in body and mind, but in soul. That you two will be bonded together under God,
forever. I want to know you’ll take care of him, and our granddaughter, the way a man
should.”

Willgroanedalittletohimself.Hisparentswerealmostcomedicallytraditional,butit

wouldbefarmorecomediciftheyweren’thisparents.Loganseemedprettyamused.

“Absolutely,” Logan said without question, and Will was a little touched, he had to

admit.“WillandIarefatedtobemates.Mysoulishisforeternity.”

Dansuddenlysmiled,anditwasn’tagrinlikehewouldeatLogan,butatruesmile,

likesomethinghadtouchedhisheartdeepinside,andWillthoughthemightbedreaming.
Hisfatherdidn’tsmilelikethatatanyone.Maybehismother,onceortwice,butthathad
alwaysmadeWillveryuncomfortable,too.

“Good. Then I’d like to give you away tomorrow evening, Will. If that isn’t too

traditionalforyou.”

Really, Will had gone the opposite of his parents’ wishes, and nothing had been

traditional about their plans, but that… that had actually sort of felt like it had been
missing.Hisfather’sapprovalmeantsomethingtohim.

“Yeah,”hesaidsoftly,withagenuinesmileofhisown,oneofthosegentle,heartfelt

ones.“Thatwouldbegreat,Dad.Thanks.”

Thenhisfatherreachedoutandtouchedhisshoulder,andsqueezedit.

“Iloveyou,son.”

Willshookhishead,cheekshot.Hisdadhadsaidthatafewtimes,butneverinfront

ofanyoneelse.HefeltLogan’seyesonhim,takinginthetouchingmomentbetweenson
andfather.

Willsmirked.

“Jeez,Dad.Iknewyou’dfindawaytoembarrassme.”

twasabeautifuldayonthebeach.Theyspentitwiththeirfriendsandfamily,sharing
memories and eating incredible food. Will wore a fitted heather grey suit with a

waistcoat and tie that hugged his long, slender body. His dark curls were shiny and
temporarilytamed,hisbigbrowneyesshimmeringwithexcitement.Loganwasdyingto
marryhim.HeconsideredbeggingWilltodotheceremonyearly,buttheywerewaiting,
timingthemomentsothatthesunwouldsetbehindthemastheysaidtheirvows.

LogansatwithLisainhisarms.Sheworeanabsolutelyadorable,frillywhiteandpink

flower girl’s dress. Tracy was Will’s groomsmaid, and would carry Lisa down the aisle
withtherings,butforthemoment,hewascuddlingwithhislittlegirl.

Sandrahadevenmanagedtokeepmostofhercommentstoherselffortheday.After

fussingoverLisa’sdressandthenfussingoverWill’stieandthenfussingovertheflower
arrangementsandthenfinally,nearlydrivingWillinsanebyfussingoverthefood,shehad
settleddownandwasbusychattingtoanyonewhowouldlistenaboutjusthowbeautiful
and sweet her granddaughter was and how lovely and serene she found New Zealand.
Logan didn’t mind. Families were families, and their family had found strength in its
differences.

Hewassohappytohaveoneagain.

“Logan,” Will said, holding up a camera. He took a picture of him holding Lisa,

cuddlingtheirpink-cheekeddaughterinhermanylayereddress.

Logansmiled,andthenhandedhertoWillandtookthecamera,himself.Tracyleaned

intothepictureaswell,apictureinherrosypinkdress,andafterward,shetookapicture
of the three of them together. Logan cuddled up to Will, kissing his cheek, Lisa smiling
betweenthem.Itwasapicturetheywouldloveforyearstocome.

“It’stime,”Dansaid,notingthepositionofthesunjustabovethehorizon.

LogansmiledatWill.“Herewego,”hewhispered.

Tracy took Lisa and Will went to wait inside the house with his father. Sandra had

arrangedtheaisletorunfromthebackporchofthehouse,downoverthebeach,tojustby
thehighesttide.Will’sfriendsandmostofthetownsettledintotheirseatsonthebeach,
dressed in airy, comfortable clothing. They weren’t even married yet, but Logan already
feltlikeitwastheperfectwedding.

Loganwalkedoutfirst,Sandraonhisarminadustyrosesundressandwhitesandals.

He took Sandra to her seat at the front, and then walked over to the flower-gilded

weddingarchconstructedbythewaterforthemandtookhisplace.

Whenheleftthatspot,hewouldbemarriedtotheloveofhislife.

He watched Tracy and Lisa walk out, and was nearly brought to tears. It meant so

muchtohimtobeabletohavehisdaughterthere,andfortheirtrustedfriendtobethereto
support them. They’d survived, and to look at where it had brought him made his heart
soarwithjoy.

Shegavehimabrightsmileandmouthed,‘Goodluck’,andthenwenttositinherown

spotwiththebaby.

Atlast,itwasWill’sturn.Loganfixedhiseyesontheirwhiteporchwithitsswing-for-

twoandwaited,anticipationineverynerveofhisbeing.

ILL

WAS

onhisfather’sarm,andheplacedfootinfrontoffoot,hisheartskippingbeats

in his chest as he walked down the aisle toward his husband-to-be. Logan looked so
handsome. He had shaved cleanly, for once, and was wearing a gorgeous white tux that
madehisshoulderslookimpossiblybroadandhiseyessparklelikelittlediamondslived
insideofthem.

Their rings had diamonds. Will wasn’t sure why that went through his head as he

walked up the aisle, but it did. He couldn’t wait for the rings they’d picked out, thick
masculine bands with three tiny inset diamonds, to sit on their fingers. His whole
engagement, he hadn’t had a ring, and he didn’t mind. Yet, in those last few seconds
strolling down the aisle, he really minded that his wedding band wasn’t already on his
finger.

Hisfatherwalkedhimuptothearch,andthenwentandsatnexttohismother.Will’s

heartwasthumpingsohardhethoughteveryoneelsemustbeabletohearit,too,buthe
didn’tcare;foronce,hewasn’tselfconscious.HelookedintoLogan’seyes,heglanced
out at their townspeople, their friends, his parents, and Tracy, his best friend with their
daughterinherarms,andheknewhewasready.Hewantedtobemarriedalready.

Logan went first. They’d decided it on the second day of wedding planning. Logan

would say his vows, and then Will, and then they would exchange their rings and kiss.
Willrememberedmakingtheplan,butsuddenlyitwasn’tjustaplan.Itwashappening.

Behindthem,aglowingred-orangesunbegantoset,lightingtheoceanwithraysand

coloring the whole sky pink and purple. It was even better than he’d imagined it, he
couldn’thaveknownthatitwouldbesoperfect.

“Will,” Logan said to him, gazing down at him with such love that Will felt like he

mightgrowwingsandsoarintotheair,justfromtheforceofit.“You’retheloveofmy
life, my soulmate, my omega. I’ve loved you since the day I met you, which is maybe
weird,sincewhenImetyou,youwereaverywetdog.”

Their witnesses laughed softly, and Will smiled, feeling himself blush a little. It felt

veryintimatetobeupthere,baringtheirsoulsforeveryonetosee.ButLoganwenton.

“Even then, Will, you were the bravest person I’d ever met. You saved our friend,

Tracy.YoubravedtheBeringSealikenomanI’veknownbeforeyou.Andyoufacedme
withthatsamecourage,sohonestandproudthatIcouldn’thelpbutfallinlove,Will.And
so,WilliamBlanchard,withthisring,Isweartoprotectyou,tosupportyou,tocarefor
youandstaytruetoyou,oursoulsunited,untiltheendoftime.”

Loganslidtheringontohisfinger.Willhadbeendeterminednottocry,buthedid.He

hadtogetthroughitandsayhisownvows,buthewasfightingoffthosetears.

“Logan,”hewhispered,andthenclearedhisthroat,tryingtomakethewordscomeout

strongandconfident,likehehadpracticedthem.“IloveyoumorethanIeverthoughtwas
possible.Youaremytruemate,myalpha.WhenIwasfreezingintheBeringSea,running
lowonhope,fatebroughtyoutome.Ofalltheshipsoutinthestorm,yoursansweredour
callforhelp,andI’veneverbeenmoregratefulforthatthantoday.Inourtimetogether
I’veseenyouconquermorethanmostmendointheirentirelifetime.Youaremyoneand
only,LoganHarris,andwiththisring,Ipromisetoprotectyou,supportyou,careforyou
andstaytruetoyou,togetherasone,untiltheendoftime.”

Heheardapplausethunderaroundthem,andhefeltmoretearsstreamdownhiseyes

as he wrapped his arms around his husband’s neck and kissed him passionately. He felt
Logan’s strong arms around him, and he knew in his heart that they would be together
forever.

OGAN

FELT

badthattheycouldn’thaveaproperhoneymoon.They’dagreedtogoona

reallygoodvacationfortheiranniversarytomakeupforit,butLisawastooyoungand
thebothofthemhadagreedthattheycouldn’tleaveanyonewiththeirnewbornforlong
enoughtogoveryfaranyway.

So after all the wedding decorations were taken down, and the guests left, and the

housebecameverystillandquiet,andeventheirinfantdaughterwasasleep,Logantook
Will’s hand and brought him out to the beach, where the stars twinkled overhead like
candlelight.Stepbystep,theypulledoffanitemofclothing,untilutterlynaked,theyfell
intothedampsandwherethelowtidewashedgentlyoverthem.

“Will,”Loganwhispered.“Myhusband.I’msoluckytohaveyou…”

Willsmiledupathim,laughingsoftlyindelight.

“Logan,we’reinthewater!It’scold!”

LoganchuckledandnuzzledagainstWill’sthroatplayfully.

“Idon’tfeelcold,”hepurred.

HepulledWill’slegsuparoundhim,andashekissedhisomega,histongueexploring

andclaiminghishusband’smouth,hetookhim,slidingdeepinsidehim.

Finally, they were married, and Logan felt his ring against his finger as he began to

thrustintohishusband’stight,hotlittlebody.

Will gasped beneath him, making the most beautiful noises for him, so sexy and

desperateasheliftedhiships.Theyrockedinperfectunison,andLogangroaned,relieved
thatitwasn’tonlyjustasgoodasitalwayshadbeen,itwasbetter.

“Oh,Logan,”Willmoaned.“Thisisbetterthanahoneymoon,”hegasped.

ThewaterwashedoverthemandLoganmoanedinexcitement.HemovedwithWill,

workingtobringhisbeautifulmatepleasureashethrust.

“Will,it’ssogood,”hewhispered.

Will was so tight beneath him, trembling as the salty water washed over them once

more.“I’mgoingtocome,”hewhispered.

Loganwasshaking,too,justbarelyholdingback.

“Together,”hetoldhisomega,gazingdownintohiseyes.“Comewithme.”

Justlikethat,Willcriedoutforhim,hisbackarchedinecstasy,andLogangaspedas

blinding,glowingpleasurefilledhiswholebodyandhepumpedWillfullofhisrelease,
clinging to him in the tide. The pleasure seemed to last forever, flowing through him
endlessly,justliketheirloveforeachotherwould.Loganfeltsohappy.

“Alpha,”Willwhisperedadoringlyinhisear.

“Omega,”Logangroanedinreturn,cuddlingshamelesslyagainsthishusband.

“Wecanhaveanotherbaby,can’twe?”Willasked.

“Ofcourse,”Loganagreed.

“Andmoreadventure?”

“Always,”Loganpromised.

EPILOGUE

iveandahalfyearshadpassedsincethenightofthestormthathadtakentwobrave
scientists’ lives. Will and Tracy had published their book, and after talks with

Roger’s girlfriend and Grey’s family, they had decided to put the proceeds toward a
conservationfundfororcawhalesintheNorthPacific.Thebooksoldmillionsofcopies
andWillgotalotofoffers-moviedeals,furtherbookdeals,researchgrantswerethrown
at him like prizes, and after five years Will still didn’t feel like he deserved a prize for
whathadhappenedthatnight.Hehadcometotermswiththewildnessoftheocean,and
theunpredictabilityoffate,buthewouldneverfeellikeahero.

Ofalltheoffers,theonethattemptedWillthemostwastheopportunitytoheadback

to Alaska and check in on his pod from all those years ago once more. The university
wantedanupdatedreportontheeffectofsealevelsandoceanictemperaturechangeson
thenomadicorcas.

They only wanted him to do one summer of study, which was the main reason he

considered it. Lisa was entering kindergarten soon, and Jacob, their two-year-old son,
neededalotfromhim.Hehatedthethoughtofleavinghisfamily,andhewasn’tsureif
Logan would be willing to go back to Alaska after all those years. The man had really
settled into his role as the alpha of his town, and Will had to admit to himself that he’d
gottenusedtotheircozylifeonthecoastofNewZealand,too.Couldhebravethecold,
deadlyBeringSeaoncemore,eveninwarmersummermonths?Hewasfiveyearsolder
and softer, having been working from home, raising his children, not training for field
researchonroughseas.

Partofhimwasafraid,butnotasmuchasthepartofhimthatfelttheseacalling.He

wantedtoseeorcasagain.Hecravedadventure.

HowcouldhebringitupwithLogan?Loganhadleftthatpartofhislifebehindfor

him, for their family. It seemed insensitive to bring up what he had lost. Although Will
hadn’t doubted Logan’s dedication to him since they’d gotten married, a piece of Logan
was still married to the Bering Sea, and always would be. Will had accepted that about
himwhenhe’dfalleninlovewithhim.IthadbeentragicwhenLoganhadbeenforcedto
give up the dangerous seasonal work he loved for his omega and his unborn child. Will
washonestlyalittlebitscaredtoremindLoganofwhathe’dlost.

However, Will had made it a policy to be honest with those he loved. Logan had

alwaysgottenthetruthfromhim,andthathadn’tfailedWillyet.

Thesunhadbeendownforseveralhours,dinnerhadbeeneatenanddisheswashed,

and Will heard Jacob and Lisa splashing in the tub as Logan’s deep, growly voice read
AliceinWonderland.Hishusband,Willhaddiscovered,wasamasterofthemultitask.

“‘Takesomemoretea,’theMarchHaresaidtoAliceveryearnestly,’”Loganread,as

Willleanedhisslenderbodyagainstthebathroomdoorandgazedinathisfamily.He’d
beentold(byhismother,probably)thatafterawhile,theadorationhefeltforhishusband
would fade, but it hadn’t yet. When he watched his husband reading to their beautiful
daughterandson,hisheartsoaredwithlovejustasithadfiveyearspreviously.Hecould
stay there forever, he thought to himself, and listen to Logan read until their children
turnedtoprunesinthetub.

“Daddy!”Lisacriedwhenshesawhim,interruptingLogan’sstory.

Willsmiledbashfully.“Sorry,Ididn’tmeantodisturbyou.”

Loganglancedathiswatch.“It’sgettinglate,anyway,”headmitted,markinghispage

inthebookandshuttingit.

“Nooo!”Lisacried,butLoganchuckledandsetthebookaside.Hedippedhisfingers

intothewater.

“We’vebeenreadingforanhour,Lisa.Thewateriscold.”

“It’snotcold!Jakeisn’tcold!I’mnotcold!Onemorechapter,Papa,pleaaaaase,”she

begged.

Jacobhadn’tbeenlisteningtothebook,orpayingattentiontothetemperatureofthe

water.Instead,hewas,withscientificconcentration,testingwhichbathtoyshecould,or
could not fit inside of his toddler-sized mouth, and if they did fit, he would try again
severalminuteslater,justtomakesurethathadn’tchanged.

“Once you’re in bed, I’ll read the rest of that chapter,” Will suggested as a

compromise.

Loganflashedhimanunbelievablyhandsomesmile,andWillfelthimselfmeltlikea

schoolboy. He grabbed a towel and scooped Jacob out of the water while Logan
encouragedLisatohelpcleanupthebathtoys.

Willtooktheirsondownthehalltothenursery.Hedriedthesquirmytoddlertoput

himinanewpairofpullups.

“Daddy,Daddyletmego!”Jacobdemanded,butWillquicklycaughttheboybefore

hecouldrunoutoftheroomandintothehall.

“It’sbedtime,Jacob,”hetoldhisson,andpickedhimup,holdinghimwithsignificant

difficultyonhishipashetuggedoutpajamapants,andthentriedtofindJacob’sshirt.

“Nobed!Nosweeptime!”Jacobtoldhimstubbornly,glaringathimwithafurrowed

browandpoutinglip.Willsmiled,immediatelyremindedofLogan.

“I’msorry,Jake,butit’stoolateforyoutobeup.Everyonehastosleepatnight.”

“NOSWEEP!”histoddlerscreamedinhisear.

Will winced. “No yelling,” he said, softening his voice and hoping that Jacob would

learntodothesame.Eventually.

Itwastoolate.Jacobhadbegunhisbedtimetantrum,cryinghystericallyasWillput

himinhisfavoritedinosaurpajamasandplacedhimgentlyintohiscrib.He’ddonethis
nearlyeverynightforthelastfewmonths,butWillknewhewouldmissitoneday,andhe
tried to remind himself of that every time those terrible screams became overwhelming.
Oneday,Jacobwouldbeamanofhisown,whohadnointerestindinosaurpajamasand
didn’tneedtobeputtobed.Thetoddleryearscouldonlylastsolong.EvenLisaseemed
sogrownup.

Lisaranintotheroominherownpajamas,followedquicklybyLogan.

“We came to say goodnight to Jacob,” he said, and Will was comforted by the

understandinggazehishusbandgavehim.Theywereinittogether,tantrumsandall.

“Don’t cry,” Lisa told her baby brother through the bars of his crib, as he held them

tightandscreamed,shakingitviolently.

Loganleaneddownandkissedhisson’sforehead,andthenWillshutoffthelight,so

thatonlytheboy’sfish-shapednightlightshoneinthedarkness,andshutthedooralmost
alltheway.

He smiled at the Captain’s Quarters sign on the nursery. Lisa had used it for three

years,andthenshe’dwantedaprincessbedroomwitharealbed,andthenewbabyhad
takenoverasCaptain.AsJacob’scriesbecamequieter,moretired,Willfeltexcitementat
thethoughtofgettingtoknowtheirsonashegrew.

TheytookLisatoherbedroomandsheclimbedintoherbed,excitedforWilltoread

therestofthestory.LoganhandedWillthebookandsatwithhim,hisstrongarmaround
Will,cradlinghim.

Will found the bookmark Logan had left and continued the story in his own ‘Alice’

voice.

“‘I’vehadnothingyet,’Alicerepliedinanoffendedtone,‘soIcan’ttakemore.’”

SOMEONE

HAD

TOLD

OGAN

,adecadeago,longbeforehisbrave,compassionateomega

had landed aboard Seawolf, that one day he would be sitting in a pink princess-themed
bedroom with his five-year-old daughter, listening to his husband read Alice in
Wonderland while his toddler cried himself to sleep down the hall, he wouldn’t have
believedit.Yet,inthatexactmoment,theideaofbeingbackonacrabbingboat,sliding
along an ice-rink ship deck and tossing about huge steel cages, seemed even crazier. He
hadlivedthatlifestyleforsolonghehadn’tbeenabletoimaginealifewithoutit.Maybe
oneday,he’dfeelthesameaboutbeingafather.Hewasalreadybeginningto.

Will didn’t even finish the chapter before Lisa fell asleep. With the prolonged bath,

they’dallhadalatenight.DownthehallintheCaptain’sQuarters,screamsofragehad
beenreplacedwithalmost-silentbabysnores.

Logan tucked her in and kissed her pink cheeks, brushing back her soft brown hair.

Shewassopeacefulwhensheslept,angelicandinnocent,whichwasverydifferentfrom

herusualroutineofnon-stopenergyandmischief.Ashetouchedhercurls,hethoughtshe
lookedexactlylikeWill.

Willtookhishandandledhimoutoftheroom.Loganshutoffthelightashelefthis

sleepingdaughter,sneakingoutasquietlyaspossible.HekissedWillpassionatelyinthe
hall.

“Doyouhearthat?”hewhispered.“Silence.”

“Sweet,sweetsilence,”Willagreed.

Willseemedthoughtful,soLoganledhishusbanddownstairsandwenttoputonthe

kettle.

“What’s on your mind?” he asked, and Will sat at the island counter, folding his

slenderarmsoverthegranite.

“Igotanotheroffer,”Willsaid.

“Oh,”Loganreplied,keepinghistonedeliberatelyneutral.

Mostoftheofferswereeitherinsulting,orwouldtakeWillfarawayforaverylong

time. They hadn’t given most of them much consideration at all, but every time Will
brought one up, Logan had the irrational fear that his husband would be set on running
awaytoAfricaforthreeyearsandhewouldn’tbeabletostophim.

“Iwanttotalkaboutit,”Willsaidslowly.“Canyoukeepanopenmind?”

Logansmirkedathisomega.

“Ofcourse,”hereplied.“Talkingisjusttalking,right?”

“Right,”Willsaid,andLogancouldsensehisnervousness.Thisonemustbetempting.

“Exactly.”

“So,what’stheoffer?”Loganasked,ashereachedforteamugs.

“AsummerinAlaska,”Willexplained.

Loganlistenedwithanopenmind,likehe’dpromised,andthosewordsintriguedhim,

honestly.Asummerwasn’tsobad,andAlaskawouldalwaysholdaspecialspaceinhis
heart.

“Oh?”Loganprompted.

“Twomonths,actually,JulyandAugust.Thepayisgood,ofcourse,butthat’snotthe

mainappeal.TheywerehopingIcouldwriteanupdateonCupid’spod,andwhatimpact
therecentclimatechangeshavehadonthem.”

“Well,”Loganadmitted,“Thatsoundsrightupyouralley.Doyouwanttogo?Doyou

missit?”

WillhesitatedwhenLoganlookedathim,butLoganwasn’tsayingthatjustforWill’s

sake.ItreallywasthebestofferWillhadgottensofar.Loganrememberedhowpassionate
Willhadbeenwhenhe’dmethim,howdesperatelythey’dworkedtosaveCupidfromthe
poachers they’d met on their way back to port that year. He couldn’t blame him for
wantingtogoback.

“Ido,”Willfinallysighed.“ButIwouldmissyouandthekidsmore.Idon’twantto

losetwomonthswiththem,either.SoonLisawillbeinschool,and…Ijustdon’tknow.”

Will’s points were completely valid. Logan could imagine Will being very lonely in

Alaska for two months, if they stayed there. However, he didn’t see that as the only
option.

“You know…the kids are old enough to travel. I wouldn’t mind heading back to

Alaska.MaybewecouldtakeatriponSeawolf.WecouldshowLisaandJacobwhatareal
boatislike.”

Theyhadaboat.Itwasjustasmallmotorboattheyusedfordaytripsinthemarina,

butthekidslovedit.Theywerebothstrongswimmersalready.Loganwouldlovetotake
themouttoseetheorcas.

“Seawolf?”Willasked.“Iknowyouneverwantedtosellit,butLogan,won’titbea

pileofrustbynow?”

Logan shook his head as he poured boiling water over their tea bags and watched

bloodorangecloudsflowforthtofilltheirmugs.

“I’llcleanherup.Redoherasaleisurevessel.Wehavethemoney.”

He didn’t look to see Will’s expression until he turned to hand him his tea. To his

surprise,themanseemedhappy,joyous,even.

“Youreallywanttocome?”

Loganfelthislipsspreadintoagrin,showingWillhisteeth.Hepeckedhishusband

onthecheek.

“Yes.OfcourseIdo.Alaskaismysecondhome,love.”

Will set down his mug and threw himself into Logan’s arms. Logan squeezed Will

againsthisownbodyandinhaledhisaddictingscent.

“Ihavetogotellthem,”Willsaidsuddenly,pullingawaytolookintoLogan’seyes.

Loganhadn’tseenhimsoexcitedsincethey’dfoundoutWillwaspregnantwithJacob.It
wouldhavebeenmorethanworththetriptoAlaskajusttoseeWillsohappy.

“Go,sendthemanemail,”heencouraged.“I’llbehere.”

POURED

overtheshinybowofthenewlyrenovatedSeawolf.Herletterswerepainted

infreshbluescriptacrosstheside,whereshegleamed,impossiblycleanandwhite.Will
hadneverseenherlikethisbefore,butfromthelookofnostalgiaonLogan’shandsome,
scruffyface,shehadbeenrestoredtothewayshe’dlookedonhermaidenvoyage.

“Daddy,boat!”Jacobcriedinexcitement.Helovedboats,justlikehispapa.Willlifted

himintohisarmssothathecouldgetabetterlookather,sittingprettyatdock.

“That’sPapa’sboat.Ourboat.Seawolf.”

“Woof,”Jacobcommented,andLoganchucklednexttohim.

“Yeah,”heagreed.

“Papa, is it called Seawolf because we’re wolves?” Lisa asked Logan, gazing at the

largeboatthoughtfully.

Willsmileddownathisdaughter.Everyday,shesurprisedhimwithhersharpmind.

“Yeah,that’sright,”Logantoldher.“Youwannagetonboard?”

“Yeah!”shecried.

Loganshowedthemaroundtheship.Willshookhisheadinamazement.

“It’snotthatdifferent,”headmitted.Everythingwasnew,andtherewasmorespace

now that all the fishing equipment was gone, but the ship was almost exactly as he’d
rememberedit,onlybrighter,cleaner,andwarmer.

“This is where Daddy and Papa met,” Logan explained to their children, as he took

themoutondeck.“YourDaddyandAuntTracywerestudyingorcasandgotcaughtina
storm.”

“Can we see the orcas, Daddy?” Lisa asked Will, and Will gave her an adventurous

smile.

“Wecancertainlytry.”

Theyallwentuptothewheelhouse,andLoganleftport,takingthemouttotheopen

ocean.Willwatchedhishusbandturnofftheirsonarsandwatchthewaterclosely.Hetook
thechildrenoutontothedeck.

Asifbyfate,itdidn’ttakethemlongtospotaleapingpodoforcawhalessplashingin

thedistance.WillnoticedthatLoganletthemhavetheirspace,butparkedtheboatclose
enoughthattheycouldwatch.

“Daddy,orcas,look!”Lisacriedinexcitement.“Look,Jake!”

Willliftedtheyoungboyontohisshoulderssohecouldsee,andwasdelightedtohear

himgasp.

“They’rereallybig,Daddy,”Lisasaid,hereyesgluedtothenaturaldisplay.

Logan came up behind them, and he put Lisa on his own broad shoulders. Will

glancedoverathishusband,andtookhishand.

In the distance, a huge orca with a distinctive pattern that Will recognized landed in

thewaterwithahugesplash.Cupidwaswherehebelonged,enjoyingthesunnydaywith
hisfamily,andsowasWill.TheBeringSeawasatpeace.

ENDOFBOOK–PLEASEREADTHIS

Thankyousomuchforreadingmybook!Becausereviewsaresoimportanttospreading
the word and helping me expand my audience, please consider leaving a review on
AmazonorGoodreadsifyouenjoyedTheCaptain’sBaby.

GetyourfreeAustinBatesbookstraighttoyouremailinbox.Just

Clickhere

GetyourfreeAidenBatesBookstraighttoyouremailinbox.Just

ClickHere!

Want to talk to about Mpreg Books with people just like you? Then join our facebook
group“MpregFantatics.”Just

clickhere