AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yippee!”
“Yay!”
Bucky and Jaye were practically screaming in unison. “Picnic! Picnic,” they yelled as they ran circles around the big open first floor.
“Uncle Dax and Aunt Bloom will be there too, right?” Jasper yelled.
“And Uncle Jack? And Clint?” Marcus chimed in.
“Yes, boys.”
“And Uncle Dayton?” Jaye asked more quietly.
“Yes, Jaye, Dayton too. Everybody will be there. Now, Marcus, Jasper, please help your brothers get their sweatshirts on and zipped up. And go clean up the toys in the back like I told you an hour ago! Then we can go!”
At that, the whole little pack of them ran out the back door. Suddenly, picking up after themselves sounded fun, apparently, if it meant they could then go to the barbeque, that is. Rollo sighed deeply.
It was a Saturday, so they were off, but they had arranged a sort of barbeque for friends and family, not that many of them had family.Well, Dax has Bloom, of course.But they all knew why they were really having this barbeque.
Dax and Bloom wanted Frederick almost as badly as he did, and they had decided a barbeque would work just fine for the informal meeting they’d been planning to discuss the recent sightings of Frederick.
Just then, a sound rang through the house. It took him a second to realize what the sound was.
Oh shit.The doorbell.
His place was so remote, he hardly ever got visitors. And with its high perimeter wall, it was no surprise. It was not exactly welcoming, but then again, that was kind of the idea.
He looked at the big round wall clock. Nine A.M..
Oh my god, the nanny! The interview! Shit. Shit. Shit
He looked into the backyard and spotted three of the four boys, hanging from the monkey bars looking for all the world, like, well, monkeys.Where the hell is Marcus?
The doorbell rang again.
Where was his phone? He needed to send a group text to the pack to let them know he was going to run late.
He had been just about to pile all the kids in the SUV and head to the park. But his plan all along had been to leave the barbeque meeting early anyhow. He had planned on asking Dax and Bloom to watch the boys for the afternoon. He had sat on his hands long enough. He was heading over to Mossy Ridge to search the area.
Dax wouldn’t forbid that. They had never been this close to Frederick before. There was no way he was going to let him get away. He needed to go there while the scents were still fresh, while the clues were still there. He needed to scope the place for himself. His wolf was already pacing with anticipation.
Dammit. Well, I already waited this long, and I really need someone to look after the boys, sooner rather than later, so what’s an extra hour?
He was out of options. His friends and the pack were amazing and really supportive, but he could only send the kids on so many playdates and call in so many favors for people to watch them. And if he tried dropping them over at Curiouser and Curiouser again, he was sure the witches would probably start trying to teach his boys spell work. And it would be years before he could even consider leaving them alone.
Images of his dead brother flashed into his mind. He pushed them down. His wolf bristled again. The thirst for vengeance was always there.
No, they were too young to leave alone. He needed a nanny. And he needed one now.
The doorbell rang again.Shit.He pushed down his rising anxiety and his wolf’s frustrations. He couldn’t afford this distraction. He said a silent prayer to the winds.
On his way to the door, he spotted his phone and grabbed it to send a quick text. As he was opening the door, he typed,Hey. Got that nanny interview. Forgot…sorry. Will be over by 10. Don’t start the briefing without me!He sent it and finally looked up.
The woman standing there was slight. She looked like the wind might blow her off her feet actually. Sandy strawberry hair and a rosy pink hue to her skin.She’s perfect.Wait, what?He caught himself staring.
“Um, uh, sorry.Hi, you must be the nanny? I mean, you must be here for the nanny job?” he managed to say. She can’t be my nanny.His wolf apparently begged to differ, though, as it was practically doing standing backflips deep inside him.
Down, boy!
