Page 66 of Bullied Mate

Leo wouldn’t even exist right now if I hadn’t chased after a phantom of a parent. It was my fault for hooking up with that woman while on the road. She had no pack affiliation, no real goals, just a free spirit to the core. That had been so appealing at the time. But now I could see the mistake I had made getting involved with such a wild woman.

Yeah, I would have avoided the hurt with Jazmin, but I wouldn’t have the best boy in the world. I didn’t want to go on regretting that, so I folded those feelings up as neatly as possible and tucked them into a truck. Locked it. Tossed the key.

I sighed.

“Dad, do you want to be with Galanthia?” Leo asked sleepily.

I patted his back. “Let’s just get you home and in bed.”

“But I want to know. I want you to be with her.”

“I think that would be very nice.”

Leo didn’t say much the rest of the way home, which was fine by me. Talking about Galanthia made me anxious—which was comical and damn near pathetic when I considered how good she made me feel in person. I didn’t want to keep thinking, but my brain kept chugging on, driving me forward to my house.

I went inside wordlessly and put Leo to bed. His eyes stayed closed as I changed him and tucked him into his race car bed that Raven had gifted him. After tucking the sheets under his chin, I kissed his forehead and went to the living room. I sat down. I stared at the wall.

This couldn’t be the way my life would be. It was like I was stuck in place without Galanthia around to tell me what to do. And not like, in a dominating way. It was her soul that seemed to inform me of the right actions. Her gaze guided me. Her mouth enticed me. Everything about her made me sure of myself.

I didn’t know what was happening to me. I wasn’t sure I could fight it. Whatever I did to push Galanthia away made things worse. If I had to give in to anyone, she would be my top choice. She was better than most women. Honestly, she was probably the best.

My heart skipped in my chest. I looked at my hands, noticing the cold feeling of her absence. No one had ever enchanted me like this. Why did it have to be her? And why did my kid have to be swept away with her too?

I guessed time would be my answer.

Chapter 20 - Galanthia

Danger had left a couple of days ago, but the adrenaline was unshakable. Trouble had never managed to be an issue in the past. Anxiety wasn’t familiar either, yet I harbored enough of it now to make my fingers quake.

Izdor hovered nearby. “You’ll never get anything done like that.”

“Would you stop staring at me?”

“Definitely won’t get things done while snapping either.”

Exasperation forced me to flip around. “Would you quit it?”

“Galanthia, why are you so nervous?”

“I wouldn’t be nervous if you weren’t staring at me.”

His smile mocked me. Typical Izdor to want to joke at the wrong times. Xavier didn’t do that.

“When are they getting here?” He crossed the kitchen and plucked a loaf pan from the cabinet. “Why don’t you start baking some bread?”

“It has to proof.”

He raised his eyebrows. “It can proof while you’re cooking dinner.”

“I’m not cooking dinner. I’m going over there. They’re going to be—” I huffed. “I don’t know what to make.”

“Make the bread. They’ll love it.”

Loath as I was to admit it, my time irritation was barely valid. Xavier wasn’t expecting me for another few hours. That was plenty of time to proof the bread and bake it. All this worrying was affecting every single one of my decisions, changing me to my core in ways that were unavoidable.

I hunched over the counter while grabbing the ingredients. “Sorry.”

He held my shoulder lightly. “I’ve never seen you torn up like this.”

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