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Dylan grabbed his video game off the couch, then slunk upstairs to his room. Harley sighed, then summoned me over into the kitchen. “Stretch out a pizza for me?” she asked.

“Sure.” I immediately began working my knuckles into the dough, stretching it out and shaping it into an oval.

She blinked. “You know how to do that?”

“Sure,” I said, laughing. “I’m not totally incompetent in the kitchen, you know.”

“Pretty sure you’re not incompetent at anything.”

I nudged her with my shoulder as warmth spread through me. “You’re being really good with Dylan. I know this process isn’t easy, especially since you’ve never experienced it yourself.”

She sighed and dabbed at her eyes with her wrists, mostly avoiding getting flour on her face, but some of it was smudged on her nose. “I’m trying.”

“I love seeing you with him,” I said. “My brothers and I never got that with our mom. It’s nice to see Dylan have that kind of support.”

Her hands stilled on the dough, then she looked up at me, her bright blue eyes warm with concern. “What do you mean?”

I hadn’t intended to tell her any of this.

Not this summer, at least. But seeing her manage Dylan’s changes dug up feelings I’d buried long ago.

Even when we were together all those years ago, I’d fallen silent when Harley had asked about my mother, and she hadn’t pushed me.

The wound had still felt raw. But now, I wanted her to know. I wanted her to know all of me.

“Ah, well.” I cleared my throat. “She died in childbirth having me and Sean.”

I focused on the dough, kneading and stretching it as I tried to ignore the sudden twist in my chest and burning behind my eyes. Harley reached over and gently squeezed my forearm. “I’m sorry.”

“She was human, like you,” I continued. “And carrying a shifter sometimes isn’t easy.”

Harley exhaled a small laugh. “That part I do know. Your son was an enormous baby and moved around a lot. Kept me awake all night towards the end of my pregnancy. I’m sure carrying twins was difficult.”

I nodded. “She hemorrhaged during the birth. A shifter’s body can cope with trauma like that, but she…”

Harley squeezed my arm again.

“So, my dad raised us,” I said. “He was a good father, but it’s not the same. He had a lot to juggle between being the alpha of the clan and dealing with us kids. We were raised by the clan as a whole, more than anything else.”

“That must’ve been lonely,” she said.

I didn’t expect that reaction. In my memory, my childhood was full of shifters—my clan members and my siblings. There was always someone I could play with or bother. But I never felt like anyone’s first priority.

“I guess it was, a little,” I murmured. “So, I’m glad Dylan has you.”

“And you, too,” she said.

We topped our pizzas with sauce, vegetables, and those perfectly caramelized onions, then slid both into the oven.

“I missed out on so much with Dylan already,” I said. “Even if Blakely hadn’t screwed everything up, I still would’ve gone to prison. That might’ve been even worse for Dylan than my absence.”

“No point killing yourself with the what-ifs,” she said. “He’s got you now. That’s what matters.”

“I’m going to miss out on a lot more when you’re back in Atlanta,” I said. “I know it’s the right choice, but these are important years. I hate that I won’t be there.”

Harley turned toward me and cupped my face in her palms. “Just because we’ll be in Atlanta doesn’t mean you’re not his dad anymore. You can be as involved as you want to be. There’s this little device called a cell phone, have you heard of it?”

I chuckled, then turned my head to kiss her palm. “It’s not the same as being present.”

“I know,” she said. “You’re not banned from Atlanta, either. You can come visit Dylan whenever it’s safe. I’m sure Hawk and Striker will give you some time off from your alpha duties.”

“Taking care of my mate and my son is my top alpha duty,” I said.

Harley quivered, then dropped her hands and hooked her fingers into my belt loops instead. Calling her my mate always sparked a little reaction in her—I could never tell if it was good or bad. But it was true. Claimed or not, she’d always be my fated mate.

“Right?” I continued. “I get to spend time with you in Atlanta, too, don’t I?”

A pink blush spread across her cheeks. “I don’t see why not.”

“It’s so cute that makes you blush,” I teased. “Sex in the middle of the forest is fine, but God forbid I suggest a visit…”

She gave a little squeal and swatted at me. “That’s not?—”

Laughing, I set my hands on her hips and pulled her against my chest. She wound her arms around me and we swayed in the kitchen to music that wasn’t playing.

I thought about Forest raiding the garage earlier today.

That was exactly the kind of thing I didn’t want Harley to be around for.

I thought about telling her, but what good would that do?

She’d already seen the grudge Forest held against me. The raids wouldn’t stop anytime soon.

We had enough to focus on with Dylan’s upcoming shift. The business was my responsibility.

When the oven timer went off, Harley hummed, then reluctantly pulled away. She pulled the pizzas out of the oven, and the scent made my mouth water. Harley sliced one with expert ease, then I slid half of an entire pizza onto a plate.

“That for you?” she asked.

I laughed. “No, I’ll take it to Dylan. And if I’m right, he’ll probably sneak down here for the other half in an hour. You go ahead and start eating, I’ll be right back.”

I gave her a quick kiss, then went upstairs to Dylan’s room. I knocked on the door, then stuck my head inside. As I’d expected, he was curled up in his bed, buried under the covers and playing on his handheld console, despite having a big television in his room.

I set the plate of pizza on his nightstand. “Try to eat something, kiddo, you’ll feel a little better.”

“Mm,” Dylan said in response.

I smiled faintly. I knew exactly how terrible he felt, but I was glad things were speeding along. My dragon was eager to meet his son. I leaned down, tousled his hair, then planted a kiss on the top of his head. “It’ll be over soon, Dylan.”

I could feel his dragon wrestling right under the surface. Any day now.