Nanny to the Billionaire Dragon - Cynthia Wilde Page 0,4

She could leave if she wanted, but he knew she felt a sense of responsibility to the collective pack like any other. Besides, as a bear-shifter she would certainly want to remain in a shifter enclave like this where she could be with her own kind and where her gifts were needed. Rafe's job, really his mission, was to make sure everything ran smoothly. It was a huge operation with so many intricate parts. And that was just to keep the “show” going. Although things had been relatively peaceful as far as their true mission was concerned, he still had to be sure they were always at the ready.

Samantha would be ok. Really, he needed to think about what was best for the children. They had already been through enough. He needed to make sure he kept things as normal and steady for them as possible, given the circumstances.

In need of fresh air, Rafe walked outside and into the courtyard garden. He sat down on the bench and placed his head in his hands. As the alpha of his loose pack, it was hard for him to admit anything close to a vulnerability in himself, but he knew when he needed reinforcements. Yeah, I need help...and quickly.

The sound of footsteps broke the silence. Rafe looked up to see his right-hand man, Alec, standing there dressed in his jousting armor and ready for the day to begin. “Sir,” he said with a slight bow. “Would you like to walk the grounds before we open? It’s been a while since we’ve done that.” He had a slight grin on his face. “The repairs are finished on the elves’ bakery, so once again we will have their tasty treats ready for the patrons. Oh, and I also outfitted them with a fire extinguisher, just in case. There's also the perennial issue of the glitter problem. No one wants to own up to it, but no matter what we say, it continues to be annoying to say the least. I'm thinking we should talk to the fairies at the end of the day to see if we can get a handle on it.”

The mention of all the unwanted glitter floating everywhere made Rafe grimace. If the fairies had their way, the whole place would be plastered with it. “Tell the fairies they will be on cleanup duty every night until every bit of their sparkle is cleaned up. They may use it in their area, but please remind them that not everyone wants everything sparkly. No more sparkles outside the fairy’s domain. Got it? You have to be firm with them. And don’t fall for their sulking. As for the elves, I'm glad to hear they‘re back in business, but for future reference, perhaps a tree isn't the best place to keep an oven.” Rafe stood, motioning for Alec to walk with him. “I need a favor,” he stopped walking to look seriously at his friend. “I caught Samantha stealing last night. Or, at least in possession of stolen property, I guess you could say. I don’t know. I didn’t want to believe it, but I guess you were right. Anyhow, I need to find her a place to live. But for now, could you just keep an eye on her? I think she’ll be fine, but the whole thing has been weird. She took the breakup as well as could be expected, but I just want to be sure she doesn’t do anything crazy. Do we have anyone available? I mean I am not concerned long term. She is committed to our mission, but short term… I would just feel better to have someone keep an eye on her.”

“To babysit?” Alec asked, his tone of voice was not surprised. “I could give her a job at the bear show today. Sean's hawker came down with laryngitis.”

“Perfect,” Rafe nodded. “I'll let her know. Can you come get her after your twelve o'clock joust? You can explain her responsibilities to her then. I'll radio you to let you know our location.”

“Of course, boss. Just keep in mind that Bevon the Brave must talk to all his adoring fans after the show,” he smiled at Rafe then winked. “Got to sell those t-shirts to keep the lights on around here.”

Rafe rolled his eyes. “Of course, and Alec the Employed will show up when I call him.” Most everyone here had a role in the faire, and Alec was no different. He reveled in his role as