You are mine to protect

Upon examination

Kelvin’s POV

I headed downstairs for some food as soon as I left my bedroom. It had been an arduous and protracted drive. I was extremely mad with Nathan. I adore the child, but spending hours locked in a car with him was agonizing.

I went up to my room as soon as I got there to take a hot shower and unwind. My wolf remained tense, and we were unable to identify the cause. We knew it wasn't the problem as Nathan was safe and playing with his friends at this point.

I decided to visit our new guests at the Pack Hospital after grabbing a quick bite to eat. Perhaps the problem was that they weren't met. Rick started making a lot of noise as we approached the building and insisted that I go move quickly.

After entering, I went to the area where the women were being attended to. My footfall paused as I passed the corner, and then my legs started to pump harder until I reached the room where the enticing smell was emanating from. A growl came out of my mouth as I burst through the door and saw my mate lying in the bed—MINE. My friend, give it another go.

A small figure with a knife in her little hand leaped in front of me before I could enter the room again. The girl tried to stop me from going to my mate, but Rick laughed at her. Nobody could stop me. I let out another growl from my chest and told her who the room's Alpha was.

Alpha, halt! Take a moment to reflect. Erica is your new daughter if Susan is your partner. After experiencing abuse at the hands of her father, your new daughter is afraid. It will not help that you are growling at her. Observe her. She is trembling as she tries to keep her mother safe.

I stopped to process what Aaron had said. When I turned to face the young girl once more, I could sense the fear radiating from her. She shielded her mother by standing between us. Rick gave in right away and was now lying down, crying. Aaron was correct; we now owned this young child. Not to frighten and intimidate, but rather to safeguard and tend to.

I lowered my knees to the floor so that I was at eye level with the young girl. She struggled to pull herself together, tears tracing the corners of her eyes. At that time, I was incredibly proud of her. After all that she had gone through, she was now standing up to me. My feelings for her were immediate. The father-daughter relationship started to develop. As she experienced my love coursing through her body, her posture softened a little.

Her face was covered in confusion as she attempted to make sense of everything around her. Oh, my wretched angel.

"Hello, my little one. My name is Kelvin. I never mean any harm to you. From now on, I am here to keep you and your mother safe. Please trust that no one will ever harm you while I'm here.

The knife was still raised by the young girl and was aimed at my chest. Rick would have resisted the threat if it had been someone else, but since this was now his puppy, a puppy he was afraid of, he chose to back off and let her exercise whatever authority she required to feel secure. So be it, even if the knife was aimed directly at my heart.

However, I did not feel comfortable with her owning a knife, not because I feared for her safety, but rather because of her nature. It is inappropriate for a young girl to handle knives.

Where did Aaron get her knife?

Alpha, I'm not sure. She hasn't spoken or moved from her mother's side in the entire week. It could have been from her tray at dinner.

Jasmine and Aaron were seated next to the window-facing couch. Perched on the couch's edge, Jasmine was prepared to assist Erica.

Jasmine, calm down; I got this.

"You must be Erica, then, little one?" She responded after a brief moment with a nod. Alright, I'll consider that a step forward. I just have to be careful. It's only God knows how long this little girl has endured this hell. Rick waited patiently, endorsing my approach.

Erica, you are courageous to defend your mother in this way but know that you are both in a secure environment. Nobody in this room wishes to hurt either of you. Alright, we're all here to keep you safe.

A short while later, I received another nod.

"All right, I want to say I'm sorry for how I felt when I first came in here. I was so furious that someone would hurt you or your mother that I snarled. Men do not hurt their wives or children in my world. We tend to them and keep them safe. To us, they are the most valuable items. I was quite offended to see that you both had bruises. I apologize for frightening you.

I have never apologized to anyone in the past—not even to my first partner. Since I was the Alpha, it is not in our character to acknowledge our mistakes. It felt like giving in, which is something that Alphas never do. But I would do anything right now, kneeling in front of my helpless little girl, to win her trust. Rick agreed, quietly stepping back to let me take care of this. He was in the dog house, for crying out loud. He felt terrible about it.

The small hand with the knife started to droop slowly. As I talked to her and helped her get used to me, her teary eyes never left mine. She backed off a little when I stood up because of my bulk, as fear fled from her. Once more, the knife was raised. Alright, sh*t. We were moving along quite nicely, but I was powerless to change my size. Okay, let's go back to the beginning.

The largest wolf in our pack was me. Hell, one of the biggest wolves in America, if I may be so bold. Since many of us were pure blood shifters, like me, we catered to those who were slightly larger than shifters. Because of our increased size and strength, our pack was therefore seen as being stronger. Its strength and size undoubtedly transferred to our human sides as well. In the pack, most of the men were taller than 6'5", like myself. Although my size had always been a huge advantage, it was not working for me right now.

Before I could fall to my knees once more, Erica's bed behind me let out a quiet groan. Erica, wailing, Erica, Erica. I started to move forward, but Erica's glance stopped me in my tracks. Rick knew better than to stand in the way of a mother and her pup, so even though we both wanted to get to our mate, he held me back. Erica leaped onto the bed and ran to her mother's side. Aaron and Jasmine watched from the couch, mind-linking for Doc Matthew.

Susan felt a tiny hand gently cup the side of her face. A little cry came out of the child. Seeing her cling to her mother was heartbreaking. Silently, I moved to the other side of the bed, facing Erica rather than behind her. I reasoned that it was best to be directly in front of her.

Observing my movements, she turned to face me, her eyes full of tears. I put my hand on Susan's arm because I was itching for some touch from my partner. It felt like absolute heaven. I had lost sight of the connection, the bond, and the sensation of touching your partner. Erica scowled as she glanced down at my hand. We were sidetracked from the moment by another groan.

Susan was waking up bit by bit. Doc Matthew entered the room abruptly and looked around, taking note of everyone's positions before casting a bewildered glance in my direction.

Doc, Erica is my new daughter, and she's my mate’s daughter.

Alpha, congratulations. Please allow me to examine her. I swear to be careful and patient.

I permit you, but please act quickly.

Susan opened her eyes to find her daughter's eyes staring back at her while Doc and I were having our brief conversation. Erica nestled her head into her mother's shoulder as they embraced. Thank you, God, she said again, holding her child.

As I took in my mate and daughter, my hand continued to gently stroke her arm. It was so lovely to see them together and to feel their love for one another. They were such a blessing in my life. Susan finally looked up into my eyes as I was staring down at them. I thought she was still so beautiful despite all the bruises. My love grew with every second that went by.

All I could hope was that she would quickly accept our mating bond. After the bond begins, most partners are unable to break it. Because of their intense bond, most shifters mate in a single day. I hoped that the bond would make her accept me right away, even though she was still hurt and we are unable to mate well.

Her eyebrows narrowed in perplexity as I smiled. She became enraged when she realized my hand was on her arm.

"IMMEDIATELY remove your hand from me and move away from my daughter!"

I guess not, he thought.