Page 6 of His Lucky Moon Mate

Mate? Where on earth did the lad get that idea? She scoffed.

“I see, but didn’t your parents warn you last time about this?” he continued as though he disapproved.

Shannon would have been amused, but she was too busy swallowing her shock at what the cheeky little pup had said. Mate, indeed.

“She’s pretty,” the little girl said, her batting her thick long eyelashes at Binder.

“Yes, she is,” Binder agreed, walking inside when the tiny ones gave us room.

He kneeled down, so he was on eye level with the children, and something just turned over inside of Shannon as she watched him. He was such a curious creature. In the fae Realm, Shifters on the Earth plane were often described as overbearing hotheads run by hormones and instinct. But here was Binder, making himself small, so he didn’t frighten children. Strangely prescient children, indeed, but still children.

“Have you come to talk to Daddy?” she asked.

“We have, Princess Rafaella. Would you like to show us the way?”

“Yes, Binder. Can I hold your mate’s hand?” the little darling asked, and Shannon’s heart squeezed.

She didn’t know why the tiny Wolf was calling her Binder’s mate, but she loved children and could no more tell the pretty little thing no than she could stop the tides. She held out her hand, warming at the touch of the miniature she-Wolf.

“I like your wings,” the child said, causing Shannon to miss a step.

“Pardon?”

“Your wings. They’re pretty,” she repeated, and Shannon’s eyes widened.

She glanced to the right where Binder was being dragged behind the two younger males. Then she looked over her shoulder just to make sure she hadn’t accidentally sprouted her actual wings. Nope. Still tucked away.

Shannon exhaled. Thefair folkwere quite secretive when it came to revealing their names and their true identities. Shannon Rose O’Doyle was what everyone knew her by. But what wasn’t common knowledge was that she was aMariposa, a Butterfly Fairy, and yes, she did indeed have a pair of wings that glittered and shone with every shade of blue when in her natural fae form.

How had the little girl guessed?

“There you are! I have been looking for you three everywhere. The babies are napping, and it’s time for you three to have your math lessons, as you well know.”

A curvy little powerhouse came storming over to the five of them still walking down the corridor, stopping short and flashing her gaze from Binder to Shannon, then back to the children who now wore matching expressions of contrition.

“Sorry, Mom.”

“I’m sorry, Mama.”

“I don’t like math.

“Hmm. Well, you better get your butts down to the library or Uncle Randall won’t give you any treats when he’s done teaching you,” she warned them, and that certainly got them moving.

“Bye, Butterfly,” the little girl said, and once more Shannon was stunned into silence.

“Binder, nice to see you. I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name,” the woman said, holding her hand out to me.

“I didn’t throw it,” Shannon replied, eyeing her hand.

“Shannon, this is Charley Maccon, Alpha fem of the Macconwood pack,” Binder explained, and the bastard did nothing to hide his grin.

“Sorry,” Shannon replied, cheeks heating with embarrassment as she introduced herself. “Shannon O’Doyle.”

“I like this one, Binder. She is feisty,” Charley said, grinning. “Rafe is in his study. Go on down, I’m gonna make sure my little monsters don’t take anymore detours.”

Binder was still smiling as he nodded his head for Shannon to follow him. She did, wondering how the tiny Alpha fem managed to make the Manor seem both opulent and homey at the same time. It was obvious it had been built to impress, but the addition of comfortable furniture, local art, soft lighting made it much less intimidating than the homes of other Alphas and Supernatural leaders she had visited with her Da. And was that fresh baked bread Shannon smelled wafting through the air?

Geezus! It was mouthwatering. Her stomach growled, and she looked up, slightly embarrassed to see Binder frowning at her. Well, excuse the feck out of her then. Not like she had a chance to properly break her fast what with discovering her father’s nefarious activities and activating the spell to keep all the Lucky Moon employees locked inside the casino while she hunted the bastard down. Of course, first she had to go getchewed out by the damn Alpha of the very Pack her Da had screwed over.

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