Page 1 of Nanny's Mate

ONE

BEATRIZ

“Now, Madison, don’t chew on your brother’s arm like that! Would you like it if he did it to you? No, you wouldn’t. I’m trying to get your dinner ready, I promise.”

Flustered, Beatriz ran a hand through her hair. It was hectic. Three babies, triplets nonetheless, was more work than even Beatriz anticipated.

Not that it wasn’t rewarding. Every moment spent with Michael, Matthew, and Madison was an utter delight. They were fun, happy infants that made everyone around them smile.

Being their nanny gave Beatriz a sense of purpose. She absolutely adored every crazy moment. And there were plenty of them. This trio could already shift into their wolf forms which was unheard of for their age.

The only reason that made any sense was that it was a survival response to the three of them being kidnapped not too long ago. Shifting was their way of protecting themselves. When they weren’t in their human forms crying and needing diaper changes or a bottle, they were wolf pups, running circles around her and poking their adorable little noses everywhere.

It was a lot of work, but Beatriz loved every second of it. She enjoyed the challenge of caring for them, nurturing them, loving them, and tending to them when they got hurt. Their parents, Karla and Nate, were wonderful people, and Beatriz expected Nate home at any moment.

Karla, on the other hand, wouldn’t be home for hours. Tonight, she was out with friends for their once-a-month ladies’ night out. As Beatriz warmed some milk for the triplet’s bottles, she thought how nice it was that Karla found time for herself.

It must be hard having three small children at home while owning The Sassy Wolfe, a local pub. It was a great place with great food and a dance floor. Despite loving the babies, Beatriz greatly admired Karla for her savvy business sense and kind-hearted nature.

Just as she was about to feed the babies, a knock on the front door had her setting the bottles on the wooden coffee table. She opened the door to find Tristan and Kel.

Tristan was Nate’s father and alpha of the Blue Creek Wolfe Pack. Kel … Karla’s brother and the triplet's uncle … gave Beatriz a big, wolfish smile.

“Hey, Bea.”

“Hey, Kel, Alpha.” She smiled and stood aside so they could enter the house. “What’s going on?”

Before either man could answer, the triplets came flying into the room in their wolf forms. As soon as they reached their grandfather, they shifted into three human infants and held their arms out to him.

Tristan laughed. “I was thinking I could use some time with my grandkids.” He scooped the three of them up in his arms and planted kisses on the tops of their heads. “They get bigger every single day, I swear.”

“They are growing fast,” Beatriz agreed. “Just yesterday, I caught Matthew trying to climb on the counter to get his bottle. Two days before that, he could barely crawl. It’s crazy!”

Kel took Madison from Tristan’s arms and threw her into the air. She squealed in delight, but it made Beatriz nervous.

“She loves it,” Kel said in response to the look on her face. “She’s absolutely fine. Look.” He tossed her into the air again, and the baby’s laughter surrounded them.

Beatriz’s heart fell into her stomach. “Don’t drop her.”

Tristan laughed again before urging Kel to carry Madison into the living room. Noting Tristan’s demeanor, Beatriz knew something was wrong. With a frown, she followed both men, wondering what could possibly be on Tristan’s mind.

Kel turned to her, Madison still clutched to his chest. He reached for one of the bottles that was still warm.

“Karla called and asked if we would watch the kids tonight. She wants us to relieve you of your nanny duties and send you down to Ellie’s new bar so you can participate in a healthy man-bashing night with the girls.”

He smiled at the frown on Beatriz’s face. She knew exactly what this “man-bashing” night consisted of. It used to be that when Ellie, Jordan, Karla, Emma, and Nic were single, they would get together and eat at the bar, drink really good wine, and bitch and moan about the men they liked.

Nowadays, they sometimes complained about their mates, but mostly, it was just the women having a really good time. This would be the first time Beatriz attended one of these girls’ nights, and even though she was officially off the clock, she was hesitant.

“That’s all right,” she said slowly.

“Beatriz,” Tristan interrupted. “Go have fun with the women. Talk about us men, have a couple of drinks, and enjoy yourself. You deserve it.”

At the same time, a text message popped up on her phone. Karla’s name flashed across the screen, and Beatriz tapped on it.

Are you on your way? Get your ass down here! Ellie wants to show off the bar to more people.

This time, Beatriz laughed. Her brown eyes softened as she read the message out loud. “All right, all right,” she muttered. “I’m going. Thank you, Alpha. Kel.”

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