Guardian Of The Betas Heir

6 - I was too harsh

Michael

“Michael, this is ridiculous.”

I ignore my grandmother Clara, Ricon’s mate. I’m sick of hearing the same thing. Ever since I brought Sylva downstairs, everyone has been on my case about her Nanny. My great-grandparents left the room when they couldn’t get through to me, leaving me with Ricon and Clara.

I had Ricon arrest Sylva’s Nanny. I was angry, and maybe I went too far. My problem is that I’m quick to my anger. I was never like that as a child, but I became so as I grew. I don’t have the mindset to listen to my grandmother right now. All I care about is the little girl sitting in my lap, playing with the stuffed rabbit I gave her.

I smile because I finally realize how much she means to me. I blocked the feeling for too long, but I swear, I will never let her go again. I was a fool who allowed grief to overtake his heart and mind. I’m not over everything that happened, and I doubt I will be for some time. But I know I’ll get there. I will never let my little girl down again. If I know nothing else, I know that.

Sylva giggles happily when I kiss her head. Such a heavenly sound.

“Don’t ignore me, Michael!”

I wish I could ignore her. Her voice is grating on me!

However, I look at my grandmother. “I’m not ignoring you.”

Clara scoffs while folding her arms over her ample chest. “What you’re doing is wrong, Michael. Elenor has taken care of Sylva her whole life. You see the child once a month! Then, you turn up here with a change of heart, and that’s great. Sylva deserves so much more than you were giving her. But now you’re taking away the only person who has been there for your daughter. Because the Gods know you never allowed us close enough. Now, suddenly, you’re father of the year?” She scoffs.

‘She’s right, you know?’

‘Yes, thank you, Dante!’

My Lycan chuckles inside my head, and I cut him off. I don’t have the energy for him right now.

“At least think about what you’re doing, Michael.” Clara sighs. “You ordered Elenor’s imprisonment, and Xale stupidly went along with it. Elenor has been arrested. But does she really deserve that kind of treatment?

“All that girl has ever done is love and care for the little girl you cast out. Elenor didn’t ask Sylva to call her Mommy. Your daughter heard other children use that word when referring to their mothers. Sylva is impressionable and believes Elenor is her mother. The girl tried to correct Sylva, but the child wouldn’t listen.

“I know this has annoyed you, and you feel it was disrespectful to Audrey’s memory. But you should have been the one telling Sylva about her mother, but you weren’t around. All Sylva and Elenor had was each other.

“I am so happy that you’ve come around and want to be a father to your daughter. But you’re ripping away the only person Sylva had her whole life. Would you really hurt your child like that? Would you honestly allow Elenor to rot in those dungeons to give birth like a murderous criminal? What would become of the child?”

I narrow my eyes, and annoyance fills me. “You’re telling me this woman had her mate around my daughter? I specifically said that if Sylva’s Nanny found her mate, she should be removed from her post!”

Clara rolls her eyes and groans. “After all I have just said, that’s what you focus on.” She huffs while sitting beside Ricon.

My grandfather looks at me. “Elenor doesn’t have a mate, Michael.”

“Great.”

“Don’t do that, Michael!” My grandfather hisses. “While Sylva was visiting with you a couple of months ago, Elenor was walking in the woods. She met her mate, who said not one word to the girl before taking what he wanted and running away from her. He left her pregnant and alone.

“Xale offered to find the coward and force him to accept Elenor’s rejection. But Elenor was more concerned with being able to continue caring for Sylva because your daughter and her own baby are all Elenor cares about.”

Shame fills me. I can’t imagine what Elenor felt when that man used and left her. Sick bastard! How she hasn’t crumbled is beyond me.

“Before you do something you can’t take back, why don’t you ask your daughter how she feels about the woman who raised her?”

Okay, he has a point. Sylva is the one who spends all her time with Elenor, only she would know what really goes on.

I look away from my grandfather and to my daughter. I smile because she’s making noises to her stuffed rabbit.

“Sylva?” She looks at me with big, trusting eyes, a stark contrast from earlier today. “Do you like Elenor?” Sylva giggles while nodding her head. “Does she take good care of you?”

“We play lots of games, Daddy. We watch movies and bake cakes, and she reads me bedtime stories. Mommy tells me she loves me all the time.”

I listen to Sylva telling me everything Elenor does for her for at least five minutes. I must admit, it brings a smile to my face. I know I jumped the gun and was too harsh on Elenor. From what everyone has said about the girl, she is fantastic with my little girl.

The mommy thing pissed me off, and yes, it was due to Audrey. But that’s my fault, I should have spoken to Sylva about her mother before now. Besides, the mommy thing can be rectified. The woman has raised my little girl to be smart, funny, forgiving, and so loving. I couldn’t have asked for me.

“Mommy loves me,” Sylva repeats as if she were trying to drum it into my head. “She tells me lots of time every day,”

I don’t want to hurt my daughter, but I can’t have her calling the Nanny Mommy. It’s not right, even if it was inevitable. Sylva needs to know the truth.

“Sylva,” I adjust her on my lap. “Elenor isn’t your mommy. I know you want her to be, but sweetheart, she isn’t.”

“I know that, Daddy.” She giggles again. “She not my real mommy, she told me. But she loves me like a real mommy. She said I shouldn’t call her that, but I want to because I love her so very much.”

I sigh.

It seems Elenor has been honest with Sylva, but my baby is just too young to fully understand. None of this is Elenor’s fault, it’s mine. All the woman did was take care of and love my child the way I should have. Yes, as I said, the mommy thing pissed me off, but it’s not the end of the world. I will tell Sylva all about Audrey and the remarkable woman she was.

I know I was harsh, and if I want to show my daughter how a man should treat a woman, I need to start with the Nanny who raised her. My father taught me better than to disrespect a woman so awfully. He’d kick my ass if he knew what I’d done here.

“Does what your daughter just said make any difference?”

I nod at my grandfather. “Does Elenor have any family? What can you tell me about her?”

I know very little because I wasn’t interested in listening all those months ago. Xale told me Elenor’s name and that she came highly recommended, but that’s as far as it went.

What kind of father doesn’t even check up on the person caring for his child?

Ricon looks at Clara, who wraps her arms around his bicep.

“Well,” He looks at me. “Elenor has a twin brother, Edmund, and a cousin, Brian, with whom she arrived. Elenor and her brother came to America from England a few years ago. The cousin was taken in when his parents died, only for Elenor’s parents to die not long after, leaving the three of them alone.

“Edmund and Brian work as Royal landscapers while Elenor was given the very important job of Sylva’s Nanny. She wouldn’t have been put in that position unless Xale and Xylia, myself and Clara, not to mention your parents, believed the girl was the best thing for Sylva.”

“What about her past?” I ask while stroking the back of Sylva’s brown hair.

My grandfather sighs. “There’s not much to tell, Michael. Elenor has never spoken about herself. We know that she had a good home life, did well in school, her parents died, and then she came here. There is nothing in her background to suggest she was cruel to a child. Believe me, I checked.

“We put the girl through many interviews and tests before she was allowed to even meet Sylva. She passed them all, including the test of what she would feel when she held Sylva.”

Clara giggles. “The look on Elenor’s face made us all smile. She was in awe and instantly loved Sylva. She even swore the Dragons Oath to love and protect Sylva at all costs.”

I blink, shocked that the girl would go so far. The Dragons Oath is not something to be taken lightly. It requires one drop of the King’s blood mixed with one drop from the person pledging the oath. Once mixed, the oath cannot be broken.

Elenor took that oath willingly because she loves my daughter. I couldn’t have asked for more.

“Do you think Elenor would be willing to move to Lykos?”

My grandfather’s eyes widen. He looks like he wants to protest, but I have no room or time for that.

“Look, I’ve already stated that I’m taking Sylva with me when I leave today. I don’t want to hear anything negative about it. I know I’ve been a terrible father, and I am so grateful to all of you for what you did. But I’m ready to step up now. I am under no illusion that I can do this alone. I need my family. I’m sorry I pushed you all away, but guilt ate away at me.”

Ricon smiles slightly. “We know.”

I nod. “I don’t expect forgiveness, just understanding. Just as I understand Sylva shouldn’t be parted from Elenor. I was stupid earlier, but I know I was wrong. I need to talk to the girl before I stake Sylva home with me.”

“I go home wiv you, Daddy!?”

I smile at my daughter. “Would you like that, Sylva? To live with Daddy?”

My baby nods while sobbing. I hold her close and rock her gently. I see now that this is all Sylva has ever wanted, and I hate myself even more for the pain I’ve caused my child.

I need to speak to Elenor and apologize for what I’ve done. I hope she’ll take me up on the offer to move to Lykos and continue the job of Sylva’s Nanny. I am aware Elenor has a mate out there who needs to be found so she can reject or accept him. I’ll help her with that if that’s what Elenor wants.

I also know that I could meet my mate at any time. But all that matters to me right now is Sylva and her happiness.

Elenor makes Sylva happy, so she’s coming with us.