*Danika*
“Can we go for a walk, Ms.? Danika?” queried little Theo after I read to him his favorite frog story. I nodded with a happy smile, delighted he wanted to go out today. He often refuses to be carried out with the other pups during playtime. He is either crying or destroying things when left by his mother. I was the only one he allows near him and that was since I discovered his love for that frog booklet.
“Whatever you want, Theo. Let’s go!” I picked up his little coat and gave him to put on, and when he was done, took his wrist to lead him out of the nursery while the other helpers looked at us with wonder on their faces.
“So what would you like to tell me or rather want to hear on our little tour, Theo?” I address him once we are outside.
He jumped about, kicking at pebbles and anything his little feet could move. “I want to know about you, Ms. Danika,” he said beaming, sampling his gap tooth and slight dimples. He is going to grow into a fine young man. At his age, he was already melting hearts.
“You want to know about me? What specifically?” I was amazed.
“Everything! Everyone says you are a good person. Mom and Dad like you too. Should I tell you a secret?” he asked. I nodded, finding his assertions very interesting for a five-year-old. “Mom said they are going to bring you a surprise birthday present!” My eyes widened in shock mixed with amusement. If only his innocent little heart knew the surprise is no longer active with him telling me.
“Wow!” I cried, covering my mouth with my hand. “… That is awesome! I can’t wait! That means we have to keep it a secret now, yeah?” I lifted my brow, giving him my pinky. He took it and tugged furiously, replying in affirmation.
“Okay, so as to your former question, you already know my name, I am Theo’s favorite nanny!” He giggled while shaking his head, causing the curls to cascade in different directions.
We kept walking and talking a lot about me, and he spilled more secrets to me about what his Mom and Dad discussed about me and what he had heard the other nurses and doctors say behind me. He thinks Dr. Salem likes me and also heard Dr. Roland say he had a crush on me.
I laughed so much with him but I was more befuddled with finding out he was actually this open. Inside, he is often quiet and only smiles when I get to the ending of the story when I would say, “And the frog broke his leg because he was a stubborn frog!” I can’t tell why he likes it, conceivably because of the way I warp my voice to make it look funny while transmitting the message I intended which I don’t know if he got.
“Do you think I will become a big wolf or a small wolf?” he asked me.
“Well, I don’t know about that, but I know one thing, you are surely going to become a handsome wolf.” I wiggled my brow at him, eliciting more giggles. I even saw his cheek taint red with blush.
“Seriously? Why do you think that?”
“Because you are going to-”
“Ms. Danika?” We paused in our chatter and movements and twisted around to the caller. It was Sonia, one of the Omega nannies.
“Yeah?” I brushed my hair away from my face and stowed it in the pocket of the new uniform I’ve received, to be worn every time I come to the infirmary as a perk of my promotion. Now, I was to wear it every time I come to work, to show I’m a staff member, not just a nanny.
“The Alpha’s brother is here to see you, he is at the lobby waiting for you,” she informed me, turning to wink at Theo who gawked at her, without a smile on his face. His tiny fingers dug into my dress, holding me tighter to him as if frightened of Sonia’s presence.
“Okay, I will meet him there, thanks,” I told her and waited until she was gone to stoop to Theo’s level. “Okay, buddy. I will have to-”
“Can I go with you please? I don’t want to go in there…” He begged with puppy eyes.
I stood from my stooped position and looked around in uncertainty. I don’t know if Alfred would be okay with the presence of a pup. I know he has told me often that he finds them suffocating. All the same, with the tone of Theo’s voice when he asked and the eagerness in his eyes, I don’t think I can leave him behind.
l took his hand in mine. “Let’s go, then.”
When we reached the lobby, Alfred was seated at the big chaise lounge, his legs spread wide swinging, his hands in his jean trousers as he flirted with the lady at the reception, whose cheeks turned tomatoes when she saw me arrive.
“Here comes the Queen of Barbados herself. And who is this young man?” I looked down at Theo he had hidden behind me, eyeing Alfred in distrust.
I sniggered slightly, using my other hand to pat him. “Don’t worry Theo. He doesn’t bite.” Then I looked back at Alfred. “What are you doing here?” I glued my eyes back to the receptionist. “You are flirting with our staff. That’s unprofessional,” I leaned in to tell him.
He brushed off his hair from his face, to wink at the girl while talking to me. “You sounding jealous…”
I choked on my saliva. Me, jealous? Alfred the dreamer. “Can we go to the cafeteria or do you still have unfinished business here?” I asked instead.
“Business is done here. I was only bored and decided to do something fun! Bye dolly!” He waved at the girl who ducked into the counter after I saw her cheek turn a darker shade of red. I shook my head at her. I wouldn’t blame her. Alonso and his brother could make any woman surrender her pants in public without a single thought of appropriateness until it’s too late.
They are that dashingly hot.
“Anyways, did I tell you how hot you look in that dress?” he asked me when we entered the cafeteria. I blinked while looking down at my new outfit of white trousers and shirt, before sparing him a brief glance. He had his signature smirk which made me abruptly look away.
“Thanks. I was given today. Comes with my new position.”
“Oh, that’s nice. Again I ask, who is the little pup?” He nodded towards Theo who seemed more relaxed now even though he wasn’t smiling at Alfred-not that he smiles with anymore except me.
“This is Theo, the cutest pup around here, and Theo, meet Alfred, he is the Alpha’s twin brother and the head of the pack warriors.” Theo’s eyeballs dilated, his brow furrowing a bit. I knew his little head was trying to analyze something.
“He is a fighter? Like he kills rogues, humans, and Vampires?” he asked in a tiny voice.
Alfred’s eyes squeezed as he tried to control himself from bursting out in laughter. “There you have it, Full stop.”
Theo growled. “I’m not a Full stop! Ms. Danika said I will grow up to become a handsome werewolf!” he careened at the appalled Alfred.
Alfred raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, Muncho. I believe her!”
I touched Theo’s shoulders to calm him, enjoying the scene with uttermost enthusiasm. Both of them would make a good pair.
I soon left to order our lunches and when I was back, we ate in silence. We talked of other things until Theo started dozing and I had to take him to lay him down. When I came back I and Alfred strolled to the garden at the back of the building to give him a proper tour of the facility.
“So you are now a staff here, huh?” he asked me.
I shrugged with my hands in the pockets of my white robe. “I think so. Isn’t it amazing?”
“Indeed it is. I am really happy for you, Danika. And I know Lance would be too…”
My countenance fell with the mention of Lancelot. I wish I could get his contact so I can at least hear his voice. I needed to know when he was coming back or if he was ever going to.
“Are you okay?” Alfred leaned into my face to ask.
“Yeah, I am just worried about him. I can’t wait to see him again…” I trailed off in thought.
“Indeed…” Alfred said in a distant voice that sent a chill down my spine. I didn’t look at him.
Instead, I said, “I would like to ask you something, Alfred.” He made a noncommittal sound down his throat which I took as a go-ahead. “What other powers do you have apart from being a Wolf?”
His face metamorphosed into a tight grimace as if I just asked a horrible question. “I don’t know,” he replied tersely. “I never bothered to find out.” His sparkling orbs met mine but they had something indiscernible etched in them. Something dark and ominous.
Could he be lying to me? But why? I don’t think so, Alfred is not much of a secretive person like Alonso. If there’s anything, he would tell me. At least I think our relationship means that much to him.
“I ask because I am also worried about what my other power would be. I haven’t experienced anything apart from my normal wolf abilities. I’m worried.” I ventured ahead, not deterred by his shift in attitude.
“Worried about what? That you will end up a witch or a Vampire? Or some dark locked away creature that is no longer in existence?” There was a sharp edge to his voice that made me think maybe this was a wrong lane of discussion for him.
I scrutinized him. He was no longer the Alfred I knew, this one looked frightening and highly dangerous. His shoulders had grown tense, his eyes colder and his mouth in a straight line.
“I think I will leave now. I just remembered I have something to attend to,” he told me while scratching the nape of his neck.
“Look, Alfred, I didn’t mean to offend you. I am only worried because-because some time ago my mother said something to me in my dreams. It was concerning something bad that was likely to happen. I haven’t been myself since then. It raises several questions within me, I don’t know, maybe I’m just worried for nothing…” I confided in him, hoping it would make him cool off.
He chuckled darkly. “Oh, you should be worried. The full moon is here, bad omens are bound to take place. Dark creatures locked away would be set free… You need to be apprehensive because many souls might be lost if we ain’t careful. So it’s good we know what we are, so we can learn how to control our demons so we don’t end up being prey to greater powers…” With that, he stormed off to the exit while I stood there watching after him.
Worried for our soul? Locked up creatures? Control our demons?
…