Moon Academy - Catherine Banks Page 0,46
stopped when he saw Dad.
Dad and he had a tense stare off and then Dad ran across the ring and punched Nick on the jaw.
Nick stumbled back with a groan. “I deserved that.”
Dad snarled. “Don’t get cocky now that you’ve changed fully. I’ll tear your arms off. You understand?”
“Dad!” I gasped. “Why are you hitting him?”
Dad’s head whipped to the side as he found Caleb at the back of the room. “You!”
Caleb arched a brow. “Me?”
“I can smell you on her,” Dad growled. “You made a bond with her. Who the hell do you think you are?”
“Dad!” I yelled.
Why was he doing this in front of all the others? Couldn’t he have called them out in private?
He started to walk towards Caleb, and I acted on instinct.
I ran in front of Dad and threw my arms out. “No,” I growled.
Dad walked around me.
I leaped onto his back, arms around his throat, and legs around his waist.
The entire room tensed. Every eye focused on Dad as they waited for his reaction to a human girl jumping on his back.
Dad growled and continued walking.
He made it all the way to Caleb, who stood his ground despite looking nervous.
“Dad!” I snapped again.
Dad spun me around his front and then asked, “You want to protect him?”
I nodded. “Please don’t hurt him. At least, not until you have heard the full story.”
Dad growled, nodded, and then we all walked to my room so we could update him on all of the events that had transpired since I left the pack.
Dad’s mood soured the more we told him and when I finally finished, he growled, punched Nick, Tom, and Caleb, and then walked out of the room.
“That went better than I thought it would,” I said with a smile that no one returned.
Chapter Thirteen
With Chelle’s help, I found Dad quickly. He sat in the same clearing where I’d found Chelle.
“When you were a baby, your dad bragged about you all the time,” he whispered. “He and your mom were so proud of everything that you did. Your powers awakened way too early, so they had to put a block on it. It didn’t matter though, you still smelled like magic. I could smell your magic from a mile away.”
I sat down in front of him, folding my legs beneath me so my skirt didn’t open, and saw tears built up in his eyes.
“I took the pack kids out for ice cream, promising your parents I’d bring you back some and wouldn’t be gone too long. Your parents weren’t weak, our town was small, and I thought they would be safe while I was gone.”
The tears ran down his face, and he sniffled.
Chelle climbed into my lap, and I buried my hands in her fur.
“I felt their pain and raced back as fast as I could. They were my best friends, and I failed them. I failed your mother and she died because I was not there to protect her like I should have been. Then that vampire came back for you and I thought I had failed you again. I’m getting old and while I won’t be losing my rank anytime soon, you need younger Guardians who are more capable of taking care of you. You need someone who is going to be there to protect you at all times. You need more than one Guardian, most likely more than two. I know the humans don’t as readily accept polyamory, but I could tell you were already feeling that way about some of your current Guardians. I want you to know that it is perfectly normal for our kind, and all that matters to me is that you are safe and loved. And, I felt it was time I properly apologized.” He stood and brushed dirt and leaves from his butt.
I set Chelle on the ground, stood, and hugged him. “I never once blamed you for their deaths. Honestly, it wasn’t until about a week ago that I realized you were even my parents Guardian. You raised me as your own and did everything you could to keep me safe. I love you.”
“I love you, too,” he whispered as he hugged me. “I’m going to be testing these boys and pushing them to their limits to find the ones best suited for protecting you. I know that’s not all that matters when choosing, but it is important.”
“I will listen to your suggestions and take them into consideration when I finally choose,” I said with a nod.
His