The Altered Mate

Chapter Thirty-Eight

When I finally step outside I begin to feel the nerves tickling in my stomach. Lawson must realize because his hand grabs mine and he squeezes it tight enough for me to forget about the butterflies having a party in my stomach.

Lawson and I had ran down as soon as we had gotten dressed, so everyone is already on the makeshift stage that was made for us to play. Savanna, Syrus, Sean and papa are all up on stage at their respective instruments and they seem to all be ignoring the way Daddy is looking. He seems to be rejected almost, he probably doesn't understand why I never asked him to help play the song, but he doesn't realize that I wrote the song for him.

Lawson tugs on my hand to stop my progress up to the stage. I give him an amused look when I see the tears shining in his eyes.

“Even if you go up the and you totally bomb this, just know that I am proud of you and that you are the best piano player that I have ever heard grace this planet. Okay? I don't want any negativity from you saying you played the song wrong since you have been practicing non stop and it sounds perfect.” I giggle as I reach up and kiss Lawson softly on the lips, only pulling away when I hear Papa clearing his threat in the microphone.

“I promise I won't cry like a baby if I mess up.” Lawson rolls his eyes at me and pushes me away from him and to the stage, patting my butt before going to stand next to Daddy.

I climb up onto the stage, giving my family members a thumbs up and I walk over to the piano. The pack has quieted downs since they watched me climb up, knowing about my problems with being in front of larger crowds. I pat the microphone to make sure it works only to recoil from it when it squeals. My cheeks redden as everyone begins to laugh at me. I chuckle a little to ease some of my tension before opening my mouth to talk.

“I wrote this song, for someone really important in my life that I feel as if I haven't done a good job explaining how much I love him. He held me in his stomach for months, gave birth to me, sang me songs every night before bed, read me bedtime stories, but I still never have him the thanks and appreciation he deserves, especially after the life he had to grow up in. Daddy, I wrote this song for you.” Daddy seems surprised and his hands go up to his mouth to cover up any sounds that he could have made.

Play the song at the top now

I continue to watch daddy the whole time I am playing. I sing when I have to sing, I play all of the right notes, just like Lawson said I would, and everything turns out perfect. The way daddy reacts makes me realize how much he truely has felt about me when I was growing up. I shunned him in favor of Papa, because I felt as if papa could save me from anything, but now I realize how strong my daddy is.

He went through eighteen years of me shunning him, and he never broke down in front of me once. He gave up his time with his own mate so that I could feel safe. I don't know if I would ever be able to do something like that with Lawson, I don't want to have to share him ever.

When the song is finished, Daddy runs up to the stage and pulls me out of the chair I was sitting in. I freeze in the hug, going back to my older self, and when I feel Daddy begin to pull away, I wrap my arms around his back, reciprocating the hug to him. I can feel his tears running down my neck, and I see the loving, supporting look that Lawson is giving me, and I know, he will let me do anything I want to repair my relationship with Daddy, even if I have to go back to my old pack to do so.