Page 44 of Nanny for the Wolf Daddy

“Once everything is in place before the show,” Kelli whispered, pretending to move the meat around in the bucket. “I am going to use the keyword ‘fire,’ and that is your signal to begin attacking, along with the sniper, Nox, and the pack.”

They listened without responding, laying their paws out in front of them and drooping their eyes closed.

“The generator will go out at the same time, and the electric wires of the cage will be turned off. We are going to get you both out of here unharmed.”

Kelli felt excitement building inside her, wondering at the same time what the hell had happened to her simple life before she came into contact with Nox. She had been an ambitious woman, running her own agency and providing beyond adequate care for struggling parents. But her heart ached for adventure, and that was exactly what she got.

She would have never wanted to be kidnapped by some strange black-market running rube in order to find the spark in her life again, but life was odd. She had found Nox, and within him was a love she had never encountered in her entire existence.

Kelli left that night after making sure everything was put into place. She would show up early for a pre-show training session which was exactly when everything was set to go down. Both she and Nox agreed that not having a big crowd present would make casualties a lot easier to avoid.

But what worried Kelli was the stench that smacked her in the face from around a farther, deeper corner of the cave. She heard growls and whimpering, ones which sounded a lot like Elise and Nevel’s groaning. She didn’t have enough time to investigate further, but she thought about the sickness Nox told her the detective had informed him of.

She wondered if Archie had something else in his back pocket that would render their attempts fruitless.

TWENTY-NINE

KELLI

Kelli dressed in her hideous sequined outfit, which didn’t leave much to the imagination. In any other context and perhaps in different colors, it would be sexy. It hugged her curves like it was painted on, showcasing her powerful legs and bountiful breasts. She looked in the mirror and smiled, thinking about using it for a sexy evening with Nox.

But all that would have to wait. It was the day of the rescue, the day of the attack, and the day that Archie would finally get his comeuppance.

Kelli felt strong and confident in her ridiculous outfit when Archie’s men came to pick her up. It was the day of the performance, but everyone seemed to be rushing around, including Archie himself.

Kelli had drawn a diagram for Nox the night before, and they had detailed the plan as much as they possibly could. It wasn’t bulletproof, but Kelli had more faith in her man than she had for anyone else in her life.

She had requested an extra training session to take place on the same day as the show itself. Archie was in a bright mood, which meant that he was paying even less attention to what she was up to. She did her usual bit of getting Elise and Nevel to jump through hoops, then whispered to them while handing out their reward.

“Today is the day,” she said to them. “Violet is safe with the pack. Remember the keyword.”

Their eyes were beaming with anticipation. Kelli had fed them more than Archie ever had, which had increased their strength. Once more, they believed in their physical abilities. That, along with the love of their child, would motivate them to escape.

When Archie had gone back to his area to make a few phone calls, Kelli knew it was time. She moved to the top of the platform where she had been practicing and waved her arms in the air. She was sweating through the sequined outfit, and her heart was rampaging like a lion in her chest.

Everyone was in position. The henchmen stared at her stupidly, their guns pointed, but their fingers were lazily diverted from the trigger. She looked at both Elise and Nevel, who stood next to the flaming circles of fire.

It was going to be now or never.

“FIRE!”

Everything happened at once, like the blending of an oil painting. Elise and Nevel rotated their bodies to face the henchmen, whose eyes widened with startled fear. The generators shut down with a distinct low hum, cloaking everyone in total darkness. Kelli had time to see the henchmen raise their weapons before the first sound of a bullet rippling through flesh echoed in the open space.

Kelli did as Nox had asked and flung herself off the platform and behind the stage. She covered her head and listened to the chaotic sounds of bullets firing sleekly into two of the henchmen, giving Nox the opening he needed to win. When she glanced up, she saw a worn-out looking old man holding a rifle unlike any she had ever seen. He winked at her and dashed away with a huge grin on his face.

From her perspective, she could see Nox checking on his brother, sister-in-law, and, finally, her. Nox was in wolf form, of course, so they couldn’t directly communicate. She held up a thumb to him, and his eyes flashed that emerald charm in the dark.

It was almost over. They would escape easily ...

“Launch the attack!” Archie’s agitated bellow rang through the mine, sending her heart into her throat while the intimidating sound of galloping feet gained on her. She watched from behind the stage as blood pooled below Elise’s and Nevel’s feet, who had met up with the rest of the Gray Tip Pack.

“Get them,” Archie screamed. “Kill those traitors!”

It had been just as Kelli had feared. The stench of death and decay had been coming from shifters that Archie had been hiding in the back of the cave, ones who even she hadn’t known about. They possessed the sickness that Detective Loki had warned Nox about, though Nox didn’t believe it was real.

He glanced at her before the sick wolves came for them, running out in thick droves like a swarm of flies.

Get out of here!

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