"You are a goddess," Killian said, stepping up behind Naomi where she was adjusting her dress in the mirror.

Her cheeks reddened as they always did, and he smirked, bending his head to press his lips to her neck.

She gave a little shiver, smiling cutely at him through the reflection before she turned around.

"Thank you," she said. "I don't really know what to do with my hair. I wish I could braid my own."

Her hair was long and thick, and always looked like a mess when she attempted to braid it. She had to pull it to the side to reach it.

She had tried so many times. She braided some of the younger girls hair, but never her own.

"I can," Killian said.

"You can?" She was shocked.

"My mom taught me. She said it would be a good skill if I ever had a daughter. I have always been hot headed, I think she was trying to teach me patience. I can't do anything fancy."

She turned to face the mirror once more, handing him her brush. He was so gentle with his movement. It was so endearing.

"This is perfect. Thanks, Kill," she said, standing on her tiptoes to give him a kiss. "You better get dressed."

He hummed against her lips, moving his to wrap around her waist, pulling her to his front, deepening it. Heat flooded his body

He released her, licking his lips as he moved to the bathroom to get changed.

His suit was the same color as Naomi's dress. He chose to wear a black fitted t-shirt underneath the jacket.

Naomi had to make sure her jaw didn't drop when Killian emereged. She had never seen him dress up this formally before. He was so handsome.

He flashed a lopsided grin. He liked that she was blatantly checking him out.

"You like?" he asked, doing a silly little twirl. He was hoping to make her laugh, and the giggle she released was so worth it.

"You'll have to be up front on the platform with me," he said on their walk to the sparring field where the Beta ceremony was being held.

He heard her suck in a shaky breath, but she nodded.

"You're going to do great," he said. "I'm right by your side."

She did her best not to look at the crowd of people who watched as they moved closer.

He took her hand, guiding her up the few steps to stand next to Mickie and Joe. He shook their hands.

"Good morning," Killian greeted, his stern voice breaking the chatter of the crowd. "I'm thankful that you all decided to come witness the day that Mickie Hardman becomes Moon Valley's beta, my beta. I couldn't think of someone more fitting to help me lead."

It was quite a simple ceremony. Joe said a few words about his departure and then Killian formally recognized Mickie as his second in command.

It wasn't until their walk home that chaos happened.

"Fuck," Killian said, looking up at the pack house. All of the windows on the ground level were smashed. "How the hell did this happen?"

Mickie who was walking with them stepped closer. The broken glass crunched under his shoes. "Most people were at the induction."

Naomi noticed a boy in all black trying to sneak around the side of the house.

"Kill," she said, tugging on his jacket to get his attention.

"You," Killian boomed, startling the boy who didn't even notice them. He looked about ready to run, but Killian reached him in about three pissed strides. "You're the one who was talking shit about your Luna the other day."

"So?" the boy asked, his attitude prominent.

"You're McAllister's boy," he noted. John McAllister was a single father, but had a really rough time with cancer. It wasn't common for wolves to be ill which made it even more difficult to deal with. "Do you want to tell me why the hell you smashed the windows?"

Mickie joined them, dropping a baseball bat at their feet. "Look what I found."

Killian's anger wasn't what he expected it to be. He saw a lot of himself in the young teen who was acting out for attention. He thought a lot about what his father would do in the situation.

"You'll be running laps before training and after. All of these windows will have to be replaced, and to pay for it you'll be doing dishes every night."

The boy's tough facade faltered. "My dad's treatment isn't working," he whispered. "There's a trial medication but we can't afford it."

"The pack sets asides funds for each family for those sort of things," Killian said, cooling his tone.

"We've used it all," he murmured, and he swore he could see tears in the boys eyes.

"You just needed to talk to us. I'm sure we could figure something out."

"Like a fundraiser," Naomi said, speaking out for the first time. "We could do that."

Killian was surprised to hear his shy girl speak up, but so damn proud. It took everything not to smile.

"It's a good idea. We'll talk to your dad soon, but you need to get inside and get all of that glass cleaned up, and you need to help cover the holes for the night."

"Yes Alpha," he said, "I'm sorry." He turned towards the house before he turned back to Naomi. "Thank you, Luna."

---

"You did good today," Killian said as they finally got home.

"I didn't mean to step on your toes," she murmured.

"Not at all." He wrapped her tiny frame into his arms. "You are just as important as me or Mickie to this pack. I know it's very overwhelming, and I am so proud of you."

She smiled, and he leaned down to give her a gentle kiss.

"You're going to plan the fundraiser."

"What?" she tried to pull away but he kept a steady grip.

"I have no doubt you can do it, sweetheart." His hands went to her cheeks, his thumb skimming soothingly. "Obviously, I will help, but I think you are going to do really great at this."