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  Leaning his head back on the couch, Stone’s mind raced as he made plans. His house wasn’t set up for children, but he could order a truck to move the things in Maddie’s bedroom. He wasn’t going to upset his new sister by making her leave anything behind. Truthfully, he expected he and his friends would be spoiling the girl rotten. None of his team had much to do with children and Maddie brought out his protective instincts from the moment he’d laid eyes on her. He imagined his friends would feel exactly the same.

  Thinking of his team had Stone reaching out with his foot, trying to snag his jeans. “You’ll need blankets. They’re under the couch cushions.” Stone jumped.

  “I thought you were asleep, young lady,” he said, blushing as he realised his cock was still buried inside his mate. “Can you throw me a cover or something?”

  “Wyatt yelled. I was scared.” A pink throw hit his shoulder. Stone wiggled and moved Wyatt onto the couch cushions, covering him before he leaned over and grabbed his jeans. He needed a shower, but he’d made a vow and taking care of Maddie was more important. Stuffing his cock away, Stone stood once he was sure he was completely covered, from the waist down at least.

  Maddie was standing in her doorway, her hair disheveled, her scent tinged with anxiety. “I’m sorry you were scared, little one,” Stone said gently. “Wyatt and I are fated mates and I just claimed him as mine. Do you know what that means?”

  “I know you wanted to sex him from the minute you came into the house.” Maddie’s chin mirrored her brother’s, daring Stone to deny his attraction.

  “Why don’t you let me tuck you into bed and I’ll tell you the story of Alpha and Omega mates?” Stone waited until Maddie nodded and turned back into her room before following her. He left the door open, Wyatt’s quiet snores hopefully soothing the little girl. Perching himself on the end of the bed, he waited again until Maddie was settled, Jimmy the fluffy wolf clasped against her chest.

  “Once upon a time, a long time ago,” Stone began, “the wolf god Fenrir was really sad. He had land and a great big house and lots of other wolves to play with but he didn’t have anybody who loved him for himself. Gods can get lonely, you know.” He smiled as Maddie’s eyes widened.

  “Anyhow, the Fates were watching Fenrir. They saw how well he looked after his pack and how he always made sure they had enough to eat and somewhere to sleep at night. He protected his pack and kept them safe, but he was always sad. The Fates got together and they talked long into the night. One said Fenrir needed more land, but he had more than he could cross in a week. Another suggested he might need a holiday, although Fenrir would never leave his pack.”

  “He wanted someone to love him,” Maddie cried out. “Everyone needs someone to love them.”

  “You are quite right, little one,” Stone couldn’t help but smile. “For all his pack mates, and having people around him, Fenrir didn’t have anyone to love him just for him. So, the Fates worked together and they wove their spells and made a wish and it was declared that every wolf, every paranormal, would have a fated mate; that one person who was made to be their perfect partner to love and cherish for the rest of their days. And now, centuries later, that is still true today. Wyatt is my fated mate and I’ve waited a long time to meet him.”

  “How do you know when you’ve met your mate?” Maddie had her head resting on her chin, watching Stone closely.

  “Scent,” Stone struggled to find a child-friendly way of describing the huge mass of emotions that swamped his body as he spotted Wyatt for the first time. “You don’t find your mate until well after you’ve shifted. Your wolf will know and when you find that special someone you love them and protect them and look after them, and their little sisters, forever.”

  “And you want to have sex with them. Uncle wants to have sex with Wyatt. I heard him talking about it with his enforcers when I was tiny. Is he Wyatt’s mate too?”

  You’re not that big now, Stone thought, wondering what kind of environment the Mason pack had where it was common to talk about sex in front of children. “You can be attracted to someone and not be mates, but if you meet your mate, you don’t want to be intimate with anyone else again,” Stone blushed as Maddie’s eyes pierced his. “You will learn more about that when you are older.” His mom used to say the same thing to him when he was Maddie’s age.

  “Uncle Horridge is going to be very angry. He doesn’t like it when people tell him no,” Maddie said showing a lot more maturity than a child her age should have. But then Stone supposed that’s what came from being on the run for more than half her life. How the heck did the two of them survive?

  “We will deal with Uncle Horridge when the time comes,” Stone said firmly. “I don’t live in a pack but I have a lot of big friends that will love you and Wyatt and help keep us all safe.”

  “I’m glad you banged our door down,” Maddie said with a yawn.

  “I’m glad too, princess. Now sleep and when you dream, imagine swimming in a big blue pool and your own fancy room with a giant bathroom.”

  “Pink,” Maddie murmured.

  “You can decorate it anyway you like.” Stone leaned over and brushed his lips over Maddie’s head, his wolf taking in her scent. Family, his wolf said, and Stone agreed, his heart swelling as it added another person to the ones he held dear.

  Watching her sleep for a long moment, Stone finally stood and closed Maddie’s door, leaving it ajar in case she got a fright through the night. Pulling out his phone, he tapped his contacts for “team” and sent out a group text. Confident his friends would have everything ready by the time he got home, Stone curled around his sleeping mate. He should sleep, he would need the rest, but Horridge’s comment about sending reinforcements worried him. They’d have to leave at first light. He’d get no rest until his mate and his new little sister was safely in his own home.

  Chapter Six

  Wyatt was hot – sweat pouring down his face, damp chest type of hot. It was early summer; warmer temperatures were expected, but damn when did we get hit by a heatwave? He opened his eyes, expecting to find he’d slept late but the room was still dark. What the…. Peering over his shoulder he was greeted with dark eyes set in a handsome face. He squeaked as all the blood ran to his cheeks.

  “Morning?” How could he have forgotten he’d been claimed the night before? As his memories came flooding back his cock hardened and his ass felt damp, causing him to blush even harder.

  “We need to get moving.” Stone’s whisper sent a chill down Wyatt’s spine and he sat up, brushing aside the arm wrapped around his hips.

  “I can’t move Maddie again. It’s so unfair.” His gaze automatically flicked to Maddie’s bedroom. Fortunately, she was still asleep.

  “Horridge told me last night if I wasn’t on my way back by noon he’d be sending someone else. We have to move now.”

  “Fuck. I’m so tired of running,” and Wyatt was. Always on the run, always looking over his shoulder. His tiny website business bought him in money when he had the time to work, but looking after Maddie, trying to stay solvent – it was all proving too much. An overwhelming tiredness hit him, and Wyatt knew he’d reached the end of the line. It was time to give in. Horridge was never going to give up. At least he’d had one special night with Stone and that was more than any omega could ask for.

  “Can you take Maddie?” He asked, hoping the stern man holding him understood his need to protect. “Keep her out of Horridge’s clutches. See to it she has a stable home for once? It would break my heart to leave her but at least I’d know she was safe and with you.”

  Stone snorted and then laughed. “You think I’m going to leave you here? We’re mated. That’s my mark you wear on your neck. Don’t you realize Horridge is going to kill you the moment he sees it?”

  “But you’ll be far away by then.” Wyatt had to get Stone to understand. It was Maddie’s only chance. “You’re a huge alpha. You can keep Maddie safe in a way I just can’t. Please, you have to.”

 
“Who’s going to look after her when I’m dead?”

  “Dead? Why?” Wyatt’s hand reached up and touched his mating mark; even the gentlest touch sent shivers of want through his body.

  “Babe, I’ve claimed you, I can’t live without you and I have no intention of trying and that’s not just some romantic crap. Our life threads are bound. You might be willing to sacrifice yourself to keep your sister safe, but are you going to sacrifice me, too?”

  “No.” There was no hesitation. “I couldn’t do that, and I won’t.” Wyatt would give up his life for Maddie but he’d never endanger anyone else, especially not the man looking at him as though he was something edible. He looked down, realizing he was still naked. “Guess I’d better put some clothes on. Can you put the kettle on? I need to make breakfast for Maddie and start packing her stuff.”

  “Kiss me first.” Wyatt leaned over. Stone was like his own personal heater, although the harshness of his mouth, the way his hands caught Wyatt’s head and held him warmed his insides and had him panting in seconds.

  “We are going to my home,” Stone said when he finally pulled back. “I have friends. You and Maddie will be safe. I promise.”

  “And you? Will you be safe?” Wyatt wanted to believe their mating would be a turning point in his life, but he didn’t want his uncle killing his mate.

  “Always.” Stone dropped another quick peck on Wyatt’s lips. “I have someone very important to live for.”

  ****

  Stone could feel the tension pouring from Wyatt and Maddie as he pointed his truck for home. They’d been on the road for almost two hours, the Arizona state line was coming up and neither Wyatt nor his sister had said a word since the engine started. Maddie had been quiet all morning; dressing quickly when told to and eating her breakfast without a word of complaint. Her only distress came when Stone told her his friends would be packing her room. Wyatt grabbed a half a dozen cuddly toys and her pillows as tears threatened those baby blue eyes. Now curled up in the back seat, surrounded by her fluffy friends, Maddie was sleeping. But Wyatt – his body was strung so tight Stone worried how long it would be until he snapped.

  “My friends have been with me a long time, I think you’ll like them,” Stone said, breaking the silence. “I met them while serving in the military. You’ll meet them when we get to my house.”

  “I thought you said you didn’t have a pack.” Wyatt finally turned his head in Stone’s direction, seemingly finding the boring miles of nothing but desert sands and the occasional trees fascinating.

  “It’s not a pack.” Stone was unused to explaining himself, but Wyatt deserved to know what he’d be faced with. “My friends are shifters, but only one of them is a wolf. Baron is a lion shifter, Cal’s a bear, Tom shares his spirit with a Hawk; it was him who got me the deal on my land. I have a place just outside Gonado, which is Navajo Indian country. He was born there. Chip’s a cougar; it will be him and Horn who will be packing up your house. Horn’s the only other wolf; a beta. You’ll meet them a little later. They texted and said they’re only an hour behind us and knowing Chip’s driving, they’ll be trying to catch up to us.”

  “Sounds like you have a crowded house. Are you sure you have room for me and Maddie?”

  Stone laughed quietly although it was a fair question considering the hovel Wyatt had been living in. “I had delusions of having my own pack one day,” he explained. “Back in the day when I believed the only shifter worth knowing was a wolf. Twenty years in the human military and finding my friends soon knocked some sense into me. My house is bigger than Horridge’s.”

  “I’d like to meet any friends who could knock some sense into you. Look at the size of you.” Wyatt smiled, a truly genuine smile and it was if the sun came out. Stone felt its warmth right to his core and he wished he wasn’t on some boring highway with an innocent four-year-old in the back seat.

  “My friends make sure I don’t get too big headed,” he agreed. He looked up as they passed the Arizona/New Mexico marker. “Why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself and what you do? We’ve got about another hour’s drive ahead of us and I’d really like to know more about my amazing mate.”

  Wyatt’s blush was enough to make a man cream his jeans. Stone was glad when his mate started to talk; it gave him something else to focus on.

  Chapter Seven

  Stone snarled as he pulled into his driveway, spotting a familiar non-resident limousine taking up most of the parking area. Councilor Warren of the shifter council was an old alpha and most of the time he treated Stone and his friends fairly. But Stone knew the man rarely left the Council compound in New York. His arrival now was too much of a coincidence.

  “Who does that belong too?” Wyatt checked Maddie who was starting to stir as the car slowed down and bounced over the potholes.

  “Someone who has no reason to be here.” Stone parked his car, pondering his next step. He couldn’t leave Wyatt and Maddie in the car. For one thing, it wasn’t fair to them. Besides, he could protect them better if they all stuck together. Hopefully, Barron, Cal, and Tom were home and he knew Chip and Horn wouldn’t be too far behind him. “Let’s get rid of these unwanted guests and then I can show you your new room, Maddie.”

  “Don’t you have room in your house for guests, Uncle Stone?” Maddie asked as she climbed out of the car, her eyes wide as she took in the length of the limo. “Do you make them sleep outside? Is that why your friends have such a big car?”

  “No, princess, that’s just someone who likes to make himself look important. You don’t have to worry. He won’t be staying.”

  “Remember your manners though, sweetie,” Wyatt added as Stone picked Maddie up and tucked Wyatt under his arm. Wyatt made a noise of protest but didn’t move away. His wolf on full alert, Stone strode into his house. Ignoring the wide hallway with its grand staircase, he moved straight into the living room. Barron and Cal were seated on the couch, Warren was sitting back on a large easy chair as though it was a throne, flanked by two enforcers trying out for the secret service. A large coffee pot took up most of the coffee table. Warren had been there for a while.

  “Councilor Warren, you’re a long way from home.” Stone’s wolf added a growl to his tone. Warren made no move to get up from his chair and while he might be a big-wig in the council, Stone was the stronger wolf.

  “I was waiting for you.” Warren smiled. “I see you’ve brought in the runaways. Horridge will be pleased. I’ll take them back with me.”

  “No! This was a trap? How could you do this?” Wyatt grabbed hold of Maddie, pulling her from Stone’s grasp, causing her to whimper. Seeing Maddie’s frightened face was one thing, but the horror on Wyatt’s would haunt Stone for the rest of his days.

  “It’s nothing of the sort,” he said quickly, the hairs growing on his arm. He addressed Warren directly. “You had no right coming in here and stirring trouble with my mate. You’re frightening a little girl. Does that make you feel good?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Stone, but I won’t be spoken to with such disrespect.” Warren stood, smoothing down the creases in his pants. “My good friend Alpha Horridge mentioned you were doing a private job for him and when Barron said you were on your way home, I decided to drop in and save you the trip of returning the two fugitives.”

  Stone growled. “How did an omega and his little sister go from being runaways to fugitives? Horridge hired me to retrieve Wyatt and his reasons for that were bullshit. Maddie was never mentioned in my brief and I’m telling you now, Wyatt’s not going back either.”

  “You said a bad word, Uncle Stone.” Maddie tugged on his jeans and Stone brushed across her hair.

  “I know Princess, but sometimes bad words come in handy.” Stone looked across to where Barron and Cal were looking nonchalant, although Stone knew they missed nothing. “See that big guy over there, the one with the blue shirt and the messy beard?” Cal waved and smiled. “He’s got cookies in the kitchen. How about you g
o with him and he can show you where you can wash up. It’ll be lunchtime soon.”

  “What about the nasty man who wants to take us away?” Maddie hid her mouth behind her hand but, of course, everyone could hear her.

  “Me and Wyatt will take care of him. You go with Cal.” Stone gave her a tiny push and she made her way across the room, taking a wide berth around Warren and his guards. Cal met her half way, picking her up and hurrying out of the room.

  “Now then.” Stone cracked his knuckles and flexed his shoulders, focusing his energies on Warren. “Start talking. You’ve never shown this much interest in our jobs before and you certainly didn’t cross the country on a whim. What’s going on?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Warren seated himself again. “Horridge is a friend. He told me the trouble he’d been having with his omega. He mentioned he’d paid you to return the young man. I’m just saving you a trip.”

  “What did my Uncle tell you exactly?” Wyatt was scared; his fear showed in his voice and gave a horrible tinge to his scent. Stone just wished his nose would clear so he could scent Warren. Something wasn’t right.

  “Your Uncle? I’m talking about the Alpha of your pack.” A flash of confusion crossed Warren’s face, gone as quickly as it arrived. “The man who took you in and cared for you when your parents died.”

  “I know what that Alpha did.” Wyatt crossed his arms. “Alpha Horridge is my father’s brother. He plans to force me to mate with him because I’m the pack’s only omega. He thinks it will make him stronger – strong enough to take the council seat, perhaps.” Stone’s eyes narrowed as Warren’s face twitched. “Regardless, he threatened to banish Maddie, drop her in a human town if I refused. I had no choice but to run. She was barely two years old at the time.”

  “Surely there must be some misunderstanding. Horridge told me he only has your best interests at heart.”

  “The interests of his dick you mean,” Stone interrupted harshly. “I’d like to know why you couldn’t smell the lie if he’s such a good friend of yours.”