“Why are you all dressed up?” Jax asked as Axel snuck out of the firehouse. He was hoping to leave without the boys seeing, but it was hard to sneak past a shifter who could hear a leaf falling from half a mile away.

Zane looked up from the barbecue and frowned when he saw Axel wearing his nice gray pants and a button-up shirt.

“I have a date,” Axel said with a crack in his voice. He didn’t care what Hadley had wanted to call it—he was calling it a date.

“Where?” Zane asked.

“At the nice restaurant where you took Gwen on your first date,” Axel answered.

Zane and Jax glanced at each other.

“That’s about forty minutes away,” Zane said, his frown deepening.

Jax huffed out a laugh. “There’s a freaking ice dragon flying around Colwood and you want to go out on a date? No way.”

“It’s not up to you,” Axel said, smoothing out his shirt. “I’m going.”

“It’s up to me,” Zane said, putting a little oomph in his voice. “It’s too far away. Jax is right. There’s an ice dragon flying around somewhere close by. We need you around in case he shows up.”

Axel’s stomach hardened as he locked eyes on Zane. He didn’t care what was flying around, he wasn’t missing this.

This was Axel’s chance at having a family. At having a mate. At having a little bear cub to wrestle around with. He wasn’t willing to give up that chance for anything, even for his crew mates.

“I’m sorry, guys,” he said with a heavy heart. “I have to go.”

Jax didn’t like that answer. He stepped forward with cold hard eyes. “Your alpha just said you’re not going.”

“Temporary alpha,” Axel said, feeling his body tense. He really didn’t want to mess up his only fancy outfit but if Jax tried to stop him, he would.

Jax stepped forward until his face was only an inch from Axel’s. The two shifters were glaring at each other as animosity swirled between them.

“Temporary or not,” Jax growled in a deep voice, “he’s still your alpha and you still have to follow his orders.”

“Can you have your dinner in town?” Zane asked as he flipped the burgers on the grill. He was always more reasonable than Jax was. “That way you can still be close if we need you.”

Axel shook his head. He couldn’t. The restaurants in town wouldn’t cut it. He only had one shot at this and it had to be perfect.

He only had a few hours to make Hadley fall in love with him, and there was no way that it would ever happen if he took her to Flo’s diner in town or the loud, overcrowded steakhouse. He needed quiet. Romantic. Love-inspiring.

Zane had taken Gwen for their first date to the same restaurant and it had gone well. They had started the date absolutely hating each other and returned as bonded mates. That was the kind of place that Axel needed to take Hadley to.

“He’s not going anywhere,” Jax hissed as he raised his chin. “There’s an ice dragon nearby and he’s going to stay and help in case it comes to say hi.”

Axel’s eyes fell to the pavement. “I’m sorry, guys,” he said with a heavy sigh. “I wouldn’t go if it wasn’t important.”

“It’s a date,” Jax said. “It’s not important.”

Maybe they wouldn’t be mad that he was leaving if they knew that Hadley was pregnant with his child. But Axel wasn’t ready to tell them that yet. He needed to see how the date went first. He would either be telling them that they were in love and she was staying, or that it didn’t work out and she had left with his child.

Axel turned to Zane who was watching with a confused look on his face like he was trying to figure all of this out. It wasn’t like Axel to bail on his crew mates when they needed him, and the temporary alpha looked like he didn’t know how to handle it.

“I’d stay if I could,” Axel said, feeling a quiver in his stomach. “But I really can’t.”

“You can,” Jax said, grabbing a fistful of his shirt. “And you will.”

Axel’s hands launched forward, shoving the lion shifter back with a hard push that took Jax by surprise. He flew backward, stumbling on the pavement as Axel jumped into the pickup truck. He shoved the key into the ignition and started the engine as Jax glared at him.

“Get back here!” the angry lion shifter shouted as Axel hit the gas and drove down the street.

Axel would apologize to Zane and Jax later, but right now he had bigger things to deal with than the furious shifter who was giving him the finger through the rearview mirror.

His future with Hadley and their unborn child was on the line.

* * *

“You look stunning,” Axel said when he picked up Hadley.

“Not a date,” she reminded him with a warning look.

But still. Axel couldn’t help it.

She did look stunning. Her long blonde hair was looking sexier than ever and the sight of her wearing a skirt and blouse was getting his heart pumping faster than it had been on the drive over.

His eyes dropped to her stomach as she stepped out of her room. The fact that his baby was growing inside of her was making her even sexier.

“Where are we going on our not-a-date?” she asked with a grin as she closed the door and locked it.

Axel laughed as they made their way down the hall. “We’re going to a beautiful restaurant that’s in a log cabin at the base of a mountain.”

She made a skeptical face as she watched him. “That sounds romantic.”

Axel scrunched up his nose and shook his head. “Not romantic at all. Unless you consider roaring fireplaces, candles, soft music, and quiet tables for two romantic.”

Hadley stopped and sighed as she looked at him. “I thought I told you…”

“Don’t worry,” Axel interrupted with a grin. “I specifically asked for the lights to be on full blast with a table beside a crying baby.”

Hadley’s face softened as she smiled. “Let’s just go,” she said, rolling her eyes playfully.

They got into the pickup truck and Axel started driving as they talked. They had been through so much together already, but they hardly knew anything about each other. They had skipped over all of the basics.

“So, what do you do for a living?” Axel asked as she admired the scenery. He smiled when he looked down and saw her hands cradling her stomach.

That’s my baby she’s holding.

“I work in a grocery store,” she answered.

“Oh, that’s interesting,” Axel said with a nod.

“No, it’s not,” she said, laughing. “Actually, it’s the opposite of interesting.”

They chatted easily the rest of the way. He learned that she had two older brothers and her favorite movie was Grease 2. That had been a shocker.

“Your favorite movie is Grease 2?” he asked, staring at her in shock.

“Surprising, I know,” she said with a cute little giggle.

“It’s beyond surprising,” he teased. “I don’t think the sentence: My favorite movie is Grease 2, has ever been uttered in the history of the universe.”

“Well, it has now,” she said with a grin.

“We’re making all kinds of history tonight,” Axel said with a smile.

She tilted her head as she looked at him. “What do you mean?”

“It’s the beginning of our relationship,” he answered nonchalantly. “The history of Axel and Hadley. Or is it Hadley and Axel? Which one sounds better?”

They both sounded good to Axel.

She just let out a sigh as she looked out the windshield. “Let’s just get through dinner.”

They arrived at the beautiful restaurant and Axel was thrilled that Hadley looked impressed. It was a gorgeous log cabin that stretched along the base of a large mountain in the middle of the Montana wilderness.

“See?” Axel said when they got out of the truck. “Perfect place for a not-a-date.”

Hadley grinned as she looked at him sideways. “I’d love to see where you would take someone on a date.”

“We already did that,” Axel answered with a sly grin. “Remember? We went straight to the bedroom.”

She rubbed her stomach as she rolled her eyes playfully. “How could I forget?”

They went inside and got comfortable at their table. The conversation flowed easily enough, and Axel thought it was going well. They ate dinner and each had a dessert, and although they never had any long awkward silences or uncomfortable moments, there also didn’t seem to be the same spark that there was the last time.

There was no heart pounding, nervousness, light-headedness or warm shivers. It was just a pleasant meal between new friends.

A feeling of dread began to worm its way into Axel as the dinner came to an end. His chest tightened and his stomach clenched when the waiter dropped off the bill.

This was his only chance to woo Hadley and somehow he had gotten lost, steering off into the dreaded friend zone instead.

It’s the lack of wine. Wine always makes things more romantic.

But Hadley was pregnant and couldn’t drink, so they just ordered sparkling water instead. How can anyone fall in love while drinking sparkling water? They can’t! It’s impossible!

Axel cursed the water and the bland music and the fire that wasn’t roaring high enough in the fireplace as he pulled out some cash and slapped it onto the bill.

He swallowed hard as Hadley thanked him for the dinner.

“We don’t have to end the night just yet,” he said, desperate for another chance to make her fall in love with him. “We can go dancing or bowling or get some coffee somewhere.”

Her eyes fell to the table and Axel’s shoulders slumped forward as he anticipated her response.

“I’m getting really tired,” she said softly. “The pregnancy is taking a lot out of me. I’d just like to go back to my room.”

A heaviness settled into Axel’s body as he nodded. “Sure,” he said, feeling like his heart was shrinking. “Just let me pay and I’ll take you home.”

He took care of the bill and they walked back to the truck. When Axel had pictured this moment earlier, he had imagined them holding hands and stopping every few feet to make out with Hadley unable to keep her hands off of him.

It wasn’t like that at all.

They were walking a safe distance apart and it was breaking Axel’s heart. His small window of opportunity was closing fast and he had no idea what to do.

It was mostly silence between them on the way home as Hadley struggled to keep her eyes open.

Axel was hunched over in disappointment as she had her head turned—looking out the side window. I guess that’s it. I guess my kid will grow up twelve hours away from their dad.

Axel’s heart was breaking as the devastating reality consumed him. They wouldn’t end up together. They wouldn’t be a family. Their erotic night together was just casual sex. Their not-a-date was really not a date.

“All right,” she said as he pulled into the parking lot of the inn. She clutched her purse as she turned to him. “I guess we’ll be in touch?”

“Okay,” Axel said with a sad nod. “Do you need a ride to the airport tomorrow?”

She shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll just take a cab,” she said with a shrug.

Awkwardness filled the air as they looked at each other. She was about to walk out of the truck and the window of opportunity would be closed forever. Axel had to act fast if he wanted to make his dreams come true. It was time for a hail mary.

He closed his eyes and leaned in for a kiss.

Oh, crap.

His lips hit nothing but air and when he opened his eyes, he instantly regretted it because he was forced to look at Hadley pressed back against the window with a look of horror on her face.

“I’m sorry,” she said, looking very uncomfortable.

“No, I’m sorry,” Axel said, shaking his head. “I shouldn’t have…”

Hadley took a deep breath and straightened in her seat as Axel shrunk back to his side. “I don’t think this was meant to be, Axel,” she said with a look of disappointment on her face. “We should just try to be friends. I think it’s going to be better that way.”

Axel held back the tears that were stinging his eyes and nodded. He was worried that his voice would crack if he tried to say any words.

“It’s going to be better for the baby,” she said, reaching for the door.

Axel nodded, swallowing hard. “Whatever is better for the baby.”

“Okay,” she whispered as she opened the door, turning the light on over their heads. “I’ll call you next month to let you know how the pregnancy is going.”

Axel managed to squeak out an ‘okay.’

His eyes never left her body as she closed the door and walked into the inn. His heart clenched as she disappeared up the stairs and out of his life.

“No,” he whispered to himself as feelings of loneliness consumed him. It had all gone so wrong. He wanted to put his fist through the steering wheel, he wanted to break something, he wanted to scream out until every animal in the forest was wide awake, but all he could do was slump down in the seat as his eyes watered.

“I blew it.”

After a few moments, he took a deep breath and began driving home as feelings of worthlessness sank in deep. I’ll never get a mate like Zane. I’ll never find the one for me like Gunner.

By the time he pulled onto his street, Axel was feeling very sorry for himself. He was so distracted with his negative thoughts that he didn’t notice the ice covering the firehouse until he stepped out of the pickup truck.

“What the hell?” he whispered to himself as he looked around with wide eyes. It looked like winter in July with slides of ice sweeping down from the firehouse building to the fire truck. The concrete was covered with a thick layer of ice and even the fire truck looked frozen solid.

It finally hit him like a snowball to the forehead. “Valerius!”

This was the work of an ice dragon. But if the ice dragon had come…

“Zane!” he shouted as he rushed forward, slipping on the ice as he ran. “Jax!”

Axel had already lost his girl and his baby tonight. He didn’t know what he was going to do if he lost two of his best friends.

“Where the hell are you guys?”