Page 26 of Bonded Beyond Regret

The sound of her giggles filling my office has my heart swelling with love for this little girl.

What I said to Nyx is true—I realize that she’s not my biological daughter, but that isn’t stopping me from feeling like she’s mine. I never want to replace her father, that would make me a shithead. But I can be in her life and be a father figure to her.

I want her to always feel safe with me. I want her to be able to come to me with her joys and her sadness. I want her to love me just as much as I love her.

I never really thought about having pups, not even when I was mated to Kathy. Something about it never felt right, but I knew that I would need an heir for the Beta position. The thought of bringing a pup into our mating, even for an heir, made me uncomfortable.

Knowing what I know now, I’m glad that Kathy never mentioned having pups and we never tried. That line shouldn’t have any descendants. It’s better this way.

While I never considered pups before, now I spend far too much time thinking about it. The thought of Aisley being a big sister brings a smile to my face. She would dote on her sibling. I have no doubt that it would be adorable.

Imagining Nyx round with my child has my wolf letting out a growl of want which is not appropriate at the moment. It’s notthe first time I’ve thought about it, nor will it be the last, but I mentally push it aside. For now.

As Aisley climbs on my lap, I laugh, “What are you up to, little one?”

She snuggles into me and lets out a contented sigh. “I missed you, Sammy, and wanted to come and see you.” She peeks up at me, uncertainty crosses her features for a moment. I don’t like the thought of her being uncertain even a little bit. Her voice his hesitant, “Is that okay?”

“Of course it is,” I promise her. I pause for a moment and think about it. As much as I love that she came in without warning just to see me, I know not setting boundaries could bite me in the ass later. “I love seeing you and I love that you came to visit, but you can’t just barge into my office,” I make sure my voice is gentle instead of commanding.

When she ducks her head and blushes slightly, I kind of want to crawl into a hole. I’ve felt the need to escape and wished to just disappear before, but that was because of pain. This is a completely different feeling.

“I’m not mad at you and you are always welcome,” I reiterate. “But there might be times when it would be inappropriate for you to come in without knocking. What if I was having a conversation with a pack member and they wanted it to be private? The pack needs to be able to rely and trust me. They need to be able to come to me and talk to me about whatever they need, and I know you respect and understand that.”

Aisley sighs and nods as her mouth twists down into a small frown that is far too adorable. “I do understand,” she sighs. “I was just so excited to see you that I didn’t even think about that.I promise that I’ll knock next time. I don’t want to make anyone feel uncomfortable or to scare anyone.”

“I know, my sweet little one. You have a big heart.”

“Love our pup,”my wolf sighs contentedly.

I sit there for a few minutes, just soaking up this special pup’s love. I’m not even sure if she realizes that she’s giving it to me because she gives it so freely. I hope that she can feel how much she matters to me and that being close to me makes her happy.

Nyx’s voice comes through the mind link, a hint of panic in her voice,“Is Aisley with you?”

“She is, little warrior,”I confirm.“Why? Did you not know where she was going?”

“No,”she sighs.“She was out playing on the playground. I went into the kitchen to grab her a drink and when I went back, she was gone,”I can hear the relief in her voice with finding out her daughter is safe.

“She will always be safe on pack grounds,”I point out gently,“but I understand why it would frighten you.”I’m hesitant, but I’m hoping Nyx will say yes.“Would it be okay if I talk to her about not letting you know where she was going?”

“Yes,”she agrees without hesitation,“that’s fine. I trust you.”

I close my eyes for a moment from the way emotion crashes over me. Aisley is Nyx’s entire world. For her to allow this is a gift, one I won’t squander.

“Aisley,” I prod her gently, very aware that Alphas are intimidating. When she makes a humming sound, I ask, “Did you tell your mom where you were going?”

Her head snaps up and her eyes get comically wide. “Oh no,” she breathes and tries to scramble off my lap.

I hold her in place and assure her, “She knows. She mind linked me and wanted to know if you were with me, but she was worried.”

Tears fill this sweet girl’s eyes, and I want to roar because I hate even the idea of her crying. “I’m sorry,” she’s on the verge of sobbing. “I didn’t mean to scare Mommy. I was playing and then I thought about you and wanted to see you. I didn’t even think about it,” she admits and pulls her bottom lip into her mouth. She whispers, “Is she mad at me?”

“No, little one,” I reassure her, “she was just worried, but now she knows where you are and is fine with it. She knows you’re safe in the pack, but part of a mom’s job is to worry about their pups. I do think an apology would be a good idea.”

She lets out a deep sigh and slumps into my chest, her small hand gripping and twisting my shirt. It’s so damn cute and it takes a lot of effort to not smile. “I’ll tell Mommy how sorry I am, promise.”

“Good,” I give her a squeeze before gently moving her off my lap and standing. I offer her my hand as I suggest, “How about we go and see what flavors of ice cream are in the freezer? We can plan what we want after dinner.”

Aisley gives my hand a mighty tug as she leads me out of my office. We’re down the stairs and in the kitchen in no time. Nyx is there, wringing her hands together until she sees us and her shoulders slump.

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