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When you're a single mom and find out your daughter was switched at birth with an Alpha's pup 6yrs ago. He takes you to his mansion and throws a document at you to sign. "No, I won't leave my child... wait, a marriage contract???" Chapter 1: The Human Nova In this world dominated by werewolves, being human means discrimination, unstable jobs, and a life with no respite. “You’re fired. A werewolf will be taking your place.” “Did I do something wrong?” I asked. “I’ve been a nanny for your household for three years now, and I know I’m human, but I thought I’ve proven that I’m more than capable of doing the job—” “I’m firing you because you’re a human,” Mr. Rivers said curtly. “With my pup so close to awakening his werewolf gift, I can no longer allow a human to care for him. It might hinder his development.” I felt my heart crumple in my chest. “But…” “Listen…” Mr. Rivers’ voice softened somewhat. “It’s not that we don’t like you, Nova. You know that my son and wife both enjoyed having you around while it lasted. But you must understand—” “No. I get it.” I stood, smoothing down the front of my neat uniform. “This is an important age for a werewolf pup. One wrong move and he could lose his gift forever.” Mr. Rivers nodded stiffly and gestured toward the door, quietly muttering something about severance pay. I lifted my chin and turned on my heel, leaving without another word. Mrs. Rivers was waiting in the foyer. When I approached, the woman’s face darkened with shame and guilt. She hurried forward and held out a small white envelope. “I hope you know just how much we appreciated your help these past three years,” Mrs. Rivers said softly. “And I know you’re a single mother, carrying a medical loan all by yourself. So I wrote you a letter of recommendation for your next job.” I managed a small smile and took the envelope. “Thank you.” Mrs. Rivers sighed. “I really am sorry for my husband’s discrimination, Miss Brooks. It’s not your fault that you’re a human.” Gee. Thanks, I thought, but maintained a polite smile. I didn’t feel like smiling, not when I had a six-year-old little girl at home to support on my own and a mountain of medical debt from her previous illness, but I had no choice. This was just the way things were. Humans weren’t equal to werewolves in this society, and that was just a fact. I would find another job, but it wouldn’t be easy. Just then, the little boy I had nannied for three years since infancy came barreling into the foyer, all chubby cheeks and clumsy little legs. “No-ba!” he cried, throwing his arms around my legs. “Where you going?!” My heart clenched at the toddler’s confusion. I stooped and wrapped my arms around him, pulling him close to press a kiss to each of his cheeks. “I’m going away, buddy,” I said gently. “Be a big boy and take care of the house, okay?” The toddler, not understanding, just began to wail. The new werewolf nanny who had been hired, a beautiful young woman with a head of dark hair and big brown eyes, rounded the corner and scooped him up without even looking at me. He cried as she carried him away, but his cries subsided as she promised to give him a cookie. I turned toward Mrs. Rivers, whose eyes were faintly shimmering with tears. “The Alpha House is currently hiring a nanny,” Mrs. Rivers said, gesturing to the envelope. “If you give them that letter, you might just get the job.” The Alpha House. My heart skipped just at the thought of working in the mansion where Alpha Dominic Blackwood lived. I hadn’t seen his face before—he kept a low profile—but I’d heard rumors that he was cold and overly professional. A man like him likely wouldn’t hire a human. I nodded and headed for the door. “I do hope you get it,” Mrs. Rivers called after me as I left. I smiled and waved goodbye, but inside, I was dying. At just twenty-eight years old, I had already been through too much for one lifetime. Six years ago, just before I was supposed to give birth to my daughter, my husband, Henry, had cheated on me. Even when I was in the midst of labor, Henry had been with his lover. I had divorced him right away and raised my daughter on my own. But my daughter was sick from birth, and required specialized medical treatment to keep her alive. Thankfully, my daughter made a recovery by the time she was three. But the medical debt was insurmountable for a single mother, and being a human in this society made finding a decent, well-paying, stable job extremely difficult. I found some success in becoming a human daycare teacher for a few years, although it didn’t pay well and work was scarce. Then I became a nanny for upper-class werewolf families, and everything went somewhat smoothly for a while—until now. As I climbed onto the bus that would take me home, using the last bit of cash I had on me for the fare, I opened the recommendation letter and scanned it. It was sweetly written, and I appreciated Mrs. Rivers’ efforts, even if it felt hopeless. Still, thinking of my little girl at home, I decided I would apply anyway. I couldn’t waste any time, not with my next debt payment coming up in just a couple of weeks. And I was short on rent this month, too. Quickly, I pulled out my phone and checked the Alpha House’s website. I found the job listing right away, and was surprised to find that it was an open hiring process; they were holding in-person applications and interviews today. I hardly dared to hold onto hope as I rode past my usual stop and instead toward the large Alpha House overlooking the town of Wintercrest. Soon, the bus stopped at a rural intersection at the base of the hill, where several other women—all werewolves—got off. I followed them up the hill, looking up in awe as the mansion came into view. It was even more massive in person, tall spires atop each conical roof and large, ornate windows overlooking the sprawling gardens. There was a gate manned by a werewolf at the end of the driveway. He stopped me as I approached. “Name and purpose?” he asked, which he hadn’t asked the werewolf women that came before me. “Nova Brooks. I’m here to apply for the nanny position.” The security guard wrinkled his nose slightly, hesitating. “Alpha Dominic likely won’t hire a human as a nanny, you know. He has high standards—he has an entire city to run, after all.” “There’s nothing on the job listing that says a human can’t at least apply,” I pointed out. The guard looked uncertain, but finally let me in. I pulled my shoulders back as I strode past him and made my way up to the front door. It was true; Alpha Dominic oversaw the entire city of Wintercrest. It was his pack, his domain. Humans lived there too, but it was werewolves—particularly the Alpha—who really controlled everything. Inside, the mansion was even prettier than the outside. Buttery sunlight bathed the old hardwood floors, and upholstered furniture was arranged neatly around a spacious parlor where the applicants were waiting. The air smelled like old books and wood and something baking somewhere in the house. I was just about to take a seat on one of the chairs when a werewolf woman shoved past me, taking the seat first. “Humans wait outside,” the woman said. Some of the other women snickered at me, and it was then that I noticed I was the only woman here—werewolves, unless they were wolfless, often had distinctive features such as uniquely-colored eyes or particularly beautiful skin and hair. Like gods and goddesses walking amongst mortals. I suddenly felt as if I had stepped foot into a world that wasn’t meant for me. I knew little about werewolf culture or hierarchy, and felt like an outsider even in my normal life when surrounded by other humans. Being the only human amongst a group of she-wolves made me feel even more out of place and uncomfortable and very much unwelcome. “What are you still doing here?” another woman asked, shooing me away with her hand. “Go wait outside. You’re stinking up the room.” My jaw clenched but, not wanting any conflict with the she-wolves, who had already decided I was the outsider and wouldn’t be changing their minds anytime soon, I made my way over to a set of French doors leading out into a small courtyard. I stepped out into the cool early summer air and inhaled deeply, the scent of roses soothing me. “What are you doing here?” The male voice startled me, and I whirled around to find a cold-faced man in a well-tailored suit standing off to the right, beneath the cloister. He was partially standing in the shadows. But what stood out about him were his eyes—an ethereal hazel, like warm honey or liquid gold, shimmering faintly in the darkness. Just like my six-year-old daughter, Lila. Chapter 2: The Alpha Nova The man stepped out from the shadows, revealing himself fully. He was tall and slim, his dark suit perfectly tailored to fit his well-built form. His face, although somber, was incredibly handsome—dark, low-set brows over eyes like pools of honey. Silky, shoulder-length black hair half pulled back into a bun. A slight stubble across his sharp jawline. Like all werewolves, there was something ethereal about him as well. He had a knowing look in his eyes, as if he had more years to him than his face let on. He had perfect skin. And his posture was straight, his chin lifted. He looked at me down a long nose that had a faint bump in the middle of it like an ancient statue. And he was looking at me expectantly; looking for an explanation. Realizing I had been staring at him for a long time without answering his question, I quickly straightened and said politely, “I’m Nova Brooks. I’m here for an interview. For the nanny position.” The man looked at me for a moment longer, and I resisted the urge to wriggle a little under his cold gaze. But I managed to keep my spine straight and my face pleasant, and took a moment to glance down at his attire. Given his crisp suit with a matching waistcoat under the form-fitting jacket, I realized he must be the butler of the house—or was it the Beta? I wasn’t entirely sure, as I’d had little experience with werewolf hierarchy being a human myself, but I had heard Betas were essentially the right-hands to the Alphas. “You? An interview?” The man looked almost amused, and a little annoyed. “I knew humans were opportunists at heart, but I didn’t expect one to try to get into the Alpha’s bed.” My jaw dropped. “Get into the Alpha’s bed?” I blurted out, incredulous and extremely offended. “Would you have said that to the dozen other women sitting inside, or are you only saying that because I’m the only human here?” The man didn’t answer right away, which was all the answer I needed. I folded my arms and stared at him. When he did finally speak, his voice was low and even. “You should leave now before the interview process begins. You’ve already violated the rules of the Alpha House by entering a place you’re not permitted to be in.” I frowned, starting to wonder if coming here had been a bad idea after all. The women in the parlor had obviously intentionally told me to go outside specifically to get me in trouble. For a moment, I considered leaving just like he said. Still, I couldn’t help but think about my sweet little Lila waiting to be picked up from school. Lila depended on me. I couldn’t back down from a potential job just because I didn’t like the way the butler spoke to me. “I’m only in the garden because the other applicants told me to come here,” I said. “If there were enough chairs for everyone in the parlor, I wouldn’t have come out here at all.” The man blinked. I went on, feeling bold now, “And for the record, I have a daughter—I have no interest in any man, not even the Alpha. He could strip naked in front of me for all I care, and I wouldn’t bat an eye. I just need a job.” With that, I turned on my heel and stormed back inside, leaving the man standing speechless in the courtyard. By that point, it was almost time for the interviews to begin. The other applicants were too busy practicing their answers to notice that I had returned, and I found a spot by the window to lean and think. It wasn’t long before a young man in a crisp blue suit entered the room. He had a head of sandy blond hair and blue eyes, and looked younger than I. “Announcing Alpha Dominic Blackwood,” the young man said. Was that the Beta, I wondered? Or another servant? All of the women stood as the French doors swung open. I pushed away from the wall, hurriedly smoothing down the front of my dress and fixing my hair, wanting to make a good impression. My stomach dropped when I saw who entered. The man from the courtyard. His cold, assessing gaze swept across the applicants, and I ducked my head, feeling ashamed. My face heated as I realized that I hadn’t just offended a butler or a Beta earlier—I had offended the Alpha of Wintercrest himself. Alpha Dominic. For a heart-stopping moment, as Alpha Dominic’s gaze settled on me, I thought he was going to single me out and kick me out of his house right in front of everyone. I braced myself for the scrutiny. But surprisingly, he hardly gave me more than a brief, almost indifferent glance before he resumed looking around the room at the other women. I couldn’t decide if that was a bad thing or a good thing, but since he wasn’t kicking me out yet, I assumed it was the latter for now. After a moment, he cleared his throat. “The selection process will be simple,” he said, his voice rich and sonorous in the spacious room. “Whoever can earn my daughter’s favor will move on to the next round. After that, I will select a few finalists before deciding which one of you will get the job.” He then abruptly turned on his heel and left the room without another word. The moment he was gone, the other women began whispering amongst themselves, but I remained silent and still. I didn’t know what to think of that. Well, at least he hadn’t made me leave—and now I had nothing to lose, since I had already made a bad first impression in the garden. Heat crept up my neck just at the thought of how I’d mentioned him stripping naked—while the very man I was talking about was right in front of me. But, even if the garden encounter had cost me the job, I decided I would stay and see if I could win the child’s favor anyway. If the child didn’t like me or Dominic decided he wanted me gone after all, I figured I would just go and try to find a job somewhere else. “The Alpha’s daughter,” I heard one woman whisper. “I hear she won’t get close to anyone.” I blinked at that. I moved a little closer to the group to hear better. “Just six years old, and already she’s got a chip on her shoulder,” someone else said, shaking her head bitterly. Another woman, the same woman who had taken the seat earlier, scoffed. “Well, can you blame her? She has no werewolf gift—she’s likely wolfless. Recently, she was even taken to the hospital for an evaluation…” Alpha Dominic and his late wife were both Alphas. How could they have a wolfless child? Chapter 3: The Child Nova I was surprised to hear that the Alpha’s daughter allegedly had no gift. As far as I knew, most werewolf children awakened some kind of gift by the time they were three—visions, mind reading, strength or speed, and the list went on. For a child not to have a gift by the age of six… That likely meant that they had no wolf. And I didn’t know much about werewolf customs, but I could tell from the nasty looks on the women’s faces that it was considered a bad thing. “Wolfless?” another woman spat out, as if the word were acid on her tongue. “An Alpha’s child, no less? How is that even possible?” The woman from before shrugged. “Beats me. If you ask me, I think it’s a child-rearing issue. Probably lack of nutrients in the womb or being given formula instead of breast milk.” The malice in their tones shocked me. I knew werewolves looked down on wolfless people just as much as they looked down on humans, but these women were supposed to adore children. How could someone who was applying for a nanny position, the sort of job that requires one to love children, say such awful things about a little girl? It wasn’t as if the child had intentionally been born without a wolf. I realized, bitterly, that perhaps some of these women weren’t here for the job. Maybe when Dominic had accused me of trying to get into his bed, his finger was pointing in the wrong direction. Perhaps he should have been pointing at some of these women instead. It was no secret that Dominic was a single father; his wife had passed away six years ago, still eight months pregnant. Miraculously, the child was able to be delivered safely. But Dominic’s wife didn’t make it. My heart ached just at the thought. I remembered seeing it all over the news—the car accident that had taken Alpha Dominic’s wife had been swift and brutal. Although I didn’t know much about such things, I knew that his wife was his fated mate, which meant that he had essentially lost a piece of himself when his wife had died. And he was left with a little girl to take care of all on his own. I might not have understood the full depth of this family’s pain, but at least I understood one thing: what it was like to raise a child on my own. Just thinking about Lila and hearing these women talk so poorly about a little girl made anger wash over me. I couldn’t help but think of all the people who had gossiped about me and Lila behind our backs, claiming that I was a bad mother, that Lila’s illness messed up my head, that Henry had cheated for a good reason. The awful things other people had said had severely impacted Lila from a young age. She had stopped trusting people, had had a hard time making friends, had even begun to blame herself for my problems. If that child, whose mother had died, could hear these women talking so badly now… It might break her. I couldn’t just stand by and listen to this. Without hesitating, I stepped forward and cleared my throat audibly. The women halted their conversation and slowly turned. “You’re here to apply for a nanny job,” I said firmly. “Not to compete for the role of lady of the house. Maybe keep your snide comments to yourself and focus on your real tasks.” My words were meant to strike a chord, but all they did was make me even more of a target. The woman from before sneered and stepped forward, flashing her gleaming white fangs. “Such big talk for a little thing,” the she-wolf, taller and more imposing than me, said as she moved forward. I instinctively took a step back, then another. “How do we know you’re not trying to become lady of the house? Hm, human?” The woman kept advancing, and I backed up into the wall. With nowhere to go, I pressed my spine against the wallpaper, suddenly feeling small and insignificant like a frightened field mouse. I was never a fighter—especially not against werewolves. A single she-wolf could rip my throat out if she wanted to. And they all knew it. “That’s what I thought,” the woman laughed, causing her comrades to snicker and whisper. She flipped a lock of blonde hair over her shoulder and sauntered back to the group, leaving me pressed against the wall. Once again, I considered leaving—why bother fighting with women like this over a job I probably wouldn’t even get? But then I thought of that little girl who just needed someone to care for her, and thought about leaving her alone with one of these awful women, and knew I couldn’t walk away just yet. The poor girl must have felt so alone. I had to try, if only for her. All my years of being a mother and working with children had made me too sensitive to children’s needs to just walk away now. Suddenly, I inhaled sharply when I noticed a small form pressed into the corner in a very similar fashion. “Hello,” I said, instantly relaxing as I moved toward the girl. The child looked frightened and wary as she looked at the room full of women. “Are you alright?” The little girl, a wisp of a thing with long, stringy red hair—the exact color as mine—glanced up at me. She had big green eyes and a cherubine face, although there was a tiredness to her gaze that struck me. “I’m fine,” the girl said, quickly looking away. I dropped to her level. “Are you sure, sweetheart? You look frightened. Are you looking for someone?” The little girl hesitated, then shook her head, causing red locks to fall into her face. “No. I live here.” My eyebrows shot up. “You do?” The girl nodded. “My dad works here.” “Oh.” I sighed softly, taking a moment to study the girl. She reminded me all too well of the traumatized children I had encountered before when I used to be a human daycare teacher—always on high alert, never trusting easily. Lila was like that, too. She didn’t trust anyone except for me. “You know,” I said gently, “you remind me of my daughter.” The girl blinked up at me with those too-big and too-knowing eyes. “If your daughter was broken like me, would you still love her?” I froze. My heart cracked at the sound of that little voice, so quiet and strained, as if she’d spent all of her young years crying herself to sleep every night. Gently, slowly, I reached out to touch the girl’s arm. She flinched, but didn’t pull away. “Sweetheart,” I whispered, “no child is truly broken. And if you were mine, as long as we’re together, you would feel whole.” The little girl slowly raised her gaze, her small lips parting. For a moment, she looked like she might say something—but then a familiar voice cut through the silence. “Now you’re trying to get the attention of an Omega servant child?” The same woman from earlier stormed over, her form blocking out the sunlight as she towered over me and the child. “I suppose it makes sense. Only low-ranking wolves would ever consider a human to be a friend.” My protective instincts flared. I stood, blocking the woman from getting any closer to the child. “Step away,” I growled. Just then, the girl shouted, “Daddy, help!” I whipped my head toward the entryway, where Alpha Dominic was now standing. The little girl raced toward him and quite literally launched herself into his arms. He caught her with ease and held her against his chest. “Aria,” he said, his voice steady and calm. My jaw dropped. The girl… was the Alpha’s daughter. Chapter 4: Swapped Nova “That lady called me an Omega,” the little girl, Aria, cried, pointing at the woman standing before me. “And she was bullying me and the nice human lady, saying that only low-ranking wolves make friends with humans!” Dominic’s gaze sharpened as he looked at me and the blonde woman. His golden eyes seemed to narrow, assess, and judge. I lifted my chin boldly. The woman shrank considerably and began wringing her hands. “I’m sorry—I didn’t know—” She suddenly whirled on me and pointed her finger at me. “It’s all her fault! I was just trying to talk to your daughter and this human wouldn’t get out of the way! She was trying to manipulate your daughter into picking her!” That wasn’t true, of course, but I steeled myself anyway for what was sure to come. Dominic, given his prejudice against humans and the bad impression I’d made earlier in the garden, was going to finally kick me out. A werewolf would always side with another werewolf in situations like this. But I found myself surprised when Dominic looked straight at the woman and declared coldly, “You and your little clique can leave.” The woman’s mouth opened and closed several times like a fish out of water. “I—You—What?” she blurted out. Her face reddened to an alarming shade of crimson. “Do you know who I am? My father is the Alpha of the Rosecroft family!” That name rang a bell to me; the Rosecroft family was one of the wealthiest in Wintercrest. This woman was likely the heir to a massive fortune, which just solidified my earlier suspicion. She was probably only here to find a way to seduce Dominic and combine their families. For all I knew, the woman’s parents had put her up to it. She didn’t actually need the job. Dominic, however, remained unshaken by the name. “Good for you,” he said, hardly even looking at her anymore. “Now get out of my house and away from my daughter.” He waved his hand dismissively, and a moment later, two security guards entered the room. They briskly escorted the woman and her friends out, leaving me and just a few other applicants standing there. Once the woman’s shouts had faded into the distance, Aria pointed at me. “I want her to be my nanny. I like her.” I wasn’t all that surprised; I’d hit it off with Aria quickly, perhaps even more quickly than any child I had nannied for before. I couldn’t help but smile a little, thinking that it would be nice to nanny for a girl this sweet. But Dominic seemed displeased. He didn’t even look at me. “She’s a human, Aria,” he said flatly, as if he were describing the process of paint drying on a wall. “You’re too quick to give her your trust. You don’t know what she’s capable of.” The very first thing he had done upon meeting me was accuse me of seduction, and now he was acting as if I might harm a child? But at least he was a good father, if nothing else, I thought bitterly. I didn’t feel as if I needed to worry anymore about the child’s wellbeing; clearly, Aria didn’t need my protection because she had a father who cared. But that also meant that there was nothing left here for me. I grabbed my purse and turned toward Dominic. “If my employer is going to be a werewolf as prejudiced as you, then I don’t want the job anyway.” I turned and stormed out without another word. Although, as I left, I couldn’t help but notice the way my heartstrings tugged at the thought of leaving behind the quiet, gentle little girl with red hair so much like my own. … Dominic Dominic watched the woman storm out, red hair fluttering behind her like a trail of fire. The shade reminded him of Aria, and the way she clenched her fists as she strutted off was amusingly similar to the way Aria threw tantrums. Nova, she’d said her name was. It was an uncommon name, and she was an uncommon human with the way she had stood up to him. But Dominic knew he would forget all about her soon. So would Aria. “Don’t worry, princess,” Dominic said, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her eyes. “We’ll find you the best nanny possible. There are still lots of people here to meet.” Aria wrinkled her freckled button nose at the other women who were standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. “But I wanted that one. I don’t care if she’s a human. She was nice to me.” Dominic’s jaw clenched. Six years ago, it was a human-caused accident that took his wife and nearly took his daughter from him too. His wife had been eight months pregnant at the time; it was only by some miracle that the doctors had been able to deliver Aria safely before it was too late. It wasn’t that Dominic particularly hated humans, it was just… He had a hard time trusting anyone after what had happened. And besides, werewolves typically knew how to care for pups better, just as humans knew how to care for human children better. It was biology. And yet… Six-year-old Aria still didn’t have a gift. She hadn’t even shown any signs of having one. Sometimes, she almost seemed more human than werewolf. If she was wolfless, of course Dominic wouldn’t care. He would love her just the same as he always had—intensely, fiercely, and with every fiber of his being. Aria was his little princess, the light of his life, the one thing worth living for. But he had taken her to the doctor for testing, just in case there was some developmental issue. After all, it was a father’s duty to check, right? Later that night, after Aria was sound asleep in bed, Dominic was sitting in his study going over paperwork. Today’s applicants had all turned out to be duds; after Nova left, Aria had refused to see any of the others. Not that it mattered, anyway. Most of them didn’t actually need the job and were just there to seduce him for his fortune and the chance to be the Luna of Wintercrest. Typical, really. It was yet another reason why Dominic struggled with trust. Just then, a knock on the door pulled Dominic out of his thoughts. “Come in,” he called out, and a moment later, the door opened to reveal Adam—his Beta. “Alpha,” Adam said, crossing the room and bowing his head politely. “I have the test results from the doctor.” Dominic took the folder, almost hesitant to open it. He inhaled deeply and inwardly reminded himself that he didn’t care if Aria was wolfless or not—she was still his little girl, and he would make sure she knew it no matter what. But when he opened the folder and read the results, he didn’t expect to find what he did. “Genome: Human. Percentage: 100%.” Dominic couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Aria was a human. Not a werewolf at all. Had the hospital made a mistake and swapped Dominic’s daughter with another? Chapter 5: The Contract Nova The very next day, I got right to work searching for a job. After yesterday’s experience, I decided to try nannying for human families instead. I sent my resume out to every middle and upper-class human family with children that I could find. But most human families couldn’t afford to hire a nanny, since finding a job was already hard enough as humans. And even the wealthier human families ironically preferred hiring werewolves as nannies. I couldn’t blame them, though. After all, werewolves weren’t just nannies—they could double as bodyguards with their increased strength, speed, and special gifts. Who wouldn’t want more protection for their children? By midday, my hopes had been dashed. I received yet another email in response to one of the cold calls I had made to an upper-class human family. “Dear Miss Brooks,” the email read, “While we appreciate your application and agree that your resume is solid, we’ve already hired a werewolf au pair and don’t need another. Thank you for your email, but we must politely decline.” I sighed, slamming my laptop shut with perhaps more force than necessary, and leaned back on my sofa. The springs creaked beneath my weight as I moved, one poking into my lower back. I looked around at the small apartment I shared with my family; it wasn’t too shabby, but it wasn’t the best place to raise a little girl, either. It was located in one of the more run-down neighborhoods in Wintercrest—not necessarily dangerous, but certainly not the safest. The apartment itself was small and cramped, with yellowing wallpaper and one particularly stubborn water stain on the ceiling by the front door. We had done our best to decorate the space; Lila had helped pick out various eclectic pieces of furniture and decor from the local thrift shops, and children’s school art pieces were hung across the walls. When I had moved here with my family, I had hoped the place would only be temporary and that I could eventually earn enough to find a nicer, bigger apartment. But that was three years ago, and there was no end in sight. At least the landlady was kind enough to let us stay even when we occasionally came up short on rent. But I knew the landlady’s patience was beginning to run thin, and it was only a matter of time before she stopped offering handouts. I was just considering going out and applying to whatever clerk or barista position I could find in person when my phone rang. I scrambled to answer it, hoping it was about one of the many applications I had filled out. “Hello?” A strangely familiar male voice on the other end replied: “Hello, Miss Nova Brooks?” I sat up straighter. “That’s me.” “This is Beta Adam from the Alpha House. I’m calling in regards to your application for the nanny position—the Alpha has decided to hire you after all. Can you come to the house right away to sign your contract and complete the process?” My heart stuttered. I didn’t understand why the prejudiced Alpha had suddenly changed his mind, and wondered if this was some kind of trick. But then I heard a small voice say on the other end, “Did she say yes? I hope she said yes!” Aria. I couldn’t help but smile at the sound of the little girl’s voice. After hearing that, how could I say no? “Of course,” I said, already standing. “I’ll be there within the hour.” True to my word, I arrived at the Alpha House in less than an hour. I had just barely had enough time to change into a smart pencil skirt and button-down blouse, and had pulled my red hair back into a neat bun at the nape of my neck. The same young man from yesterday greeted me at the door. “Right this way,” he said, hardly looking at me as he led me inside. I pulled my shoulders back and smoothed down my skirt one last time before entering another door into what looked like the Alpha’s study. Tall bookshelves lined the walls, and an old but perfectly polished mahogany desk dominated the center space. Alpha Dominic was sitting behind the desk, wearing another well-tailored suit. His black hair was fully pulled back today. He glanced briefly up at me, golden eyes assessing, then gestured to one of the chairs opposite his desk. “Sit.” It wasn’t a question. I perched on the edge of a chair, and the Alpha handed me a contract and a fountain pen. “Initial there, then sign at the bottom with today’s date,” he said matter-of-factly. I took the pen and read over the contract, which was almost identical to any other nanny contract I had signed before. But as I went to sign my name at the bottom, I hesitated. “May I ask why you changed your mind?” I asked, glancing up at the Alpha. Dominic paused as if carefully considering his words. Then: “Aria is wolfless. A human nanny is more suitable for a child like her.” “Oh.” I felt a pang of sympathy for the little girl; I didn’t know much about the condition, but I knew it was considered to be a “defect” amongst werewolves, and now Aria would face all kinds of scrutiny and gossip throughout her life. Dominic nodded. “I expect you to keep this information between us,” he said, and the stern look in his eyes brooked no argument. It was clear that he had no intention of anyone finding out, and likely for good reason. If this got out, then people would talk even more. “Of course,” I said, signing my name and handing the contract back to him. Regardless of my new employer’s prejudices, the salary was good, the hours were stable, and it would be enough to provide a better life for Lila. That was all I ever wanted, but I couldn’t get yesterday’s events out of my head. “About yesterday—” I began, but Dominic cut me off with a raised hand. “I understand I hold some biases against humans,” he said, “but maybe you could prove me wrong.” I was surprised by the admission, but nodded. “I’ll try my best.” With that, Dominic dismissed me so I could go home and prepare. By the time I arrived back in town, Lila would be getting out of school soon. I did some grocery shopping, splurging a little on some nice meat and even a bottle of wine for tonight’s dinner, then texted my sister to let her know we were celebrating tonight. Emma, Lila’s sister’s little girl, was one of the few relatives Lila had. Both my sister, Susie, and I were single mothers, and we had even given birth on the same day six years ago. Emma and Lila had been friends since they could remember. We all lived together in our little apartment, which filled the space with love and laughter despite everything. I couldn’t wait to see my family tonight. … Dominic “I found the hospital records you asked for, Sir.” Adam handed Dominic a small envelope. “I kept everything discreet, just like you requested.” Dominic took the envelope and opened it to find a list of names of the women who had given birth at the same hospital and on the same day Aria had been born. His gaze flicked over the names before coming to rest on the final two on the list. Susie and Nova. Chapter 6: A Werewolf Dominic “Why are there so many surnames missing on this list?” Dominic asked, frustrated. “There are five Novas on this list alone. Shouldn’t the hospital keep better records?” The Beta winced slightly as Dominic tossed the list onto his desk with a huff. “It’s my understanding that there was an accident six years ago that caused the records to become damaged, Sir.” Dominic’s frown deepened. “What happened?” “I’m not sure.” Adam shrugged. “I couldn’t find any specific information about that. This was all I could find.” Dominic sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. This list didn’t seem like a reliable source to find his missing pup, but he was almost certain she was still alive. He could feel it in his bones—his wolf, that primal, ethereal presence in his soul, would know if his own kin had died. “Well, that’s a bit convenient, don’t you think?” Dominic mused. “The Alpha’s pup gets swapped on the very same day that the hospital records just happen to get messed up.” “I can look into it, Sir.” “For now, let’s just focus on searching for my biological daughter.” Dominic straightened. “But let’s keep it discreet. I don’t want this to draw public attention—you know how the media likes to talk, and I won’t allow Aria to get caught up in the controversy.” Aria might not have been Dominic’s biological daughter, but he still loved her and couldn’t bear to see her hurt. She was still his daughter after all, regardless of blood relations. … Nova “Your daughter is a werewolf! How could you enroll her in a human school?!” I froze, nearly dropping the grocery bag in my hand as I entered the kindergarten. I had just come to pick up Lila, and was already being assaulted by the red-faced teacher in the lobby. “What are you talking about?” I asked, pushing past the woman. “Where is my daughter?” The teacher huffed and gestured down the hall, where Lila’s classroom was. I hurried in that direction, and when I entered the small, colorful room, I found Lila sitting morosely in the corner. Lila’s dark hair, so perfectly styled into cute little braids with bows at the ends this morning, was disheveled. Her shirt with the unicorn on it was rumpled, and she had dirt on her knees. She looked like she’d had a scuffle with another kid. “What happened?” I asked, dropping to a crouch in front of my daughter. “Are you okay, sweetheart?” Lila sniffled and pointed behind me, toward a woman and a little boy standing on the other side of the room. “Tommy said I’m a bastard who doesn’t have a daddy. And he called you a… a… slut. So we got into a fight.” My heart stopped in my chest. A six-year-old shouldn’t even know about words like “bastard” and “slut.” If that little boy was saying such things, that meant he was hearing them at home. I stood and turned on the woman. “What do you have to say about your son using such language?” I barked. The woman sneered. I realized I recognized her—the mother of one of Lila’s classmates and the wife of a man who had tried to give me his number a few weeks ago. I had never called him; in fact, I had torn his number up and thrown it in the trash right away. I wasn’t interested in romance these days, especially not with married men looking to cheat on their wives. “My son is right,” the woman hissed, holding up the boy’s arm to reveal a small scratch along his forearm. “Your little bastard is a werewolf and hurt my boy with her monster claws!” I glanced at Lila, confused. Both Henry, Lila’s father, and I were pure humans. To say that we’d had a werewolf child was both impossible and utterly absurd. “That’s a baseless accusation and you know it,” I laughed wryly. “You’re just mad that your husband is trying to cheat on you and you think you can get my daughter expelled as payback.” The woman’s ruddy face twisted as if she’d just sucked on a lemon. “Who knows if your kid is a werewolf or not?” she snarled, taking a step closer with her wide-eyed son in tow. “Maybe you seduced a werewolf, you dirty little slu—” “Watch your language.” I narrowed my eyes dangerously. “This is a classroom, not a bar. And maybe if you didn’t use such foul words at home, your son wouldn’t be repeating them to his schoolmates.” The woman’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Don’t you dare tell me how to raise my son.” She took two more steps forward, close enough now that I could smell her cheap perfume. Out of instinct, I pushed Lila protectively behind me. But to my surprise, Lila growled low in her throat, like a small wolf warning an enemy to stay away. “See? I told you,” the woman laughed, pointing at Lila again. “She’s a werewolf! That bastard has no place in a human school.” I was stunned. Without saying another word, I scooped Lila up and stormed out of the classroom. The teacher was still waiting in the lobby, but the principal, a stern-faced man with a pot belly, was now with her. “I heard the news,” the principal said, his face darkening as he looked at Lila—as if she might bite him. “I’m sorry, Miss Brooks, but this is a human school. Your child is no longer welcome here.” I merely huffed in response and stormed right past them. Only once Lila and I were halfway down the sidewalk did I set her down and crouch to her level. I checked her for injury, but thankfully found nothing more than tears. “Mommy, are you going to abandon me because I’m a werewolf?” “Honey, how could I?” I cupped my daughter’s little face in my hands, looking into her honey-colored eyes, and kissed her forehead. “You’re my daughter. I’d never leave you.” Lila sniffled, and I pulled her in for a tight hug, inhaling the sweet scent of her strawberry shampoo. When Lila was born, she was as weak as a kitten, spending most of her first three years in and out of hospitals. I went into debt to pay for Lila’s medical bills, but it was all worth it to watch her grow bit by bit into a healthy girl. Lila was my pride and joy, my shining light in the darkness. The thought that Lila was now worried her own mother might abandon her broke my heart. But in this werewolf-dominated world, werewolves were considered the noble race, while humans had to band together, segregated from werewolves. Both races had prejudices against the other. Maybe, if Lila truly were a werewolf, it would be better for her to grow up amongst her own kind—where she would be accepted. I hated the thought of parting with her, but another question nagged at me: there was no possible way that I could have had a werewolf child, which meant that if Lila was a werewolf, then my real child may have been swapped at birth. If Lila was the wrong child, then where was my biological child now? I shook my head to dispel the thoughts. This all felt silly and uncertain. “We’ll get you tested first, then enroll you in a werewolf kindergarten if it’s true,” I said, taking Lila’s hand. “How would you like that? You can meet other kids just like you.” But Lila ripped her hand away and folded her arms, pouting. “No! I liked the human kindergarten! I don’t want to play with werewolf kids!” I sighed and decided not to press the matter. Instead, I gently promised Lila that we would figure something else out and took her home. I made steak and mashed potatoes for dinner and shared the bottle of wine with Susie, hoping to make dinner special despite everything. But Lila barely ate, and hardly even played with her cousin after dinner. By the time bedtime rolled around, Lila looked like she wanted to cry again. I put her to bed and kissed her forehead. “It’s okay, sweetheart,” I whispered as I tucked Lila in for sleep. “I won’t leave you no matter what. We’ll always be together, okay?” Lila didn’t look convinced and just rolled over. The thought of my little girl feeling so insecure broke my heart even further, but I silently vowed to do whatever I could to help her gradually build a sense of security. This new job was the first step in that; if I could just pay off my medical debt and move us into a nicer neighborhood, then we would be on the right track. The next morning, I was expected to report to the Alpha House for my first day of work. With Lila out of school, I asked Susie to stay home and watch her for the day. “Have a nice first day, beautiful,” Susie grinned, seeing me off at the door with a cup of coffee in her hands. Lila was still resting; she’d been so winded after yesterday that I decided to let her sleep in. “Don’t worry about Lila. Auntie will make sure she has the best day ever. Emma is staying home from school today too so we’re going to the park.” “You’re the best,” I sighed. Susie grinned, making her green eyes sparkle. “I know.” I smiled and kissed my sister on the cheek, then stepped out into the cool morning air. I glanced at my watch and realized I would have to hurry if I was going to catch the bus to the Alpha House. But as I walked down the front steps, I noticed a luxury car that I’d never seen in this neighborhood before parked up ahead. The window rolled down, revealing none other than Alpha Dominic sitting in the driver’s seat. “Get in.”

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“Did I do something wrong?” I asked. “I’ve been a nanny for your household for three years now, and I know I’m human, but I thought I’ve proven that I’m more than capable of doing the job—”