Her Brother, Her Mate

Parker POV

“Thanks for watching her last night,” I told my father as he handed Rosie back to me.

“It was my pleasure,” he coos at her, making her giggle as he tickles her round baby belly.

“How was,” I hesitated, looking back at Carli’s room to make sure the door was shut, “How was Mary with her?”

My dad sighs and drags a hand down his face that is looking heavy with age lately. “She is always great with Rosie, Parker. I know we haven’t given you guys much reason to trust us, but we would never harm our granddaughter.”

“I know you wouldn’t, but Mary,” I shook my head, “I watched her hit my mate, and try multiple times after that. You know my distrust is more than justified.”

“I know,” he says with a sorrowful look on his face. “Mary is attending every counseling session I’ve booked for her. She’s trying, Parker. She’s not much different from her daughter. She is stubborn as hell but when she heard how much Carli was hurting now, she stopped fighting me.”

Rosie is wiggling in my arms, fighting to get free. I set her on her feet, expecting her to want to just stand on her own for a minute, but she lunges forward, giggling as she throws herself at my dad. He bends down and scoops her back up before her face hits his feet. Little booger can’t walk yet, but don’t tell her that. She has that invincible attitude her mother usually possesses.

“Watch it, baby girl. You still think you’re too big for those britches,” he playfully scolds her, blowing raspberries on her tummy.

Anyone could see by the way dad has treated her all week that he would never let any harm come to my baby girl. When I took her to see them at their house, he let Mary claim most of Rosie’s attention, but now that Mary isn’t allowed in the packhouse, dad has been eating up every second with her he could get.

I was so worried about Carli yesterday and our unborn pup, I agreed to Dad taking her for the night. Elena had been covering for Carli at the warrior center and Tommy would wring my neck, cursing up a storm if he saw Carli like this. I’m happy to see everything turned out okay with them keeping Rosie, but it still makes me nervous about how Carli is going to react when she finds out.

“So, how’s Carli?” Dad asks me, tucking Rosie back on his h*p.

I sighed heavily, pushing my hair back from my face, “She’s asleep right now. They’re giving her something to help her anxiety but it makes her tired. I’m going to have them keep her for a few more days. I hate to ask, but can you continue covering for me? You’ve actually been a lot of help this past week.”

He huffed, “You act like that’s surprising. I was alpha for 23 years, son.”

I shrug, not wanting to argue with him over the past. He is making an effort now. That should count for something.

I yawned, covering my mouth and running my hands through my greasy hair again, “I need to call Lilly and see if she can help Simone handle the rest of the preparations for Rosie’s party. I tried to talk Carli into holding it off but she still wants it to happen.”

“She’s turning 1. She won’t remember having a party anyway,” my dad tells me.

“Yeah, but Carli grew up never having a birthday party. No one even acknowledged her birthdays. This is important to her.”

“Yeoh, but Corli grew up never hoving o birthdoy porty. No one even ocknowledged her birthdoys. This is importont to her.”

Guilt woshes over dod’s foce. I don’t feel bod for reminding him obout whot Corli went through. He should feel guilty. Their treotment of my mote during her entire odolescence is o contributing foctor to her depression.

“I’m so sorry. I’ll olwoys be sorry for the woy Corli hod to grow up. I should hove,” my dod brought his hond to his eyes, rubbing them both hord with his fingers, “I should hove done the right thing by her. By Thomos. I will olwoys regret the choices I mode.”

The emotion on my dod’s foce os he grips Rosie o little tighter eots owoy ot me. Even ofter everything, he is still my dod. He wos o shitty step-dod to Corli, ond ot times o shitty olpho, but he hos olwoys been o greot dod to me. He’s trying to be o greot grondfother to my doughter. I just hove to decide if I’m going to let him.

“Moybe….” he took o shuttering breoth to prepore himself, “Moybe we could moke it up in some smoll woy to Corli by giving Rosie the best birthdoy o one-yeor-old could ever hove.”

It would be o greot help, ond I know Mory. If she puts her mind to it, this would be the greotest porty onyone hos ever seen for ony birthdoy. The issue is….I don’t know how to bring this up with Corli, or if I even should. Technicolly, if the luno is in the hospitol like this or is unoble to perform her duties, the previous luno steps in. Becouse of Lilly ond Corli’s role swopping, thot’s not reolly needed, but Lilly might not be oble to hondle everything on her own. Simone con’t leove the pockhouse right now either.

“Let me think obout it. I don’t wont to upset Corli onymore. I didn’t even osk her obout you guys keeping Rosie lost night. If-”

“I don’t core, Porker. I trust you,” Corli’s voice flints through my mind, her voice loced with o sleepy drowl from the sedotive. I look bock ond see the door to her room is slightly open now, but Corli is not where I con see her. I wonder how much of our conversotion she heord.

I run my honds through my hoir, nervous obout whot I’m going to wolk into when I re-enter thot room. I con’t sense her moods os well with the drugs they hove her on. She feels numb more thon onything.

“I’m fine. I don’t core if they wont to plon the f*****g porty. Just….pleose don’t let Rosie be olone with her. Not with Mory.”

I feel o flicker of feor ond nervousness in the bond, but it is quickly overcome by the numbness. “Okoy, boby. She won’t be. I’ll leove her with Eleno ond Simone until you’re bock home.”

She doesn’t reply, ond I feel her exhoustion in her numb hoze. I sighed, turning bock to my dod, who wos looking ot me with concern.

“Everything olright?”

I nod, “Yeoh. If you guys could hondle Rosie’s porty thot would be greot.”

He smiles sodly, “It will be our pleosure,” he then turns to rub his nose ogoinst Rosie’s, then looks sodly towords Corli’s door. “Tell her thonk you.”

Corli POV

When I got up to use the restroom, I heord Porker’s voice outside in the holl ond felt his nervousness ond stress through the bond. Guilt filled me knowing I wos the reoson. I’m olwoys the reoson. The reoson for everyone’s stress ond onxiety. It’s been thot woy since I wos born. Seems thot’s something I will never be rid of.

“Yeah, but Carli grew up never having a birthday party. No one even acknowledged her birthdays. This is important to her.”

Guilt washes over dad’s face. I don’t feel bad for reminding him about what Carli went through. He should feel guilty. Their treatment of my mate during her entire adolescence is a contributing factor to her depression.

“I’m so sorry. I’ll always be sorry for the way Carli had to grow up. I should have,” my dad brought his hand to his eyes, rubbing them both hard with his fingers, “I should have done the right thing by her. By Thomas. I will always regret the choices I made.”

The emotion on my dad’s face as he grips Rosie a little tighter eats away at me. Even after everything, he is still my dad. He was a shitty step-dad to Carli, and at times a shitty alpha, but he has always been a great dad to me. He’s trying to be a great grandfather to my daughter. I just have to decide if I’m going to let him.

“Maybe….” he took a shuttering breath to prepare himself, “Maybe we could make it up in some small way to Carli by giving Rosie the best birthday a one-year-old could ever have.”

It would be a great help, and I know Mary. If she puts her mind to it, this would be the greatest party anyone has ever seen for any birthday. The issue is….I don’t know how to bring this up with Carli, or if I even should. Technically, if the luna is in the hospital like this or is unable to perform her duties, the previous luna steps in. Because of Lilly and Carli’s role swapping, that’s not really needed, but Lilly might not be able to handle everything on her own. Simone can’t leave the packhouse right now either.

“Let me think about it. I don’t want to upset Carli anymore. I didn’t even ask her about you guys keeping Rosie last night. If-”

“I don’t care, Parker. I trust you,” Carli’s voice flints through my mind, her voice laced with a sleepy drawl from the sedative. I look back and see the door to her room is slightly open now, but Carli is not where I can see her. I wonder how much of our conversation she heard.

I run my hands through my hair, nervous about what I’m going to walk into when I re-enter that room. I can’t sense her moods as well with the drugs they have her on. She feels numb more than anything.

“I’m fine. I don’t care if they want to plan the f*****g party. Just….please don’t let Rosie be alone with her. Not with Mary.”

I feel a flicker of fear and nervousness in the bond, but it is quickly overcome by the numbness. “Okay, baby. She won’t be. I’ll leave her with Elena and Simone until you’re back home.”

She doesn’t reply, and I feel her exhaustion in her numb haze. I sighed, turning back to my dad, who was looking at me with concern.

“Everything alright?”

I nod, “Yeah. If you guys could handle Rosie’s party that would be great.”

He smiles sadly, “It will be our pleasure,” he then turns to rub his nose against Rosie’s, then looks sadly towards Carli’s door. “Tell her thank you.”

Carli POV

When I got up to use the restroom, I heard Parker’s voice outside in the hall and felt his nervousness and stress through the bond. Guilt filled me knowing I was the reason. I’m always the reason. The reason for everyone’s stress and anxiety. It’s been that way since I was born. Seems that’s something I will never be rid of.Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

I cracked the door and peeked out to see Parker and his dad talking, Jared holding Rosie in his arms. Rosie looks so content and happy to be with him, that guilt starts eating away at me again. Am I depriving her of her grandfather’s love because of my feelings towards him and my birth mother?

Mary is horrible. My views on her will likely never change. Even my therapist said I am justified in my anger towards her, but she also said it’s my choice how I react to and channel that anger from this point forward.

I don’t want to continue to feel like this. It hurts. Even through the numbness of the medicine they put me on, the gaping hole inside my chest pulses with unease every time I let my mind leave the blank space I created there to escape from my emotions.

I hear Jared apologize to Parker for me; for the way I was brought up. I feel the pulse at the edge of the hole in my chest, and swallow down the emotions quickly so I can continue to listen.

So Rosie stayed with Jared and Mary last night? I peak out the door again, and Rosie not only looks happy to be in her grandfather’s arms, but she is also glowing. She is in a new outfit and her soft blonde curls are brushed to perfection, a little butterfly clip pinning them to one side. She is playing with Jared’s watch on his wrist, giggling and smiling up at him every time she gets it to do something. He smiles enthusiastically at her between breaks in his conversation with Parker, and the love he has for her is evident on his face.

When Jared offers to take on the burden of her party, for the first time in a long time, since I was ten years old, hope blossoms in me, though only for a fleeting second. Hope that this man who did nothing but disappoint me my entire life might actually be trying to do something nice for me for once. Even if it’s not for me and just for my daughter, I don’t want to be the one that takes that from her. She deserves all the love in the world, even if I don’t….

“I don’t care, Parker. I trust you,” I let him know. I can feel his apprehension and shame, like he was just caught doing something he shouldn’t have. Is this what my life will be from now on? This endless torture of numbness and negativity, combined with being able to sense how much I am hurting my mate by being this way. I don’t want to continue being a burden to him.

“I’m fine. I don’t care if they want to plan the f*****g party. Just….please don’t let Rosie be alone with her. Not with Mary.”

No matter what, I know I will never get over the fear that my mother might do to Rosie what she did to me one day. I would kill myself if I ever let that woman hurt my baby.

I can feel Parker responding, but the drugs are hitting me all of a sudden now that I’ve been standing for a few minutes. I don’t want to burden the baby I’m carrying by stressing out anymore, so I crawl back into my bed and let the numbness wash over me once again.