I was ready to suggest inside play, but Paul spoke before I said anything.

“Do you think you could show us around again, Liam?”

“Yeah, we didn’t spend that much time inside last time we were here,” Henry said.  “Do you think we’ll get the apartment right below yours?”

Aden nodded eagerly and grabbed Henry’s hand to start tugging him toward the house, explaining that he wanted to show the two older boys Liam and his room so they could plan where to sleep in their new apartment.  The four raced inside.  Crisis diverted, I followed at a normal pace.

When I reached the apartment, I saw Emmitt already had blankets and a pillow on the couch.  I walked into my bedroom, saw his bag at the bottom of my closet, and grinned.  Since Paul and Henry had my brothers occupied, I went back downstairs to see if Grey and Carlos needed any help moving into Emmitt’s place.

That night, the boys and I said good night to Emmitt on the couch and went to our own rooms.  After everything that happened, I had a hard time closing my eyes as I listened to the familiar sounds of the house.

My door silently opened, and I sat up with wide eyes.

“It’s just me,” Emmitt said softly.

I let out a sigh of relief and pulled back the covers.  I should have known staying on the couch would only last until the boys fell asleep.

Before the boys woke, he was back on the couch.

*    *    *    *

Within a week, the apartment building was fully equipped with state of the art security, including cameras outside each of the apartment doors.  Floodlights, installed in the yard, turned on when triggered by any of the new sensors on the property or by a switch within the house.  In addition to the latest technology, we also had our resident werewolves’ instincts.  We wouldn’t be taken unaware.  I just hoped we wouldn’t be outnumbered.

Saturday morning, I woke with a stretch and smiled at Emmitt.  He leaned over to give me a kiss, and it dawned on me that I was overdue for a premonition.  Pulling back from him, I stared in confusion and tried to think back.  I hadn’t had one since I’d Claimed him.

“What is it?” he asked watching me.

“I haven’t had a stock market premonition since before the trip.  Since I Claimed you.”

“Does that bother you?”

“I’m glad they’re gone, but I can’t help but wonder why.”

We talked about the different possibilities but really had no clear idea what it meant.  I wished I knew how my premonitions worked, but I didn’t worry about it too much.  I had other things on my mind.

“So, I was thinking...”

He leaned over me to kiss my neck.  “About something good, I hope.”

“Depends.  I was thinking about all this sneaking we’re doing.  It makes me uncomfortable.  I don’t want the boys to catch us and start asking questions.”

Emmitt pulled back to look at me.

I tugged the hem of his shirt up to slip my hands underneath.  “I was wondering if we could set a date.”

The wicked grin on his face spoke volumes.  “Now’s good.”

I rolled my eyes, guessing what he’d been referring to.

“Not for that,” I said.

“You have me confused.  Again.”

“That’s because you’re focused on the physical side of our relationship.”  I grinned up at him.

“Is there something else?”

“How about a wedding?”

He crushed me in a hug while laughing loudly.  “Is that what we’re waiting for?  How soon can we get married?”  He didn’t wait for me to answer but kissed me soundly.

“You’re still thinking about Mating,” I accused after I was breathless.

“No.  I’m thinking about forever with you.”

Epilogue

I sat on the couch folding last minute laundry the day before Thanksgiving.  Both the boys sat at the kitchen island egging Emmitt on as he flipped pancakes high into the air, just barely missing the ceiling.

“After breakfast, can we go down by Nana?” Aden asked.

Liam and Aden loved being homeschooled by Nana Wini.  They usually spent the morning with her and the afternoon at Aunt Mary and Uncle Gregory’s to play with Paul and Henry.  But I knew he wasn’t asking to go down for his lessons.  He wanted to find Jim.

“I don’t think so, buddy.  We need to finish packing so we can see Grandma Char,” Emmitt said.

Aden’s face fell.

Jim’s continued absence from breakfast disappointed the boys.  And it wasn’t packing that kept the boys from Jim. Earlier in the month, Jim had made a trip to the Compound with Emmitt’s bike.  While there, it had disappeared.  The boys didn’t know that Jim stayed away out of guilt for loosing Emmitt’s motorcycle, even though Emmitt didn’t blame him.  Well, not much.  Jim had borrowed the bike without asking.  Again.

"Maybe Uncle Grey can help you pack,” I said.  My brothers grinned.

The boys now knew all about the other members of our house.  Shortly after we’d returned, Grey had taken it upon himself to introduce them to the secret world of furry fun by shifting in front of them and offering werewolf rides.  Neither boy had even flinched.  Instead, Aden had called for Jim and insisted he turn into a dog so they could race.  Jim willingly obliged and lost to Grey by a lap.  Liam had been elated.

Having so many people around to help with the boys freed up my time for wedding planning since Emmitt and I had set the date for just before Christmas.  I’d finally managed booked the venue.  It was a big place with plenty of room for Emmitt’s very extended family—the whole pack.

The phone rang, and I turned away from Emmitt’s show to answer.  Since it was so early, I thought it might be Emmitt’s mom with some final details.  We planned to leave later in the day to head up to the Compound.  Charlene was organizing a huge Thanksgiving feast, and I couldn’t wait to start cooking.  Feeding a hungry werewolf was gratifying.

“Hello?” I said, answering.

“Michelle, something’s going on with Gabby,” Sam said.  “We need you to come early.  How soon can you be on the road?”.

“We’re almost finished packing.  What’s going on, Sam?”

Emmitt glanced at me from across the room, and I shook my head at him.  Nothing for him to worry about...yet.

“She’s asking questions about having more than one Mate and if there’s another werewolf species.  I think she’s figured out more but isn’t saying anything.”

I hesitated, recalling my time with Frank.  He’d talked about Urbat as if it’d been some other kind of werewolf.  Could it be possible?  Was there another species out there that Emmitt and his kind were not aware of?  If so, how did Gabby play into it?

“Have you asked her about it?”

The line was quiet for several moments.  “She’s mad at me.  I could ask her, but I don’t think she’ll answer.”

I knew why he wanted me, then.  It was time to meet the elusive Gabby.  From what Emmitt told me, she sounded like an interesting and determined person.

“We’ll be there before dinner.”

I hung up the phone and nibbled at my nail.  I’d thought our lives were settling down.  What did it mean that Gabby was starting to ask these questions now?

“Everything okay, hun?” Emmitt asked.

“Da,” Aden interrupted, “Can you cut my pancakes?”

“Everything’s just fine, Da,” I said, stressing his newly acquired title.

It was as if Richard had never been.  It saddened me a little that my brothers wouldn’t have any happy memories of either parent, but I would make sure they knew how much our mom and Richard had loved them.

“Just a minute, bud,” Emmitt said to Aden.  Liam reached over to help Aden with his pancake as Emmitt walked over to where I stood, still by the phone. He wrapped me in a huge hug.

A girl—a young woman, really—stood inside an office by the door, head bowed, waiting.  Her bleached hair obscured most of her pale face.  Still, I felt I knew her.