Page 41 of Nanny for the Wolf Daddy

“Nothing is going to happen to me,” she whispered. “You are stuck with me. I can assure you of that.”

They had made love the night before, but despite that, Kelli felt like her desire for Nox was unyielding. He made her feel so empowered by her abilities, her body, and her sexiness. They didn’t want to do it again, in case of Archie’s weird watchful ways, so they lay on the bed instead.

They talked about their lives beyond what lay ahead of them, the potential for children, as well as their lives with Violet. Kelli could tell that Nox was hesitant to mention anything about Nevel and Elise because of the fact that their lives technically were still in jeopardy.

“We are going to save them,” Kelli whispered with Nox lying on her chest. “I know you are afraid. I can sense it. But you don’t have to worry.”

Kelli didn’t completely believe everything she was saying, but when it came to being a partner, you had to hold onto a little more hope in the face of adversity. And he wouldn’t be able to completely see things rationally because it was his family that was involved.

He sighed against her and kissed the valley between her breasts. The feeling of his lips on her always gave her shivers.

“I know that as long as I have you with me, we can figure things out,” he whispered.

They lay together in comforting silence for a few hours until Nox had to leave. They hugged and kissed deeply before he walked out into the crescent moonlight that filtered through the clouds.

“I love you,” he called out.

She giggled, then called back to him without a hesitant bone in her body.

“I love you even more, my Jed!”

TWENTY-SEVEN

NOX

Nox knew that the biggest issue in rescuing Nevel and Elise was going to be the guards. Shifters could survive bullet wounds, but they weren’t immune to them. Especially if they were using rapid-fire rifles that would slam multiple shots per second into their bodies.

He wasn’t going to be stupid about it, but he was starting to feel restless and, undoubtedly, afraid once again. Being with Kelli helped him to calm down and center himself, but once they parted ways, he often found that his mind never stopped turning.

They had talked the night before about Kelli familiarizing herself with the structure of the mine and the placement of the guards for the impending attack. She also was going to attempt to wander the tunnels a bit during her breaks to commit a blueprint to memory.

It was a heavy burden to carry, but Kelli was more than capable. They would use the diagram she drew for him to plan it out, hopefully including Elise and Nevel in on it. Nox was going to involve almost every member of his pack, including someone with special abilities who would be present outside the mine itself.

While Kelli worked and obtained a sense of the placement of the guards and entryway into the mines, Nox galloped back to the Smoky Mountain to visit an old pack member who had long since retired from anything shifter-like.

He lived in a secluded cabin high up on the mountaintop and only allowed consultation with alphas. The home literally sat on a hill with fog crawling around its frame like a thin veil. Nox was approaching the old dog unannounced, but he had enough confidence in his own silver tongue to get the job done.

Nox spoke into a gate in his human form after shifting and getting dressed a ways behind. “This is Nox Thyren of the Gray Tip Pack,” he said into the speaker. “I’m here to consult with Andre Foxing.”

He heard a voice on the other end that seemed to be a distance from the speakerphone and responding to the servant who spoke to Nox.

“He is currently indisposed,” the servant said cordially. “You will have to make an appointment.”

“Tell him it’s a matter of some urgency,” Nox said. “Tell him it pertains to a potential mate.”

There was a beat of silence, then the gate clicked open. Nox stood back while the metal parted like a mouth, welcoming him into an estate that looked like something Poe would write about.

Nox followed the driveway to the front door, knocking politely. As an alpha, it was in his nature to be aggressive, but he knew of Andre’s reputation enough to know that he didn’t respond well to hostility. In fact, he actively fought it, making sure not to reward behavior so negatively associated with his kind.

“Enter,” a haggard voice said.

Nox placed his hand on the doorknob and twisted it, hearing the entire frame of the cabin sigh as he opened the door. The interior wasn’t anything exceptional, and the house in itself wasn’t anything that would warrant a gated entryway.

But Andre liked his solitude. The gate was less for the protection of any wealth and more for keeping others like him out and away.

Nox walked into the living room and found a worn older man sitting in the dark corner opposite him. He held a cane between his legs and looked up at Nox with the distinct gaze of a man who anticipated the feeling of contempt.

“Gray Tip Pack, eh?” Andre said.

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