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It had been three days since the rescue, but the pain still lingered—both physical and emotional.

Mason had knocked me unconscious and drugged me so I couldn't reach my magic. The pain when I had tried to reach for it was enough to make me vomit, but once I had been patched up and loaded with painkillers, the pathway had been reopened. Thank goodness. I'd just made myself whole, and it would have been a kick in the teeth to lose a piece of myself so soon.

At first, we all thought the kidnapping and the trap set for Nayeli was just revenge for the banishment, but as we put the pieces together, the true breadth of what Mason had been planning came into view. His choice of the abandoned warehouse in Scott's territory was no mistake. He was trying to start a war.

Samson's alliance with Scott was shaky to begin with, and their natural animosity of each other had made Samson suspicious of him from the start. Mason had hoped that Samson would go straight to Scott once I was taken and that at least one of them would die in the skirmish, leaving an open Alpha position that Mason could challenge for. It didn't matter which one of them died, as long as they were out of the picture.

But he'd underestimated our mate bond. It led Samson right to me, and Mason was killed instead.

I wasn't the only one to carry injuries, though. Samson had gained a few of his own—bruises on his ribs, a cut on his eyebrow, a split lip, and a deep bruise on his right cheek. The worst injuries were already scabbed over, but I knew how much pain they had caused him when I first saw them. I could feel it through the bond, too, like a dull ache in my own body.

Joe had taken Nayeli back to his territory so his pack's doctor could look her over. Nayeli had a concussion, and she needed a tetanus shot and a few stitches in her leg, but other than that, she was okay. A little shaken, but okay.

It had been the most traumatic thing to ever happen to me. But slowly, with my mate, my son, and my new friends around me, I healed.

Over the next few days, Samson and I nursed each other back to health, with Kit trying his best to assist. Samson had a hard time letting me take care of him, his Alpha tendencies pushing him to coddle me, but I was persistent. We lay in bed, watched hours of television, took a hospital's worth of ibuprofen, and put our lives back together.

That was how we spent our days: quiet moments where we’d check on each other’s injuries, make sure nothing got worse. And then, the evenings, when the exhaustion of the day would catch up with us, and we'd lean against each other, comfort in knowing the worst was behind us.

We didn't mention Mason much, at least between Samson and me. Instead, we focused on the present. On our family. On Kit. Samson, despite his own pain, spent time with Kit, playing games, leading, and keeping our pup distracted and happy. He'd been thoroughly shaken by both of his parents being hurt, but he was brave.

Tonight, we were having our first official family movie night. It was Samson's idea. We snuggled together on the couch in the living room, and Samson wrapped me in his arms. I leaned into him as we watched the opening credits of The Princess Bride. Samson had tried to get us to watch a superhero movie, but Kit wanted to watch something "fun," and that meant comedy.

I liked it. I liked the humor, the romance, and the way the two lovers kept finding their way back to each other. I'd read the book years ago but hadn't thought about it until now.

It wasn't just about the movie, though. Samson and I had made a decision, one that would change Kit's life permanently, and we wanted to tell him as soon as possible. When the credits started to roll, I turned to my son, digging through the pile of blankets until I found one of his small hands.

"Kit,” I started. “I know this move was sudden, and I haven't given you a clear answer on what's going to happen now, but...we're going to stay. Here. With the pack."

"With Papa?" His eyes went wide. "Really?"

I smiled at his eagerness. He'd always wanted a family, but he never said anything. "Yes," I said. "We're staying here with Papa. You get to be a part of the pack, and we'll all live together from now on."

He jumped up, throwing himself into Samson's arms. My mate held him tight, grinning as our pup gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"This is going to be great!" Kit exclaimed. "I can't wait! We get to stay with Papa, Gwen, Nayeli, and Uncle Joe!"

I laughed. "Yes. This is where we belong. Your father and I are bonded."

Kit, with his sharp little nose, looked back and forth between the two of us. He tilted his head, looking utterly serious for a moment. Then, after a pause, his lips curled into a knowing grin.

“I already knew,” he said, surprising us both.

I blinked, confused for a moment. “What do you mean?”

Kit puffed out his chest, proud like he’d just solved the greatest mystery. “I could smell it. I knew you two were...really together. The bond.”

Samson and I exchanged a look, both of us stunned.

“You could smell it?” Samson asked, tapping Kit on the nose.

“Yup!” Kit nodded enthusiastically. “I knew he was your mate, Mama. I could smell it from the first time he came over. He was a little mean then, but he smelled like... like home.”

***

It turned out that Kit was smarter than I was, at least when it came to Samson. I'd fought the draw I felt for weeks, just to discover that my true happiness only came when I surrendered.

In the mornings, I'd wake up to find him still beside me, his arms around me, his breath warm against the back of my neck. Sometimes, I'd wake him up, and we'd greet the morning, making love, our bodies moving together until we both found release.

Other times, I'd simply put my ear to his chest and listen to the slow, steady beat of his heart.

We'd get up, dress, and have breakfast, and then he'd go off to do Alpha things, and I'd get ready for work. Samson made his money off of pieces of property his great-grandfather had bought when the pack first came to town, and there was no real reason for me to continue working, but I was being honest when I told him I liked to keep busy. Emerald Blooms was my little piece of independence.

It also allowed me to socialize with the pack, too. I'd seen Samson stick up for me, but I didn't realize how powerful his words were until the visitors started filtering in after our injuries. Pack members who wanted to check in on their Alpha, or so I thought.

Nayeli, still recovering herself, was the first to visit, Gwen trailing behind her with a plate of cookies. Nayeli had been cleared by Joe's doctor to return to work, but she wasn't ready yet, and Samson had ordered her to stay home. We spent the morning together, just the girls, gossiping and eating cookies, and it had all just felt so right.

The day after that, Waylon came. I expected him to focus on checking in with Samson, but instead, his attention turned to me, and his gaze was relieved when he saw how much I was recovering.

“You’re one of us now,” he said simply, but it meant the world to me. "The pack protects its Omegas, not just the Alphas."

That afternoon, we sat on the porch swing, and he told me stories about Samson, the trouble he used to get into as a kid, and how he'd stepped up to be Samson's second-in-command, no questions asked, when the time came.

"He needed me," he explained, "And I never thought twice about it. Pack is family, and family means everything to us."

The most shocking visitors were Curt and Francine. They came bearing homemade beef jerky from Pete and an almost submissive attitude that was totally out of character.

"I feel a little responsible," Curt explained. "If I had taken Mason's challenge and won, none of this would have happened. Hell, even if I lost, it probably could have been avoided."

"You couldn't have known what Mason was planning," Samson told him, "It's not your fault."

"Still. We, ah, have a lot to make up for. With Kiera, I mean."

"You do." Samson was serious but not unkind. "And I have faith you'll figure out how to do it."

Francine sniffed, turning away from us and back to her car. She looked at me over her shoulder, her eyes brimming with tears. "I'm sorry. For everything."

With that, they got into their car and drove away. I leaned back against Samson, taking comfort in his touch. "Am I a fool for being so soft with them, even after they messed with me so much as a kid?"

"No." He kissed the top of my head, "It makes you my Omega."