The very moment Chance broke down and admitted he was homeless, something in me just sort of…snapped. Like a rubber band drawn taut, it flung back to bite me, and my wolf snarled out loud and clear—mine! The sheer possessiveness I felt in that moment was enough to shake me to my core. This wasn’t Charlie. This man could never be Charlie, no matter how much he looked like him, and yet…

I felt that insistent tugging on my soul, like the broken fox had already sunk his claws into my heart. That hook. It was a feeling that I was certain I would never experience again, and here it was. My wolf wanted to bellow loud and clear that this Omega was his, and anyone who had an issue with it would get a face-full of claws.

Chance collapsed against my chest, sniffling and whimpering, his hands knotted in my leather jacket. I slowly rubbed his back, the way I always used to Charlie whenever he got upset and was cranky and frustrated. The fox all but melted into my touch. It did such fickle things to my heart. I thought for sure that it would never beat like this again, that I would live out the rest of my life widowed and alone.

After what seemed like forever, Chance pulled away from me and rubbed at his blotchy face. His eyes were puffy and tired and his nose was red and dribbling snot, but I couldn’t help but smile. He just needed some TLC. There was beauty hiding beneath that grit and grime.

“Better?” I mused and he snorted, all stuffed up. I patted his shoulder, then rose to my feet and offered him a hand up.

His eyes went wide—like he couldn’t fathom anyone would help him—and a dusky blush tinted his cheeks before he placed his hands in mine. I hauled him to his feet. He wavered for a moment, gazing over his shoulder into the woods that stretched far beyond us. Then, with a small shake of his head, he looked to me once more, awaiting instruction.

“You’re really giving me a place to crash.” Insecure, yet incredulous.

“Yes. Is that so hard to believe?”

“I’m sorry. I just…don’t want to be a burden,” he muttered.

“You’re not, so don’t you dare think that way, you got it?” There was a growl to my voice that hadn’t been there before. Chance needed me, whether he believed it or not. He needed someone to be there for him—an Alpha, even if I wasn’t his Alpha. He needed help, and I was here to guide him. I reached out and took his hand. “Come on. My truck’s parked up on the hill.”

He didn’t yank away from me, like I expected. Instead, his fingers curled around mine and he followed me back through the woods, to the graveyard and its lonely atmosphere. I helped hoist him over the spiked tips of the fencing. He weighed so little...

I clambered up the hill and opened the passenger door for him. He sagged against the creamy leather interior, then grimaced. “Fuck! I’m getting mud all over. Shit, I’m sorry—”

“Chance. It’s fine, it’ll clean. I’m muddy too, see? Buckle up.” I patted his knee, then clipped my seatbelt into place and twisted the key in the ignition. My trusty red Ford rumbled to life with a roar of exhaust and I shifted into drive. Chance fell silent. When I spared a glance, his forehead was resting against the cool glass of the window. He looked utterly exhausted.

The truck bounced over bumpy backroads. The fox sighed heavily, curling up on the seat before closing his eyes. It wasn’t long before I’d turned down the drive, rolling to a stop in front of the detached two-car garage that was painted the same blue-and-ivory shades as the large ranch it sat proudly beside.

Home.

Charlie had fallen in love with the place the moment our realtor pulled in. His face had lit up, a thousand glorious watts of hope and happiness brightening his eyes when he took in the neatly landscaped lawn and the brand new chainlink fence that secured the backyard. He’d rested both hands on his belly, swollen with our child, and he smiled.

“We could be happy here, Hux,” he breathed. “Look at this place. Look at the yard! We could get a puppy after the baby’s born, something huge and fluffy, like a Newfoundland or a St. Bernard. We could raise them together. Oh my god, I love it already!”

I’d laughed at his exuberance. “We haven’t even seen the inside,” I pointed out, but at that point, it didn’t matter. Charlie was sold, and because I loved spoiling him, so was I. Luckily for us, the inside was damn near perfect, too. It needed a bit of renovation in the kitchen due to some water damage, but I was handy with a toolbox, so it wasn’t a big deal.

We made an offer and two days later, they accepted. We’d officially bought our first home.

The way Chance was staring at the place, his jaw slack, I had the feeling that he was just as wowed as his brother had been, nearly four years ago. He mumbled something under his breath, then shook his head. “This is…nice. It’s too nice. Huxley—”

He twisted around in his seat, his brow wrinkled, but I tapped my finger across his nose with a knowing smile. “Nonsense. Let’s go inside. There’s someone I want you to meet.” Even as I said it, nerves did jumping jacks in my gut. In all honesty, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it wasn’t like I could hide the fact that Chance was the spitting image of his brother, and honestly? I didn’t really want to.

We reached the front porch and his steps faltered. I turned back and took him gently by the elbow. “Come on, Chance,” I murmured before ushering him inside. Upon stepping through the doorway, we were immediately surrounded by the warmth of the house I’d made a home—and the rich, robust scents of dinner cooking in the crockpot.

Chance’s stomach growled loud enough that I could hear it, and he groaned. His face turned beet red. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. Soren?” I called for my brother while tugging an antsy Chance down the hallway.

“Living room!” Soren chimed out, but the sound of footsteps padding over the hardwood told me he was on his way. “We were just watching—” He turned the corner to greet us, his floppy brown hair fringing over the frames of his glasses, and his smile slipped away. He sniffed the air, glancing quickly between me and Chance, who was now backpedaling towards the front door.

“Hux…?”

I looped my arm around Chance’s skinny waist to draw him back. The fox went stiff in my grasp and my chest ached. “Sor, this is Chance Rossi. He’s gonna be staying with us for a little while, till he gets back on his feet.”

“Hux, he’s—”

“Charlie’s twin,” I finished for him. “Yes, but he’s also an Omega who needs a safe place to stay for a bit.”

“Huxley—” Chance tried to twist free, but I pinned him with a look.

“Hush. It’s fine,” I told him firmly, squeezing his hip. “Where’s Dresden?” I asked my brother, who was now furiously nibbling on a thumbnail. I swatted his hand away from his mouth with a low growl and both Omegas fell silent. Might as well get this over with. Like ripping off a Band-Aid, right?

Soren met my gaze, a quiet acceptance in his golden eyes, and nodded. “We were watching Paw Patrol and playing with Legos,” he chirped out, offering a small smile to Chance. Soren took off down the hall, leaving me and Chance to bring up the rear, and by the time we reached the living room, my palms were sweaty.

My three-year-old son was sprawled, cross-legged, on the rug that doubled as a play mat. Despite the fact that his parents were cross-species, he was one hundred percent wolf, through and through. But with a full head of auburn curls and bright green eyes, he was the spitting image of Charlie.

“Dad!” Dresden scrambled to his feet and bounced over, but when he caught sight of Chance, he stopped—for only a second, before he screeched, “Daddy!” and launched himself at Chance’s legs.

And in that instant, my stomach plummeted.