Page 35 of His Human to Adore

Oh, goddess, help me.

“Why did you need to see any of the safety buildings?” I ask, trying to keep my voice from being angry but failing miserably. There is only one reason I can think of for taking a female to one of the safety buildings, and none of it is what I want to happen to my daughter with a male who has offered her no security.

“Alright, girls, time for us to leave for a bit.” Deja stands up from the table and pushes my other three daughters out of the room and then out of the entire house.

I can hear their complaining, but I am too focused on the wide-eyed male sitting too close to my daughter now that I know they have been out in the trees and probably in one of the buildings alone together. I close my eyes, willing the anger to go down.

When did this happen? Deja told me last night that Mara was staying with a friend, but I had assumed it was a female friend. She has been staying over with a friend often recently, and I am just now realizing that I have been a foolish male. Not that it is wrong that my daughter is doing things that we all do, but I do not want some charming male to make promises to her to seduce her when he means not to go through with his promises. If I find out it was a sleepover with this male, out in the trees, so that he could be close to her, I might make irrational decisions.

“When did this happen, and why were you there?” I ask, my focus solely on Blake, who, if he is anything like his father, will not lie to me.

“Many days ago, and we did not enter the building,” Blake states without a hint of panic. Well, he is panicked, but his words sound true enough.

“Seriously?” Mara huffs beside him, and I do not miss Blake’s hand that falls into her lap to comfort her. “You’re really worried about him thinking you touched me out in the trees?”

“Well, yes, they are unsafe, and it is not right to take a female out there with the sole intention of lovemaking.” Blake turns his full attention to my daughter like I am no longer here. “I do not take you anywhere dangerous for that.”

Goddess, give me strength.

At least Mara realizes the mistake the young male has made in what he’s said, but it is not enough to keep me from hearing the words and knowing they have been together more intimately than I need to know about. I take a deep breath, tugging on the tether between Deja and me, begging her to come back to take some of my rage from me. She is off somewhere close to the great hall and will not get here fast enough to save Blake’s life if he does not say the right thing right now.

“What are your intentions with my daughter?” I ask. I can be rational. Not often, but sometimes. If this male wants to be with my daughter, I will survive, but he will not make false promises to her of mating if it is only to touch and seduce her. She deserves more than that.

“That’s why we wanted to have dinner tonight, Dad.” Mara reaches across the table and grabs my hand. A smile crosses her lips, and I feel myself relaxing slightly. “He is your blood now.”

Her words bounce around in my mind for a moment until they fully register. My rage is dissipated, and I am filled, instead, with a strong joy that I know Deja must be feeling deep in her bones, too.

“My blood?” Mara nods, and I turn to Blake. “You have mated then?”

Blake cannot stop the smile from his lips. Not any male could when they think about mating the female they are meant to be with. “Yes, we wanted to tell you tonight because she will be staying with me from now on.”

“Yes, yes,” I nod my head as I stand and wrap my arms around my daughter. I started this evening thinking I would be angry at my daughter, wanting to even think of mating a male, but here I am, ecstatic that she has chosen a male that will honor and cherish her in all ways. “My son. I am blessed.” I wrap Blake in my arms next, making sure he knows I am happy with my daughter’s choice of mate. “Have you told your parents yet?”

“We told them this morning,” Mara says, tears pricking her eyes, but she brushes them away quickly since this is a happy moment. “We were mostly worried about how you would react.”

“I am not that bad.” I chuckle as the words leave my mouth because I am ready to rip Blake’s throat out not even moments earlier. “Come, we must go tell everyone the good news. The first children to be mated. We are blessed.”

“You’re not mad?” Mara asks me as I hug her again, holding her tightly against me because I know she is no longer mine to protect, but I will still try when she allows me to. “We worried you might try to kill him.”

“He has honored you by mating you,” I say as I grab him by the shoulder and pull him in to hug my daughter with me. “You have mated a strong male. I will still worry about you because that is my duty, but I will worry less if you are mated to this male.”

“Thank you,” Blake nods and makes sure that I know he understands just how honest my words to him are. “I will honor your daughter, always.”

“You are a good male. I knew this before you started courting my daughter, and I know it now,” I chuckle and start moving all of us out of the house. I was not joking when I said we needed to tell everyone. The first children to be mated means we need to celebrate, and we will all celebrate such a wonderful union. “The goddess blesses my family. I am glad you are blood to us now.”

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