Chapter 10

Sarah POV

I had never before experienced the desire to scratch someone’s eyes out. It wasn’t a sensation I enjoyed. “Our kind” and “your kind” indeed!

But I just smiled sweetly and went back to my crab salad, which was so delicious it almost made me hungry. When Mr. Cavendish announced I would be going to the party, I shot him a real smile, and then I bopped Chloe on the nose. She rubbed it accusingly, but I could see she was coming out of her mood, which I would ask her about later.

“Sarah did an extraordinary thing, Ella,” Mr. Cavendish said next, which made me look up in surprise. “Someone left not only a baby, but a pup on her doorstep, and she did everything she could to find the parents before adopting the child herself.”

He had someone do a background check on me, I thought, but I would have been shocked if he hadn’t.

“As you’re worried about Sarah’s comfort at the party, I suggest you do not invite anyone who thinks we’re still living in some feudal state where humans were bought and sold. I want my daughters raised in a world where humans and wolves live as equals, and that certainly includes their birthday party.”

I smiled but looked down to keep from getting emotional. Thank the goddess Chloe’s father was turning out to be such a decent person.

“Well, of course, dear,” Ella said in a voice of honey, saccharine, and syrup. “I’ll make sure everyone there is nothing but happy for the girls. And you too, of course, now that you’ve been reunited with dear Chloe.”

I shot Chloe a look.

“Thank you, Miss Ella,” Chloe said. Grace echoed her.

“In fact,” Ella said. “I think I need to take the girls shopping for party clothes. What do you say?”

“Sounds nice,” Grace said.

“Will Mommy be coming?” Chloe asked.

“Of course,” Mr. Cavendish said.

“I wouldn’t miss it,” I assured her.

Chloe still looked ready to say no, which surprised me.

“We’ll get you both matching outfits,” Ella was telling Grace.

“Please, Chloe,” Grace said.

“OK,” Chloe said, then shoved a huge bite of rare steak into her mouth. I was going to chide her, but Mr. Cavendish actually chuckled in approval, so I pretended not to notice.

Soon enough, we were back in the car on the way to Au Bon Marche, a store I had often dreamed of taking Chloe to, and if I’m honest, going to for myself as well. Mr. Cavendish spent most of the ride on the phone, said something about a meeting to someone, and then hung up and reached into his wallet.

“This has unlimited credit,” he said casually as he handed it over. I confess I took it half-expecting it to explode or something. “They know Ella well, so you should have no trouble using it.”

“Thank you, Mr. Cavendish,” I said, putting the card away and wondering why he hadn’t given it to Ella. But then I remembered he had said I needed a card as the girls’ nanny.

“Please call me Zane, Sarah.”

I wasn’t so certain about that, but I just said, “All right.”

Ollie let us out of the car at the main entrance to the store, which was on the corner. An actual doorman opened the doors for us, and inside it was as spacious and impressive as a cathedral, just with display cases instead of pews and escalators instead of a pipe organ. Huge windows let in the natural light, and once we breezed past the perfumed miasma of the cosmetics department, the air hinted at a gentle floral.

Ella strode as confidently as ever through the store, Grace hurrying to keep up. I kept Chloe’s hand in mine and abruptly realized the male werewolf who had started following us at the entrance wasn’t a security guard for the store but a bodyguard for the children. His gramma-green eyes looked at everyone but us, and he made sure to keep out of our way while still staying between us and anything like a threat, including a sullen-looking teenager by the shoe department who was must be waiting on a girlfriend or a mother.

We rode up to the third floor and were suddenly in a sea of children’s formal wear. Everything was tulle and sparkles and satins. No fewer than three saleswomen swanned over to Ella’s side, cooing over Grace and then exclaiming with delight over Chloe.

I left them to it, drawn to the sparkly silver dresses I knew Chloe would like. I forced myself not to stare at the price tags.

In short order, Ella was showing her picks to Grace and Chloe. Grace cautiously put a hand out to a pink-and-mint green dress, but Chloe just frowned until I walked up with three choices in my hands.

“This one!” Chloe said with excitement, picking the one I thought she would. Then she looked at the other two somewhat wistfully.

“Try them all on,” I said, handing them over to the saleswoman hovering nearby.

With little squeals, the girls ran into the fitting rooms. I sat on a lush beige sofa and was handed a cup of coffee with cream. I didn’t even bother to wonder how the salespeople knew I took my coffee.

Ella sat with a glass of champagne and looked at her phone. I was enjoying the moment greatly. At last, Chloe could wear something nice without my having to worry about paying the rent. And I loved how close she and Grace were getting.

“Chloe is so lucky to take after her father so much,” Ella said suddenly, all smiles like a crocodile. “Zane was suck a stickler for purity of the line when we were growing up together. Everyone always assumed he and I would mate, considering our mutual attraction and affrection, but, as someone may have told you, I am a beta.”

I did notice the brown eyes, I thought.

“Olivia, my twin, was about as alpha as alpha can be, so I can only gracefully accept that he felt the need to breed with her as a duty to the pack. And look! Both girls are alphas, so he chose correctly.

“And, of course, his mating solidified his position as pack alpha, goddess bless him. And now twin alpha progeny! He’ll have no trouble attracting even more wolves to the pack now.”

“Good luck to him,” I said, sipping down the last of my coffee and looking around for the pot. Instead, a new piping hot cup was handed to me. I thanked the beta salesman in a manner appropriate for his rank, which he acknowledged with a pleased little smile.

“I see you know some of our customs,” Ella said. “I’m sure then you understand why any designs on Zane would be—”

“Forgive me for interrupting,” I said rather brazenly. “It’s just that I’ve had this conversation enough for this week. I promise you, I am only here because Chloe is still legally my daughter, and will continue to be until Mr. Cavendish decides otherwise. My only goal right now is to be the best mother and nanny I can.”

She narrowed those dark brown eyes at me. “He told you to call him Zane.”

I shrugged. “That is his right. But I’m not talking to him right now.”

Her laugh tinkled like a bell. “You have made a study of wolves, haven’t you?” She looked down then, and then back up into my eyes as though she were confiding to a friend.

“Nothing in my life saddened me as much as the loss of my twin, but I will confess to you a petty measure of joy that it has left me with Zane.”

What did she want me to do, I wondered? Swear to wear a chastity belt around him?

Thank the goddess, the girls came out then, holding hands and wearing their picks for the party. Of course, Ella and I approved, I used Mr. Cavendish’s card, and then we all met up with the proud alpha father.

“Now we must have a lovely dinner,” Ella said, and I couldn’t help but wonder, if her idea of a “lovely lunch” was a bowl of lean broth, just what she would consider a suitable dinner. In any event, the last thing I wanted was more of her company.

When I tried to bow out, however, the girls pulled on my arms, and twenty minutes later we were all standing in the lobby of what was thankfully a family restaurant.

“So good to see you again, Alpha Zane,” the maître d’ said as he turned his green eyes in the direction of our feet. “And may I be so bold as to express the staff’s delight that your daughter Chloe has been returned to you?”

“Thank you, Benedict,” Mr. Cavendish said quietly

“And of course, it’s a great pleasure to see you again, Miss Grace.”

She smiled shyly.

Then, to my surprise, he nodded to me with approval before turning back to my employer. “We can offer differently themed private rooms for families. Which one would your wife and children prefer?"