Blake's pov:

It hasn't even been a full day and we both end up dozing off. It's been such a long while since the last time, but when I open my eyes, I see Kate's head on top of my chest. In fact, her entire body is on top of mine as I pull my arms around her and kiss the top of her head. I sense her move slightly before opening her eyes and facing me. She rests puts her chin on my chest, I sense the breath hit my skin before she moves closer and we share a kiss on the lips.

She places her head on my shoulder, snuggling as close to my neck as possible as I move my hand up on top of her shoulder. It doesn't matter where or how I hold her, her skin will always be the same, soft and glistening. There's only one way I can imagine it: perfect. After a while, she rests her hand on top of my chest and I grab it, allowing our fingers to just play with each other before they intertwine in the gentle ray of sunlight that enters the room.

- So, I can get used to this again...

I let out after a while. I sense her chuckle weakly as she pulls my hand towards her and kisses my fingertips.

- That makes two of us...

She answers as she slides off me slightly and sits up. I can see something change slightly in her mood. I sit up next to her as pull her lips towards mine and they meet.

- I don't want anything to come between us again, Blake...

She lets out slightly worried as I smile weakly and place my hand on her cheek.

- Love, I promise you: nothing will ever come between us. If it ever does, I'm gonna break down whatever walls I need to break to get to you, okay? From now on, we'll face things together like we did four years ago.

I remind her. Despite of all the crap that we're thrown at us back then, we held each other's hands through all of it and supported each other. We didn't even know each other half as well as we do now. Losing a daughter nearly broke us. There were moments when I didn't know what was going to happen to us, but now I do.

- I think we've learned our lesson...

She answers bravely before she wraps the covers around herself and makes her way towards the bathroom, leaving cold and me completely exposed... on the bed.

- Sure, don't mind me, I'm just gonna sit here naked in the cold...

I let out before she turns around with a playful glimpse in her face and my heart immediately skips a beat at the sight of it.

- Well, if you need to regain some heat...

She doesn't even finish the sentence before I'm almost right in front of her, attacking her lips and lifting her up as she drops the covers and wraps her legs around my hips. Our skin-to-skin contact just causes fire between us as I walk us both carefully over to the sink and I sit her down as we break off for a second.

- Are we catching up for lost time?

I ask her teasingly while raising an eyebrow. Before she can even answer, I kiss her jawline before travelling down her neck and find the mark before sucking on it. I push her slightly against the mirror behind her as her nails dig into my skin by my shoulders, turning me on even more...

- You could say that...

She whispers sensually against my ear before kissing my temple. I travel back up to her lips and we're really just about to take it further when I hear a knock on the door.

- Great...

I grunt as I'm about to put a towel around my hips when Kate holds my arm back and I find myself back into her arms.

- Just let them wait a little bit...

She begs and I'm really tempted to follow her instructions. Unfortunately, whatever it is, the person can't seem to wait as I hear the door open.

- Alpha Blake?

I wrap the towel around my hips eventually and walk out to the bedroom where I see Alec.

- Yes, Beta Alec, what is it?

I let out quite clear of how the timing doesn't quite seem to fit.

- I just jumped in on something, didn't I?

He asks rather uninterested in the answer. I don't know how much obvious it can be, but I guess this is Alec and he's really trying to be funny or anything. He shakes his head after a while.

- Alec, what's going on?

I let out as he takes a deep breath.

- It's about the discovery in the woods. We found a person, a little girl. She's in the hospital. I really think you should go and see her.

I hear Kate sneak a peek through the bathroom door and walks out in her morning robe.

- Alec, what's going on?

She asks as she obviously haven't held back when it comes to listening in.

- Well, I'm not entirely sure how to say this, but I'll just do it anyway so that you both know what awaits you there.

There's something in the way he says that that catches me slightly off guard.

- Alec, spill it...

I tell him sternly. I don't like the way he keeps looking at me and still holds it back. It's almost like he's judging me for something that I don't even know if I've done or not. He takes a deep breath and brings out a locket that he hands over to me.

- What's this?

I ask.

- This girl that we found, she was around 11 or 12 years old judging by her size and the fact that she had a gun to defend herself. I asked her what she was doing in the woods and she told me she was looking for her father. Apparently, she has never met him and she had only been told that he was alive and that he was the head of a pack. You're gonna need to take a deep breath when you read the father's name...

He goes on. I look over at Kate for a moment, insecurely, before I open and I immediately sense this massive gulp in my throat. My hands are shaky. Kate drags my hand slightly towards her.

- Apparently she's your daughter...

He walks out of the room and suddenly my entire body weighs about a thousand tons as I sit down on the bed and try to catch my breath. Kate is still standing, still looking at the locket...

- Do you remember a Martha Lee?

She asks. I feel scared. All of a sudden, I feel petrified because Kate and I had just found back to each other again and now this shows up. Eventually I shake my head.

- No, I don't I...it must've been that night when...

I let out, but I can't find myself finishing the sentence.

- Listen, love, I didn't know. If I had...I don't...nobody ever told me of this, not that I stuck around to find out but...I swear I wouldn't have held it from you.

I can't seem to find a way to collect myself. Kate seems way calmer than I am as she sits down next to me and plants a soft kiss on my shoulder. I turn my head towards her, my heart pounding in my chest.

- Blake, I know. Don't be scared, I'm not going anywhere. I know you would've told me if you knew. Let's just...let's figure this out together...

Kate's pov:

He is really put off by the news. He and his wolf are both a complete mess. I sense it through the link. All my wolf and I can do is support him, opposite to what Alec did when he delivered the message. I could tell by the look in his eyes that he was less than impressed with what he had learned. We're talking about a girl who's been living her whole life without knowing her father.

Blake just sits next to me deep in thought. He's just put his leather jacket on as I walk up to him and place my hands on each side of his face, forcing him to look up.

- Are you ready?

He tries to be brave when he smiles up at me, but I know he's petrified. I eventually sit down on his lap.

- I'm just...I'm completely shocked and at a loss for words...what do I even say?

He asks.

- I wish that I could help you with that, but I can't. I guess you just find out once you're there...

He nods weakly. After a while, I grab his hand and we walk towards the hospital area. We don't share a single word, but we don't have to. I know what's going on through the link. When we get to the hospital-area, Alec among others stand there waiting for us. I can still see the certain look on his face, even though he tries to hide it.

I give him a slightly warning look as he walks towards us with a piece of paper that he immediately hands to Blake.

- Her name is Ivy Lee. She is 11 years old. She has your blood and DNA...

Alec says as Blake hands it over to me. I read it quickly and it confirms what Alec says. This girl is related to Blake. I take a deep breath as discretely as possible. Some would probably be enraged, but I'm not. Blake didn't know of this, pretty much like he didn't remember a lot of the things he has done under Fagan's influence.

- How is she doing?

Blake asks in a rather silent voice before Alec takes a deep breath to himself.

- She's fine. Dehydrated, slightly underfed and cold, but that's about it. She probably won't sleep before she's spoken to you though. After all, she's spent weeks looking for you and years not knowing you...

Alec goes on and I immediately warn him now. Blake doesn't say anything about it. He turns his attention towards the door to the girl. There's tiny window and we both see her. He holds on to my hand even more than before. Go. I'll wait for you right here... I say through the mind-link. He nods weakly before he puts his hand on the door-knob and walks through the door.

I take a breath of slight frustration as I turn around towards Alec. He's got this tense look on Blake as Blake walks through the door and I can't take it anymore.

- Return to your duties...

I let out and the guards part way. Alec is about to leave with the others.

- Alec, a word?

Some of the others being told to get back to their duties, look back at him before they walk away. I put my arms in a cross as I sense the blood boil in my veins.

- Retract your claws...

He tries to look at me as if he doesn't understand what I'm referring to.

- You don't know anything about Blake and this girl so you retract your damn claws!

He shakes his head slightly.

- It's amazing that you're still standing by him after finding out about this. He slept with someone else before even meeting you. He didn't wait for you and you're okay with that?

I take a deep breath.

- First of all, he was thirteen when it happened and not to mention manipulated by Fagan. Secondly, he told me four years ago and yes, I was hurt. I almost lost him because of that, but I've never doubted him since.

Alec looks away for a moment.

- I suggest you keep your judging eyes off my mate. You don't know what happened back then. I'll be happy to put you in a cell just to make a point if I see you judging him again...

- You truly believe what he's told you? That he didn't know he had a kid for 11 years?

Alec goes on. I put my arms in a cross on my chest and I take a few steps towards him. I sense my wolf is just inches away from taking over me. Alec seems to notice as he backs away slightly.

- If you say one more word, Alec, I won't give a damn about you having a mate or you being my son's favorite uncle. I will unleash my wolf, whom I'm holding back right now, and let her have her way with you. I'm telling you once and for all: back the hell off! If you want to know the full story, you will talk to Blake, not walk around judging him.

I warn him aggressively as he stands there for a moment, before taking the hint and leaves the hallway. I take a few deep breaths to myself as I finally manage to calm down. Nicely handled. My wolf says all of a sudden, as she's calmed down. There wasn't really any other way, was there? I ask her back as I suddenly sense his nerves through the link. I walk over to the door and look through the tiny window in to the room. I hope this is the last surprise to sneak up on us...

A/N: Dedicating this to my girl, El. You are a wonderful person, believe that. <3