Abigail woke up to Thomas curled around her back, his fingers making trails of goosebumps over her ribs and stomach, while Antonio kissed her neck slowly.

“Good morning,” Abigail sighed happily. She didn’t know when Thomas ended up in bed with her, but she was glad to have him there as well. He hadn’t come back from Rocker’s with them the night before, and it had made her worried and sad.

“I’m taking you out today,” Antonio crooned. “Excited?”

“Is this that date you wanted?” Abigail smiled at him as he pulled away.

“Yeah,” Antonio chuckled.

“And tomorrow, I’ve picked out a few houses in town and on the outskirts for you to look at,” Thomas whispered behind her, nuzzling his face into the back of her neck. “I hope you’re excited about that too.”

“I am,” she whispered back. “About both.”

“I smell breakfast.” Antonio looked towards the door. “James must have gotten up a bit ago.”

“We should get up and help him,” Thomas groaned. “What time is it?”

“Eight,” Antonio yawned. “Not too bad.”

“What time did you get home last night, Thomas?” Abigail rolled over, and Thomas took her leg and pulled it over him, leaving his erection pressing as close to her as it could.

“Past four,” Thomas growled, seeming agitated by it. “When we get out of bed, I’ll catch you up on what my last few days have been like.”

“And why wouldn’t we be getting out of bed now?” She smiled at him.

Antonio started chuckling behind her and left the bed. “I’ll give you two a minute,” he told them, pulling on sweatpants. He left without another word.

“I’m very excited about a moment alone with you,” Thomas murmured. “Abigail-”

“You don’t need to address what…what I said last week,” she told him quickly, not letting him finish what he was going to say. “I said it but that doesn’t mean you have to.”

“I care about you,” he told her with conviction. He caressed her check with his rough fingertips. “I really do, Abigail.”

“I know.” She moved to kiss him and pushed him to his back in the process. She was straddling him now, and when she pulled back from the kiss, she could look down and enjoy the sight. She loved the delicious sight of his scarred body, his toned, hard muscle. She loved him, his quiet and strangely distant ways. Thomas was a worrier, and she could see the worry in his eyes, the small haunted piece of him that was always ready for the worst. She could guess he was worried about how everything would work. They might even be worried about the same things. Were they moving too fast? Was this going to crash and burn? Was this going to end when they were all just coming to have feelings, or realize they were there?

She was falling on the side that it wasn’t going to fall apart. She was going to do everything in her power to keep this. The job didn’t matter. Mornings like this did. To her, they were the best things she could have. Something she hadn’t wanted, hadn’t realized she needed.

She didn’t need him to say ‘I love you’ back. She wanted it, but she didn’t need it. Not if he wasn’t ready. It made her chest ache and hurt, it made her fear she may never hear it, but she wasn’t going to rush him. He didn’t deserve to be rushed. Neither did Antonio, who hadn’t yet said it either.

“We’re all…” He took a deep breath. “We’re all going through stuff. I want this to stay easy for a little longer.”

“You have a week,” she teased. “Well, until Friday.”

He just groaned and smiled up at her. She grinned back to him.

“Let’s go eat breakfast.” He chuckled, sitting up and causing her to slide back a little. It left her in his lap, her chest pressed against his.

“Are you sure you want to get out of bed right now?” Abigail asked, casually moving slightly to bring attention to his erection between her legs. She was more than willing to have a quickie before getting out of bed. She knew Antonio left so they could.

Thomas replied by grinning and wrapping a hand around the back of her head and pulling her face close to his. She was trapped in his ice-blue eyes for a moment, and the spell was only broken by him moving to kiss her jawline, making a trail up to her ear.

“Antonio will be so mad if I leave you sore for your date,” he growled, nipping her earlobe.

“He’s a big boy.” She couldn’t think much more past that as Thomas held her in place, his other hand palming her ass. He pushed into her, forcing a moan out of her.

“I also don’t really care if he gets mad.” Thomas chuckled. He flipped them over, so that she was on her back, and kept it slow. She wrapped her arms around his chest and held him and he leisurely pushed into her and pulled out, slow and steady like the surf, or the rising tide.

They made it to breakfast before everything got cold. They had kept the sex quick, even if Thomas had done it slowly. He had pushed her over into bliss faster than she had anticipated and then followed her.

“You two have fun?” Antonio asked innocently.

“Why wouldn’t we? We were just slow getting out of bed, so I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” Abigail replied just as innocently, smiling. James laughed and pointed to her seat at the table. She took the order without complaint and they all settled in for breakfast.

“Chris left last night,” Thomas announced without preamble, “and so did his friends. They’re also gone.”

Abigail looked over at him and frowned.

Antonio put his fork down with a clatter. “Thomas?” He sounded concerned.

“He won’t be coming back,” Thomas sighed. “Ever.”

“Why do you say that?” Abigail asked in a whisper. She knew there was trouble between the Alpha brothers, but Thomas never said much to her about it.

“Due to the drama he seems to cause, particularly his recent attempt to overtake the Virginia Pack, if he comes back here, onto our territory, this Pack will hunt him,” Thomas continued, without giving any emotion. Abigail gasped, slowly moving a hand over her mouth. “He thought to use our connection to the Pride and the area not being under Heath’s control to hide himself and his friends from their sins. They could have brought serious trouble to us, gotten people hurt. Heath took the friends and is sending them back to Virginia.”

“And Chris?” James this time, his voice hard.

“He either joined this Pack and followed me, or he left. He didn’t want to follow an Alpha he hated, so he’s gone. I told him to never come back,” Thomas finished. “That’s why I was home so late.”

“Oh, Thomas,” Abigail murmured, reaching out to him. They had just had a beautiful morning and she could see the hurt in his eyes. She had to tell him the truth though. “You did what you had to. You did what was needed to protect your Pack.”

“I know,” Thomas said, nodding slowly. “You got one thing wrong. Our Pack. You’re part of that Pack. This isn’t just me. You three…he thinks our life is mediocre. He craves more - he always has. I wasn’t going to let him, and his schemes, destroy this.”

“He’s your brother,” Antonio sighed. “He’ll come back.”

Abigail was shocked by the honesty of the next words from her Alpha. No one else was, but she was.

“Chris is not my brother,” he growled. “Not anymore. He made it clear that I’m not his family.”

“You have us,” James said, still hard, unbending and unaffected.

Abigail believed that James was probably happy to see Chris gone. Something about his entire posture was glad for it and he was trying to make Thomas the same way.

“I do.” He sounded thankful. “I know it. I don’t think you’ll let me forget - and I told him the same. I have this, and I wouldn’t trade this for anything.”

Abigail heard the words and smiled to herself. He wouldn’t trade this for anything, huh? That was important. She went back to her breakfast, feeling sad over Chris but also lighter. Thomas knew he had them, all of them.

As breakfast was over, Antonio took her plate, letting her relax and digest the hearty breakfast one of them always made sure to make every morning. Eggs, bacon, hash browns. They always went all-out.

“Be ready for a hike in an hour,” Antonio told her, grinning. “I’ll get everything else ready for our date.”

“Oh goodness,” Abigail giggled. “A hike? To where?”

“You like hiking. I want to take you somewhere. Don’t ruin the surprise,” Antonio commanded, sticking his tongue out childishly after he said it.

She returned the gesture, sticking her own out and making a noise. It had her devolving into giggles and Antonio let out a loud laugh, doubling over.

“I won’t ruin it,” she promised after they were both done laughing. Even James was chuckling as Thomas just shook his head in mock disappointment at them.

She left the table to shower and get ready. By the time she was back out in the living room, Antonio was the only person left.

“They went to the bar. Payroll day,” Antonio chuckled. He lifted a small bag. “You get this one. I’ll take the heavy one.”

“There’s more than one?” Abigail took the bag and swung it over her shoulder.

“Yeah, of course. Need to make sure I have enough of everything for both of us,” Antonio informed her. “I asked Andrew if he knew some good spots, but nothing was as good as this one that I found on a private run.”

“You and James ask Andrew for a lot,” Abigail noted.

“Yeah, James got recipes from him, I know. He laughed when I asked him about his hiking habit. Said he took Riley on a picnic once too.”

“Is that what we’re having?”

“Yeah,” Antonio answered nodding. “I figure, by the time we get there in human form, we’ll both be a little hungry again. Let’s go.”

She followed him out to his truck and jumped in the passenger’s side. The ride was silent, just soft music playing, and Abigail watched Wild Junction fade away in the rearview mirror. They drove for nearly an hour and Abigail finally frowned.

“Are we still in Pack territory?”

“Yup, but only barely. The Colorado Pack doesn’t give us a hard time for running a little outside the bounds either. We don’t give them any trouble, so they let us roam a bit in their space,” Antonio explained. He turned them off the lonely highway and down a side road. Ten minutes later, they turned onto a dirt road. “This is going to get rough. We’ll be going until it ends.”

“Okay,” Abigail replied softly, holding on as the truck began to bounce. He kept them going as the dirt road climbed up into the mountains, handling the truck like a pro over the bumps and holes. Abigail was thoroughly impressed, and she knew Antonio must have found something beautiful or great if he was taking them on this sort of journey.

The dirt road ended after nearly thirty minutes. He parked them at the end, which was abrupt. It just sort of ended without any indication that it was coming.

“I’m assuming hunters come out here and park during the right season,” Antonio spoke, shrugging before she could say anything about it. “But it’s not the right season, so we should be alone up here.”

“We won’t be shifting either, I’m guessing?” Abigail asked as Antonio got out. She followed, bringing her bag with her.

“We can if you want,” he chuckled. “When we get to the spot. Think you’re ready for a bit of a hike?”

“How long did this take you to find?”

“In wolf form, I found the spot, then searched for it as a human again later. Checked maps and such, found these roads. It’ll be only forty-five minutes of hiking, but it’s mostly uphill.”

“I can handle that.” Forty-five minutes uphill wasn’t too bad for her. She was glad for the tough jeans she’d chosen, but she was worried her lovely knit sweater was going to get too hot. Late April could have some chill, but she hadn’t thought he would take her so far out for a longer hike.

The day was gorgeous and bright. She did take off the sweater, only ten minutes later, revealing the simple tank top she wore underneath. Antonio put it in his bag, so they weren’t carrying it around.

As they got closer to the mysterious spot, Antonio began to ask her questions.

“You have a twin sister, right?” He looked over to her and she nodded.

“I do, you know that,” Abigail answered, frowning at him. “Karli. She’ll be due this summer with her boys.”

“Twin boys?” Antonio’s eyebrows came together, and Abigail laughed. She had never told them.

“Deer,” Abigail stated simply. “We always have twins or triplets. It’s an odd commonality to our animal form.”

“That is weird,” Antonio mumbled.

“Why did you ask?”

“I was thinking about Thomas and Chris,” Antonio admitted. “Chris has always blamed Thomas for Jillian’s death. You know, I had a huge crush on her as a kid. She was a little older than the rest of us. Daughter to the Alpha. Unobtainable.” Antonio took a deep breath. “I don’t have siblings.”

“Antonio?” Abigail took his hand as they walked. She kissed the back of it, watching him get a confused and frustrated look on his face.

“I don’t understand how Chris could lose one sibling, then throw the other away,” he sighed. “It’s never made sense to me. Thomas always worked so hard and Chris never appreciated it. It’s why I’m so close to Thomas I think. I’ve always been desperate for a brother, and I think Thomas was too, in a way.”

“I can’t imagine it either,” Abigail agreed. “I love Karli. We’re not the closest of siblings or anything, but I wouldn’t give her up. We just live different lives, and that’s okay. My parents didn’t have any more children after us, so we only had each other.”

“My parents always wanted more,” Antonio whispered. “It never happened for them, but they were glad to see me and Thomas as friends when we were young.”

“Ever thought about it?” Abigail asked innocently.

“Kids?” Antonio laughed. “Not really? I had to first convince a woman to be in a committed relationship with me. Traveling is hard. Most women didn’t want the roguish, charming guy who traveled all the time for work into other Packs and had to be everyone’s friend.”

“Roguish and charming.” Abigail hummed. “I think someone has an ego.”

“What would you say?”

“Charismatic but sometimes immature,” Abigail giggled.

“Also works,” Antonio said with a shrug. He didn’t seem fazed.

“I like it, though - the sometimes immature. Don’t take that as an insult.”

“I think people should smile more,” Antonio told her. “Back on topic, never thought about kids of my own because no one wanted long distance with me, and I was too good at what I did for the Pack to stop.”

“I would try a long-distance relationship,” Abigail simply said, shrugging.

“Hold that thought,” Antonio chuckled. “We’re here.”

She perked up and looked around. She still thought they were in the middle of the mountainous forest and she hadn’t kept track of the time very well. Another minute of walking and the tree line appeared, and they stepped out of the woods.

Abigail’s breath was taken away. He’d brought her to a cliffside that overlooked a valley. The high vantage point made her feel on top of the world. She walked across closer to the edge, her hands trailing on the long grass and looked out.

DC had nothing on this.

When she turned back around, Antonio was laying out a blanket for them to sit on. He didn’t say anything as he pulled food out of the bag and placed it out for them. A lot of fruits, she noticed, some sandwiches, a salad of some sort. A simple, fresh lunch. She wasn’t too hungry yet but all of it looked good enough to nibble on through the morning and afternoon.

“Come sit down and enjoy the view,” he chuckled, looking up to her when he was done. Her heart beat hard at how much effort he put into this. Like James, he’d made it simple, but still pulled out all the stops for her. She sank onto the blanket next to him and picked up the container of strawberries. She pulled it open and took one to nibble on as he watched her. Those jade green eyes were locked on her lips, so she decided to make a show of it. She took a slow bite and when a little bit of juice tried to run down her chin, he dove in and licked it off slowly. That lick ended in a kiss.

“You don’t need to be long distance with me,” he whispered. “Abby, I would follow you anywhere. I don’t care where I am. I just want it to be where you are.”

“You don’t need to worry about it.”

“What?” Antonio went wide-eyed. He caught her meaning.

“You have to keep this secret for just a couple of days. I haven’t told James and Thomas yet. I wasn’t planning on saying anything today, since I was hoping to really find a good way to tell all of you.” She leaned back and lay down on the blanket, looking up at him as he nodded slowly. “I’m not taking the job, Antonio. The cons outweigh the pros.”

“It’s…”

“It’s my dream job. I got it. I have until Friday to tell them I accept or decline.” Abigail laughed at the sky. “I’m going to decline. I don’t want it. Department head for the mental health and trauma therapy unit. We would also be in charge of the mental health evaluations of the agents, something I was vocal about before the entire department was closed originally.” She met his eyes again. “You don’t need to follow me anywhere, though. I’m not taking the job.”

“Why?” He gasped. “Abigail. I love you but don’t throw everything away. We-”

“I love you too, which is why I’m declining the job,” she whispered, smiling at him. Tears filled her eyes at his words. He cared so much, and he loved her.

“I…I didn’t mean to just say that.” He chuckled weakly. “I guess that is the meaning of being willing to follow you anywhere, though.”

“Do you mean it?” she asked, swallowing as he backpedaled for a moment.

“Yeah, I do,” he chuckled, lying down next to her. “I do. So…what cons were so bad that you didn’t want the job? That made it out of the question?”

“First, I would have to move to DC, or the Arlington region,” Abigail sighed.

“And I would move after you,” Antonio replied, looking over to her and making a face.

She laughed and swatted him. “I don’t want you to move! You, Thomas, and James have built something so special here. You own a business, you have friends and a dog, and it’s lovely. I love it here. This is so much better than stuffy DC. It’s so much better than my condo in LA. I won’t let you move because I don’t want to move.”

“All right,” Antonio laughed, rubbing the spot on his abdomen where she’d smacked him. “You said that was the first con. What are the others?”

“This next one might even make you upset. They are now making it a requirement that every member of the SSTF leave whatever Pack or Pride they’re in. I would have to declare that I’m no longer loyal to you, to James, and most especially, Thomas. Being in a relationship with you, even after that, would be frowned upon, most likely,” Abigail explained.

“Fuck,” Antonio mumbled. “Don’t take the job. Fuck them.”

“Exactly.”

“Thomas will be upset. James, maybe. We all just want you to succeed and be happy, Abby.”

“I know, but that wouldn’t make me happy,” she reminded him. “This makes me happy. I can figure out work in my own time. I have the money. I have one patient in Finn. I’m planning on selling the condo in LA. I don’t need it anymore. Even if we end, I’m not leaving Wild Junction. I love this place too much. Riley, Jessie, and Phoebe.” Abigail sighed wistfully. “I wouldn’t give up the people here for anything, I think.”

“Fuck, I love you,” he growled, rolling to his side to kiss her.

She giggled at his declaration. “I’m so glad, because it would break me if you didn’t,” she whispered. “If I was just some woman of the moment.”

“It was all you were supposed to be,” he admitted. “I’m happy you aren’t, though. I’m counting my fucking lucky stars that we decided to chase you. I’m ashamed to say I’m glad life brought me here in the most tragic way. It gave me a chance to reach for a happiness I had never experienced before. I wanted you the moment I saw you and decided to hell with everything, I was going after you. After everything, I didn’t want to miss the chance.”

“I love that you caught me,” she murmured.

“You know Thomas loves you too, right? It’s not just me and James.”

“I’m not going to push him.” She would never. She couldn’t force him to admit feelings or anything like that. She wanted him to come to her. Thomas knew how she felt.

“I think you might need to,” he chuckled. She raised her eyebrows. “Seriously. He’s not going to let his last remaining guard down until he knows you are definitely not going anywhere.”

“I’ll take your advice into consideration.”

“He’s lost a lot,” he continued. “He needs to trust that he won’t lose you, that you just won’t walk out on him. You should tell him what you told me, about the SSTF, about not wanting the job and why.” Antonio ran a hand through her hair when she didn’t say anything. She knew all of that, and it was something she was thinking about. She had only been back for a day and a half. “Why are you so pretty, little doe?”

“Why are you so handsome?” Abigail asked back.

“My parents. The eyes were from my mom.”

“Thank God for her.”

“A lot of people say that,” he told her, chuckling more. “Would you like to shift and do a small run with me?”

“I would love to take my clothes off,” Abigail whispered suggestively.

“Thank God for that,” Antonio growled. He sat up and pulled his shirt off. She did the same and didn’t stop him when he reached behind her and undid her bra. The moment it slid off, he kissed the space between her breasts and laid her back down.

They never did shift and run. She stayed on that blanket with him all afternoon, nibbling on fruits and on him. She ended up with bite bruises from her shoulders to her thighs, as he’d decided to nibble on her instead.

Abigail knew she was never leaving her wolves. She just needed to convince Thomas - and that was going to be the challenge.