I gulped, this was what I had been dreading. I knew Xavier had already connected with her, but I didn't know how he was going to take the fact that I wanted to adopt her. I also was terrified of what my parents would think of that. "Well, um, why don't we ask Kallie?" I stalled, but it was also logical to ask the child in question.

Kallie looked up at us from having her head buried in my neck. "I want to stay." She mumbled.

"Stay here?" Mom asked gently.

Kallie shrugged and glanced at me. "Wherever April is."

I tightened my arms around her and held back the tears that threatened to spill, so sick of all the crying today. Even though they were happy tears, I was getting a little annoyed with them.

I looked my mom in the eye. "She's my friend from the cells, but I've been thinking about it and I want to adopt her." I peeked at my mate to see his reaction, and I was honestly surprised to see him smiling.

He spoke up, "are you sure you're ready to take on a kid though, April?"

I held onto the child defensively, "I don't care if we aren't; she's my daughter and I won't let you guys take her away from me!"

Xavier wrapped an arm around me, "hey, relax! That's not what I meant." She assured me and I called down a little, but I was confused. "I've grown attached to her too, since I brought her here. I would love if she became part of our family. I was just making sure you wanted to put on the challenge; remember, you're not as strong as you once were."

I nodded; as much as it hurt to admit, I knew I wasn't the same girl I was a year ago. But I did know one thing: Kallie was mine and I was going to protect her at all costs. I couldn't let her go again, the months without her proved that.

"What about her birth pack?" Dad piped up, "how would they feel to know she was just adopted from someone other than her family?"

"She only remembers one thing from her previous life," Xavier told him. "And it's that her parents were killed and most of her pack is gone. She doesn't want to go back where she'll be haunted of that day for the rest of her life."

Dad nodded thoughtfully. "It's your guys' decision," he said. "I won't try to dissuade you, but I want you to think about how this will change your lives completely."

I nodded. "I know, Dad. But our lives have already been turned around. This is the first thing I've gotten to choose what could happen for the last year. I want her, Xavier wants her, and she wants us."

Kallie squirmed until I put her down. She padded over to my father and looked up at him. "You could be my grandpa." She whispered and I saw his heart melt.

"I'd like that." He said with a smile and she beamed with happiness.

"I can stay!" She squealed, turning and throwing herself back into my arms. I staggered, my body not being able to take the impact very well.

Xavier noticed and took Kallie into his own arm and steadied me with the other. I smiled at him warmly.

I gave another round of hugs to everyone after deciding I was overdue for a good night of sleep. Meadow, Willow, Xavier, and Kallie followed me up the stairs while Ivy and August went to the living room. I was so happy they were mates, but it was crazy to see August all grown up like that.

I felt like I'd missed out on so much of my family's lives. August had shifted and May was five now. I missed the friends I'd made here, and I felt behind on their lives as well. I mean Andrew found his mate for goodness sake!

I climbed into my bed for the first time in so many months, sighing in happiness. Xavier climbed in next to me and placed Kallie between us. She cuddled next to me and was asleep almost instantly.

I smiled at her before looking up and meeting my mate's gorgeous blue eyes. "Xavier, a lot of things happened in that mansion. Things you're not going to like, for both my sake and Kallie's sake."

"Shh," he reached over Kallie and rubbed my arm. "We don't have to talk about it all now. Or ever if it's too painful for you. I understand if you never want to tell the story. Just go to sleep; you need it."

He reached up and brushed the tear off my face I hadn't realized was falling. I gave him a small smile and shifted both Kallie and myself closer to him. He wrapped his arms around us both, and I closed my eyes peacefully for the first time in ten months as I cuddled close with my new family.