Se Ju stared at Kai as he slept. He watched the rise and fall of the little boy's chest. His eyes falls to Kai's leg, the precise place the boy had been bitten. His legs has fully healed, heck, there was no mark on it but Se Ju keeps seeing it.

"You can leave. He's going to be fine."

Se Ju turns his attention to Randall who was stroking his son's head. Randall was seated at the head of the bed, his legs touching the ground. He feels a surge of anger and his eyes flash yellow.

"What do you mean? He's my son too!"

His anger flares when Randall snorts. "Just leave, Se Ju. He doesn't need you here."

"How do you even know that? Kai is asleep for Selene's sake. Just say you don't want me here and I'll leave." Se Ju shot at Randall.

Randall sighed and gets up from the bed, careful not to wake Kai up. He walks a little closer to Se Ju and stops when there's enough space between them. He jabs at Se Ju's chest with a finger, pushing enough strength into it to make it hurt.

"You don't get to be his dad. You don't get to call him your son." Randall spat. "You don't get to start playing the part when you never wanted him in the first place." Randall glared, pushing at Se Ju, whose lips had suddenly gone dry.

Se Ju licks his lips and tries to reach out to Randall. "Randy I-"

"No!" Randall snaps. "Don't call me that."

"Randy, ple-"

"You left me! You left us! You told me you didn't want kids. You told me to find a way to remove it and now, now you're acting like he's the best thing to ever happen to you. He's my son! My pup! I carried him for six months, I fed him, I was there when he started talking. So no, you don't get to act like his dad. You were just a sperm donor."

It felt like he had been smacked with a red hot iron, the pain searing through his flesh and into his mind and heart. He couldn't move and the guilt he had managed to push down was surfacing again.

"I am so sorry, Randall." Se Ju pleads. "I didn't know what I was doing back then. I was a kid."

"So was I!" Randall cried, pushing Se Ju backwards. "I need you. I needed my boyfriend but you fucked right off after telling me to terminate my pregnancy."

"Randall I am so s-"

Randall turned around so Se Ju doesn't see his tears fall. He wipes at his eyes as he cried. He sniffs and blinked repeatedly, trying to pushing the tears back. Se Ju took a step forward but stops when Randall speaks.

"Please leave." The man begged. "Please."

Se Ju wanted to say no, wanted to close the distance between them and pull Randall into his arms but he had to comply. If there's one thing he knows, it's the fact that Randall didn't like people seeing him cry. He walks closer to the door, breathing in Randall's strawberry scent for one last time before he pulls open the door.

--

Cobie walked straight to the bed and fell back onto it, his hands splayed out. He's pretty sure he was a starfish in his past life. Erik locks the door and walks further into the room and takes a seat on one of the arm chairs.

"Fuck, I'm so tired."

Cobie looked to the side and stared at Erik, he winced when he saw Erik sitting in an uncomfortable position in the chair. After the kind of day they had, Erik should be lying down on a bed. Before he could hold himself back, he speaks up.

"Come and lay down on the bed. You need to rest and I'm pretty sure that chair isn't comfortable."

Erik's eyebrows climb up his face to his hairline as he stared at Cobie in surprise. Cobie rolls his eyes and pats the bed. Erik doesn't hesitate, he scrambled onto the bed and lays down beside Cobie. Cobie grabs a pillow and pulls it down inbetween himself and Erik.

"Really? Is that really necessary?"

Cobie flips onto his side so he could look at Erik. "I have to keep my virtue intact."

Erik snorts. "What virtue?"

Cobie gaps. "That was mean!" Cobie harrumphs and Erik laughs, his body shaking from the weight of it. He playfully hit Erik in the shoulder and relaxes back onto the bed. They stay in silence, the events of the day playing in his mind. He remembered the look on Randall and Se Ju's face when Kai got bitten, he also remembered Erik fighting without shifting.

"Why didn't you shift?"

"What?"

"Why didn't you shift?" Cobie repeats.

Erik swallows. He was used to everyone already knowing, so telling someone about his...defect, was making him a little nervous. He runs a hand down his face and avoided eye contact as he replied.

"I can't."

Cobie frowned. "What do you mean you can't?"

"I can't shift. I was born like this. I have the other attributes of a wolf, the healing, the strength, speed and much more but I just can't shift"

Cobie pushed the pillow aside and moved closer to Erik until there was just a little space between them. He was tempted to touch Erik, to stroke his cheeks and whisper it's okay. He was tempted to bury his face in Erik's chest and it takes all his will power to hold him back from doing so. Being a werewolf and not able to shift. It sounded familiar, like he had heard something about it during his time with Alpha D-

He mentally shakes the thought away from his head.

"That's...different." He ends up saying, for lack of better words.

"You can call me a freak."

"Nah. I'm sure you're already feeling like a hypocrite." Cobie teased, playfully poking Erik in the chest.

Erik grabs his hand before he could pull back and closes the distance between them. He press his lips to Cobie and shifts closer. It was soft and slow, just their lips and no tongue. Tingles shot up their bodies. Cobie presses a hand to Erik's cheek then pushed his hands into Erik's hair and pulled him closer, Erik's hand resting on his waist, over the black shirt Cobie had on. They pulls back for air a couple of minutes later, their chest rising and falling in sync.

"I'm glad you're okay."

"I'm glad you are too." Cobie replied, pressing a chaste kiss to Erik's cheeks much to the other man's surprise. Erik leaned down and buried his nose in Cobie's neck, breathing him in. They stay like that, held together by each other's warmth. They end up falling asleep like that.

When Cobie opens his eyes a few ours later, he's a lone. He groans and rolls over to the other side. He pats the bed with his hands and legs for his phone. When he doesn't find it, he sits up. He wipes his eyes with his hands and looks around. He lets out a loud gasp when he sees the time was eight thirty am.

Fuck, he had slept for so long.

He drags himself to the bathroom and gets ready for the day. When he walks out of the bathroom with a white towel around his waist, he remembers the clothes he had packed were still in the car. He sighed and made his way to the closet where the clothes Michel had given him were folded neatly. He grabs a yellow jumper and black sweatpants. He pulls on the clothes and brushed his hair. He looks around for his phone again and frowned when he doesn't find it.

He retraced his steps from the previous day. He had the phone when the car ran into the wall, he had it when he bumped into the guards. It must have fallen in Erik's office. He walked out of the room and made his way to Erik's office. He knocks three times before pushing the door open. He walks into the office and finds Erik on the phone. The man was standing in the same place Cobie had been yesterday.

Erik had turned around immediately Cobie walked into the office.

"Alright, Donald. I will see you later."

Cobie made his way to the duffle bag resting on one couch. He unzips it and checks if his weapons were still intact. When he's satisfied, he zips up the bag and began looking for his phone while Erik concluded the conversation he had been having.

"What are you looking for?"

Cobie doesn't turn around as he answered. "My phone. it must have fallen here yesterday."

"Is it this?" Erik asked and Cobie turned around. He finds Erik holding a familiar matte black phone. He lets out a sigh of relief. He makes his way to the Alpha and tried to grab it but Erik raised his hand higher.

"Don't be mean. It's too early." Cobie frowned.

"Give me a kiss and I'll give you the phone."

"Give me my phone and I'll give you a kiss." Cobie countered, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Nope."

"How about you give me my phone or get punched in the dick?" Cobie smiled sweetly. He closes the distance between them and Erik gulps. He knows Cobie never throws empty threats but he just wants a kiss. He had optioned laid out in front of him but he chooses the safer one. He hands Cobie the phone.

"How's Kai?" Cobie asked as he makes his way away from Erik to a chair.

"Good. He healed up well."

Thank goodness. Seeing the wolf tear into Kai's leg had frightened Cobie. He frowned as he remembered it, the frown clears when he remembered Kai calling out to Se Ju. Little Blue had called the doctor, daddy.

"Is Se Ju really Kai's father?"

"Yes and that's all I can tell you."

Cobie nods. He doesn't dig any further and unlocks his phone instead. He had no missed calls and no texts. Everything was alright then. He pockets his phone and looks up at Erik, a blush rising to his cheeks when he finds Erik already staring at him.

"Have you had breakfast yet?" Erik asked and Cobie shook his head in reply. "It's being prepared right now. Why don't you go down and join the pack?"

"I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable. Plus they don't even like me."

Erik shook his head. "They told me you put their safety above yours during the siege. The warriors told me you gave them directions and made sure everyone was okay."

Cobie's cheeks turned a bright red and Erik loved it. He wants to take a picture but he doesn't think Cobie would like that. When he had been told what had happened in the house, he had been filled with pride. Cobie had the characteristics of a leader. He would make a good Luna. Holy shît they truly were the perfect pair.

"I just did what I had to."

"Thank you for that."

"You're welcome." Cobie said, smiling shyly.

"They've accepted you into our home now and are making this breakfast as show of appreciation. You should go, I'll join you after one more phone call." Erik said, standing up as he speaks. He circles the table and made his way to Cobie. "I'm so sorry we haven't been able to go on our date."

Cobie shakes his head and waves his hand in a dismissive manner. "It's okay. Maybe we'll have it another day. Maybe tonight." The last words come out as a question. Even the words shocked Cobie himself. He feels his ears go hot and tries to walk away. He's stopped by a hand on wrapping around his elbow.

"How about tomorrow? I've got a meeting with the Pytor Matvel of the Silver Coven and Queen Freya of the Seelies in the evening. I also have to lead the entire pack for a run this afternoon, right after checking out the borders this morning." Erik said. "We can spend the entire day by ourselves tomorrow. Just you, me and privacy in my special spot."

Cobie smiles at that, the butterflies in his stomach fluttering. His heart beat accelerated as Erik moved closer, one hand cupping Cobie's cheeks and the other on his waist.

"To-tomorrow is good too. Great. Splendid. Wonderful re-"

Erik swallows the rest of Cobie's words with his lips, his hands pulling Cobie closer to him. Cobie's hand shyly reached up to hold onto the hand Erik had on his cheek. With each drag of Erik's tongue, tiny tingles shoot down Cobie's hand and the vet pressed closer to Erik. He lets out a loud moan when Erik sucks his bottom lip hard and nips it.

They pull away panting but Erik hadn't had enough yet. He tails tiny kisses down Cobie's neck to the pulse point and breathes him in.

"You smell so good."

"Thank you. It's Dove Go Fresh shower gel." Cobie sassed in reply, pushing his fingers into Erik's hair.

Erik chuckles and pulls himself away. He grins at Cobie, his hand sliding down Cobie's arm to his hand, their fingers intertwining. He leans forward and presses a kiss to Cobie's nose and then his forehead.

"I'll walk you to the door."

"You don't have to."

"It gives me more time to spend with you. Of course I have to." Erik replied, swinging their linked hands between them as they walk to the door. He pulls the door open and escorts Cobie outside. "Enjoy your breakfast."

"I will." Cobie replies, pulling his hand away as slowly as he could. He couldn't explain it but he had the feeling of always wanting to touch Erik, to feel him. He didn't know what to do about it and just decided to go with the flow, let his heart lead him for the first time in his life. He has never felt something like this before, he has never been intimate with someone before, he has never experienced everything he's feeling right now with anyone. He's scared. Frightened really but there's this thing, this whisper at the back of his mind telling him to go with him. To let go.

Maybe he'll do just that.

He's always running, always fighting.

As soon as he remembers one of the reasons he was always running, he sharply tugs his hands away from Erik and tried to cover his eyes. Erik seemed to have sensed it because he quickly gabs onto Cobie as fast as he can and spun him around.

"No. Don't cover them."

Cobie shook his head. "I have to. Not everyone reacts well to my eyes."

"Yesterday, while you helped out during the fight, you didn't have your shades on. My guards and my pack members saw your eyes." Erik said as he walks closer. "I am so damn stupid for calling for calling you a freak because your eyes. They are the best things I have ever seen. And right now, they are the softest shade of pink and it's takes my breath away."

"Erik..."

"Don't cover it. Not in front of me or my pack. You're welcome here. You are safe here."

Cobie hadn't even realised when his eyes had changed colours, he had been so caught up in Erik, he had been so comfortable that he hadn't even had the thoughts to put on his sunglasses. He moves before and wraps his hands around Erik in a tight hug, his head pressed against Erik's chest. Erik had just offered him something he had been searching for, for so long. He had just offered him safety. He doesn't need to run anymore. They don't need to be apart anymore. He can come here and stay with Cobie. They were finally safe.

"Thank you." Cobie said when he pulls back.

"Anything for you, Precious."

Cobie smiles brightly at the term of endearment. He shakes his head fondly at Erik and walked away. Erik watched Cobie walk away before going back into his office. His phone call with Queen Freya was short and brief. Immediately he ends the call, Michel walks into the office with three pack warriors in two and from the look on his face, Erik knows they have bad news.

"What did you find?"

"Alpha Kaye has gone rogue."

--

Cobie walked into Sitting room and all eyes turned to him. Three familiar faces. Three familiar pregnant people.

"Good morning." he greets, waving awkwardly as he does because he doesn't know what to do in this situation. His eyes turn a pastel yellow due to his nerves. He knows his eyes must have vhanged colours due to the audible gasps he hears. He hovers for a few minutes, his fingers playing with the he of his shirt. Should he sit or should he s-

"Come and sit beside me, Cobie." One of the men said, tapping on the couch. "Breakfast is almost done. Let's chat while we wait."

"Okay."

Cobie takes a seat beside the man and lets out a woah when he sees the size of the man's stomach.

"HI. I'm Arthur and this is little bean and peanut, they are five months and growing."

"Wow. Your tummy is huge." Cobie blurts out before he could stop himself. His eyes turning blue with glee. He's replied with a couple of giggles and he looks around. Their stomach were huge. Arthur's on the other hand was wow. His jumper had gone up a little, displaying his a stripe of skin and stretching up his stomach were tiger marks. Stretch marks.

He looks away from Arthur's stomach to his face. The man was glowing and he looked ridiculously happy. They all did.

"I'm Jacob and this is Angela."

"We all wanted to tell you thank you. You took care of us and the kids yesterday even though you didn't know us and even though you didn't have to. Thank you very much."

Cobie blushed and shook his head. "It's okay. You all needed the help you could get."

"It's just, we know not everyone was welcoming during your stay here and yet you still put that aside." Angela said, a sheepish expression on her face that Cobie just wants to wipe off.

"Like I said. You all needed an extra hand and I was happy to help."

"I've got to say, your eyes are amazing." Jacob said, smiling brightly at him.

"Thank you."

They stay in silence for a while before Jacob starts to talk about the pack run they had scheduled for the afternoon. They kept talking until Arthur informs Cobie that breakfast was ready. Cobie helps them all stand up one after the other.

"Why are you all excited about the pack run?"

"Because we get to run together, it's a bonding exercise and because the pack is triple the regular pack size, Erik makes us do a bunch of things often." Arthur replies as they walk to the dinng room. Sitting there were the kids and teenagers that Cobie had seen yesterday as well as Randall, Se Ju and Michel.

"A couple of pack members would be joining us too, they're pulling into the driveway right now." Gabriel informs them. The man had on a skin tight black down with a large jean jacket on with the sleeves folded up to his elbows. His face was free of make-up and his lips shiny with lip gloss.

True to his words, a couple of people walk into the room. They all stared at Cobie for a minutes before all saying at the same time.

"Thank you."

Cobie's eyes widened with shock. He couldn't form word, nor could he find the right words to say so he just nods. They all take their seat and the food is brought out by Jody and Vanessa. Cobie looked around, in search of Kai.

"Where's Kai?"

"He has eaten and I gave him a little medicine to help with the head ache he got this morning." Randall replied.

"He had a head ache?" Se Ju asked and Randall rolled his eyes. Cobie watched the two of them silently as they spoke to each other. Randall gave off sharper replies like he was annoyed with Se Ju while the doctor looked like he was being stabbed repeatedly by tiny needles. Cobie wondered about what had happened between the two of them and he wanted to ask but right now they were making the guests, the children and the heavily pregnant uncomfortable.

"Okay. I don't want to know what transpired between you two but shut it, sit down and eat your food! You're making everyone agitated and uncomfortable." Cobie snapped, his eyes turning bright red in anger, his voice loud and ringing round the room. The entire room falls silent as the two men took their seat, not even sparing a glance at each other and Cobie swears, he would punch them in the throat if they start arguing again.

Breakfast was good. It tasted amazing. There was no more argument and just pleasant conversations that they always involved Cobie in. No one mentioned his eyes, they simply stared for a bit longer whenever his eyes changed colour. After breakfast, Cobie fled to his room.

He had to be alone for a while. He has been around people for days now and before then he had been in pain and trapped in a dream. He needed a breather. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and taps on his music, Remy Zero's Save Me blasting through the tiny speakers. He scrolls through his downloads for something to read and settled on A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. He's almost done with The Wide Window when there's a knock on the door.

The door was pushed open and Gabriel walks in. "We are about to go for the run and I was wondering if you wanted to join us."

"Am I allowed to?" Cobie asked, swinging his legs off the bed.

"Of course you can but you'll have to drive." Gabriel replied, bouncing on his feet.

"I saw a motorcycle down at your garage, can I use that instead?"

Gabriel lights up and nods enthusiastically. Together they both walk out of the room and down the stairs. The house was already empty and Cobie guesses they were outside already. Gabriel hands him the keys when he gets to the garage and he walks out the black Yamaha Fazer. Gabriel grabs a helmet and let Cobie to the backyard.

"Fuck, this is huge!"

"Yeah, it can hold more than twenty-thousand."

Cobie looks at Gabriel with wide eyes. He remembered seeing this from the window in Erik's office. Erik himself stood not to far away from them. He had on a long sleeve shirt and jeans short, a pair of white trainers on his feet.

"Your brother can't shift. How's he going to lead a pack run?"

"Just because he can't shift doesn't mean he can't still run with the wolves. He's faster than us all and stronger."

Cobie watched as a wolf walked out of the forest, others behind it. The number of wolves doubled in size, each fur shinning underneath the sunlight and Erik looked regal. He looked like king. The wolves kept coming, each of them taking a place beside the last, all of them bowing down to Erik.

"What is the name of your pack?" Cobie asked, not being able to take his eyes away from Erik.

"We are the Silver Moon pack of Astir."

"Just how many are you guys? Because the wolves just keep coming and coming a...." Cobie trails off, just as a couple of wolves emerge from the forest.

"Erik is the sole Alpha of Astir. He's the leader of the Silver Moon pack."

Cobie's eyes widened as the information sunk in. that meant Astir was home to one pack and Erik led it. Erik an alpha with the inability to turn. He shakes his head, it's not possible. Erik couldn't possibly be the Alpha of the entire state of Astir.

"Astir's population is about sixty thousand."

"Yes and Erik leads all of us. He's the Alpha of Alphas. He's our Alpha."

--

So what have we learned today?

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