Page 64 of The Mating Need
Chapter 13
Caderyn touched Jenny’s hair.His touch sent sparks of power coursing through her.Mydad.
All these years she’d never realized she was adopted. Oh, she sensed she was different, with all this crazy magick no Lupine ever possessed. Sensed maybe her parents hid secrets fromher.
But fathered by a powerfulwizard?
“I am your father,” Caderyn said in his deepvoice.
“Not like that line from Star Wars.Luke I am your father,” Tristan said. “Nope. Caderyn is not Darth Vader. He’s muchnicer.”
The Shadow Wizard glared at him. Xavier elbowed Tristan in thestomach.
Caderyn turned his attention back to her. “You, Jenny, are my daughter, birthed by a pure Lupine who lived in the wilds of Alaska, and given up for adoption to be raised in Lupinehousehold.”
It was too much to absorb. She backed off. “I need aminute.”
Troy gripped her hand. “You okay? If not, say the word and we’re leaving. Wizards or nowizards.”
Always so protective. Jenny cherished this side ofhim.
“I’m okay.” She kissed his cheek. “I’ve gotthis.”
Jenny turned to Caderyn. “If you’re my father, where’s my birth mother? Is shealive?”
A head shake confirmed her fears. Her heart shattered. She’d so hoped that if her birth father lived, her mother had aswell.
“How… did shedie?”
“Hunters.” He turned back to her, grief and fury etching his handsome face. “They shot her for sport while she was in wolfform.”
The same way her adoptive parents died. It was too much. Her throat closed tight as she struggled againsttears.
Caderyn studied her with his intense gaze. “Know this, Jenny. Your mother wanted you. She never would have abandoned you to be raised by other Lupines. She kept you with her until the day shedied.”
“Did you loveher?”
The words came as a whisper because she was afraid to hear the answer. The last thing she wanted was to know she was conceived as a cheap, one-night stand to satisfy a male’slust.
A brief smile touched her father’s face. “In my own way, as much as I can, I gave her my affection. We were fond of each other. Selena had a wild, carefree spirit, always breaking the rules. She intriguedme.”
His smile dropped. “Our affair was brief, passionate, but we both understood, indeed, we confirmed it to each other verbally, that it would never go anywhere. She belonged to the world of the wildLupine.”
The wizard looked away into the distance. “In the end, the life proved too much forher.”
So many questions. But there were too many here, and she felt intimidated by all thewizards.
Troy gestured to Tristan. “Let’s discuss what happened here and how we can prevent it from happening again while Jenny becomes acquainted with herfather.”
The Silver Wizard looked amused. “We?”
“We.” Troy scowled. “Do you think I’d stand by sipping tea knowing there is such evil that easily infiltrated this ranch where Jenny and Istayed?”
“You appear more of a coffee drinker,” the wizardmurmured.
“Enough jokes, Tristan. Troy’s right. What the hell is going on that this happened on my land that I personally warded against crap like this happening?” Aidendemanded.
Tristan glanced at Caderyn, who nodded. “Let us have, as Skins say, a debriefing and I will tell you. Caderyn, I know you want private time with yourdaughter.”
