It had been an hour since Jax had put Beast to bed in his new crib, but it felt like a lifetime. He was pacing around the parking lot of the firehouse, looking up at the stars and thinking about her. Wondering about her. Worrying about her.

He locked on the brightest star in the sky and wondered if she was looking up at the same one. For once he couldn’t eat. His stomach was in knots, his throat tight, his mouth dry. Even his inner lion was in bad shape, pacing around within, fighting to get out, clawing to go see her.

“I’d take you to her if I knew where she was,” he whispered, trying to soothe his agitated lion, but it was no use. The crazy cat didn’t realize how complicated life could be.

He walked inside and picked up the phone. Zane had left the number to his hotel on the coffee table and he was tempted to call him. The bear shifter was his best friend and the closest thing to family that Jax ever hoped to have. The two shifters had met in the orphanage that they grew up in.

The kids were vile to Jax while growing up. They hated him and he hated them. Not only was he dealing with the abandonment from his parents, he was dealing with a wild lion inside him. Zane was the only one who understood what he was going through. He was the only one he could ever talk to.

“I don’t want to bother him,” he muttered as he put the phone back down. They had been through so much lately with all of the dragon drama, and Gwen was so burnt out from her muffin shop suddenly exploding in popularity. They deserved to relax and enjoy each other’s company on their vacation. Jax didn’t want to ruin it by dumping all of his problems on him.

He checked on the sleeping kid and walked back outside to continue his pacing.

This is torture.

He finally found his mate like Zane, Gunner, and Axel had, but he didn’t know where she was. He didn’t even know her name.

A car turned down the sleeping street and Jax perked up as he walked to the end of the driveway to get a better look. His heart started pounding when he saw the same car that he had lifted up earlier that afternoon.

“It’s her,” he whispered as a rush of adrenaline started tingling through his body. The car pulled up to the side of the road and the lights turned off as Jax rushed over.

It was her. She was sitting in the driver’s seat, staring at him with a look of disbelief. His skin started tingling all over as she twisted the key out of the ignition and opened the door. The metallic scent of blood mixed with the fruity scent of her body wash filled the night air, making him panic.

“Hi,” she said shyly as she closed the door.

Jax quickly looked her over and ran to her side when he saw the blood on her arm.

“You’re hurt?” he said, taking her arm and inspecting her soft skin. The blood was all dried up. She looked fine.

“It’s not mine,” she said, staring at him with a look of awe on her face. “Where’s Benjamin?”

“Who?” Jax asked, jerking his head back in confusion.

“My son, Benjamin.”

“Oh, you mean Beast,” Jax said with a soft laugh.

“Beast?” she said, looking horrified. “You named my baby boy Beast?”

Jax smiled at her. “It suited him. He eats banana purée like a beast.”

Her tight jaw relaxed into a smile. “Can I see him?”

“Of course,” Jax said, gently guiding her to the firehouse. He still had his hands on her, never wanting to let her go. “He’s yours. You can see him anytime.”

They walked into the firehouse in silence and Jax showed her the way into his room where the crib was set up. Her chin started quivering and tears filled her blue eyes when she saw him sleeping.

Jax wrapped his arm around her shoulder like it was the most natural thing in the world, and she leaned into him, melting into his body as she cried.

“I never thought I’d see him again,” she said, clasping her hands to her mouth. “I missed him so much.”

Jax’s heart broke as he watched her, but she was okay now. She was by his side where she belonged and he was going to make sure that everything was okay in her life from now on. Not only did Beast have him in his corner, she did too.

“You’re with him now,” Jax whispered. “And no one is going to take him away from you.”

She looked up at Jax with wet eyes that were full of gratitude. “Thank you.”

“Do you want to hold him?” Jax asked when she turned back to her boy.

“Yes,” she gasped. “More than anything, but he looks so peaceful. I’ll let him sleep for now.”

Jax watched as she pulled back her dark hair, leaned over, and kissed the little guy on the cheek. It was such a tender moment, and Jax felt lucky to have witnessed it. He hoped for many more moments like that over the upcoming years. No longer did he want to be alone. Life was better with these two.

Whatever their names were.

They tiptoed back into the hallway and walked downstairs. “You look like you need a drink,” Jax said.

She laughed as she wiped her eyes. “I really do.”

“Wine?” he asked. “Or stronger?”

“Stronger,” she said as she sat down at the kitchen table.

Jax pulled out two glasses and filled them with the bottle of Scotch that Gunner had bought. He placed one in front of her and sat down beside her.

“Want to tell me what happened?” he asked.

It all came pouring out of her. From day one to the stabbing and everything in between. Jax sat there gripping his chair as he listened, trying to keep the murderous rage he felt for the man in check. His mate needed him now and he had to stay calm.

But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t make Anton pay at a later date. A later date that couldn’t come fast enough.

“Look at me,” she said, looking embarrassed after she talked his ear off. “I just met you and I’ve dumped two years worth of problems onto you. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Jax said, moving closer to her. He took her hands in his and stared into her gorgeous eyes. “I want you and Benjamin to stay here.”

She laughed. “We still don’t even know each other’s names. I’m Violet by the way.”

“Jax. There, now we know. You can stay.”

She swallowed hard, looking so fragile and vulnerable. All Jax wanted to do was protect her. The need to protect their mate was always strong with shifters, and Jax was feeling it now.

“He can hurt you,” she said in a shaky voice.

“No,” Jax said firmly. “He can’t.”

“He’s a…” She caught herself, not wanting to say the words. “I shouldn’t say this, but for some reason, I feel safe with you. He’s a shifter… He has a horrible tiger living inside him.”

Jax straightened in his chair, unsure of how much to tell her. She’s your mate. It will be okay.

“Violet,” he said softly. “I’m one too. I have a lion inside me.”

She pulled her arms back, recoiling in fear.

“A nice one,” Jax added quickly. “He won’t hurt you. You’re my mate.”

“Your what?” she asked, looking unsure.

He explained how every shifter had one person who was meant for them. A bond that would never be broken. One person who completed their soul.

“Was that?” she asked, looking at him funny. “This afternoon. Your eyes went black.”

Jax nodded. “That was the bond. Did you feel it?”

“I felt something,” she said, reaching back toward him. She slid her hands back under his. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.”

“Me too. That’s the bond you’re feeling. It’s only going to grow stronger over time.”

They stared at each other for a long moment before she looked down at her lap with her cheeks turning an adorable red.

“Violet,” he said softly. Her eyes met his once again, making his body tingle. “Will you and Benjamin stay with me? Please?”

She glanced over her shoulder at the door. “But he’s going to find me, and when he does…”

“I’ll be here when he does,” Jax said through a clenched jaw. “If I don’t find him first. I’ll make him pay for the way he treated you two. I promise you that, Violet.”

She swallowed hard as she watched him.

“Do you feel safe with me?” Jax asked. “Do you trust me?”

She watched his face for a long moment before nodding. “I do. I shouldn’t. Especially after what I’ve just been through, but I do.”

“Good,” he said, standing up from the table. “You look exhausted. Beautiful but exhausted. Come sleep next to your baby.”

Her soft blue eyes were filled with an inner glow as she stepped on her toes and gently kissed Jax on the cheek. “That sounds like heaven.”

They crept back up into his room and she sat down on the bed, staring at Benjamin with a deep sense of awe in her eyes.

“I’ll leave you two alone,” Jax said, backing out of the room.

“Stay,” she whispered. “Stay with us.”

Without a word, Jax climbed into the bed behind her and held her close as she eventually fell asleep.

The heavy sound of her breathing was making his own eyes close, but he fought to keep them open. This felt too good. He wanted to stay up all night, savoring every moment of it. The delicious smell of her hair, the soft feel of her skin, the warmth of her body, the comforting sound of her breath that was finally relaxed and peaceful. He wanted to relish it all.

He didn’t realize these feelings existed, let alone that he would ever feel them, and he wasn’t about to let a little thing like sleep deny him this little slice of heaven.

His body finally won around three in the morning when he drifted off to sleep, happier than ever.

* * *

Jax woke up to the sound of Benjamin stirring in the crib. Violet was still sound asleep so he quietly climbed out of bed and picked up the boy. He kept the boy’s head facing away from his mother so that he wouldn’t start crying and wake her up when he saw her.

“So, I heard a secret about you,” he said to the boy as he carried him down the stairs. “Benjamin? Really? What kind of name is that?”

Benjamin leaned forward with his mouth open and started sucking on Jax’s nose. The lion shifter laughed. “See? Beast suits you way better.”

He placed the little guy on the carpet and got his breakfast ready. “Peaches this morning,” Jax said as he slid him into his new high chair. No duct tape necessary. “And then a big surprise that I think you’ll like. In fact, you’ll love it. It’s sleeping upstairs.”

Beast, er… Benjamin, was a big fan of the peaches. He gobbled them down so fast that Jax opened up a second bottle.

Jax was swinging the spoon around in the middle of a peachy airplane ride when Violet ran down the stairs with a huge smile on her face. Benjamin kicked his legs and slapped the tray in excitement when he saw his mother, desperately trying to get to her. She ran up to him and yanked him out of the high chair, hugging him so tight that Jax had to check that the kid was still breathing. He was good.

After some tears from mommy and about a million kisses, she put him back in the chair and fed him the rest of the peaches. Jax got her a coffee and started making some French toast for her as the pair bonded once again.

“Where did you get all of this baby stuff?” she asked, looking from the high chair to the car seat that was lying on the floor.

“I bought it.”

“You bought it?” she asked, turning around and staring at him as he flipped the French toast. “Really?”

Jax shrugged. “What? Did you expect me to duct tape the kid to the chair or something?”

Violet laughed. “Oh, geez. Could you imagine?”

Jax cringed when she turned back around. “No,” he said, nervously. “I can’t.” Luckily, the only other person who knew about that wouldn’t be able to talk for another few years. Plus, Beast wouldn’t rat him out.

Jax cleaned up the kid and played with him on the carpet as Violet ate her French toast and watched. “You’re a real natural with children,” she said, smiling as she watched him.

“Me?” he asked, staring back at her in shock. “Not really. Can you believe that I can’t stand kids?”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I can’t believe that.”

“Well, I can’t.”

She laughed as she took the last sip of her coffee, looking gorgeous with her messy hair. “I think you two look like best buds.”

Jax smiled as he looked at the chubby little guy as he lifted his feet in the air, absolutely mesmerized with them. Maybe kids weren’t so bad.

They cleaned up, showered, and the three of them went for a walk to the park. It was a cloudy day and looked like rain was on the way, but for now it was holding up.

“What should I do about… you know?” she asked as they walked.

“Nothing,” Jax answered. He had plans for him.

“He basically kidnapped me for two years,” she said as she looked up at him with pained eyes. “I can’t let him get away with that.”

“Oh, he won’t,” Jax promised. “Believe me, he won’t.”

She rubbed the back of her neck nervously as she walked. “But he’s so strong.”

Jax wasn’t worried in the least. He had dealt with two mated dragons this summer and came out on top. He could deal with a single tiger shifter.

“Okay,” she whispered. “Let’s just enjoy the day. It’s been so long since I’ve been able to enjoy anything.”

“Well, get used to it,” Jax said as he slid his hand over her shoulder. “Your bad days are behind you.”

She smiled at Jax as they continued toward the park, and he couldn’t help but think that his bad days were behind him too.