SeoHyun could feel her father's power wash over her as she cuddled close to him. His wolf reminded her that they were her protectors and that she was safe in submitting control to them. That safe feeling and several deep breaths of his scent lulled her to sleep. He would stay awake a bit longer to just watch her as she slept so peacefully.
Charles was still shocked by how his brother in flesh reacted to SeoHyun. He treated her as if she were their child by birth and he found he finally understood how his father felt about him, and Samuel and most of all how he felt about Mercy. The desire to protect SeoHyun was so strong he wasn't sure how to deal with it. He knew a lot of it was because she was submissive and his wolf demanded she be cared for and kept safe and happy and that wasn't hard with SeoHyun who was easy to please and so willingly obedient that it was shocking that the alpha that first got her could possibly abuse her. He could also feel the love his human half felt for her, the admiration that she earned for surviving what so many others like her didn't, be that defecting from North Korea or being turned into a werewolf against her will at fourteen she was a born survivor and he loved her so much for it.
Charles let the sound of his daughter's steady breathing and rhythm of her heartbeat lull him to sleep.
He woke early the next morning to realize SeoHyun was now using his upper arm in place of a pillow.
He ran the fingers of his free hand through her raven hair and she moved but didn't wake up and he wouldn't wake her for a little longer, she hadn't slept well the day before and needed the rest.
Charles had never dreamed he would let anyone in as close as he had let Anna and SeoHyun get to him. He never felt he could afford to with his job being what it was. He couldn't afford to care about people because there was always the chance he would have to kill them, but he couldn't keep Anna and SeoHyun away when they needed him so much and he loved them so dearly from the moment he met them.
He looked at the relaxed expression on SeoHyun's face and found that he didn't mind that her using his arm for a pillow . The only problem was that the weight of her head on his arm was restricting circulation to that hand, but this was his child and if she rested better like that he could deal with the tingle in that hand for a while so she could catch up on the sleep she missed out on.
A few moments later she changed position and her head fell from his arm back to her sleeping bag which left him free to get up, relieve himself and fix their breakfast.
Sometime during these activities SeoHyun woke up but made no move to get up yet. She knew that they had to get moving again but in that place surrounded by the scents of the old growth trees and Charles made her want to stay put and bask in that protected feeling those scents filled her with. A displeased groan that bordered on a growl marked the moment she resigned herself to the thought that she had to get up and start her day.
A smile tugged at the corners of Charles' mouth as he handed her a freeze-dried breakfast then turned to make one for himself.
"Good morning, da." She said taking the pouch from him and starting to eat.
Charles returned the greeting before preparing his own food and starting to eat. He was happy that SeoHyun wanted to spend this time outdoors and with him. He had been unsure about bringing her into his life, into his world with what he did for his father but now he couldn't see his life without her in it.
They made it to the river around noon and Charles realized SeoHyun had been unusually quiet on this leg of their journey. If he were honest with himself the silence had him concerned about her.
"Is something wrong?" He asked her as they sat on the edge of the river.
"I've just been thinking, Da, it won't be too long until I go away to college, and while I know I'll always be welcomed back I'm afraid it wont ever be the same... I won't get to come out here with you anymore and... And enjoy these woods this time..."
The tears that welled in her dark eyes broke Charles' heart.
"We will come back here every summer, just the two of us, I promise." He told her as he hugged her tightly.
"I love you, da." She said as she returned the embrace.
"I love you, too." He replied placing a gentle kiss on her head.
To be continued...