Page 72 of Bully Wolf's Nanny
Chapter 23 - Daisy
Nicolas hadn’t stopped touching her. An arm curled over her shoulder, around her waist, at her back. It was like he needed constant reassurance that she was there. She didn’t mind. She rather liked it. She leaned back into his warmth as the pack surrounded them, relishing the protective grasp of his hands on her hips, as she greeted them all.
Thea, predictably, had slipped right back into the dynamic of things, yelling in delight when she saw her friends and racing off to boast about her new daddy. Nicolas’s eyes narrowed and he moved to stop her, but Daisy caught his hand with a gentle grasp.
“Remember what you said to me when we first came here? We’re surrounded by the pack, she’s perfectly safe.”
“It’s different now,” he muttered, piercing eyes bright as he watched her disappear into the crowd with Felix’s boys.
“How is it different?”
“I didn’t know she was my daughter then.”
Daisy just rolled her eyes. No doubt it would be an adjustment, but it was a challenge she relished. Because all of them putting the effort in, learning how to be a proper family, it meant that they all cared. All loved each other. And there was nothing she wanted more.
“No need for you to be all protective, Nicky, I think Daisy’s got that covered,” Dane grinned, slinging his arm around Nicolas. “She nearly went at me in the woods. What was your plan there, Daisy?”
“I didn’t know it was you!” she argued, albeit through a grin. “That’s what you get for creeping up on a girl when it’s getting dark.”
“Who else would it fuckin’ be?”
“Someone with an ounce of civility?” Rick’s smooth voice cut in.
Daisy glanced nervously at the tall alpha, offering him a small smile.
“It’s wonderful that you’re back safely, Daisy,” Rick said with a slight incline of his head, “perhaps we can now have that dinner? I assume Francesca’s gone.”
Looking up at Nicolas, she saw steely eyes and a set jaw. “Yes, she’s gone. And I doubt she’s coming back.”
“Are you certain?” Rick asked.
“You know what,” Nicolas replied with a cruel tilt of his lips, “perhaps she needs one last reminder. Care to do the honors?”
“It would be my pleasure,” purred Rick, before melting back into the crowd.
Daisy fought back a shudder. “He’s not going to…hurt her, is he?”
“Not his style,” Nicolas said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Not physically, anyway. Intimidation is more his wheelhouse. He’ll just ensure she never comes anywhere near you, or Gracie, ever again.”
Daisy hummed, but didn’t respond. Secretly, she was pleased. Francesca had caused nothing but trouble, and selfishly, Daisy was happy to finally have him all to herself.
“Well, Daisy,” said Felix with a grin, beer in hand, “looks like you’ll finally have to rejoin the pack proper.”
Daisy blushed, stepping out of the protective circle of Nicolas’s arms. “Would that…I mean…would I be allowed to?”
“Only if you want to,” said Felix. “You’ll always have a home here.”
“Thank you,” she said, “you’re a good man, Felix. Better than the men that came before.”
For a moment, she could have sworn his eyes misted slightly, but then he was instantly back to friendly smiles and charm. “That’s kind of you to say, Daisy. Right, Nicolas, I’ll wrangle my boys if you can hunt Thea down before they decide to start their own little uprising, I think it’s time we all got to bed.”
***
With all the excitement, it was a challenge to convince Thea to finally climb into bed, but soon enough her exhaustion won out and she finally collapsed into her mountain of pillows. Gracie had long since been asleep, watched over diligently by Nicolas’s long-suffering pack member and assistant, Cecily, who was eager to get back to her girlfriend.
Daisy realized that she should also go to bed, let her body recover after the emotional rollercoaster of the previous twenty-four hours, but somehow, she couldn’t bring herself to. Somewhere, deep down, she worried that if she fell asleep, she would wake up and it would all have somehow been snatched away from her again. She had come so close to letting herself be happy after the trip to New York, and coming back to findFrancesca waiting had broken down her trust so fundamentally that she feared she would never get it back.
It was illogical, she knew it, but that didn’t make it go away.
