1

Gore held the baby in one hand as he tried to get some work done, but it wasn't a simple task. Because with too much movement, she would start fussing until he rocked her to get her to calm.

From the first time he held the newborn, he could not put her down without her crying. She also refused to go to anyone else, so he had her the entire in his arms even when he was busy with his many tasks.

It was hard for him to multi task too, but he was holding his own.

The baby made a noise, then pouted in her sleep.

Gore was too caught up on how cute the baby looked, that he didn't realize anyone had entered his office until a small voice said.

"I heard that you have a baby. Can I play with it?"

Gore looked down at his niece. He didn't know how she got into his office because the door was locked. But she was there, reaching out to touch the baby.

"No Johan." He scolded.

The little girl made a sound before making doe eyes at him. "Please?"

Gore put a folder down before speaking to her again. "She is not a toy."

Johan leant her head to the left, her eyes sparkling as she did. "Please?"

Gore sighed. "She is not a doll, little monster. If I allow you to "play" with her, you might hurt her."

For some reason, he felt protective of the child, but at the same time, he wanted to get rid of her because she was holding him back from the things he had to do.

Johan thought about it for a minute, then nodded, but Gore knew she didn't fully understand. She is only four and would be back asking him to play with the baby.

"Alpha," his oldest sister Karina said, coming into the office to sit in a chair that was before his desk.

Johan climbed onto her lap, then tried to touch the baby again.

"Johan no, no." Karina pulled her daughter's hand back.

Johan looked just like her mother and the rest of the family. They all had the same down-turned shape: stormy grey eyes, honey coloured hair, thin pink lips, broad noses and freckles dotting across their diamond-shaped faces.

"Have you named her yet?" His sister asked.

Gore looked down at the baby. He never thought about finding a name for her before.

"No." He said shamelessly.

Karina laughed, "it's been two weeks and you still haven't named the baby."

"The name is not the problem. Not being able to put her down is, even if she is asleep, she would wake up crying."

Karina nodded, understanding his situation, because it was the same with Johan.

Alexis, their younger sister, had told Karina all about the baby, how she went to no one, and would cry if they got too close to her.

"Let me try." Karina placed Johan on the floor before taking the baby from Gore.

"Careful," he said, as she opened her eyes, pouted, looking ready to cry.

"Her eyes are so green," Karina marvelled.

"Can we keep her?" Johan asked.

Karina looked down at her daughter, who was on her tiptoes trying to touch the baby's head

"The baby is not a pet or a toy." She told her daughter.

Gore leant back in his chair. 'Finally,' he thought, popping his knuckles.

"She seems to like you," he smiled.

Karina looked over at her brother and winked. "Mother's touch."

He snorted. "The old lady never stood a chance of touching her. Well, you can keep her until we find a relative or something."

Karina chuckled at that. "Of course. Put me on baby duty."

Out of all his siblings, Gore was closest to Karina, not because she was his Beta, but because they had a special bond.

**

As Harlow grew, and got closer to being a one-year-old, and could move around on her own, she still refused to let anyone except for Karina, Gore, or their mother, Gloria, to touch her.

"Come, little one." Karina said.

Harlow stretched up at her as she made little noises.

"Time to get some food in your tummy." Karina told her.

They had summized that Harlow might be a human child, but still couldn't figure out what those vampires had wanted with her parents.

Karina walked into the dining room with Harlow in hand and Johan hot on her heels.

Karina placed the baby in her high chair, where she start chewing on her toes, then the edge of her small table.

"Someone's hungry," Derek said, pinching her cheek.

Harlow gave a small laugh before going back to her toes.

"That's a first," said Derek, looking at her.

Karina went over to the baby, holding a dish with vegetables.

The energetic baby grabbed the dish, causing it to fall on her table.

She giggled, then start eating the green peas.

"Kids," Derek said, turning back to his food.

He had to keep pushing Johan away, because she kept reaching for his plate.

"You have your own food." Derek pulled his plate away.

Gore sat down with a sigh, looking at Harlow, then at Johan and Derek as they played at the table.

Harlow laughed at nothing, now hitting the table, causing the rest of her food to spill all over the floor.

She made cooing sounds, reaching for Gore's plate. She laughed when he gently pushed her tiny hands away, then tried to reach for it again.

"This is a man's food," Gore said, making funny faces.

Harlow grabbed onto his brown hair, pulling on it, then start chewing on his nose, making mumbling sound.

Gore pushed her away gently, wiping his face.

"Looks like somebody likes you," Derek said.

Gore said nothing while Harlow now chewed at her fingers, looking at nothing in particular.

"We leave shortly after this, those rogues are at again." Gore said.

Karina paused what she was doing.

"I think this time we should kill those rabid dogs. They are giving us a bad name with the neighbouring pack." She said.

Gore nodded.

Karina lift Harlow up from her chair, then helped Johan from around the table.

"What's it this time?" Derek asked, before stuffing food in his mouth.

"To rescue five female from those crazy mutts." Gore grunted.

But really, even though he gave nothing away. Gore was more than eager to go, hoping that he would find his mate among one of them.

"Goo," Harlow said, playing in Karina's hair, trying to put it in her mouth.

"No," Karina pulled her head away.

"Goo," Harlow said again, reaching for her face.

Karina kissed her on the cheek then, hand her to Gloria.

"She needs a bath, and we have to leave now."