The Moon Goddess's Mistake

Chapter 3

"I'm so glad you're alright. You must be exhausted, though. I'll run to the grocery store! You just rest," Lily told him.

"No, sweetheart, it's okay. I don't mind."

"No, I insist. You just got home! Don't worry, I'll be safe."

Lily was right, Michael was tired. But as crazy as it may sound, Michael was hesitant to let her go anywhere alone-even the grocery store. He most certainly wasn't oblivious to the lustful stares she got from men anytime they went out in public. But all he ever had to do was give them icy glares and they would get the message. Lily was his pride and joy, his pearl, and he loved her more than anything in the world. He would die 1000 times for her.

All throughout the pack, Lily had that reputation. She was the "beta's daughter" and the "forbidden gem." Every male in the pack knew the name Lily Delane, because she was just so beautiful. No one understood how one girl could be so alluring. Michael often times overheard men's crude comments about her when he wasn't recognized. Unmated males would say things like, "whoever gets Lily Delane in his bed one day is one lucky son of a bitch." And that was polite compared to some of the other things he's heard. Let's just say he had a reputation of giving killer black eyes.

But Lily was 18, and she would be an adult soon. Hell, in a little more than a year she would shift for the first time. In the werewolf world, 20 was when a wolf became a legal adult because that was when the first shift was. It was also when a wolf could fully recognize his or her mate.

Michael let out a reluctant sigh and handed her his credit card. The grocery store was right down the road and he knew he couldn't keep her sheltered forever.

"Is your phone charged?" He asked her.

"Yes."

"Do you have your pepper spray in your purse?" Michael asked seriously, gesturing to Lily's little purple bag. Lily giggled in response.

"Yes, daddy," she gave him a quick hug and then headed for the door. With her hand on the knob, she stopped and turned back toward him. "When I get back, I'll make you your favorite casserole. How does that sound?"

Michael couldn't help the smile that took over his previously reluctant face. No restaurant, hotel, resort, or person could even come close to Lily's cooking. She was practically a prodigy.

"Just be safe," Michael pleaded.

Lily nodded and smiled at his response and then was on her way.

~*~

When Lily returned only an hour later, Michael was waiting by the door.

"What took you so long? Did someone bother you?" He asked, growing angrier at the thought.

"Of course not!" she laughed. I just had to make sure I got everything," Lily said, setting some plastic bags on the counter. "Will you help me get stuff from the car?"

An hour later, all of the groceries were put away and Lily was standing over a chicken casserole that she had just baked. With her favorite purple oven mitts protecting her hands, Lily loved purple, she brought the casserole over to the wooden dining table where her father was sitting.

"You must be starving," she said, cutting a large piece of the casserole and placing it on his plate. Once Lily sat down, they both started eating. Lily was only on her first bite when Michael had almost finished his. Lily chuckled softly when Michael moaned at the taste of the food.

"This is so good, Lils," he said with a mouth full of casserole. "What would I ever do without your cooking?"

"Well thankfully you'll never have to worry about that," Lily replied. Michael smiled at his daughter before cutting himself another piece of the heaven that she had made.

After a few moments of silence, Michael's phone rang from inside his pocket. He pulled it out and looked at the caller ID. It was the alpha. "Excuse me, sweetheart, I have to take this," he said to Lily who nodded in response. Michael left the room and all Lily heard was a faint "hello?" coming from what was probably the living room.

Lily continued to eat in silence and even found herself looking out the large window in front of her. The sun had just set, and she could see lots of orange with purple clouds dotting the sky. Like with all nature, Lily was in awe. Her moment was interrupted, however, when Michael came back into the room looking anxious and disheveled.

"What's wrong?" Lily asked, picking up on the different atmosphere right away.

"It's nothing you need to worry about. Let's just finish our dinner and get you to bed." Lily considered pressing the issue, as she was very curious about what had happened. But one look at his drained expression and she decided not to. Besides, she trusted him wholeheartedly and she knew that if it were something she needed to know, he'd tell her. And he'd probably tell her eventually anyway. She'd ask tomorrow over a nice breakfast, after they were well-rested and the sun was shining bright.

With that resolve, Lily finished her casserole. Soon after, they were both off to bed.

Morning came quickly and Lily noticed her father's continuous strange behavior right away. He was fidgety and the stress lines on his face were more apparent than usual. He also looked even more tired than he did the previous night. The two were eating hot waffles and strawberries in silence when Lily decided to speak up.

"Please tell me what's wrong, dad. You're scaring me," she pleaded softly. He sighed and stared off into the distance for a few moments before turning to his daughter.