real concern.)
Cauley had let me vent. I didn’t even know how badly I’d needed to until I felt the prick of tears as I wrapped up how frustrated and out of options I was feeling.
“Gosh, I’m sorry,” I’d groaned, wiping at my face, embarrassed that I’d just blurted out all of the day's events to one of my bosses. How professional.
Cauley had searched both of my eyes, his face uncharacteristically serious. “Give me Bella’s last name and I’ll take care of her. In the meantime, what about your cheater fleabag ex? Jillian, right?”
I laughed a little. “You’re terrible—but I appreciate the support. My ex-husband is Julién, and he works fourteen-hour shifts. He really can’t help watch Maggie—” I’d started to say.
But Cauley was too busy to really hear the whys of it. He was shaking his head. “That was your first clue that he was a gobshite.” He made a face. “‘Julién.’”
Then he’d taken me by the shoulders, looked deep into my eyes, and said the most attractive thing a woman raising two kids on a shoestring paycheck could ever hear: “Swayt hart, don’t you worry anymore.”
He’d searched my face with determination, “You have me.”
My heart had lurched, desperate to have someone who I could truly depend on.
He’d continued, all uncharacteristic seriousness. “And I’m going to make this problem disappear.”
I’d been so overcome with how incredible that would be—it was such a beautiful fantasy—my mouth ignored my brain (which was yelling something I couldn’t make out at the time), and what came out of my mouth had been a heartfelt, “Thank you, Cauley.”
Thank you? What I should have said was, You’re very sweet, but this isn’t your problem. You employ me, or your Pack does, and therefore I’ve been keeping you firmly at arm’s length where I think you should continue to stay. No, I don’t believe I can accept any help from you although I appreciate the offer immensely. Oh, and I need to get back to work now. Excuse me.
I should have said all of that, but I didn’t, and so here we are—with Cauley’s solution to our problems being a live-in submissive werewolf, because submissive werewolves are apparently amazing with children.
Now if you’re thinking ‘Stop right there—who the heck lets a complete stranger, an adult MAN no less, into their home to watch over their defenseless little girl?’
The notion is completely crazy, and not in a million years would I be okay with it.
But I really mean it when I say that werewolves are different. Suspend your disbelief if you’ve not met one yet. They’re so different that you’d be sold on them too, honest. Plus, I work with a Pack alpha. I feel safe with shapeshifters primarily because Cauley is a great ambassador, the most trustworthy guy you’ll ever meet. He acts like the fun-loving prankster, but you should see him around women and kids. When he tells me he’s got a werewolf I can trust, I believe him. To add to that, I’ve seen a lot of interactions working the ‘family’ hours at the pub, where kids and parents and werewolves are all thrown together. Werewolves really do seem to have an affinity with children.
“He’ll need somewhere cool and dark to sleep, preferably, and you just tell him to do what you want him to do and he’ll follow your orders to the letter. Believe me,” Cauley had boasted when he told me who he was bringing to my house. “And you will never have to worry about him mistreating your little Maggie. No feckin’ way—that’s a promise.”
It sounded so good that I’d agreed.
But in the face of this man who’s acting like an abused animal, my doubts and concerns are reaching floodwater proportions.
Also reaching floodwater proportions is Maggie’s excitement. Like a dam bursting, she squeal-shouts an excited, “I get to meet my first werewolf!”
And even though she’s in the living room, it’s still an ear-piercing sound to those of us in the kitchen.
It’s too much for our new shapeshifter. Her boisterous holler breaks Deek.
Right before my eyes, he transforms into a wolf.
CHAPTER 2
SUSAN
“WHOA!” I shout before I slam my hand over my mouth. I wince and shoot Cauley an apologetic glance.
Cauley’s smile is grim. “Easy.” Although his smile is directed at me, I’m not sure if he’s reassuring me or the massive creature beside him, who looks like he’s hugging the tiled floor.
With care, Cauley strips the long-sleeve shirt and black pants and boxers off of the miserable-looking wolf and sets them beside the