“Maybe,” his father said softly although they both knew that he wasn’t bringing up traveling because of his deformity.

His father wanted to send him away with his sister and stepmother before Hitler’s men finally came knocking on their door. It was only a matter of time now before that knock came and when it did, they could only hope that his father had managed to get enough of the women and children from the village sent off before it was too late.

They’d all heard the rumors and even though they prayed that was all they were, rumors, they couldn’t behave as though they were blind to the truth. They’d seen the soldiers marching past their village, seen the arm bands marking Jews, communists and traitors. They knew something was going on and they knew that it was only a matter of time before this war and Hitler’s cause plowed through their town, leaving it in shambles.

For the past year, his father had been carefully, and as quietly as possible, sending villagers out of Germany. It was a slow process, but by the end of the year they should have the village deserted and when that time came, they would leave under the guise of visiting relatives in London. Only they most likely would never be coming back, not while a tyrant like Hitler ruled them.

“I think it would be best if I sent you and your sister to stay in London,” his father said quietly.

The charcoal in Christofer’s hand stilled once again. “It’s not necessary,” he said, dreading leaving his father behind as much as he dreaded being called a freak somewhere new.

“I believe it is very necessary, Christofer,” his father said with a sad smile marking his tone.

“But, Father-” he started to argue even though he knew that it was pointless. His father might be tolerant of him and his condition, but he was still his father and his word would be obeyed.

“I’m off to bed,” his father said, carefully getting to his feet. “Try not to fall asleep in front of the fire,” his father said with a forced smile.

“I’m almost done,” he lied, knowing that he’d rather work until exhaustion took over instead of lying in his bed, forced to think about all the things that were out of his control.

“Just promise me one thing,” his father said quietly as he stood over him, forcing Christofer to look up and meet the eyes that once held a great deal of humor and now only held sorrow.

“Anything, Father,” he swore without a moment’s hesitation.

“Promise me that you’ll always watch over your sister.”

Christofer forced a smile, because he knew that his father wouldn’t be asking this of him unless he’d already settled the plans to send them away.

“Even when she’s being a brat and in desperate need of a spanking,” he promised, earning a chuckle from his father, the last sound of amusement that his father would ever make as it turned out.

Chapter 1

New York

Williams Mansion

Present Day…..

“Izzy, he’s going to find out,” Kale said, sighing as the woman in the bed next to him pulled the sheet off her head so that she could give him what she probably thought was a murderous glare, but really, the woman was just too damn cute to pull it off.

“Are you planning on telling him?” she demanded as she took a big bite out of a chocolate caramel candy bar that actually looked pretty tasty so he snatched it away from her.

When she opened her mouth, no doubt to demand that he give it back to her, he took a huge bite out of the candy bar as he glared right back at her, silently reminding her of their agreement. She could either share or go find herself a new hiding spot. In the end, she simply muttered as she pulled the sheet back over her head and continued getting her sugar fix.

“I knew you’d see it my way,” Kale mumbled smugly as he settled back against the extra firm pillows that he’d demanded the women in this family buy for him.

At first they’d simply rolled their eyes at him and told him to get his own goddamn pillows. So, that’s exactly what he did. Since he didn’t like to shop or spend his own money if he didn’t have to, he decided to save some time and money and just grab a pillow or two from one of the other rooms.

Once he’d helped himself to the pillows on Ephraim and Madison’s bed, he couldn’t help but notice just how big and comfortable their bed was, so of course he took that. He would have taken their comforter and sheets too, but they just didn’t do anything for him so he helped himself to the comforter on Caine and Danni’s bed and the sheets from Izzy and Chris’ bed. After his bed was all set up, he couldn’t help but notice that the rest of his room looked pretty bare.

It took him a good five hours of ransacking the rest of the mansion before he had his room the way that he liked it. Not even an hour after he’d finished, the banging on his door started right along with the demands to return their stuff. He ignored them until the women of the house got pissed, gave up and offered to shop for whatever he wanted as long as he returned their stuff. Since that deal worked in his favor, he allowed the women the privilege of shopping for his needs. It really was the least that he could do.

“I want a Coke,” Izzy mumbled pathetically from beneath the sheet, which reminded him that he needed to ask her something.

“Why exactly are you hiding under that sheet?”

The sounds of candy wrappers crinkling was accompanied by the large mound that was Izzy shifting beneath the sheet as she explained, “Because this is the last place that he’d look for me.”

Well, that was probably true, Kale had to admit. The large Sentinel male probably wouldn’t expect his adorable pregnant mate to be hiding out in another man’s bed, especially a shifter’s bed. He was supposed to be the enemy since he didn’t work for the Sentinel Council. Technically, he shouldn’t even be allowed in this house since it was under the Council’s protection. If it wasn’t for the small woman devouring a shit load of junk food in his bed he’d probably be holed up in some hotel room, planning his next job instead of checking in to make sure that everything was okay.

“Does the sheet provide you with added protection?” he asked distractedly as a fresh wave of exhaustion hit him.

He was so f**king tired. That wasn’t anything new. He was always tired, but over the past couple of months it seemed as though exhaustion was hitting him harder than ever before. He needed a break, some rest, but he’d come too far to stop now. He was so close, so damn close, to his goal.

One more year and everything that he’d worked so hard for would be his. He could go back home, buy a cottage out in the middle of nowhere, and live out the rest of his existence without worrying about anything other than resting, eating and enjoying his well-earned solitude. He was going to forget that anything else existed in the world for a while.

Except for her maybe, he thought as he watched the mound beneath the sheet shift again. He wasn’t sure how it happened, but this small Sentinel female somehow became his best friend, his only friend, and his family. Thanks to her, he had to adjust his goal to include her, her mate and their children. That wasn’t something that he was entirely happy about.

He liked the way his life used to be, the way it should be. He hated complications and there was no doubt in his mind that Izzy was a huge complication. She was his one and only weakness and he f**king hated that.