Page 65 of Bully Wolf's Nanny
She searched his face for any sign, any hint of leniency. There was none. He was done with her. That she was Gracie’s mother was the only thing leaving her alive after the stunt she pulled with the strawberries.
“You’re a fucking monster,” Francesca spat, pushing away from him. “No wonder Daisy ran.”
“Don’t say her fucking name,” Nicolas warned, fists balling.
“No, of course not! God forbid anyone criticize poor, helpless, weak little Daisy. Even though she’s a fucking liar and a useless shifter bitch.”
She squealed as the pitcher hit the wall right next to her head, exploding into shards of glass. Nicolas stood heaving, having not even registered his decision to send it flying towards her.
“I said,” he roared, “get the fuck out!”
“You drive everyone away, Nicolas,” Francesca spat, “it’s the only thing you’re any good at. One day, you’ll drive Gracie away, too. Then you’ll have lost both of your daughters.”
Nicolas’s mind went numb. It took him a moment to register her words, to process them. “What did you just say?”
Francesca laughed, bitter and hate-fueled. “You still haven’t worked it out? Jesus Christ, you’re fucking dense. Always harping on about how clever Thea is, how cunning, how smart. How smart can she fucking be with you as her father? Even the fucking strawberries didn’t tip you off! I’ll fucking leave, Nicolas, I’ll leave right now. Just like everybody else.”
Nicolas’s hands fell to his sides. Suddenly, all the air in the room felt too heavy, too hot. He wasn’t breathing. Wasn’t blinking. His body didn’t obey him. He might as well have turned into a statue.
Thea. Hadn’t he always thought she was too smart for her age? Too fast, too bright. And Daisy had always changed the subject when he brought it up. Seven years…
Seven years.
Her dark hair. Her blue eyes. The sharp cut of her cheekbone. Whip-smart and cocky. Charming too, when she wanted to be.
Everything Daisy wasn’t.
Everythinghewas.
Daisy had always been so cagey about Thea’s father. So nervous when they first met. So happy that they got along well.
Because there was no other man. Thea’s father…Thea’s father…
Was him.
“See?” Francesca sneered as she left the room. “I told you Daisy was a liar.”
Chapter 21 - Daisy
Seven Years Ago
Her heart pounded with excitement as she skipped out of school, bag in hand, butterflies fluttering in her stomach.
She couldn’t believe it. They had actually slept together. The previous night had been like something out of a fairytale. She was the princess, and he was her handsome knight in shining armor. Well, perhaps not shining armor, something darker than that. Perhaps he was actually the dragon. He was certainly possessive, enough.
She had only caught glimpses of him at school, and he hadn’t caught her eye at all. She wasn’t worried. She knew he didn’t like to draw attention to their relationship in front of members of the pack. He was protecting her. That’s what he always said.
It didn’t mean she wasn’t itching to see him again, to feel his hands on her skin. She skipped into the woods, down the familiar path, sure that he would find her.
And find her, he did.
He was waiting for her, leaning against a tree, expression unreadable as he watched her approach. Something in his eyes made her pause, made her heart trip over itself in her chest, and she swallowed down her apprehension.
“Hey, Nicolas,” she said with a smile, “how are—oh my goodness! What happened to your face?”
He lifted a hand to the cut on his lips, as if surprised to find the injury. “It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.”
“But it must have been awful if it hasn’t healed yet! What happened, can I do anything, can I help?”
