“You think I want another trauma bond with a man? I’m terrified of it. But you showed me what love is, Dad. You took my mom and me in, and you protected us from everything. And you stayed gentle with us while you hurt. You taught me to be strong, and I am! I have watched how you care for my mom, and so yeah, when I saw Dodger, and couldn’t take my mind off him, I paid attention. I want a man who will treat me like you treat mom. I want a man who will protect my children someday,” she whispered. “What you are means something to me.”
“A human man can do all those things for you,” he murmured, his eyes pleading. “When you choose a werewolf, they have to protect you from whatever dominance battle bullshit they are in. Their wars become yours. You could lead a safe life with a human man.”
“I led a life with a human before, Dad,” she whispered. “I got demolished, and the hurt lasted a really long time. There was nothing safe about it.”
He cocked his head to the side and studied her face. “Fuck,” he murmured.
“Will you meet him?”
“You don’t think it’s a little soon?” he asked. “You’ve had one date.”
“You know how things work with werewolves.”
He narrowed his eyes. “You aren’t forming a bond yet.”
“Okay.”
“You aren’t. I forbid it.”
She giggled. “I don’t think you can control that stuff, Dad. I might be your kid, but I’m grown.”
“You know, I read all these books about parenting, and they all seemed to say that parenting gets easier when the child grows up and becomes independent, but I’m realizing in this exact moment those books are burnable. It does not get easier. It gets worse and worse.”
She snorted. “You’re being really dramatic right now.”
He shook his head, and now he was growling as he made his way back to the grill and checked the chicken.
“So, you’ll meet him? When he’s ready?”
“No.”
“Fine, I’ll ask mom.”
“Stop,” he drawled out.
“She likes him,” Destiny pointed out.
“I’m not doing the two of you against me in this house again. I’m over it. Do whatever you want, I can’t control anything. You human women are trouble, I knew it from the jump, and I did this to myself. I took you both on.”
Destiny was grinning as she got up. She lifted up on her tiptoes and hugged him tightly. “Love you, Dad.”
“If you loved me, you wouldn’t try to give me heart attacks.”
“Werewolves don’t get those,” she called over her shoulder as she made her way inside.
Destiny checked her phone again, but still nothing.
She was starting to worry now. She knew what would get a response from him though.
My dad wants to meet you. Send.
She waited for it to go through, but the little bubble next to the text just sat there empty. It wasn’t going through.
With a frown, she tried to send the text again.
My dad wants to meet you. Send.
It wouldn’t go through again.
