Klepto POV

My arms are wrapped tight around a warm body. I don't move for awhile, letting the hug take me over. It's nice to immerse myself in a seemingly endless embrace.

"Thanks for coming to help with the boys." My Dad says on a content sigh, leaning back to look at me. I smile at him, nodding silently and giving him a squeeze.

It seems too good to be true that I have his love again.

My Mom is still locked up, and I don't really have time to worry about it. As if I would ever worry about it in the first place.

"You're welcome. I know you've had it rough watching all the kids by yourself." I reply, looking around the house, trying to find any sign of the rambunctious children I call my siblings.

My Dad scoffs, "No kidding. You seem to be the only one who can keep up with them. Not to mention, I'm the only one at home with them. Everyone seems to be out and about nowadays."

I raise an eyebrow at that.

"Where is everyone?"

"Parker, Martha, and Penelope are still in school, Tressa and Tabitha are always busy with working in the pack house, and Teller is always out with his friends, but I'm trying to convince him to join patrol, take some charge."

I nod silently, thinking about all of the way too many siblings I have. Most of them just pretend I don't exist. I can't even remember the last time I spoke to Tabitha or Teller, or our oldest brother, Marcus. He's in another pack now that's near Charleston to be with his mate. His mate is an Alpha's daughter, which means he will become the Alpha someday.

He never visits or calls. Marcus abandoned our family, so I don't really care if I ever see him again.

The abrupt noise of fumbling footsteps fills the air. The sound bounces off the walls as two little tikes race down the stairs like their lives depend on getting to the bottom as soon as they can.

"Kleppy! Kleppy!!!" Daniel leaps into my arms, his little blonde head hitting me in the legs, nearly knocking me over .

"Hey guys!" I go to hug Felix, but he wriggles and fights in my grip to get out. I ruffle his hair and he shares a shy smile with me.

"Where's Ezra?" Daniel demands, tugging on my jeans with a tiny frown on his beat red face. His face always seems to be flushed when he spends the whole day playing.

"He's busy, but I'm here!"

Daniel gives me a grin, but barely hides his disappointment that my mate isn't here. One glance at Felix shows that he's just as sad.

"Looks to me like they have a new favorite, huh?" Dad asks, elbowing me with a teasing smile. I narrow my eyes, no way Ezra is their favorite. They met the guy one time!

"How's that going anyway?" He asks, the joking set aside for now.

I scratch the back of my neck, not quite sure how to tell him.

"Well, uh, we're actually planning our mating ceremony....?" My Dad's gray eyes that match mine are now as wide as dinner plates, his lips parting.

"And when were you going to tell me this?"

I shrug, blushing. It's new, we're new. My relationship with Ezra has just officially begun, and I am beyond nervous but also wickedly excited all at the same time.

Ezra is over the moon about it too. After our kiss yesterday, he was beaming the rest of the day. This morning when we woke up, he kissed me again, and again when he left to patrol this morning.

Every time I think about him butterflies flutter around in my stomach like they're trying to break free. I feel alive and way too excited, hopeful for the future and what it will bring.

Maybe it's finally time for me to have a happy life.

"Are you and Ezra mates?" Felix asks, and I bend down to his level, putting my hand on his shoulder.

"He sure is. How do you feel about that?"

Daniel butts in, once more pulling on my clothes to try and catch my attention.

"No, Kleppy! He'll take you away!" He insists, his lip pouting out. I reach for him, pulling him into my lap and hugging him tight.

"I'm not going anywhere! You can believe that, not without you two." I swear, and they look a bit relieved at the information. My gaze continues to watch them with adoration. I know I can never leave here without them at my side.

"Besides," I say, "you should be excited. That means Ezra will be your uncle." I nudge Daniel in the ribs, earning a giggle.

"Uncle Ezra!" Felix grins from ear to ear, his mood turning jubilant at the idea of having my mate for his uncle. I guess my Dad was right. They really do love Ezra.

And I have to admit, he's growing on me too.

The next thing I know, I'm being dragged into the backyard. Felix wants to show me his igloo he built out of snow.

Since it's made for little people, I'm nervous when I spot it, but they beg me to come inside. Thankfully I fit, but just barely. As soon as I shimey right in, I'm thankful I wore Ezra's thick, down jacket... mostly because it smells like him. His spicy scent surrounds me in a cocoon of contentment.

When I look around the itty bitty igloo, I see the plethora of toys strewn on the snowy ground. Daniel's stuffed animals are placed strategically around to make it seem like they're hanging out.

As soon as Daniel gets to his precious toys, he pats them each on the head.

"So, what exactly do y'all do in here?" I wonder, tapping my chin and glancing at them with amusement.

"We play." Felix explains simply, lifting an action figure and making sounds as he pretends to fight with a stuffed rabbit.

"Hey!" Daniel snatched the rabbit away, "Don't hurt Hoppy. He doesn't like to fight." He squeezes the toy to his chest, frowning at his older brother.

"Well, I need to fight someone." He gestures to his action figure as if it's obvious. I shake my head, laughing at their conversation. That's when an idea suddenly pops into my head.

"Hey, how about a snowball fight?" My adorable little brothers light up when I say this, and I assume that they haven't had a snowball fight since it's snowed.

I like to think it's because they waited for me.

"Can we have hot chocolate afterward?" Felix asks over his shoulder as he crawls out of the igloo, unknowingly kicking snow all over me.

"We sure can, buddy."

As soon as we're out of the igloo, we run to take cover. I plop down behind a tree, going for a fluffy pile of snow and making snowball and snowball, building up as much ammunition as I can.

I don't pack them too much, because I don't want them to be hard. They hold their shape but remain light.

Poking my head out from behind the tree, I search out the enemies with hawk eyes. I spot Daniel immediately, he's not well hidden behind the igloo. He's still working on one snowball, making it bigger and bigger.

Felix is a bit harder for me to find, but I eventually do. He's crouched low to the ground behind the picnic table, barely visible behind the mounds of snow piled up on the wood.

His concentration on forming snowballs makes me once again admire how smart he is for only 5 years old.

I feel like an expert spy when I start sneaking towards him. Creeping closer until I have an open shot, I raise my hand slowly, the cold, wet lump of snow numbing my fingers.

The winter weapon goes flying through the air, finding its unsuspecting target. My aim is spot on.

Felix yelps. He's surprised by my attack, but he's ready to counter it, he's already grabbing a snowball and hurling it at me.

I duck out of the way just in time, laughing as I reach into my pocket for more. I don't waste any time in standing around like a sitting duck.

She shoots, she scores!

I wince when the snowball smacks Felix in the face. I can tell he's disoriented, but not mad or hurt. Thank goodness for that.

Then comes Daniel, his ridiculously enormous snowball practically dragging on the ground. I stifle my snickering, trying not to offend him. He's just too adorable.

Just when he lifts it over his head, ready to charge at me, a low hum fills the air.

The sound sends a leak of dread through my system, and my eyes widen. It's a mournful signal to end my gleeful afternoon. I take a staggering step forward, nearly toppling over as I know what's happening.

"Kleppy," Daniel clutches my leg, his eyes round with fear and confusion, "what's that sound?"

The quiver in his voice breaks my heart, and I reach down to grab his hand. I swivel my head to look at Felix, he walks towards us while watching the sky, trying to spot the source of the noise.

"We need to go. Right now."

The sirens. The sirens are blaring.

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My hands shake from carrying Daniel, but I continue on. There are children crying, women murmuring, the whole atmosphere in the bunker is grim.

The people are scared, and I don't blame them. We'd only have one attack from rogues years and years ago, and it's detrimental. The grating of the sirens filling the room isn't helpful.

I travel through the small bunker, the cement walls dark and the air stuffy. Passing person after person, I hold Felix's little hand. Every now and then, I watch him to make sure he's okay.

My search is for one thing, my siblings. I need to find them. I have to make sure that they're okay. All I have to look for is a bunch of blonde heads.

Finally, I spot them. I immediately charge towards them quickly, rushing to get to their side.

Tressa, Tabitha, Martha, Penelope, and Parker all sit in a circle. Tressa holds Parker to her chest, playing with his hair and speaking to him quietly. Her other slim arm is wrapped around Martha. It seems to me that she has taken on the mother role in the household.

"There you are!" Tabitha says in a worried tone, ripping Felix from my grip and reaching for Daniel as soon as I get to where they are.

I take a step back, dodging her attempt to steal him. I growl at her, glaring. Her crystal blue eyes shine with shock. She hadn't been expecting that from me, but I am not backing down. Not anymore.

"Don't." I demand, and she stays silent, nodding. She holds Felix in her lap and I want to go off on her, but there's no time for that.

"Where's dad?" Asks Tressa, watching me with her eyebrows drawn tightly together. This close I notice the fading black eye she has. I wince at the sight.

"He's gone to help fight. I didn't wait around." I put Daniel down, and he grabs my pants again, frantically trying to get my attention.

"Where's Uncle Ezra?" He demands.

"He's at the border patrol. I'm sure he's fighting hard to protect us." I gulp, nervous at what he's going through right now. He's my mate, and we're finally together.

I don't want to lose him.

"Uncle Ezra?" Tressa asks, her lips suddenly pursed. I nod slowly, trying not to feel smug. Don't brag, don't brag, don't brag!

"Yes. We're mates. We're actually planning our mating ceremony now." I say, and boy do I sound smug. Stupid, stupid mate bond!

"I'm happy for you, Klepto. I really am." Tressa replies, and I can't believe it, but she sounds sincere, and she looks sincere. I'm shocked.

"Uh... thanks?" She nods, meekly tucking a blonde lock behind her ear. Martha and Penelope silently watch from the sidelines. They're snuggled together under a blanket, content to observe in silence. Parker just stares at his hands, not sparing a glance at anything or anyone.

Bending down, I take a hold of Daniel's little shoulders. He smiles bravely at me. I hug him to me, and wish I could do more for him. But I need to go.

I need to find my mate. There is no time to waste.

"Watch them. Take care of them." I say, looking directly into Tressa's eyes, gauging her reaction to my command. She simply nods her head and gives me a ghost of a smile.

"I will. Go, find your mate." I turn around, making my way once again through the depressing bunker without another word.

The sirens blares on and on. They show no signs of stopping anytime soon, and I guess that's a good thing. At least we are semi-prepared.

I make it to the outside, I take a whiff of the air, making sure there are no peeping toms out and about, ready to catch me in the act.

When I see that the coast is clear, I strip my clothes, not bothering to fold them. My pants, shirt, jacket, and underwear all end up in a wad in the snow. I shift immediately, torpedoing into the woods like a mad woman.

I need to help, even if I don't really know how. I have to do the best that I can...because that is enough. It has to be.

My nose leads me on and on, and I ignore the feeling of danger sizzling under the surface of my skin. I have to get to the border.

I lost Ezra for a long time, I'm not losing him again.

My paws ache, my ears flicker in irritation. Something isn't right.

I stop in the middle of the woods, spinning in a wide circle to try and scope out any danger from all angles. My hackles rise, a shiver of foreboding making its way into each of my limbs with a buzz.

A low growl fills the chilly air, and I whip around, giving my own warning snarl.

The two rogues prowling towards me are ugly things. Their coats are patchy and matted, their teeth yellow. The one to the left is black with a brown snout and paws. The other is a shaggy, gray wolf with evil eyes, I don't doubt he wants to watch me suffer.

They circle me, snapping at my legs and giving me short, mean barks. The bastards are toying with me.

I charge. The black and brown wolf yelps when I bite his leg. His rancid blood fills my mouth, making me sick with nausea. I let go, but only for a second as the evil, gray wolf comes at me.

He tries to pounce on me, but I'm much smaller than him and I'm able to scurry away before he can catch me.

My instincts suddenly kick in and I go underneath him. I bite into his underbelly, catching him by surprise.

The rogue howls, bucking around to try and dislodge me, but I'm not letting go. My claws rake into his flesh. His blood covers my fur, soaking it down to the roots.

He cries out again, finally successful in dislodging me, but the damage is already done. The rogue collapses to the ground with a defeated moan. The amount of blood flowing from his open, ragged wounds is lethal. He won't be walking this one off.

The other rogue seems to be in shock, his dark eyes widening as he looks at me. That look makes me falter. Guilt surges forward when I realize that his companion is dead. Oh Goddess, he's dead.

I just killed someone.

I barely notice when the other rogue scampers away, I'm too distracted by the corpse slouched in the fluffy snow. My heart thunders in my chest so loud that I don't hear the the sirens anymore.

All I can see is the endless puddle of red in front of me.

What have I done?

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If you're reading this, I love you:)