Family

"We should get to bed." I say standing up.

"Why little Marie we hardly know each other!" Xander gasps.

"Shut up!" I push him back on the couch.

We walk over to the bedrooms. With a quick goodnight I enter my room and shut the door. Once I hear Xander's door close I slip back out.

Where to look? Humm... I make my way downstairs and search. This place is a maze! How can I hope to find anything?

"Lost?" I hear a voice behind me. "Or are you running away?"

"Ummm... I..." I struggle for words.

"I'm Garrett by the way. We weren't properly introduced." He says

"Nice to meet you." I respond.

"So... what are you looking for?" He asks.

"Alpha Connor." I say. He raises his eyebrows at me.

"In his office... he tends to work late." Garrett informs me.

"Which would be?" I ask.

"Down that hall third door on the right." He answers.

"Thank you!" I say and start down the hall. "Hay and don't tell Xander you saw me." He smiles.

"Saw who?" He says looking around.

"Thanks." I turn away and head for the office.

Outside the door I seem to have lost my nerve. I pace trying to think of what I want to say. Oh crap this was a mistake. I start to walk away.

"Are you going to stand out there all night or do you want to come in?" I hear from behind the door. Gulp! I turn the knob and slip in.

"Evening Connor." I squeak

"Marie?!... what a surprise... please have a seat!" he says. I sit down opposite him at his desk.

"How did you..." I pause.

"Know you were here?... your heart is racing pup... and your pacing by my door casts shadows." He answers.

"Oh." I look away embarrased.

"What brings you here?" He asks.

"Xander." I say. The Alpha looks mad he grits his teeth.

"What did my SON do NOW?" He asks.

"No sir nothing like that!" He calms down and leans back in his chair. He stares at me waiting for me to continue.

"He loves you." I say.

"I know... I love him too." He looks confused by my statement.

"But you are upset with him." I add.

"Yes." He states.

"He is broken over this. All he wants is your approval. Acceptance. He thinks you will never forgive him." I say. Connor sighs.

"Little Marie... this is between my son and I and..." I cut him off.

"I understand that... I do... but it is partially my fault! You are mad at him because of me! I can't live with that! I have to carry my guilt and his... its suffocating!" I yell.

"This isn't your fault. You bare no blame little wolf." My jaw drops as he calls me that. "What is it?"

"Nothing sir it's just... my father called me that." I say. He chuckles.

"I know he told me... I envied your father that...having a little girl... you were all he talked about... well you and your brother." He says.

"You knew my dad?" I ask.

"We were best friends, allies... we were always close from the time we were pups."he says.

"I didn't know." I say.

"You wouldn't... we didn't broadcast the relationship to protect your pack. When you were young some people were trying to hurt me... I didn't want your family caught up in it... that relationship could be why I'm so upset with Xander... any other wolf and it would have been easier to forgive." He turns away from me watching his fish swim.

"It wasn't all on him! Apparently my wolf popped through worsening the situation.. I'm sorry... I marked him back he can't hold all the blame... please be mad at me not him... he needs you!" I beg. The Alpha smiles at me and leans forward.

"You truly care for him... you suprise me little wolf... I saw his mark. You roughed him up pretty good. You can't tell me you intend that." Alpha Connor says.

"No... I didn't... I was trying to get away from him... I won't lie to you I was scared. However once my wolf returned she admitted to purposefully marking him. She wanted to. I'm the one that did the damage..." I start to cry. "I hurt him badly. I can feel it. He is disgusted by the mark. He blames himself but I did it. I can't even look at it! It fills me with regret! I wish I could fix things but I can't change the past. The best I can do is try to give him his father back!" As I sob Alpha Connor comes over to me and pulls me into a hug. My tears soak his shoulder.

"Shhh shhh shhh!" He rocks back and forth patting my back. I feel like a child. I see my father in him and that makes me cry even more. "Quiet little wolf." I look the Alpha in the face. "If your heart is to fix his mark you can... it won't heal all the pain but you can heal the reminder of it."

"How?" I sniff trying to stop my tears.

"Remark him and him you." He says.

"But you can't..." I start.

"Its like renewing your vows... but Marie I will warn you it hurts more than you can imagine and you both must be remarked for it to work." He says.

"We could have a ceremony and everything... do it right!" I see him smile.

"That you could... a small one tho... nothing too big... close family maybe a Beta... trust me you won't want a crowd... a remarking... well its rough. You don't want people seeing you like that." Connor says.

"I think I want him as my mate... I don't know him as well as I'd like but I know his character and I know he loves me... I can learn the details as we go... I mean we have the rest of our lives right? We're mated either way. But this way it's my choice and we can do it right." I say.

"You are a remarkable young woman... I'll put something together and call your brother. I assume you want him there." I nod at him.

"What about you and Xander?" I ask. He sighs.

"He's my son. I love him. He's a good man. We will be alright... go to bed Marie we can talk more in the morning." I get up and walk to the door. When I reach it I turn around.

"You asked me to call you dad." I say.

"I did." He affirms.

"I can't do it." I see him frown he opens his mouth to speak but I continue "I had a father I loved very much and I can't give away his name like that but... I never called him pop or anything like BaBa or Aba... I know it's not the same but they all mean dad if you wanted me to..."

In a flash I see him jump up and run to me. With tears in his eyes he wraps me in a hug.

"Pop... I'll be pop." He says holding me tightly. Slowly he let's me go. "Bedtime little wolf." He says and takes a step away. I smile at him.

"Godnight Pop" he smiles back at me as I leave.

"Goodnight!" He says.