Kelsi trudged back into the house in a daze, absently toying with the ties of her bathrobe. Her parents were seated on the living room couch and looked up when she entered. Dad pulled at the couch's arm with calloused fingers, lips pressed together; Mom looked worried. Toria was curled up in the armchair, watching something on her iPhone with Riley.

"What did the alpha want, Mommy?" Riley asked innocently.

Kelsi's fingers paused on the belt tie. Shit. How was she going to explain this one? "Uh ..."

Fortunately, Toria was quick on the uptake. Her sister leaned in and asked Riley, "Hey, kiddo, why don't we break out that science kit Poppa got you yesterday and do some experiments in the backyard?"

Riley's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yup."

"Okay!"

She leaped off Toria's lap and darted into her room. Toria rose and patted Kelsi on the shoulder as she followed her niece.

"Thanks," Kelsi murmured.

Toria winked. "No prob, sis."

Kelsi watched her go, then sat down in the armchair. She gazed at her parents, unsure of how to proceed.

"Is it true?" Mom asked quietly. "He told us that you were mates."

Biting her lip, Kelsi nodded.

Mom sighed. "So that means you have to move to Nevada."

"I haven't said 'yes' yet."

Her mother sighed again and cast a glance at Dad. "Oh, honey, that's not how it works. The mate bond is one of the strongest forces in our world. It will pull at you until you're forced into each other's orbit. There's no saying 'no'."

Kelsi stared at her bare toes, a sinking sensation forming in the pit of her stomach. You have no choice ... Fuck.

"Listen up, Kels," her father said in a tone Kelsi rarely heard him use—firm, decisive, and no-nonsense. She looked up as her father leaned forward on the couch. He jabbed a finger into the couch arm with each word, brow furrowed. "I don't care who he is or the fact that he's an alpha. If that man lays one goddamned finger on you or Riley, you call us. I'll run his anointed ass over with my truck. You hear me?"

"Y-yes, Daddy," she told him, taken aback. Her father was caring, fun, and generous—never one to complain or raise his voice. This made his threat all the more serious—especially speaking as an omega.

"Good." Dad nodded and tilted his head to stare at a corner of the living room.

Kelsi's gaze flickered between her parents, but neither Mom nor Dad offered any more opinions. "Well, I better take a shower and get changed then," she said, getting to her feet.

"Why?" Mom asked.

"Because he's coming back at noon to take me out. I told him we had to get to know each other before I went anywhere."

"Good idea," Dad grumbled. He heaved himself to his feet. "I'm going to get another cup of coffee."

------------

Less than an hour later, Kelsi sat at the kitchen table in plain black track shorts and a green tank top. Her hair, still damp from the shower, hung loosely down her back. She nibbled on an English muffin smeared with strawberry jam and nursed a cup of coffee as her father read the Sunday paper across from her.

"Daddy?" she whispered.

"Hm?" he replied, turning the page.

"Should I go?"

Her father heaved a sigh and set the paper down. "It's like your mother said, Kels. You don't have a choice." He paused, considering. "And neither does he, if you think about it. Still, I guess there are worse things in this world than being allied with the Bloodmoon Clan. They're loaded." His lips twitched in wry humor.

Kelsi nodded absently and shoved the last piece of English muffin in her mouth. Suddenly, a piercing shriek shot through the house. Kelsi rocketed to her feet, a split second after her father, and raced for the door. Dad tore open the front door and stopped.

"Fuck."

Kelsi bumped up against his solid shoulder, heart hammering. "What?"

"Your dumbass ex is here," her father grumbled, stepping aside.

"Fuck," she echoed, worming around Dad's side and walking onto the porch.

"Daddy!" Riley was shrieking in joy. She leaped into Donovan's outstretched arms, giggling as he spun her around.

Don settled Riley against his hip and turned to look up at Kelsi. "Hey, Kels," her ex greeted, flashing that shit-eating grin she'd once found endearing. "Hey, Mark," he added, nodding to Kelsi's father.

Dad merely grunted and leaned up against the doorframe.

Kelsi took a deep breath and smoothed her features, heart tightening at the sight of Riley's ecstatic expression. Don rarely showed up unannounced, typically after being berated.

"What brings you here?" she asked, trying to keep the scorn from her voice for Riley's sake.

Don shrugged. He was of average height, with a slim, athletic build found in most gamma males. Short, spiky wheat-blond hair stood straight up on his head, gelled to within an inch of its life. "Mara and I thought it'd be fun to take Riley and Lacey to the zoo."

Mara. Of course. That's when Don's gamma girlfriend and the woman he'd cheated on her with climbed down from the passenger seat of Don's scuffed red Dodge Ram. "Hi, Kelsi," she greeted brightly.

Kelsi sighed and folded her arms. "Hey." Mara was tall, brunette, stacked, and a little dim in the intelligence department. At least Kelsi was grateful she was nice and not a raging bitch.

"The zoo?" Riley exclaimed, too young to read between the lines. "Can I go, Mommy?"

Kelsi pursed her lips. She wanted to say no, but Riley already endured so much disappointment from Don. "Of course," she said. "Let me get you some money for the gift shop ..."

"Oh," Mara called out, causing Kelsi to turn back around. "We got something for Riley to wear so she and Lacey could match."

They did what? Kelsi watched as Mara opened the back passenger door and unbuckled her and Don's toddler daughter, Lacey, from her car seat. The little girl wore a white onesie with yellow polkadots and white tulle tutu. "Here," Mara said, holding a larger version up.

You've got to be kidding, Kelsi thought.

Don set Riley on the ground. "See what Mara got for you, sweetie? Why don't you go and change into it?"

Riley looked at the dress, the excitement fading from her eyes, then slowly shook her head. "No, thank you."

Almost instantly, Don's expression hardened. "What do you mean, 'no'? Mara picked that out for you. Say 'thank you' and go change."

Riley bit her lip and tugged at the hem of her pajama top. "But I don't like dresses, Daddy."

"Kelsi!" Don called out. "Have her put it on." He lowered his head next to Riley's ear, causing the little girl to flinch. "Either you put that on or we don't go," he muttered, eyes pulsing orange.

Oh, hell no. Kelsi inhaled sharply and descended the porch steps. She dropped down to Riley's level as her daughter began to cry.

"Don ..." Mara began, taking a step forward.

Her ex glowered and crossed his arms. "Stay out of this, Mara." He looked down at Kelsi and Riley. "Put it on."

"Don!" Kelsi spat out sharply, throwing her arms around Riley. But her daughter broke free and ran for the house, clinging to her grandfather's leg.

"What the fuck, Kels? You call me up and bitch that I'm not spending enough time with her, you bitch that I want to take her to the zoo—"

"She doesn't want to wear that dress, Don!" It was ugly, not to mention too childish for her science-minded daughter, which her father would've known if he wasn't such an asshole and paid attention.

With a face like a thundercloud, Don leaned down. "She's my daughter too, Kelsi. She will do as she's told."

Kelsi stood up and flung her hair back. "You don't get to decide—"

The roar of a powerful car engine cut off the rest of her scathing commentary on Don's non-existent parenting skills. Kelsi turned as a dark red Challenger slowly pulled up to the curb, parking right behind Don's Dodge Ram. A pulse of anger flared across their bond as Alpha Lee exited the sports car and marched right up to them.

"Something wrong here?" the alpha asked, looking Don up and down. A wave of Authority rippled outwards as he crossed his arms.

Don went white as a sheet. "N-no, Alpha," he stammered. "C'mon, Mara," he told his gamma girlfriend, grabbing her by the upper arm and practically dragging her and the baby back to his truck.

"But Don—" Mara exclaimed, twisting in his grasp.

"Get in the truck," Kelsi's ex growled, running around to the other side of the truck and hopping into the driver's seat.

Mara sighed and cast Kelsi a compassionate look. "I'm sorry," she whispered, putting Lacey back in her car seat.

Kelsi nodded tightly and watched as Don peeled away from the curb the second Mara got into the passenger seat. "Excuse me," she told Alpha Lee and ran up the stairs to comfort her sobbing daughter.