A Moment in Time(17)

"Come with me." Apollo refused to take no for an answer as he pulled  Grayson with him across the floor to the double doors for the rec room.  "Iben, could you and Zack watch the kids for a little while? We're going  to go take a walk down by the lake."

Iben glanced back over his shoulder from his position tucked in Zack's  arms. Both men were curled up on one of the couches watching cartoons  with the kids. "Not a problem. You want us to just let them crash here  or put them upstairs if they pass out?"

"Just let them crash here. We shouldn't be more than an hour. We'll grab them when we come in."

Iben nodded and turned back to whatever movie they were all watching.  Apollo kept his hand entwined with Grayson as he led the man back across  the room and out the front door. Luckily, Iben had taken over the old  alpha's house when he took over the pack and he wasn't far from the edge  of the lake.

Aberdeen Lake was a thing of beauty with its deep, crystal clear waters  and the majestic snow-capped mountains off in the background. The marina  was on one side, with houses dotting the landscape around the rest of  it.

It was one of Apollo's favorite places to just go and sit and enjoy the  fact that he was alive. And he wanted to share that with his mate,  especially since it looked like Grayson was unraveling.

Apollo led Grayson down to an area that most mated couples enjoyed at  one time or another. He was a little surprised to find it empty but glad  that it was. He was also thrilled that he could share it with someone  for the first time in his life.

The spot was a series of large logs sitting in a semicircle with a fire  pit in the middle. Apollo sat down on the log facing the lake then slid  down to his butt, leaning back against the large log.

He held his hand up to Grayson, inviting his mate to join him.

"I'm a lot bigger than you, Apollo," Grayson argued. "You won't even be able to see the lake."

Apollo rolled his eyes and scooted back up onto the log, lifting an eyebrow as he gazed up at his mate. "Better?"

Grayson wasn't that much bigger than him.

"Just sit, mate."

Grayson sat, but it took him a moment to get comfortable back against  the log. Apollo slid closer, letting Grayson settle back between his  thighs. He pressed a kiss to the top of the man's head and then started  kneading his shoulders, trying to loosen some of the tension in the  man's muscles.

"You are so stressed, Grayson."

"I can't help it."

Apollo smiled as he leaned down next to Grayson's ear. "I think I can."

"Yeah?" Grayson tilted his head to one side, looking at Apollo with so  much hope on his face that he knew he couldn't let Grayson down. "How?"

"By being there for you, by convincing you that you don't have to do this alone."

"I know that but I-"

"I want you to listen to me, Grayson." Apollo knew he had been rude  interrupting his lover, but Grayson just wasn't listening and he really  needed to.

"Apollo-"

"Please?"

Grayson's shoulders slumped. "Okay, Apollo."

"Despite these gorgeous muscles, you are not superman. You cannot do it  all on your own. And you have help in me and everyone in this pack. Do  you agree?"

"I guess."

"No guessing," Apollo said. "That's just the way we roll."

Grayson chuckled, as Apollo had intended.

"There are a lot of changes going on, some good, some not so good."  Apollo drew in a deep breath because he was about to do the one thing he  had sworn he would never do-hurt his mate. "I know that you love Molly  and CJ. But you are not their mom and dad, Grayson. You never will be."







Grayson's sharp inhale was half sob, half growl. His muscles tensed as  he started to pull away. Apollo tightened his grip, refusing to let his  mate go. "They will love you and accept you in the parental role, but  you can't replace their parents no matter how hard you try. So, stop  trying. Be there for them, love them, and realize that it's okay to mess  up and not be perfect. It's okay to not be Carlos and Megan."

Apollo chewed on his lip as he waited for Grayson's reaction to what he  had said. The silence that hung in the air was daunting, broken only by  their breathing and a soft breeze blowing through the trees.

"I just want them to be okay," Grayson whispered.

"And that's why you are going to make such a wonderful parent. You would do anything to make sure Molly and CJ are okay."

Grayson chuckled as he wiped his nose. "I would."

"And that's why I love you so much."

Grayson stilled again. This time, Apollo couldn't even hear the man  breathe. He finally turned and looked over his shoulder. "You love me?"

Apollo curved his hand around the side of Grayson's cheek and brought their foreheads together. "Yes, Grayson, I love you."

"Even when I'm being such an idiot?"

Apollo smiled at the apprehension he could hear in the normally so  self-assured man. "Yes, even when you're being an idiot. I never dreamed  of a perfect mate, Grayson. I dreamed of you."

Apollo couldn't resist Grayson when his eyes twinkled. He leaned in for a  kiss, but before their lips could meet, he saw Grayson's eyes widen,  his gaze on something behind Apollo's head. Apollo started to turn to  see what it was But Grayson pulled him down off the log and shoved him  to the ground, hovering over the top of him.

"Grayson, wha-"

Grayson's hand covered Apollo's mouth. He crouched down behind the log  but pointed. Apollo nodded. Once Grayson dropped his hand, Apollo rolled  onto his stomach and peeked over the top of the log.

Apollo wished he had stayed pressed down into the dirt and blissfully  unaware of the contingent of armed men creeping through the woods toward  the alpha house. He could have gone his entire life without knowing  about them, but it would have been a very short life.

Apollo turned and grabbed Grayson's face, pressing their lips together. "I love you," he murmured almost sub-vocally.

"Apollo, what are you-"

"I'm going to create a distraction. I need you to go warn everyone in  the alpha house." Apollo pressed their foreheads together, emotion  clogging his throat. "Keep yourself safe for me, mate."

In one fluid motion, Apollo was over the tree log before Grayson could  say a word. He wished he had brought his knives with him, but the only  thing he'd been thinking about was getting Grayson down to the lakeside,  not fighting off threats to his pack.

Racing toward the threat, Apollo shifted midair, his paws hitting ground  as he bared his canines. A low, dangerous growl ripped from his chest  as he took down the first guy. Apollo twisted sideways, sinking his  sharp teeth deep into the bastard's throat, tearing flesh from bone. Let  the son of a bitch come back from that.

Apollo set his sights on his next victim when he heard a howl tear  through the air. If he was in human form, a vicious smile would have  turned the side of his mouth upward.

He would know that howl anywhere.

His brothers were heading his way.

Now it was time to party.

Pressing his paws into the earth, Apollo threw his head back, filled his  lungs, and answered the call with his own long, lethal howl. He took  one slow step at a time, lowering his head and locking eyes with the  next unfortunate man who had thought coming into Aberdeen territory was a  bright idea.

A handful stayed their ground, but most of the interlopers raced toward  the alpha house. He was confident that Ares and Hercules-as well as the  other trained enforcers-would take the attackers down.

Apollo flattened his ears before baring his canines. The guy standing in  front of him gave Apollo a nasty little growl. "Why don't you shift and  then I'll see what you're truly made of."

Fuck it. If the guy wanted to see Apollo's human side, it was a death  wish he would gladly grant. He shifted and then smirked. "Either form,  you're going to die."

The guy charged him, trying to slug Apollo in the jaw. It was an amateur  move. Apollo almost felt sorry for the prick-almost. He spun sideways,  delivering a heavy blow to the side of the man's face before following  the punch with a swipe of his leg, knocking the guy off his feet.

"Bastard!" the guy shouted before jumping up.







Apollo didn't give him time to breathe. He closed the distance, his  hands moving so fast that the air around him sizzled. Apollo slammed his  fist fast and hard. He twisted and delivered the killing blow before  the stranger collapsed to the ground.

Apollo's head snapped to the side, pointing at the guy who was standing there with wide eyes. "Let's do this."

"That was my brother!" The guy howled before his heavy frame moved  forward like a large locomotive heading down the track at full steam.  Before the man could get within grabbing distance, Apollo snarled,  driving his elbow into the stranger's throat, crushing his windpipe.

He ducked just in time as a bullet whizzed past his head. Apollo locked  onto the guy with the gun. He began to walk forward in a predator's  gait, saying, "You are going to pay for that."