The Broken Warrior’s Daughter by Cooper

My growl is all satisfied pleasure. Damn this girl. If this is any indication of what our life will be like, I'm a goner.

One hundred percent, completely over the moon. And | couldn't be happier about it.

| turn to head to class, not getting more than a few steps before Chase is beside me. “Might want to take care of

that tent you're popping before walking into class Alpha.” | look down. Shit! Shifting myself around isn’t going to

hide this

one.

“Thanks man.” | say to Chase before detouring to the bathrooms. Again, this girl hasso out of control | have

to relieve myself at school. A thought occurs toabout how to punish my little guardian for gettingthis

worked up during my school day. The thought alone hascumming so hard and fast | still make it to

class on time.

| meet her after our last class. When | walk her to the passenger door, | push her against the car before she can

get in. | put everything into the kiss, every bit of passion, desire, love, possessiveness. Everything. | hear the

softest, sweetest

moan from her before | pull away and put my forehead against hers. | let her know that this is the punishment

she gets for workingup during the school day before stepping back and opening her door. | feel very smug

when | see her wobbling on her feet. Mission accomplished.

| hold her hand on the way home. I'm becoming addicted to the tingles that are only getting stronger as her

birthday gets closer. | can’t imagine how much more intense the feeling will be when she recognizesas her

mate and then once we've completed our bond? Euphoria.

When we get to her house, | jump out of the car and walk around to open her door for her. She's my girl and |

want her to know that this is the kind of treatment she can expect from me. I'm pleased that she waits for me

this tand | help her out of the car before grabbing her bag. | put it over my shoulder and take her hand,

walking her up to the front door.

“I'll pick you up at 6pm, okay?” | turn to her, taking both of her hands in mine.

“Okay. What should | wear? | mean, how should I dress?”

“Dress nice. I'm wining and dining my future girlfriend tonight.” | smile at her and kiss her nose. | start to tilt my

head to kiss her lips when I hear Clint clear his throat behind me. | pull back and turn to greet him.

“Good afternoon Clint.” | reach out to shake his hand. “I'm planning to take your daughter out for dinner

tonight.”

He raises an eyebrow and looks pastto Cara before looking back at me. “I expect you to take care of my

daughter while she’s in your care Rik. If anything at all happens to her, you'll answer to me.”

“Of course, sir. She'll be safe with me.”

I'm not used to having fathers threatening me. In the times when | have taken a girl out, the parents are usually

so happy that their daughter is going out with an alpha that they practically throw her at me.

“Do | need to remind you of the rules Rik?”

“No sir.” Yes, | remember that she’s waiting for her mate. Her mate being me. But I'll respect that she doesn’t

know that yet, even though | know she’s already started to feel the mate bond.

Chapter 0108

“Dad. Have you forgotten that I'm HIS Guardian, not the other way around? Shouldn't you be threateningto

keep him safe?”

I can’t help my smirk. Cara can’t see it, but Clint can. He looks pastat Cara again. “First, you're not back to

full strength yet. Second, he’s taking you out as a date, not as his Guardian so he damn well better treat you

with the respect and protection that he would provide any other woman on a date.” His gaze shifts back to me.

“Isn't that right, Alpha?”

“You are absolutely correct Guardian.” | use his title since he used mine. “And | will treat your daughter with the

utmost care and respect this evening.”

His gaze returns to Cara. “Go get ready for training, | want to do slight strength building today.”

“Okay dad, be right there.” Cara replies.

| start to turn to say goodbye to Cara, when Clint stops me. “Rik. Why don’t you plan to start joining us for our

afternoon training sessions starting Monday."

| think my mouth fell to the floor. “It would be my honor sir.”

He nods once before wheeling himself inside.

I'm still staring after him when | feel Cara’s finger under my chin, closing my mouth for me. She moves to stand

in front of me. “Guess I'll be seeing a whole lot more of you Alpha.”

| focus my attention back on her. “Well Little Guardian, after | defeat you on Monday, you'll be spending more

tthan just training with me. Now get going and be ready by six. | can’t wait to have you all to myself.”

| pull her toand give her a scorching kiss before heading back to my car. When | look back at her, she’s still

watching me, her fingers touching her lips. Yeah, I'll be spending as much tas possible with my girl.

When | get home, | check in with my mom. She has the brownies baked and set aside for me. She took it a step

further and put a picnic basket together and added swine and glasses. | thank her giving her a hug and a

kiss on the top of her

head.

“Where's dad? He wanted to talk to me.”

“He’s in his office.”

I head up to my father’s office and knock, waiting for him to tellto cin

When he does, | walk in and go to sit in front of his desk. He looks tired. | ask th most important question. “Any

news from Liarn about Eli Gunnar?”

“Nothing yet. He's found traces of him, but he’s good at hiding. He's been doing It for years.”

I nod. I knew I'd have heard if Liam caught Eli, but | was hoping for better news.

“Son, | wanted to talk to you about Cara.”

| sit up straighter, this was unexpected. “What about her?”

He folds his hands together and leans forward resting his arms on his desk and he looks at me. “Have you given

any thought to what it will be like to have a Guardian as a mate?”

It has occurred to me, and | have to admit, | don't like it. Kai and | already feel protective of Cara. Losing her to

Eli, even for a week was maddening. And this is before we have a solidified bond. It will only becharder once

she accepts us and we've marked and mated her.

“I have. I'm not really sure how to handle it Dad. | can’t give her a command to stand down, and | don’t want to

command her. | want a partner. | want her to stand beside me, not in front of me. | should be the one protecting

her, not the other way around. That's my job as her Alpha, as her mate. But, | think we'll have to have a serious

conversation about what that means for us and our future.”

He nods his head. “I'm glad you're already thinking about it. | don’t know that | have any advice for you. My

bond with Clint made it hard enough to have him putting his life on the line for me. If it had been your mother...”

He stops, shaking his head. Yeah, it's not a comfortable thought and one that I'll need to think about more before

tonight. | want to have a plan to discuss with her. She’s stubborn and fierce, but | need for her agree withon

this.

“That was all, son. | wanted to make sure that you were thinking about the potential consequences

of the future.”

| smile at my father. Thinking about the future is what good alphas do. And my father has raisedto be a good

alpha.

| stand to go. “Thanks Dad. | appreciate it.”

As | turn to leave, he asks, “Where are you taking Cara tonight?”

“Ethereal.” | smile. “I want her to have the true dining experience. Then I'm taking her to the overlook to see the

stars and eat brownies.”

“Sounds like a good night. Enjoy son.”

“I will.” And with that, | head out to get ready for my date.