Page 16 of Alpha Wolf’s Nanny (Silvermist Wolves #2)

Every nerve screamed run , but her limbs were jelly. She pressed a hand to her chest, her telescope lying forgotten in the dirt. The clearing was empty now, but the sound of the fight carried, low snarls, thudding paws, the shattering crack of a trunk splitting under force.

It was savage.

Deadly.

And it was for her.

Whoever that darker wolf was, he’d attacked the first for her.

And that could only mean one thing.

“Felix,” she whispered.

Her throat ached. Her lungs burned.

Somehow, some way, he had known. Found her. Come for her.

And now he was fighting for her.

There was a commotion behind her, and then two more wolves broke into the clearing, one jet-black and the other smaller, with fluffy cream fur. They trotted around the clearing, their ears flat against their heads, their heads turned to the battle that raged beyond the trees.

Cassie whimpered again, backing away from them, scrambling to her feet. Maybe if she ran, she could climb a tree, hide, something, anything —

The smaller wolf turned to her, then loped over to the tent, disappearing behind it. A crackle of bones and groaning followed, and then Daisy appeared, wrapped in one of Cassie’s blankets.

Cassie nearly collapsed to the ground in relief.

“Daisy,” she choked out, her voice hoarse and fraying at the edges. “What the hell is going on?”

Daisy, still wrapped in one of Cassie’s blankets, crouched in front of her, her eyes sharp and serious now that the shock had worn off. Her limbs were still loose from the shift, hair wild and skin flushed from the exertion, but her voice was steady.

“You’re near the Grove,” she said.

Cassie blinked. “The what?”

“Pine Shadow Grove,” Daisy clarified. “This is the Iron Walkers’ sacred territory. No one but pack members is supposed to enter. It’s…protected. Always has been.”

Cassie’s stomach lurched. “I didn’t know. I swear to God, Daisy, I didn’t know. I was following my route…my map—”

“I know,” Daisy said quickly, holding up a hand, “I believe you. There are supposed to be more boundary markers. Physical ones. If the boundary wasn’t physically marked, then this one’s on us.”

The black wolf growled, its muscles tense as its eyes followed the chaos in the woods.

“I know,” Daisy said to it, before turning back to Cassie. “That’s Nicolas, he says some of the old fences are in disrepair. Did you come via the eastern trail?”

“Yeah,” Cassie said, her eyes widening. “C-can you understand him?”

Daisy nodded. “It’s a shifter thing. Don’t worry. He’s just debating whether or not to get involved in…that.” She gestured faintly towards the rumbling snarls and snapping branches.

Cassie collapsed down on her heels, pressing a trembling hand to her chest. “That wolf…who was it?”

Daisy’s lips thinned. “Rick. He smelled human and broke off before Felix could rein him in.”

“Why the hell did he attack me?”

“Rick has a lot of respect for our traditions,” Daisy said after a moment. “He’s…old-fashioned. Bears old grudges. And when it comes to protecting the pack, he’s not exactly known for his restraint.”

“He pinned me like prey, Daisy. He didn’t just blindly rip my throat out; he hesitated. He was thinking about it. Thinking about killing me.”

Daisy didn’t argue.

Cassie’s voice dropped. “Was he trying to scare me off, or…”

“Or deciding if it was worth it,” Daisy finished quietly.

The silence between them thickened. The air felt too heavy, like the sky was pressing down on the clearing.

“He knew who I was,” Cassie said, more to herself now. “He must have done. He must have known I’m not a threat, but he still…he still…” she choked back a sob.

Daisy ran a hand through her hair, exhaling slowly. “Rick is loyal to the bone. Everything he does is about protecting the pack. When he saw you here, alone, where you’re not supposed to be, he reacted the only way he knows how.”

Nicolas growled, and Daisy narrowed her eyes. “Perhaps, but from what I’ve heard, he’s waited for orders before, and it cost him.”

“What?” Cassie asked.

Daisy wrapped an arm around her, rubbing her shoulder vigorously. “My word, you’re chilled to the bone! It’ll be the adrenaline. Do you have another sweater or something you can put on?”

“What do you mean about Rick not following orders?”

Daisy and Nicolas looked at each other, no doubt engaged in some silent conversation. Cassie tried not to let the bitterness of exclusion sting her. This was not her world.

Daisy sighed, then sat beside her. “You’re human, Cassie. You’re not supposed to be able to find this place, let alone step into it. Rick’s instincts went straight to defense. He saw someone who shouldn’t be here, and he acted. In different circumstances, he would have been right to.”

“He would have been right to just kill a human?”

Daisy winced. “It’s not that simple,” she said gently. “Some humans…don’t like the power that shifters have. And they’re willing to try and hurt us.”

“That doesn’t make it okay just to kill us!”

“I didn’t say it did.”

Cassie dropped her head into her hands. Her whole body was still trembling, her skin crawling with leftover adrenaline. “So what now? I leave?”

Daisy didn’t move.

“No,” she said softly. “We wait for Felix.”

Cassie looked up sharply. “What? Why?”

“Because this isn’t just a misunderstanding anymore,” Daisy said, “it’s a breach. You didn’t mean to, I know that. But Rick saw a threat, and he acted. Now Felix needs to be the one to decide what happens next.”

“So what, I just sit here like a sitting duck until the alpha comes back and decides whether I get punished?”

“No one’s punishing you,” Daisy said firmly. “But this is Felix’s territory. His call. And after what just happened, we don’t…make calls like this without him.”

Cassie hugged her knees to her chest, heart thudding dully in her ears. “I didn’t mean to mess anything up. I just wanted a quiet place to look at the stars.”

Daisy’s gaze softened. “I know.”

Cassie turned toward the rise, where her telescope still lay, untouched in the dirt. The clearing she’d thought was peaceful and remote now felt like a trap. The starlight above, once welcoming, now seemed far too bright.

“He’s going to be furious.”

Nicolas gave a huff, and Daisy chuckled.

“What?” Cassie asked, her eyes narrowing.

“Nothing, just…I don’t think he’ll be angry with you,” Daisy said. “Come on now. Let’s get a fire started. I can smell tea in your bag, and I’m dying for a cup!”