Felix

Spencer decided to keep the part-time defenders working full-time for the next two weeks so he could give each of the full-timers some extra time off to make up for our long hours while Neruda was with us. It was Monday and I didn't have to go in again until Saturday afternoon's patrol, and even that was only a half shift.

Everett had to drive up to Delta for the day, which normally would have upset me on my day off, but I was looking forward to some bonding time with Griffin without Everett there to soak up all of his attention. Griffin had been with us for days now and he let me hold him only when Everett wasn't available. I knew I should be glad he was letting me hold him regularly at all, but I wanted more.

It was six in the morning and Everett had just left. Griffin was crying at the window, staring down the driveway while Everett drove off. I crouched down next to him – near, but not too near- and said, "Daddy Everett will be back later." I felt odd calling him that, but Anya said it would be a good way for him to naturally transition into calling us Daddy and Papa. Whenever someone spoke to him about us, we were referred to as Daddy Everett and Papa Felix. Hopefully one day soon, he would drop our names altogether.

Griffin didn't respond to me, he just stayed by the window, watching for Everett's car. He was used to me going off to work, but Everett had been with Griffin ever since the first night. I felt bad for Griffin and had no idea what to do to help. A distraction, maybe? "Hey, do you want some breakfast?" I asked.

Griffin looked at me, tears still rolling down his plump toddler cheeks. "Eggs?" He asked. I thought they might be a new discovery of his and he adored them. Griffin asked for them at every meal.

"Of course. I'll make you some eggs. Do you want to help?"

And just like that, Griffin was distracted. "Yeah!" I held my hands out and Griffin stepped into them without hesitation, wrapping his little arms around me and pressing his hands on the back of my neck. They were a little damp, which was disturbing. I tried not to think too hard about what might be on his hands and walked him into the kitchen.

"Okay, first we have to wash our hands," I said, setting Griffin down on the counter next to the sink. He had "helped" me with cooking a couple of times now, so he knew the routine. I squirted some soap on his hands and washed mine alongside him. He ended up wet all over, but I thought he was starting to get better at it.

I set Griffin down on the floor while I gathered everything we needed to make scrambled eggs, setting it on the counter. When I was done, I put Griffin on the counter next to the bowl and handed him the whisk. He loved whisking and stirring – pretty much anything with a blunt kitchen utensil was exciting for him. He started swinging the whisk in the empty bowl and I laughed at his eagerness.

I cracked eggs and dumped them in the bowl and Griffin giggled while he broke the yolks with the tip of the whisk, stabbing at them violently and delighting when they oozed. The front door slammed open and Griffin jolted in surprise. My hands went out automatically to catch him before he could fall off the counter and he laughed again.

Mel came into the kitchen and I shot her an annoyed look. "Do you have to make so much noise coming in?" I asked. "You startled Griffin."

Meleri just rolled her eyes and kissed Griffin's forehead – something she had worked up to with him. She could hold him for a couple of minutes at a time and she could press kisses all over his face while he laughed. She was also allowed to play ball and stack blocks with him. Mel was annoyed because Magnus could hold Griffin longer before he started asking for Everett or even me, and she was determined to win Griffin over by showing up for any meal she could.

"Eggs again?" Mel asked.

Griffin beamed at her and said, "Yeah! I love eggs!"

It was one of a handful of times I had ever heard him use a complete sentence and I hugged him briefly. He squealed and pushed me off, saying, "Pop, no! I stir eggs!"

I stepped back with wide eyes. Had he just called me Pop? Or had I misheard?

"Yeah, Papa," Meleri said, her eyes sparkling.

"Sorry!" I said, holding up my hands and getting back to cooking. I added milk and seasoning, along with a little baking soda to help them rise. "Are they ready to cook?" I asked Griffin.

"No, need stir." Griffin kept stirring until he finally dropped the whisk in the bowl. He looked at Mel and held his arms out to her. She grinned at him and swooped him up into her arms, spinning him in a circle while he laughed riotously.

I leaned back against the counter and watched them play. I didn't think it would feel this good, having Griffin in our lives. If I felt this way now, after only a few days, I could only imagine how I would feel after a month or a year. I had a lot to thank Everett for.

"Pop, cook eggs!" Griffin demanded when Mel stopped spinning him.

"Sorry!" I said, though I felt absolute bliss. He was definitely calling me Pop. He might not know what that meant yet, but I didn't care. This was progress.

The day wasn't all fun. Griffin started getting fussy in the afternoon and I tried to put him down for a nap, but he wouldn't stop asking for Everett. I almost got to the point of calling Anya and begging her for help, but Griffin cried himself to sleep before I got quite that desperate. I tried not to take his blatant preference for Everett personally and it mostly worked, especially since I couldn't fault Griffin for wanting Everett to come home. I wanted that, too.

I spent most of the afternoon doing housework and watching the clock. Everett had texted when he was leaving Delta and now, he should be home any minute. Griffin was still napping but would be up any time now – hopefully not until after Everett was back.

Then the sirens went off.

Molly and Spencer both had panic buttons on their desks. If they pushed the button and entered a code only they knew, the sirens would sound. When this happened, every pack member was supposed to hole up in the nearest house immediately and not leave for any reason. We ran a drill every year, but as part of the defense team, I always knew when drills would happen. This was not a drill. There were invaders. Someone hostile had entered our territory. As a defender, I was supposed to rush out to help with the situation, but I was alone with Griffin, who was wailing down the hall.

I sprinted to his room and scooped him up, clutching him against my chest and panicking.

Everett. He might not be to our lands yet, or he could be driving the woods on the way home right now. If he was out on our roads, he was a target.

"Everett, where are you?" I demanded through our link.

"Almost home. What's happening?" he replied, sounding as panicked as I felt.

This was pretty much worst-case scenario. I needed to go to him, but Griffin couldn't be left alone. Usually we considered our pack members' houses to be safe when we were invaded since anyone targeting our pack would want to take down our bigger buildings and our most important people. No one would usually go after Everett, at least not right now. Maybe later when he had his important finance job supporting the pack, but for now he was an unknown and he would have been safe, except that he was out there on our property, unprotected and ripe for attacking. I had to protect him. I had promised over and over that he would be safe here in Lakota, and it was my duty to see that promise through.

I looked down at Griffin. I couldn't take him with me. He shouldn't be removed from the house. He would be such a target, especially if an enemy saw that I was a fighter. He would be the vulnerability they sought to exploit to get to me. I had to stay and protect Griffin. Everett would have to make it to safety on his own.

Tears burned in my eyes, but I made myself push through them. "Invaders. Get to the nearest house. Break into it if you have to. Hide until the sirens stop."

"I'm almost home, see you in a few minutes," he sent back. His tone was determined, like the panic never happened. It only scared me more.

"Griffin and I are okay. Just get to safety. Don't worry about getting home right now" I said, but I already knew he wouldn't listen. Everett didn't reply and I clutched Griffin to my chest, murmuring comforting nonsense while I waited for Everett's car to roll down our driveway.

Griffin cried against me, clutching his little hands over his ears. I rubbed his back and hoped he took some comfort from my presence, but that was all I had to offer him while my mate was out there, exposed and vulnerable.

Two minutes passed. I would go crazy if I had to wait much longer. I kept the mind link open between us and so did Everett, so I knew he was okay. No words passed between us and I knew he was focusing on his surroundings, so I didn't push for conversation.

Another minute passed and Griffin's sobs subsided, though he was still visibly upset. "You're so brave, Griffin," I said. "Don't worry, everything will be fine." It could be a lie, but I needed to believe it was true.

I heard an engine and finally saw Everett speeding down the driveway. He ground to a stop far closer to the door than we usually parked, turned off the car, and launched himself toward the house. I had the door open and waiting for him and the instant he was through the door, I had it shut and bolted.

I hugged Everett tightly and he wrapped shaking arms around me and Griffin both. "It's okay now," I said. "You made it."

Everett pulled away and looked up at me with tear-filled eyes. "Do you know what's going on? How many invaders are there? Have they hurt anyone?"

I winced. "I don't know anything yet, but I need to get out there, Ev."

Everett shook his head and clutched at my shirt. "You can't go. What if they come here? I can't fight, Felix."

I kissed his forehead and tried to pass Griffin off to him. Everett refused to take the child even though Griffin latched onto him immediately. "No," Everett said. "If I take him, you'll go. I need you here."

I squeezed my eyes shut. I couldn't look at Everett and say what I had to say. "I have a duty to this pack," I told him. "Everett, this is my job. They need me. The sooner I get out there, the sooner this could all be over."

I opened my eyes and immediately wished I hadn't. Everett was crying and shaking and I needed to go but I couldn't leave with him in this state. "There's a hidden room," I said. "It's small, closet-sized. You and Griffin can wait for me there. I'll keep the link between us open all the time so you'll always know I'm okay. But I can't stay."

Everett just curled in on himself and kept crying. His arms were wrapped around his chest while Griffin kept a chokehold on him. I still held Griffin between us, waiting for Everett to take him. I hugged Everett again and pressed kisses to his hair. "You guys will be completely safe here. Please, Everett, I have to go."

Everett shook his head and sank to the ground, forcing me to crouch down next to him with the child between us. "I can't lose you," Everett said.

"You won't."

"You don't know that."

The link between us was wide open, so I could hear him berating himself. Usually only intentional messages passed between us, but Everett was so distressed that his thoughts were clear to me. He was blaming himself for coming home since I would have had to stay back in safety with Griffin if he hadn't shown up.

I had no idea how to combat that or how to get Everett stable enough that I could do my job. Griffin, sick of being held between us and certainly sick of the blaring of the sirens, started wailing. Everett's instincts kicked in and he clutched the child to his chest and rocked him, making soothing shushing noises until they were both calmer.

Everett looked up at me, tears still streaming down his cheeks, and said, "I made you a promise. I said I would find a way to handle your job. I'm not doing a good job of that right now, but I'm working on it. Show me the hidden room."

I kissed him and said, "Thank you. Follow me."

I showed Everett the little metal handle in the back of the closet. I grabbed it and used it to slide the closet wall open, revealing another little room. It had a chair, a blanket, several bottles of water, and a light. "It's not much, but you'll be okay for a while. Let me grab you a snack and a couple of toys. If this goes on for more than a couple of hours, I'll try to stop by and let you guys out for a bit. You can leave if you have to, but you're safest in here. If someone did break into the house, they wouldn't look in here, and your scents will be masked by the clothes in the closet."

Everett walked into the room and settled himself and Griffin on the carpeted floor. I rushed through the house, grabbing a few books and toys, a box of cheerios, and a packed diaper bag for Griffin. I also brought Everett's laptop bag, though I didn't think he would feel motivated to get any work done. I piled everything up on one wall of the little room that held my tiny family and knelt down by Everett.

"I'll see you soon," I said. "Don't be afraid to reach out if you need me. A distraction won't hurt me in a fight, I'm used to them."

"Not from inside your mind," Everett argued. "Just check in when you can. We'll be okay."

I kissed him deeply, then pecked Griffin on the head. "I love you," I said.

"I love you too," Everett replied somberly. "Stay safe."

I stepped back and slid the door into place. I shut the closet behind me for good measure. Houses were usually safe during invasions, but I didn't want to take any chances. The intruders could do whatever they wanted to the rest of the house as long as my mate and son were left undisturbed.

I ran through the house, locking the door behind me and zipping my key into my sweatshirt pocket. I tied the sweatshirt around my neck so I wouldn't lose it when I shifted, stripped off the rest of my clothes, and shifted before running into the woods.