Page 10 of Rejected Nanny Mate (Crystal Creek Wolves #3)

Gwen continued to be a great nanny and a perfect housemate. What she wasn't, though, was friendly.

She had been in the beginning, but I'd fucked that all up by confronting her when she was downtown with the baby.

I hadn't exactly lied about being worried about the dangers of her and Rose being out alone, but in the middle of town, she was safe enough.

If she yelled once, she'd be surrounded by members of one of the four packs working or shopping in the area. The danger, in truth, was minimal.

But while I wasn't too concerned with someone trying to hurt one of them or take Rose, I was worried about Jayce's sudden interest in Gwen, even if I had no right to be.

I'd told Gwen to her face that I wasn't interested in being with her, and then, as soon as another male expressed interest in her, I was ready to tear his throat out.

I tried to backtrack and insist that I wasn't into her, but I wasn't sure if any of the other Alphas bought my excuse.

So, was I into her? Yeah, I sure as hell was, and I didn't want Jayce sniffing around my nanny or my territory, the ungrateful prick.

Samson and Scott would have never accepted him without me, and now he was trying to stick his nose where it didn't belong.

If I had the power, I'd cut off the trial with the Blacktide pack and kick him out of the alliance.

Which was so out of character for me that it was alarming.

Logically, I knew Jayce and his pack were a good addition, and their presence only made our quad alliance stronger.

Hell, I'd even liked Jayce as a person until Gwen came back into my life.

We'd almost been friends. But after he called her cute, I was sure I'd never hated anyone more.

Something was definitely wrong with me. Maybe it was the exhaustion of being a new father in addition to running Emerald Blooms and the Brokenclaw pack all at once. I was sure I'd go back to feeling amiable about Jayce once everything had settled down.

But no matter how tired I was, I was still an Alpha, and the way Gwen was treating me had my wolf clawing at the surface, demanding answers.

She was distant, cold, and not the warm and friendly Omega I'd gotten used to having around the house.

It was obvious something was wrong, and since she'd only gotten like that after we'd had a disagreement, it didn't take a genius to realize it was my fault.

I didn't want her to dislike me, but I had a hard time bringing myself to apologize.

There was a big part of me that felt like I'd done nothing wrong.

I had every right to be concerned about my baby and the woman caring for her.

Gwen had agreed with me and given up, so why was she being cold all of a sudden?

If she wasn't willing to talk about it, fine.

Except it wasn't fine. Dammit. She had me tied up in a million knots.

No matter how she treated me, Gwen was still a stellar caretaker.

Rose adored her, and Gwen did a lot more than just feeding and watching her.

She was putting her early childhood education knowledge to work, playing and reading with her, and teaching her colors, letters, and shapes.

Even though she didn't have to, and it wasn't her job, she was doing the work of a mother.

The realization of that was like a punch to the gut.

Gwen wasn't Rose's mother. I had no idea who in the hell Rose's mother was.

I'd made a list and tried to look each of the women up, but there was no denying that there were a few whose names I didn't even remember.

It made me sick every time I thought about it or sat down to try to unravel the mystery.

I was fucking things up, and I needed to stop.

It had been almost a month, and my head was spinning.

I'd never expected to be a father, and while I was happy, I was also terrified.

There was a huge world outside the pack, and I was responsible for this tiny little creature.

Rose was the center of my universe, and no matter how tired or overwhelmed I was, it was worth it.

Last week had been hell, and while I could blame a lot of that on Gwen, it wasn't fair.

She'd done a good job of ignoring me and keeping herself busy, but when Rose was awake, Gwen was with her.

I'd relieve her in the late afternoons, and a lot of those days, Gwen was rushing out the door in minutes, tying her work apron around her waist as she went.

Scott had agreed to let her work as my nanny, but Gwen was apparently refusing to let her job at the cafe go.

I couldn't understand it. I paid her significantly more than Scott did, so why was she so adamant about working both jobs?

I had an idea.

My wolf was pushing me towards her, and after the day from hell, the only thing I could think about was tracking her down.

It wasn't the smartest plan, especially considering that we weren't exactly on the best of terms, but there was nothing else I could do.

My wolf was a needy bastard, and if I didn't figure something out soon, he was going to break free and try to hunt her down himself.

There was no way in hell I was letting him run loose. But if I was going to keep a handle on things, I was going to need to shift and hunt in wolf form sooner rather than later, just to let some steam off.

That was how I ended up behind the house after Rose had been put to bed, cloaked in the darkness of the night and the nearby forest. Gwen was home that night, not at the cafe working the dinner shift, so my daughter wasn't alone.

It was a rare opportunity, and the perfect chance to let my wild side satiate itself with tooth and claw.

I'd just stripped off my shift when I heard the back door slide open, and Gwen padded out on the deck above me.

I was under the structure, and she couldn't see me, but I could hear her.

As far as Gwen knew, I was off dealing with pack things.

She had no idea I was even home. I knew I shouldn't eavesdrop, and that if she caught me, the distance between us would only grow, but I couldn't help myself.

At first, I thought someone else was with her and I nearly vaulted up to the porch, but I quickly realized that she was on the phone, speaking in hushed tones.

“I'm sorry, Scott,” she said, sounding pained. “I can't work tomorrow morning. No, I didn't ask Joe. I, ah, don't see much of him.”

There was a pause where Scott was assumedly talking, and Gwen responded. “No, please. I want to stay on the schedule. I appreciate you offering to put me on leave, but I don't want to stop waitressing.”

Ah. Then, I understood what the conversation was about, and I felt a twinge of guilt as I continued to listen in.

“Yes. Thank you, sir. That's what I was hoping for. Please don't change anything.”

I almost growled in frustration. I just couldn't understand why she wouldn't just quit the cafe for the time being. The job would be there waiting for her once my need for a nanny was finished...Although I couldn't imagine how it would work for Rose and me without one.

“Thank you. See you tomorrow evening.”

Gwen hung up the phone and leaned against the porch railing, and the scent of her stress was strong enough for my nose to pick up, even under the cover of the house.

“What in the hell have I done to myself?” She whispered, sounding exhausted. I could definitely relate to that. “It's just temporary,” she reassured herself, “Only temporary. I can do this.”

That was enough. I couldn't take hearing how miserable she sounded, knowing that I played a part in it. Before she could sense me, I loped around the side of the house and bounded up the stairs, causing Gwen to jump and clutch a hand over her heart.

“Holy shit, Joe,” she breathed, looking up at me. “You scared the crap out of me.”

Her voice was thin and reedy, which worried me. “I just didn't want you to take off. Are you okay?”

She shifted from foot to foot, and it was then that I processed what she was wearing, or the lack thereof.

Her matching pajamas consisted of a pair of pale pink shorts and a thin tank, no bra, and a long, silky robe to ward off the evening chill.

I wasn't sure that the robe was doing its job very well, and I had the thought that I could keep her warm if she would only let me.

“I'm fine,” she said after a beat. “Just, um, getting some fresh air.” Her eyes darted down over my bare chest quickly and then back to my face, and there was a slight flush on her freckled cheeks.

I wasn't the only one affected by the others' state of undress, and it made me feel cocky.

She might be chronically pissed off at me, but Gwen was still attracted to me, at least.

“You don't have to lie,” I told her. “I heard your phone call. Before you bite my head off, I was outside, already getting ready to shift and go for a run. I wasn't intentionally listening in.”

She'd opened her mouth to yell at me, but stopped when I explained myself, and understanding flashed over her face. “Ah. I guess that explains—” she motioned to my bare chest. “This.” I flexed, just slightly, and she scowled. “Knock it off.”

I laughed, but I wasn't going to be thrown off the real conversation that easily. “Anyway. Are you having trouble with work?”

“It's fine.”

“Gwen,” I growled.

She rolled her eyes, and I was glad to see her anger was directed somewhere other than me. “If you must know, yes, I'm struggling. There. Are you happy now?”

“Not really.” I folded my arms. “Why are you struggling?

You can talk to me. This setup only works if we're open with each other. About things related to you and Rose,” I added at the end.

There were a lot of things I wanted to be open about with her, but that ship had sailed long ago, and there was no way to get it back.