Page 75 of Bully Wolf's Nanny
He swallowed, his hand grasping her shoulder tight. “I love you, Daisy Copperfield.”
Epilogue - Nicolas
Preparations for the logging festival were well underway as he strolled through the main square of Silvermist, Daisy’s arm tucked into his, her hand resting on her swollen stomach. The diamond on her finger glinted in the late afternoon sun, sending a jolt of smug satisfaction through him.
His. Always.
The matching gold band on his own finger was a testament to the fact that he was also hers.
Gracie, now nearing two, was busy toddling after falling maple leaves, squealing in delight whenever she caught one in her chubby fists. Thea was still at school, and had made them promise not to go to the market until she was with them. Luckily for her, they were still setting up, hauling stalls into place and securing them down.
The atmosphere was warm. Inviting. A celebration of the rich logging history of Silvermist with a fresh boost from the New Guard’s investment in the community.
The Iron Walkers definitely enjoyed getting involved in the celebrations. Dane was always at the heart of the competitions, throwing logs the furthest or felling a tree the fastest. Nicolas himself enjoyed the forest racing. Rick would descend from his gothic mansion like some kind of king visiting his people, laden with a dozen barrels of spiced cider made from apples from his own orchards.
And then, of course, there was Felix at the center of everything. Seamlessly coordinating the pack and the human townspeople, squashing any issues before they arose, breaking bread and sharing drinks with young and old alike. Most remembered a time when his father ruled, and none missed it.Felix was beloved by the entire population of Silvermist, and that love shone through.
Nicolas was pleased for him. All Felix had ever wanted was to show the world that there was another way. That shifter packs didn’t have to be savage, imperialistic kingdoms focused on nothing except their own expansion. There was still plenty of opposition to this brave new world, including from within the pack, but for the time being there was peace.
And Nicolas would do whatever it took to maintain that peace. To keep his family and brothers safe. Territory expansion be damned.
“What are you thinking about?” Daisy asked sweetly, pushing her fluffy blonde bangs out of her eyes with a mittened hand.
“World domination,” he replied, throwing her a cheeky grin.
She rolled her eyes fondly. “You’re always thinking about world domination. You and Thea both.”
“I never said I wanted to achieve world domination. That seems like entirely too much effort. I was just mulling over the concept.”
“Says the man who runs a Fortune 500 company.”
“Irrelevant,” he smirked, “Nero Inc. doesn’t even break the top ten.”
“Woe is you,” she grinned back, rubbing her heavy stomach, “perhaps this one will finally join me in being utterly uncompetitive.”
“Not a chance,” Nicolas tucked her scarf tighter around her neck, relishing the pink flush on her cheeks from the cold. “Ifanything, your genes make the competitiveness worse. Just look at Thea.”
Daisy sighed, and Nicolas took the opportunity to press a kiss to her lips. She smiled shyly, ever bashful, but kissed him back.
“Don’t remind me. You know she’s going to want to join in all the competitions at the festival this weekend, right? We’ll spend half our time stopping her from trying to get her hands on an axe!”
“That ruthlessness will serve her well when she joins the board at Nero.”
Daisy pulled back, bright green eyes wide in surprise. “The board?”
“Of course,” he said, deftly reaching down to hoist Gracie onto his hip before she decided to run off entirely. “If she wants to when she’s older. Which somehow, I don’t doubt she will.”
Daisy’s eyebrows furrowed, and he resisted the urge to lean forward and kiss the small wrinkle smooth. God, she was adorable. He would never get tired of her, of every tiny expression, of each soft edge.
“I guess I always thought you would want Gracie to inherit your place at Nero.”
“Why?”
“Well, because…because in a roundabout way she’s your firstborn.”
“All of my children will have a place at my company,” he said. “We’re wolves, Daisy. We run in a pack.”
She hummed, wiping a small smudge on Gracie’s cheek away. “I hope they don’t all decide to abandon me to go and conquer the city.”
