Page 21 of Bully Wolf’s Nanny (Silvermist Wolves #1)
“Francesca, a pleasure to meet you. I’m Dane. Resident enforcer. Can I buy you a drink?”
Francesca opened her mouth to protest, but Dane was already leading her to the bar with a hand firmly placed between her shoulder blades. He threw a quick wink at Daisy over his shoulder before they disappeared into the crowd.
“I’m really sorry, Felix,” Daisy said, turning back to the alpha. “I tried to tell her not to come over and disturb you like this.”
“It’s not your fault, Daisy,” Felix said, his tone soft. “Now, why don’t I introduce you to the reason for tonight’s little gathering. Daisy, this is Frederick. Frederick, this is Daisy. Nicolas’s nanny.”
The man sitting on Felix’s other side stood, extending his hand. “Call me Rick.”
“Nice to meet you,” Daisy said, unable to help the shiver that ran down her spine as their palms connected.
She hadn’t noticed him before, but now that she had, she found it hard to believe anyone could miss him.
He was tall, for one, and just as muscular as Felix.
But there was something about his presence, his aura.
His wavy chestnut hair was almost too artfully styled to come across as messy and thoughtless, his bright walnut eyes were strangely cold, his clothes purposefully rumpled.
It was like he was trying very hard to come across as charmingly warm.
Nicolas, for all his refinement, made no secret of his more vicious tendencies. This man seemed like he was trying very hard to hide them entirely.
“Rick here just got back from Europe,” said Felix, clapping him on the back. “Shifter Accord meetings in London, Berlin, Brussels, all the hot spots. He’s the pack negotiator, and very good at it too.”
“Yes, Nicolas mentioned you were abroad,” Daisy said, pasting a polite smile on her face. “H-how did it go?”
Rick’s smile widened slightly at her stutter. “It went very well thank you. You’re so kind to ask. I must invite you and Nicolas around for dinner sometime.”
“O-oh, well, that’s very kind, but…but you’d probably be better off inviting Francesca. Not me. I’m just the nanny.”
“Is that so?” Rick asked, shifting his weight, his predator eyes flashing to where Dane and Francesca leaned against the bar, “perhaps I’ve been… misinformed.”
“I think we’ll leave those discussions for when Nicolas is back, hmm?” Felix’s tone was light, but there was an undercurrent of warning. Rick smirked and sat back down, crossing one long leg over the other.
Daisy couldn’t help but gulp. From what she’d learned about Rick, he came from one of the oldest, and richest, wolf shifter families in Eastern America.
And there had been a time when he might have taken over the Iron Walkers himself.
It was only because of his support that Felix and Nicolas had decided to move against the Old Guard.
A sudden screech of anger tore her attention away from the group of alphas and she turned to see Francesca wailing and swiping liquid from her eyes, a furious shifter woman in front of her with an empty glass.
“Oh shit,” Felix muttered, and Daisy took off towards her.
“—just stay away from him, you got that?” the shifter woman yelled at Francesca.
“I wasn’t doing anything!” Francesca hissed, teeth bared, dress soaking wet.
“Bitch, please. You had your hands all over him. He’s mine!”
Dane interjected, “Jessie, just—"
“Don’t ‘Jessie’ me,” Jessie turned towards Dane with a growl. “Don’t think you’re getting away with this either, you cheating scumbag!”
“We were just talking!”
“Oh sure, just talking, that was why she was feeling up your biceps!”
“Babe, come on, don’t do this in front of everyone!”
It was exactly the wrong thing to say, and Jessie leapt at Dane with hands curled into claws, only to be caught mid-air by Felix.
“Take it outside,” he growled. “Dane, get her out of here.”
Dane sighed melodramatically, before taking Jessie over his shoulder and pushing through the crowd with her beating her fists against his back.
Daisy turned towards Francesca to see her furiously wiping at her dress. “Are you okay?” she asked, grabbing a handful of napkins and attempting to help her get the worst of it.
“Get off me, you bitch!” Francesca screeched, shoving Daisy back. “I don’t need some fat whore pawing at me! This whole place is fucking awful!”
She let out one more visceral scream of sheer anger before storming out, elbowing anyone who even got close to her, leaving Daisy shell-shocked, clutching Gracie in one arm and a handful of wet napkins in the other.
Tears of shame pricked at her eyes, and she felt her cheeks redden in pure mortification as everyone turned to gape at her. Her muscles froze, her heart hammered. Everyone was staring at her. All of them.
And then, Felix spun her around by the shoulder, taking Gracie from her and crouching slightly so that they were at eye level.
“Don’t listen to her, Daisy. Don’t let her get to you.”
Daisy felt the tears spill hot and heavy over her lashes and down her cheeks, panic clawing at her throat.
“I’m serious,” Felix continued, “she’s not worth it. And she’s no longer welcome here. Nobody agrees with her, nobody thinks that about you.”
Daisy couldn’t stop the gasping sob that escaped her. She wanted Nicolas. God help her, she wanted him by her side.
“The show’s over,” Rick said, moving to block her from the view of the crowd, his voice silky smooth and filled with venom.
Instantly, everyone returned to what they were doing, pointedly ignoring Daisy and Felix.
“This is what you get for welcoming humans into pack affairs,” Rick said as he turned towards them, tone quiet and deadly.
“Now is not the time, Rick,” Felix said, grabbing some fresh napkins for Daisy. “I think we should—"
“I’ve already sent the e-mail,” Rick purred, “everything’s in motion.”
“Good,” Felix nodded, before guiding Daisy towards the stairs at the back that led up to his private offices.
‘Wait, what about Thea?’
“I’ll get one of the guys to bring her up, don’t worry. I think you need a hot cup of tea.”