{Katherine's POV}
Was this real? By the way my wolf was howling with pleasure I would say it was...
"I-" I couldn't speak.
I didn't even know what to say. Luckily Ivy took that moment to wake up and the minute she turned and look at Adrian her eyes widened and she squealed shimmying from my lap and ran to him throwing her arms around his legs bringing him from my gaze.
"Hey, pumpkin." He smiled leaning down and scooping her up in his arms.
"How does hanging at the park for a bit sound?" He asked and she clapped her hands nodding making us all smile.
I hesitantly stood wiping my sweaty palms on my jeans and his gaze met mine again.
"Stephanie, thank you for watching Ivy. You're a life savor as usual." He spoke to her but yet again didn't drop his stare from me.
"No problem." She spoke softly as if she was intruding on the moment.
"Adri, can Kathween and Steph come with us to the park?" Ivy asked and my heart sped up and I'm sure everyone in the room can hear it.
"I guess that is up to them, sweetie." He mumbled softly and she turned towards us.
"I uh, would love to, Ivy, but I have to go meet some friends for dinner. Im sorry, maybe next time." Liar, I was her only friend.
"Kathween?" Ivy asked pouting her bottom lip and I smiled.
"Sure." How could I say no to that?
"Yay!" She clapped her hands together and I let out a nervous laugh glancing at Stephanie who was beaming at me.
'This is your chance! Go get to know him!' She mind linked and I nodded turning and walked up to them.
"I assume you're driving?" I asked raising a brow in a joking manor.
Joking was the only way I got through life. It was a bad habit.
He smirked nodding and I hugged Stephanie goodbye and told her I would see her tonight.
When we walked outside I wanted to huff. Of course he would have a perfect car too. I wish I drove an Audi. He put Ivy in the back in her carseat and opened the door for me.
"Thank you." I mumbled managing a smile and got in.
I had to mentally prepare myself for this. I was nervous and jittery and that is never me!
When he got in and drove off I just realized I willingly got into a car with a man I know nothing about. He could kill me and dump me in the river.
He's your mate, Idiot, my subconscious spoke.
"So, it's Katherine, right?" Alpha Adrian asked and I nodded.
"In the flesh." I added and then wanted to mentally smack myself for being so awkward.
"It's nice to finally meet the woman my daughter goes on and on about." He said glancing at me with a grin. Then it hit me, he called her his daughter. How freaking precious. Did he mean to? Was it just a habit?
"All good things I hope, Alpha." I said and his brows furrowed.
"Don't call me that." He said more seriously.
"Sorry." I mumbled and he shook his head.
"No, I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be rude. It just displeases my wolf to hear his mate call him by his title. You're my mate after all, call me Adrian." He said and I wanted to fire 'do you even want me as your mate' since he was just speaking of his wolf, but I refrained since Ivy was sitting in the back.
"What's a mate?" She asked and Adrian and I stole a quick glance at each other.
"The goddesses' gift to us." He replied cooly and she just nodded going along with her day. If I was her I'd be asking a million questions.
I honestly didn't know what to think about this man. Besides his good looks and charming behavior towards the little girl in the back, I didn't have much to go by. He was a quiet alpha and a good one at that, but that is all you heard about Alpha Adrian.
"Adri, can you ask Clarky if he can bwing Audwey?" She asked and I still found it so cute how she couldn't pronounce certain letters and this time it was 'R's, I just wanted to squish her cute little cheeks.
"Sure, Ivy," He leaned down and grabbed his phone handing it over to me after putting his thumbprint in. "Will you text Clark and ask him please." I nodded and went to his messages and created a new text and typed Clark in and luckily just one Clark popped up and I clicked it typing out the request.
As I did his phone vibrated and a new text came in.
'Down for round two tonight?' It read for a contact named 'Stacy'. And at that moment, my heart physically hurt. As if noticing my sudden mood he leaned over grabbing the phone from my hand and locked it placing it back in the cup holder her previously had it laid in.
No Goddess, please anyone but a player. I've been hurt too much by them before. Eric was the first guy I dated that wasn't a player and didn't F me over... until recently. Well, it was a mutual screwing over.
"We're here." He said gruffly and got out and before he could reach my side I opened it and got out.
He gave me a questionable look at my sudden cold shoulder and I wanted to smack myself. He didn't know about you until today, idiot. He could do as he pleased. Why are you getting so worked up over that one text? But what if she was his girlfriend? Oh, my Goddess. Shoot me now.
He got Ivy out and checked his phone and just around a minute or two later a car pulled up and I watched as Clark got out and opened the back door helping out a little girl around Ivy's age, who I'm assuming was Clark's daughter. The two squealed when they saw each other.
Awe. I miss being young and not worrying about adult life problems.
Minutes later Clark was playing with the girls as Adrian and I sat on the bench not far away watching them.
"So, what do you do for a living?" Adrian asked cutting through the awkward silence.
"I'm a radio talk show host," I replied and he looked in thought for a moment before cocking his head to the side a bit.
"Wait, you're Katherine Heights?" He asked and I couldn't help but smile, he's heard me!
"You've heard the show?" I asked and he nodded.
"I think you're hilarious. I usually listen to the radio to and from work and your station is usually on around that time." He said and I couldn't help but feel proud of myself. He thinks I'm funny!
"Wait like a hilarious as in funny or a hilarious as in wow she's embarrassing?" I asked and he let out a husky chuckle.
"Hilarious as in funny." He replied and I nodded. Good.
After a while of small talk, I couldn't help it, I had to ask.
"What are we going to do about us?" It came out almost like a small whisper.
"I don't know." He replied and I looked up at him.
"Do you have a girlfriend or something?" I asked and he shook his head.
"No." So that girl was an F buddy, just great.
"I say 'I don't know' because Stephanie told me you had a boyfriend and y'all seemed to be having... problems." He said and my eyes widened.
"She did what?"
"Don't be mad at her. When Ivy came home talking about a wolf shifting around her and that wolf being chased by the 'big bad wolf' as her guardian I had to make sure her surroundings were safe and I had to talk to Stephanie to watch what she says around her. That is how I found out about you from her and how you and your boyfriend got into a pretty bad fight. Then she said you were staying with her until you got back onto your feet." How embarrassing.
"I guess you should hear my side of the story... My boyfriend and I got into a fight. I got home late to a dinner he made for us and he just flipped. Partly, it was my fault because sometimes I get so engrossed with my work at the studio everything around me just drifted away. That night was the worst he's ever been though. Usually, we'll just fight a bit and I'll leave and go to Steph's until he cools off and then I got back and we um.. make up." He didn't need to know how, speaking the way he was gripping the bench just at the story alone, I'll refrain.
"But when I got back this time he packed all my things on the front porch and left me a note basically saying we're toxic for each other. I'm not upset though, he was right. We were toxic and I did start to lose interest in him. It's just... he was that man that thinks he should take care of the woman and she doesn't need to work yada yada yada... I love working and I'll be damned if someone thinks I'd just sit around and live off his money. I don't want to give someone that control over me. It leads to nothing but trouble." I completed and he looked me over.
"So you're no longer together? And you're okay with that?" I nodded looking down at my hands. "He never... hit you did he?" He asked and I shook my head.
"N-no." I stumbled out.
"Has he ever hit you?" He repeated a little sharper.
"I mean he shook me around a bit but he's never hit me," I said and a growl ripped through him. My wolf took pride in the fact he was already protective over us. I, on the other hand, was nervous.
"I could kill him." He spoke and I quickly shook my head. "No, don't! You don't know the full story. He's never hurt me and he would never hurt me. Not physically anyway. There were times I have hit him out of anger and he just let me over and over again. I don't blame him for pushing me around a bit." I said and Adrian shook his head.
"I don't care. A man should never put his hands on a woman other than to please her." He spoke and my eyes widened slightly, well okay then.
"So... if you don't mind me asking," I spoke trying to change the subject. "You and Ivy?" I asked and he met my eyes.
"I'm sure you already heard she isn't mine?" I nodded and he sighed sitting back.
"If you don't want to talk about it I completely understand," I spoke and he shook his head.
"No, you're my mate, you need to hear this," He thought things over then started. "Her dad was my best friend. The war with the hunters came quicker than expected and we entered the field together only for me to leave alone." I could see the pain in his eyes and out of instinct I reached over grabbing his hand.
He didn't shy away from my touch but instead embraced it and tightened his grip lacing our fingers together.
"I didn't know, but he put me down as Ivy's Godfather if anything were to happen to him. After the war, she came under my care and protection. It hurt for awhile since every day she would cry for her dad and I wouldn't know how to respond. It hurt to look at her and see my best friend except...I will never see him again. Well, maybe in another life..." He trailed off and his thumb brushed over mine as he stared at our conjoined hands.
"She eventually got used to me and we both got better. She stopped asking about him and just... moved on. I wish it had been that easy for me, but then again she's just a kid. She still doesn't know the full context of everything. Poor thing didn't have a mom and then her father dies in war." He shook his head taking in a deep breath to calm himself.
"I try so hard to be good to her just like he did. Trying to balance being CEO of a business, being Alpha, and taking care of a kid and making time for her is hard. For her to sometimes call me daddy... it tears me to pieces because I'm not her dad. I could never live up to the title of her father. He was one of a kind. An amazing father and amazing beta. Though, that little girl has me wrapped around her finger more than she knows. I'd lay down my life for her in a heartbeat if I had to." I gave his hand a small squeeze.
"If it means anything to you, I think you're doing an amazing job. That little girl is respectful, sweet, kind, and so much more just at the young age she is. I'm sure your friend is proud and thankful for you. I couldn't imagine having to do all that you do. It takes a strong and brave man to step up into the roles you did and handle them all perfectly. Don't knock yourself down, Adrian. In all honesty, you're perfect for the job and I've only known about you and known you face to face for a short amount of time and I can already tell that much." I told him with a small smile.
"Thanks, Katherine. That means a lot." He said and I nodded smiling.
Now I know why he called her his daughter, even if it was an accident, he sees her as his own.
"Kathween, will you come to play with me?!" Ivy called out and I grinned pulling Adrian up with me.
"We both will!" I responded and the two girls squealed with delight.
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