Chapter Five

Killian was watching Stewart and Ethan from the couch, feeling a sense of contentment he hadn’t experienced in a long time. Ethan was sitting on the rug, surrounded by the toys Kalen had brought over, his giggles filling the living room as he played. Stewart was nearby, sipping his coffee, his eyes occasionally darting over to Killian, a small smile playing on his lips.

Everything felt... right. Until the front door suddenly opened, letting in a gust of chilly air.

Killian’s gaze snapped toward the door, and then he exploded off the couch, placing himself between the stranger and his family. A man stood there, half in and half out, his eyes widening when he saw them.

“Uh, sorry.” The stranger’s voice was deep and gruff, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender as Stewart got up to stand in front of Ethan. “Didn’t realize anyone was here. I’m Alonso. I was just, uh, coming by to do some work for my uncle. Didn’t know he’d rented the place out.”

Killian narrowed his eyes, every protective instinct he had flaring up. He stood tall, his eyes locked on Alonso, his bear snarling.

“Your uncle?” Killian was about to go dark and put the human down if Alonso made one wrong move. He spotted the tensing of the man’s leg muscles in the worn jeans. The stranger was ready to run if he had to.

“Yeah, Frank. He owns the place,” Alonso said, his gaze flicking around the room, barely meeting Killian’s. “I’m really sorry about this. I’ll just... I’ll just go.”

Killian didn’t relax, not even when Alonso quickly stepped back outside, pulling the door closed behind him. He stayed where he was, listening intently until he heard the sound of a car engine starting and fading away down the driveway. Something was off about that guy, and Killian didn’t like it. He was going to change the locks.

“That was unsettling.” Stewart’s brows furrowed.

Killian turned to him and forced a reassuring smile. “I need Frank’s number so I can let him know about his nephew dropping by unannounced.” He glanced at Ethan, who was still happily playing on the rug, oblivious to the tension that had filled the room moments before.

“Okay.” Stewart glanced at him. There was a fragile trust in his mate’s eyes that made Killian determined not to let Stewart or the cub down.

After locking the door, he went to the kitchen and called his brother. “I need a locksmith.”

“Then why are you calling me?” Ryker snorted a laugh. “Do I look like I carry around lock-picking tools?”

Killian told him what just happened.

“It could’ve been an honest mistake,” Ryker replied, humor gone. “But since you’re calling me, your gut is telling you otherwise.”

“Honest mistakes don’t carry the scent of deception. Smelled it all over him.” Killian checked the back door just to make sure.

“Send me some pics of the locks you want replaced, and I’ll go grab ’em.”

Killian glanced down when Ethan walked into the room, carrying the bear Kalen had given him. The toddler looked up at him with those green expressive eyes, like the world was still a huge wonder to him. “I wanna snack and, an I’mma dirsty.”

“I’m trying really hard to imagine you corrupting, I mean, raising a kid,” Ryker said, a smile clear in his voice.

Killian growled.

Ethan growled.

“Loving this.” Ryker laughed. “Send me those pics.” He hung up.

Pocketing his phone, Killian grabbed the grapes from the fridge, smashing them to smithereens, then filled a sippy cup with sugar-free juice. Stewart had picked that out, not him.

He snapped some pics of the back door locks then walked as slow as a snail behind Ethan as they made their way to the living room, where he snapped some pics of the front door lock.

That was when he noticed Stewart wasn’t in the room.

“Poddy.” Ethan had his bowl hugged to his small chest, his cup tucked under his arm. “I godda poddy.”

“Stewart!” Killian glanced around, wondering where his mate could’ve gone.

“I’ll be down in a sec,” Stewart hollered from upstairs.

Ethan nearly dropped his bowl doing a tiny little dance. Killian grabbed it and set it aside, along with the cup, before taking the cub to the downstairs bathroom. They stepped into the room, and Killian waved to the toilet. “There you go.”

Ethan struggled to unzip his onesie pajamas. “Poddy!”

“Okay, calm down.” Killian quickly unzipped the pajamas then pulled the kid’s arms out of the sleeves. Ethan shoved his underwear down but couldn’t seem to get onto the toilet.

Killian helped then groaned when the top part of the pajamas slid right into the toilet water.

He leaned sideways out of the bathroom. “Stewart! Really need your help down here!”

Ethan, completely oblivious, looked up at Killian. “I do it!” he announced proudly.

“Yeah, you sure did, kid,” Killian muttered, eyeing the soaking pajamas and the incredibly pleased cub. He looked up to the ceiling, like he could see Stewart through the floors. “Seriously, Stewart, I’m begging you!”

Ethan beamed up at Killian, obviously feeling accomplished. “I poddy good?”

Killian sighed. “ You potty’d great. But next time, let’s aim for... less splash zone, yeah?”

Ethan just giggled, and Killian could only shake his head, muttering under his breath. He could fight rogue shifters, vampires, and demons without blinking, but apparently, handling a toddler on a toilet was his true nemesis.

“Stewart!” he shouted one more time, exasperation in every syllable.

“What’s wrong?” Stewart said breathlessly as he hurried into the bathroom, glancing around like there was danger. There was, but not the kind his mate was probably thinking.

Killian gestured toward the toilet. “Oh.” Stewart frowned. “How did that happen?”

“They slipped into the toilet. Lift him so I can get them off.” When Stewart did, Killian pulled the pajamas the rest of the way off then flung them into the sink, the material hitting the side with a wet thwack.

“Gross.” Stewart wrinkled his nose.

“What did you want me to do with them, throw ’em on the floor?” Killian stared wide-eyed at Stewart. “As you can tell, I’m floundering in here.”

Ethan slipped from the toilet and wiggled around to pull up his underwear, ready to take off.

“Hands!” Stewart grabbed him and held him up to the sink, but frowned. It seemed neither of them knew what to do with the soaked pajamas.

“I’ll take him to the kitchen to wash his hands while you grab him some clothes.” Killian plucked the cub from Stewart.

His mate studied the sink then hurried out of the room, like he was playing “not it” and sticking Killian with the pajama task. Killian shuddered thinking about touching them again. Screw that. They could deal with them later.

“Congrats, buddy. You lucked out and got two uncles afraid of soiled clothing.” Killian walked to the kitchen, the kid tucked next to him like a football. He didn’t want Ethan’s feet to get cold.

Sliding a chair to the sink, he set the cub down and turned on the water. Instead of helping Ethan wash his hands, they ended up in a water fight. Ethan squealed, trying his best to block the water from hitting his face.

“You’re getting water everywhere!” Stewart shouted when he entered the kitchen, staring between them like they’d lost their minds.

Killian and Ethan grew quiet, and then Killian pointed at the cub. “He started it.”

Stewart twisted his lips to the side. “Blaming a three-year-old, really?”

Ethan splashed water on Killian with a giggle, ready to continue their game. So was he.

“See!” With his hand resting on the sprayer, Killian “accidently” shot some water at the cub, causing the toddler to screw up his face. Ethan took a step back, and Killian quickly caught him before he fell off the chair.

“Ethan!” Stewart’s mouth fell open, his brows hiked and his arms outstretched like he could catch his nephew from ten feet away.

“I’m not gonna let him fall.” Then Killian whispered to Ethan, who was still tucked in his arm, “Should we spray Uncle Stewart?”

Ethan grinned. “Yes,” he whispered back. “Spay him.”

“Okay, but we gotta play it cool.” Killian winked conspiratorially at him. “Pretend we aren’t going to do it anymore.”

He just stared at Killian, like he was waiting for further instructions.

When Stewart walked close enough, Killian shot him with the sprayer. His mate shouted, standing there with water all over his chest and glaring at Killian.

“Run!” He scooped the boy off the chair and shot from the kitchen, peals of laughter coming from Ethan. Killian grinned at the sound, but his smile died when Stewart gave chase, cornering them in the living room.

“What do we do, Ethan?” Killian asked, noticing how the sides of Stewart’s lips twitched.

“Badass!” Ethan shouted. Killian was almost sure the kid was trying to say run, but he couldn’t be certain.

“Tater tot.” Stewart groaned. “Please stop saying that.”

The cub giggled. “Badass!”

“Tough!” Killian hoped the toddler would latch onto that word and let the other one go.

No such luck. Ethan repeated it again. Why was it so hilarious when a toddler cursed? Killian wasn’t sure why, but knew better than to laugh, especially when he saw his mate scowling at him.

Stewart waved a finger at Killian. “You taught him that.”

He opened his mouth—unsure how to defend himself since it was the truth—and then remembered he hadn’t sent Ryker the pictures. As he did, Stewart took Ethan from his arms and went back to the kitchen.

Then they worked together to clean up the mess from the impromptu water fight, their arms brushing and their gazes meeting a few times. Killian gave a low, throaty growl at the way his mate blushed but also felt his nervous energy even without looking at him.

The kiss they’d shared earlier played on a loop in his mind, and it was all he could think about at the moment. Next time it happened, Killian would have to make sure not to let Stewart run, to talk him through his fears instead. He just wished he knew why Stewart was afraid of intimacy, but also afraid to find out.

Was it because of the bad man?

Ethan held out his small hand, causing Killian to shake away the thought. Unsure what the cub wanted, he gave him the hand towel then watched as the toddler started wiping a dry chair at the table.

If that could be considered wiping. It was more like he was slapping the chair with the towel, but it was cute how he was trying to pitch in.

“I was given custody right after my sister died,” Stewart said, pulling Killian’s attention away from the boy.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” The soft light coming in through the windows made Stewart’s features even more striking.

His mate shrugged as he stared at his nephew with a soft smile. “ We’d drifted apart some time ago. I think she resented growing up in foster care and hated that I was a little more adjusted to it, while she could never find her footing. But I hadn’t adjusted to it. I just learned how to hide my resentment better.”

Killian wasn’t sure what to say. His mate was finally opening up, and he didn’t want to interrupt him.

Running his fingers through Ethan’s hair, Stewart had a far-off expression. “She called me to the hospital two days before she died.” His eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “I couldn’t understand why she didn’t reach out to me sooner, didn’t give me more time with her.”

Killian couldn’t just stand there while his mate struggled to keep himself together. He closed the distance and pulled Stewart into his arms and rubbed his back.

“Bad man,” Ethan said quietly from beside them, looking as if he would cry because his uncle was so upset. “Bad man hurt Stewalulu.”

The statement only made Stewart cry harder, triggering Ethan to do the same. Killian reached down and scooped the boy up, holding them both in his arms.

“What bad man?” Killian asked softly. “Who hurt you, Stewart?”

“Cybe.” Ethan sniffled and wiped at his nose. “Cybe hit Stewalulu.”

“Clive. My ex-boyfriend,” Stewart said.

“Did… did he hurt Ethan, too?” If he had, Killian would go after the son of a bitch with a vengeance. He still might for bringing his mate so much pain.

“No.” Stewart shook his head. “He wouldn’t be alive right now if he had,” he said through a clenched jaw.

Killian should have been relieved, but he’d been right thinking the cub had seen it happen. “No one is ever going to hurt you guys again,” he vowed.

He dared anyone to try. Killian would put the bastard down. Permanently.

“How can you make such a promise?” Stewart pulled back and looked up at him.

“Because you’re my mate.” That was not what he’d meant to say. Honestly, Killian wasn’t sure what he’d started to tell him, but he couldn’t take back the words now that they were out there. And he didn’t want to. Sooner or later he would have to tell Stewart, and now seemed like as good a time as any.

“Mate?” Stewart’s brows knitted. “What does that mean?”

The doorbell erupted, putting a pin in their conversation. He handed Ethan to Stewart then walked to the living room, cursing under his breath at the shitty timing of whoever it was. At least now Killian knew why his mate was so skittish and couldn’t blame Stewart for being cautious around him. It would just take time for his mate to fully trust him, and Killian was fine with that.

But man, seeing them cry had ripped his fucking heart out, almost making him shed his own tears. Killian never wanted to see them so upset again.

Swinging the door open, he found not only Ryker standing there but his entire goddamn family. What the hell?

“Dad is dying to play with the cub,” Ryker said with a huge grin. “ Couldn’t stop him from coming over here, even if I tried, which I didn’t.”

“I want to meet him,” Noah chimed in. “I can’t believe I’m an uncle!”

“Shh!” Killian glanced over his shoulder and saw Stewart heading his way, Ethan cuddled in his arms. He turned back to his family. “He’s still in the dark about everything.”

“You haven’t told him yet?” Hyett stared incredulously at him. “What the fuck are you waiting for?”

“Well, smartass, I was just cracking open the subject when you guys showed up. Perfect goddamn timing,” he growled.

“Are you gonna invite us in?” Noah asked just as Quinton brushed past Killian and walked inside the house.

“Sweet! I guess we’re invited in.” Noah walked by him, followed by Wesley, Hyett, and Ryker.

With a roll of his eyes, Killian closed the door. “Sure, come on in, everybody.”

He introduced the family members Stewart hadn’t met yet, and reintroduced the ones since his mate and Ethan might have forgotten their names.

Quinton’s gray eyes shined brightly as he gazed at the cub, looking as if he couldn’t wait to hold him and play with the toddler. Killian’s dad had had a wistful look in his eyes when his best friend, Kalen Frost, had become a grandfather. At the time, Killian had felt bad for Quinton since none of his sons could provide him with any.

Now he had one, and Killian had a feeling his father was going to spoil the hell out of Ethan.

But if Stewart became too overwhelmed at the house invasion, Killian was kicking everyone out.

The complete opposite happened to his shock and surprise. His family made Stewart feel at ease as Quinton and Wesley lay on the rug playing with Ethan and his toys. Killian’s heart clenched when the toddler erupted in giggles and Quinton’s eyes shined with unshed tears. Even Wesley, who was normally a little reserved, made explosion noises as he caused two toy cars to crash.

“That’s how I can promise your safety,” Killian whispered to his mate, nodding toward everyone.

Stewart still seemed confused. Killian took his hand and led him back to the kitchen, where it was much quieter and more private.

“There’s a reason Ethan called me a bear, though I have no idea how the kiddo knew.” Killian grinned.

“I’m listening,” Stewart said warily.

Killian just prayed his mate didn’t freak out, which was inevitable, but he could still hope.

“I’m a bear shifter, and you’re my mate. Fate thought we would be good for each other, and from the look in your eyes, I’m making your anxiety shoot through the fucking roof.”

“Smooth,” Killian heard from the living room, but his dad had said it low enough that Stewart hadn’t heard him.

It made Killian wish the kitchen had a door so he could close it…or slam it shut.

“Let me get this straight.” Stewart held up a hand. “You’re saying you can change into a bear and fate had something to do with bringing us together?”

“Yes.” His mate’s calmness made Killian’s hope rise a little higher.

“I’m almost sure Midnight Falls General has a psychiatric unit.” Stewart tapped his chin. “Since I’ll be starting there soon, I think I’ll have enough influence to get you an appointment today.”

Swear to fucking god I’m going to kill them. Killian’s jaw clenched when he heard his dad and brothers snickering.

“You think I’m delusional.”

“Why don’t we let the professionals figure that out, hmm?” Stewart patted his arm like everything would be okay. He was so damn calm and composed that, for a second, Killian questioned his own sanity.

It didn’t help that he heard Ryker laughing his ass off.

“Stop listening!” Killian shouted over his shoulder.

“Are you…are you hearing voices?” Stewart looked genuinely concerned. His mate was probably mentally cursing at himself for allowing Killian around Ethan.

“I’m hearing idiots,” Killian grumbled then said to his mate, “Do you want me to prove I’m a bear?”

Stewart studied him closely. Finally, looking skeptical, he blew out a breath, nodded, and splayed his arms. “By all means.”

Instead of fully shifting, Killian let his claws slide free. He would’ve bared his canines but felt it would be too aggressive.

The skin under Stewart’s eye twitched.

“I’ve given you no reason to be afraid of me,” Killian said.

“Except for your claws.” Stewart backed up quickly, his eyes wide with fright. “How… how… How is that possible?”

“Just take deep breaths, babe.” Killian retracted his claws.

“ You take deep breaths. I’m allowed to freak out!” His gaze shot toward the living room.

“I promise you, Ethan is safe, Stewart. My family would kill anyone foolish enough to threaten him, and you, for that matter.” Now it was Killian who was speaking calmly, but he didn’t like the role reversal. Not when it meant his mate was in distress and Killian didn’t dare hug him.

The guy stood there staring at Killian’s hand. It was the initial shock, but he hoped it wore off soon ’cause, damn, it was killing him to see his mate like that, mouth hanging open, eyes bugging out.

After taking a shuddering breath, Stewart pulled a chair out from the table and dropped into it.

“I know you feel our connection, Stewart.” Killian leaned his butt against the counter’s edge, crossing his arms and ankles. He wanted to give his mate some space, some breathing room so he wouldn’t feel so overwhelmed. “That’s how we know we’re mates.”

Stewart shot him a questionable look.

“Okay.” Killian nodded. “Tell me how you would feel if I said I’m heading to the bar to find a random hookup?”

His mate’s eyes narrowed.

Killian pushed it, trying to get Stewart to believe the part about them being mates. “But we just met, Stewart. Why should you care who I have sex with? I can cruise the bar for any guy I want to take home and stick my dick into.”

He hated being crass, but Stewart still appeared too stubborn to admit he felt their connection. So, if his mate wanted to hold back, Killian would push as hard as he could without crossing a line he might regret, because words hurt just as much as actions.

Stewart jolted from his chair, jabbing a finger at Killian, his face a mask of rage. “Try to fuck anyone else and I’ll—” He froze, his finger still aimed at Killian, slowly blinking. “I-I don’t know where that just came from. I suddenly had so much rage inside of me.”

“Mates are very possessive of each other.” Killian dropped his arms and crossed the room, wrapping his hand around Stewart’s finger. “My bear would turn deadly if I thought you were interested in another man.” He used Stewart’s finger to pull his mate toward him. “I would never hurt you, but the bastard you flirted with wouldn’t be so lucky.”

Stewart searched Killian’s face. “You’re telling the truth… about all of this.”

“Every single word.” He drew Stewart into his arms, descending on his perfect, heart-shaped lips with a low growl.