The Story of the Exile (The Belesone Pack #2)

Chapter 37

Katarina lay on Milo's bed, sandwiched between two of her most favourite people in the world. Grene was lying on one side, with Carlton on the other.

Milo was curled up at her feet, letting her enjoy a moment of peace and tranquillity with her fathers. She held one hand of each man and she was happier than he had ever seen her, with someone other than himself.

"Father, will you tell me about Bricia and her mother?" Katarina asked quietly, once their conversation about her most recent activities had run dry.

Carlton smiled and glanced down at her hand in his. "What do you wish to know child?" he wondered, leaving the floor open for anything she wished to ask.

"Anything. Everything," she giggled.

Both fathers smiled at the sound, as did Milo. He felt a ripple of pain running through him and withdrew from the conversation, to put a mental wall up against the sadness he felt radiating from his Beta and the connection he had with Katarina.

Leo was suffering and had no intention of projecting, so he cut off the connection, which would run through the Alpha to his mate and the pack.

No one would eavesdrop on Leo's pain. And he wouldn't allow a projection his Beta would hate to know he was making, interrupt the precious few moments that Katarina was getting to enjoy with her two fathers.

"Well, I spent many years after losing your mother, fighting the elders of my people. They insisted that if I didn't unite with Rose, I should take another mate. I swore I would never take another, until long after she was gone from this world," Carlton answered her question honestly, as Milo zoned back into the discussion. He saw that Grene held no tension or hatred for the man who had also loved his wife and mate. Just happiness at knowing that she had been loved so greatly and found her true mate. Grene's true mate, it had been revealed, had died not long before Rose. So his heartache was more than Milo could imagine.

"Unfortunately, that happened all too soon. She got sick and died when you were just a girl. I spent many years grieving for her. For you both," Carlton explained, with sadness.

Katarina smiled sadly, with her own tears. She held on just a little tighter to both men.

Milo ran his hand over her ankle soothingly, to give her that connection to him that she so badly wanted right then.

"I'm sorry," she apologised, thought it wasn't her fault.

"I have you now, my love, that is all I care about. And your mother is always in my heart. And in your face. You are so like her," he claimed, quietly and calmly.

Milo had to bite his lip to stop from laughing at the joy that ran through his mate at those words. She had been too young to remember her mother clearly and photographs just weren't the same.

Grene made a noise of agreement and Katarina flushed deeply.

"Hmm. Beautiful and smart, like she was and oh, her temper! I bet you get furious with Milo, but you show it with love and concern, not in hate?" Carlton guessed, as a rumble of laughter escaped Grene, in obvious agreement.

"I guess," she shrugged, not really sure.

"She does," he confessed.

"Just like your mother," Carlton laughed and gazed at Katarina with eyes full of love. She lay her head on his shoulder and wrapped her whole arm around Grene's, as if pulling him just as close.

Milo could tell that both men liked being thought of as equals to their daughter.

"Bricia's mother was feisty. She had been exiled from her pack because she had killed another," Carlton revealed, only to surprise Katarina.