The Pixie's Warrior Wolf (Completed)

Confronting Pain III

Thanking the God Pan for protecting her daughter, Eloise realized the end then as her daughter omitted, “It was the ley lines. The corrupted magic was tapped, I saw his intentions too..., and I reached out for something to hit him with. But it was a knife…it hit him in the back of the head, it killed him and…I ran.”

She’d run and orbed home to their kin’s home. To hide and tremble as she realized what she’d done. “It was my first time killing someone. I was scared that I’d done it, but then…I decided to come home. I couldn’t stomach being in California anymore and I needed you and daddy, and I needed to be home.”

Eloise hugged her daughter tight, apologizing for not being there when she needed her. Especially when she got home and needed to talk about this, Eloise kicked herself. Hard.

She had to do better.

Thinking of the hunters and how she’d judged her daughter for killing them, her eyes locked on her husband’s at the door frame crying. Not speaking still, he’d been there for a while, silent and not speaking. But as their daughter turned and looked at him, she didn’t jump surprised or look at him like he shouldn’t be there. Silent and quiet as he sat joining them, he held her hand as he asked, “Did the police question you?”

Shaking her head, she whispered, “The girl that set me up Amber would have been the only way they could have, everyone else there didn’t know me well enough. I caught her before she was questioned. I pushed her to lie about me being the last person with him alone. Even though…I probably would have had a case, I knew questions would have been asked. Questions I couldn’t answer.”

Like why there were no fingerprints on the knife she’d stabbed him with.

“She knew what she’d done and lied accordingly. The case hasn’t been brought up since and has gone cold. I don’t think it’s going to be a problem thankfully.”

Knowing if it did, he’d have a way to help his daughter David shook his head as he whispered, “I should have come after you. I was so busy being hurt you wanted to grow up that I didn’t even think about why you felt compelled to do so.”

Katherine glanced away as David kept staring straight at her, “I should have defended you instead of being so cruel and having the gall to be upset you were being a teenager. I thought I could control your heartbreaks, your love life, your…freedom in expressing what you desired. That’s not a father’s place and I’m so sorry if you felt shamed by me.”

A crazed laugh slipped out of Katherine as she looked at her dad in disbelief, “Felt shamed? Dad I was pretty sure you hated me.”

David wasn’t shocked but took it as Katherine admitted, “I wanted to be your little girl dad, I wanted to always make you proud and happy to be my father. But growing up meant not running and hiding in the princess castle you built me in your backyard. To wait until the prince came and asked for my hand in marriage.”

That hadn’t felt like a life.

“I’d been your princess, the village good girl, the village tramp, hell every variant of Katherine that everyone else knew. Besides the one I felt like mattered. The real me. And I couldn’t find her, still trying to shake off whatever else expected me to be.”

So she’d went to find her, without the voices of everyone who claimed they knew her, around to sway her from figuring it out. To tell her who she found was somehow wrong.

“I’m so proud of you my little sunflower,” Eloise breathed like she was in awe of her child. Which she was. “I didn’t have the thought to leave out of Heart Cove, travel or find myself before becoming a wife, mother, or neighbor. Maybe if I had, the idea of defending you or even myself wouldn’t have felt like such a bad thing. Maybe I would have the confidence to say no matter how small the village we’re in, our neighbors are only entitled to so much.”

The knowledge that they were happy, normal and sane? Sure. The responsibility of safety and maintenance of their home? Of course.

The knowledge of whose been between their daughter’s legs? Negative.

“I was raised the same as you, by a demur mother and a kind father who never said a curse to a neighbor even when deserved.” So as the passive traits passed and the naïve Eloise grew up to who she was now, the sweet through and through woman now sat feeling stunted.

Like her daughter once felt.

And it was a crummy feeling.

“I think a lot of these young girls today and maybe even back then would benefit from thinking how you did. To discover themselves before they start popping out babies. It’s so easy to fall into the mating haze but after the honeymoon phase things are still very much real. And getting swept up in your mate, your children, your community, it can drain you. Sometimes it’s more overwhelming than one can realize and it’s easy to lose yourself.”

And while they could be as happy as they wanted to be in the beginning, Eloise knew from experience how hard the highs and lows of being a new mother were. Having had her daughter late in life, Eloise couldn’t imagine her popping up unexpectedly in her twenties like she had in her early forties. Sure, she’d have had a mental breakdown, Eloise was giggling to herself and shared the thought with her daughter who agreed with a giggle of her own.

David grinning at them, looked to his daughter and then gently asked, “So no little patter from your children any time soon then?”

Katherine rolled her eyes, thinking of giving her Alaskan wolf little warrior cubs, and of course it melted her. But, she wasn’t ready yet. Not yet.

“I want a little bit more time before we have to think about babies. I want a family, and it won’t be in years it happens but…I do want to enjoy this time getting to know Henry slow. Not while we’re expecting a baby.”

Agreeing since they had seen couples in that phase of mating still as well while expecting their first child, David felt a sense of relief pass through him. “How is it you were so smart and kind to yourself even though you had a dummy for a father?” He asked with a self depreciating smile.

Patting his cheek like he’d do her, Katherine whispered, “You did your best daddy. And before all this stuff hit the fan, you were the one who always told me not to rush myself. Be kind and listen to my instincts.”

Reaching into her bag suddenly, she held up the staff he’d made her when she’d turned sixteen. Beautiful and polished, the beautiful wood made him grin, “You kept it.” Katherine gave him an eye roll, “I couldn’t pack the house you built for me daddy, didn’t mean I didn’t take everything else you gave me.”

Including the wisdom he had shared before they’d fallen out.

Thanking him for it, David shook his head, “No it’s my pleasure. My warrior princess.” Grinning at him as he passed the staff back to her, Katherine was surprised when he asked, “Do you want home to your mate? We’d understand if you want space. If you need time-.” Katherine shook her head as she whispered, “No…let’s just enjoy this time.”

Patting her hand in agreement, the three had tea and talked. Their daughter sketching on the floor and David playing his smooth and soft records, the crooning as his wife made dinner felt like old times. Talking about new times and upcoming times though, both parents exchanged a look more than once.

Guilt, happiness, love, and communication shared, Katherine didn’t see the looks, but knew the light on to her parents bedroom was on into late in the night…