Page 22 of Alpha Wolf's Nanny
“Felix, you’re allowed to want things,” Nicolas interrupted. “You’re allowed tohopeagain. You’ve punished yourself long enough.”
Across the lawn, Cassie laughed at something Daisy said, tipping her head back. Sunlight caught in the strands of her hair, and Felix felt his breath catch. She looked at ease now. Relaxed. Like she belonged.
But she didn’t. Not really.
He couldn’t let himself forget that.
“I made one mistake,” he said. “That’s enough.”
Nicolas didn’t argue, but his silence was heavy.
“I assume,” came a silky voice from behind them, “from the frosty attitude that you’ve been talking about your new nanny, Felix.”
“Leave it alone, Rick,” said Felix, “it’s a job.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to question you,” said Rick. “From the sounds of things, we’re in agreement, anyway.’
Nicolas rolled his eyes and opened a round of fresh beers, handing them around. “Should we change the subject, maybe?”
Felix sighed, turning to Rick. “How’s your daughter? I haven’t had the chance to say hello to her yet.”
“She’s well,” said Rick, inclining his head. “She’s flying back to school tomorrow evening. She’s showing remarkable promise in her lessons.”
“Where is she? It’d be nice to see a Reinhardt who knows how to smile.”
“I know how to smile,” Rick replied, his lips parting and curling upwards. Felix tried not to shudder. He looked more like a tiger, baring his teeth. Rick raised his head, sniffing the air once, then twice. “She’s in the woods with your sons,” he said with a definite air of displeasure. “I told her to stay out of the woods.”
“She’s only six, Rick. She wants to play. Dane’s out with them, she’ll be fine.”
Rick hummed, eyes narrowing. “She’s a Reinhardt. My heir. That comes with certain…expectations.”
Felix and Nicolas exchanged a look. Neither one of them had ever really gotten used to the world Rick lived in. Nicolas was wealthy, sure, and Felix commanded respect as alpha, but Rick’s influence ran deep. His bloodline was old, one of the oldest from Europe, and rumor had it his family had ties to the highest levels of government and monarchy worldwide. It made him excellent at his job, but also somewhat alien to the rest of the pack.
“Do you have to send her all the way to England for school?” Nick asked, his voice carefully neutral. “She’s still so young.”
Rick scowled. “I was younger when I was sent.”
Of course. God forbid the famous ancient house of Reinhardt actually show a speck of emotion towards their children. He’d tried broaching the subject more than once with Rick and had always been iced out. Still, he had hope that eventually they’d be able to talk him around to actually letting Eva grow up in Silvermist with the pack. Sending her so far away from everything she knew seemed cruel to Felix.
“I’m gonna go say hi to the little tyke,” he said, “and check that my boys haven’t destroyed anything of yours that I’d have to pay to replace, Rick. Or that Dane hasn’t destroyed anything, now that I think about it.”
“If you see Evangeline, tell her it’s time to come inside now,” said Rick.
Felix waved a hand in assent, leaving Nicolas and Rick to drink their beers. Truth be told, he wanted a break from Nicolas’s piercing stare. He wasn’t entirely sure he’d convinced his friend to drop the topic of Cassie for good, and the knowing stare was beginning to make his skin feel itchy.
He glanced over to where Cassie had been sitting, and a jolt of panic ran through him at her empty chair. Daisy was gone, too. It only took one sniff of the air, however, to realize they were in the woods with Dane and the kids.
Felix stopped dead in his tracks, earning a few curious glances. Maybe he should turn back around, leave Cassie to get used to the pack and the kids and his friends. He didn’t need to go barging in there. He didn’t need to spend any more time with her than was strictly necessary.
He shook his head. This washispack, dammit, and if he wanted to go into the woods, then he would go into the woods. Cassie was entirely irrelevant.
He followed the sounds of shouting and laughter further into the trees. The sun was getting lower in the sky now, the air turning cool and pine-scented, the shadows long. From the sounds of splashing water and sudden shrieks, it seemed the kids had managed to find some kind of stream. With a sigh and a prayer that he wouldn’t be met with two soaking wet sons, he navigated through the remaining trees to where the kids were huddled.
Whatever had happened, it wasn’t good.
“But Mom, hethrew my shoes in,” Thea yelled, her little face red with fury as she shoved Danny, baring her teeth at him.
“To be fair, my darling,” Daisy replied, “you threw his jacket in.”
