Page 27 of Alpha Wolf's Nanny
Once they were gone and the remnants of breakfast cleared up, Cassie spread her maps over the table and opened her notebook to take some notes. She had already done a couple of the major hiking routes, but she wanted to explore slightly further afield. Find higher ground for a better view of the stars. And from the looks of things, there was a rather neat route that diverged from one of the main trails and led towards a large range of hills. Perfect.
A sharp knock at the front door made Cassie jump so sharply she nearly dropped her coffee mug.
She froze, heart thudding, pencil poised in her hand. The knock came again. Sharp, deliberate, three heavy raps that echoed down the hall like a warning.
Slowly, she moved toward the front door, wiping her hands on her sweater. She glanced out the front window, hearthammering. Nothing. No car. No delivery truck. Just the empty porch, bathed in morning sun.
She opened the door.
Nobody was there.
The street was quiet, the breeze rustling the tall trees at the end of the drive. No movement. No voices. Nothing.
Cassie’s skin prickled.
Was it…them?
This was how it always tended to start. A knock. Someone brushing past her in the street. The sense that she was being followed. But there was always a message that accompanied it, from something as small as a carving on her door to her car being set on fire. Sometimes it was just a scrap of paper tucked under a doormat.We know where you are. That was their favorite. Simple. Chilling.
But there was nothing here. No note. No figure darting away. Just stillness.
She took a cautious step out onto the porch, eyes scanning every corner, every shadow. Still nothing. She swallowed hard and turned back inside, locking the door firmly behind her.
You’re being paranoid, she told herself, fingers trembling slightly as she leaned against the wall.
They wouldn’t be this subtle. Not them. Not the men who’d been hunting her for years now. When they came, they wanted her to know. They left signs. Symbols. Warnings. They liked fear. What would have stopped them from storming into the house and taking her then and there? Nothing.
And Felix would smell them, wouldn’t he? If they had dared set foot anywhere near this place, he would’ve known. He’d have scented it on the breeze before they even got close.
That thought grounded her, steadied the rising tide of panic. No scent. No sign. No threat.
She was safe, at least for now. It was probably just some of the kids playing a practical joke. Or perhaps a delivery driver having to dash back to his van. Felix was Alpha; surely, any number of people came to knock on his door. There was a perfectly reasonable explanation.
Cassie drew a shaky breath, pushing off the wall and wiping her palms on her jeans again. She wasn’t going to let fear rule her. Not anymore.
Not here.
She returned to the kitchen, heart still pounding, but steadier now. The pencil markings on the map were half-finished, and she picked up a pen to continue, refusing to let her hands shake.
Once the route was planned, she packed up the rest of her gear. Sleeping bag, water filter, first-aid kit. Then she rolled up her maps and tucked them into her weathered pack.
Last of all, she picked up the telescope and turned it over in her hands, running her thumb along the cracked edge.
She was doing this. No fear. No running.
Just one night in the woods. Alone. Under the stars.
Cassie swung the pack over her shoulders and glanced toward the front door one last time.
Still nothing.
She grabbed her thermos, her coat, and stepped out into the quiet morning. The sunlight hit her face like a blessing, and for a moment, the fear melted away.
She was safe here.
Chapter 10 - Felix
“And then,” Danny said, shoveling another spoon of ice cream into his mouth, “and then Cassie helped us put up the netting, which means we can now lie downabovethe fort and see through the tops of the trees and see the stars and—”
