"Can you imagine if we had a baby?" Roman asks dreamily, speaking more to himself than her.

We? Excuse me? It would be us having the baby, Sonya argues irritably.

"Sonya doesn't like your phrasing," Avery comments lazily, glancing over at him with a hand shading her eyes.

"Fine. Can you imagine a child we created?" He rephrases with a grin, his whole body turned sideways and facing her.

His tan is going to be so uneven, Sonya comments.

"It would be so dominant it would be ridiculous," Avery responds, and Roman releases a puff of air.

His grin has turned to a bit of a frown, and Avery quickly sits up on her chair, furrowing her brows.

"I'm not saying I don't want a kid," she explains hurriedly, "I just tend to think on the negative end of things, you know that."

"I still think a child is a good thing, so I don't appreciate you trashing our metaphorical demon spawn," he retorts, his tone half teasing and half hurt.

Aw, we fucked up, Sonya groans.

"You haven't even marked me yet, why are we talking about kids?" She asks, raising an eyebrow.

She's a little annoyed that he hasn't even tried to mark her yet.

She knows that they have to sort out a lot of business stuff first, but they could do that after the marking anyway, and that way they would have something to show for it.

"Mark her man, please," Mitchell grumbles from his sun lounger, not even looking over at the couple.

He's flattened out on the stripey sunbed; a hat draped over his eyes and a cocktail in his hand.

He's taking a day off, and he's making the most of it in the sun. His ideal afternoon wouldn't usually be one spent with his Alpha and her mate, but he doesn't have much of a choice. All of his friends are Kathleen's friends as well, and he still can't get over the shock of the betrayal.

He hasn't seen Kathleen in a week, and he got her to sign the dissolution of the mating papers three days previous.

Since she signed them, he had essentially been on a considerable party buzz, drinking so heavily that even he's intoxicated. He was a big man, and he had a high endurance, so that said a lot.

He invited Avery and Roman to go with him that night - they had politely refused, citing the need to keep their livers - and he had started to drink already, a little strawberry alcoholic slushie with a cute green mini umbrella being held in his gigantic paw.

"Why, has she been giving out?" Roman asks Mitchell, grinning.

Avery's cheeks go a little red, and she sweeps up her towel, wrapping it around her bikini-clad body.

"She hasn't shut up complaining about i- hey, Avery," Mitchell yelps as his Alpha pours a bottle of water over his head.

"Enjoy your tanning," she hisses, slapping his forehead as she walks away to the lakehouse.

Roman grins and hurries after her, patting Mitch on the shoulder as he goes.

"Ave, wait for me," he hollers after her, increasing his pace.

As soon as he catches up to her, he slings an arm around her shoulder.

She shrugs it off, and he frowns.

"What's wrong with you?" He asks, furrowing his brows.

"It's embarrassing," she hisses, throwing open the door and shivering slightly as she enters the well air-conditioned house.

"What is?" He asks in confusion, furrowing his brows.

"You, laughing about me not being marked," she scowls, and he raises his eyebrows.

"What are you talking about? I'm not laughing," he responds, opening the bedroom door for her.

"You laughed! With Mitchell!" She spits, throwing her towel into the washing basket.

"No, I didn't," he says, extremely confused.

"It's embarrassing for me! You haven't marked me, and everyone is wondering why. Am I not good enough?" She growls, her eyes flashing as she yanks on an oversized hoodie and some shorts.

Roman's eyes widen as he realises what he walked himself into, and he immediately shakes his head frantically.

"No, oh my Goddess, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me," he explains as quickly as he can, trying to grab her hands to stop her from moving around the room and cleaning like she usually does when she gets upset.

"Then why won't you just mark me?" She roars, her canines descending as she turns to face him.

"Okay, Ave, I need you to breathe," he tries to soothe her, his eyes widening as she approaches him.

"I didn't want to rush you," he manages to get out as he backs into the wall, his hands in the air as he tries to show her that he means no harm to her or Sonya.

Mark her, Booker encourages, drooling at the sudden dominance and demanding nature that has taken over his usually relatively placid and polite mate.

Avery seems slightly taken aback when Roman says these words, and her canines slowly return to their normal size.

Once they go, and her eyes stop flashing, she claps a hand over her mouth, her eyes widening drastically as she realises what just happened.

"Oh my Goddess, I am so sorry," she gasps, running a hand through her hair.

Roman shakes his head, wrapping his arms around her gently, pulling her towards him as he takes a seat on the edge of the bed.

"Sonya just lost it, and I couldn't stop her," Avery apologises profusely, her brows furrowed and her eyes watering.

"Is that how you really feel?" He asks softly, and she bites her lip.

"Yes," she softly responds, closing her eyes.

"I want you to mark me. I don't understand why you won't," she adds, her bottom lip pouting out a little bit.

His face softens, and he cups her face gently.

"I didn't want to put any pressure on you. You know that everyone expects marked couples to mate almost immediately afterwards," he whispers, pressing a gentle kiss to her nose.

"When have we ever done anything anyone expected of us?" She giggles, her eyes sparkling as she looks at him.

"I wanted to do everything at your pace," he elaborates.

"I want you to mark me," she instructs, holding his face in her hands as his hands settle on her waist.

"What, like, now?" He asks, his eyebrows shooting up towards his hairline.

"No, that would be really, really structured and planned," she laughs, "whenever you're ready. We need a cute story to tell our kids."

She said our kids, Booker roars, she wants to have children with us.

Roman grins at both his wolf's excitement and at Avery.

His heart melts just looking at her, and he draws her in for a gentle kiss.

"Do you want to go and get some food?" He asks, holding one of her hands and playing with the rings she wears.

"I'd like that," she smiles, standing up from his lap where she had perched.

"I'm in the mood for a really nice sandwich," he frowns, tapping his chin as he thinks.

"We could go to the place near the town," she offers, and he nods with a smile.

"Let me just change," he grins, kissing her cheek lightly before he wanders over to his suitcase.

They're spending the weekend at Avery's lakehouse, because they both thought they might burst into tears if they had to look at another file.

Roman pulls out a Hawaiian print shirt, and Avery groans.

"What? I think this is really stylish," he defends, and Avery stares at him in horror.

"Oh honey, no," she laughs, standing up from the bed and looking over his shoulder.

"You pack like a dad," she remarks in disgust, "why did you need to bring eight pairs of trousers for two days?"

"Well, I don't hear me making fun of you for overpacking," he says weakly, and Avery raises an eyebrow.

"I brought extra underwear in case something happened," she defends.

"Baby, the way you packed it, it seems like you're expecting to have four accidents every day," he snorts, shaking his head at her as he slips on the shirt.

"Look, you don't have to deal with periods," she grumbles, scowling at him.

He raises his hands in the air in protest of his innocence.

"No, I know that, thank Goddess I don't. But that can't be your defence for all of your overpacking," he grins, sliding off his swimming trunks after facing away from her.

He hops into a pair of boxer briefs and then buttons up a pair of khaki shorts, making Avery gape at him.

"What?" He groans, and she starts cackling to herself.

"You dress like an overgrown frat boy," she laughs, and he pouts at her.

"Don't be so rude," he complains, grabbing her hand and twirling her.

He slides his feet into a pair of trainers, as does she.

"We're matching," she beams, nodding to their feet.

He looks down and releases a laugh as he realises that she is, in fact, right.

"Are we one of those couples now?" He chuckles, rolling his eyes playfully.

She laces her fingers through his and pockets her phone and keys, grinning back at him as she leads him out the door.

"We can walk over, and then run back if that sounds alright to you," she proposes, and he considers it for a moment.

"You might have to roll me back if I eat too much, but I like the sound of this plan anyway," he laughs, letting her lead him along the pebbled path.

"So, how long are you staying?" She asks, glancing over her shoulder at him, "Because you know you can stay for as long as you like, I love having you here."

"I'm not sure. I'd like to be back for Tuesday at the latest, but we could always just go to the Trials together and meet our respective packs when we get there," he shrugs, and Avery bites her lip.

Thursday is three days away, and she's not sure that she'll be able to let him go in three days.

"Yeah, that sounds good, we could totally go to the Trials together," she answers quickly, nodding before Sonya sucks her in.

God, we've become such softies, Sonya groans, cringing.

I know, what the heck happened?, Avery whines, and they both release a grumble together.

The grumble escapes Avery's lips, and she claps her free hand over her mouth in embarrassment as she looks anywhere but Roman's direction.

"Sonya giving you a hard time?" He laughs, looking down at her.

His smile is so big that his eyes have crinkled up, and Avery has to stop herself from awwing out loud too.

"Yeah, something like that," she breathes, a grin on her lips as she walks him through the trees.

"Why did you not cut down all of the trees here?" He asks curiously, and she shrugs.

"I like them here. It doesn't make it any less safe; it's in the middle of the pack. Plus, the kids love playing fairy gardens in the summer when we have lake days," she laughs, remembering the last summer they had in her pack.

Her smile drops a little as she realises how much has happened in less than a year, and Roman notices the sudden lack of excitement in her face.

"What's wrong?" He asks, concern leaking into his voice.

"So much has happened," she mumbles, clearing her throat.

"This time last year, I was Deputy Alpha and in one of the worst depressions of my life. Now, I'm Alpha, I have a mate, and I have a brilliant, supportive team behind me, including the sister I thought I'd never talk to again," she confesses, stopping in her tracks abruptly.

"What's wrong?" He asks again, stopping with her and facing her.

He can see the hesitance on her face, and he raises an eyebrow worriedly.

"I don't tell you how much I appreciate you," she murmurs, gazing up at him.

"I don't mind that," he shrugs, and she shakes her head.

"No, you deserve to know how great you are. I value you so much as a person, and I appreciate your loyalty and care much more than you'll ever know," she begins nervously, "when something happens, you're the first person I want to tell. I can't seem to spend enough time with you, and even when I'm with you, I miss you, because I know you'll be going soon."

Her confession is made in a small voice, and she looks over his shoulder at a tree to avoid his eyes.

Before he can open his mouth, she continues.

"I love you," she blurts out, clapping a hand over her mouth.

What the fuck did you just say, Sonya screams.

It just came out, Avery roars back, panicking immediately.

Take it back! Hit him on the head, make him forget!, Sonya screeches, her eyes as wide as possible.

"Shit," Avery mutters under her breath, staring at Roman, who looks ready to faint.

His face is pale, his eyes are wide, and his mouth is open slightly.

"Close your mouth, you'll catch flies," she awkwardly comments, hurrying off down the path.

Idiot, idiot, idiot, she groans inwardly, and Sonya scoffs.

You're the one who said it, she reminds her.

Don't tell me, I was there, remember?, Avery barks.

Oh, my Goddess, you've just ruined everything, Sonya whimpers, pacing around Avery's mind as she tries to release some of her nervous energy.

No, we can't think negatively, Avery tries to convince both herself and her wolf as they walk faster and faster along the path to the restaurant she was planning on surprising Roman with some cake.

Do you want me to pull positivity out of my ass? There is no good side to this, Sonya hollers in distress, whimpering to herself as her mate hasn't come after them yet.

Footsteps follow Avery, and she holds her breath in the hopes that it could be Roman.

Her hopes are dashed as a jogger runs by her, waving at her in acknowledgement as they run to the beat of their music.

Avery's heart sinks as she realises that he might not be coming after her anymore.

As she continues to walk, a hand is put onto her shoulder, and she slowly turns around, the lack of scent giving away it's owner immediately.

"I'm sorry for not coming sooner, I completely spaced out. Booker was really excited, so he took over for a few minutes," he apologises softly, taking her hand.

"Ignore everything I said, it was stupid," she rushes out, shaking her head frantically as she continues to walk.

When she gets nervous, she can't stay still.

If he holds her in place, she might take flight to try to burn off some of the nervous energy.

"No, it wasn't. You expressed your feelings, which I know you find hard," he whispers, pulling her into a hug.

"Yeah, whatever, I had to express them to you eventually," she says uncomfortably, scratching her neck and wiggling out of the hug, continuing to walk at a fast pace.

"Where are you rushing to?" He laughs, raising an eyebrow.

"I reserved a table, we have ten minutes to get there," she responds shortly, still in a bottomless pit of self-hatred and distress.

"Avery, I love you, too," he says with a roll of his eyes, and she scowls at him.

"You don't say it like that," she snaps, squirming her hand out of his.

Her feelings are a little sensitive, and she feels hurt by his lack of response at first. She wanted what she said to be acknowledged, and she didn't want to be eye-rolled at when he confessed his love to her for the first time. It felt fake and forced.

He frowns but lets her walk a little in front of him.

You rolled your eyes, Booker scolds, and Roman raises an eyebrow as he continues to walk.

She thinks you said it just because she said it, Booker explains, outraged at his human's stupidity.

Why would she think that?, Roman asks in confusion.

Because you didn't explain it, or give her a speech or anything. You don't have to, but you definitely shouldn't have rolled your eyes, that was a dickhead move and even I know that, he comments, and Roman scowls at his wolf.

Say you're sorry, and surprise her with something, Booker urges, and Roman sighs.

He blocks out his wolf in order to focus on his surroundings, looking around in the trees to try spot her. He finally spots her figure about twenty meters in front of him, and he sighs quietly to himself.

"Ave," he calls, increasing his speed a little to catch up with her.

He succeeds, with ease.

"I'm sorry, okay? I absolutely understand that I said that wrong, and I shouldn't have rolled my eyes. I really do mean what I said, though, I promise," he confesses, grabbing her hand and staring into her eyes earnestly.

She stares at him unsurely, biting her lip and looking around her at the trees.

Nobody is around, and she has no distractions.

She has to look at him.

"I appreciate your apology," she mumbles, "I'd like to talk about this later, if that's okay."

He instantly nods, lifting her chin to make her make eye contact with him.

"Everything you want to do is absolutely okay with me," he promises, offering his hand.

She contemplates for a moment, and then slides her hand into his, bringing it to her lips and kissing his knuckles lightly.

He always smiles slightly when she does that, and this time is no exception. A small grin creeps onto his lips, and his eyes crinkle a little, his dimples appearing and a hint of his scarily white teeth appear from behind his lips.

Making him smile makes her happy, as much as she and Sonya both gag at how mushy that is.

They exit the forest after a minute or two of walking in content silence, holding each other's hands, and gazing around at the sights that the forest has to offer.

Once they order, Roman looks straight at Avery again, making some of the most intense eye contact she's ever had to deal with.

"So why do you want me to mark you so badly?" Roman asks her curiously, furrowing his brows as she bites her lip.

"I want everyone to know you're mine, and that I'm yours," she sighs, inwardly cringing.

"Is that all?" He asks, and she shrugs.

"I'd also really like to be able to mindlink with you. Sonya would love to be able to talk to Booker all of the time because she really misses him when you're not here and able to shift," she explains, and he lets a small smile creep onto his face.

Some wolves aren't very in tune with their wolves and dismiss their opinions and needs because they're not human.

Avery and Roman aren't of that category and instead work with their wolves in most of the things they do. A good relationship with your wolf is something Avery has made sure to emphasise in her pack's education, because you can't have harmony in life without harmony in your head.

"Booker is the same as Sonya, then. He always misses her when we go back home," he laughs softly, taking her hand.

"I want to mark you. I really do, I really want to mark you. But I don't want to do it just because we have to," he whispers, and she scowls a little.

"You don't have to, but I'd really like you to," she admits, tucking some of her hair behind her ear.

He gazes at her with a smile, watching as she shifts in her seat as she smiles and nods to some of her pack members.

"We need to remember that very few people know about us being mates," he adds after a minute of staring at her, and she winces at that fact.

"That's true, that isn't very good," she hums, nibbling on her lip.

"I have a feeling a fair few people will be a little upset that we didn't tell them," he groans, sitting back in his seat and sipping his iced tea.