Page 37 of Alpha Wolf's Nanny
Nicolas dipped his head in greeting, his ears twitching slightly. Felix stalked forward, pausing next to Nicolas. “Are you alright?”
Nicolas gave a soft huff, tail flicking once. “Are you?”
Felix growled low, stepping away, pacing in a slow circle. The tension in his limbs hadn’t left him. His wolf still bristled with the need to act, to fix, to protect.
Nicolas’s eyes followed him. Then the other wolf lowered his head. “Is it about her?”
Felix paused. Turned.
There was no use pretending.
He pawed at the dirt in a sharp motion, his claws slicing through the earth in frustration. “Yes.”
Nicolas shifted his weight. “You truly do care for her.”
Felix growled.
Too much. He cared for her far too much.
He didn’t need to say it aloud. It was written in every step, every breath. The way he’d nearly ripped Rick’s throat out. Theway his instincts had screamed when she whimpered beneath that other wolf’s paws.
Nicolas stepped closer, glancing back over his shoulder. “She’s with Daisy in the clearing. She’s terrified, Felix, so…go easy on her. She didn’t mean to trespass.”
Felix snarled. As alpha, he wasn’t supposed to waver. Wasn’t supposed to let his feelings cloud his judgment. But here he was, wanting nothing more than to go find Cassie and comfort her, take care of her, protect her.
And with his blood still singing in his ears, he didn’t see why he should deny himself any longer.
Without another pause, he turned and took off into the trees, his body nothing but speed and shadow, a blur between the trunks.
Towards Cassie.
He burst into the clearing, his wolf form dark and huge, paws skidding slightly across the pine-covered earth. His breath came in short, sharp bursts, and his eyes locked immediately on her.
She was crouched beside the tent next to a small campfire, clutching a steaming mug of tea. Her skin was pale, her posture rigid, and when she looked up and saw him, really saw him, she flinched.
His ears flattened. The pain of that tiny movement sliced through him with more precision than Rick’s fangs ever had.
She was afraid of him.
Daisy, in human form wrapped in a blanket, rose slowly from where she'd been kneeling beside her. She met Felix’s gaze, her expression serious.
She stepped away from Cassie to the shield of the tent and then gave him a pointed look. “Perhaps it would be better if you shifted. One moment.”
With a grimace, Daisy ducked behind the tent and shifted. Bones cracked. Fur rippled. A moment later, a cream-colored wolf padded out, shook once, and gave a quiet huff in his direction, muffled from the blanket between her teeth.
Felix dipped his head in thanks as she dropped it in front of him.
Then, with a glance towards Cassie’s blushing face, he turned and disappeared into the shadows of the trees. A low rustling followed, muscle twisting, spine shortening, the painful crack of transformation. A few moments later, Felix emerged again, human now, blood streaking his bare shoulder, the blanket slung low around his hips.
Cassie’s eyes were on him, but she didn’t say anything. She just held the cup closer to her chest, the firelight casting a soft glow on her face.
Felix didn’t go to her.
He crouched low by the edge of the clearing, keeping a good few paces between them. His breathing was calmer now, but there was tension in his every movement, held back by sheer will.
“Daisy, Nicolas, go home,” he said, his voice low. “Take the pack with you.”
Daisy glanced at Cassie, then back to Felix. After a moment, she turned and padded off toward the trees. Nicolas, silent, watchful, followed her without a word.
