Matchmaking Gone Wrong [Emiko]

The Righteous Side of Hell."

Daniel tried not to smile and failed spectacularly. It always warmed the old wolf’s heart to see his little pup and her furry companion enjoying themselves. He’d been a bit hesitant in agreeing to accompany the pair to the beach, but he’d never been able to resist Lexie’s whims whenever she’d set her mind to something. Then, Mogi had added her own brand of begging and suddenly he found himself reluctantly setting aside his work with both the Hunter’s Guild and his various underworld contacts. He felt more than a little exposed without his signature revolver, but it was far better than the lecture he’d receive if he’d come to one of her favorite locales with a firearm; the loose-fitting, brightly-colored button-up he wore to hide the worst of his scars wouldn’t have hidden much anyway.

And he didn’t regret the decision for a second.

He followed in his girls’ wake as closely as was able given the continuous stream of beachgoers lining up to give Mogi more of the attention she craved. Each pause gave him ample opportunity to shift the pair of towels held snuggly under his arm. It was heartwarming to watch the little brown bundle melt the hearts of anyone that saw her as she flitted playfully from one set of hands to the next. Eventually, the corgi settled down (or as close to settled as the energetic little bread loaf was able) and Daniel took the opportunity to lay out the beach towels for himself and his daughter.

“Sure is, kiddo,” Daniel said. “And I’m pretty sure Mogi thinks tha’ same.” Then, Mogi stopped and sat, casting an inquisitive glance over her shoulder. A moment later she was bounding away towards whatever had caught her attention. Daniel had barely registered the fact that the usually obedient canine was discovering a wilder side when Alex chased after her wayward companion. He sat and stared after his daughter for a moment before rising to give chase himself at a much more leisurely pace; he wasn’t a young wolf anymore and dog catching was outside of his job description. Alex was fast enough to keep pace with Mogi anyway. He was still a good distance away when Mogi finally stopped and sat in the sand with Alex close behind. He looked up from the canine just as his daughter began speaking with the reason behind Mogi’s uncharacteristic behavior: a swimsuit-clad Professor Inoue.

Daniel blinked several times to assure himself that he’d not lost it after all these years and found that the attractive woman in front of him was indeed real (and not another trick Nevyne’s temple priestess playing another trick). The urge to admire her was a hard one to resist. Words seemed to fail him. He blinked again to clear his head.

“Professor,” he managed finally, adding a respectful bow of his head.