Walker was probably going to be pissy with me no matter what I did—we were already pushing the envelope, letting her stay at the firehouse, but there was no way in hell I was letting her go to a shelter.

“It’s his loss,” Sunny continued, completely unaware of my mental acrobatics happening in the background.

“Well, anyone who chooses not to be with you guys is clearly an ass and an idiot, for that matter,” I said, a little too much enthusiasm in my voice.

Sunny looked up, startled. I was opening my mouth to apologize when a smile spread across her face, and I swear to god, every muscle in my body relaxed at that.

I’d made her happy.

Fuck, yes.

As soon as Luka had finished demolishing his oatmeal, I swept the bowl away so she wouldn't have to clean it herself and placed a bowl of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of her.

“Here you go.” I smiled. Luka’s little hand grabbed a bacon slice and shoved it in his mouth so fast, we both burst into laughter.

“I can help,” Sunny assured me once our chuckles died down.

“Trust me, Cher, it’s no bother.” I shrugged, keeping my expression easy and soothing. Sunny was going to have to get used to being taken care of around here.

I wasn’t going to let her lift a finger. Her scent was addicting, and I didn’t want to leave its presence.

Would it be creepy to steal some of her bedding so I could have her scent with me at all times?

Yes, that would be incredibly creepy, and I shouldn't do that. I wouldn't do that. That didn't mean I didn't want to do that, though.

There were a lot of things I wanted to do that I couldn't do.

Sometimes I wanted to punch my pack mates, for instance.

But if Sunny just happened to wear an article of my clothing, and I got it back before it was laundered, I wouldn’t complain.

“You’re awake!” Blaze shouted as he thundered up the stairs. Despite the fact he was the smallest out of all of us, he definitely made the most noise around the fire station.

Merrick was close behind him, looking curiously at Sunny. He and the other guys on shift had agreed that bringing Sunny and Luka back with us was for the best.

Omegas were rare; they needed to be protected.

Blaze wasn’t looking at me, even though he was talking to me; his eyes were firmly on the omega.

“Good morning,” she said as he approached, leaning down and messing up Luka's hair. The boy adored it, giggling wildly.

“Good morning,” Merrick greeted in that soft-spoken way only he could. He was a quiet alpha, but he was almost as big as me.

“This is Merrick,” I explained and Sunny nodded. “You want bacon?” I asked, turning to the guys.

Blaze snorted. “When do I not want bacon?” he asked pointedly.

“I’ll grab some and head to the gym. I think Jason and Zane are already there,” Merrick said, grabbing a plate and retreating. That wasn’t unusual for him, so I wasn’t concerned. Merrick liked to keep to himself.

“What about me?” Blaze whined playfully.

I laughed. “I’ll dish you up a plate, but you've gotta take some to Walker.”

The alpha pouted and let out a dramatic sigh. “I suppose.”

I raised my eyebrows at him. “Unless you want to take over the cooking?”

His eyes widened, and he held his hands up in surrender. “No! You can't do that. I'll end up poisoning the entire firehouse. Give me the bacon. I'll give it to Walker,” he insisted in a rush, making me laugh.