[[OLD]] A Handful of Daffodils (Forgotten Series, #7)

Chapter Twenty

Three weeks later

"What would you like for lunch?" I looked at Brochan as I slipped the diaper bag strap over my shoulder.

He leaned over Maeve's bounce chair, smiling at the little girl. "Doesn't matter." He glanced at me, his smile warm before he reached down and picked Maeve up. "There's daddy's little girl!" He held her up and she cooed, reaching a sticky drooly hand out towards him like she wanted to grab his face. "My little drool puss. I'm gunna eat you" He brought her down and kissed her cheek before making noming sounds as he buried his face into her little neck. She gave a screechy giggle, scrunching her legs up towards her chest before kicking with a wide and gummy smile. He chuckled as he pulled away from her, his expression soft with love as he looked at her.

I smiled as I watched them, a warm feeling growing in my chest. Chrissie had been a lucky female and I was so sorry she couldn't get to see her male like this. He was such a good father, so confident and attentive. Maeve wanted for nothing and he gave her all the love in the world.

"Come on, Menza, let's get home." His smile didn't lessen as he looked over at me, reaching out and gesturing for me to follow him. I nodded and followed behind him, giving a quick goodbye to Lisa. She nodded in acknowledgement but was looking at Brochan with slightly narrowed eyes, as if she were suspicious of him. I wanted to say something but I shook it off, we were getting along, I didn't want to ruin that.

I hurried after Brochan, waving at Ellie from where she was playing with a young toddler. She grinned at me and waved back before turning back to the little game her and the young male were playing. I followed Brochan out of the craft hall and turned my face towards the sun, enjoying the warmth of it on my face. I might have missed my home, missed Ellie and Simon, but I had been out in the territory more than I ever had living there. Between the craft hall and the weekly trips we made to the graveyard to visit with Chrissie, I had seen more of the territory in the past few months than I had in the last twenty years.

"She might be getting a tooth." Brochan's voice pulled me out of my thoughts and I nodded quickly. He threw me a smile over his shoulder and my heart fluttered and I nearly tripped at the feeling of butterflies that came through my stomach. He was such a handsome male and he was so sweet and kind. He had scared me when I first came into his care, he did, but he was smiling more and he was so nice to me. He would get me little hair care things from town when he went to get groceries and he was trying very hard to bring me into conversation and I felt more comfortable talking to him now but I wasn't used to that much kindness from males.

Simon's friends had always treated me like Simon's little sister, which was okay. Then there was the Beta who out right seemed to hate me. I wasn't sure why but I made an effort to not make eye contact or be anywhere close to him. Then there was the Delta. I shuddered at the thought of him, glancing over my shoulder to see if he was around. My heart jumped into my throat as I spotted him at the corner of the craft hall, his arms over his chest. He was looking at me, I knew he was and I shuddered. He made me so uncomfortable.

I quickened my pace, moving closer to Brochan as I did so. "He's staring at you again, isn't he?" Brochan's voice was low and edged with irritation and I nodded, hunching my shoulders forward. I could feel the Delta's gaze between my shoulder blades like a knife trailing down my spine. It was chilling and terrifying. It felt like a threat. "Fucker." He spat the word out before he reached behind him and wiggled his fingers. I put my wrist in his grip and he gripped it firmly, pulling me a bit closer to him. The touch was almost comforting in a way, it made me feel safe. Brochan was there and that meant the Delta couldn't hurt me.

"Ignore him for now, Menza." At the words I nodded and kept my head bowed forward slightly and it took us walking on the wooded path towards home for that the itchy feeling along my spine to disappear. I let out a small breath of relief and Brochan let my wrist go before throwing a small look over his shoulder. "Are you alright?" He asked it so softly that my heart turned over in my chest and I couldn't help but nod. I knew I shouldn't put much stock into it. I was his ward, someone underneath his roof, but that look made me feel like he actually cared. "Let me know if he is sticking around where he shouldn't be. I'll take it up with the Alpha." He said it firmly, a curt nod following the words and I nodded in return.