“Daddy!” Leo exclaimed, dropping his little wolf toy with a clatter on the floor. His small feet padded quickly across the rug as he ran straight into Michael’s open arms.
Michael bent down, catching the boy with practiced ease, lifting him high into the air before pulling him close. He buried his face in Leo’s neck, inhaling the familiar, comforting scent of his pup. For a fleeting moment, the weight of his duties lifted, and all that existed was his son’s laughter.
Kathy, watching from her chair by the window, couldn’t help but smile. There was a softness in Michael when he was with Leo, a tenderness that reminded her every day why she had chosen him—not just as her mate, but as the father of her child. He is a good father, she thought. And a good mate too.
“Can we play, Daddy?” Leo a
