Page 105 of Bad Wolf's Nanny
And at their heart was a trembling scholar and a broken enforcer, clinging to each other in the ash of what almost was, and in the hope of everything still to come.
Chapter 23 - Lola
The moon hung low and wide above Pine Shadow Grove, casting a silver sheen over the ancient clearing nestled deep within the woods. The trees whispered with the wind, leaves rustling like voices of old, and soft lights strung through the branches lent the place a reverent glow. Everything smelled of earth and pine, wildflowers and woodsmoke. And somewhere in all of that, beneath the quiet hush of the gathered pack and the weight of tradition pressing down like a blanket, Lola stood, draped in white, crowned in blossoms, and trembling from head to toe.
Her dress, simple yet flowing, was the exact style Daisy had insisted would suit her, long, modest, with bell sleeves that moved like water when she walked. Her flower crown, woven that morning by Eva and Thea, sat delicately atop her dark hair, tangling with the soft curls she hadn’t had time to smooth. She felt like a fraud in it. Regal, reverent, pure…those weren’t words she’d ever used to describe herself. But tonight, she didn’t just feel like she was wearing them. She felt like she had to become them.
Everyone was watching. The entire pack.
Her hands were clammy. She tried to keep her breathing even as she stood before Felix. The alpha looked strong and composed, as he always did. Cassie stood just off to the side, smiling reassuringly, her sons sitting near her feet like impatient little sentinels. Nicolas and Daisy watched from the edge of the circle with their children, and Rick, ever quiet, leaned against one of the larger stones, arms crossed, eyes unreadable.
But it was Dane she felt the most.
He stood at the edge of the crowd, eyes locked on her like she was the moon itself. That unreadable, stormy stare of his, piercing, possessive, protective. No longer shying away from her. Not since the attack five days ago. Not since she'd woken up bloodied and bruised in his arms and he'd whispered that he'd never leave her again.
Now she was joining the pack. Officially. Irrevocably.
It was so soon after the battle. She had hoped to wait, hadn’t wanted so much attention on her when everyone was still recovering.
But the alpha had insisted.
“You’re one of us now, Lola. And I would thank you as a member of my pack, not as an outsider. Besides. We need something to celebrate now more than ever. It’s time to let old things die and move forward into the future.”
Lola had accepted his words with all the grace she could muster.
Felix stepped forward, voice deep and steady.
“Lola Devereaux,” he said, the clearing falling into solemn silence, “you stand before the Iron Walkers of your own free will, asking to be sworn into our ranks. Do you come with loyalty in your heart, and the strength to stand beside us in times of peace and war alike?”
Lola swallowed, her throat dry. “I do.”
Felix nodded. “Then kneel.”
She sank to one knee, pressing her hand to the earth as she’d been instructed, feeling the cold dew sink through the thin fabric of her dress.
“Repeat after me,” Felix said, his voice a low echo through the grove, “I pledge myself to the Iron Walkers.”
“I pledge myself to the Iron Walkers,” she echoed.
“To their safety, their strength, and their future.”
“To their safety, their strength, and their future.”
“I offer my knowledge, my loyalty, and my blood.”
She hesitated for just a breath, heart thudding. Then, “I offer my knowledge, my loyalty, and my blood.”
“And in return,” Felix said, placing a hand on her head, “we offer you our name, our protection, and our bond. Rise, Lola of the Iron Walkers. You are one of us now.”
A soft gasp swept through the crowd, followed by a smattering of cheers, then rising applause. Lola stood slowly, dizzy with the weight of it all, her knees shaky. She met Felix’s eyes, kind yet serious, and nodded once.
Then she turned, and Dane was already moving toward her.
He didn’t rush. He didn’t grin. But the moment he reached her, his hand found hers and squeezed.
“You okay?” he asked, voice low.
Lola nodded, eyes still wide. “I think so.”
