2

Harlow splashed in the soapy water as Gloria bathe her. She had been on baby duty for a week now, and felt drained because both Johan and the baby were more than a handful.

"Little Harlow." Gloria poured water on her head. The baby pouted, then start to cry when the water ran down her face.

"Oh, sweet girl, you didn't like that?" Gloria lifted her out of the water to dry her off.

"There, there, baby, everything is ok."

"Grandma," Johan held up a storybook. She was already dressed and ready for bed.

"Just a minute Jo," Gloria said, trying to get Harlow in a onesie because she felt unusually cold.

"Come now Jo," Gloria said.

Johan ran to her room ahead of her grandmother, jumping on her bed.

Before Gloria was even halfway through the book, Johan took it from her, saying that she wanted to read it by herself now.

Gloria pursed her naturally pouty red lips before handing the book over to her granddaughter. As soon as she did, Harlow start crying.

Gloria sighed, ran a hand to her almost greying hair, then made her way to where she thought she left the sleep baby.

"I'm gonna get you Harlow." Gloria tickled her tummy, then kissed the soles of her feet.

Harlow laughed, then rolled over to crawl away.

Gloria watched as the baby tried to hide behind the pillows.

"Come now Harlow, you need to get back in your clothes and to bed." Gloria pulled the pillows away, but she was gone.

"Harlow?'' Gloria's brown eyes widen after seeing that the baby wasn't where she thought she was.

"Harlow?" She stripped the bed, looked under it and all over the room.

"Harlow!" Gloria called, running out of the room.

Panic was written all over her square-shaped face as she continued searching for the baby.

"Johan, have you seen Harlow?"

Johan was too busy eating glitter to pay attention to her grandmother.

"No Johan, spit that out!" Gloria's button nose flared as she hurried over to take the bottle from her.

Harlow laughed as she crawled down the stairs, moving faster when she heard Gloria calling out for her, and getting closer.

She sat by the front door waiting and laughing, then clapped her hands when Gore opened the door.

He looked down at her with a frown, "what are you doing down here, and why are you naked?"

Harlow reached up for Gore, and he picked her up.

"Oh, thank gods." Gloria rushed down the stairs.

Gore raised a brow at his mother.

"Long story." Gloria reached for the baby, but she held onto Gore's shirt tighter when he tried to hand her over.

"Guess I'm on baby duty now." He said.

Gloria nod her head, "where are the others?" She asked.

"The hospital. The females are badly hurt, but Karina and Derek are taking care of it." He told his mother.

"I'm glad you went for them in time."

Gore nodded at his mother before heading up the stairs to get Harlow ready for bed again.

"Good night Harlow." Gore cooed.

The baby smiled up at him, then held onto her crib to stand up.

"Bedtime," Gore lay her down again, but she got back up to bounce in the crib.

Gore sighed, lifting her up, then walked back with her to his room.

He sat down with a sigh, watching as Harlow rolled over on her back.

The mission they went on saw two members of his pack finding their mates. It only made him sad and a bit angry.

"Oh, I got something for you."

Gore pulled out a silver necklace that had a green stone in it. He had to wrap it around Harlow's neck three times so that it could fit.

She start chewing on the pendant instantly, then held it up at Gore as I offering him some.

He sighed again. If he didn't find his mate soon, he felt as if he could die.

The only thing that had him pushing this hard was because for nearly a month he had been getting whiffs of a scent that he knew belonged to his mate, but as soon as it came, it went like it was never there.

Harlow crawled on his lap looking up at him, "gea."

The way she said it made it seem like a question.

"Oh, you wouldn't understand," he gently pat her head.

He hadn't noticed it until now, but her hair was blue. He played with a strand for a while.

Harlow was too small in body to be a troll, which meant that she was a witch, and not human, as they had thought.

"Goo," her seaweed colour eyes were shining bright as she looked up at him.

Gore lay back on the bed, Harlow lay on top of him with her thumb in her mouth and her eyes closing down.

He thought about the night her parents died, still not understanding what those vampires wanted with them.

Soon after that, Gore drifted off, dreaming of having his mate. But every time he tried to touch her, she would dissolve and appear further away.

Somewhere along the night, Gore woke up to a foul smell and something on his face. He opened his eyes, but was not able to see anything.

He gently pulled Harlow off his face before changing her diaper without her waking.

Gore's mind was too busy to fall back asleep. He was thinking about his dream.

His mate, so close but yet so far. The familiar scent blew through his half-open window, but he knew better than to look outside because no one was there, no one was ever there.

The baby rolled over, which caused her foot to hit Gore in the face. She then laughed in her sleep.

'Well, at least one of us is having pleasant dreams,' Gore thought.

Gore had to admit, Harlow grew on him over the year. Now he didn't know what he would do if he finally found her family.

Gore got off his bed, made his way to his office. So he could over the report on a human that was supposedly killed by a werewolf.

(Lore beings were forbidden to interact with humans unless they were their mates, which was very rear. So the chances of a human being killed by one were very slim.)

Gore looked at the pictures, noticing every detail, then he saw it. Two small wounds on the dead male's neck.

"This was a vampire attack, nasty little blood suckers," Gore said to himself.

The body was pale, while the lips were blue from lack of blood.

"Rest in peace." Gore sighed.

Feeling bad for the family of the now deceased.

That was if he had a family, because the document gave no information about the person. No age, no name, nothing.

Before Gore could move to the other page, he heard the baby's cries coming over the baby monitor.

He groaned before getting up to go to his room.

"Not even ten minutes," he said, picking her up.

Harlow pushed her thumb in her mouth, resting her head on Gore's shoulder.