Felix

Meleri and Magnus learned that Elspeth was gone and at least one of them started showing up during her usual shift, which was being covered by a different defender – one I didn't share the same unbreakable trust with. My siblings knew I was anxious about it, so they came over to comfort me, spend time with their nephew, and provide one more layer of protection.

No one was getting through to Griffin. We would protect him as long as we had to, but Marcus would never get his hands on my son.

My siblings' protectiveness had an added benefit: they never complained if Everett and I snuck out of the room for some alone time. Griffin wasn't happy about it, but Magnus got good at distracting him with the airplane game and Meleri was a block-stacking fiend. She could pile up a block tower almost as fast as Griffin could knock it down.

Everett and I were cuddled up naked in our bed. Magnus' airplane noises and Griffin's giggles could be heard from down the hall, but the door was locked between us and I was just happy to have a little time with my mate in my arms.

Everett nuzzled into my neck and I looked down at him. Our eyes met and I felt our bond brighten between us. It was strong now, stronger than I had ever imagined it could be. The more time we spent together, the more it grew and brightened. I was starting to be able to feel Everett more, and it was effortless. For instance, right now I could feel how badly he wanted me not just because of his hard length pressed against my thigh or the way his hands caressed and teased at my skin, starting with my chest and moving lower and lower until I was arching against him. I could feel his need most prominently through the bond, and it only intensified my own.

Human relationships had honeymoon periods and so did werewolf ones. The difference is that for humans, a honeymoon period is when you're so enamored with your partner that your relationship seems to glow and they can do no wrong in your eyes. For wolves, who already looked at their mates that way from the moment they connected, a honeymoon period was the period during which the bond grew. Usually, we would hole up in our home as much as possible so we could learn each other's bodies, minds, and souls. Everett and I had done things a little out of order, though. We had brought a child into our lives in a time of turmoil and we were left enjoying these stolen moments whenever we could.

I think it would have made sense for me to feel resentful of the situation we found ourselves in. I could have been angry about how little alone time I got with Everett when every part of me was desperate to have him closer. I loved our life together, though. I loved what Griffin had brought into our lives – the laughter and love, the knowledge that this was a commitment my mate and I had made together.

Together, Everett and I would help shape Griffin into the man he would become. He would be influenced by both of us and by the relationship that was still growing between us. Griffin would learn about mate bonds primarily from watching the one between us. He was the greatest thing we could do with our lives, our legacy. It was a huge responsibility, one I would never take lightly, but one I was excited to share with Everett.

A warm, wet heat closed around my shaft and I jerked in surprise. I could hear Everett's laughter in my mind and glanced down to see his eyes twinkling up at me.

"You were distracted," he said into my mind as he sucked on me. "You should be thinking about me – about what I'll do to you and what I might let you do to me."

My eyes fluttered shut and my hips jerked up before I could stop them. Everett didn't complain. Instead, he swirled his tongue around me while I fought to regain control of my body. I gripped his shoulders, maybe a little too hard. I could feel my nails pressing into his skin, but when Everett bobbed and sucked harder, I gripped him tighter and he moaned around me.

"I'm not going to last," I warned him. Everett lifted a challenging brow and reached his hand up to massage me as he kept using his mouth to bring me the most incredible pleasure I had ever experienced, except for when we were actually joined together. I felt my abdomen tightening and my nether regions ached and tingled, a sure sign I was about to come undone. I used my grip on Everett's shoulders as leverage and quickly pulled myself away from him.

"I want us to go together," I explained. Everett shot me an exasperated look but didn't argue.

A debate raged through my mind. There were so many ways I wanted to take Everett, or maybe I should taste him first? It would serve him right after the state his own tongue had worked me into. I didn't have time to come to a decision, though.

There was a loud crashing noise and the house shook around us. "Felix! Felix, get out here NOW!" Magnus hollered from the living room. He sounded terrified. Griffin started wailing and feet tore down the hallway.

I was already on my feet and was opening the door when Magnus thrust Griffin into my arms and whirled to growl at the man who had been chasing him.

Someone had broken into the bunker. I was stunned, but shoved back questions of how this was possible, of where in our defense we went wrong. Those were for later. For now, I had to protect my family. I spun and handed Griffin to Everett, who had managed to throw on a pair of pants. I didn't bother. There was a good chance I would have to shift at some point during the impending fight.

A flash of silver was my only warning before a knife was arching through the air toward my face. Magnus knocked the arm out of the way and I was able to dodge to the side. The knife barely missed me – I could feel the man's arm rubbing against my cheek as he carried out the stabbing motion.

Magnus pulled a gun from the holster at his waist. I didn't love that he had taken to wearing it around the house, but now I was grateful. That is, until Magnus' gun prompted the man to pull out his own, which he directed not at me, not at my brother, but at Everett and Griffin. I couldn't tell who he was aiming at and it didn't matter. I refused to lose either of them.

Where was our guard?

My question was answered as several more intruders came charging down the hall. Two of them were covered in blood and I recognized the scent of our guard.

"Call for help as soon as you get the opportunity. Don't try running until we know it's safe outside." I told Everett. I could feel his fear through our bond, but he wasn't lost to it. Everett didn't reply, but I knew he was worried about distracting me from the situation at hand.

I bared my teeth at the man while four other people fell into formation behind him.

"Five against two," the man with the gun taunted. "Put down your gun or I'll shoot. You might have enough time to kill me, but you won't have enough time to save them."

Magnus looked down at me with wild eyes, clearly waiting for some direction.

"How did you get through our borders?" I asked. This might not be the time for answers, but surely if I could stall for long enough, help would come. Magnus and I weren't enough to take on all of these people. If we tried, one of us could get seriously hurt or someone might get through to Everett and Griffin. The longer I could draw this out, the better.

The man tilted his head. "Did you think your borders were safe? It wasn't hard. We didn't see a single wolf on the way here."

Shock rippled through me. That shouldn't be possible. Our patrols were set up so that every part of our border was within scent-range of a defender at all times. Right now, we were on high alert and there should be two wolves able to scent every inch of the border. These people should have been detected long before they reached the bunker.

And even after they got to the bunker, how had they breached it?

I saw a satisfied glint in the man's eyes and tamped down the questions. He'd probably been lying, I realized, to distract me.

"Now, you have ten seconds to put your gun on the ground and kick it to me before I pull this trigger," the man said. "Better yet, give me the boy and we'll be on our way."

Not happening.

My mind scrambled for a plan, but we were outmatched. The only thing that came to mind was stupid, reckless, and unbearably risky.

The way I saw it, we had two options: either Magnus put his gun down – which was as good as surrender – or he didn't. If he didn't, the man would shoot my mate – since they were here to collect Griffin, it was unlikely they would harm him. Even so, this option was unacceptable. It was on me to carve out an option number three, even if it was stupidly dangerous.

"On three, drop to the floor," I told Everett. "Tell me you understand."

"I understand. I love you."

That was dangerously close to a goodbye, but I couldn't help answering in kind. "I love you too."

"Magnus, lower your gun," I said. I hoped he could see the warning in my eyes and did it slowly.

As Magnus inched his weapon lower and started crouching to set it on the ground, the man watched him smugly. I started my countdown for Everett. "One... Two... THREE."

I felt Everett's terror even as he dropped with Griffin to the floor and covered him with his own body. In the same moment, I darted forward and shoved the man's arm up. His gun went off with a loud bang, but it was already pointing at the ceiling. I twisted his arm hard and his hand released its hold on the weapon. The gun clattered to the floor and Magnus dove for it, along with one of the women behind the first intruder. Magnus was closer and he won, shooting the woman in the forehead from just a couple of feet away. Shards of her head and unnamable splatter fired everywhere, but there was no time to vomit as I wanted to or to wipe my face. I ran a wrist over my eyes to clear them and focused on the intruders.

The man who shot the gun struggled in my grasp and I wrapped an arm around his chest, then pulled him back so that his head slammed hard against the wall. I bashed my forehead into his and swept a leg out, knocking him to his feet. He was stunned, but his legs and arms still flailed out violently. His fingers had transformed so they were long, dirty claws starting at the top knuckle. They raked over my skin as I fought to hold him.

"Shoot him!" I told Magnus. Magnus was in his own struggle, though. While I had been fighting with the ringleader, Magnus had been holding off the other three remaining intruders. I kicked the ringleader's stomach as hard as I could and rushed forward to help my brother. First, I slammed the bedroom door shut, giving Everett and Griffin another layer of protection.

When I turned back to my brother, he was swiping at a man with one arm while a woman held his shoulder and neck. Her teeth were elongated and she leaned in, poised to tear into my brother's throat. I roared my fury and charged into her, ripping her away from him. Magnus fell to the ground next to us with the man on top of him. They wrestled while I punched the woman's face once, twice, a third time. Her eyes lost their spark and she stared up at me in utter terror as she realized she had lost.

"Surrender," I growled.

She trembled under me and stared up at me with wide eyes.

"Surrender and live. Refuse and die."

Her teeth started chattering, but she nodded her head vigorously.

I stood up and glared down at her. "Stay right here. If you move, if you try attacking us again, I will not be merciful."

Magnus needed my help. He was fighting against two people while the ringleader struggled to his feet. Wolves healed fast and all my work knocking him around would be undone soon enough. We didn't have much time to resolve this.

I charged forward, throwing myself between my brother and a set of sharp claws. I managed to catch the assailant's wrist, but I still got grazed on my chest. This person wasn't as skilled as the others and I soon had him next to the woman who had already surrendered, sitting meekly while I rejoined the fight. Now it was just Magnus and one other man – the ringleader was gone.

"He's getting away!" I yelled. I couldn't leave, though. Magnus still fought and even though two of the intruders had surrendered, I couldn't leave them here alone with just Magnus as a guard.

I ripped the last fighter off of my brother. "I'll go after him!" Magnus said. He darted down the hallway before I could protest.

He still had a bloody gun clutched in his hand.

"Surrender," I told the last man, the one who struggled against my arms even as the spark of defiance died out in his eyes.

"No," he said.

"Surrender or die," I told him.

"No."

I wasn't in the mood to play games. The last thing I needed right now was a power struggle. I let my teeth shift, tightened my grip on him as he struggled, and ripped out his throat. I let the body slump to the floor as I spat his own blood onto him. Nasty.

"The fighting's over for now, but don't leave the bedroom yet. Lock the door and get in the closet. Call Spencer and tell him what's happened."

I heard a sob in the next room and my heart ached with the need to comfort my mate. "Are you hurt?" Everett asked, though surely, he could feel that I wasn't except for a few scratches. I understood his need for reassurance.

"I'm fine."

Griffin's crying got louder and I knew Everett had finally stopped covering the toddler's small body, which had been muffling the noise. The lock in the door next to me snicked into place and I could hear the closet doors open and shut. I didn't move until Everett was safe and making his phone call. Then I turned to the two fighters who had surrendered to me.

"Start talking," I said as the intruder sirens started blaring.