Page 51 of Nanny for the Wolf Daddy

He shifted into his human form and scanned the area. He felt like he was losing everything.

Another group came from behind them, and Elise spoke up. “We checked the cave, and still no luck finding her. We don’t smell her outside any of the other entrances, either. Where would you like us to go next?”

He looked at Elise, seeing she looked exhausted. She had dark circles under her eyes, and she was pale. He could tell their abduction had taken a toll on her. He couldn’t imagine what they had been through, and now, to be here stuck with him looking for Kelli in a damn storm.

“You two should head home,” he said, looking at Elise and then at Nevel. “You’ve been through a lot.”

“What?” Nevel looked at him, shocked. “Why would you even say that?”

He narrowed his eyes and frowned. “You’re telling me you want to stand out here in the middle of the mountains looking for someone when you know your daughter is waiting for you? You have no pull to leave?”

He could see the look of want on their faces. Elise’s was worse. He couldn’t imagine the heartbreak she was carrying from not seeing Violet in so long.

“Go,” he said. “I mean it. Go see Violet. She will want you both. You’ve helped enough as it is.” It hurt to say that, but it was true. Violet needed her parents more than he needed them. He could find Kelli without them.

“No,” Nevel growled at him. “I’m not going. You need my help, and damn it, you’re getting it. I’m not sitting by when Kelli is a huge reason we are out of that shit show. I’m staying.” He looked at Elise. “But Violet needs someone. I’ll join you when I’m done.”

He viewed the turmoil on her face. She wanted to keep helping, but she also wanted her daughter. She wanted to hold her and kiss her and never let her go. She looked at Nox. “Are you sure about this? I don’t have to go if you need me.”

He gave her a nod. “Yes. Go see your baby. I’m not holding you here, and I know for a fact that Kelli would want you to be with Violet.”

Elise looked at them both before she shifted and turned, taking off. She would go straight to Violet and wouldn’t stop until her baby was in her arms. He turned to Nevel, seeing the stern, hurt expression. He wanted to go as well.

“I’m not holding you here either,” Nox said. “You can go. We will find Kelli.”

“I’m not leaving until I thank Kelli for everything.” He hardened his eyes. “Now, let’s go find her so we can all go home and put this behind us.”

He liked the sound of that and gave his brother a nod. To be honest, he was happy his brother stayed. He needed someone to keep his head on right.

They all started out into the mountains splitting off. His heart raced, and his mind wandered. The longer he didn’t have her, the higher the chances were for something to go wrong.

She could be seriously injured, and every second he didn’t find her was a second she could be bleeding out. She could be dead for all he knew.

There was a chance that Archie would come after them. He hated the idea. But had no confirmation that the bastard was dead. Archie wouldn’t offer her for a giant ransom. No, he’d do worse. He would want her head, and he’d take pleasure in inflicting as much pain on her as he could. The thought made his skin crawl.

He moved fast, trying to shake the idea out of his head. He pictured brutal images. Kelli being dead at the bottom of a mountain. Kelli being beaten to death by Archie. An animal attacking her and killing her.

But there was one thought that rang louder than all the others. Never finding her. It sent a different kind of chill deep into his bones that even the pouring rain couldn’t touch.

Never knowing what happened to her would eat at him, and he’d blame himself forever. It just meant he needed to find her. He couldn’tnotfind her.

There was so much he needed to tell her and so much he still wanted to do with her. He wanted to prove that he could be a great father like she kept telling him and that he would make an amazing husband. He wanted a future that was different from his present.

He shifted into his human form and yelled for her. “Kelli! Where are you!? Kelli! Can you hear me?” He listened, hearing nothing in return. The wind howled, and the trees shook, but no other voices came.

The rain fell harder, saturating everything. Her scent was gone, and so were all the prints on the ground. Even his prints behind him were gone. If she’d been here, he’d never even know it.

“Kelli!” His throat felt raw, and his eyes burned. He wanted to cry, wail out his misery.

A howl caught his attention, and he turned. He knew that howl. It was his brother’s. He shifted into his wolf form and howled back, following quickly in the direction he heard it. He bound through the forest, his attention entirely on the signal.

THIRTY-SIX

KELLI

Kelli could not believe her luck. She was hungry and thirsty and had injured her ankle by tripping down the steep incline. Plus, the rain had begun to pour like a motherfucker. She was a tough woman, but something had to give.

She had landed in the ravine after tumbling down the incline from the top of the mountain and staring into the sky while laying on her back. Rain pelted with thick droplets, landing all over her body, causing her to desperately shiver.

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