Page 37 of Nanny for the Wolf Daddy

Archie had once again let out the other side of his personality, which was what every stereotyped circus performer possessed. It was an odd dynamic for a man who often seemed solemn and stoic the rest of the day.

“Let’s get going, miss! We need these two ready for a performance in two days!”

Kelli rammed the rest of her food down her throat and wiped the crumbs onto her pants.

“All right, just getting my food in.”

He didn’t reply. Instead, he watched as the henchmen, the two men with the most powerful assault rifles on their backs, opened the cage door. They always sprinted away, terrified that their heels might get caught in the beasts’ teeth.

A part of Kelli wanted it to happen, but alas, they were smarter than her own fantasies.

“Looking good, Ludo and Lassie,” Archie said, pulling up a chair. “Sam, bring me that bucket of chum if you don’t mind.”

Sam, or Samuel as Archie sometimes called him, was a son of the local butcher who brought in bucket upon bucket of chopped meat each day to be used as rewards for the wolves’ tricks. He, too, had a long and mournful face to the point where Kelli thought he and Archie could be related.

He brought over the bucket of raw meat, reeking of death and decay, and plopped it down in front of Archie. Archie rubbed his hands together and began rifling through the meat like there was a prize at the bottom.

“Let’s get going,” he yelled at Kelli.

She assumed her position in front of the wolves, once again trying to gain eye contact. She kept her own eyes wide, trying her best to stare into their minds and souls, to remind them that help was on the way.

“Bring the hoops!”

Two men lowered four hoops from the ceiling. It was all Kelli had been training to do, yelling at them to jump and giving them a reward when they did. They were smart and not wild animals at all.

The wolves looked at the hoops in defeat. The glassy film that was cast over their eyes made Kelli want to burst into tears.

“Come on!” Archie yelled.

Kelli breathed deeply, then walked to the bucket full of raw meat. She dug her hand in, feeling the squishy sensation against her palm and the squelching sound in her ear. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling, but she was doing it all for her mate, her beloved Nox, and his family.

“Come!” Kelli said, holding the meat in her hands.

They performed flawlessly, as usual, moving through each hoop five or six times, then sitting, rolling, and barking when they were commanded to. The blood from the meat ran down Kelli’s arm and was likely to stain, but that was the least of her worries.

She noticed that Archie was distracted. He had turned away and was speaking to Sam at the end of her routine. Normally, she would toss the meat in the air, and Nevel and Elise would catch it. But as Archie was occupied, she ran alongside Nevel, jumping through his final hoop.

“Good boy!” she crooned.

She moved to him and crouched, the creature panting, eyes once again downcast with shame. Kelli made a point to get on his level and held the meat in her palm, red blood pooling on the cave floor.

“Here,” she whispered.

For the first time since she’d met them, Nevel looked up and into her eyes. The green infernos flamed, and Kelli could have sworn that there was more than a wink of realization.

She brought the meat closer to his mouth, unwavering and unafraid. He took it delicately, then she took another risk, leaning forward and wrapping her arm around the animal in an uncharacteristic embrace.

She had to act fast, so she spoke as clearly as she could

“I’m Nox’s mate,” she said into his wolf ear. “We are here to get you out.”

He sat up, and the gleam in his eyes remained, staring at her with disbelief.

“Keep going! Keep going! We need more activity for the show!”

Kelli stood and could have sworn that the creature was about to cry. He then trotted over to Elise, gazed at her, and her entire body language changed. Kelli knew that they had communicated, and all was finally going to be well.

Archie continued to scream orders at them for the rest of the day, but something inside the beasts had utterly changed. Kelli had gotten her point across to them, and they were positively energized.

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