She put her finger over his lips. “No, not now. Not, please, I know this sounds like I’m being mean, but not while my father might die.”

He nodded his head.

She pressed her head to his. “I think I’m falling for you too.”

It wasn’t much, but for Lucas, at that moment, it was more than enough.

Chapter Ten

The next two weeks it seemed all hope was lost until against all odds, her father began to heal. What was once broken started to mend. He hadn’t woken up, but finally, in week three, she sat there as her mother had gone to get a coffee to him opening his eyes, and saying, “Fuck me, that tree was huge.”

Getting up from her seat beside his bed, she laughed. “Daddy?”

“Mabel, honey, what are you doing here?”

She took his hand. “The Alpha came to pick me up. You were seriously ill. People thought you were going to die.” She sniffled.

“Oh,” he said. “Did those two boys—”

“Don’t think about them right now. They’re not important.”

“Sweetheart, I need to know that those two boys didn’t hurt each other.” Her father gripped her hand tightly.

“It’s a goddamn miracle,” Duke said, entering the bedroom.

She turned toward Lucas and smiled.

Her father let go of her hand as he shook Duke’s hand.

“Are they okay?” he asked.

“They’re currently in lockup.”

“They didn’t do anything wrong,” her father said.

“Look, you were brave for what you did, but you can’t go around defending them.”

“Alpha, they’re young boys, and rage had taken over. I believe they didn’t know what they were doing.”

“They put you and the pack in danger,” she said.

Her mother came through the door, spilling coffee to the floor before she rushed to the bed. There in front of everyone, she climbed on the bed, straddled her mate, cupped his face, and kissed him.

Everyone gave them some space, and when her father’s hand dipped down to cup her mother’s ass, she turned her head into Lucas’s chest.

“There are some things a child really shouldn’t see.” She tried not to cringe.

Lucas laughed, and she tilted her head back. “You’re finding this funny?”

“A little. Your parents are clearly very much in love.”

“Yes, they are.”

She stared at him for several seconds. There was something in his voice she wasn’t quite sure about. With the way in which he spoke, it sounded like he envied them. His gaze was on her parents, and she chanced a quick glance back.

Her father’s hand was still on her mother’s ass, but they were kissing as if they were the only two people who could give each other enough air to breathe.