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“Noah!”

The shout had his head jerking up off the pillow, his eyes focussing rapidly as the door slammed open.

“I’m sorry, Flick. I told Kade he was back, but I couldn’t keep him away?—”

A small body leapt over the bed, clambering over the men, their groans adding to the noise.

“Noah!” It was a sob now, not a shout, Kade diving between his mother and her mate, tears dripping on their skin.

“Mum! You have to make Noah your mate! Mila said it’s the woman’s choice, but, Mum, that’s not fair! He always looks after us, and he’s making me Star Wars pancakes and, Mum?—”

Flick and Noah looked up at the distraught little face, tears and snot smeared on Kade’s face.

“He’s my dad, Mum.” The little boy shook with the violence of his feeling. “He can’t go anywhere. Mum, please!”

Noah felt a pang as he pulled the boy closer. He couldn’t respond, calm him, explain what had happened, so he just hugged him as tight as he could to his chest, breathing in the smell of dirt and sugar and sweat that was the boy.

It hurt so much, all of it. He wanted this more than his next breath, this link, this bond with this child.

His pain was Noah’s pain, and everything in him made him want to get up and solve this immediately, anything to stop the boy hurting.

But he couldn’t. He was drowning in his own, that Kade had needed him and he wasn’t there, that he’d upset him by taking off. He’d do anything to take it back.

“Noah…” Kade’s voice was a plea and a lament all at the same time. “Please be my dad. Please.”

“Kade—” Aidan said, but Noah shook his head.

My boy. The words hit him like a gut punch. My son.

“Of course,” he croaked out, his voice corroded by tears.

He reached out with a shaking hand, pushing the boy’s matted hair away from his face.

“Who would say no to that? It’s all I wanted, mate.

To have a son like you… That’s the dream.

I say no to pancakes every morning for breakfast because Mum says no, but not this, not you. ”

For a moment, Kade studied the man’s eyes, as if to check the veracity of his words, and then his focus swung.

“See, Mum, he?—”

“Kade.” Flick’s voice was calm and even and shaken and teary all at the same time as she turned her head to reveal the new bite mark. “Noah made his mate when he came home. He was just feeling a bit…sad I guess, but now he’s with us forever.”

They watched the boy deflate, his face collapsing in on itself before falling down on the bed, bursting into tears.

“It’s all been a bit much,” Flick said when she saw Noah’s stricken expression. She rubbed her hand on the boy’s back and held him close. “It’s OK. This is what kids do.”

“Right.” He reached out, somewhat tentatively and watched Flick’s hand closely, mimicking her movements, his reward the boy snuggling into him.

“You won’t, won’t, wont…” The boy sighed and tried to fight past the tears. “You won’t leave again?”

“Never, mate. This is my pack. You’re my… You’re my son. I love you too much to leave you.”

“You should talk to Mum next time. She always makes me feel better when I’m sad.”

His eyes slid up to meet Flick’s, which were welling with tears.

“I will. That’s very good advice, Kade.”