Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters end up in. Everything else belongs to someone else, and that's the way of it.

All You Can Eat

Harry did not consider himself a violent man. No, that wasn't right. He wasn't a violent wolf, Harry silently corrected himself. His maternal side was much stronger as a wolf, and frankly if he was fighting an enemy in wolf form his goal was to kill as quickly and relatively painlessly as possible. His predator didn't really get the concept of letting one's prey live. By contrast his human side, like those who were themselves purely human, was much more inclined to injure, maim, and general scare the shit out of anyone who thought to cross him or did something he found abhorrent or wrong. He couldn't just kill them in most cases, and so out of that frustration and instinct he usually made dead sure his enemies respected the fact that he could kill them…and was choosing not to. For the time being.

Unfortunately killing or maiming Eggsy's mother wouldn't change the damage she'd done to her pup. And he didn't actually want to physically hurt the woman, Harry reluctantly acknowledged, especially since he'd gleaned from what Eggsy wasn't saying that physical violence was Michelle Unwin's normal. But it was proving rather difficult to feel badly for her though, knowing that she was well aware of the fact that ALL she would have had to do was contact him at any time over the years and he would have quite happily ripped out this Dean person's throat for them and taken Eggsy under his wing, so to speak.

Eggsy hadn't had to live a life without pack. Without the bare necessities of life like a safe roof over his head and food. God. The food alone.

Young wolves were ravenous in all things. A hungry wolf was dangerous, particularly when that hunger was a constant, gnawing thing. Hunger made a wolf irritable, feral, and inclined to draw blood of those not wolf out of frustration or for something to eat. Every day Eggsy had gone hungry around humans…well the fact that he hadn't shifted and tried to eat someone was a testament to the boy's basic nature and his incredible strength of will and character.

Shuddering at the thought of Eggsy being forced to become a cannibal to satisfy his wolf's needs, Harry wondered if things had been different if he'd mentioned that possibility to her after Lee's death. But how could he have known it would come to this? He felt like he somehow should have known and yet it went against his very nature to believe it of any mother. He wasn't a mother, that was not in his cards, sadly, but he was a maternal and therefore by his very nature would do anything for his children if he had them.

He knew something about the abuse cycle, what it did to its victims and how it warped their thinking and sense of self. Just because they were wolf didn't change the fact that they had a human side that was capable of such abhorrent behavior. He understood on an intellectual level, or as much as someone who had never been abused could, and yet he couldn't understand someone being so beaten down by their circumstances that they'd let their child suffer when they could alleviate it with a phone call. Eggsy's mother had had a support system that could have taken on anything Daisy's father might try to throw their way. But she'd refused to use it.

"Ya all right?"

Pulling him out of his dark thoughts with some effort Harry stopped staring into space and focused on Eggsy, who appeared to finishing up his third sandwich.

Had been so surprised when Harry had told him to make six thick sandwiches and that four of them would be for him.

"My apologies. Just thinking."

Glancing down at Daisy, who he'd been absentmindedly feeding formula to, Harry had to smile a little to see just how single-minded she was about sucking every last drop from the bottle. Or at least he smiled until it occurred to him that she was as focused on her dinner as her brother for the same reason. She probably didn't get enough to eat or drink either.

"If you would like more to eat, please help yourself to the fridge."

"Cheers. But I'm decent, thanks."

Which probably meant the boy had room to eat more, but didn't want to impose. What he'd eaten and had yet to finish would satisfy a healthy wolf, but not a half starved one.

Small meals, Harry decided. With as much meat as possible.

"You're really good with her."

Since Eggsy had been watching him like the most feral of maternals since he'd grudgingly handed Daisy over to him so that the pup could put together his sandwiches and then eat them, Harry took that as a compliment and thanked him. In truth it overjoyed his wolf to have a baby to fuss and tend to in his space. Not that Daisy was his, Harry reminded himself sternly. Pretending it was otherwise would only come back to bite him in the arse later.

But there was no harm in enjoying her company while she was there. However long that would be. Which reminded him…

"After you finished eating I'm going to make a couple of phone calls. While I do that you can draw a bath for yourself if that suits you. When I'm done my calls I'll hunt up a basin of some sort and give Daisy one as well." She needed one almost as badly as her brother.

Eggsy's eyes went wide. "A bath?"

Telling the boy he stunk would be incredibly rude, so Harry stated that he thought the boy would enjoy a good soak and left it at that.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously." Harry didn't understand the boy's reaction until he belatedly realized that Eggsy had probably had had to make do with showers for most of his life. Which was a terrible thought, as he himself loved a good bath.

Eggsy bit down on his bottom lip as he mulled that over, calling Harry's attention to the fact that pup had a hint of honey mustard smeared just under his bottom lip on the left side.

Saying Eggsy's name softly to get his attention, Harry pointed to the spot on his own mouth, amused at the flush that brought to the pup's cheek right up until the boy's tongue came swiping out to lick the faint bit of yellow off his skin. Then it wasn't so much a smiling situation as…no. Not going there. Not thinking that. Not the least because Eggsy would be able to smell it and he had just suggested the boy get naked in his house.

"It's pretty good. That mustard stuff."

"I like it as well. I picked it up last time I was in Ontario for business. That's in Canada, in case you were wondering. Our kind loves their woods." A random fact fluttered across Harry's mind, his lips curling ruefully. "Ironically that mustard is sometimes called 'funeral mustard', as it's often served after a funeral service over there."

An uncertain look.

Oh. Oops.

"That wasn't dark humor on my part. Well at least not in a 'warning you about your impeding death' sort of way. I'm fairly sure that at least in the short term I can prevent that from happening." It was the long-term preservation of Eggsy's life he was worried about.

"Whatcha mean, long term?"

Might as well get into it, Harry silently acknowledged, knowing there was nothing he could do to shield Eggsy from what was coming. So instead he shifted Daisy in his arms to make her more comfortable and then met Eggsy's gaze squarely.

"Because of your bloodlines I'm fairly confident that I'll be able to get you off for the trespassing and such from last night. Unfortunately those same bloodlines are going to make King very eager to have you killed before next month."

"Why? He and me dad dinna get along or somethin?"

"King is your great uncle. Only there's nothing great about him." To say the least. "Basically earlier this month our Alpha, your great grandfather, died. He was not mourned by Chester King, his son, who has been waiting in the wing for decades now to take over his father's spot in the hierarchy. Because of the traditions in this pack he is our temporary Alpha until next month when three Alphas from neighboring packs come to witness the official ceremony making King our permanent leader. That is unless someone else with the proper bloodlines steps up and challenges him for the position. Before we knew you were wolf the only one with the bloodlines and ability to challenge him was William, his son. And as much as he knows his father is wrong for the role William loves his father. He won't Challenge."

Harry paused for emphasis. "You are not only a King on your paternal grandmother's side, but now that I've seen you in person I know exactly who your previously unknown grandfather is. And with those two bloodlines running through your veins, as well as your obvious strength and dominance…you would be a strong contender if you wished to Challenge. Which means King will want you dead."

Watching his words sink in Harry gave the pup a minute or two to take in what he'd said. It was quite a lot to put on the boy's shoulders after all.

"So…if ya know my granddad on me dad's side…does he still have all his hair?"

"What?" What the hell?

"Does he have all his hair?" Eggsy repeated, like it was the most normal question to ask at the moment. "Me mum's dad bought it a few years back from cancer. Went quick, he did. But see from what he told me before that, he started ta lose his hair when he was about thirty somethin awful. And before the chemo crap he had one of the worst fucking comb overs I've ever fuckin seen. Gave that Trump bloke a run for his money, he did. So I've always been worried bout losin the hair too. Though I'd say fuck it and shave it all off cause I wouldn't look 'orrible that way. So I'm wonderin what my DNA is like on the other side."

"I just told you that the most powerful wolf in the region is going to want to kill you, and you're worried about your hair?"

Eggsy actually grinned at him. "Well I don't plan ta fuckin challenge him, now do I? I'll tell him meself or you can, and then he'll leave me the fuck alone. So the hair's more important."

"One, NO, he won't. He wouldn't believe you no matter what you said, and even if he did he hates your grandfather and would kill you just to hurt him. And two…yes, Eggsy, he still has all his hair. So we need to focus on insuring you don't end up disemboweled or buried in the woods soon."

"Oh. Well shit."

"Exactly."

)

Sitting in Harry's bathtub some forty minutes later Eggsy supposed to wasn't surprising that his first bath in forever would be marred by the fact that he now knew he might be very dead within a month. He hadn't even been able to finish his fourth sandwich, and Harry had ended up wrapping it up for him and putting it in the fridge for later. And he NEVER left food on his plate willingly. Or had an even close to being full belly, which he did have at the moment.

Some sodding consolation prize.

Looking towards the door Eggsy wondered when Harry and Daisy would come back. Harry had shooed him off to start his bath, stating that he had those calls to make and then would bring Daisy in for her bath too. Which he still couldn't believe he'd let happen, as he was normally distrustful of strangers on the best of days when it came to his own wellbeing, much less his flower's. But there was just something about Harry that said any child, human or wolf, would be safe in his care. That he was meant to care for them on some deep, biological level. Which, given that the man was a maternal dominant, made sense.

Plus he was pretty sure Daisy was already half in love with Harry. And who could blame her?

Thinking about how good looking and sexy Harry was served as a nice distraction from his possible impending death for a couple minutes. Then what common sense and survival instincts he had kicked in.

According to Harry this King bloke had a fuck ton of reasons to hate Eggsy and want him dead. First and foremost was the fact that his father's mum had apparently brought great shame on the family name, gettin up the duff as she had. Eggsy was a living reminder of that 'shame', and fuck him, seriously. Then there was the fact that King had never gotten along with his grandfather, who Harry said had always been jealous of his grandad's looks, popularity, and skills as a fighter. Apparently his grandad was a fuckin badarse who came from a long line of badarses who were respected and feared by their race all over the frickin world. Which would have been something for Eggsy to crow over if not for the fact that Harry had stated right after that that King's jealousy had turned to outright hatred when rumors had started to circulate that King's mate and Eggsy's grandfather had had an affair. Harry didn't believe it, he thought Eggsy's grandfather had better taste than that, but the rumors had been the final straw for the prig. And now that King was going to find out it was Taron Egerton who'd knocked up his younger sister…

Harry hadn't said outloud what he thought would happen when that happened, but Eggsy had got a pretty good clue from the other man's expression.

He would be seriously fucked.

Of course he'd tried to argue that everything would be okay so long as Harry didn't turn him in. It was the obvious solution, right? But that wasn't an option since according to Harry King was many things, but stupid wasn't one of them. He'd find out that the intruder was from the estates, Miss. Morton wouldn't lie to her Alpha when he questioned her, and that alone would point King in the right direction. Eggsy would be a sitting duck if he went back to the estates, and while Harry was willing to shelter him his house would be the next place King would look for him.

And finally it would have made the rounds in the pack that Harry was on the trail of the intruder. Harry never returned emptyhanded.

Right now all he had to hold onto was the fact that Harry was determined to keep him safe and was sure that once his grandfather and great uncle on that side knew of his existence, they'd join Harry in keeping Eggsy's safe. Harry thought that he knew a few more members of Kingsman who might help as well on account of the fact that Eggsy's dad had saved them before too.

Fuck. What a mess.

Slouching down into the water, Harry had obviously bought an extra big one to accommodate his large frame, Eggsy flicked bad temperedly at the water with his fingers as he thought about the FUBAR situation he was in, stopping only when the sound of approaching footsteps had him straightening up to a proper sitting position while looking in that direction.

Eggsy had left the door ajar a little because Harry had asked him too, the reason being apparent as Harry hip checked the door a little to open it further so that he could come in with a weird looking bowl in his hands. Daisy, meanwhile, had been put into some sort of pouch thingie so she was pressed up against Harry's chest between him and the large bowl, a plastic bag dangling from his wrist.

Eggsy could feel his eyebrows rising automatically in surprise as he took it all in.

"Need some help?"

"No. I have it. Thank you. Enjoying your bath?"

"When I ain't thinkin bout dyin, yeah."

"Understandable." Setting down the bowl on the counter Harry also set aside the bag before turning his attention to getting Daisy out of the pouch, which she whimpered pitifully over right up until she was against his chest again, which calmed her right down.

"I managed to reach your great uncle on the Egerton side. He's actually thrilled about this, as he hates King with a passion. He'll be there tomorrow to claim you as family in his brother's place as Taron is traveling at the moment. And unreachable, it seems. My friend Merlin will also stand up for you, and will convince Miss. Morton and her parents to do the same."

"Which will help me now, but not later."

"Knowing we'll turn on him if he kills you, particularly when it comes to the Egertons and I, will very much give him pause, Eggsy. You are not without powerful allies here. Especially as I told your great uncle that I would be willing to allow you and Daisy to remain here in my home until after the Alpha ceremony. You two living with him would not end well."

"Wot? Live here?"

Harry nodded like it was no big deal, which it bloody well was.

Eggsy got that Harry owed his life to Eggsy's dad, and thank the fuck for that given the circumstances, but letting Eggsy and a teething baby stay with him for nearly a month? Putting himself into danger to do it…

"I don't want ya endin up dead cause of me, Harry." There was a severe shortage of good men in this world from Eggsy's experience. The idea of someone who'd been so decent ta him and especially Daisy dyin cause of him did not sit right with him.

The predatory look Harry gave him probably should have scared the piss outta him, but as it was it was a whole different sort of shiver that Eggsy felt running up his spine.

"In the King pack the only wolves who could possibly defeat me in a fight are from the good side of your family. And I will kill to protect you so long as you're mine to protect."