Page 106 of Bad Wolf's Nanny

He brushed a strand of hair from her cheek, the back of his knuckle grazing her skin with reverence. “You were perfect.”

She wanted to believe him. But her heart hadn’t stopped pounding since she’d stepped into the clearing. It wasn’t just nerves. It was everything. The ceremony. The pack. The weight of being bound to this place and these people…not just legally or formally, but spiritually.

Dane's hand found the small of her back, guiding her gently toward the crowd. People were stepping forward to congratulate her, Cassie with a hug, Daisy with teary eyes and a bouquet of fresh clover and thyme. Even Nicolas gave her a polite nod and a rare smile, holding Thea on one hip and keeping Gracie from running underfoot.

Rick simply offered, “Welcome to the wolves, Miss Devereaux,” with the faintest of smirks.

Ethel pushed past him with a sharp elbow, ignoring his hiss of displeasure. “Lola, my dear! I knew you’d come to your senses eventually. I didn’t think it would take the destruction of pack property to do so, but that’s all by the by.”

“Ethel,” Lola said, leaning down to pull the older woman into a tight hug, “thank you. Thank you so much. For taking a chance on me.”

Ethel sputtered for a moment before slowly returning her embrace, her voice warm as she replied, “Not at all, my dear. It’s been my pleasure.”

The mingling started soon after. Someone uncorked a bottle of wine. Someone else brought out food. It wasn’t meant to be a party, but the air turned lighter, warmer, as the pack gathered closer together. Laughter filtered through the trees. The children ran, barefoot and wild, through the ferns.

But Lola couldn’t quite shake her nerves.

Not until Dane leaned in and murmured, “Ready to go home?”

She turned to him, heart skittering, “Home?”

“Ours,” he said softly.

And just like that, the weight shifted. Became something sweeter. He didn't press. Just offered his arm.

She took it.

And together, they left the grove behind.

***

Sam was staying with Nicolas and Daisy for the night, leaving the two of them completely alone in his apartment.

Intheirapartment.

Lola had been anxious to let the baby go, fretting over him, the terror of being separated from him still so new, so recent. But Daisy had reassured her a hundred times over that they’d drop him off first thing in the morning. Nicolas’s eyes had been narrow and watchful.

He hadn’t said a word as he guided Daisy and the children to the car, not taking his gaze off them.

Lola swallowed, glancing up at Dane as the car drove away. “Is he…mad about something?”

Dane glanced down at her, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish expression, “He…he’s still reeling a bit. From everything. I think we all are.”

“Is it something I did? The fact that I joined the pack?” Lola asked, fiddling with her fingers.

Dane sighed. “Give him some time. Watching you press that detonator…he knows you would never do anything to hurt Daisy, or any of the others. His…instincts are just gonna be a bit hard for him to brush off.”

“Oh, God,” Lola clapped her hands to her mouth, “I hadn’t even thought about it like that. The explosion. You must have thought that I…I…”

He pulled her in close, pressing a kiss to her forehead, “We know now that you saved us. That explosion injured Red Teeth’s alphas enough that we were able to take them out with minimal casualties on our end. Rick’s actually pretty impressed with your quick thinking.”

“He is?”

Dane chuckled low in his chest, “Don’t worry, he’ll never tell ya. He’ll just keep brooding over the destruction to the club.”

Lola winced. “Again, I’m really sorry about that.”

Dane shrugged, tucking her against his side and dropping another kiss to the top of her head. “That old place was getting a bit cramped anyway. It was high time we sized up. Created new memories instead of gathering in the shadow of…”