Page 52 of Arranged Wolf's Nanny

Carter huffed, circling round, teeth snapping forward in warning.

He wasenjoyingthis.

His packmates lay dead mere feet from him, and he was enjoying it.

Nausea roiled in her gut.

When Rick and Carter met, barreling into each other like a wave crashing into the ocean, Rosalia’s heart nearly gave out.

He just had to hold on a little bit longer. Just a bit longer.

The fight was bloody, brutal, and savage. Neither male had much humanity left in them at all by the end.

They were mere beasts.

But eventually, Rick’s cunning won out, and with another feigned attack, he goaded Carter into exposing his side.

He didn’t even pause before ripping the wolf open from belly to throat, steaming insides splattering to the ground.

They were dead.

Rick had won.

He looked at her, chest heaving, muzzle bloodied,somethingsparking in his eyes.

Then he collapsed to the ground unconscious, his wounds weeping red.

Rosalia inhaled a small breath.

The rest of the Iron Walkers were coming. They’d be here any moment.

This is your chance. You can run away. Get free of it all. You don’t need any of them.

Her leg screamed in protest as she staggered to her feet, her eyes drifting to the darkness beyond the bodies in the clearing.

She swallowed and stepped forward. Then stopped.

Rick’s breathing was labored, each wheezing breath forced through broken ribs. There were several gouges in his side, deep and angry. Blood pooled underneath him, staining his dark fur.

She couldn’t leave him.

But it was more than that.

She didn’twantto leave him.

Chapter 12 - Rick

He woke up snarling and thrashing, lunging for the nearest warm body standing over him. Dane caught him, shoving him back with a hissed curse from where Rick’s punch had clipped him.

Looking around wildly, it took him half a second to realize he was in his bedroom. It took him half a second more to realize his pack brothers were clustered round him, concern etched into their faces, their clothes ragged and muddy.

“Where’s Rosalia?” he said, vaulting from the bed. “Where is she?”

“Easy,” Felix growled, shoving his shoulder back. “She’s fine. She came back with us.”

“I want to see her,” Rick snarled, knocking past Felix.

“Rick,” Felix said, “take a couple of deep breaths, yeah? You’ve only been out an hour or two. Your wounds aren’t properly healed.”