?Chapter 0384


    And by the tension in his shoulders, I can tell that he''s working very, very hard to embody that.


    "Come here, Ariel," he murmurs, standing by the door and beckoning with one hand, the other resting on his hip.


    I send onest desperate nce at Daphne before walking to stand in front of my father.


    When I stand about a foot in front of him he takes a deep breath in through his nose and reaches out to brush my hair back over my shoulder. "Well, baby trouble," he murmurs. "You smell...different."


    The amount of deliberate understatement in thatst word makes me fight back a groan.


    I bite my lip, tucking my hands behind my back. "Is it bad?" I whisper.


    "No, baby," he sighs, shaking his head at me and giving me a small smile, stroking his broad hand over my hair." It''s not bad, not at all. Just...not as easy for a dad. Which is something Rafe and Mark might understand one day, but fortunately for you, you never will."


    I can''t help it then - I pitch forward thatst foot between us and wrap my arms around my dad''s waist, crushing myself against his chest. "I''m sorry," I whisper, meaning it desperately, "I don''t want to make you...sad."


    "I''m not sad, sweetie," he murmurs, his arms wrapping around me and hugging me close. "I''m just... adjusting. You''re my little girl, and now someone else has a im on you, and that''s... an adjustment. Two someone else''s, at that."


    "Well, it''s not like you have to give me up," I murmur, shutting my eyes, wanting always - always to be his little girl.


    "Oh, they''d have to kill me before I did that," he whispers, and I grin, looking up into his face, nodding.


    His face shifts, though, into more serious lines as he nces over at Daphne, giving her a brief nod of acknowledgement and greeting.


    "What is it?" I ask, pulling back a little and standing on my own two feet. "What''s wrong?"


    "I''m not sure yet," dad says, turning back to me and starting to unbutton one of the cuffs on his wrist. He looks at me seriously. "But the Atxians have called a surprise meeting and...I don''t think it''s good. I want us all there."


    To my surprise, then, he reaches out his arm and wipes his wrist against my neck and then down over my hair, just as Jesse did every morning and after every shower at the academy. Almost a knee jerk reaction, I hold my own wrists up and he marks those too.


    "What''s this for?" I ask, confused.


    *Camouge," dad murmurs, re-buttoning his cuff. "It won''tpletely cover Jackson''s scent - I don''t think anything could do that right now," he gives me a little raised eyebrow which lets me know precisely how he feels about that, "but it should be enough to confuse the Atxians from across the room. Have Jesse and Rafe do it too, when you see them. And your uncle Roger, if you can catch him."Cóntent belongs to NovélDráma. Org


    "Why?" I ask,pletely willing to do as he says but not fully understanding.


    *Because we want you smelling like a Sinir. The Atxians don''t need to know about your double-mate situation, and with Luca in the room too they''ll notice that you smell like another man. I mean, I doubt they''ll be sniffing, but...in case they are. It should be enough to confuse their noses."Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Oh," I say, looking down at my wrists and wondering why Rafe and Jesse didn''t think of that this morning. Then I look up at my dad out of theer of my eye. "Luca...is going to be there?"


    "Everyone''s going to be there," dad replies, nodding to me seriously. But then his mouth quirks up at theer." Or what, did you think Luca would be too tired after his morning dash through the pce, shouting for you?"


    I groan, pressing my eyes shut and turning my head away from my father, suddenly terribly embarrassed. I mean, it''s not that I did anything wrong, but he is my mate-


    "No," dad snaps, and it''s surprise enough that I open my eyes and look back up at him. He shakes his head, dead serious as he slips his hands into his pockets. "His embarrassment is not for you to bear, Ariel. He''s a big boy- he can take his own shame in hand."


    I nod briskly, letting my dad know that I hear him, that I understand.


    "But Ariel," my dad says, moving lightening fast and grabbing me by the chin - gentle, but serious, seizing my attention. "There is one thing I do want to say to you right now."


    My eyes go wide with fear because...


    Oh my god, am I in trouble?