Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45021 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45021 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
She inched closer to him. “What’s that, Daddy?” She’d love it if he could shed light on any detail that would make her feel safer.
“We have weapons now, Baby girl,” he said gently.
She swallowed. “You mean guns?”
“Yes. Among other things. But rifles are powerful tools. If the lions don’t believe we have them, they would find out the hard way.”
Rylee glanced around the room. “Do you have guns in the house, Daddy?”
“Yes, Little one. Several. They are secure, and you do not have permission to touch them for any reason. If you ever come upon a weapon, I expect you to stay away from it. Do you understand?”
She nodded slowly. “But…”
Daddy shook his head. “No buts. I don’t let you touch the hot stove or run out of the house unprotected. Same safety rule applies to guns.”
She licked her suddenly very dry lips. She needed to say something, but she didn’t want to sound argumentative. “Daddy, you said yourself that the women need to learn self-defense tactics. Wouldn’t gun safety be an important part of that? What if something ever happened to you? What if you were incapacitated for some reason and I didn’t know how to shoot an intruder?”
He pushed to sitting and pulled her onto his lap, tucking her against his chest before kissing the top of her head. “You’re right, Baby girl.”
That was a relief. All the air left her lungs.
He rocked her gently back and forth. “I’ll talk to the others. In the meantime, my rule stands.”
“Yes, Sir.” That was easy to agree to. There was no way she ever wanted to be in a position where she’d need to shoot someone, and she certainly wouldn’t consider picking up a gun without knowing anything about how it worked. But she was glad he acknowledged the logic in her thinking. She and the other girls needed to know how to protect themselves, and it would seem that extended to weapons now.
After a few minutes, she tipped her head back to look at him. “I was scared,” she admitted. “When I first smelled that lion, I was scared. But I feel better now. I know I will scent him sooner next time. He can’t hide from me. Plus Khloe will know their intentions. She’ll be faster, too. He caught us off-guard tonight. Next time, he will not.”
Rylee turned in her Daddy’s arms so she could straddle his lap and hold his face. “I know Molly can’t open herself up to the constant noises in the world. She’d lose her mind. She will have to rely on me and Khloe to alert her when we need her to jump in and pay attention. But I don’t have the same problem as her. It was weird at first, smelling everything. Annoying. Especially foods. But I’m not as bothered anymore. I can handle the barrage of scents coming at me.”
Daddy cupped her naked butt. “What are you suggesting, Little one? I can see your mind spinning.”
“I think we should leave some of the windows open just an inch. It will be enough for me to scent anything outside better. I might have noticed the lion sooner if the scent hadn’t been dampened.”
His brows furrowed as he held her gaze. “Okay, Little one. I think that’s a good idea.”
She sat taller on his lap, smiling. She liked that he didn’t automatically shoot her down. He took her ideas seriously. He had several times tonight alone. He also hadn’t doubted her or made light of anything she’d said.
Rylee wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in closer, kissing him before speaking again. “Thank you, Daddy. I promise to submit to you on everything you ask of me. I know you’re still the Daddy, but I appreciate you listening to me when I have something to say.”
He kissed her back. “And I promise to always listen to you, Baby girl. I expect you to submit to me most of the time because it’s in our nature. It’s how we’re wired. I need you to let me take care of you in nearly every way, which includes ensuring you are safe, fed, healthy, and happy. But I will never doubt you when it comes to your powers. There’s a reason Fate brought you to me. We might not know what the reason is yet, but She doesn’t make mistakes. She’s sending mates with extraordinary abilities lately, and all Alpha Protectors need to take heed and pay attention. She’s preparing us for something. Or perhaps She’s simply arming us for a new world, one that includes bears and lions and who knows what other shifters.”
Rylee smiled. “I’ll know.”
“I suspect you will, Little one.” He eased his fingers closer together on her bottom, gently parting her butt cheeks. “Are you ready to go back to sleep, Baby girl?” His voice was deeper and laced with arousal. It didn’t go with his words, but she knew his words weren’t meant to be serious.