I hope I can brazen my way through this. Seb trudged through the airport with Isla on his chest in a baby carrier. He pulled Trixie in a duffle bag on wheels with ventilation panels at each end. As fellow passengers bent over trying to catch a glimpse of his pet, the alpha whispered to the piglet, “Be good, Trixie. Don’t make a sound.”

The small pack on his back contained a change of clothes for himself, snacks for the piglet and hastily-purchased baby paraphernalia. As he headed toward the business class check-in with Trixie’s pet passport, Isla’s birth certificate with Max’s forged signature, and his own ID card, the alpha took a deep breath. You can do this.

Seb had deliberately arrived just as his flight’s check-in was about to close, and there was only one desk open.

“Good morning, sir. One minute later and you wouldn’t have made the flight.”

“Being a single father is fraught with unseen emergencies, I’m afraid.” The alpha sighed. You’re laying it on a bit thick.

The beta tilted her head and blinked back tears. “I’m sure you’re a great dad. It must be so hard.”

You have no idea. “It is, but she’s worth it.” Seb nuzzled his daughter. Though it’s true and I’d do anything for Isla, I should win an acting award for this performance.

“I wish there were more alpha dads like you.” The check-in attendant took his and Isla’s documents and handed him their boarding cards. “You haven’t booked a baby bassinet. There’s one free if you’d prefer.”

God, no. There’d be no seat in front. I need that for Trixie. “It’s fine. Isla’s better in my arms.”

“Such a pretty name.”

Seb smiled. Come on. Get on with it.

The beta stared at her computer screen. “Okay. And you have a pet…?” The attendant stood on tiptoes trying to see Trixie through the mesh panels.

“…Trixie. Yes.” The alpha gritted his teeth, begging the piglet to stay silent. He waved the pet passport in front of the woman with his thumb over the section for type of animal.

“That’s a cute name.”

The beta tried to grasp the piglet’s documentation, but the alpha distracted her by droning on about life as a single father and asking questions about the flight. He picked up Trixie’s bag and placed it at his feet before the woman could get a good look at her.

Think of a diversion, Seb. “Oh dear, the baby’s been sick.” He removed the muslin cloth draped over his shoulder and dabbed at his daughter’s face. I’ll make it up to you, Isla.

The baby apparently objected to having her face patted, and she began to cry. Thank you, sweetheart. Perfect timing. “Sorry.” He sniffed at his daughter. “I also need to change her diaper. Is everything in order?”

The beta pulled a face and leaned away from the alpha and Isla.

Not a parent, I’m guessing.

“Ummm, can you weigh your…?”

“Trixie.” If I don’t lie and say she’s a puppy, I’m not breaking the law by taking a pig onboard. Well, that’s my position and I’m sticking to it.

Seb placed the piglet’s duffle bag on the scales. He crossed his fingers, hoping she wasn’t too heavy.

“Wow! What do you feed her? She’s a big girl.”

The alpha fixed a fake smile on his face. “Yeah, she’s a little piggy.” Don’t say anything, Trixie. But instead of the pig complaining, Isla kicked her feet and sucked on Seb’s shirt.

The beta crinkled her nose. “I’d better let you go before your daughter’s sick again.” She stamped the pet passport without checking it. “Have a pleasant flight.”

Seb raced through the airport and took his seat next to the window in the third row. He tucked Trixie’s bag under the seat in front and slipped her some apple. “Go to sleep,” he hissed.

After the plane reached cruising altitude, and Isla snoozed, the alpha sipped a beer. We made it. But the alcohol, combined with his lack of sleep, pressure at coping with a newborn, manhandling Trixie in public places, plus the strain of his mate being abducted left Seb woozy. Perhaps the beer wasn’t a good idea.

The alpha pinched his nose and stared out the window. He’d never been to Idriador’s west coast though he’d seen many photos, and Max had waxed lyrical about its fierce beauty. But Seb wasn’t interested in the region’s rugged coastline and idyllic scenery.

His mate’s father—and presumed kidnapper—was wealthy, well-connected and powerful. Has Mr. Sharpe discovered I’m coming? Will he send a greeting party to the airport? The alpha kissed Isla’s head. Or has he given up following me now he has Max?

The alpha shivered and peeked over the seat, his eyes darting around the cabin, wondering if any of his and Max’s so-called friends from Riverside were on the plane, but didn’t recognize anyone. They’ve probably been paid off and are back home. If they ever left.

Seb took a deep breath as a man across the aisle rustled his newspaper. That scared me. He clutched the armrest as a woman removed a bag from the overhead locker. Maybe I should have more beer. I’m too jumpy. A bored child wandering along the aisle paused and made his fist into a finger gun. He pretended to fire, and the alpha shrieked before coughing to cover his embarrassment as heads turned this way. Jesus.

The kid giggled and moved on. The alpha threw back the rest of his beer longing for the mellow sensation to flood his body with a delicious warmth and relieve the anxiety. I don’t care how tipsy I become.

As he snuggled into his seat and his pulse slowed, the alpha’s mind wandered back to the day of the fire. It’s only been five days. Five days since we saw Max. His heart, which had shattered when he assumed his mate had died in the fire, was still in pieces, though he had stemmed the bleeding and bandaged the gaping holes. It won’t be whole until he’s in my arms.

The alpha wasn’t the only family member who pined for the omega. Isla had fussed and fretted, refusing to sleep in the traveling crib. She wanted to be held, and she didn’t take to the formula Seb had bought. She turned her head away from the teat when the alpha teased her and dribbled the milk over her lips. Poor baby. She doesn’t understand.

Though traumatized by his mate’s absence, Seb was working through the grief as it clawed at him and colored his vision. But the baby had lost the person who carried her, brought her into the world, fed her on that first day, and now had been torn away. Isla had spent nine months listening to Max’s heartbeat, and she was mourning her loss.

Trixie also refused to spend a whole night on the floor in a strange place, especially as her beloved blanket had been destroyed in the fire. In the wee small hours, she nudged the alpha, and without opening his eyes, he placed her in the bed beside him. Between pacing the floor and rocking his newborn daughter, and being kicked by the piglet, he’d snatched moments of shuteye when he could.

But sleep offered little respite from his misery as nightmares intruded on his slumber, and more than once Seb had woken up with a strangled scream, the pungent odor of burnt wood smothering him and sweat coating his body. I can’t escape the fire. It’s embedded in my memory.

He’d sat up gasping for air, his chest heaving as he sucked in mouthfuls of oxygen. Tears dribbled over his cheeks as he hunched his shoulders and sobbed. The midnight shadows cloaked him in darkness until Isla wailed and slivers of light pierced his sorrow.

On the day they’d left Riverside, with a dirty cloth wrapped around his burnt arm, he’d stopped at a small menswear store. Dragging both Isla and Trixie inside, the alpha had hurriedly purchased a sweatshirt to cover his bare chest. The omega assistant turned up his nose at the acrid smell of singed flesh and his disheveled appearance and had refused to serve him until his boss gave him a nod. Do they want to get rid of us?

With his thumb and finger pinched together, the omega took the alpha’s money and the look of distaste on his face had Seb wondering how he and Max had missed the duplicity. What an ass! Did the townspeople hide behind a veneer of friendship?

As Seb hustled Trixie out of the shop and wrapped an arm around his daughter, he remembered how Max had been uneasy about the town when they first arrived, but he had ignored his mate’s concerns and convinced him it was the perfect place to live.

With his back to the door, Seb shouted, “Don’t worry, we won’t be back.” That was childish, but it felt good!

He’d purposefully driven past Laura’s deli and the post office opposite where Suzie worked. The former had wanted Trixie to advertise pork pies, and Seb had discovered her card in the remnants of the fire. There was something scrawled on the back but the scribbled words were indecipherable. Was that from the day we first met Laura in the street?

Suzie was their closest neighbor, and she had brought them food when they first moved in and kept Max company when it became too difficult for the omega to help his mate with farm work. Was she calculating how to destroy the cabin and our lives?

The delicatessen was bustling and he couldn’t see inside the post office, but people on the sidewalk stared and whispered to one another as he rode by.

Was the town playing a joke on us? I’m guessing they were part of a scheme to trick us into staying, to being at ease. Max’s father had even more influence than I thought.

An eerie silence accompanied the alpha as he took one last glance at the main street and accelerated toward the river. There was no sign of his old boat, the Trixie, not that he was surprised. Even if they took Max away on the boat, he’s probably on dry land or on a plane by now.

The alpha blinked and stared at his watch, wondering how many hours it had been since he’d discovered the fire. It was early this morning, but it seems like a lifetime ago.

As the threesome took off out of town, they passed the sawmill where James, the alpha who had supposedly cleaned their house’s chimney that morning, worked. I thought he was my friend.

Workmen and women were sitting outside and smoking on their break. One waved his fist and yelled, “Good riddance.”

Seb responded by giving him the finger. Another immature gesture but that’s all I’ve got right now.

Not wanting to interact further with Riverside residents, he’d driven to the next town where he’d hired a car and he, Isla and Trixie had stayed the night in a small, dingy motel.

Trawling the aisles of the huge discount store he and his mate had frequented, he leaned his head against the packets of diapers and baby formula lining the shelves. So many to choose from.

With Trixie in their motel room, he’d placed Isla in a store cart and despite her grumbling, the repeated movements had lulled her to sleep.

“I’d say she’s a small and these diapers are for newborns. And this is our best-selling formula.”

A tall omega wearing a name tag stopped beside Seb.

“What?”

“Your baby.” The store assistant grabbed a packet and a tin and handed them to the alpha.

“Thank you.”

The omega glanced around. “Are you here by yourself? Your mate isn’t with you?”

Seb shook his head, not trusting himself to speak.

“Are you a single dad?”

“No,” Seb barked. As he glanced at the startled omega’s face, he realized the harsh, raised voice was his own. Shit! “Sorry. My mate’s away for a few days and it’s overwhelming caring for a baby by yourself.”

But the store assistant had scurried away.

I’m giving alphas a bad name. Poor guy.

“Go away.”

Me?

A woman’s annoyed voice brought Seb back to the present. He focused on the blue patterned seat swaying in front of him and the pocket stuffed with duty free magazines and safety instructions. Right, we’re on a plane.

“Stop that!”

Has Trixie escaped? Seb checked on the piglet, who was awake and chewing a toy bunny he’d bought at the discount store. She’s where she’s supposed to be.

Isla’s fist clenched around his jacket as she dozed with her head snuggled against his chest.

“What?” A man in the seat in front of the alpha responded to the woman beside him.

“You grunted.”

“I most certainly did not.”

“I heard you. Keep your nasty noises to yourself.”

“You’re imagining it.”

The woman harrumphed. “Leave me alone.”

Trixie twitched and squeaked. As with Isla and Seb, the piglet’s sleep was often disturbed by bad dreams. The alpha cleared his throat to cover up the sound. Please don’t do that, Trixie.

“There it is again.”

It didn’t work. The alpha slowly unzipped the duffle bag and stroked the piglet, hoping she would settle.

“It’s not me. What’s wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with me? Me? I’m minding my own business and you’re making weird sounds.”

Please stop arguing. Seb wondered how he could divert attention away from the piglet’s noises but then he sniffed. No! Trixie! How could you?

“Ewww. You’re disgusting.”

“That wasn’t me.”

“You farted. What a creep. You did that to punish me for complaining.”

“It was probably you, and you’re trying to blame it on me.”

A sharp slap stopped the heated conversation. The man jumped up. “Excuse me, miss. This woman just assaulted me.”

“He farted in my face.”

“She’s lying. The stink’s coming from her seat.”

That part is true. It definitely wasn’t in her face!

The stewardess tried to calm the pair. “I’ll move you to another seat, sir.” She glanced at the spare one beside Seb and he pointed to the baby, shook his head and gave her a pleading look. “Okay,” she mouthed. “There’s one here by the window, sir.”

“Good riddance. Farter!” The woman spat out the last word, and Seb cringed, wondering how she’d react to him and the piglet if she discovered the truth.

Please no more, Trixie, or they’ll find you for sure. Pigs aren’t allowed in the cabin. And we’ll be in trouble. He slunk down in his seat and closed his eyes hoping no one would bother him. With Isla and Trixie dozing, the alpha finally fell into the deep, dream-less slumber he’d been craving since his mate had been taken.

The rest of the flight was uneventful and as the plane touched down in Colyton, Seb studied the town that hugged the coast and sapphire-blue sea that stretched to the horizon.

During the early hours of each morning since the fire, with Isla over his shoulder, the alpha had searched the Internet for mentions of Mr. Sharpe on a cheap phone he’d bought along with the diapers and formula.

The older man’s garbage business was located in a vast industrial estate on the edge of town but based on articles in newspaper society columns and online blogs, he and his family lived in a palatial compound further up the coast. There were no pictures of the home itself, but the business mogul frequently hosted charity functions in the lavish grounds.

One picture at a recent fundraising event piqued his interest. Mr. Sharpe stood front and center. Seb studied the now familiar well-trimmed goatee flecked with gray, the smoothed back hair, strong jaw and steely blue eyes as the older alpha stared down the photographer.

Seb wondered how the man’s blue eyes could have reminded him of Max. His mate’s gaze exuded warmth, love and curiosity while his father’s stare was hard and standoffish.

Dressed in a well-cut tuxedo, the man was flanked by his four, strapping alpha sons. None of them touched one another—there were no linked arms or hands draped around their shoulders—and the five men stood rigid, as if at attention. Father and sons grinned, and yet the light never reached their eyes. Do they salute him every morning?

Though there was no mistaking them for anything other than family. They shared the same patrician nose, penetrating gaze and haughty expression. The image screamed, “Untouchable.” They’re so proud of themselves.

After scrolling through pages from a local newspaper, Seb had discovered a blurred photo taken at a distance—presumably from a boat—of the family’s compound. The main house on the estate stood at the top of cliff, and the beauty of the lush gardens with its flowering shrubs, fragile roses and huge sweeping trees, contrasted with the savagery of the cliff face and the majesty of the ocean. What a place to grow up!

And yet its location was perfect. Its raw beauty was both a backdrop and an eyewitness to Mr. Sharpe’s brutality and cruelty. And it’s also complicit in his scheme to keep people at a distance.

Since they’d left Riverside, Seb had tried to figure out how to reach his mate. It’s not as though I can walk up to the door and knock. He couldn’t come up with a plan that didn’t involve him recruiting mercenaries and being dropped by a helicopter paratrooper style into the Sharpe family estate. As if that’s going to happen!

And he worried about Isla and Trixie. If he somehow managed to mount a dramatic rescue mission, how would he make sure they were looked after? What if I don’t come home? He was torn between his bond with the omega and his devotion and duty to care for his daughter. Max would want me to look after Isla. He would give up his life for her.

Puzzling over his predicament, Seb wondered if the omega would want him to confront Mr. Sharpe. If I could talk to Max, what would he say? The omega’s voice thundered in his head, begging him to take Isla and run. But I can’t do that. Does that make me a bad father?

He spoke to his mate as if the omega were beside him. You’re part of me, Max, just as Isla is. The day we mated, I grabbed your heart and hugged it to mine. Without you, I will never be whole, my darling. When you’re hurt, I cringe in pain.

The alpha fingered the fake gold nugget dangling around his neck and traced over the amethyst ring nestled behind it. He’d given Max the ring the morning of Isla’s birth, and the cool metal under his fingertips comforted him and gave him strength. He was determined to reunite with the omega and place the ring on Max’s finger where it belonged. But am I endangering our daughter?

His scrambled thoughts tried to piece together the little information he’d discovered regarding the Sharpe family. They were rich, and the father was involved with or the head of a crime family. And what if I do find him? What then? And what if Max is elsewhere? But though he had no proof, Seb suspected Mr. Sharpe would have had Max delivered to his house. On a platter! His home is where he wanted his son.

Much as Seb wanted to waltz up to the front door and demand his mate’s return, his head overruled his heart. I have to come up with a plan, not just barge in.

For that reason, it wasn’t the Sharpe family residence where Seb was headed. Much as he wanted to be near his mate, to breathe in the same salty air Max was inhaling, to shout so loudly the omega could hear his desperate cries, to charge in and demand Max’s release, that could only end with another black eye and bruised jaw at best. At worst, he’d be dead and Isla would be… The alpha gulped. I can’t think about it.

As he had no check-in luggage, the alpha strode through the arrivals hall with long sleeves covering his tattoos, his eyes darting left and right. No one bothered him. With Trixie and Isla ensconced in the hire car, he set off north.

As he drove along the coast road, his thoughts turned to conversations he’d had with Max as they had worked together on the farm. Based on what his mate had told him, the only people who cared for him when he was growing up were his grandparents and possibly his father’s housekeeper. He recalled the omega relating stories of cooking with her.

The omega’s voice echoed in his head as he replayed snippets of their discussions where he’d talked of the summers he spent with his grandparents. There was a farm and a river with a small island in the middle where Max and his grandfather had built a fort.

As his mate had never known the omega who gave birth to him, Seb assumed the grandparents were paternal. So, their name is Sharpe. And his grandma’s name was Mary. Mary Sharpe? I wonder if she took her mate’s family name.

He’d scanned social media, old newspaper clippings, social pages and gossip blogs until he’d found a reference to a Tony Sharpe and his wife Mary, who lived north of Colyton in a small town similar to the size of Riverside. Seb’s stomach lurched. I don’t want to hear that name again.

Mary volunteered at the local library while her husband was a boating enthusiast and a keen fisherman, and he’d won a prize for catching a huge salmon. But there were no photos. That’s weird. Max said he wasn’t familiar with boats apart from dinghies.

The alpha hadn’t decided how to approach them. Have they been in contact with Max since he left home? He tried to remember what omega had said about them. Not a lot.

While his mate may have informed his grandparents of his pregnancy when he and Seb were apart, it was doubtful they’d heard he and Seb had reunited. The pair had barely made up when Max’s father interfered, sending their lives hurtling in a different direction. Unless Max had been in touch with them since returning to his childhood home, they wouldn’t have heard about Isla. Their great-granddaughter.

Something niggled at Seb. She’s their first grandchild. His brothers haven’t produced a Sharpe offspring. Is Isla the heir to Mr. Sharpe’s fortune and grisly business? Ewww, I hope not.

Checking the car’s GPS, Seb scanned the area off to the left. This must be Mr. Sharpe’s residence. A huge chain link fence appeared between the trees. Behind that was a high concrete wall with cameras dotted at regular intervals. He’s paranoid about security.

The alpha slowed the car and caught a glimpse of a guard manning a watch tower above the barricade while the secure gate that led into the facility had a touch pad and cameras at its entrance.

As Seb’s eyes glanced upward to a nameplate etched in gaudy gold letters, he slammed on the brakes. He read the words out loud, “The One That Got Away.” Oh my God, did he name that after Max left a few years ago? Surely not.

Winding down the window, Seb took a deep breath, hoping to catch his mate’s scent but the marshy surroundings and the bracing ocean breeze overpowered any hint of the omega. In the distance, waves dashed against the shore, spewing up salty spray that strained to peek over the cliff. The alpha’s body’s radiated with energy. Can you sense us, Max? We’re here and we’re coming for you.

The air crackled with menace, and Seb shivered. He pictured the trees with their heads bowed, boughs resting on their trunks, vowing allegiance to Max’s father. Spectacular scenery, but claustrophobic. Let’s get out of here.

Trixie grunted and put her trotters on the window. She stared at the fortress-like structure as it slid past. Show grandpa your butt, Trixie.

The next morning after an uncomfortable night on a lumpy hotel mattress and hours spent trying to get Isla to close her eyes, Seb drove to a coffee shop close to the library where Max’s grandmother volunteered. While it was unlikely he’d catch her going in, he had to start somewhere. I’ll cause a commotion if I walk into the library with a hungry baby and a piglet.

The alpha sighed. I have so much respect for single parents. He’d sussed out the closest supermarket as they were low on formula and diapers, and Isla needed new onesies and bibs. He’d tried washing her clothes in the hotel bathroom, but had given up and thrown them away.

I need caffeine first. Seb sat outside the coffee shop pushing scrambled eggs, fried tomatoes, baked beans and hash browns around on his plate. Why did I order this? I can’t stomach it. He cradled Isla in one arm while Trixie sat at his feet. He was the only customer sitting at the outdoor tables and he scanned the street, but there were few people wandering the sidewalk.

His eyelids slid shut just before a voice at the next table said, “Our usual, thanks, Sarah.” The alpha’s head jerked up. Damn. I was hoping no one else would sit outside. He squinted at the elderly couple next to him. Doubt they’re Mr. Sharpe’s henchmen, but they might be spying on us.

Isla finished her bottle and as he put her over his shoulder, her delicious baby scent tickled his nostrils. I have to do this for Isla as much as Max. She deserves to know her omega dad.

With caffeine trickling through his veins, Seb felt more alive, and he eyed his food. I should eat something. He grabbed a forkful of egg and nibbled it.

“How old?”

Is she talking to me? “Sorry?”

“The baby. How old?”

“Just over a week.” Has it been a week? It can’t be, surely?

Seb looked up at the couple at the next table. The man had his face buried in a newspaper while the woman, who’d spoken to the alpha, had white wavy hair framing her face. Dark sunglasses hid her eyes, but it was her mouth and the way it curled into a genuine smile that Seb focused on. Kind, gentle, warm, loving.

“Boy or girl?”

Danger signs flashed in Seb’s head. Why is she asking me these questions? His skin prickled and his hands trembled as he tucked the baby blanket around his daughter. The contrast between the woman’s demeanor and her questions had the hairs on the back of Seb’s neck standing up. This is making me uncomfortable.

Downing his fork, he struggled to get the wallet from his back pocket. We have to get out of here.

“Oh, you’re leaving?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s a shame. I adore babies.”

Find another baby. “I need to buy things for Isla.” Why did I say that? Seb glanced around for Mr. Sharpe’s goons or the people they had trusted in Riverside. But apart from a waitress serving customers inside and a delivery boy whistling and cycling along the main street, there was no one else nearby. Does she have a gun in her cardigan pocket? Can I pelt her with a fried tomato and hash browns?

The woman gripped the man’s arm, and they shared a glance before fixing their eyes on Seb.

Oh God, something isn’t right. He threw a $20 note on the table and grabbed Trixie’s leash.

“Did you say Isla?”

Seb ignored the woman and kicked back his chair as he calculated how long it would take to reach the car. I have to strap Isla in and put the pet seat belt on Trixie.

“Isla. It’s a very special name.”

It’d be hard to punch an elderly woman but I’ll do it to protect the baby.

But as he brushed past the couple, the omega grabbed his hand. Seb froze. His eyes flicked to the woman’s alpha mate, who had scrunched the newspaper in his fists. A walking stick rested on the table. I can outrun him.

The woman leaned toward the baby and took a deep breath.

“Listen very carefully.” Seb bared his teeth and snarled. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I’ll throw you to the ground if I have to.” Max’s father must be short of goons if he’s sent an elderly couple to apprehend me. “Take your hand off me, or I’ll snap it in two.” The woman unwound her trembling fingers from his wrist, and the alpha took a step back and almost tripped over Trixie. Shit. Hold it together, Seb.

“Please listen…”

“Enough.” The alpha raised his hand. “This is what’s going to happen. I’m going to walk to my car and you aren’t going to follow me. You won’t reach for your phone or scream, but go back to your breakfast as if nothing has happened. I’m going to disappear and your boss doesn’t need to hear of this.”

“Isla.”

“Stop repeating my daughter’s name.” It’s giving me the creeps.

“Island.”

Seb glanced back at the omega.

“W-What did you say?”

The woman removed her sunglasses and the alpha studied her hands lined with blue veins. “Her name means island.”

Is she stalling? Are the henchmen on their way? The alpha pushed past her.

“Please wait.”

No way. Seb raced across the road to the car, barely avoiding a truck that beeped its horn. The driver shook his fist and yelled, “Damn alphas.”

No time for the baby seat. He shoved Trixie into the back seat and left the baby in her carrier resting on his chest. Locking the car, he started the engine. But the elderly omega banged on Seb’s window. Jesus! He revved the engine, and she staggered back. I’ll flatten you if you don’t get out of the way.

But as Seb pressed on the accelerator, the omega flung herself onto the hood with her face pressed on the windscreen. He instinctively slammed on the brakes. Fuck.

The woman’s blue eyes pleaded with the alpha and tears dribbled over her cheeks and slid into the deep wrinkles. She might be killed if I take off, but she’s not getting Isla.

The alpha banged on the windscreen and yelled, “I’m counting to five and you’d better get down, or you’ll be on the road.” He winced as he imagined the thump and squelch of tires running over and flattening the woman’s body. “Get off. I don’t want to hurt you, but I will if you don’t get away.”

“Please, listen.”

Leaning on a walking stick, the elderly omega’s partner hobbled toward them. Seb instinctively leaned away from the window and waited for the man to smash the glass. But instead, the older alpha reached out to his mate and begged, “Don’t do this, my love. Not again. It’s not them.”

But the woman shook him off. Her voice cracked as she screamed, “Wait! Hear me out.”

Who does she think we are?

The woman’s alpha placed a hand covered in brown spots on her shoulder. “Let them go, Mary.”

Seb’s head spun as the name ricocheted in his head. Did he say Mary? For a split second, his ridiculous rhyme about Mary flitted into his head and he heard Max’s giggle.

But the woman shouting, “Please don’t go!” echoed inside the car, stabbing at his forehead while his hands gripped the steering wheel.

He studied his clawed fingers and the white knuckles before placing his hand on the key. Am I really doing this? The alpha turned off the ignition and his eyes flicked from the woman spread-eagled across the car, to the elderly man, whose quivering hand clutched the walking stick.

With his heart hammering in his chest and squeezing air out of his lungs, he grabbed the baby. I’m taking a huge chance here. As Seb emerged from the car, his eyes darted around the street. “Isla Mary. That’s the baby’s name.”

The woman stuck a hand over her mouth as she dissolved into heart-wrenching sobs. The older alpha’s walking stick clattered onto the road. Seb retrieved it and his fingers brushed across the man’s thin skin as he handed it back.

“Mary Sharpe.” It wasn’t a question. He just wanted to say the words out loud. “You look like a Mary.”

“What?”

The alpha shook his head. “Nothing. Just a memory.” He helped the woman off the car and she groaned and rubbed her shoulder.

I bet she’s hurting. That was quite a feat for someone her age.

The three adults observed one another. Now what?

“You’re correct. I’m Mary Sharpe.” She mouthed the word, “Max” at Seb. The woman stroked Isla’s fair hair. “And this must be his daughter.”

Mary’s mate took the baby’s hand. “We didn’t know this little one had been born.”

He did tell them he was pregnant. Now what? We’ve done the introductions. Seb caught sight of a small crowd gathered at the window of the coffee shop. People were gawking at them and one woman was on her phone. Shit. We’re creating a scene. “Get in.” Am I insane? Am I inviting the enemy inside?

With the man beside him and the omega in the back seat with Trixie, Seb strapped the baby into her car seat. He studied the older woman and Isla. I don’t see anything of Max in her appearance apart from her blue eyes, but her determination is very much him.

“I’m Sebastian. Max’s mate. Call me Seb.”

“He mentioned your name in his last phone call.”

Great! Bet he said I was a first-class ass.

“He told us how much he adored you.”

Seb’s heart contracted and clasping the ring around his neck, he recited, “Love looks not with the eye but with the mind.”

“One of his favorite Shakespeare quotes.”

A family wandered along the sidewalk beside the car and their little boy pointed at Trixie. “Look mummy, a piggy.”

“Yes, darling.”

The child tapped at the window and poked a face at Trixie.

Please go away. Seb waved at the boy before starting the engine again. “We need to get out of here and talk.”

“Take the first left.”

“What about your car?”

“Not important.”

Sounds ominous, but here we go. As Seb followed the alpha’s directions out of town, his eyes darted between the man beside him, the woman in the rear vision mirror making goo goo noises at his daughter and the open road behind them. No one’s following us.

“She’s so beautiful.” The older woman rested her forehead against Isla’s.

The alpha followed Max’s grandfather’s directions and sped along a lonely road until he reached a red letterbox standing forlornly at the entrance to a large ramshackle farmhouse. The names ‘Tony and Mary Sharpe’ were emblazoned in white letters on the side.

Let’s hope there’s no welcoming committee.

When Seb got out of the car, he glanced around, hoping to see the river and Max’s fort. Don’t be silly. It probably fell down years ago. But as he stepped into the house, he slapped his forehead. “Shit. I forgot the formula and diapers.”

“We baby sit for one of our neighbors. We’ve got supplies here.”

The alpha walked into a comfortable living room. Photos of Max adorned the walls and the tables. Max cuddling a dog, jumping into the water, fishing and standing proudly at the top of his fort with the flag fluttering behind him.

“Max’s fort.” Seb placed his hand over the picture.

“He told you?”

“Yes. It was one of his happiest memories. It was the reason he wanted to name the baby Isla.”

The woman took Seb’s hand. “Where is our grandson? Is he d…?”

“God, no.”

Mary’s knees sagged and her husband and Seb helped her to the sofa.

“Where is he?”

“Your son.”

The omega closed her eyes and spat out the name, “Richard.”

“We need to talk, but there’s not much time.”

“I agree, but you didn’t finish your breakfast and the baby needs changing.”

With Isla in a clean diaper in Seb’s arms and Trixie snoring on a fluffy towel in the corner, the three adults scoffed omelets.

Mary leaned over the baby. “So, this is our…?”

“Grand… no… great-granddaughter.”

“May I hold her again?” The elderly woman gazed at the baby as she took her and then nuzzled her tummy. Isla gurgled. Tony put his arms around his wife’s shoulder. “Max used to love that when he was her age.”

This is your family, little girl. Trixie poked at Seb’s ankles. She’s jealous. He picked her up, and she licked his chin.

“I’d say you need sleep before we have our discussion.”

The alpha shook his head. “I can rest later. Coffee will keep me going.”

With Mary refusing to let go of Isla, Tony made coffee, and they sat at the kitchen table. Seb summarized as best he could what had happened since Max strolled into his life.

“Our son kidnapped our grandson?”

“I’m assuming so. No one else has any reason to take Max.”

The older couple shared a glance.

“What?”

“We were only blessed with one baby. We longed for more, but it never happened. At first, Richard was like any other child.

“Richard?”

“Max’s dad.”

Dick. His father is literally and figuratively a Dick. “Go on.”

“But as he grew older, he became abusive and refused to respect his mother as she was a female omega, while his friends’ omegas were male.” Tony squeezed his mate’s fingers.

“Thank goodness he never had daughters.”

“Exactly.”

Mary continued, “We would find rats and small birds tortured in the garden and he said he enjoyed their suffering. He chided us for working the land and called us peasants and gloated about making a fortune when he was older and never returning to the farm.”

What a charmer! Seb shivered. He hoped Isla had inherited none of her grandfather’s nefarious traits.

“After he left for university, he rarely came home to visit and frankly, we weren’t disappointed. We longed for the boy he had been, not the person he became.”

“But it was the year of the drought when we both had to take jobs to keep the farm going. Tony had to work away from home and that’s when Richard’s dark side became more apparent. He had to leave college as we couldn’t afford the tuition fees, and he and Tony went inland and worked in a gold mine.”

Nah. There are gold mines scattered all over central Idriador. “Where was this?”

“The mine was called… what was it, Mary? Oh yes, Rocky Ridge. You might have heard of it as it’s not far from Roselake.”

Seb dropped his cup, and it shattered on the stone floor while coffee splattered over his shirt and jeans. Isla cried at the sudden noise, and Mary rocked the baby in her arms as she scrutinized Seb.

“Sorry.” Seb dabbed at his drenched clothes with a dishcloth. “My grandfather worked that mine.”

The elderly alpha leaned over the table toward Seb. “What was his name?”

“Whitmore. Stanley Whitmore.”

“Jesus!” Now it was Tony’s turn to spill his drink over the tablecloth.

“You’ve heard of him?”

“I have. Richard got into a fight with him and another alpha.”

“Matthew.”

Seb rubbed his furrowed brow. So much to absorb. “Maybe we can talk about this another time. I’m guessing there’s a long story behind that ugly incident.”

Mary shrugged. “Oh, yes.”

“Getting back to Richard, he had four alpha sons and then Max.”

“The older boys were born in quick succession. One each year,” Tony explained.

“I feel for that omega.”

“I only gave birth to one, so four over four years kept that omega busy.”

“And there was a gap before Max was born?”

Tony glanced at Mary. “We never understood what happened. Richard told us he got rid of his mate, but years later when Max was very young, his housekeeper said something that gave me the impression he’d run off. This was just before they moved to that fortress overlooking the ocean. No one could escape from that place.”

Max will be the first.

“But Max told me his omega died giving birth?

Tony fiddled with the edge of the tablecloth. “That’s right. We were rarely at the compound and didn’t know Richard had found another mate until we were invited to celebrate the baby’s birth.”

“And that omega disappeared too?”

“I’m not sure he ever existed.”

“Mary, you’re being fanciful.”

“We never saw him, and the housekeeper couldn’t tell us anything. I wondered if Max was adopted.”

“But why wouldn’t your son admit that?”

The elderly alpha sighed. “He has a ridiculous idea about virility or some such nonsense.”

“But he would never adopt an omega, Tony.”

“Curious.” I need to create a timeline and family tree to make sense of it all. “As Isla is Richard’s first grandchild, are none of his brothers mated?”

“The four of them are, and yet none of them has sired a child.”

Even more curious.

“Can you get any closer?” Seb shouted above the wind as the ocean smashed against the cliff face, and the small boat bobbed over the waves.

“No, there are rocks just below the surface. We must turn around.”

“Please one more minute, Tony. This is the closest I’ve been to him.”

When Seb had discovered Max’s grandfather had a sailboat moored at a marina just north of Mr. Sharpe’s home, he had begged to be taken out so he could view the compound from the other side.

“We can do that, but the water’s choppy, so I’ll use the engine, not rely on sail power.”

The alpha had insisted on bringing Isla and Trixie, so Mary accompanied them. As the elderly omega stepped on board, she complained about the tins of red paint, brushes and a new sail rolled up on deck. “What’s all this, Tony?”

“I’ve been meaning to replace one sail, and I wanted to surprise you and rename the boat, ‘Mary’.

“That’s so sweet.” She kissed him, and Seb sighed. I hope I grow old with Max.

“Did you never take Max out in this?”

“I only bought this after he left home. I needed a new hobby as I missed him coming to visit.”

One person’s pleasure is another’s pain.

Salt water splashed over the side, drenching Seb’s shorts and hoodie. He blinked as white caps rose beside the boat before retreating. Just as well Trixie and Isla are below deck with Mary.

Shading his eyes, the alpha stared at the steep cliff. The jagged vertical edges that ran from the top to the water’s edge reminded him of a dragon’s yawning mouth. It keeps people out, but also imprisons them.

From the water, he could only make out a steepled roof and lush lawns that stretched to the precipice. But as Seb squinted against the light, a tiny figure dressed in black made its way to the edge of the cliff. “Give me the binoculars!” he screamed. As he peered through the lenses, he made out Max wearing a coat two sizes too big for him and a green scarf around his neck gazing into the water smashing onto the rocks below.

“Max! Max!” Seb waved his arms above his head and jumped up and down.

“Hey, careful,” Tony yelled from behind the wheel.

“It’s Max.”

“He can’t hear you, Seb. I’ve stood in that same place and as well as the waves, the wind howls in the cliff crevices. It’s eerie.”

The younger alpha scanned the boat, searching for something to get the omega’s attention. “The sails, Tony.”

“I’m not going to hoist them. It’d be madness in this weather.”

Paint! Seb raced below and dragged the rolled-up sail and paint on deck. Mary followed, holding the baby but Trixie stayed below. She’s a landlubber.

“What are you doing?” Tony’s voice was almost lost in the fierce wind.

Seb slapped paint on the canvas until six huge red letters were scrawled across the white sail.

“You owe me a new one, Seb.”

Gladly.

“Mary, give me the baby and grab the end of this.”

“What in the hell are you doing?” Tony groused at the younger man.

“Trust me.” Seb strapped Isla onto his chest.

With Max’s grandmother holding one edge and Seb the other, the pair raised the canvas. The alpha silently begged Max to glance up, and he waved his free hand.

It’s me, Max.

The alpha who sent you away.

Your mate who was so scared, he asked you to leave.

Seb who got you pregnant.

The fool who led us into a den of thieves in Riverside.

The idiot who adores you so much that when I die, my love will remain in the universe for eternity.

As the wind battered the boat, Seb wondered if he’d made a huge mistake and put them all in danger. He nuzzled Isla, who wasn’t bothered by the rough sea and relentless wind, while her great-grandparents winced at each fresh gust.

Seb yelled until the forlorn figure on the cliff lifted his head and stared at the ocean.

“He has to see the word, Tony!”

The elderly alpha screamed, “It’s meaningless!” but steered the boat back out to sea.

With the sail facing the cliff, Seb shouted his mate’s name but the wind took it and cradled the word in its arms and wouldn’t let it go. He can’t hear me.

As his untidy handwriting was proudly displayed, Seb scanned the cliff top through the binoculars.

Max leaned forward and rubbed his eyes. He stood without moving, then grabbed a chunk of hair in one hand and slapped the other one over his mouth. He glanced back at the house and then with his eyes on the boat, raised an arm and wriggled his fingers.

He’s seen us. The alpha glanced at the scrawled word ‘lemons’ on the canvas. “He knows it’s us. We did it.”

Lemons, Max. You remember lemons!

You’re not alone.

We’re coming.

Don’t give up.

I love you.

Isla adores you too and Trixie.

The omega cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, but the words were lost. With one hand over his heart, he blew kisses toward the boat before slumping onto the ground.

“We have to get out of here, Seb. There’s a storm coming.”

As Max’s grandfather headed for home, Seb kissed his daughter. “It’s Daddy, Isla. Can you see him?”

Max struggled to his feet. He took off his scarf and flung it over his head. The wind caught it and it soared upward before floating onto the rocks. With one last glance at this family, the omega turned and headed toward the house.

Seb sunk onto the deck, nuzzling the baby. Trixie clambered up the stairs and collapsed at his feet. Poor baby. He stroked the piglet and ran his mind over what he’d accomplished. We saw Max. And I’ll never get into that compound by sea. I’d need to scale the cliff with ropes, and while I’ve dabbled in rock climbing, I’m no match for that.

“I can get you in.”

“How?”

Max’s grandmother placed a gold embossed envelope in front of Seb.

“What’s this?” The alpha ran his fingers over the raised letters that read, ‘Mr. Anthony Sharpe and Mrs. Mary Sharpe’.

“Open it.”

Seb slid out the thick card and scanned the invitation. “This is for a function tomorrow.”

“And you and I are attending. Our son regularly hosts charity fundraisers. We always receive an invitation as a courtesy, but rarely attend.”

“Tony will look after Isla and Trixie.”

“But I can hardly pretend I’m Tony.”

“You’ll do exactly that. It doesn’t say he is my husband and the guards won’t care. There’s a high turnover of Richard’s staff.”

Not a surprise. “And then what?”

“That, my dear Seb, is up to you.”

Will I find him, let alone get him out?

The following afternoon, Seb drove the car up to the huge gates he’d passed days before. A disembodied voice crackled through the intercom. “Someone will show you where to park. The house is off limits.”

The alpha fingered the fake nugget under his dress shirt. This is it.

Seb and Max’s grandmother had deliberately arrived much later than the rest of the guests. Richard and his alpha sons greeted wealthy donors and local dignitaries but disappeared into the house soon afterward.

“His staff organize and run the function, and he pops out at appropriate times to receive a huge check.”

“I’m hoping to avoid your son for as long as possible. If he sees me, he’ll have me thrown out.”

“He’ll be playing poker in the den or on the patio which overlooks the ocean.”

After being ushered into the grounds, Seb took in the opulent marble facade, numerous fountains, and a swimming pool with orchids and candles bobbing on the surface. This is so different from the marshy area near the road. Mr. Sharpe’s gardeners have worked magic.

Grecian statues dotted the more formal garden to his left, while a wooden bridge spanned a pond filled with rare fish and exotic plants. Towering trees were covered with sparkling lights, and the paths were lined on either side by red, orange, purple and yellow flowers. Stunning and expensive, but tacky.

Seb calculated there were at least two hundred people in attendance. Perfect. I can disappear in the crowd.

Staff carrying trays of champagne and hors d’oeuvres circled amongst the guests while a band played on the terra-cotta terrace to his right. He gripped Mary’s arm as a beta in a crisp white dinner jacket and black bowtie swooped over to them and offered them a drink. Just a waiter.

“Thank you.” Seb pretended to sip the bubbly liquid but as the mild scent filled his nostrils, it took him back to his and Max’s pirate role play on the boat. He pictured his mate’s black boots and the plumed pirate hat. So long ago.

The omega tugged at Seb’s jacket and jerked her head in the direction of a group of tall alphas each holding a bottle of champagne. Their bow ties were undone and they chugged the sparkling liquid as if it were water.

“My grandsons.”

But not the one I’m interested in. Seb rubbed a hand over his shirt. The coarse nugget dangled on the chain underneath and with it the ring he’d given Max after Isla’s birth. I’m so close and yet the distance between us is insurmountable.

The band stopped playing, and a female omega took to a stage in the middle of the grounds. As she announced the results of a silent auction, the alpha scanned the buildings for any sign of Max. Beefy bodyguards manned each doorway and any guest who wandered toward an entrance was steered back to the party.

Tuning out the woman’s voice, the alpha whispered in Mary’s ear, “I’m going for a walk. Back in a few minutes.” Seb wove amongst the crowds, keeping an eye on Max’s brothers and making sure Mr. Sharpe wasn’t about to pounce on him. He’d love to kick my ass.

Seb had memorized a plan of the compound Tony had drawn. There were an assortment of buildings on the grounds apart from the main house which was near the cliff face, while guest cottages, offices, a pool house and staff quarters were dotted around the perimeter.

Giggling teenage alphas and omegas emerging from a shrubbery caught his attention. The maze. Richard used it as a test. When he wanted to do business with someone, he led them into the maze and gave them 30 minutes to escape. Anyone who failed was given the brush off. But in reality, it wasn’t the timing Mr. Sharpe was interested in, but how they reacted to being shut in, and whether they were blubbering idiots at the end.

As Seb peeked along the first path, a distinctive voice bellowed nearby, “And where is dear Sebastian now, Adam?”

“Back on the farm in Roselake.”

Is he high or just lazy and incompetent?

“How do you know?”

“I pay a guy to keep me up to date.”

“Who?”

“An alpha who worked with your son in a bar. Dray!”

Seb leaned against a prickly shrub. What the ever-loving fuck? I knew he had shifty eyes. If… no… when I get home, I am going to flatten that little shit. And to think he wanted to share an apartment with Max. Fucking Dray!

“Dray? Weird name. Who names their kid Dray?”

Seb almost gave himself away but he shoved a fist in his mouth to stifle the giggle. The only fucking thing Max’s father and I agree on.

“And you can trust him?”

“Yeah. I pay him enough. Besides, he had a little drug habit he doesn’t want people to know about.

“So, him and the baby are home according to this Dray.”

“And the waddling pork pie.”

Trixie.

“He sent me photos.”

Who’s the liar? Dray? Adam? Is Dray the good guy? Adam’s an idiot but I need to put the pieces together.

“Good. There can be no screwups.”

A twig snapped under Seb’s foot. Damn.

“Check that out.”

Quick, Seb. “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. Oops a daisy.” Seb fell face down onto the soft lawn behind the bush and sniggered.

“Forget it. Just some drunk. I’m sure my youngest son would enjoy a drink and meeting new people. Get him, Adam.”

“Yes, boss.”

“And Adam?”

“Yeah.”

“Get some mints. Your breath stinks.”

Two things we agree on.

The voices drifted away, and Seb brushed off his tuxedo and mingled with the guests. Where’s Mary?

“Are you ill, sir?”

The alpha waved the waiter away. “I’m fine. Just a little too much champagne.”

“Sir!” A huge hand grabbed his wrist.

Seb yanked his arm away. Not now. He glanced up. Brown eyes. Black rimmed glasses. Trimmed white hair. A salt and pepper mustache. The alpha took a step backwards.

“You! Here!”

“At your service. I’m Mr. Sharpe’s head of security.”

“We tried to get hold of you. For months.”

“May I suggest you head home, sir. You’re clearly unwell and Mr. Sharpe insists inebriated guests leave the event.”

The man walked away with a slight limp.

What’s he doing here? Pretending to finish his drink, the alpha’s mind raced as he wove through the crowds, searching for a way into the main house. As he wandered over the grass, he froze. Adam had his back to Seb outstretching his arm to another man. Max!

The omega brushed past Adam and headed for the champagne. He guzzled one glass and another. Adam attempted to put his arm around Max, but the omega shoved him away.

That’s my mate. Piss off, you ass.