Page 7 of Bad Wolf's Nanny

Dane growled low in his chest, and Felix stepped in front of him.

“I’m really sorry,” Lola said to Felix, her voice barely above a whisper as she twisted her hands over, “I didn’t mean any offence. I only want to swear loyalty and fidelity while I’m living in your territory. I don’t want any trouble, I promise.”

“It’s alright,” Felix said kindly, though there was definite firmness behind his words. “With Ethel to speak for you, I accept your pledge. You are welcome here as long as you abide by our law.”

Lola nodded vigorously, chewing her lip as she glanced around Felix’s bulk towards him. Dane couldn’t help himself. He let a lazy smile grow over his face and gave her a wink. “If ourbackwater little town isgood enoughfor someone like you, that is.”

“Right,” Ethel said in a tone that brooked no space for argument. “Lola dear, why don’t you head to the bar and order me a glass of wine, I think we’re all done here.”

With one last nervous glance at Felix, Lola scurried off, and Ethel turned the full force of her ire on Dane.

“What is wrong with you?”

“You heard her,” Dane said, gesturing at Lola’s retreating form, “she called us uncivilized!”

“Because you were trying to get under her skin,” said Nicolas, folding his arms.

Dane let a smirk creep over his lips. “To be fair, she made itincrediblyeasy.”

“Children, the lot of you,” Ethel scoffed, poking a finger into Dane’s chest. “And you wonder why I never bother coming here. She’s a good girl, really, and don’t let her know I said so, but she’ll be very useful around the library. So you arenot,” she poked Dane again, “to mock her or make her feel unwelcome. Do I make myself clear?”

Dane snarled, “But she—”

“DoI make myself clear?”

Dane’s teeth ground together, but he nodded, and with one last huff, Ethel turned to follow Lola towards the bar.

Turning to Felix, Dane resisted the urge to shove him. “You really gonna let her boss us around like that?”

Felix shrugged, a genuine grin cracking over his lips. “She didn’t say anything I wasn’t going to.”

“Told you she was terrifying,” Nicolas muttered, but Dane ignored him, turning back to where Ethel was once again speaking to Lola in hushed tones. The girl seemed utterly shaken, her eyes wide in fear, her hands shaking slightly around her glass of wine, and Dane felt a pinch of guilt.

“You know,” Rick said, leaning in, a spark of dark delight in his eyes, “if your aim is to get her in bed, I’d say you’ve well and truly fucked it up.”

Dane grunted, his fists clenching and unclenching. Maybe he’d wanted to get her in bed when he’d first seen her, but now? She seemed stuck-up and arrogant, and no bloody fun whatsoever. Why the hell would he want anything more to do with her?

Then again…it had beenfunteasing her. Seeing the outrage in her eyes. He couldn’t help but wonder if such fire extended to other activities. He shifted slightly, a shiver of anticipation running down his spine

“Christ,” Rick muttered, his nose scrunching in distaste at Dane’s scent.

Dane didn’t care. Maybe there was fun to be had with little Lola Devereaux, after all.

Chapter 3 - Lola

“I told you,” Lola said, gripping her glass of red wine so tightly she was half-worried it would shatter in her grip, “Itoldyou I’m no good with people!”

Ethel hummed, sipping her own wine. “Yes, well, I hadn’t expected you’d be quite so…so…”

“Useless?” Lola offered, resisting the urge to bang her head against the bar.

Unless she was very much mistaken, Ethel’s eyes widened with something that might be called sympathy. “I wouldn’t say that,” she said gently. “You were just…riled up. Alpha males will do that if given the chance; it’s practically in their DNA. Didn’t you learn that growing up with your pack?”

Lola groaned, squeezing her eyes shut. “I tried to avoid the alpha males of my pack as much as possible.”

“An eminently sensible decision,” Ethel said. “I can’t fault you for that.”

“They're just so… so…” Lola waved her hand around, trying to find the right word.