Annabeth

Camden Pov

"Where are you going dressed so nicely?" my mom asked, raising an eyebrow as she stepped into my room.

I rolled my eyes and tossed a quick glance at her. "Sure, Ma, come on in. It's not like I'm half naked or anything."

"Oh shut up, now answer my question"

"I thought you wanted me to shut up-- make up your mind mom" I purposely teased. She growled at me warningly.

"Okay, okay, I have a brunch meeting across town. I'll be out of here in a little bit. See you later."

"Wait. Are you visiting Avery today?" she asked, her tone shifting to something more curious.

"Hopefully, but I have a few things to take care of first." I grabbed my keys off the counter and slipped them into my pocket, preparing to head out.

"Well, okay. Be safe." Her voice softened. "And, you know, don't make any decisions you'll regret."

"Bye, Mom," I said, giving her a kiss on the cheek as I passed. "See you later."

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It took me just under half an hour to reach the cozy little café where my meeting was supposed to take place. I'd been here a few times before, so I already knew the best spot—back corner, quiet, private. I made my way over, sitting down and tapping my fingers lightly on the table as I waited for Annabeth to arrive.

Annabeth lived in a pack to the southeast of mine. We'd met three years ago at Gwen's commitment ceremony—Gwen, a quiet soul, had mated with one of my pack's warriors. Since then, Annabeth and I had kept in touch, bonding over similar values and a shared sense of loyalty to our packs.

I had called Annabeth four nights ago, asking for her help. She'd been out of state at the time, but she'd agreed to meet today. Annabeth was a tracker in her pack and a private investigator on the side. Not many knew about her PI work except for me. That fact would make today's task much easier.

I heard a familiar voice from behind. "Hey, cheekbones!" Annabeth greeted, her cheerful energy filling the space as she kissed my cheeks before sitting down across from me.

I chuckled softly. "Hey, Anna."

Seeing the guys still staring at her, I couldn't help but glare at them. They quickly turned their attention elsewhere. Sure, she was my friend, but I was protective of the people I cared about.

"So, Cam," she began, her voice dropping slightly to a more serious tone. "What do you need my help with?"

"You remember my mate? The one I told you about?" I asked, leaning forward slightly.

She nodded, urging me to continue. "Well," I paused, "she's back now. With my son."

Annabeth blinked, her eyes widening as the realization hit. "Wait, so... she was pregnant?"

I nodded quietly, feeling the weight of my regret settle deeper in my chest.

"Whoa, dude, you really screwed up," Annabeth muttered, shaking her head. "I mean, seriously." She gave me a sympathetic but knowing look.

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "Don't think I don't know that. But I need your help."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "What do you need me to do?"

"I need to find out who started the rumor that she wasn't pregnant, who planted the false evidence, and why they did it," I explained, the frustration and anger still simmering beneath my calm exterior.

"Alright, I'll see what I can do," Annabeth agreed, the familiar fire in her eyes returning. "You know I'm good at finding out the things people don't want me to know."

For the rest of the morning, we ate, chatted about her recent living arrangements in her pack house, and caught up on things in general. I told her a little about my mate and the struggles we were facing—things I hadn't talked about with anyone else. It was good to have someone I could trust, someone who understood the importance of loyalty, but could still be objective enough to help.

Before I knew it, the clock had ticked past one o'clock. My mind still raced with thoughts of the meeting, and I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled in my chest. I needed to focus, to make sure I handled everything carefully.

I walked inside, heading straight for the kitchen, but I was stopped before I could get there. Of course, it had to be Maddison.

"Baby, I'm back from my trip. Did you miss me?" she cooed, grabbing onto my hands with a force that felt all too familiar. Great, I thought. Just what I needed right now.

"Maddison, we're not together," I said, gently but firmly pulling my hands away from hers. "We never have been, and we never will be."

"She pouted, a fake look of hurt crossing her face before she quickly masked it with a smirk. "Oh, stop playing hard to get. It's getting old."

"I'm not playing, Maddison," I said, trying to keep my patience. "And what's getting old is you constantly throwing yourself at me."

Her eyes narrowed slightly, but her grin didn't falter. "Oh, please, Cammy, you know you want me."

I rolled my eyes, fighting the disgust I felt bubbling up. "Ugh, I'd rather not," I said, unable to hide the distaste in my voice.

She took a step closer, her tone turning more venomous. "Mph, it's that girl, isn't it? Don't try to deny it. I've heard all about your so-called mate, and that pathetic excuse of a kid she's passing off as yours."

Turning around I grabbed her backing her into the wall "Don't you ever dare disrespect my mate and child, you got it"  I growled, feeling my wolf stir beneath the surface. I could feel my eyes shifting, the anger burning hotter with every second.

She scoffed, her defiance still there. "Why? But it's true."

I took a step closer, my voice low and lethal. "You will be respectful. If I ever hear you disrespecting my family again, I won't hesitate to kick you out of this pack. Got it?"

She quickly nodded making me step back. I watched as she fell trying to catch her breath. I didn't even realised I lifted her off the ground or that my hands tightened around her throat, I was too busy seeing red from her disrespect.

Looking up, I noticed a few pack members standing nearby. "That goes for everyone, too," I said, my voice firm. "Anyone I hear being disrespectful or stepping out of line towards my son or your Luna will be banished."

"Yes, Alpha," they replied in unison, their tone filled with respect and compliance.

I glanced down, seeing Maddison still on the floor, trying to regain her composure. "Someone take her to the doctor and make sure she's okay," I added. Though I didn't appreciate her behavior, I still cared for the well-being of my pack members.

Shaking my head, I turned toward my office. I needed to clear my mind and call Avery. It had been a long day, and I wanted to check in on Caleb.

RING

"Hello?" A small voice answered, making me smile.

"Caleb?" I asked, my heart softening at the sound of his voice.

"Oh, hi, Daddy!" he responded enthusiastically.

"Hey, bud. What's up? How come you have the phone?"

"Oh, Mommy said I could answer it! Daddy, are you coming over?"

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Sure, and if Mommy says it's okay, we can go get ice cream."

"YAY YAY! Ice cream!" Caleb cried, the excitement in his voice was contagious.

Caleb, why are you screaming?

Mommy, can Daddy take me to get ice cream, please?

Uhh, sure, baby.

Can we bring Sophie?

You have to ask Danny and ask Daddy.

I waited patiently for him to come to the phone. "Daddy, can Sophie come?"

"Sure, bud, as long as Uncle Danny says it's okay."

"Yay! I'll go ask... Uncle D! Uncle D!" he screamed, making me pull the phone away from my ear for a moment before pressing it back when I heard Avery's voice.

"Sorry about that, Camden. He gets a bit excited when it comes to ice cream."

"Don't worry about it, Ave. And sorry I sprung the whole ice cream trip on you. I hope you weren't busy."

"No, no, it's fine. I could use some fresh air." Before I could respond, Chakar came back. Mommy, Uncle Danny is taking Sophie to her grandma.

Oh, okay, sweetie. We'll take Sophie another time.

"Uh, what time are you taking him to get ice cream?" she asked.

"Uh, in about twenty minutes if that's okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine. See you then," she said, hanging up. Uh... bye?

I got up, left my office, and went to change into something more casual from this mornings "meeting" and headed out. I made a quick stop to pick up a get-well-soon basket for Avery's mom before heading over, knowing that's where they'd be. Avery's mom forgave me a long time ago, but I knew her dad still hated me. Not that I could blame him. I hated myself, too..

When I pulled up to the house, I grabbed the basket and walked to the door, knocking a couple of times before coming face-to-face with the person I was dreading. He rolled his eyes, snorted, and then walked away, leaving me standing outside. Hi to you too, sir.

Walking in, a tiny body slammed into me. "Daddy!" Chakar screamed.

"Hey, champ," I said, placing the basket on the table to make room for him. I lifted him up, smiling as he nuzzled into my neck.

"How was your day, bud?"

"Not nice. Mommy took away my Omnitrix."

"Aww, bud, why?"

"I was running and broke Grandma's plates," he mumbled, burying his head in the crook of my neck.

"Was it an accident?"

He nodded.

"Did you say sorry?"

Another nod.

"Don't forget to tell Daddy that I told you to stop running several times, but you continued until you broke the plates."

"Is that true, Chakar? Did Mommy tell you to stop?"

"Yes, Daddy."

"Why didn't you listen? You could've gotten hurt."

"Sorry"

"It's fine, just listen to Mommy next time," I said, smiling as he nodded again. "Alright, are you ready to go? Oh, and that's for your mom."

Avery tossed me the keys, but not before giving me an evil eye. "I won't scratch it," I reassured her, waiting for her to secure Caleb before climbing in.

We headed to the new ice cream shop that had just opened. I knew for a fact Chakar would love it.

The outside looked like it was made of ice cream. The roof had a giant banana split on top, and the columns looked like giant ice cream cones. The walls were covered in syrup, and the chairs looked like spilled ice cream cups. It was definitely a kid's dream.

We made our way inside when Avery stopped me. I noticed her quickly sniffed the air. "You smell nice...like...uh... mangoes and peach?" with that she walked away.

Mangoes? The only person I know that smells like mangoes and peaches are......Shit, Annabeth.