Chapter 245 Be Good For Daddy
Leela smiled, a genuine, wicked little curve of her lips that promised absolute hell for Draven later tonight.
"Okay, my wolf," Leela whispered softly against his mouth, the tight knot in her chest finally unspooling. "We'll pretend I'm some fragile flower."
She leaned up, wrapping her free arm around his thick neck, and pressed a deep, grounding kiss to his lips. She needed the solid, unshakeable heat of her Alpha to completely wash away the lingering, slimy irritation of Draven's arrogance. Fennigan responded instantly, his large hands tightening possessively on her waist as he pulled her flush against him, entirely willing to give her whatever anchor she needed.
But right in the middle of their kiss, a tiny, sticky third party decided she was being entirely left out of the affection.
Briar, still perched comfortably on Leela's hip and sporting a thick, messy beard of blueberry muffin crumbs, let out a happy little squeal. The toddler leaned forward, squishing her little face right between her parents', and enthusiastically planted a sloppy, crumb-covered kiss across both of their mouths at the exact same time.
Fennigan and Leela broke apart in surprise, blinking down at the grinning toddler.
A perfectly squished chunk of blueberry was now stuck squarely to the corner of the Alpha’s lethal, bearded jaw. Fennigan reached up, wiping the sticky crumb away with his thumb, and then looked at his mate.
The heavy, suffocating tension of the alcove completely shattered.
Fennigan let out a deep, booming laugh, his glowing silver eyes entirely crinkling with pure, unguarded joy. Leela burst into musical giggles, leaning her forehead against his chest as Briar happily went back to chewing on the rest of her muffin. The intense, lethal stakes of the incoming war simply couldn't survive the absolute, sticky sweetness of their daughter.
"Alright, you little monster," Fennigan chuckled, leaning in to press a loud, dramatic kiss to Briar's muffin-covered forehead, entirely uncaring about the mess. He looked back down at Leela, the darkness in his eyes completely replaced by overwhelming love. "Let's get back out there before my Beta actually has a heart attack trying to figure out what 'personal reasons' means."
Fennigan reached out, his massive hands gently scooping the sticky toddler out of Leela's arms. He settled Briar effortlessly against his broad, muscular chest, entirely unbothered by the blueberry muffin crumbs now transferring directly onto his clean shirt.
"We're going to show everyone who's really boss around here," Fennigan rumbled, offering Leela a devastatingly handsome, fiercely rebellious smirk. "I'm keeping Briar for a while."
He leaned in, pressing another quick, sweet peck to Leela's lips before pulling back. His glowing silver eyes locked onto hers, softening with a sudden, profound rush of nostalgia. The contrast between the arrogant Alpha in the hallway and the beautiful, lethal Matriarch standing before him brought a sudden memory rushing back—a freezing, damp night outside a run-down motel, the thick fog swirling around them the very first time he had realized exactly how much fight was inside his mate.
"Because the real ruler is you, Sparky," Fennigan told her, his deep voice thick with absolute, unapologetic adoration, using the old nickname that still made her heart skip a beat.
He looked down at the little girl happily kicking her feet against his ribs, then threw a dark, challenging look back toward the guest wing where Draven was hiding.
"Besides," Fennigan added, his voice dropping to a low, proud rumble that vibrated through the quiet alcove. "What other Alpha out there do you see carrying around their toddler? Let alone a girl toddler?"
Leela’s heart completely melted, a fierce wave of love washing away the very last traces of her anger. Draven might operate under the delusion that female wolves were just fragile background decorations meant to be hidden away, but Fennigan Blackwood was a Matriarch's Alpha. He was a leader who wore his fatherhood like a badge of absolute honor, who ruled right alongside his mate, and who looked at his daughter and saw a future warrior.
Fennigan adjusted his grip on Briar, perfectly content to march right back into a dining hall full of rigid, traditional Alpha males while proudly carrying a muffin-covered baby girl on his hip. It was the ultimate, silent power move.
"Lead the way, My Wolf," Leela smiled, her chest swelling with immense pride as she fell into step right beside him. Draven didn't stand a chance against them.
Fennigan pushed the heavy double doors of the dining hall open, striding right back toward his seat with Leela perfectly at his side.
The low hum of conversation at the table immediately faltered. The visiting warriors blinked, their eyes widening in subtle shock at the sight of the towering, lethal Alpha of the Blackwood pack casually carrying a toddler who was actively dropping blueberry crumbs all over his broad, muscular shoulder.
Jax let out a quiet, visible breath of relief, clearly glad that Leela's "personal reasons" hadn't actually resulted in his brother tearing someone apart in the hallway.
Leela paused right next to Fennigan’s chair, entirely ignoring the stunned stares of the traditional, old-school wolves sitting around the table. She leaned in, pressing a soft, lingering kiss into Briar's wild curls.
Briar stopped chewing just long enough to look up. She flashed her mother a massive, utterly joyful, muffin-faced grin.
"Bye, momma," the little girl babbled brightly, waving a sticky, blue-stained hand.
Leela's heart swelled. She reached out, gently tapping the toddler on her crumb-covered nose. "Be good for daddy," she murmured affectionately. "I'm going to go find your brother."
Fennigan shot Leela a brilliant, devastating wink, completely unbothered by the mess on his shirt or the absolute silence of the visiting warriors. He settled comfortably into his chair, seamlessly pulling the toddler onto his lap like it was the most natural, powerful thing in the world, and turned his glowing silver eyes back to his guests.
Leela turned and walked away, her head held high. Let Draven hide in the shadows and whisper about female weakness; the Matriarch of the Blackwood pack had a son to find and a perimeter to secure.