Page 10 of The Wolf's Plus-Size Nanny

“Yeah,” I agree, rubbing the back of my neck. “I’m trying to do the right thing here. I’ve hired a nanny to help out, but I can’t be running missions right now. I need to be here, in town, figuring out how to be a dad.”

To my utter shock, Evan nods emphatically. “You’re stepping up, and I respect that. But you know I can’t just pull you off missions without a replacement. The pack relies on you.”

“I know,” I reply. “I’m not asking for special treatment. I just need time to get my bearings. I’ll take in-town missions. Anything that lets me be around for Fiona.”

“Jack’s serious, Evan,” Reiner chimes in. “He’s not bailing. He’s just trying to be there for his daughter.”

Evan considers this, his expression shifting as he weighs the options. “All right, Jack. I’ll pull you from the border runs for now. I’ll have you work in town, closer to home. Maybe here at the compound. I’m sure we can find you something. But you’ve got to keep pulling your weight. This isn’t a free pass.”

“Got it,” I say, relief flooding through me. “Thank you, Alpha.”

Evan nods, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “This is a big step, Jack. I’m proud of you for facing it head-on. But remember, being a dad isn’t just about showing up. It’s about sticking around when things get tough.”

“I will,” I promise, to myself as much as to him and Fiona.

As I turn to leave, Reiner catches my eye, and there’s a rare smile tugging at his lips. “Looks like you’re finally getting your act together, Jack.”

“Don’t get used to it,” I joke, but there’s a flicker of hope beneath my words. Maybe I really can do this. Maybe, with a little help, I can be the dad Fiona needs me to be.

Chapter 5 - Sonya

Babies are like tiny grenades—you never know when they’re going to go off, but when they do, it’s chaos. Fiona is no different, and her timing is impeccable. Right as I’m trying to organize the mess that is Jack’s kitchen, Fiona lets out a wail that echoes through the house like a siren. I glance over to where Jack is awkwardly bouncing her, looking like he’s holding a bomb instead of his own kid.

“Are you sure you’re bouncing her right?” I ask, crossing my arms and watching Jack’s half-hearted attempt to soothe Fiona. He’s trying, I’ll give him that, but from the way he’s so stiff and uncertain, it’s just making poor Fiona anxious.

Jack shoots me a look, part defensive, part helpless. “I’m doing what I can, Sonya. It’s not like she came with an instruction manual.”

I can’t help but roll my eyes. “Right, because you definitely read those when you get them.” I step in, gently taking Fiona from Jack’s arms. “Here, let me show you.”

Jack sighs, rubbing the back of his neck as he steps back to give me space. “I swear, she’s got a built-in alarm for whenever I’m about to get something wrong.”

I smirk, swaying Fiona in the way that’s quickly becoming second nature to me. “Maybe she just knows her dad’s a disaster waiting to happen.”

Jack snorts, though there’s no real heat behind it. “You’re hilarious, you know that?”

“Thanks,” I say, a little more sharply than I meant to. It’s hard not to feel a combination of frustration and pity as I watch Jack try to navigate this whole parenting thing. I mean, whogets handed a baby and just expects it to work out? Especially someone like Jack, who’s clearly never had to think about anyone other than himself before now.

I catch Jack watching me as I settle Fiona down, her cries quieting almost instantly. There’s something about the way he looks at me, like he’s both impressed and irritated at the same time. It’s a look I’ve come to expect from him, especially since he realized just how out of his league he is with Fiona.

“You make it look easy,” he mutters, more to himself than to me. “How do you do that?”

I shrug, feeling a weird mix of satisfaction and sadness. “Babies just need to feel safe. They need to know someone’s got them, even when everything else is chaos.”

And I should know. Growing up, I didn’t have that. My dad passed away when I was young, and my mom… well, she wasn’t really there. Not emotionally, at least. She was lost in her grief, completely checked out, and I spent most of my childhood fending for myself. Ram—our alpha back in Stardust Hollow—stepped in when my mom couldn’t, even though he wasn’t even alpha yet. He became the father figure I needed, but even with him looking out for me, it was still lonely. I never really felt like anyone had me, not the way I needed. So, I guess I’ve always had this instinct to make sure others don’t feel that kind of loneliness.

Jack leans against the counter as he watches Fiona. “Yeah, well, I’m still working on that part. All of it, really.”

I glance at him and see a flicker of something in his expression that feels painfully familiar. “What about you? I mean, your parents…”

He lets out a humorless laugh, shaking his head. “My dad took off when I was a kid. Never saw him again after that. Andmy mom… She stuck around until I was old enough to fend for myself. Then, when I turned eighteen, she packed up and left Green Lake. Guess she figured her job was done.”

I raise an eyebrow, trying to hide the shock on my face. “So, you were pretty much on your own?”

He nods, looking down at his hands. “Yeah. I mean, I had the pack. Evan and Rafe have been good to me, but that’s different, you know? Growing up in Green Lake, with no real family around, you just learn to take care of yourself. No one’s there to show you how to do it right. And that’s what it feels like right now. Nobody is around to tell me what to do here.”

“That sounds… hard, Jack.”

He shrugs, but there’s a bitterness in his voice. “I’m used to it. But I don’t want that for Fiona. I don’t want her to grow up like that, feeling like she’s got no one. I’m trying to be there for her, to show up, but… I don’t know. Half the time, I feel like I’m just screwing it all up.”

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