A Moment in Time(14)

Even though Apollo knew the Aberdeen pack was tightknit, it still amazed  him how they came together in time of need. There was no arguing, no  himhawing around. Everyone knew what needed to be done and they just did  it. No one could ask for a better pack to belong to. Apollo couldn't  wait for Grayson to be a part of his family.

According to the map, the abandoned house could be reached from two  different directions. With the new road, getting close to the abandoned  house wouldn't be too much of a problem.

It could also be reached by going through the woods.

Apollo chose that route he suspected Grayson would be using since his  mate wanted to keep his pack members hidden. It meant a little extra  time, but Apollo had a feeling this was the best way to meet up with his  mate.

Ares, Hank, and Hercules took the vehicles and headed for the road.  Apollo took off through the woods with Iben and Zack. Being who they  were, the three of them would make good time. They didn't move as fast  as they did while in wolf form, but they were still faster than humans.

After an hour, Iben asked, "Is that your mate?"

Apollo felt the relief wash over him and the tension drain when he  spotted not only his mate, but Grayson's pack as well. "Grayson," Apollo  said with a wide grin.

Coming down the hill, carrying a small child in his arms and holding the  hand of another, was Grayson. Even in denim shorts and splotches of  blood on his chest and face, Grayson was the most wonderful sight Apollo  had ever seen.

If it weren't for the others being around, Apollo would race to the man,  toss him down, and show Grayson just how happy he was to see him.

That would definitely come later.

Nevertheless, he didn't wait for the others. Apollo just started up the  hill toward the tall man who had become an integral part of his life in  such a short time. Apollo knew some would think it strange how quickly  he'd become attached to Grayson. Part of it was the fact that they were  mates. But a large part of it was the aura Grayson had. Apollo had never  met anyone who pulled him in so deeply and quickly.

Grayson was like a damn drug and Apollo needed his fix.

"God, I'm happy to see you." He started to lean forward to kiss his mate  only to remember the small child in Grayson's arms. He moved to the  side only to find his way blocked by another child, this one a couple of  years older than the one in Grayson's arms. "Um … "

Apollo didn't know what to do. He desperately wanted to kiss his mate,  to touch Grayson and reconnect with him, to know that the man was  actually standing in front of him. He just couldn't get to him.

"Here."

Apollo grappled as he suddenly found himself with an armful of sleeping  little girl. Before he could say or do anything, his face was grabbed  and then his lips were claimed in a kiss that curled his toes. By the  time he was allowed up for air, his knees were weak and he had to drag  massive amounts of air back into his lungs.

The little girl in his arm raised her head, rubbing her eyes as she  yawned. She just stared at him for the longest time as if trying to  decide if she should be afraid or not. Apollo smiled, hoping to keep her  calm.







"Molly, this is Apollo." Grayson grinned. "My mate."

Apparently, that was what the child needed to hear. She dropped her head  back down to Apollo's shoulder, snuggling her face into his neck.  Within moments, her soft snores filled his ear.

Apollo turned when he heard a throat clearing. His face flushed when he  saw the grin on Iben's face. He had totally forgotten to introduce his  mate and alpha. "Um, this is Alpha Ibenré Khenti," Apollo said as he  nodded toward the slim man.

Grayson's jaw dropped. "That's your alpha?"

Apollo could see where Grayson would be shocked. Iben stood five foot  seven and weighed almost half of what Apollo did. He was a slip of a man  who wore eyeliner and lived to shop online for new clothes. He did not  look like a lethal alpha that scared even the Lycan Council.

"Don't let looks deceive you, Grayson." Apollo chuckled when a few of  the kids walked over and started talking to Iben as if he was one of  them. Apollo's chuckle deepened when one of the smaller ones lifted his  arms in the universal sign to be picked up. "That's the deadliest man  you will ever meet."





Chapter 8




Grayson was a little in awe of how everyone in the Aberdeen Pack seemed  to accept him and the other survivors so readily. His head was still  spinning from everything that'd happened as they were quickly ushered  back to the alpha house, given food to eat, and places to sleep.

Grayson currently sat on one of the couches with CJ curled up sleeping  next to him. Apollo was slumped on the couch across from Grayson. His  mate's legs were stretched out in front of him as Apollo gazed down at  his new appendage. Molly was still attached to Apollo's chest like a  leech. She refused to allow anyone to remove her from the guy, screaming  and crying when anyone attempted it.

She was as taken with the handsome wolf as Grayson was.

"Eventually, we'll have to find someplace for them to sleep." Apollo  nodded toward Molly as his hand gently drew lazy circles over her back.  "She needs a real bed to sleep in as much as you and the others do."

With his heart hammering hard in his chest, Grayson hoped Apollo didn't  reject what he was about to state. He cleared his throat before he said,  "Your brother Ares told me that several pack members have come forward  and offered homes to the children as well as the others. But these two,  CJ and Molly, they belong to us."

Grayson's whole world turned upside down when Apollo shook his head. "That doesn't work for me."

"Apollo, I can't-"

Apollo just continued speaking as if Grayson hadn't said anything. "I  think that they all need your presence to reassure them that they are  safe, at least for a while. I've talked to Iben already about finding a  house large enough to hold us all."

"What?" It took a second for Grayson's mind to grasp what Apollo was saying.

"I know that some of the little ones will move on and maybe even some  might find families to take them in, but until that happens, they need  to be together somewhere that they feel safe. I figure if we're all  under one roof … " Apollo shrugged as he began to gently pat Molly's back.

Grayson felt his throat grow tight as he tried to swallow past the lump that had formed. "CJ and Molly are my sister's kids."

"I know." Apollo nodded with a sad little smile. "They look like you."

"I miss her." As happy as he was to find his mate, he still felt like  half of his heart had been ripped out of his chest. In one single  horrible moment in time, he had lost nearly all of his family. Except  for the two small cherubs he and Apollo held, he was alone in the world.

"We were pretty young when our pack was wiped out," Apollo said,  surprising Grayson. "If it hadn't been for Ares, we probably wouldn't  have survived. As it was, we were the only ones that lived through the  massacre and then only because our parents expected trouble and hid us  away before they died."

"I never knew that."

"Not many do. It isn't something we really like to talk about."

Grayson could understand that. It was hard for him to think about what  happened to his very own pack. "I just don't understand why someone  would attack my people. We were a small group. The only territory we had  sat between all of the houses. It's wasn't even one square mile. How  could that have been important to anyone?"

"Well, apparently it's important to someone," Iben said as he walked  into the room from his office. "I just received a phone call from Elder  Fielding. He heard that I called my father to register you and the  others as members. He didn't think it was a good idea."







Grayson sat up, turning quickly to catch his nephew when the boy's limp  body tumbled between his back and the cushions. He grabbed a throw  pillow from the end of the couch and propped it up under CJ's head then  pulled the blanket up over his small shoulders before turning to look at  Iben.

"Did he give a reason, or is he just naturally an asshole?"

"Actually, he's pretty much an asshole." Apollo chuckled. "But we're working on him."

Iben dropped into one of the many lounge chairs surrounding the  gathering area in the middle of the great room. "Elder Fielding seems to  think anyone from your old pack would be in danger if I registered you  as members of my pack."

"Why?"

Iben's dark eyes were intent, searching. "That's what I'd like to know."

"Um, guys." Apollo interrupted Grayson and Iben's conversation. "I think I might know."

Grayson's jaw dropped when he turned. "That's impossible."

A small wolf pup lay sleeping on Apollo's chest where Molly had been  only moments before, tangled in the fabric of what was once a baby  sleeper. The pup had the same dark chestnut-colored fur as Molly's hair.

"Apparently," Iben said, "it is possible."