"I-" Gabe wasn't sure how to tell him. It sounded insane even in his own mind. Voicing those words would have Gabe sounding like a lunatic. But he needed to tell someone, to relieve the pain in his chest and have his father tell him that everything was going to be okay. He wanted to hear Maxwell say that he loved and missed Gabe.

"Talk to me, son."

"Legend is a...different." Gabe cursed his cowardice. It shouldn't be this hard to tell his father. They talked about everything.

"How so?" Maxwell hedged. There was something in his tone, and an epiphany struck Gabe. He knew. His father knew that Legend was a shifter.

"He's a shifter," Gabe finally said. "But you knew that already, didn't you?"

Silence hung in the air. His father didn't deny or admit his knowledge. Gabe waited, holding his breath. How could Maxwell do that to him? How could his own father send him with someone who wasn't human and not tell Gabe?

Could he trust anyone to tell him the truth?

"I did." There was defeat in his father's tone. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

His apology didn't lessen the sting of betrayal. If anything, it made it worse. But Gabe couldn't muster the strength to remain angry at the man. Gabe was too afraid for Maxwell's life to let any ill feelings come between them. When this was all over, maybe then he would be upset.

"I want to come home." Gabe glanced out the window, watching as lightning lit up the sky. The need to cry was strong and Gabe wasn't a man who gave in to tears too often. He usually rolled with the punches, but the news that Legend was a bear and that Gabe was pregnant had been a one-two knockout that he was struggling to recover from.

"It still isn't safe."

"I don't want to be here," Gabe confessed. "I want my old life back, Dad. I want to go back to work, to live my life as if none of this ever happened."

"I know. And I want you home, Gabe. Just give this a little more time. Things are being set in motion and I'm hoping that this situation will be cleared up soon."

"Are you safe?" Gabe whispered, hugging the phone to his ear as if he was truly hugging his father.

"I'm safe, Gabe. Just make sure you stay safe. You're all I have left and I would be devastated if something happened to you."

He and his father didn't normally get this emotional. They knew how they felt toward one another. They didn't have to say it. But this was a stressful situation and Gabe needed to hear those words. "Why didn't you tell me I could get pregnant? You could have at least warned me about that."

The line went so silent that Gabe thought the connection had severed. He pulled the phone back to check that his father was still on the line. "Dad?"

A low, lethal growl filled Gabe's ear. It wasn't as scary as when Legend made that sound, but it was still effective. "I'll kill him."

"You didn't know?"

"No," his father replied in that same lethal tone. "Miller's father neglected to tell me that when he confessed to being a shifter."

It took Gabe a second to understand that Miller was Legend. He had gotten used to calling the man by his surname.

"I'm going to kill that son of a bitch when I see him. I entrusted you to him and he fucking betrayed that trust."

Maxwell Summerville was not a man to trifle with. Gabe had seen his father in negotiations and board meetings. Maxwell didn't lie down for anyone and he was a force to be reckoned with when he wanted something or if someone crossed him.

"As soon as I tie up this mess, I'm coming after Miller Legend. He's fucked with the wrong man."

Gabe couldn't help but smile at his father's wrath. Not that he wanted Maxwell to actually hurt Legend. But it reminded him how much his father really cared about him. "Let me know when I can come home."

"I will. But until then, stay the hell away from Legend. He's a walking dead man."

Gabe's eyes were wide when his father hung up. Wow. Maxwell really was pissed. A part of him wanted to protect Legend from Maxwell's wrath. That was until he remembered that Legend had gotten him pregnant.

Gabe tossed the phone aside and curled up on the bed, watching the storm roll in. He began to imagine what his child would look like and how things might play out if he gave Legend half a chance. He knew his anger stemmed from Legend keeping secrets from him, but that anger would soon subside. Could he forgive Legend and try to make this work?

He wasn't sure right now. Maybe after some sleep he would have a clearer head. Maybe after he slept he would no longer feel the need to neuter Legend.

Legend leaned against the wall outside the bedroom door, his arms crossed over his chest. He'd heard the entire conversation. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but when he heard Gabe talking about leaving, Legend couldn't walk away.

He knew he'd fucked up and he wasn't sure how to fix things. He'd do anything to get Gabe to forgive him, but it seemed as if Gabe was ready to throw in the towel.

Legend was clueless about what to do. He knew none of the men in the house could help him. They were all single. What did they know about possibly losing a mate?

Walking downstairs, Legend grabbed his keys and braved the storm outside as he headed to his truck. The warm rain pelted him, making it almost impossible to see his own truck. He jumped inside and sat there for a moment, staring up at his bedroom window. He couldn't lose Gabe, but...he just didn't know.

He pulled from the driveway, driving slowly in the torrential downpour. His wipers were going as fast as they could, but it was still hard to see the road. Maybe he should have told Gabe that he'd left, but Legend wasn't sure if his mate wanted to see him right now.

Things were not looking good for them.

He gripped the wheel tighter, feeling as if his world were spiraling out of control. Legend had to make this right. But how?

Navigating as carefully as he could, Legend pulled into the Triple-B ranch. The lights were still on which meant someone was awake. He just hoped the person he'd come here to see hadn't gone to bed yet.

The front door opened before Legend parked his truck. He waited a second to see if the rain would let up, but it was still coming down pretty heavily. Fuck it. He was already wet.

He jumped out and made a run for it, racing up the porch steps to see Clayton standing there with a grin on his face. The guy opened the screen door, allowing Legend to enter. "What in the hell are you doing out in this weather?"

The place was quiet for a change. The kids must have gone to bed. Normally the Triple-B house was chaotic and noisy. Legend loved coming here. The noise didn't bother him. He grew up in a large family and wanted one of his own. If he ever got things right with Gabe and the man didn't try to bolt, Legend wanted many more kids. Hell, he wanted a house full of 'em. He'd been saving since he'd gone into the service and had a pretty nice nest egg. It wouldn't bother him to take fewer missions. He wouldn't totally cut them out because he knew the men in his unit counted on him, but Legend wanted to get things going with Gabe.

"I came to see Renee. Is she still awake?"

Clayton chuckled as he led Legend into the kitchen. Renee was standing at the sink, cutting vegetables. He frowned. Why on earth was she up so late cooking?

"She never sleeps," Clayton said. "Or at least, that's what we all suspect. She's prepping for tomorrow's dinner."

She turned, her blue-green eyes sparkling. Her smile was warm and she had a knowing look that said she knew why Legend was there. He knew she couldn't possibly know the exact reason, but it was the same look Legend's mom gave him when he needed to talk to her. Renee was short, slim, and looked absolutely beautiful for her age. Her face held youth and vibrancy that couldn't be found in a bottle.

Renee moved to the stove and put the tea kettle on. She glanced at Clayton. "Go now. This isn't for your ears."

"Yes, ma'am." He chuckled, patted Legend on the shoulder, and left the kitchen. Legend wasn't sure where to start. He wanted her opinion, but he hardly knew her. Besides, he wasn't the type to pour his heart out. He was a typical guy who held a lot of shit in. But if he was going to save his relationship with Gabe, he needed some advice on how to get his ass out of the doghouse.

Renee poured them both of cup of hot tea before she brought her work to the table. She sat there dicing carrots, humming to herself as Legend watched her.

He wasn't sure if he should speak or continue to let her hum.

She finally set the knife aside and brushed her hands over her apron. "My mate died a few years back and I still miss him to this day."

Legend couldn't imagine losing anyone he loved. The pain would be unbearable. But he knew that Renee was seeing Jack Cross, and that she must have found the strength to move on.

"But our relationship wasn't always easy. At one point, we even considered separating."

Legend shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "But mates are forever."

She nodded. "They're supposed to be. But that doesn't mean we should take that for granted. Just because fate handpicks two people to be together, doesn't mean they'll always get along. It had gotten to the point where he went to work early and came home late. I went to bed early to avoid seeing him."

Should she be telling him this? Legend wanted to ask her what her point was, but he remained silent.

"The intimacy in our relationship was gone. We were two strangers living together. We stopped talking, stop sharing the events our day and even our secrets. Yes, couples do have them. Harland was grown and on his own and it was just the two of us. We didn't have to worry about staying together for the sake of our son. There was nothing stopping us from moving on and starting over."

Legend leaned in, placing his arm on the table as he listened. "So what happened?"

She smiled wistfully and Legend could tell she was reminiscing. Unshed tears glistened in her eyes as she recalled past events that must be near and dear to her heart. "Sip your tea, sweetheart."

Legend picked his cup up and took a sip, barely tasting it. He wanted to know how they'd repaired their relationship. "I messed up pretty badly with Gabe and I don't know how to fix things. I didn't tell him I was a bear or that he could get pregnant."

"Life is comprised of hundreds and thousands of small things that must be silently and unceremoniously maintained over long periods of time. You can't just mate Gabe and expect to live happily ever after. Your relationship has to be cultivated in order to grow into something beautiful. My mate and I had forgotten that lesson and all the small things it took to make a partnership work. Once we remembered that, our garden no longer held weeds. Flowers began to blossom."

Legend scratched his head and Renee smiled. "My point is, you messed up. We all do. That's part of life. Start with something small and work your way up from there. Show Gabe the kind of man you are and how much you care for him. Plant those seeds and watch them grow."

"So I take it that you two didn't separate?" Legend asked.

She shook her head. "We started slow-breakfast in bed, snuggling as we watched a movie. One night he even took me out to the garden where he had set up a romantic dinner for two under the stars. We danced in each other's arms until... You get the picture."

Her blush told Legend how their night ended.

"You're saying that if I do the little things, Gabe will see how sorry I am?"

She chuckled. "Telling him you're sorry wouldn't hurt either."

He stood and kissed her on the cheek. "You're a gem, Renee."

Chapter Ten.

The following morning, Gabe woke to find a breakfast tray on the stand next to his bed. That afternoon, there was a movie case sitting on the bed with a note attached. When Gabe opened it, the note stated for Gabe to meet Legend in the living room at seven sharp.

Gabe tossed the note aside. He had no intention of meeting Legend anywhere. The man had lied to him. No, he'd held back the truth. That was much worse. If Gabe forgave him now, Legend would think that he could screw up, make a few nice gestures, and everything would be okay.

It wasn't okay. If they were going to be together, raise a family, Gabe needed to know that he could trust the man. He didn't even bother to see what movie was lying on the bed as he left the room. Why bother? He wasn't going to watch it.

Gabe found Sam in the kitchen and took a seat at the table.

"Are you coming in here to give me something nice to look at or are you hungry?" Sam asked as he dropped some chicken into the deep fryer. "Dinner isn't ready yet, but I'm sure I can find you a snack."

"Thanks, but I'm not hungry." Gabe folded his arms on the table and then rested his chin on them. He gazed at the large bay window above the sink and wondered what he was going to do about his situation.

Sam placed a bowl beside Gabe. There was sliced fruit inside and Gabe's mouth watered. Maybe he was a bit hungry.

"Still mad at Legend?" Sam asked.

"Disappointed," Gabe admitted. "I really thought-" He shook his head. "Never mind."

He didn't know Sam that well and didn't feel like confessing his feelings. Again, Gabe wasn't the type to expose himself in such a way. He was a guy, after all.

"So kick his ass and get it out of your system," Sam said. "The greatest stress reliever, aside from sex, is connecting your knee with someone's balls."

"Or choking them unconscious," Shott said as he entered the kitchen. "What are we talking about anyway?"

"Gabe being angry with Legend," Sam said.

A smirk appeared on Shott's face. "You want me to teach you the move?"

Gabe shook his head. Shott was large and intimidating with dark and foreboding features. The man was handsome as hell, but there was a lethality to him that warned Gabe away from the man. "I don't want to kill him."

"You won't," Shott assured him. "Legend will just take a nice long nap."

"Don't listen to him," Sam said. "Shott's human and has no idea what it's like to have to reveal who you are to someone who has no knowledge of your existence."

"Look at it like this," Shott said as he took a seat across the table from Gabe. "What if the world was comprised of bear shifters and being human was a well-kept secret? Would you have been so quick to reveal yourself to legend?"

Gabe chewed on an apple and thought about what the man was saying. He swallowed and said, "Maybe not right away, but I had every right to know about the possibility of becoming pregnant."

Shott shrugged. "You got me there."

"Not to be nosy," Sam said as he turned and wiped his hand on his apron. "But it only took a few days for you two to get here. I'm guessing the passion happened right away?"

Gabe refused to answer the man. He tossed the strawberry into his mouth, chewed, gazing at his bowl.

"I'll take that as a yes," Sam said. "Not that I'm defending what Legend did, but what was he supposed to say? If he would've confessed all of that to you your first night together, what would you have done?"

"I would've had a choice," Gabe argued.

"You and Legend are mates," Sam retorted. "Sooner or later you would've become pregnant. It's inevitable. Like some writing in the cosmic stars or some shit."

"You're mad because you didn't have a say in it," Shott said. "So have a say in it."

"It's a little too late for that," Gabe replied. "I'm already knocked up."

"And having the man's child is so bad?" Shott asked.