Page 12 of Arranged Wolf's Nanny
“You sound like you’re quoting a history book,” Rosalia muttered.
Katie grinned, “I kind of am.”
When Rosalia didn’t laugh, Katie sighed, sitting up with worry in her eyes. “I know this is a lot, Rosie, but…surely you knew it was coming?”
Rosalia didn’t look up from methodically sorting through her various bottles and compacts and creams, and lotions. “Of course I did, I just…I just didn’t expect it would happen quite so…so…”
“Suddenly?”
She nodded. “I knew Father only took me on that business trip to show me off to other alphas. I didn’t realize he’d already decided on one. I thought he might…” She blinked away the sudden thickness in her voice, focusing hard on the lipsticks clutched in her hands. “I had expected he might warn me when he was ready to arrange a match.”
“I’m sure he had his reasons for doing it then and there,” Katie said, sliding off the bed and wrapping her arms around Rosalia’s waist. “He only wants what’s best for you.”
Rosalia sighed, leaning back into her best friend’s warmth, closing her eyes and taking a few steadying breaths. Katie really was the only person in the Green Mountain Pack she felt any connection with. She was the daughter of one of the enforcers, not as high in rank as Rosalia, but the two had been raised side by side anyway.
She was her only friend in the world. And now, she would have to leave her behind.
“Come on,” Katie said, tugging her hand and pulling her towards the sofa. “Tell me about him.”
“About whom?”
“Rick, of course!” Katie said, her eyes bright with excitement.
Rosalia winced. “There isn’t much to say. I barely met him. And he was…caught off-guard as well. He didn’t seem pleased about the idea of marrying me.”
Katie snorted, “Then he’s an idiot. You’re so beautiful, Rosie, any male would be lucky to have you!”
She remembered his fury, his burning eyes, his wild, animalistic snarl.
Even before that, before her father had changed her life forever, Rick had set her teeth on edge. He was handsome, of that there was no doubt, but there was a wildness to him. A viciousness that lurked just beneath the surface.
And Paul’s words to her father.
Rick is the same sort of snake as you.
Felix had assured her that no harm would come to her, but what male could realistically dictate how an alpha male treated his mate? Rosalia knew better than anyone how deceiving appearances could be. Once the doors were closed and she was alone and at his mercy…
But really, what other choice did she have? If she defied her father, ran away, then he would stop at nothing to hunt her down. And she had no money, no assets, no knowledge of the world beyond the boundaries of her pack lands.
He would find her. And whatever Rick was capable of would pale into insignificance compared to her father’s wrath.
Perhaps it would be okay. Her father had mentioned that Rick had a daughter, a little girl called Evangeline. Maybe underneath everything, he was really a good male. A caring one.
She yanked herself out of the daydream before it could even fully form. It was childish naivete to assume that just because Rick was a father it made him gentle. She needed to live with her feet firmly planted in reality. It would be the only way she would survive this.
“Maybe Rick will let you have a phone,” Katie mused beside her. “Your father can be so old-fashioned.”
“Maybe,” Rosalia echoed softly, looking down at her hands.
“Then again, I do enjoy our letters! Let’s keep writing them anyway. It’ll give me something to look forward to!”
“Okay,” Rosalia said, accepting her friend’s embrace. “Letters it is.”
As Katie carried on chatting about letters and wedding dresses and floral arrangements, Rosalia looked towards the window.
It was dark outside. Cool, considering it was summer. Beyond the glass, she heard the glorious riot of life in the forest. An owl is hooting. A breeze rustling through the trees. Far away, the howl of a wolf.
Chapter 4 - Rick
