I paced the floors, chewing on my lip till it was raw. I’d stormed through the house in a flurry, double-checking that every single window and door in this house was locked. They were. Now I just had to wait until Huxley and Soren made their way back.

Brand new fears cropped up like weeds in the cracks of a sun-baked sidewalk. Hux seemed so confident that he could cut Bones down to size, but what if the other Alpha brought his mob of junkies? There was an entire group of low-life wolves that hung around Bones’s place, mainly because Bones was their dealer. No matter what Huxley thought, two wolves didn’t stand a chance against an enraged, drug-addled pack…

My stomach twisted itself in knots. My throat was tight and for several breathless moments, I thought I might lose it. Dissolve into a sobbing heap right here on the kitchen floor. No. Goddamnit, I needed to stay strong, if not for me, then for the little boy who was currently occupied by playing games on Soren’s tablet.

Breathe, Chance. You can do this.

Huxley was a beast of a wolf, one of the biggest Alphas I’d ever seen in my life. He could take Bones out. I needed to believe that, to cling to that shred of hope that any time now, Huxley would come strolling up the drive. I hovered near the window and peered out into the woods. When the two wolves finally breached the tree line, my heart ratcheted into my throat.

They were okay. I flipped the deadbolt and yanked open the door, but I didn’t leave the front porch. Huxley barked and broke into a lope and when his claws skittered over the wood, I dropped to my knees and wrapped both arms around his thick neck. I buried my face in his fur and breathed in a shaky breath.

“Thank god…”

Soren was the first to shift back. “You okay?”

I nodded slowly, releasing Hux from my death grip. His skin twitched as the change burst through him. He knelt in front of me for a moment, as if catching his breath before he stood. He grasped my hands in his and gently drew me to my feet. “Are you okay?” I countered. “Bones… Is he…”

“He’s gone,” Huxley murmured, though there was a growl behind his words.

Gone, but not dead. My stomach sank. “He left? Willingly?”

“For now, but I wouldn’t put it past the ugly bastard to come sniffing around later.” He blew out a harsh sigh, then seemed to realize the effect his words had over me because his face crumpled. “Aw, baby. Come here. It’s gonna be okay.” He looped his arm around my shoulders, then steered me back inside, away from the reek of wolf urine that saturated the porch.

“Get a couple buckets of bleach water ready, would you?” Huxley told his brother, who nodded. He wrinkled his nose in distaste. “The sooner we get the stink out of the wood, the better I’ll feel. Come with me, Chance. I need to show you something.”

Lacing his fingers with mine, he led me down the hall to the bedroom. I dropped down to sit on the edge of the mattress while he shuffled around in the closet. He drew out a small wooden box with a lock. He twisted the latch and the lid popped open. I gaped when he pulled out a sleek black pistol.

“You know how to shoot?” His voice was gravelly.

Slowly, I nodded. “Y-Yeah.” That was one thing Dad had taught us, even in his state of ever-present drunkenness. He’d taken me and Charlie out hunting on multiple occasions. Successfully killing rabbits was the one thing that he’d praised us for. “I mean, with a shotgun, but still. I know how to use a gun.”

“Good,” Hux grunted. “It’s loaded, so be careful.” He handed me the weapon. I handled it like one would handle a ticking time bomb, turning it over in my hands. He pulled out a smaller black box. “Silver bullets. It’ll stop a shifter dead in their tracks. If the gunshot doesn’t kill them, the silver will. It leeches into their blood and poisons them, pretty damn fast, too.”

I stared. My stomach churned. “Why do you have silver bullets, Huxley?”

His gaze didn’t waver. “You’re not the only one who has skeletons in the closet. There’s a reason that Soren and I are loners. The pack we were born in turned against us—against Soren—and I vowed to do what I needed to do to protect him.” He nodded, then offered a small smile. His fingers skimmed down the side of my face, his touch so tender. “Don’t worry, love. I’ll take care of us.”

“I know you will,” I said. I carefully set the gun back inside the box and sealed it away. I prayed I wouldn’t have to use it. I prayed that Bones wouldn’t come crashing through the window in the middle of the night, hellbent on death and destruction.

My body quivered. “Can we… Would you lay with me for a little bit?” I suddenly needed the comforting touch of my Alpha. Needed to bury myself in his warm, woodsy scent. I just needed him.

“Of course.” Hux’s lips curved upwards. He climbed up onto the bed. I scrambled over to where he stretched out on his side, knotting my hands in the fabric of his shirt and tucking my face against the hollow of his throat. His hand rubbed over my back in slow circles.

Exhaustion weighing heavy on my soul, I closed my eyes and let out a shuddering breath. With Huxley wrapped around me, my wild heart settled and when I felt the darkness of unconsciousness tugging me under, I relinquished all control.

When I woke up, it was dark outside and I was alone. Disoriented, I pushed myself up and meandered down the hall towards the sound of voices. Dresden’s shrieks of laughter filled the air and settled my thumping heart. When I turned the corner, I found him on the floor, squirming beneath Soren while the Omega tickled him.

“Sleep good?” Huxley came up behind me. My nose twitched. His skin smelled of bleach and the sharp tang of vinegar. He hugged me from behind and I leaned into the touch with a small yawn. He chuckled low. “Seems like you could use another nap.”

“I can make it till bedtime. Besides, I really don’t wanna be alone.”

“You want dinner? I made some chicken tenders and french fries.”

My stomach rumbled. “I’m starving.” I hadn’t eaten breakfast or lunch. I’d drank maybe one glass of water since I woke up for fear of puking it right back up. I was too rattled by Bones’s threat and the howls lingering in the woods the night before. “You scrubbed the porch?” I went into the kitchen to rummage around for leftovers. Huxley followed me.

“Yeah. We scrubbed for nearly two hours and I can still smell it.” He growled.

I piled a couple of chicken strips on a paper plate and surrounded them with soggy fries, then put it in the microwave to heat up. I poured myself a big glass of apple juice and savored the sweet flavor on my tongue with each sip. When the timer dinged, I squirted honey mustard over the entire thing and sat down at the table across from Huxley.

Apparently, my nerves had taken a back seat to my hunger, because I wolfed down my dinner in minutes. I blamed the baby. At my Alpha’s surprised look, I flushed. “Eating for two now, remember?”

“Oh, trust me.” He winked. “Let’s hope the little munchkin lets you keep it.”

“She likes junk food.” I shrugged with a smile.

Huxley raised a brow. “She? The ultrasound is still a week away.”

“I feel like it’s a girl. I mean, I was doing some reading online a couple of nights ago and came across an article about how some Omegas just know. It’s a strong gut feeling, but I’m pretty sure we’re gonna have a daughter.” Hope fluttered in my chest, emerging for the first time today. “So we should probably start thinking about names.”

“We still have time,” he said, but he was grinning. “I have a few ideas, though.”

I leaned against the table, my elbows propped up and my chin resting atop my steepled fingers. “Yeah? Like what?”

“Well, I was kind of hoping to name it after Charlie,” he said after a long moment. “If it wasn’t for going to visit his grave that day, I never would’ve met you—and besides, he was your brother. Your twin. I know you miss him too, maybe even more than me.” He shrugged a broad shoulder, then laughed softly. “Just my two cents.”

My breath hitched. “Really? That wouldn’t hurt too badly?”

“It’s always gonna hurt, Chance,” he said. “I loved him and I don’t think I’ll ever stop loving him…but don’t you think that he’d be grinning his fool head off up in Heaven, knowing we named our child after him?”

Heat pricked the corners of my eyes, but I found myself nodding. “I… I like that, but I still feel like it’s a girl. Still think we should name her Charlie?”

“Why not?” Hux’s smile was warm. “Could be short for Charlotte?”

Charlotte. I touched my stomach, rubbing both palms over the protruding bump, and smiled.

“I like it.”

“I’m glad.”