Page 26 of Cruel Revenge
“I heard,” Heath said with a small smile. “I think you did, too. Stacy was impressed with how you took charge and laid out your ground rules for how the week was going to work. She did add that she had the idea of keeping one of them on shift in the guardhouse. She made the schedule for that.”
“She’s a smart girl,” I said, feeling a little lighter, but my chest was still sore from the tears. “I don’t like this, but I know it’s because I’m just scared her mother will win her over. I’m probably going overboard on security. It’s a simple dinner. We got to choose the location and the time. I get to handle the security. I’ll be there.”
“Carey and you are family,” Heath said, rubbing my back gently. “And she is yours.”
“But she’s not, Heath.”
“I know logically we might both know that, but our hearts know otherwise,” Heath said softly, kissing my cheek. “Your heart knows the truth.”
“But does hers?” I asked softly, feeling the tears come back. “Does she know that she’s the daughter I keep wishing was really mine?”
“Maybe it’s time you told her,” Heath said as he used his thumbs to wipe the new tears away, my face cradled in his hands. “After dinner, you should tell her.”
I nodded, accepting that it was really time for me to say something to her. She had to know that much. But not before meeting her real mother.
“It scares me how much I would do for her sometimes,” I admitted.
“Parenthood is like that,” Heath said kindly, humor and suffering mixed on his face and in his scent. “We scare ourselves sometimes.”
“I’m not overstepping, am I?” I had always worried and wondered.
“I plan to marry you. You’ll be her mother one way or another. If anything, if you didn’t love her so much, I wouldn’t have wanted to marry you so much. Your love and acceptance of my children mean a lot to me. The fact that we’re on the same page, most of the time, about the important things with Carey… only reminds me how right we are for each other.”
“Should we tell Carey you know?” I asked, turning to kiss one of his palms.
“I think so, but perhaps after you get into the car with her, while I’m in the Tribunal. I can’t get away to go with you two. I would love to, but Carey is old enough to ask for a private dinner with her biological mother… mostly private. She doesn’t want me there, and that…” He sighed. “That does hurt, but I understand her reasoning. Why don’t we go over the security again? I can make edits if I feel the need, then we can go to bed.”
“Let’s do that,” I agreed. Sleep seemed like a great idea for my weary, bruised heart.
11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Have a good day today,” I said, kissing Heath’s cheek before he left for the Tribunal. Already, werewolves were gathering at the packhouse. Everyone was there, including the four I needed once Heath was gone. Carey was avoiding her father all morning, something that would last until tomorrow, but since Heath knew why, neither of us pointed it out to her that we could notice.
“You’re the one who needs to hear that,” he said, raising an eyebrow at me. “You’re going to be okay today, right?”
“Yes, I will be okay. We’ll get through it. Talking to you last night made today easier. Now, get out of here before she figures out that you know.” I gave him a light push, and he smiled, kissing me one more time before going down the steps and beginning the easy walk toward the packhouse.
It was nearly eight, and I had all day to prepare for the unavoidable dinner. Once he was gone, I went inside to find Carey, discovering her in her room with headphones on already, a book open in front of her.
“Hey,” I said loudly, knocking on her doorframe. She wasn’t spooked, probably expecting me.
“Hey,” she said nervously. She covered it up enough that most wouldn’t notice it. Her scent really gave her away, though. “So…”
“You’re going to be in the meeting with your guards to explain the plan later today. You need to know everything about the security before we leave. They’ll be here right after the rest of the pack leaves for the Tribunal.”
“Okay. Yeah.” Carey took out her headphones and stood up, wiping her hands on her pants. “I’m nervous about today. I wasn’t expecting to be this nervous.”
“You’re meeting your mother. I’d expect some nervousness. She’s probably just as nervous.”
“I bet,” Carey said, her tone flat and her scent shifted from nerves to something else, something a little angry.
I almost asked about it, but then thought better of it. We tried not to call Carey out about her unspoken emotions, letting her feel and maintain a level of privacy about those feelings. She couldn’t smell ours, so it wasn’t fair to use our ability to smell hers against her.
“Well, come on. We need to talk to the werewolves.” I held her door open and closed it for her once she left to go into my office. I met her there and watched as she started looking at the wedding binders.
“You can forget about messing around with those today. I don’t think I can focus on the wedding while facing the fact that your biological mother is in my state.”
