Ella’s POV
My father? He was my father? I couldn’t believe how easy it was to find him when I had thought that it was going to be hard and I was going to have to dig and do research but here he was in flesh and blood and I was amazed.
For a while, I was stunned and couldn’t talk. I didn’t know what I could say and the words I wanted to say, I couldn’t get them out of my throat.
Actually, I didn’t think I had actually thought what I would say to my dad if I find him. All that had been on my mind was finding him and now that I’ve done that, my brain seemed to gone down to freeze mode.
“My dad?” I asked, echoing his words.
He moved closer to me, his arms widespread like he was ready to embrace me. His voice was thick and clogged with emotions when he spoke. “My daughter.”
I knew it was the truth. I could feel it in my veins as if his blood and the truth ran through them. My father was of the Blue River pack. The man before me was. I had sensed ever since I saw him that there was something familiar about him and there was a puzzle around him I needed to solve. How could I have known that the puzzle I needed to solve was his identity and the mystery of who my father was.
I was too shocked to accept it, and at the same time I felt resentful that he had missed 24 years of my life.
“My daughter, you smell like me. I-I’m sorry that I just met you now.” The man who was called my father covered his face in guilt.
“But I am very happy that you look a lot like your mother and are as beautiful as her.”
I ran into his embrace and started crying, both of us crying, happy and relieved to see each other.
“I left the blue river pack to search for you, dad.”
He stiffened. I didn’t know if it was because I had called him dad or told him that I left to search for him but his hand suddenly got tighter around me and his whimpers got louder.
“Thank you.” He cried, repeating his words over and over. “Thank you for being curious about me and thank you for calling me dad.”
I almost snorted at him. Of course, I would call him dad because that was what he was. What else would have I called him? Would I have called him by his name? I realized at that point that I didn’t even know his name even if I wanted to call him that. I understood how he felt and that was exactly why I didn’t roll my eyes visibly at him. I wasn’t that cruel and rude to insult his emotions. It wasn’t like I was having it easy as well. I was touched and happy that I found him. I wasn’t only as expressive with my emotions because I was still reeling in shock at finding him.
I sighed, realizing that I had a lot of things to know about him and we had a lot of memories we needed to build.
“Dad,” I breathed.
Finally, we stopped crying and were able to settle down. We sat down and decided to take a break from our journey.
“I take it that you are my daughter’s mate.” My dad said, turning to Kevin and extending a handshake to him. “I’m Zeke.”
“Kevin.” Kevin said, accepting my father’s handshake.
Zeke. I said, repeating my father’s name in my head. I loved the name. It sounded strong. It seemed exactly like the name of someone my mother would have fallen in love with.
“How are you traveling with my father?” I asked Caleb.
He chuckled. “Why can’t you ask him? He is beside you.”
I blushed, knowing that he was right. He shouldn’t have to be the one to answer that when my dad was right there with me. “How did you meet Caleb? Are we related?” I asked. I didn’t believe I had just used we in a sentence.
Dad chuckled. “We are not related.”
I exhaled a sigh at that. I didn’t think that I wanted to be related to Luke.
Dad continued. “I am one of the elders of the blue river pack and almost became the alpha of the pack. I left the pack and went on a long trip when I didn’t became the alpha.” He smiled with fondness. “That was how I met your mother.”
“I came back home recently and a friend of mine told me a girl that reminded me of you came to the pack. I thought of your mother and you as well and decided to search for you. Caleb overheard me and my friend talking and butted in, saying that he had an idea of who I was talking about and asked if he could join me. I didn’t want to travel alone so I agreed.”
I nodded. That made sense. Caleb was an adventurer and would have jumped on the opportunity to leave home.
“What of Ariana?” Dad asked me.
“She is dead.” I sniffled, hating the memory that replayed in my head.