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“We got a big contract from a few businesses in town,” he finally said, and I focused on him again and less on my protective side for Mia.
I felt my eyebrows rise that he’d come all the way out here just for that. He could have easily told me this at a council meeting, which the monthly one was due to be held in a few days. Hell, he could have called me, even taken Mia up on the offer of coming over and having dinner with us.
And that’s where a lot of my anger was stemming from. Aidan was hurting Mia, albeit not intentionally. I knew he’d never do it on purpose. But him pushing her away to come to terms with this was cutting her deep. And that had my wolf pacing and snarling in possessive need to keep her safe and close.
“They want some custom furniture. Timeframe is about three months, but you’re one of the best carpenters in the pack, and I wanted to offer one of the spots to you—”
“Did you really offer me the position because you think that, or are you extending an olive branch simply because I’m mated to Mia?” Maybe I was putting my foot in my mouth by throwing this in his face, but as much as I wanted things to work out between Aidan and me, and as much as I wanted him to be okay with me mating Mia—for her sake—I just didn’t care if he approved one way or another.
Because she was it for me. My priority, the one thing in my life to cherish above all else. Nothing else mattered, not even an approval I didn’t need.
But on the heels of that thought, I knew my mate wanted her father to be okay with all this, and because her happiness was mine... I wanted that too.
So waging wars moved within me—anger toward Aidan for making Mia unsure and upset that she’d angered him somehow, and possessiveness to keep her close and away from anyone who made her feel that way.
Aidan exhaled almost wearily, looking at the ground, and for long seconds, nothing was said, and neither of us moved.
“I didn’t come here to fight,” he finally said and glanced up at me. “And I didn’t come here about the job offer either. Not really.” He exhaled and ran a hand over his jaw, staring at the construction behind me again. “I came here to make amends.”
He locked eyes with me once more, and at hearing those words, some of my strain eased. I took a less aggressive stance, uncoiled my arms from my chest, and nodded slowly. But still I said nothing.
“For the last month, I've been doing a lot of thinking. A lot. I realized that my anger over her mating with you has nothing to do with you and everything to do with me. I want my daughter to be happy. She’s the only light in my life. And you’re a male of worth, the only male I’d fully trust her life with.” He scrubbed a hand over his jaw again and looked away, as if he couldn’t look at my face anymore. “I trust every person in this pack, but as my Beta, you’re different, Tucker.”
I felt my throat tighten at his words. We weren’t just packmates. We weren’t just Alpha and Beta. I’d looked at Aidan as a brother of sorts. We had each other’s back more times than I could count.
So maybe me keeping my mating connection with Mia secret for as long as I did hadn’t been the right move. Maybe I should have been honest with him and trusted that we could have worked this all out. But I hadn’t, and I’d been part of this problem too.
“This doesn’t all fall on you.”
He looked at me then and nodded. “You should have told me right away. You should have trusted me.” I opened my mouth to speak, but he pressed forward. “But I know why you didn’t. I understand the fear of conflict and that I’d keep you from her.”
A thick, uncomfortable silence passed between us.
“After my mate died, I knew I’d forever be alone if anything happened to Mia. I knew I’d never live if she too was taken from me. I guess I pushed all that fear on to her and you, and that wasn’t fair. It’s my issues that caused everything after that, my need to not let her go.”
He took a step closer, and I straightened. I didn’t sense any malice from him, but I was instinctively on alert.
“I meant what I said back at that celebration. I meant it when I said if anyone was to mate with my daughter, I wouldn’t have wanted any other male but you to be by her side.” He held his hand out, and I stared at it for a moment. “You don’t need nor want my blessing, but you have it. Wholeheartedly. I want the best for you two, and I’m too tired to let my inner demons bring me—or you two—down anymore.”
