Gavriel shook his head. "No telling, humans are odd creatures."

Darian nodded. "You can say that again."

Colton looked out the window. He couldn't wait to get back to his own, confusing human.

CHAPTER SIX

Colton walked into his bedroom to find Rheia reading Penny a bedtime story. They looked up and they both smiled at him. Colton knew his world had narrowed and now revolved around these two beautiful angels.

"Did you find them okay?" Rheia asked.

Colton smiled and shut the door behind him. "Yes, though I may have to end up paying for Keelan's therapy sessions. I accidentally embarrassed him in front of his newly found mate," he confessed.

"Poor Keelan." Rheia shook her head and looked down at Penny. "Did you need my help?"

Penny shook her head and got out of bed. She walked over to him and held her hand out. He stared down at her and realized she was waiting for a pull-up. He reached into the box he open and pulled one out. "I chose the ones with the princesses on them." Penny nodded. Colton leaned in, "I decided against that 'cool' feature, it looked uncomfortable." Penny nodded emphatically. Colton felt like he conquered the world. He handed her the pull-up and she went to the bathroom.

"Thank you for going," Rheia said softly leaning against the headboard. He noticed she had changed into a tee-shirt and he could see the outline of her breasts against the soft material. He went to his dresser and stacked the boxes up beside it.

"It was no problem, that's what mates do, support each other." When he looked back, he noticed the blanket had slipped down even further. He shifted from foot to foot trying to alleviate the pain his jeans were causing him. She wasn't even trying and he was as hard as nails.

The sound of the bathroom door had him turning and he watched Penny race across the room, her tiny bare feet creating a rapid staccato as she ran. Without even stopping, she jumped on the bed and wiggled in close to Rheia.

Colton let out a relieved breath. The appearance of his baby girl had helped his growing jeans problem. He frowned as a thought struck him. What if he and his mate had to wait until Penny was grown to have sex? He quickly looked over to the bed; both Rheia and Penny were yawning and settling in for the night. He stood there frozen. If he got into bed as a man, what if he woke up with morning wood next to Penny. Colton brought a hand to his mouth feeling ill.

"Colton, are you alright? You don't look well." Rheia asked leaning up on one elbow.

"Yup!" he answered quickly his voice cracking. The look she gave him, clearly communicated that she didn't believe him.

"Really. I'm going to go change." He turned to the bathroom.

"Into a wolf again?" she asked.

Ab-so-fucking-lutely as a wolf!

"I think we'll all be more comfortable that way, more room." He gave her his most charming smile. She rolled her eyes not buying a bit of it. His mate was starting to read him already. Feeling buoyant, he went into the bathroom and shifted. Rheia reached over and turned off the lamp on the nightstand.

He jumped up and settled in next to Penny. Immediately she rolled over and practically put him in a stranglehold, but he didn't dare move. She looked so peaceful. He crossed his front paws and rested his head on them.

He felt a hand gently stroke his fur and opened one eye. Rheia was smiling at him as she lazily petted his fur.

"Thank you. Thank you for not pressuring me, for being amazing with Penny and putting her needs first." Her head disappeared as she got comfortable for the night.

He sighed. He was never going to be able to claim his mate.

*****

The next morning Rheia woke to an empty bed again, only this time there was no panic. She knew that Colton would take care of Penny. Smiling she stretched out and enjoyed the feeling of having the bed to herself. It was a wonderful feeling knowing Colton was watching Penny, letting her have some precious time alone. If he kept this up, she may actually come to love mornings.

Twenty minutes later, she got out of the bed, her bladder winning the war against being lazy. She grabbed her toiletries and headed to the bathroom. It wasn't luxurious, she'd stayed in hotels that had better bathrooms, but she could understand why. There weren't any decorations either, to Colton the bathroom was simply a place to get clean, just as the bedroom was simply a place to sleep. It was why he was an early riser; he was the type of person that couldn't wait to start a day, just to see what it would hold. He valued people and interactions more than material wealth.

She showered quickly, deliberately using his soap and shampoo. Whatever this mating thing was, it was really starting to get to her. She walked on edge, almost desperate for his touch. Only Penny's presence had kept her from throwing herself at Colton the previous night when she caught a glimpse of his erection straining at his jeans.

She reached for a towel and stopped. The material in her hands was decadent. Eagerly she wrapped her body in the towel and savored the way the fabric felt. He may not have spent a lot of money on decorations, but he didn't skimp on towels. She stopped. His sheets and linens were just as warm and cozy. She had slept wonderfully despite being in an strange bed both nights.

So he was willing to spend the money on the things that made him feel good. She towel dried her hair, applied her normal bare minimal make-up and lotion regimen and got dressed. She looked down at her blue scrubs and wished she had something more feminine to wear. Maybe she could ask Beth to take her shopping later. Feeling better about the day she pulled her hair back in her normal ponytail, grabbed her utilitarian 'mom' bag and headed downstairs.