Page 2 of Alpha Wolf's Nanny
I want to be a nanny because I only got off the bus like twenty-four hours ago and bumped into an old friend who let me crash on his couch. One of his friends told me about this gig looking after kids that pays ridiculously well, and I’m broke.
“I want to be a nanny because I’ve always loved children,” Cassie said brightly. “My family and I lived near Redwood National Park, and I loved volunteering for the kids’ camps, helping them learn about the trees and hiking, and astronomy. They just have so much energy, and I love that!”
Molly nodded sagely as she jotted down a few notes, a secretive smile on her face as she gave Cassie an approving wink. “That’s excellent to hear! Shifter children have even more energy than human children, so the ability to keep up with them is a must! Did you get much involved in your shifter community at home?”
The closest I got to the local pack was when my dad called them a bunch of violent assholes when their scouts caught him smoking weed with his buddies in the forest and made them leave.
“I worked closely with the local pack as a volunteer,” said Cassie. “Spending so much time in the forest, part of the Ursae Clanlands, there had to be a lot of mutual respect and teamwork between the human conservationists and the pack.”
“The Ursae? They’re bear shifters, if I’m remembering correctly. So would you be most comfortable with a bear shifter father?”
I’m not sure I’d ever be truly comfortable around a man who can turn into a thousand-pound killing machine.
“Not necessarily,” Cassie said. “There are quite a lot of wolf shifter packs in Maine, right? I’d be just as happy with wolves. Or…mountain lions. Or…”
“So you don’t have a preference,” Molly interrupted, a slight steeliness in her voice. Cassie sank lower into her chair, desperately hoping she hadn’t said anything offensive.
“No,” she squeaked, “no preference.”
Molly nodded, scribbling down some more notes. “Well, I’ll keep an eye out for any bear or wolf shifters. It seems you like the woods, and their territories are mostly in the forests.”
Cassie nodded, fiddling with her fingers. Molly watched, her gaze narrowing, before she paused the recording and leaned forward.
“Cassie, you do have experience with alphas, right?”
“Of course I do!” Cassie said, perhaps a bit too quickly.
She had experience with alphas. Enough experience to avoid nomadic alphas when she was on the road. And to change up her shampoo and deodorant often, so that if the debt collectors decided to hire a shifter to track her down by scent, she at least had a fighting chance.
“These males aren’t like human men,” Molly said. “There’s a reason we’re always looking to hire. Normally, I only like sending shifter females into alpha homes. They know what to look out for, know how to read scents, and are aware of the million things that could set an alpha off. As a human, you’re vulnerable. You don’t have that inherent awareness.”
“Would I be in danger?” Cassie asked, nerves settling in the pit of her stomach.
Molly’s lips thinned. “We meticulously screen all of the alpha males looking for nannies. They must be members ofapprovedpacks, with adequate means to reimburse our nannies for the level of care they expect. But they’re still alpha males. Dominant. Sometimes violent. Intensely and fiercely possessiveover their children and their packs. More often than not, our shifter nannies will join their packs, even if only temporarily, as biologically that gives them a safety net. As a human, you do not have that luxury. You are an outsider and will be treated as such until you prove yourself worthy.”
“So I would be in danger?”
“I’m not in the habit of sending my girls into dangerous homes, Miss Blake,” Molly said, “but you should know that you will face a steep learning curve. You may get things wrong. And youhaveto be able to hold your own against an alpha. Many of them are incredible males, intelligent and loyal and protective, but they can also be stubborn bastards. Prone to outbursts. Their pack alphas should keep them in line, but not all pack alphas respect humans. Then again, there are some…”
Molly’s voice drifted off as she grabbed a couple of the folders that were scattered on her desk, flipping through them with a furrow in her brow. Cassie held her breath as Molly discarded page after page, muttering slightly under her breath as she did so, praying to any god that would listen that Molly might find something for her.
Eventually, Molly found what she was looking for, grinning in victory as she stabbed a page with her finger. “Got it!”
“Got what?” Cassie asked, fighting the urge to lean over to take a look for herself.
“Miss Blake,” Molly said, a gleam in her eye, “I have no doubt that you would do a good job. You’re young, energetic, and I have no doubt of your…let’s say…motivationto do a good job. But let’s face the facts. You have no idea what you’re doing when it comes to shifter males. And this agency caters exclusively to shifter males.”
“I understand,” Cassie said, her heart sinking in her chest as she pushed her chair back. “Thank you for your time—”
“Oh no, dearie, I’m not dismissing you,” Molly said, “quite the opposite. Not all shifter males are defined by their biology. A temperate male is rare. Agentleone is rarer still. But they do exist.”
“They do?” Cassie asked, giving in to the urge to tug at her braid.
“They do,” replied Molly, “and I think I’ve got one for you.”
Cassie exhaled, a grin creeping across her face. “Oh my God, that’s amazing! Thank you so much! Who is he? Is he a bear shifter? And where does he live, I’m willing to travel and—”
“All in good time, dearie,” Molly said, holding up a hand to interrupt the flow of questions. “I need to, ah,ironsome things out before giving you any of the details. Confidentiality clauses and all of that—need to get approval. But if all goes according to plan, you should hear from me in a few days. I can tell you that it’s a live-in position in Maine, if that’s okay?”
