One Month Later...

Grace

It had been a difficult transition into the pack for Cora. We were guessing she was about four years old, almost five, but she didn't know for sure how old she was or when her birthday is. She struggled with sleeping, waking up most nights with nightmares. She was underweight and we had a hard time getting her to eat more than just a few bites of food at a time.

Owen has been amazing with her, so patient and gentle. He cooks her whatever she asks for, reads her bed time stories. He shifts into wolf form and lays in her bed with her until she falls asleep because Cora said it keeps the monsters away.

I was a bawling mess the first time she said that.

The only people she had spent time with were us and Gavin and Liam, besides the occasional visit to town. I wanted her to be seen by an actual pediatrician and Owen was in agreement with that. But with all of the progress she had been making we decided to enroll her in the pack preschool. Even though her physical condition was not what it should be, the coven had done well with her education. She knew all of the basics a child about to start school should know, plus a vast array of magical information that I told her not to worry about for a long time.

We can get to that when and if she's ready.

I walk down into the living room to find Cora fast asleep on Owen's chest. He's snoring quietly and the blanket they had covering them is half on the floor. The sight makes my heart swell. I didn't know I could love Owen more, but seeing this large, Alpha male be so sweet with such a sensitive little girl batters my already sensitive heart.

I pad over quietly and nudge Owen awake. He gives me a warm smile when he sees me and reaches out to hold my hand.

"Morning, love. She woke up with a nightmare and you had just gotten to sleep so I brought her down here." He says quietly. My morning sickness has been lasting all day and seems to hit me worse at night, so sleep had become a luxury.

"Thank you, baby. That's sweet. I'm going to get her ready for school." Owen nods and shakes Cora gently. Her little eyes pop open and she gets an excited smile when she sees me. She reaches out for me and I lift her into my arms.

She's almost too big for me to lift, but I missed so much already I want to savor as much of this as I can. I push back the damp hair from her face as she snuggles into me.

"She's like a tiny little space heater." Owen says, pulling his sweat damp shirt away from his chest. I giggle at the sight.

"And that's saying a lot coming from a werewolf." I say and he chuckles with me.

"I'll make her breakfast." He says, pecking a kiss to her head and touching his lips to mine.

I carry Cora upstairs and give her a few options for her clothes. As I help her slip on her shirt she looks at me with a contemplative stare.

"I love Owen." She says firmly. I smile cup her cheek.

"He loves you too." I say and a bright smile crashes across her little face. I pull her blonde hair back and tie it into a braid.

"Should I tell him?" She asks and I smile chuckle a little.

"Sure, if you want to." I say and she nods.

"I never had a daddy. It's nice." She says quietly and a pinch of pain pierces through my heart.

"Owen and I will always be here for you, baby girl." I say, kissing her forehead firmly, trying to force my love into her until it lights her up from the inside out.

"I love you, Gracie." She says, her childlike voice sounds like bells on Christmas morning.

"I love you, too." I respond, swinging her up into my arms and carrying her to the kitchen where Owen has eggs, toast and yogurt ready for her. She still eats a pretty bland diet, but we're hoping she opens to up to more foods the longer she stays with us.

Soon we are walking towards the preschool, each of us holding one of Cora's hands and smiling at each other over the top of her head. My hand instinctively goes to my belly, thinking how we will be doing this soon with our son.

We reach the school and I lean down to look at Cora, adjusting the straps on her little backpack and kissing her cheek. Her eyes are wide and bright with excitement as she smiles back at me.

"Are you ready, baby girl?" I ask her and she nods enthusiastically.

"I got this!" She says before launching herself at me and giving me a warm hug. She pulls away and turns to Owen, pulling on his hand until he lowers himself to her height.

"I love you, Owen!" She says brightly. Clear shock sprints across his face until a warm smile replaces it. His wolf lets out a happy little purr before he pulls her into a tight hug.

"I love you too, sweetie." He says, kissing the top of her head.

She turns to walk away, turning back to give us a quick wave before bounding towards the school. Almost at the door, she bumps into a little boy. He turns to look at her, about to scold her until they lock eyes. His face morphs into a sweet little smile. I turn and look at Owen curiously, but he just grunts.

"Ah, shit." He mutters under his breath and starts walking towards them. I follow him and hear what the boy says next.

"I'm Ethan." The boy says and Cora smiles at him.

"I'm Cora." She responds and my mouth gapes in shock. It took her days to speak to Gavin and Liam and here she is, talking to this little boy like it's nothing.

"We're best friends." Ethan proclaims proudly and Cora looks at him confused.

"We are?" She asks and he nods.

"Yeah. Mates are best friends." He says and I gasp, looking over at Owen. He puts his hand on my shoulder and squeezes a little telling me to relax, but Cora just shrugs and grabs the boys' hand.

"Alright." She agrees and they walk into the school together.

I round on Owen, pure horror all over my face.

"What the hell?! Isn't he a bit young to recognize his mate?" I ask and Owen shrugs.

"Not really. We feel our wolves our whole lives. We can pretty much recognize them from the time we can talk." He says gently, obviously scared I'm going to freak out.

"He won't try to mark her will he?!" I ask as I begin to panic and turn to go back to the school.

Owen turns me in his arms and crushes me to his chest, rubbing his hands up and down my back to calm me.

"No, love. He won't shift until he turns sixteen. He can't mark her until then." He says and I feel the panic begin to subside.

"So what do we do? Will it be impossible to keep them apart?" I ask and he shrugs again.

"They will be close. They'll grow up as best friends. It's not unheard of to find a mate that young. They won't have any of the mature feelings like we had until they are much older. For now, it's just an intense friendship. And honestly, I think it will do Cora some good. Having a mate will help her adjust." He says and I nod in understanding, still not thrilled with the idea.

"I just got her and now I have to share her with some kid?" I ask and Owen chuckles, wrapping his arm around my shoulder as we walk back towards the house.

"She's still our child. We still need to raise her. Mold her into the person she's meant to be. She and Ethan will have fights and disagreements along the way. But look at the bright side, love. She has another person who will love her. Who will always be there for her. Who will protect her and cherish her." He says. I sigh, knowing he's right.

"I suppose. I wish I had found you sooner." I say, looking up at him. He chuckles and nods in agreement.

"Me too, love. Me too."