Eve’s POVI met Danny sitting in the kitchen, exactly where I left him.

“Mommy!” he chirped, getting off the stool and running into my arms. “The bad man tried to take me away! Where have you been?”

“I’m sorry, baby,” I whispered, pulling him into my arms. “He can’t touch you anymore. We won’t be coming back here.”

He sniffed and nodded, his head bobbing in the crook of my shoulder.

“But Danny, I have a question to ask. Will you answer mommy honestly?”

He pulled away from me slowly, looking into my eyes. “Yes, Mommy.”

"Earlier today, you told me your Daddy had become Alpha. Who told you that? Do you know what an Alpha is?" I have tried raising Danny away from any knowledge of who we truly were, but someone I had failed in doing that to perfection.

He shook his head. “I don’t know, Mommy. I don’t know how I know.”

I sighed. “Baby, you’re not making any sense right now. How don’t you know who told you? Did someone come into the kitchen when I was gone? Is that it? Did they ask you not to tell me?”

“Mommy!” He whined, putting his hands against his ears. “I don’t know.”

“Okay! Okay!” I pulled him back into my arms, patting his back gently. “I’m sorry. I won’t ask any more questions.”

We walked out of the café together, heading down the road. My apartment wasn't far from the café, and it only took us a few minutes. But just when I thought my day couldn't get any worse, my feet came to a halt when I took in the front of the apartment.

My things were tossed out, lining the floor like dirt meant for the garbage. There was no one else in sight, but I knew that going to the door would be of no use. I had been owing my rent for a few months now, and even though I had pleaded for more time, I still knew this was going to happen.

Danny looked at me, the setting sun dancing in his eyes. “Mommy, are we going back to sleep in the café? I don’t want to go there.”

"No, baby," I whispered, avoiding his gaze. I hated lying to him, but I knew there was no other alternative. The best I could do was walk around town with him in my arms till late at night until he fell asleep.

I still had the keys to the café because Mr. Rochester used to demand I get in earlier than everyone else. I would sneak in through the back for a few hours and be gone before the rest of the staff came in.

“Mr. Grey!” Danny wailed, rushing towards his stuffed teddy on the floor. Pain crossed his face when he took in the tear at the side. They were not careful with any of our things while pushing them out.

My heart hurt when I thought about what I was putting Danny through. He didn’t deserve all of this.

A car wheeled around behind us and came to a halt. I turned at the same time as Danny, knowing who it was even before he got out. It was a different car from the one he used earlier today. The windows were tinted, and it was much faster and modern.

Danny came to stand by my side, peering at the stranger who had joined us. He was usually wary of strangers, so I thought he would be that way with Malik.

But when Malik got closer, Danny left my side at once, giving him a toothy grin. “I know you!” he chirped in a very loud tone.

“Hey, kiddo.” If Malik was surprised to see that I had a son, he didn’t show it. He picked Danny off the floor and into his arms. “What is your name?”

"I'm Danny," he said excitedly. "And you are Mummy's friend. Daddy is…"

"No, Danny," I cut in, saving the situation before Danny said more. I didn't know how much he knew, and I wanted to leave it at that. If Malik recognized me from the pack, there was a chance that he knew Alpha Dorian was well.

And I was running away from him. I didn’t want him to know anything about me.

"What happened here?" Malik asked, taking in our things on the floor. When I didn't say anything, he walked back to the car and placed Danny in the back seat before returning to join me.

He picked up my bags and started heading to the car again. I joined him halfway. “I told you, Malik. I’m fine. Really.”

“Your things are everywhere.”

“Why are you back?”

He shrugged. “I guess I couldn’t let you be. I’m curious, Eve. Why did you leave the pack? Why are you here, going through all of this when you have a home? And why do you smell this way to me?”

Everything in me stopped. “What way?”

Malik sighed. “I can’t explain it, Eve. I wish I could.”

The seconds trickled into a whole minute as we just stood there, staring at each other. He broke the silence first. “You can come live with me.”

I began to shake my head, but one stern look from him had me stopping.

“Okay,” I sighed. “Just for the night. Danny and I will be gone before morning.”

He didn’t say anything, helping me pick up all the bags. The ride to his house was filled with animated chatter between Malik and Danny, like they’d known each other for ages.

Malik’s house was huge, but not built like all the others around it. It looked like a pack house. That should have been the first sign. It should have been more than enough to turn around and head back to the café.

But I pushed in with Danny, allowing Malik to lead us through. When we reached the entrance, a uniformed man strolled out and pulled the door open for us.

He had a butler.

But that wasn’t even what got my breath hitching in my throat. It was the butler’s next words.

“Welcome, Sir. We’ve been waiting for you.”

“Why?”

“A message came from the Blackthorn pack.”

“For me?”

The butler shook his head. “It was addressed to a Miss Eve.”