It was a sunny Monday morning and the apartment was peacefully quiet when Nyla opened her eyes; the familiar scent of coffee nonexistent. The torturous weekend had ended, and morning had finally made its appearance. She took a minute to stare up at her dingy, popcorn ceiling before she sat up and regarded her room slowly. It was a painful process, but she remained still for a bit, trying to let her brain catch up with her sudden movements. Unfortunately, when the room started spinning, she collapsed back on the bed and closed her eyes. Sweat had formed on her forehead as she’d slept. She wiped her brow, took a deep breath and regretted it instantly. A dreadful cough erupted from her chest, causing pain to her rib cage, throat, and head.

“Aaah!” she cried out and brought her hands to her head.

Nyla had been battling with an awful cold since Friday. It had come on like a freight train and caused her to suffer through agonizing headaches, stuffy nose, a horrible cough, chest congestion, fever, and chills. The cold, which actually felt more like the flu, made her feel so awful that she had to take off work that day as well as the weekend. That wasn’t ideal for someone in her line of work. Taking sick days wasn’t something she could afford. But Rock had banned her from the diner, telling her that she wasn’t allowed to step foot in his diner until she was better. Naturally, Nyla obeyed. You just didn’t argue with Rock.

Once the dizziness had subsided, Nyla rolled on her side and braved another look around her room. It took a few seconds for her eyes to focus, and once they did, she noticed a bottle of water, two capsules of cough medicine, and a note sitting on her nightstand. She smiled and reached for the note, bringing the small folded paper closer and read, ‘Had to run into the office this morning. Diane got your message, and she stopped by to pick up the princess. She said she’d drop her off at daycare on her way into work. If you need her to, she’ll pick her up as well. Just let her know. So, rest and take your meds, and I’ll come by and check up on you later. --AP’

Nyla laid her head back against her cool pillow and couldn’t help the smile that spread along her clammy skin. The man refused to use Dee Dee’s nickname. Anytime he talked about her, he called her by her given name, Diane.

For the past few weeks, Andrew had been spending a lot of time with her and Se’Nya. During the off chance that he was able to leave work at a decent hour, he would immediately drive over to her place. He’d take Nyla and Se’Nya out to dinner or hang out with them at her apartment. They’d braved the heat at the zoo, done small things like go to the park, or go grocery shopping together. And they had even hit the drive-in movie a few times, which made it easy for them to enjoy a movie with an active baby with them.

The days when he had to work late, he didn’t get the chance to see his favorite girls. So, instead, he’d call them just to hear Nyla’s voice and to read Se’Nya a bedtime story before she went to bed. Andrew had made it a point to spend as much time with Nyla as he could and never made it seem as if he was forced to do it, which warmed Nyla’s heart. He had been nothing but amazing with both of them, especially when she went down with this sickness. Andrew had stepped up his game without hesitation.

The minute she started feeling under the weather, he’d done everything he could to be there for her. He had made her homemade soup and bought her medicine to help with her congestion and cough. He had made her tea when she needed some and kept her throat numb with lozenges. But most of all, Andrew had spent a lot of his time on her floor playing with Se’Nya while she rested. She felt bad a few times about leaving him with her daughter. But every time, Andrew would shake his head and tell her, “Go take your germ-infested, stuffy-nose-self to bed. We’ll be fine.”

And they were in fact fine. Andrew handled Se’Nya like a pro. He spent time playing with her and her toy blocks. He read to her and laughed and chased her all around the apartment. He fed her and even changed her diaper. And when it was naptime, he put her down with ease. Nyla was completely turned on by him and if she had the strength, she would’ve jumped his bones. But she didn’t.

Since their conversation at the lake, he had kept true to his word. He had been on his best behavior and kept his hands to himself. He didn’t grope or fondle her. He kissed her all the time, but it was never over the top; it was sweet more than anything else. She was impressed with his willpower while at the same time, she was losing her mind with lust.

Nyla couldn’t take it anymore. He was driving her crazy with his gentleman act and his tender ways. Now, all of a sudden, he wants to be good, she had thought to herself and rolled her eyes. She decided she needed to take matters into her own hands. The second she felt better, she was going to take what she wanted. Except, her body’s desires had a mind of their own. She ended up going after what she wanted a lot sooner than she had planned.

It happened last night.

She had been tossing and turning all night; mainly, due to her inability to breathe through her nose. But it had also been her need to have Andrew sliding between her thighs that kept her up. Conveniently, Andrew had been close by. He was staying overnight and had been sprawled out on her pullout couch sound asleep. Nyla went on a prowl in search for an orgasm or two and walked out of her bedroom dressed in her T-shirt and panties and crawled on top of him while he slept.

Andrew, surprised, opened his eyes and groggily smiled at her. He brought his hands along her hips as she settled on top of him. He shook his head.

“What are you doing?” he had asked sleepily.

Nyla answered him by removing her T-shirt, revealing a tan and black lace bra that matched her panties. She smiled at him and rotated her hips against him.

“Taking what belongs to me,” she said through her stuffed nose, which didn’t sound as sexy as it had in her head. Her voice sounded as if she was speaking through a bottle with her hand over her mouth.

No matter!

Nyla brushed off her awkwardness and continued her seduction. She rotated her hips again, and gave him her most enticing look she could muster. She bit her bottom lip and moved in for a kiss. I know what I need to get this seduction going, she told herself. A kiss…

Nyla leaned closer to Andrew, staring at his soft lips. She sniffed and quickly covered her mouth as she felt a tickling sensation in her nostrils. Her eyes grew wide and before Andrew could ask her what was wrong she sneezed into her hand—hard. Nyla groaned as she felt the wetness on her hand and mouth.

Oh God!

Andrew sat up, concern on his face. “Baby, are you okay?”

Nyla didn’t answer. Instead, she quickly climbed off Andrew’s lap. A grunt fell from his lips as her knee brushed against him in her haste to escape, his attempt to grab her unsuccessful. Nyla made it safely into the bathroom and closed and locked the door before she collapsed against the wall. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. Sure, she had sneezed in front of him before, so that wasn’t the issue. The problem had been that she’d practically sneezed in his face while she was trying to seduce him.

A pitiful groan escaped her belly when she glanced at her reflection in the mirror. Snot had drained from her stuffed nose and coated her upper lip and hand. Oh, the horror of it all! She was beyond embarrassed.

Nyla tried to shake off her embarrassment and wiped her hand off on a tissue. She grabbed more tissue, blew her nose like fifty times before she washed her face and hands. When she finally gathered the courage to open her bathroom door, Andrew was standing there, his arms above his head, hands gripping the door frame.

“You okay?” he asked, a grin forming along his shadowed features.

Nyla shut her eyes tight and buried her face in her hands. “I’m so embarrassed.”

Andrew chuckled, gripped her wrists and pulled her hands from her face.

“Don’t be. It was a turn-on watching you get all aggressive.”

She groaned again and tried to bring her hands back to her face, but Andrew held her wrists tight. Still grinning, he turned and led her back to her bedroom. Once inside, he picked her up, carried her around to the side of the bed closest to her window and laid her down. Next, he pulled the sheets back and covered her body.

He then walked around to the other side of the bed and climbed in next to her.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you worried about getting sick?” she asked him with slight alarm in her voice.

Andrew kissed her damp forehead. “Don’t worry about me. I don’t get sick. Now, come over here.” Andrew pulled her closer to him and turned her until her back was against him. Once he had her where he wanted, he kissed the back of her head and nestled her underneath his chin.

“I feel like shit,” Nyla admitted in the quiet room.

“I know.”

She turned around in his arms so she could look at his face. She touched the side of his cheek and sighed. “No, I mean you’ve been so good to me. And you’ve been amazing with Se’Nya. I just wanted to reward you.”

Andrew kissed her lightly and wiped his thumb along her cheek.

“Don’t worry about rewarding me,” he told her and winked. “You’ll have plenty of time to return the favor. Just get better.”

Last night, Nyla had experienced some of the best sleep of her life. And even though she woke up this morning unable to breathe due to both of her nostrils being stuffed, she still was smiling.

Nyla couldn’t say enough about Andrew. He had shown her a different side to him. Normally, he was so rough around the edges and aggressive, but seeing his more caring and nurturing side made her heart swell. If she wasn’t already in love with him before, she guaranteed she was now.

Nyla opened her eyes for the second time this morning and sat up. She did as ordered and took her medicine and drank her water. She thought about staying in bed but decided against it. She felt a little better today despite the previous coughing fit and stuffy nose. She was sweating and had been told that meant her fever was breaking. Maybe taking a hot shower and actually dressing in something more than underwear and a T-shirt would make her feel better.

Nyla threw off the sheet and slowly stood. She gathered some clothes from her dresser in her large walk-in closet, underwear, sports bra, socks, yoga pants and a large T-shirt and slowly padded her way to her bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later, she was lying across her couch feeling a bit better. She could even keep down the homemade soup Andrew had brought for her the other day. Her nose seemed to clear up a bit and the pounding in her head wasn’t as severe as it had been earlier. The medicine was doing its job no doubt. She hoped that this cold was clearing up because she couldn’t afford to take another day off work.

As the day wore on, her condition improved. She found that she didn’t need to take any more meds for her headache or cough. Of course, she wasn’t cured. Her nose was still a bit stuffed and she coughed here and there. In spite of that, she felt stronger than she had in days. She wanted to test the waters and see if she was indeed on the mend. She decided to clean up a bit; not because Andrew had left her apartment a mess or anything. She just needed to do something to make herself feel useful.

Nyla played a little music while she cleaned. She was just about finished with everything when her phone started to vibrate. She picked it up and saw that it was the daycare calling and quickly answered it. One of the facilitators informed her that her daughter had a fever and needed to be picked up. Nyla noticed it was mid-afternoon and knew Dee Dee wouldn’t be getting off for another three hours. She thought about calling Andrew. He had mentioned coming back to her place this afternoon. Maybe she could catch him. However, she didn’t make a move to call him. He had been cooped up in her apartment for days. He’s done enough, she thought to herself. Besides, she was feeling better. She was capable of picking up her daughter from daycare. She told them she was on her way and went to grab her car keys and purse.

On the ride to the daycare, she called Andrew. He picked up on the fourth ring.

“Nyla, is everything okay?” he asked as his greeting; concern laced in his voice.

She shook her head at the sound of concern in his voice and took a deep breath. “Yes, everything’s fine.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Better actually. I took a long shower today and was able to eat the soup you left for me.”

“That’s good,” Andrew replied, his tone lightening slightly with that news. “You still need to get some rest, though. Don’t try and do anything strenuous.”

“Too late,” she told him and instantly regretted the words.

“Why? What’s going on? I thought you said everything’s fine?”

“It is. Are you still at work?”

“No, I’m heading home for a shower and a quick shave. I have court in the morning, so I also wanted to grab a suit and pack another bag before I came to your place. What’s up?”

“Nothing. Se’Nya has a fever. Apparently, I’m a horrible mother, and I’ve made my daughter sick too. I’m on my way to get her now. And before you say it, I’m fine. I’ve already checked my temperature, and it’s normal. My head doesn’t hurt, and I haven’t coughed all day.”

There was silence on the other end, but Nyla learned to wait him out. Andrew needed that time to count to ten in order to get his temper in check.

Finally, she heard him sigh before he asked, “Why didn’t you call me sooner? I would have gone to get her.”

“Because there was no need. As I said, I’m fine. I’m capable of going to get her myself. Don’t worry.”

Andrew remained quiet for a little while longer before he spoke again. “Listen, as soon as I’m done getting my things, I’ll meet you at your place. How long will it take for you to get to the daycare center and home?”

Nyla looked at the time on her phone before answering. “I should be at the daycare in thirty minutes. I’ll probably have to pick up some baby Tylenol or Motrin or something for Se’Nya before I head home. And there’ll be traffic probably, which will be a pain in the butt. You know, Andrew, you don’t have to come over. I mean, Se’Nya and I will be fine. I’m feeling better, and I don’t want to get you sick. It’s cool. You have court tomorrow morning, so I’m sure you need to work late and get some rest in a more comfortable bed. I’m not saying I don’t want you to come over. I just—”

“Nyla,” Andrew interrupted curtly. “While I understand you’re just looking out for me, you don’t have to. Now, what time will you get home?”

Nyla sighed but fought back the smile that was creeping its way to the surface of her face.

“I’m not sure. Why don’t I call you the minute I get home? That way you won’t be sitting in your car waiting for me.”

“All right, call me the minute you get home. And don’t worry about getting the princess any medicine. Text me the brand you want, and I’ll stop and get it. It’ll be easier for me to do it than for you. Traffic will be a bitch. The sooner you can get back to this side of town the better.”

Nyla reluctantly agreed to let Andrew get the medicine and to call him the moment she got home. She made a plan, as she drove. Once she got to the daycare, it shouldn’t take long to grab up Se’Nya and her things. Andrew was stopping at the store for her so she could turn around and head back home as soon as she had Se’Nya in her arms. However, that didn’t happen. The moment she arrived, she saw her sick baby lying in the nurse’s station, and picked her up, then Se’Nya puked all over Nyla’s T-shirt as well as herself.

“Wonderful,” Nyla groaned as she headed for the bathroom, sick baby still in her arms.

* * *

Andrew disconnected the call with Nyla and fought the urge to turn around and head to the daycare center. He hated that she was driving by herself despite the fact that one of his brothers was following her.

He had gotten the call the second Nyla hopped in her beat-up car. He had been debating on calling her himself when his phone started ringing through the car speakers. However, after the call, he wasn’t feeling at all relieved. Consequently, he really needed to get home. He did have to pick up a few things, mainly, his suit and under clothes. Also, he desperately needed to shave. He planned in his mind what all he was going to pack and how long it would take for him to get what he needed so he could get back to her.

Andrew then paused his hasty thoughts and shook his head in disbelief. Nyla was right. There was no need for him to go back to her apartment. She had said it herself that she was fine. And hell, he was certain that this wasn’t the first time she had been sick and had to take care of her daughter by herself. And yet, here he was thinking about how quickly he could get back to her, not for any reason but just to be with her. She was very capable of taking care of herself and yet he couldn’t let her be.

This was insane…

Andrew ran his fingers through his hair and massaged his neck. Shit, maybe everyone around him had finally gotten it right. Maybe he had found the one. And that thought alone made him feel like shit. It also brought a lot of questions to his mind. Questions that, when he thought about the answers, made him sick to his stomach.

He blamed Rinic as well as his parents for the situation he was currently in. Hearing how he was destined to find his mate from Rinic and hearing the love story of his parents over and over again was painful back when he was growing up. He even denounced that he would let anyone close to him as his father had done. But here he was, doing the very thing he vowed he’d never to do. He was letting go. As he drove, deep in his thoughts, the story of his parents surfaced in his mind.

Sonny Pierce had been a mean and cold SOB when he was alpha. He was strong, deadly, fierce, and feared by all. He ran the pack with an iron fist and destroyed anyone that opposed him with merciless rage and finality. Sonny was also hated by all neighboring packs. They respected him and envied him, which produced hate in a lot of wolves. Sonny didn’t bend to anyone’s will. He held fast in his beliefs and values, never yielding for the sake of peace. He had set out to be the strongest alpha this land had ever seen and he wanted to build the strongest, most feared pack of any generation.

One thing he didn’t have time for was settling down. To be quite honest, Sonny never wanted to imprint on anyone. He didn’t believe in relinquishing power and control to allow himself to fall in love, and he’d rather be alone than be with someone he didn’t like. To him, it was a sign of weakness and vulnerability; two liabilities that could mean his demise. Sonny held true to this belief up until the moment he saw Abigail Fairaday. That control and power he so strongly held close to him cracked in an instant. He knew in that moment, no matter what or how hard Abby resisted, she would be his forever.

Abby was by far the most beautiful woman in every form she took. She had long, thick blonde hair and deadly bluish-green eyes. Abby was no way a helpless flower. She was tough and strong and she never let anyone get close to her. What no one believed, because she hid it well, was what happened to her the second she laid eyes on Sonny. Abby hated his type with a passion. She didn’t believe in being controlled. She and her family lived on their own. They were nomads, protecting themselves from other packs and lone wolves for survival.

Unfortunately, Abigail couldn’t resist Sonny. She tried for a long time, but she couldn’t deny the truth. They were meant for each other and the moment she let go and let him in, peace seemed to envelop her and her family. The couple found happiness and together they built a pack that rivaled every other pack that existed. She gave him a family and a son to carry on Sonny’s name that became a strong alpha just like his father.

Andrew had been told countless times by his mother that he was just like his father in every way; ruthless, cunning, and smart. He was also just as stubborn and controlling, if not more. Andrew knew his mother’s claims to be true, yet he denied it every time someone mentioned the similarities. Also, it didn’t matter how many times he had been told what fate had in store for him; that he would find a mate so strong he wouldn’t be able to resist her. He didn’t believe them. No one controlled his destiny but him. No one dictated to him what his path was in life, how to live his life, or who he was to become in his life, but him. He would never show that type of weakness or any other type of weakness. And no woman would ever bring him to his knees.

The day he met his wife, he had believed that he’d been right all this time and everyone else was wrong.

Andrew had to make a quick stop, as he drove home, to one of the places that always gave him hives to buy coffee. He hated grocery stores, but he hated coffee chains even more and he couldn’t go without the dark bean, heavy roasted caffeine goodness. So, he had located a store close to his apartment and pulled into an open space.

Andrew peeled out of his car and was heading into the dreadful building when he heard a soft heavenly voice to his right call out to him.

“Excuse me.”

The moment he turned and his eyes met the woman’s, he was hooked, taken in mere seconds. The woman was stunning. She had dark deep wavy hair that fell slightly over her shoulders. She was tall, curvy, and had unbelievable gray eyes. They seemed to entrance his soul. He tried to deny it, but it was that moment when he fell for Mikaliah Nelson.

“I’m sorry to bother you. I was hoping that you would be able to give me a jump. My battery seemed to have died.” Mikaliah gave him her award-winning smile, hoping the frown on his face would soften. When it did, she felt relief. She also felt something else that made her heart do backflips in her chest.

Andrew had never been the shy type. He always went after what he wanted so he didn’t waste time going after Mikaliah the moment he restarted her car. He couldn’t resist her. And ever since that day, she had been a constant on his mind. He couldn’t wait to see her and be with her. And the feeling had been mutual. Everything had been going great between the couple. Andrew had wanted to make a life with this woman. He had wanted to marry her and be with her forever. The problem they had faced was that they weren’t each other’s mate.

“When you find your mate, you will lose all sense of the word control,” that’s what Sonny had said to him one day.

When Andrew met Mikaliah, he felt a connection to her, a pull, but it wasn’t what he had expected. He hadn’t lost control. Sure, he wanted to spend every waking moment with her, but it wasn’t how his father had described, which in Andrew’s mind made his case valid. He didn’t have to lose himself in order to find someone to spend the rest of his life with. Mikaliah made him happy, and that was all he had needed.

Andrew and Mikaliah were in love, and despite the fact that they weren’t mates, they didn’t want to be apart. So, Andrew married her. They were planning to run away together and leave their lives behind. That was the only way they would be able to be together in peace. It was a risk and they both knew it. But they didn’t care. They were in control of their own destinies. It was what they both wanted; to be in control.

Thinking back to those times, Andrew knew they had been reckless. It had been a huge gamble, marrying Mikaliah, one that could have ended very badly for both of them. The prime example had been the moment Andrew entered Rock’s diner and his eyes fell on Nyla. The feeling, the sensation that rocked his body that day was a reaction that he couldn’t control. Everything that his father had warned him about, everything that the elders had said would happen, actually happened. He found himself powerless, she rendered him powerless and she had no clue what she had done. He wanted Nyla right then and there. He didn’t care who was around. If he had allowed himself the forbidden pleasure, he would have kissed her right where she stood. He could have claimed her too, a stranger, right in the center of that diner. And, he wouldn’t have cared about the repercussions of his actions. He had been going out of his mind that day, and despite his efforts, it had been like that ever since.

But what made him sick was thinking about Mikaliah. What if she was still here with him and he had still been married when he entered that diner? He was so close to claiming Nyla that day and every day afterward. How would he have explained his actions to his wife? Andrew knew Mikaliah would have understood, but it still would have killed her just the same.

Shit, what if the roles had been reversed and Mikaliah had stumbled upon her true mate? Andrew knew for a fact that he wouldn’t have gone away easily. He would have fought it. He would have destroyed anything or anyone that tried to keep him away from Mikaliah. And it would’ve been for naught because no matter what he did, she wouldn’t have belonged to him anymore.

Andrew shook his head as he pulled into a visitor’s parking space in front of his building. Things would have been disastrous, which was why he needed to be smart about Nyla. No doubt, there was something going on between them. The feelings he’d had for Mikaliah were nothing compared to how he felt for Nyla. That bothered him and it made him feel fucked up as well. It also made him hold back a bit from Nyla. He was in love with her. There was no disputing that fact. But if she was a human, he knew that she wasn’t meant for him. If she wasn’t human, then what the fuck was she? Why couldn’t he stop thinking about her or stop wanting her? And what if he was wrong like he had been with Mikaliah, and Nyla was taken away from him just like Mikaliah? That thought alone made his chest tighten. His heart dropped to his stomach and he instantly felt sick. Damn if he was going to let her go. He couldn’t. It just wasn’t possible, which meant only one thing.

Nyla was a wolf.

Andrew shook off that thought too and climbed the steps to his apartment, biding past the elevator as he did most times. Just as Andrew slipped his key into his door lock, he froze. He closed his eyes, sighed in frustration, and reluctantly opened his door. He had company again!

Perfect!