The Broken Warrior’s Daughter

Chapter 0119

| didn’t want to be late to pick up Cara. | really wanted to be early, like hours early, but | restrained myself. She has things to do today and | don’t want to overwhelm her.

When | can’t wait any longer, | head over to the florist to get the flowers | ordered. yesterday. Dorothy had suggested that | start adding scolor to Lily’s memorial, so it’s violets today. I’m surprised when | walk in and immediately catch my favorite scent, vanilla and honey. | look around and don’t see her. ‘Let’s hunt her down.‘ Kai says to me, and | can feel his excitement. He’s been wanting to chase our mate for real. Unfortunately, Artemis isn’t yet ready to shift so Kai has had to be patient.

I stalk around splants, following my nose. When I see her peeking around a planter, | know that she hid from us so we would have to find her. Oh my little guardian, you can never hide from me.

Wrapping my arms around her and hearing her yelp of surprise has made my day. | take a deep breath of her amazing scent and feel everything that was out of sorts in mind and body today settle immediately. She has becthe balm to my stress and worries, and she doesn’t have to do anything but be in my presence.

| suddenly have a flash of Liam, having gone so many years without his mate. For someone that is as alone as he is, he really is a great Alpha. He doesn't let his own emotions impact how he runs his pack. At least not yet. Alphas have been known to go feral if they don’t find their mates. | really hope he finds his, but I'll be damned if he thinks he can have mine.

After convincing Cara to leave her car, we head to the memorial. | can tell when we arrive that she’s nervous. Never having had to live without my parents, | can’t imagine what it is like for her. But | plan to be by her side and support her in any way she needs.

When we walk up to the memorial, Cara stops and looks around. “You and your mother placed all these flowers?” She asks me.

| point over to a section just off to the side of the memorial. “I believe that group in front is from your father. And those around the back are probably from other pack members giving their respects. These on the sides are from my mother and I.”

| begin to walk toward the memorial, taking her hand and pulling her along withas she takes it in. There are many people in the pack that loved Lily Nelson.

From what my mother said, she was a wonderful person with a beautiful soul. She touched so many lives in our pack.

| let go of Cara’s hand and walk up to the memorial. Following in my mother’s footsteps, | place my hand on the angel's folded hands. “Thank you, Mrs. Nelson, for your sacrifice. Mom told you we’d never forget, and we never will.” | add my own part to the end. “l am keeping my promise to you. | will make sure that she is always safe.”

Cara walks up to me. “What was that? What promise?”

Before answering, | take my flowers and make room at the foot of the stone statue for both of our vases. | place the flowers and stand, looking back up at Lily’s angel.

My mind takesback to that moment as | tell Cara. “The day your mother died, we were under attack and my mother tried to get us to the bunker, but we didn’t make it. We were cut off and were about to be attacked. Your mother cout of nowhere, taking out the other pack’s warriors. | can remember it so clearly. She was incredible. I'd never seen anyone as fierce as her.” | stop and look at Cara. Until you.” | swallow hard as | go back to the memory.

“She took down so many wolves, but they just kept coming and at one point, she was so severely injured, that she shifted back. | think she knew that she wasn’t going to make it. My mother had shifted and was fighting as well. However, you know my mother, she’s not a warrior. But she was holding her own to protect me. Your mother lookedright in the eye.”

My mind takesback in tand I’m there, in the battle, seeing Lily dying in front of me, hearing my mother’s wolf snarling from somewhere behind me. I’m trusting you to watch out for her. Take care of her and keep her safe for me. PromiseRik. Promiseyou'll always look after my little girl.”

Cara’s gasp pullsout of the memory. “It was the last thing she ever said. I’m not even sure my mother knows she said it to me. | never told anyone. It scared me. But before her eyes dimmed, | promised her. | promised your mother that | would always keep you safe.” | chuckle humorlessly. “I’m guessing she didn’t realize her daughter would be a Guardian too.”

| turn to Cara and take her hands in mine. “So you see, | have a promise to keep. | must ensure your safety. It’s not just the Alpha in me, or the love that | feel blossoming in my heart for you, but | must keep my promise to your mother.”

| cup her face in my hand, loving that she leans into my touch. | lean forward and gently kiss her lips. | can feel the tears hanging in the corners of her eyes. | take my thumbs and wipe them away before they can fall. | pull back to rub my nose.

+15 BONOS

against hers. “Don’t cry love.”

She sniffs and pulls herself together. She sets her flowers down beside mine. “Do you mind if | take a moment with my mother alone before we leave?”

“Of course not. I'll wait for you at the car.”

When | get to the car, | lean against it waiting for Cara. | think back to that day. There was something in Lily's eyes, in the way she toldto take care of Cara. It was like she knew. Like she knew that Cara and | would be mates. There’s no way she could have known, but somehow, | think she did.