Hunter's Secret
Chapter 22 - Letting Go

Titus’ POV

I sigh and fall back onto the couch, mentally exhausted. Ash immediately took that as an invitation to climb onto me and kiss me. I kiss her back but then gently move her off me.

“What is wrong, Titus?” she asks.

“I didn’t know raising a teenager would be this hard,” I sigh again, and she just laughs at me, “I feel so bad for my parents now. She keeps asking me hard questions about my life before her, her life before me, about you, about my parents, about her future, and I just feel worn out. I don’t even know how to answer some of her questions! And she also informed me that she was going to a dance with her boyfriend who I haven’t met yet. I told her that he has to pick her up from here so I can meet him. I didn’t even know she liked someone! I majorly dropped the ball on this one.”

“You may not be her bio dad, but she surely inherited your stubbornness. I am sure you didn’t tell your parents everything about your life when you were seventeen,” she smirked at me.

“Definitely not. How is she already seventeen!?! She is graduating top of her class, an entire year early, and then going to away to college soon. I don’t want her to go. I want her to stay here with me forever.”

“You don’t want that,” Ash remarks.

“No, I definitely don’t,” I say, smiling, “She wants to be a doctor and help people and I want that for her too but part of me doesn’t want her to be so far away.”

“I know,” Ash says, climbing back on me to kiss me again, saying I love you between kisses. One hand is resting on the back of my neck and the other one is in my hair.

This woman. All she has to do is basically look at me and I am undone. Kissing her still feels like a treat and I love her so much. I move my hands down her back and her breath hitches. Without breaking our kiss, I swiftly flip her over so she is laying on the couch, under me. She moves her hands down my arms, and I use the opportunity to pin them above her head. She squirms under me and deepens the kiss. I break the kiss and sit up, pausing only to take my shirt off. With her hands free, she runs them down my chest and over my abs while I lean back down to kiss her again.

“Dad? I’m home!” Raine calls and Ash and I scramble off the couch and I am halfway through throwing my shirt on when she walks into the living room. Her eyes look at me, shirt half on before glancing at Ash who can’t hide the blush on her face. Raine looks back at me and her eyes widen in realization. She stumbles to string a sentence together and the only one that comes out is a very pained, “My eyes!” before she practically ran back to her room and shut the door.

I look at Ash who just smirks at me, kisses me again, and leaves the house. I can’t believe that just happened. I didn’t know what time it was. I thought we had at least an hour until Raine was going to be home. I glance at the clock and realize that she is home early today. Why is she home early?

I walk to her door and softly knock on it, “Raine? Why are you home from school early today?”

“I am not talking to you until you are fully clothed.”

“I am.”

I crack her door and she is just staring at me. I rub the back of my neck and say, “What you just saw was…”

“Nope! I am not having this conversation. I know exactly what I saw and what you do on your own time is none of my business but at least make sure it isn’t an early dismissal day.”

I turn to leave, and she reminds me, “Don’t forget that Bryce is picking me up tonight. We are going to the school dance.”

I can’t believe I forgot today was an early dismissal. It is dance night. There is always an early dismissal on dance days. Oh well. Too late now. A few hours later she comes out of her room in a stunning navy-blue dress and tears spring to my eyes. She is so beautiful. Her makeup is light, and she has curled her hair into beautiful waves that fall halfway down her back. She notices my glassy eyes and rolls hers.

“I am not getting married today, dad. This is just a dance. Please don’t cry when Bryce gets here. And please don’t scare him, he is already scared of you.”

“He should be scared. If you come back with a single scratch on you, I will end him. And you just look so beautiful tonight honey. You are growing up so fast.”

She comes over to give me a hug which I happily return. I am glad she still gives me hugs. I certainly didn’t hug my dad when I was her age. It is 8 p.m. and there is a knock at the door, and I open it. He was not expecting me to answer the door and he swallows, hard.

“Come on in, Bryan.”

“It’s Bryce, dad,” she corrects me.

He walks into the kitchen and shakily sticks out his hand to shake mine and I shake it, squeezing a little harder than I needed to, and he gets the message. Raine steps out from behind me, and his eyes immediately turn black. I let out a warning growl and he blinks, his eyes returning to their fearful brown. Raine watches the entire interaction with a slight smile on her face. I move over to her and gently pull her into the hallway, leaving him in the kitchen.

“You didn’t tell me he was a werewolf.”

“So?”

“So? I thought he was human!” I whisper yell.

“Why does it matter?” she states, crossing her arms.

“Because I know what is going on in his head!”

“And you think I don’t? Trust me, dad, it wouldn’t be any different if he was human. I get those looks from everyone all of the time. I know I look good. And I know I look extra good in this dress,” she smirks.

I scowl at her words, and she continues, “But I am not stupid either. You raised me right. I am not going to do anything that I would regret later. You are just going to have to trust me.”

“Fine.”

We walk back out to the kitchen, and he has to blink a few more times, obviously trying to keep his wolf down. They head toward the door.

“Bring her back by 10, Bruce.”

“Dad. Twelve,” she argues back, “And it’s Bryce.”

“Fine, eleven,” I reluctantly agree, narrowing my eyes, “Bryce.”

He visibly shivers and speed walks out the door. Raine comes over and kisses me on the cheek, “I will be fine, dad. He is actually quite nice if you get to know him. I love you. Bye now!”

I wave goodbye as she walks out the door, pulling it shut behind her. My daughter is going to a dance with a horny boy. This is fine. Everything is fine. Oh my god. This is very not fine. A cool hand on my arm scares me out of my thoughts.

“Ash! You can’t just sneak up on me like that! Quit being stealthy!”

She smirks, “I am not being stealthy. I have been in your room this whole time. I couldn’t not watch you meet Raine’s boyfriend. He seems nice…”

I glare at her, “You have been in my room this whole time?”

She smirks again and nods, “I have been waiting for her to leave. I had to make sure you finished what you started earlier.”

This time, my eyes are the ones to darken as she leads me back to my room.

Ash and I certainly had time to finish what we started this time. I was sitting at the table waiting for Raine to come home. Ash was eating some cereal and watching TV on the couch. I watched as the clock passed 11. And then 11:30. I started pacing. Ash tried to calm me down, but I was angry. What if he had his nasty hands all over her body? What if she was hurt? What if she needed me?

“She is fine, Titus. If she isn’t back in an hour, I will personally lead the search party.”

“She was supposed to be home at 11!”

“Yeah, and this is her last dance before going to college. You aren’t going to be able to be there when she is at college. Breathe. I am sure she is fine.”

“Ugh….why are you right all of the time?”

“I have skills,” she smirked.

She rubs her hand up and down my arm, trying to get me to calm down but I can’t; Raine is my baby. She has never not come home on time before. Ash convinces me to sit down with her on the couch and she traces patterns over my hands, and it does help me to calm down some. The door opens at 12:41 a.m. and I spring up from the couch and run to it.

I am about to yell at her, but she looks at me and my heart breaks. I just opened my arms, and she ran into them, sobbing. I wrap my arms around her and stroke her hair. I don’t ask her questions and I don’t yell at her. I just hold her. She backs up from me a little and I release the hug. I walk her to the chair in the living room and she sits down. I sat down on the floor and let her catch her breath. Ash leaves to give us some space.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I ask quietly.

She just shakes her head.

“That’s okay. Do you need help getting out of your dress or can you do it?”

She tells me she can do it by herself, and I watch her walk down the hallway to her room. I can hear her sniffling as she changes and washes her face. I decided to get ready for bed too and start by stripping the bed. All of it needs to be washed so I put everything into the washer and scheduled it to start overnight. I change into the clothes I am going to sleep in and remake my bed. I am finishing putting the pillowcases on the pillows when Raine stands in my door. I look up and can see the hurt on her face. I also noticed that she has her pillow and blanket.

“Can I sleep in your bed tonight?”

“Of course you can. Do you want space, or do you want support?”

“Support,” she wearily says.

“Okay then, let’s go to bed.”

She climbs in and I make sure she is comfortable before getting into bed myself. I rub her back and soothe her until she falls asleep. I lay on my back staring at the ceiling. I am trying to not get angry but her being so upset tonight really bothers me. She hasn’t asked to sleep in my bed for years now. I know it is just because she wants the comfort of knowing I am right here if she needs me. I don’t sleep very well and decided to get up early enough to make sure there is a whole breakfast for her whenever she gets up.

I walk out and see Ash sitting on the couch. As soon as she hears me, she turns around and quietly asks, “Is she okay?”

“I don’t know. She slept in my bed last night,” I tell her, and her eyes go wide, “It’s fine. I changed the sheets beforehand and she didn’t even question it. She just wanted comfort.”

I give Ash a quick kiss and then get started on breakfast. I have almost everything done when Raine comes out. She comes straight over to me and gives me a hug. I hug her back and she goes to sit down at the table, greeting Ash too. I bring all the food over and Raine tells us what happened last night.

Bryce kissed someone else in front of her and apparently all her friends knew he was cheating but they chose not to tell her. She was out so late because she just needed a walk to clear her head before coming home. I am not going to go on and on about how unsafe it was for her to be walking at night by herself because she knows that already and she is still upset. I can lecture her later.

“I’m sorry for worrying you both. I know it was not smart and I am sorry.”

“We were worried. But you are here and safe now so it is okay. Do you want me to go kill him?” I ask, trying to get her to smile.

“I will bring the shovel,” Ash chimes in.

“As much as I was tempted to say yes, I don’t want to waste any more time on him. He doesn’t deserve me,” Raine answers.

“That is a very grown-up thing to say. When did you get so smart?”

“Since you taught me how to be confident, dad. I love you.”

“I love you too, Rainey.”

“Just because I am strong now, doesn’t mean I won’t still need you. I love you, dad. And Ash, I love you too.”

Ash gives her a big hug and turns, trying to hide her glassy eyes. I open my arms and she gives me a big hug.

“I will call you as soon as I land. I love you. I will be okay. You raised me. Thank you for being my dad.”

“Thank you for being my daughter. I love you too. And yes, please call me or I will come replace you.”

She laughs, gives me another hug, and grabs her suitcases to head for the terminal. Ash stands by me, and I wrap an arm around her waist as we watch Raine disappear into the crowd of people. My baby girl is going to do grown-up things now. She decided to take my mother’s maiden name, Hart, so she wouldn’t be associated with me and could get into the school she really wanted to attend.

I don’t blame her; my last name has been tainted and I want her to have the best chance at becoming a doctor. She is also going to college on the other side of the country, and I start counting down the days until I can see her again. She has never been apart from me for any significant amount of time, and I didn’t know saying goodbye would be this hard. I know this is the next best thing for her and I am so proud of her, but I already know that I am going to miss her like crazy.