Chapter 3

Olivia

I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to hug Mrs. Hawthorne for giving me the opportunity I desperately needed… or slap her for making me sound like some girl who would throw herself at her sons the second I moved in.

In the end, I swallowed my irritation.

This job mattered more than my pride right now.

“I understand, Mrs. Hawthorne,” I said calmly. “I have no intention of getting involved with any of your sons.”

“Good.”

She sounded satisfied with that answer.

“I’m willing to offer you a one-month trial period,” she continued. “If things work out, the position will become permanent.”

Relief hit me so hard I almost sagged.

A month.

A real chance.

“I assume you’ll need transportation home so you can gather your belongings before returning tomorrow?” she asked, arching a perfectly shaped brow.

Actually… that made me pause.

This entire situation was moving incredibly fast.

Too fast.

“Can I ask something?” I said carefully.

“You may.”

“Did you already run a background check on me?”

Because surely people this rich and powerful didn’t just hire strangers after one conversation and a tea party.

Mrs. Hawthorne gave me a knowing look.

“I already had one conducted,” she replied smoothly. “Otherwise, you never would have made it through the gates.”

Okay.

That was slightly terrifying.

“So,” she continued, “do you require the ride or not?”

Life in this house was definitely going to be interesting.

“Yes,” I admitted. “That would really help. Thank you.”

Mrs. Hawthorne nodded once and turned toward the foyer. I followed behind her through the massive hallways of the mansion.

When we reached the front entrance, she stopped and faced me.

“My driver will take you home shortly,” she said. “Have your affairs settled and be prepared to arrive here tomorrow morning at eight sharp.”

“Thank you so much,” I said sincerely. “I really hope I don’t disappoint you.”

Her expression remained unreadable.

“It’s not me you need to impress,” she corrected. “It’s Lily. If she’s unhappy, you’re gone. If you break my rules, you’re gone. Understood?”

Mrs. Hawthorne was absolutely the type of woman you never wanted as an enemy.

Tall. Elegant. Intimidating.

Her dark hair fell in perfect waves over her shoulders, and her striking green eyes carried the kind of authority that made people obey without question.

“Yes,” I said quickly. “Understood.”

At that moment, I heard footsteps descending the staircase behind us.

I turned instinctively.

And immediately forgot how to breathe.

A tall man with dark hair stepped into the foyer. The resemblance to Mrs. Hawthorne was obvious instantly—the same sharp features, the same green eyes.

Except he was unfairly handsome.

Broad shoulders strained against his fitted black shirt, and the way he carried himself screamed confidence and power.

“Ethan,” Mrs. Hawthorne said smoothly, “I thought you’d already left with your brothers.”

He finished descending the stairs and leaned down to kiss her cheek casually.

“Logan ditched me,” he replied before his eyes landed on me.

And stayed there.

“Who’s this?”

“Possibly Lily’s new nanny,” Mrs. Hawthorne answered. “She’ll be here on a trial basis.”

“Hm.”

That was all he said.

Just one sound while staring directly at me.

Heat rushed into my cheeks.

Why was he looking at me like that?

Since apparently nobody planned on introducing us properly, I awkwardly cleared my throat.

“Hi,” I said. “I’m Olivia.”

His gaze didn’t leave mine.

“Olivia,” he repeated slowly.

Okay.

This was weird.

Clearly I was beneath people like them socially, which honestly was fine with me. I was here to take care of a little girl, not flirt with rich entitled men.

Besides, he was completely off-limits anyway.

Even if he was ridiculously attractive.

He had to be at least six-foot-two with dark hair cropped short at the sides and enough muscle beneath his shirt to make it obvious he spent serious time training.

Off-limits, I reminded myself firmly.

A horn sounded outside.

“There’s your ride,” Mrs. Hawthorne said. “And Olivia?”

“Yes?”

“Eight a.m. sharp. I won’t tolerate lateness, so make sure your car situation is handled.”

“It will be,” I promised. “Thank you again.”

Then I hurried out the door before I could embarrass myself further.

———

Ethan

I watched through the front windows as Olivia climbed into the black town car.

The second the door shut behind her, I exhaled slowly.

This was bad.

Very bad.

Her scent still lingered throughout the foyer even after she’d left.

Coconut.

Rain.

Something soft and addictive underneath it all.

“So,” I said carefully, turning toward my mother, “you’re really giving her a chance?”

“Yes,” my mother replied. “Though I’m being generous. Lily likes her, and you know your sister rarely likes anyone.”

That was true.

Lily usually scared nannies away within a week.

“I wouldn’t have personally chosen her,” my mother continued. “But your sister did. Hopefully the girl doesn’t disappoint me.”

I nodded absently, though I barely heard the rest.

I needed to find Logan immediately.

Because if Olivia Carter was what I thought she was…

Then we had a serious problem.

I headed outside and climbed into my car.

By the time I reached Eclipse, the club my brothers and I owned downtown, my wolf was restless beneath my skin.

The bouncer nodded respectfully as I entered.

That was the thing about this town.

The Hawthornes owned almost everything.

Businesses. Land. Influence.

Power.

To the humans living here, we were simply the wealthy founding family that kept the town thriving.

What they didn’t know was that Blackridge wasn’t just a town.

It was a wolf pack.

And my family were the alphas.

Humans lived among us completely unaware of what surrounded them every day. Maintaining that secret wasn’t easy, but our family had managed it for generations.

Which was exactly why Olivia terrified me.

Because she smelled human.

Completely human.

No wolf scent.

No trace of a pack.

And if the Moon Goddess had truly paired my twin and me with a human mate…

Chaos would follow.

I moved through the crowded club, instantly noticing women watching me from every direction.

Some smiled knowingly.

Others openly stared.

I was used to it.

Power attracted attention.

So did wealth.

And being alpha certainly didn’t hurt either.

My brothers and I never struggled when it came to women. Most nights, all it took was a glance to find someone willing to follow us upstairs.

But tonight, none of it interested me.

I spotted Logan immediately in the VIP section.

A blonde in a microscopic silver dress was practically draped across his lap while he kissed her neck lazily.

Typical Logan.

I slid into the booth across from him.

“Logan,” I said flatly. “We’ve got a problem.”

He barely glanced at me.

“I’m busy, brother,” he drawled. “Tiffany and I are having quality time.”

“Tiffany,” I interrupted smoothly, “why don’t you go grab us drinks for the table?”

The blonde looked offended instantly.

“I’m not a waitress,” she pouted.

I shot Logan a hard look.

He immediately understood something was wrong.

“Babe,” he sighed dramatically, “go get the drinks. There’s a private room upstairs waiting for us.”

He leaned close and whispered something in her ear.

She giggled.

“Really?”

“Really.”

Instant mood recovery.

“Okay!” she chirped before hopping off his lap and disappearing toward the bar.

The second she was gone, Logan leaned back against the booth.

“What the hell is so important?”

I looked him dead in the eye.

“I think Mom just hired our mate to be Lily’s nanny.”

His entire expression froze.

Before leaving the house earlier, he must have caught enough of Olivia’s scent to notice it too.

“I smelled something faint before I left,” he admitted slowly.

“Like coconut sunscreen?” I asked.

His jaw tightened.

“Yeah,” he muttered. “That was her?”

“Yep.”

“Fuck.”

He dragged a hand through his dark hair.

“I left because I didn’t want to know.”

“You already suspected?”

“Maybe,” he admitted quietly. “I don’t know.”

I exhaled heavily.

“She’s human.”

Logan dropped his head back against the booth cushions with a groan.

“That is not good.”

“No kidding.”

“Mom is going to lose her mind,” he muttered. “And can you imagine Mason and Ryder’s reaction?”

Exactly my thoughts.

“I only saw her briefly,” I said. “Maybe we’re wrong. Maybe she isn’t actually our mate.”

But even saying it sounded like a lie.

Because the second I looked into Olivia’s eyes, something inside me had shifted.

“When does she move in?” Logan asked.

“Tomorrow morning.”

“Damn it.”

He scrubbed both hands over his face.

“I really hope you’re wrong, big brother.”

I snorted.

“I’m older by three minutes.”

“And unfortunately for you,” he replied darkly, “that also means you’ve got the most to lose if she really is our mate.”

He wasn’t wrong.

As the oldest, I was next in line to lead the pack someday.

And a human mate?

That could destroy everything.

Logan stood from the booth.

“I’m finding Tiffany,” he announced. “Until I officially meet Olivia, I can still pretend this isn’t happening.”

I huffed a quiet laugh.

“Good luck with that.”

He disappeared into the crowd, leaving me alone in the booth.

But the truth was…

I couldn’t stop thinking about her either.

Those eyes.

That nervous smile.

The scent of rain and coconut clinging to her skin.

Damn it.

She was already getting under mine.