Collin felt his heart shatter as she asked that question. She didn't understand death, didn't remember her mother much less how delighted her mother had been to have a baby girl. He wanted to curse the addiction that took his wife from him and cry for his daughter who now suffered because of it.

"Nicole your mommy loved you very much." He said trying his best to keep the tears from his voice.

"Then why isn't she here with us?" Nicole asked innocently as she couldn't understand why her mother wouldn't be there if she loved her so much.

"Mommy didn't have a choice, she had to leave... She didn't want to go." Collin said trying to spare her the truth that her mother likely took her own life. He didn't want to taint her memory of her mother like that, didn't want to have to attempt to explain drug addiction and suicide to his daughter who was barely five years old. He didn't want to ever tell her but he knew she would learn eventually about the drugs and the real reason her mother was removed from her life and about her subsequent death but not now not while she was so young and innocent, she would never understand.

They got out of the car and Warren greeted them on the way to their apartment. He could tell something was bothering Collin but didn't ask in front of Nicole, he figured he would get the chance to ask the younger werewolf later on when they could steal a moment alone. He feared it had something to do with Collin's late wife and the mother of his young daughter. He wondered if the daughter asked about her mom, he had a feeling Mercy's pregnancy might bring up a lot of questions in a five year old child that would be difficult for a father to answer even without the death of a parent looming over the family.

It didn't take long to get the house set up with a dozen or so werewolves working as a team to get things set up and organized. Collin had been shocked at how orderly and efficient this particular pack was, he figured it was due to the fact that the alpha was former military and that he ran it kind of like a military unit.

Collin put Nicole down for a nap, which was unusual for her but they had been unusually busy and Nicole was giving him every sign that she needed one in the worst way possible. He was then surprised when he found Warren in the kitchen waiting for him.

"What's on your mind?" Warren asked "I saw you were upset when you got here."

"Nicole asked about her mom… thought her mom didn't love her and that was why she wasn't around." Collin said.

Warren gave a sympathetic look.

"It can't be easy to explain a concept like death to a child as young as Nicole." Warren sighed. "How did your wife die, if I may ask?"

"OxyContin overdose." Collin said looking away in shame. He hated admitting that his wife had been an addict, hated even worse that there had been nothing he could have done to save her from that particular demon.

Warren gave a low whistle; that was bad.

"My wife, Lorna, was in a car wreck when Nicole was about 2 and was prescribed OxyContin for the pain, unfortunately she became addicted to it and it was a downward spiral from there because no one could convince her she had a problem." He sighed "My last resort was to take Nicole away to someplace where she would be safe from it all."

"That couldn't have been easy for you." Warren sighed.

"It was extremely hard, but I guess I was lucky, her mom and I weren't mated we were just married. It would have been harder to deal with this had we been mated." Collin sighed as he leaned on the kitchen counter. "She died the day after Nicole's third birthday and... and they don't know if the overdose was accidental or intentional... we may never know the truth about it."

"I... I wish I knew what to tell you." Warren admitted, he thought of Adam and Jesse, but Jesse's mom was at least still alive which couldn't be said for Collin's wife.

"Maybe one day you'll find a mate that will accept your little family and she'll learn what it's like to have a mommy." Warren sighed, "Until then just keep your head up and remember the pack will always be here for you."

"Thanks Warren, you don't know how comforting it is to have a pack to back me up with her."

Collin looked up to see Aurielle standing there with bags from the local grocery store. Adam and Mercy had also brought grocery bags in had already started stocking the pantry and refrigerator with food.

Collin opened his mouth to speak but Adam cut him off with a glare and a quick "No member of MY pack will go hungry" and Collin decided arguing with his alpha was not a wise decision then started to help put things away.

"Adam... I... I never expected this much help from you." Collin admitted overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from the pack at large.

"I know... but you brought a light into this pack it hasn't had in a while, Nicole... this pack needed a purpose, yes we have our submissive to give us some of that but... but she gives us so much more purpose... everyone wants to see her safe and wants to nourish her mentally and physically. That is what it's like to have a child in a pack... yeah a lot of werewolves aren't too keen on humans but... but a child is a different thing all together, it awakens our instincts to protect and once we bond with them there is no chance we will let them be harmed."

Collin smiled as they finished putting the groceries away and he started to look at the pack members that were still there. He had never imagined his life taking this turn before but he would be forever grateful that it did and that he had such a wonderful new pack to love on his family and make caring for his daughter so much easier.

The End