Page 3 of Rejected Nanny Mate
“We need to find the mom,” Samson stated, glancing at me.
“I'll make a list,” I promised, feeling the weight of the entire situation pressing down on my shoulders. What the hell was I doing? I was no parent.
“Do you know anything about babies?” Kiera asked, looking at me.
“A passing amount. That's why I called the two of you, though. Consider it a favor, pack to pack. I'll owe both of your packs if you can help me out.”
They'd already done more than I expected. When they arrived, they brought baby formula, brand-new clothes, blankets, and everything else under the sun to at least get us through the night. But it was all so damned sudden, and I had both a business and a pack to run.
“Our wives aren't going to be your babysitters,” Scott snarked, crossing his arms.
“I never expected that,” I said, exasperated. “But maybe they can point me in the right direction.”
“I actually have someone in mind,” Kiera provided, handing me my daughter. “Let me go make the new princess a bottle, and we'll get you two settled in for the night. I'll call her in the morning and see if she's up for it.”
It was as good a plan as any, and I trusted Kiera enough to believe any nanny she recommended would be a great fit. Ididn't love the idea of a random person in my house, around my daughter, but what the hell else was I supposed to do in a situation like this?
I left the four of them to talk as they made their way into the kitchen, Kiera making the bottle while the rest of them quietly discussed the sudden change. I was left with Rose, who was watching me quietly with wide, open eyes. Instinctively, I held her close to my face, scenting her. Her tiny fist came up, and she grabbed hold of my finger.
My heart melted, and I cuddled her closer. She was still so fragile, so new, and yet, the connection between us was already undeniable. “You're the best surprise,” I whispered softly, kissing her cheek.
She blinked, but seemed unfazed, still focused on my face.
“This is gonna be okay,” I murmured, half to myself, and Rose yawned. “It just might take some time. Be patient with me, okay, kid?”
Rose sneezed, and that was answer enough for me.
Chapter 2 - Gwen
It wasn't quite raining when I pulled up in front of Kiera and Samson's house, but the air was still misty, and I pulled my cardigan just a touch tighter around myself. At the end of the driveway, Kiera was putting Kit on the school bus, kissing the top of his head and waving as the yellow bus pulled away into the fog.
I waited for my friend at the bottom of her porch steps, and Kiera hugged me when she reached me. It was early, and I still hadn't figured out exactly why she had invited me over for coffee at the crack of dawn, but I was happy to see her nonetheless.
“Come in,” Kiera said, waving me up the stairs. “There's something I want to talk to you about while the boys are out of the house.”
“That sounds ominous,” I'm only halfway joking. Kiera usually invited me over with Nayeli in tow, and never in the morning. I was already on edge, but knowing that she'd intentionally waited until we were fully alone to talk made me even more so.
“Oh, not really,” I followed Kiera into the kitchen, where she poured us two cups of coffee. She added milk and sugar, while I opted for milk only. We sat at the dining room table, where there was a good view of the backyard and a scattering of birds at a brightly colored bird feeder. “Nayeli just sleeps till noon these days, or she'd be here. Pregnancy is kicking her butt.”
That made me feel a little bit better. Being with Kiera was enough to make me feel good on its own, anyway. Since Samson had married Kiera and made the witch his Luna, the pack had slowly started to change for the better. She-wolves were able totake their own ranks in the pack and not have to either stay at the bottom or have the same rank as their husbands, and Samson was doing a lot of legwork to make sure the entire pack saw us all as equal.
It helped that Kiera was a powerful witch, but I'd like to think the changes would have happened without the threat of her magic, too.
“I don't envy her,” I said, crossing my legs. “But she and Scott are going to be such good parents.”
“Scott has no idea what he's in for,” Kiera said, deadpan. She meant it. “I hope he's taking some classes or something.”
“I think we both know he isn't.”
Kiera and I laughed. I'd worked for Scott, the Alpha of the Shadowbay pack, for quite some time now, and Kiera had worked for him for a few weeks about a year ago. He was a good business owner, but research wasn't his strong suit. Scott would make an interesting parent, to say the least, but Nayeli would keep him in line.
“Speaking of Scott,” Kiera leaned forward, her red manicured nails tapping on her coffee cup, “How is work?”
“It's fine,” I shrugged one shoulder. “It's not what I thought I'd be doing with my degree, but Scott pays well, and it makes it possible for me to be independent, so I guess I don't have any room to complain.”
“Your degree was in early childhood education, right?”
I nodded. “Just an associate.”
