Page 44 of Knot Letting Go

“You two need to get your shit together and take care of Aubrielle. It’s only going to intensify from here on out.”

“I didn’t hire you as a relationship coach,” I snapped, but I knew he was right. I hated that he was and that I was acting like an ass. Yet I’d never felt such a powerful instinct to protect anyone other than my daughter, and this was different. Lillianna had a hold of my heart, but whatever I was feeling for Aubrielle, it was on every level.

“It’s just some brotherly advice, man.” Evander lazily held up his open hands and pushed his chair back from the table. “I’m going to go relieve Turner so he can have a bite to eat, and then we’re going to lock everything down after Enid leaves for the night. The rest of the staff are gone. Levi and Tennant will be here at ten.”

Evander stood and walked toward the kitchen door. No rush, all confidence.

He’d just been trying to be helpful, and I’d been an asshole, but I wasn’t about to say it. “We’ll take care of Aubrielle. You just keep my daughter and her safe. Don’t underestimate the Pacettis.”

He paused just before going out and nodded with a small smile. “No problem there. Anyone touches those girls, they’ll pay with their lives.”

“Good.” That pleased the Alpha in me. While I liked to think I could do everything myself, I didn’t have the expertise Callista’s mates had. What I was good at was being the boss and knowing who was best for each job. Evander and his pack were excellent bodyguards. I didn’t hire them because they were family. I hired them because they were at the top in the security field.

Evander left, and I took my last swig of wine. I swished the red around in my mouth before swallowing, leaving a tartness on my tongue.

I needed to get a better hold on my temper. If Lillianna or Aubrielle saw me acting like a rabid Alpha, it could terrify them. I’d always been proud of my self control, of the way I could stay cool in any situation. But Aubrielle was my one weakness. She breached what I thought was my impregnable exterior so quickly that I had no idea how I was going to build it back.

Leaving the dining room, I made my way upstairs. From down the hall, I could hear the girls laughing. These past few weeks had been the happiest I’d ever seen Lillianna. She’d been a content baby, but quiet, and when her mother passed, she’d become even more shy. Moving here with Quill and Callista around had helped, but it was Aubrielle who had made Lillianna smile and laugh more than she had in the last few years combined.

For that alone, I would give Aubrielle anything she asked for. All the money in the world amounted to nothing if my daughter wasn’t happy.

But to have Aubrielle as my mate… Could I even get married again? My marriage to Giovanna hadn’t been unpleasant. Only the reason for it was foul. Yet it had taken the magic out of relationships for me.

And Aubrielle was pure magic.

Fuck. I kept taking the stairs up to the third floor and yanked off my jacket and tie. I chucked them on the floor just inside the exercise room. My shirt, shoes and socks came off next. All discarded just as carelessly.

I needed to burn off this fierce Alpha energy and the only way I could think to do so was the punching bag. So after a few stretches, I spent the next hour imagining I was smashing Lorenzo, both of his sons, and most particularly his nephew, Matteo.

After a refreshing shower, I felt a little more like my controlled self as I went to Lillianna’s room to read her a story before she was tucked into bed. I arrived to the sound of Aubrielle’s soft voice telling the tale of Little Red Riding Hood. The sweet feminine timbre went through me like a caress.

I entered to stand in the doorway, loving the way the two of them looked snuggled together on the bed. Lillianna had her hair in a braid, was wearing her Little Mermaid pajamas, and her eyes were wide with wonder as she stared at the pictures. Aubrielle’s long hair was in a messy bun, and strands turned deep gold by the sun framed her gorgeous face. She traced a finger along as she read, tapping on certain words for emphasis.

Something in me melted at the sight. All the work I did upstairs with the punching bag washed away revealing this is what I wanted. My daughter, my Omega, my family. Happy, sweet, and loving.

Shit. It hit me with a force that I’d never recover from. I swallowed hard, and more audibly than I thought, because both of the girls looked up from the book.

“Daddy!” Lillianna wiggled and patted the spot on the other side of her. “Come sit with us. Little Red Riding Hood is just about to get to Grandma’s house and you need to be the wolf.”

Aubrielle flushed, immediately looking away from me. Her scent spiked, and I suddenly felt much more wolf-like as I mentally licked my lips in anticipation of eating Little Red Riding Hood. “I should let you two have your storytime.”

“No, Aubrielle. You need to stay and be Little Red Riding Hood. I’m going to be the magic mermaid who saves her.” Lillianna tugged on Aubrielle’s arm and she sat back down again.

I came around the other side of my daughter and sat beside her. I glanced at the still blushing Omega and couldn’t hide the little smile that quirked up my lips. “I didn’t know there was a magic mermaid in this story.”

“There is.” Lillianna confirmed and happily snuggled down between Aubrielle and I like it had always been this way. Goddamn, it should be this way.

Aubrielle wet her lips and seemed to struggle to find her voice for a few seconds. She then launched back into the story. Describing the house and young Red’s entrance, she then moved on to when she met the disguised wolf. “Grandma, what big eyes you have.”

“All the better to see you with, my dear.” I cocked a brow at Aubrielle as I said it and she couldn’t hide her smile.

“Oh Grandma, what big ears you have.” Aubrielle’s cheeks dimpled with her smile. So fucking adorable.

“All the better to hear you with, my dear.” I mimicked having wolf ears and Lillianna snickered.

Aubrielle nipped her lower lip before saying the next line. Her breath quickened and her eyes dilated. I was eating it all up. “Grandma, what big teeth you have.”

“All the better to eat you with, my dear!” I let out a big growl and pretended like I might launch myself across the bed to get her, but Lillianna rose up onto her knees and held out a hand.

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