The Wannabe Warrior
Chapter 57

Madison POV

Half way up the stairs, my tears broke, and they streamed down my face. I hesitated on the steps to regain my composure, when warm arms surrounded me from behind and the smell of my dad engulfed my nose, and I felt his love.

‘Come on.’ Dad said and assisted me up to the second floor and guided me to his room.

He pushed the door open and guided me to the bed and turned me around and sat on the bed, went back to the door and closed it.

Dad, sat beside me on the bed and pulled me into his arms and rocked me as if I was a child again. One hand is making circles on my back and the other hand stroking my hair. His actions soothed me and after a time, my tears became slow hic-cups.

‘You are the same as your mother, you bottle up all your emotions and hide them from everyone, and then in a private moment by yourself, you will cry your heart out, know that I am here and I understand.’

‘Why, dad, what did I ever do to any of them? I tried dad, I really did.’ I said in between hiccups.

‘I know dear, but you can’t change what others want to believe, maybe she is jealous.’ Dad coos softly.

‘What do you mean, jealous? What has she got to be jealous of me for? It is not like she wants to be a warrior.’

‘You are going to take her position away from her, she might have been trying to hold on to something that is no longer hers to have.’

‘It seems the more I do for others, the lower the opinion is of me. If those women believe so ill of me, they could rot, those women will no longer have my support.’ I growled, frustrated.

‘You don’t mean that, sweetheart, you are too kind-hearted to see others in pain.’

‘I can try.’ I said, in a voice that even I did not believe my words.

Dad chuckled and I snuggled further into his arms.

‘Your mother was the same as you, you know? She fought hard against our mate bond, wanting to be the best tracker and the wannabe warrior, she feared that being mated meant that she had failed somehow.’ Dad spoke softly as he reminisced.

‘Tell more dad.’ I begged. I loved it when dad shared a little of mum when she was alive and they were such a loving couple.

‘She was a tracker in her pack, along with her mother. Together they could track anything or anyone. When I met her at a meeting in their pack, she tried to stay away and hide, but I tracked her down every time. I stayed a whole month, until I managed to get her to come to my pack as my mate, and I promised she could train and track all she wanted. But once the pups came, she did less warrior stuff and mainly tracking when needed. And then you came along.’ He sighed deeply and pulled me closer and kissed my head.

Then they relaxed and continued the story.

‘She would take you out with her on her back, telling you about the different smells and sounds, and what to look for. It was as if she knew her time with you would be short, not once when she had to go out and track, would she leave you home, for those six years, you went everywhere with her, and she tried to fill your head up with her knowledge.’ He said wistfully, and another silent moment occurred, but it was not a bad moment, one of remembrance for my dad.

‘When you started to train so hard, I understood, no child should have seen what you did, but instead of becoming a mess, you fought through your nightmares and started to train harder, you became the strongest tracker and a warrior. I don’t want you to be a warrior, not because you are not a good warrior, but you need to have a daughter and pass on your mother’s and your tracker inheritance. It passes on through the woman, so by you mating and having a girl you are passing on part of your mother.’

I cry at this, and he pulls me close again, while I digest what he just said.

‘I feared you would fight and die before you passed on your mother’s legacy. Don’t let your mother’s legacy die with you.’ dad said in sobs of his own, his heart breaking at the thought.

‘I love you dad.’ I say and he lays me down on the bed, and snuggles up behind me, like he used to when I was sick.

‘You smell just like her, you know? You are a walking reminder of everything she was. I don’t want to lose that, you are keeping me together, the boys are my clones, but you! you are your mother through and through, and each time I see you or hear your voice, it reminds me of her, and I feel some part of her is still here.’ He whispers.

A little later, a knock sounded softly on the door.

Dad answers and I hear it is Zane.

‘Is she here?’

‘Yes.’

‘Can I see her? I need to know she is alright.’

‘No, she is sleeping, let me have her for the night.’

‘Okay.’ And I heard the door close with a soft click, and sleep took over.