The car ride to Zephyr's is mostly quiet.

Avery's day has been turned upside down, and she has a lot of paperwork to deal with before they even get to Moonstone Mountain.

Her heart aches for Mitchell, but a selfish part of her can't believe Kathleen revealed herself on one of the only days Avery isn't on packlands.

"He'll be okay, Ave, don't worry," Roman mutters, glancing up from his own laptop to take a look at Avery.

Her face is screwed up in a mixture of stress and disgust, and he gets out of his seat.

"Do you want to talk right now, or do you want some silence?" He asks softly, and Avery sighs.

"I want a hug," she mutters, and he engulfs her in his arms, patting her back lightly.

"Is there anything that I can do?" He asks, and she shrugs.

"I don't think so. Filling in these approval forms is literally killing me," she mumbles, pushing her hair back.

"Okay, then I'll do it," he suggests, gently prying the forms and the necessary file away from her.

"I need to do it, I'm the Alpha," she sighs, putting her hand out.

"Nobody will ever know. You rest your eyes for a few minutes, I don't want you to be upset when we get to Zephyr's," he whispers, kissing her temple before he returns to his seat.

She stares at him unsurely, biting her lip nervously.

"Are you sure? I know you have your own work to do," she reminds him, furrowing her brows.

"My work isn't necessary to do today. I took the full day off to spend with you. The fact I'm getting the business I need to do with Zephyr out of the way today is a bonus," he promises, "now put your head back and relax."

His tone is stern, and she decides it's easier to listen to him.

He cares for us, Sonya whimpers.

He's being stupid if he thinks I won't be upset when we get to Zephyrs, she grumbles, and Sonya immediately scolds her.

He wants to take some of the weight off your shoulders, and this is how he knows how to. Let him in, she growls, and Avery is slightly taken aback by her wolf.

Sonya rarely argues against her, but she seems set on this.

Avery uneasily decides to listen, scratching at her neck anxiously.

She never feels like something is done right unless she does it herself, which is something she's working on.

Well, this is the perfect test case, Sonya snorts, irked by her human's need to do everything herself.

Avery lets her eyes close slowly, getting comfortable in her seat as she shoots nervous glances in Roman's direction.

He cracks his neck, and she cringes at the sound, shaking her head like a dog with water in its ears does.

Her phone rings and she sighs, answering it after reading the name.

"Hey Zeph, we're on the way," she mutters, and her friend laughs on the other end.

"I'm assuming you're driving, because you wouldn't have answered if you were running," he reasons, and Avery rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, a lot of shit happened this morning. We'll fill you in when we get there," she quickly explains, and she can hear her friend laugh to himself.

"Roman is with you?" He asks teasingly, and Avery releases an irritated grunt.

"Yes, he is, would you like to say hello?" She questions sarcastically, and Zephyr agrees excitedly.

She has a Golden Retriever as a best friend.

"Ro, say hi to Zeph," she sighs, thrusting the phone in Roman's direction.

"Hey Zeph, I'm looking forward to seeing you, man," he grins, trying not to laugh at Avery's facial expression.

She looks so miserable that he actually feels bad at the fact his laugh almost slipped out.

He gently eases the phone out of her hand and clears his throat before speaking.

She watches him with curious eyes, furrowing her brow as he begins to speak.

"Okay, I'm going to hang up for you guys. Avery needs to sleep for a little bit, and we should be there in about an hour. We're just under halfway there," he explains, his eyes never leaving Avery's.

"That's perfect. I'll make sure that snacks are ready for your arrival, I know that the two of you like to nibble," Zephyr laughs, letting Roman hang up after they say their goodbyes.

"Get some sleep, Ave, you're not gonna miss anything," Roman promises, raising his hands in earnest.

"Okay. I'm trusting you here," she finally says, curling up into a ball.

He reaches over and drapes his jacket over her body, causing her to give him a little smile as she gets settled.

Avery slowly drifts off to sleep, and Roman watches her for a few minutes, a prominent frown on his face.

She looks so peaceful, Booker coos.

The wolf is absolutely obsessed with his mate, reminding Roman of her existence every five or ten minutes. He is entirely enamoured with her, and he praises her constantly to Roman. Roman finds it slightly cute, but also extremely annoying, because he focuses on the strangest things about her.

He never noticed that when she was upset or nervous that she tapped with her fingers, or when she was happy that she would try to purse her lips before they gave way to the biggest smile he has ever seen.

Booker notices everything, and he had never realised how observant his wolf actually was until it came to his mate.

He was desperate to mark her, but Roman was firm and clear about staying away from her neck until she was ready.

He was doing his best to support her and be the best mate he could be, but it was a little hard because they hadn't told anyone they were actually mates - well, Zephyr knew, and York knew because he was in the meeting, but apart from them, nobody has been told.

Both of them had decided that it would just complicate things, and it would lead to everyone trying to force them to move in with each other and solidify their bond.

They were both busy, and they both respected each other - Roman would never try to make Avery give up her title to be his Luna, because he knew how hard she had worked to take back her title. In the same way, Avery would never dream of asking him to give up his title to be demoted to her Male.

The crossroads that they had been stuck at for two months was complicated.

Avery wasn't sure what to do, but she had been open about that, which made it a lot easier for him to try and find solutions.

His best option was to try and work out some territory deals so that they could have a pathway between their packs, but it would still be a lot of work, even if he cashed in all of the favours he was owed.

He releases a stressed sigh, running a hand through his hair as he returns to work on the file he had confiscated from Avery.

He reads over what she had written, and he looks to the line for the reason of dissolution of the mating bond.

He clenches his jaw, picks up his pen, and slowly writes the word 'infidelity'.

Infidelity was on the rarer side, especially with mate bonds.

If someone cheated on you, and you were marked and mated fully, your wolf would feel every single movement.

That's why it was weird to him that Mitch didn't know.

Everyone knew what happened to wolves who were cheated on.

Everyone was taught the signs in school, because it was deemed to be extremely dangerous.

It doesn't sit right to him that Kathleen was able to cheat on Mitchell and sleep with even one other guy - the man surely would have felt it.

Maybe she was working with a witch?, Booker suggests, and Roman cringes at the suggestion.

I don't want to have to deal with another species in this decade. The vampires are enough, do you think they could have done something to Kathleen or Mitchell to cause this?, Roman asks thoughtfully, tapping his pen against his arm.

Yeah, the vampires are a handful alright, Booker muses, it could have been them. I suppose they could have enchanted her.

We should get a witch in to check then, Roman grumbles, typing a note reminder out on his phone.

He glances over at Avery, nearly having a heart attack when he realises her eyes are open and fully black.

"Ave, go back to sleep, we're almost there," he sighs, and she shakes her head.

"I want to run, with you," she insists, folding his jacket and undoing her seatbelt.

"Driver, we're going to run the rest of the way. We'll meet you there," she announces, and he blinks at her in confusion.

"What's with the sudden urge to run?" He asks, and she grins.

"Sonya wants to see Booker," she beams, flinging open the sliding door while the car is still moving.

"Jesus Christ, Avery," he roars, yanking her back into the vehicle.

The driver slams on the breaks, causing them both to fly forward.

"I was gonna roll down the hill," she protests, and he glares at her.

"You would have been killed," he hisses, releasing her and running both of his hands through his hair.

"I'm a werewolf," she responds, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, not indestructible, dumbass," he groans, his heart still racing.

"Sonya wanted to get outside as fast as she could," Avery shrugs, grabbing the bag for her clothes as she exits the vehicle properly.

"Thank you," Roman nods to the driver, following her out and flinging his hands in the air.

"If you had been killed, I would have dragged you back to life and then murdered you myself," he hisses, speeding up to walk past her.

He sends Zephyr a text to tell him they're going to run the rest of the way to his territory, and as he sends it, Avery clears her throat behind him.

He pockets his phone and turns around, his eyebrows rising and his jaw dropping slightly as his eyes land on a very naked Avery.

She grins, and then immediately shifts, nudging the bag of her clothes on the forest floor with his nose.

He stoops down to pick up the back, and she shakes her head, a wolfish grin on her face.

He puts the bag down and unbuttons his shirt, folding it and then putting it into the bag.

He slowly strips off, Avery sitting in front of him with her legs crossed, her ears perked up to listen for any invaders.

Once he finishes packing the bag, he bends down over her, securely fastening their clothes to her back.

She stands up and waits for him to shift, Sonya impatiently waiting for him to change into Booker so that they can run together.

His bones crack and shift into place, and Sonya forces Avery to the back of her mind.

Avery allows it to happen, excited for her wolf to spend some time with her mate.

As soon as Roman is ready to run, Sonya takes off at full speed in the direction of Zephyr's pack, her legs a blur as she zooms through the forest, jumping over fallen tree trunks, and dodging rocks.

Booker is surprised by the female's sudden urge for competition, but he immediately runs after her.

She's fast, but so is he, and he catches up to her with little bother.

The two of them notice each other at the same time, and Sonya stops in her tracks, causing Booker to do the same.

Sonya pads over to him, tentatively licking his face.

He doesn't shake her off or snap at her, so she continues, licking all around his ears too.

He lowers himself to the ground so that he's resting on the ground, letting his female mark his as hers.

Once she seems satisfied by her work, she sits back proudly, her tail wagging like a puppy.

She only gets a minute of sitting time, because Booker tackles her to the ground, licking her neck and face with just as much enthusiasm as she had.

Their humans don't want them to mark each other, and they don't have time right now, so they avoid the particular spot on the neck meant for the mark.

Once Booker is done, he helps Sonya get to her feet, and the two of them sprint towards Zephyr's land again, howling and chasing squirrels and rabbits the whole way there.

They skid to a stop just before Zephyr's land begins, and Roman shifts into his human form first.

He unclips the bag from Avery's back, and takes his clothes out, leaving her stuff in the bag, and then retreating behind a nearby tree.

Avery takes her time shifting back, hopping into her clothes as soon as she's back in human form.

It's warm outside of the trees, but it's freezing cold in the shade.

"Are you finished?" He calls, and she grins to herself, slipping her high heels onto her feet and then clearing her throat.

"Yep, let's go," she responds, picking the clothes bag up off the floor and folding it into her handbag.

"Do you think he'll meet us at the border?" He asks curiously, and she shrugs.

"Sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn't. The guards will probably be there anyway," she sighs, and they both wince as they enter the new territory, Avery's body shuddering with the intake of the variety of scents.

Nobody greets them at the border, and that causes Avery to raise her eyebrows as they walk further into the territory.

The packhouse comes into sight soon enough.

The area seems strangely empty, and Avery glances over her shoulder, feeling watched.

"Where is everyone?" Roman mutters in confusion.

"It is the middle of the morning; the kids are probably in school, the adults in work," she tries to convince herself, sliding her hand into Roman's.

The door of the packhouse flies open, and Zephyr lands a few feet away from them.

Avery immediately runs to his side, while Roman's eyes flash and try to figure out where the threat to their mate's safety came from.

"Are you okay?" Avery hisses, hauling her friend to his feet.

Zephyr looks irritated but unhurt as he dusts himself off.

"My father," he grits out, storming into the house, passing Roman.

Roman and Avery exchange looks, and quickly follow him in.

They've both heard enough stories about the elder Addison to know that Zephyr shouldn't really handle him on his own, especially if the older man is angry. Avery is concerned for her friend, but also for her godson, so as soon as they enter the house, her ears perk up, listening for any sort of baby noise.

They notice the man straight away.

He's much shorter than his son, but his arms are wider than Avery's legs.

"Hello, Alpha Addison," Roman greets formally, and Avery gives him a close-lipped smile as she glares daggers at him before he turns around.

"What seems to be the fuss here today?" Roman asks with a smile, and Avery clenches her jaw as the anger in the room raises.

"My son is being an idiot, and so is that bastard grandchild of mine," the older man hisses, and Avery growls at him in warning.

The man blinks at the ferocious and aggressive sound that left her lips, and in that time, Zephyr has him slammed against a wall with handcuffs on.

"I'm putting you into the cells again," he announces, passing him to four guards who Avery didn't notice until they stepped forward.

"Where is my lovely little godson?" Avery asks, unable to hold her excitement in for much longer.

Zephyr points to the ceiling, and Avery wastes no time in sprinting up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

She scuttles into the room she knows that Emmett sleeps in, and bounces up to the bars of his crib.

The baby blinks at her, and she scoops him up carefully, holding him away from her as she examines him.

"You've gotten even bigger," she mutters to herself in disbelief, resting him on her hip securely.

She walks down the stairs with him in her arms, grinning at Zephyr and Roman.

"He woke up so early this morning; I think he knew that you were coming," Zephyr mutters, rubbing his jaw.

"Are you okay?" Roman asks him, and Zephyr shrugs.

"Yeah, I'm annoyed, but I'm alright," he grunts, leading them into the kitchen.

He takes a bag of frozen peas out of the freezer unit, resting it against his face as he watches Avery coo at Emmett.

"Look at the baby," she hisses to Roman, her grin covering most of her face as she looks down at the little boy.

"He's lovely," Roman comments awkwardly, his eyes widening as Avery thrusts him into his arms.

"Ave, I haven't held a baby properly since Michelle," he warns her, and Avery shrugs.

"It'll be good practice," she comments, and his eyes widen.

"Good practice for when Bronwyn comes to visit," she adds quickly, realising what she said.

Zephyr watches the pair of them with a smile on his face.

"Your driver just arrived, I'm having some of the maids bring in your briefcases," he nods, and Avery grins at him.

"How is my favourite mountain Alpha?" She asks, sliding into the seat beside him, and leaving Roman in the middle of the floor with a squirming baby.

The baby starts crying, and Roman immediately passes him off to Avery.

The look of fear on his face is enough to make her giggle quietly, resting Emmett over her shoulder and gently rubbing his back.

She's so good with babies, Booker says dreamily, and Roman can practically feel him swooning.

"I hate half of my pack," Zephyr groans, "and the other half hate me."

Avery raises an eyebrow, releasing a sigh.

"I'm sure they don't hate you," she protests, and he stares at her blankly.

"Avery, they tried to throw me out of my own pack," he grumbles, and Avery nods awkwardly.

"Yes, they did, I remember that," she blinks, gently removing one of her curls from Emmett's claws.

"We're working on dialogue, which is why I asked Roman to come as soon as he could," he sighs, putting his bag of peas back into the freezer.

"Do either of you want tea or coffee before we head into my office?" He asks, glancing over his shoulder at the two who are sharing the baby between them.

"Coffee for me," Avery nods, and Roman shakes his head.

"I'll grab a bottle of water on my way in," he smiles, making faces at the baby.

Emmett giggles, trying to grab at Roman with his chubby little hands.

Avery watches the two interact, laughing as she lifts Emmett towards Roman to help him grab his nose, which seems to be the object of Emmett's interest on Roman's poor face. The child bops him right in the middle of his face, giggling more when Roman looks utterly shocked.

Zephyr watches the three of them with a smile, shaking his head.

"I knew I made the right choice," he comments, and Avery looks at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?" She asks, and he grins at her.

"If anything ever happened to me, he'd be going to you, obviously. I knew you'd be good at working with him and raising him if you needed to, but seeing you three together... It's just really lovely," he explains, walking over and gently taking his son from the two of them.

He rocks the little boy back and forward, and the little boy goes completely silent, his eyes wide and locked on his fathers.

"I'm going to get Theresa to put him to bed for his nap, and then we can have our meeting," he murmurs, glancing up to the couple, who nod.

"Take your time," Avery whispers, watching the duo as they move around the kitchen.

Roman grins as the baby looks his way, waving at the kid until he's out of sight.

"He's the most gorgeous little boy I've ever seen," Avery sighs, leaning back in her chair.

"He really got the best mixture of his parent's looks," Roman agrees, sitting beside her and lifting her legs onto his.