Page 15 of Nanny's Mate

Mike listened, the steam from the tea rising into the air and dissipating steadily.

Tristan went on, rubbing his face hard enough to generate a rosy hue.

“I may have gone too easy on some of these boys when it first popped up on our radar. My heart isn’t entirely made of stone, despite what some may think. This one boy in particular, Alex Sullivan … I had to kick him out of the pack. His behavior was far too disruptive. But I let him stay in town because, well, the boy was troubled.”

Mike knew it was a grave admission to reveal that he, as alpha, had allowed a banished member of the pack to stay within the community. That was intensely frowned upon. But he sat quietly, noticing how distressed his leader was growing.

“I knew I would be judged, but I wanted to give him a chance. I’d known him since he was a child. Shifters can change, you know …”

That was when Tristan’s voice broke, his black moon eyes glassing over. He paused for a moment to gather himself. Mike was moved by his sensitivity.

He cleared his throat and turned with a stern conviction.

“But that didn’t happen. Alex got hold of this designer drug, which made his already disruptive behavior even more erratic. I had to arrest him a few times and even tried to drain it from his system, but nothing worked. The boy was lost to the drugs. They’d taken hold like some rabid beast.”

Tristan swallowed, wiping his eyes with the back of his hands. Mike felt honored to be privy to such an expression of emotion, but he was also startled by the way the situation had been unfolding.

He finished off the story with one last sentence, a shot to the heart of a man who was far less somber than he appeared.

“I had to eliminate him, Mike. There was no going back for that boy. The drugs mutated him on a cellular level. I can’t let that happen again.”

Mike felt the intensity of Tristan’s regret down to his very bones. He looked his alpha straight in the eye and made an earnest vow.

“I will figure this out, Tristan. No one is going to fall victim to this horrible drug ever again.”

Tristan thinned out his lips and closed his eyes.

“I know you will, Mike. We trust you. The whole pack does. Keep this to yourself, as I asked. That is vital.”

Mike promised him, in the name of the pack, to remedy the situation as fast as he knew how.

NINE

BEATRIZ

On Monday, Beatriz had a full, enjoyable day taking care of the rowdy triplets. They were a challenge, but it was the challenge that kept the day flowing. It also was a prudent distraction for Beatriz, whose mind still swirled with thoughts of Mike, the handsome and powerful shifter who had given her a night of pleasure she would never forget.

It wasn’t worth all that tumultuous thought. At least, that was what Beatriz told herself. She was thankful when Karla walked through the door, and Matthew, Michael, and Madison all made a beeline to their mother. She held her arms open wide with a beaming smile despite the long look of exhaustion plaguing her pretty face.

“My loves!” she called out.

They attached themselves to her, all three of them begging to be held. Beatriz came from the playroom, smiling. She watched all of the love that poured from the children like a waterfall. It was beautiful. She stood there, watching Karla struggle to take off her shoes while chatting with her children. Beatriz was happy but also deeply envious.

A family to come home to was all Beatriz had ever wanted.

“Goodness me, you are all too energetic for me,” Karla remarked. “Did you feed them sugar all day?”

“Of course,” Beatriz joked, leaning up against the threshold between the kitchen and the foyer. “I made sure to time it for your arrival too.”

Karla let out a smooth laugh, which was then abruptly severed. Karla set her keys on the small side table where her purse usually sat but was noticeably missing.

“Dang, I think I left my bag at Ellie’s."

The children paid no mind to her concern. Michael grabbed her by the hand and led her into the playroom while Madison and Matthew fought for her attention as well.

Beatriz followed as Karla expressed her annoyance.

“I must have left it there when I popped in at Indulge.” She let out a heaving sigh. “Do you mind staying a little longer while I head back to pick it up? I’ve got some papers in it that I need.”

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