Krilaia: I am so sorry this took so long. I want to thank everyone who took the time to read the first chapter and to alert it and special thanks to both HurogWalker and buffy1890 for reviewing. Again, I am so sorry this took so long.

Disclaimer: If you recognize them then they belong to Patricia Briggs


Mia shivered, rubbing her hands up and down her arms. A lot of things had change since that day three years ago, but even though so much time had passed memories of that day plagued her thoughts. Trying to fight the chill that spread through her body twenty-one year old rubbed her hands up and down her arms as she sat back on the worn down couch in the tiny living room she was in. A door creaked open and the small pitter patter of feet filled the silence. Mia leaned down and picked up the little boy who had run to her out of habit.

"Ouwh okay Mawme?" The boy's grey eyes stared at her curiously and Mia couldn't help but smile. Although she was biased, she had always thought he was the cutest boy in the world. With his slightly curled black hair, expression filled eyes, and heart melting smile that revealed a dimple in his left cheek, she just knew her little boy would grow up to be a heart throb.

Some good things had come from that day, reminding her that even in the darkest hour, dawn was sure to come.

"I'm fine sweetie." Mia answered, ruffling his short brown hair and setting him down beside her before standing up. "How do muffins sound for breakfast Jayden?"

Jayden's face broke into a giant grin as the two year old nodded enthusiastically.

"And then the park?" Mia suggested, picking up her son as he stretched his arms up towards her. Settling him on her hip he nodded once more.

"You sure? I dunno, it seems a little lame to me." She teased him, walking the entire three steps into the dining kitchen area. Jayden shook his head and stared up at her with worried little eyes.

"No! Not lame! Pawk, pawk!" He flailed his pale arms around to empathize his feelings. It was a tradition for them to go to the park every Saturday, something that had started when Mia had felt bad for him not being able to socialize with other little kids, or anyone other than herself. It wasn't something she'd wanted, it was just something she couldn't afford.

Being eighteen and pregnant was a struggle. Being eighteen, pregnant, an orphan, homeless, and traumatized was even worse. She'd done a lot of things she would never be proud of, and would forever haunt her.

Luck had shined on her later in life, however; when she was moved on to the tri-cities at twenty, and had met a woman named Rosa. At thirty with two twin teenagers, one five year old, and a three year old she'd taken one look at Mia, from the run in her hose, the lack of meat on her bones, and the unnatural pale to her skin and had welcomed the girl under her wing as one of her own. Rosa didn't have much herself, but she and her husband helped out when they could, including watching Jayden on any day Mia didn't have off, which included everyday but Saturday and Sunday. It was a blessing for her to know that she didn't have to worry about what was going to happen to Jayden while she wasn't there, and it helped her get a more respectable job. To Mia, Rosa and her family were angels.

"Okay okay! We'll go to the park." Mia laughed, going over to the cupboard and pulling out a package of muffin mix.


When they got to the park, there was no containing Jayden. He wiggled against Mia's hand until she finally let go and he ran under the slide where a couple other little kids where. For such a little tyke, he was an adventurous one. Mia went over to a nearby bench that was empty. While her son may have been social, Mia was not.

It wasn't the way she'd always been, but she just wasn't comfortable around people. Not since she'd noticed the strange things that had changed since she was "cured" of the invisible sickness. Things that she didn't feel were normal. Things like being able to tell people apart by different scents, when they didn't have perfume or any cologne on. Her sense of sight and hearing had also increased, having always been good they excelled part the normal. Then there were the basic instincts, like the sudden violent tendency she had when she was either angered or threatened.

But never to Jayden.

She would never hurt him. When it came down to it, she would only have him.

"Excuse me, Ma'm?" Mia's head snapped to the new voice. She looked at the man who had spoken and frowned slightly.

"Um, Yes?" Mia asked uncertainly, unsure how to approach this. Taking a deep breath she crinkled her nose at the overdose of cologne that overrode her sense.

"Could I bother you for a survey? Just a couple of questions." As Mia opened her mouth to protest he cut her to the beat, "Please ma'm, it could save my job."

Apprehensively, she accepted.


Samuel stuffed his hands into his pocket, letting a sigh rip through him. It wasn't like him to be in a funk like he was today, but with Mercy out with Adam he felt a strange sense of loss had come over it. While his human half had accepted she wasn't his and had never really been, there was still a part of his wolf that still claimed her as his own. But he tried not to let it keep him down, and so he would plant his grin on and forget the trouble his wolf brought down on him. It worked, most of the time. Yet, there were days like today when it just caught up with him.

Having been caught up in his thoughts he didn't notice where he was going, or when someone ran towards him. When the small body ran into him he mentally cursed himself for not being so observant, until he looked down. Grey eyes met grey eyes, admittedly Sam's were lighter than the boys. In a jerky movement the boy jumped back and stared at him. Holding back a smile, Sam knelt down to be more level with him.

"Hi, I'm Sam. What's your name?" Sam asked. The boy looked a little unsure of if he should talk to him or not, but after a minute a dimpled smile appeared on his face.

"Jay-den." Jayden said, pronouncing his name in two parts.

"That's a really cool name. Do you know where your mom or da is?" Sam asked, frowning as he spoke the words. It was times like this, as he looked down at the child who couldn't be much older than three, that really made him mad at those people who had kids and didn't take care of them.

Just as Jayden opened his mouth to speak a voice broke in.

"Jayden Frazier! What have I told you about running off?"

Sam looked at the woman who came towards them. He didn't need to be able to smell the panic rolling in waves off of her to know how scared she'd been. It showed on every aspect of her smooth face. He took a moment to just take her in, from her mid-back length black hair that seemed to curl at the ends, in the exact same way the boy's did. She was beautiful, at least in his mind. His eyes trailed down her body, noticing her subtle womanly curves and thin body of her frame that made her seem fragile, but her movements warned off predators.

Mia picked Jayden up, breathing in a sigh of relief. She'd had these enhanced senses for three years and had yet to learn to use them right. The man's scent had overpowered her, and she'd not noticed Jayden run off. If anything had happened, it wasn't a thought she wanted to dwell on.

Turning her attention to the man who had been talking to her son, she frowned as she met his eyes. She tensed, as an alarm in her went off. He was watching her like a prey, and although he looked like he could be trusted, there was something hidden in him that spelt out predator. His size didn't help matters either. A bit over 6 feet and she could tell until that shirt he was built. Yet, her mind settled on that fact that he was handsome. It wasn't something you noticed upon first glance but it was unmistakably there.

Still, beyond that earth-spice musky scent was something that just wasn't human.

"You should probably keep an eye on him; little kids tend to run off." Sam said, not looking away from her eyes. It was strange, most humans avoided his eyes. Yet, she stared, unafraid.

"I know." Mia replied, holding Jayden closely to her.

"I'm Samuel Cornick, by the way. You've got a cute son, if he is…" Sam played on the fact that she looked young as he held out his hand. The two scents were similar enough for him to know their relation. He idly wondered how old she was.

"Mia….McCree." Mia answered tensely as she shook his hand, and he could smell the lie off of her. Sam mentally frowned, wondering why she would lie about that. Pulling back her hand she shifted her weight slightly, "It was nice meeting you, but I really need to go."

"Same here." He glanced at Jayden. "And it was nice meeting you. Maybe you shouldn't run away from your Mom anymore okay?"

Jayden nodded smiling widely and waving at Sam as Mia took her leave. It was at that moment he realized that something about her scent was slightly off. It was caught somewhere between wolf and human. Once she was out of eyesight Sam pulled out his phone.

"Hey Da? I have a question for you…"


Krilaia: Reviews are really nice.