It was a difficult task now to pick up Fallon to soothe her. Nell managed it by sitting on a chair close to the window. Perhaps she should have held out for surgery, make the Alpha pay. Occasionally, her eyes strained to see the forest in the distance, and not because of her employer’s inexplicable behaviour. For her, it held its own pull, which was odd because a much scarier version figured in her nightmare, the recurring one which seemed to have banished all others.A dwelling was on fire and, because of its hidden nature, no-one came to help. She could see a girl straining to give birth and couldn’t understand the significance of the filigree chain and symbol which graced her forehead. Her clothing was ragged, a mixture of sage and purple in hue, and she was all alone in her travail.Sometimes, a man’s face convulsed in grief appeared. At others, she fancied she heard the cry of a baby. The most bizarre of all was when she saw people with light hair gathered in a semi-circle chanti
“What about Fallon?” She kept her tone reasonable and even, despite being caged by his much larger body. “Theo’s mated. Did you know that?” “And you’re just a bully. Alpha, I only know his name because I glanced at the badge on my way to your office. It doesn’t harm to be civil.” He spun away and she heaved a sigh of relief. “Ignore me. I’m just – at the end of my tether.” Admitting such a thing, and to her, wasn’t a first. Yet she marvelled at the way he continued to treat her like a confidante. “Let me make us a hot drink,” she said. “It’s about time for Fallon’s feed. Please excuse me while I change her.” She went about her necessary business in the bathroom. “You’ve done a lot with this place,” he called to her, as she cooed to her charge. “Good or bad, Alpha?” “Not to my taste, but girly enough for its occupants.” “You don’t want me to re-arrange your office, then, Liam?” She was only making small talk while she worked and winced a little to think she’d been so forward
Liam had dismissed the notion of giving in to the demanding humans until the idea for the concession came to him. He tried to convince himself it had nothing to do with Nell, but had to admit the thought of having access to her twenty-four seven was an appealing one.In truth, he was lonely and yet he wasn’t overly eager to find his mate. Having her at his beck and call, including in his bed or on the floor beside it, was too tempting a lure to resist.Not that he wanted Fallon to succumb to the weakness inherent in hybrids. Though holding her the other day had told him something was definitely amiss.Creating a new law would be a way around that.He could, of course, sack Nell if it suited him. Maybe he would tell her that if she started to misbehave.The delegation from Shutterford was due to arrive and he understood the mayor’s deputy was a doctor by trade, but there was no way he was going to have him examine the pup.Nell was coming to take notes. He hadn’t seen her for a day or
Nell forced herself to concentrate on polishing her notes while she waited for Deborah’s daughter to answer her message. Her heart was beating madly. What was he going to think when he saw her deformity? Maybe she could gauge his response by Holly’s reaction. Though she knew the two things were not the same.Getting up to look in the bathroom mirror more than once was no help. Whichever way you sliced it, she was a freak of nature.Holly responded in typical fashion with emojis indicating her enthusiasm and it wasn’t long before a tentative knock sounded at the door. The girl was mindful of the sickly baby, which could only be a good thing.“The Alpha likes you, I can tell,” she said. “Mom says … ”Nell held up a palm which trembled with the after effects of repetitive strain. “Please, save it,” she said. “I don’t want to know.”“Liam’s all right, just – burdened.”Like me.“I know. Unlike the rest of you, I guess I’m just unused to following orders.” Once the words left her mouth, sh
From the moment Holly gasped out the alarming truth, Nell had known instinctively she was right. Did that explain Rosemary Worthington Field’s coldness towards her? Her close relationship with her father spoke volumes. She knew he hadn’t been anything other than reassuringly human. Did that mean her natural mother was an elf?And had she been forced to give birth unattended in a hut which caught fire?Could Liv have been privy to the secret? That would explain a lot. Was her hip pain a sign? She supposed she would never know unless she plucked up the courage to ask her mom to tell her the truth.Holly didn’t seem unduly upset. She found the whole thing cool. Deborah had a slightly more grown up approach. They both wondered how the Alpha would take it, though neither of them voiced the thought.When he turned up, eventually, her heart was hammering in her chest. Nell knew the chignon suited her and that it had been a style favoured by Martha when hosting the once famous pack parties.T
“Come on, Nell. Time to go.”“Can I have a moment of privacy, Alpha?”“Make it quick.”He went back to the vehicle, leaving them alone.Nell said only, “Why?”“Why did I keep it from you? Shucks, Ellie. Hard to say. I bet it hurt when you found out, didn’t it?”“You never used to be so bitter,” she said, taking in the gorgeous heart-shaped face, the newly tinted curls and eyes like the ocean in Summer.“We both know who to blame for that.”All at once, it was as if she had her sister back. Olivia hugged her. “I’m sorry, Nell. Ain’t your fault he was a creep.”“Come visit me soonest,” she urged. “Who knows, you might like it this time around and want to stay.” She lowered her voice. “And if you could see your way clear to returning the American Express card, it would help.”Olivia wouldn’t be drawn. “What’s with you and the Alpha guy?”“Nothing. It’s like he said, I take care of the pack’s heir. So, what’s the latest with you?”“I’m a beautician and stylist,” she said, doing a twirl fo
She saw red. If it hadn’t been for the Beta’s mate talking her out of it, she would have marched to his office then and there, Bella or no Bella.“Why is he spying on me?”“He isn’t, Nell. It’s really to monitor what happens when you’re not here. If you think about it, it makes sense to leave it switched on.”“Well, I wish I had known,” she said. “Maybe Alpha Liam would care to hear what I think of him right now.”“Don’t, Nell. You’re overreacting.”“Am I? At every turn there is some new insult to be overcome. Put this in your earpiece and smoke it: I quit.”She wasn’t serious, and provoking Alpha Liam of all people wasn’t the best idea she’d ever had. But he had neglected to inform her about something so important and, after all, it was her bedroom. What if the nightmare had recurred and she’d said something wildly inappropriate without meaning to, stuff he might take the wrong way?There hadn’t been time to come to terms with who and what she was because of him and his demanding nat
How was she going to get out of this one? It was her own fault for emerging from the bathroom in only a towel. She glanced at Fallon, still sleeping, and began to wonder if someone had drugged her. Surely not Deborah?Biting her lip, she couldn’t help recalling that conversation they’d had, the one in which she’d confronted the she-wolf about allegedly declaring Olivia competent to look after the pup. She had denied it, implying that her sister had probably made the whole thing up and managed to convince the Alpha of that.“Don’t do that,” he said, sounding angry. So what was new?“Did you plan this?” she demanded. “Is that why Fallon’s been asleep such a long time? Sedatives are dangerous for babies, everyone knows that.”“What the hell are you talking about?”Nell paled. “Maybe it was in the already prepared formula I gave her this morning. Send for Deborah. Please Liam, she’ll know what to do.”“We have unfinished business,” he said. “Swear to me you’ll come to my room later.”“Yes