“I can’t believe I’m mated to a wolf,” I murmured.
“I know the feeling,” my dad agreed. “I count my blessings every day I wake up next to Leslie. I’m so thankful the fates brought her into my life and made sure I stayed a part of hers. I’ve never loved anyone the way I do her.”
“I’m happy for you,” I whispered, but I knew he heard what I wasn’t saying. Had he ever loved my mother?
“Your mother was never meant to be tied down. I knew it when I met her, but when she told me she was pregnant with you, I married her. I didn’t love her, and I knew she wasn’t in love with me. But I loved you from the moment I knew you were there. And I’ve never stopped.”
“Dad—”
“Shh. Let me say this while I can.” His cheeks were damp, and I felt my heart catch. In all my life, I’d never seen my dad cry. “When your mother left, part of me didn’t care. Until I saw your face when you saw others with their mothers, watched your pain at not having that, then I would have given anything to bring her back to you.”
“I didn’t need her,” I swore. “I had you.”
“You did. Yes, you had me. You’ll always have me, but there are times a girl needs her mother. And…” He paused, swallowing. “Did you think I didn’t know the bullying you took about her leaving? The way the other kids would belittle and torment you? I would have given anything to kick all their asses, but you never said a word.”
“I could handle it,” I whispered. I’d never realized he knew. All these years, I’d thought I’d managed to hide it from him.
“You’ve always tried to handle everything on your own. You don’t ask for help, Cici. Not back then and not now.”
“I… What are you talking about?”
“Did you think I didn’t know about the guy you went out with in college?” His gaze hardened.
“What? How?”
“One of my buddies on the force up there called me the night that boy put you in the ER.”
“You never…” I stopped, shaking my head. “You never said anything.”
“Because you never said anything.” Hearing the anguish in my dad’s voice made me realize just how much I’d hurt him. “I went to see him and made sure he understood the error of his ways. Then I called you. To check in. You told me you were good. Gushed about your classes and how much you were learning. And the entire time, you were holed up in that apartment of yours with busted ribs. Your face all bruised and battered.”
“Dad, I’m sorry.”
“I wanted to kill him. Instead, I beat the hell out of him and warned him if he ever showed his face around you again, I would kill him.”
“Dad, you could have gone to jail!”
“I made sure he knew if I did, he would. I also swore I’d make sure we were in the same cell, and that only one of us would be walking out of it.”
“Jesus, Dad!”
“I love you, Cici. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to protect you. Nothing.”
“Then pack your bags, old man, because we’re moving to Rigton County.”
Dad gave me a hard look then shook his head. “Watch who you call old man.”
I snickered, but the tension was broken. I’d hurt my dad, and I swore I’d do my best to never do it again. I leaned in and hugged him tight.
“I love you, Dad. For the record, I never saw him again.”
“Good.” Dad did a pretty good job of growling for a human.
“And no one’s ever put their hands on me like that again.”
Dad squeezed me tighter, and I felt the shudder go through him. “Don’t hide things from me again, Cici. Promise me.”
“I won’t.”
“And don’t even try to with your mate. Trust me when I say, there will be no secrets between you two. As your bond grows, you’ll sense things without needing words. Then you’ll have entire conversations in your head and not even realize you never spoke a word aloud.”
“Is there anything else I should know about mating with a wolf shifter?”
Dad looked thoughtful for a moment then shook his head. “Leslie and I have given you the basic information. Things that are probably common for most shifter-human relationships. But there are some things you and Simon will need to find out for yourselves. The discovery builds bonds, as well.”
“I’m already in love with him,” I admitted.
“I know,” my dad offered with a smile. “It looks good on you. Now then, are you really leaving tomorrow?”
“Apparently,” I groaned. “Which means I won’t have any time to pack everything. Not even if I stay up all night.”
“Pack the stuff you’ll need immediately and leave the rest. Leslie and I will take care of it.”
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You’re a life saver.” I glanced around us. “How long do you think they’ll be gone?”
“A couple of hours, at least. Leslie likes to give her wolf a good run when she gets the chance. She’ll take full advantage of having your mate here.”
“In that case, I might head home for a bit and get some packing done. I’ll set an alarm on my phone and be back here in an hour. It’ll be just enough time for me to take inventory and make a plan on what to take. We’ve only got the Jeep, so that will limit me a bit. “
“I can go with you,” my dad offered.
“No, you stay here in case they come back sooner. You can give me a call. One hour!” I swore. “Tops.”
Dad laughed. “You better set that alarm. If they get back early, I’ll run Simon over to your place. No worries.”
“Thanks, Dad! You’re the best.”
One hour. Home. Quick inventory so I