Page 34 of Alpha Wolf's Nanny
And that could only mean one thing.
“Felix,” she whispered.
Her throat ached. Her lungs burned.
Somehow, some way, he had known. Found her. Come for her.
And now he was fighting for her.
There was a commotion behind her, and then two more wolves broke into the clearing, one jet-black and the other smaller, with fluffy cream fur. They trotted around the clearing, their ears flat against their heads, their heads turned to the battle that raged beyond the trees.
Cassie whimpered again, backing away from them, scrambling to her feet. Maybe if she ran, she could climb a tree, hide, something,anything—
The smaller wolf turned to her, then loped over to the tent, disappearing behind it. A crackle of bones and groaning followed, and then Daisy appeared, wrapped in one of Cassie’s blankets.
Cassie nearly collapsed to the ground in relief.
“Daisy,” she choked out, her voice hoarse and fraying at the edges. “What the hell is going on?”
Daisy, still wrapped in one of Cassie’s blankets, crouched in front of her, her eyes sharp and serious now that the shock had worn off. Her limbs were still loose from the shift, hair wild and skin flushed from the exertion, but her voice was steady.
“You’re near the Grove,” she said.
Cassie blinked. “The what?”
“Pine Shadow Grove,” Daisy clarified. “This is the Iron Walkers’ sacred territory. No one but pack members is supposed to enter. It’s…protected. Always has been.”
Cassie’s stomach lurched. “I didn’t know. I swear to God, Daisy, I didn’t know. I was following my route…my map—”
“I know,” Daisy said quickly, holding up a hand, “I believe you. There are supposed to be more boundary markers. Physical ones. If the boundary wasn’t physically marked, then this one’s on us.”
The black wolf growled, its muscles tense as its eyes followed the chaos in the woods.
“I know,” Daisy said to it, before turning back to Cassie. “That’s Nicolas, he says some of the old fences are in disrepair. Did you come via the eastern trail?”
“Yeah,” Cassie said, her eyes widening. “C-can you understand him?”
Daisy nodded. “It’s a shifter thing. Don’t worry. He’s just debating whether or not to get involved in…that.” She gestured faintly towards the rumbling snarls and snapping branches.
Cassie collapsed down on her heels, pressing a trembling hand to her chest. “That wolf…who was it?”
Daisy’s lips thinned. “Rick. He smelled human and broke off before Felix could rein him in.”
“Why the hell did he attack me?”
“Rick has a lot of respect for our traditions,” Daisy said after a moment. “He’s…old-fashioned. Bears old grudges. And when it comes to protecting the pack, he’s not exactly known for his restraint.”
“He pinned me like prey, Daisy. He didn’t just blindly rip my throat out; he hesitated. He was thinking about it. Thinking about killing me.”
Daisy didn’t argue.
Cassie’s voice dropped. “Was he trying to scare me off, or…”
“Or deciding if it was worth it,” Daisy finished quietly.
The silence between them thickened. The air felt too heavy, like the sky was pressing down on the clearing.
“He knew who I was,” Cassie said, more to herself now. “He must have done. He must have known I’m not a threat, but he still…he still…” she choked back a sob.
