"Fuck." Silas drags a hand over his face. "Does she know?"
"I don't think so." Wyatt is studying her with worried eyes. "She would have said something if she'd noticed symptoms. She's been too warm lately, and I thought she was just flushed from activity, but..."
"We need to talk to her." I'm already running through logistics in my head. Kids need to be taken care of, the house needs to be prepared, we need to figure out what Amelia wants and how we're going to handle this. "Soon. Before it progresses too far."
But before we can figure out how to broach the subject, the kids come bounding over, Isaac demanding to know if he can have a sandwich and Riley asking if they can go on the swings. Amelia stands, ready to push them, and sits back down between Wyatt and Silas with easy familiarity that suggests she's becoming comfortable with all three of us.
That's when I see her. Raven, walking through the park entrance with two women I don't recognize, her eyes scanning the playground like she's looking for something. Or someone. Her gaze lands on our bench, on Amelia sitting between my packmates, and her expression hardens into something ugly.
She changes course, heading directly toward us, and every protective instinct I have roars to life. I stand, putting myself between her approach and the bench where Amelia is sitting. Wyatt and Silas both tense, reading the threat in my posture.
"Well, well," Raven says as she gets close enough to be heard, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Look at this cozy little scene. The whole pack out for a family outing. How domestic."
"Raven." I keep my voice flat, neutral. "We're having a private family day. You should move along."
Her eyes slide past me to Amelia, who's gone very still on the bench. "I see you're still here. I'm impressed. Most nannies don't last this long. But then again, you're not just the nanny anymore, are you?"
"Leave her alone," Wyatt says, his voice hard in a way I rarely hear. He's on his feet now too, moving to flank me.
"I'm just making conversation." Raven's smile is sharp, cruel. "Catching up with old friends. You are friends, right, Amelia? Or are you something more? Temporary, I'm guessing. A warm body until they find someone better."
Isaac has noticed something's wrong. He's stopped playing on the swings, his small face scrunched up with worry. Rileyis watching with those too-old eyes, already moving to stand between her brother and the adults, always protecting.
Amelia stands slowly, her hands clenched at her sides. "The kids are right here, Raven. Whatever you want to say to me, this isn't the time or place."
"Oh, I think it's exactly the right time and place." Raven takes a step closer, and Silas moves to create a complete barrier, the three of us forming a wall between her and Amelia. "You need to understand what you're walking into. These Alphas? They're broken. Too damaged to really love anyone, especially after losing Evie. You're just a placeholder until they figure out how to function again."
"That's enough." My voice drops into the Alpha command that I rarely use, the tone that says I'm done being polite. "You need to leave. Now."
"Or what?" Raven's eyes flash with challenge. "You'll make me? We all know you won't do anything in front of the kids. You're too careful for that, too concerned with appearances."
Riley's voice cuts through the tension, loud and clear and furious. "You're mean! You were always mean and nobody liked you and that's why you had to leave!"
Isaac runs over and crashes into Amelia's legs, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face against her stomach. "Don't let her be mean to you, Mia. Tell her to go away."
Amelia's hands come down to rest on Isaac's head, her fingers trembling slightly but her voice steady when she speaks. "I think you should leave, Raven. The kids don't want you here, and neither do we."
"We?" Raven laughs, but it sounds brittle. "You think you're part of this pack? You think you're going to replace Evie? You're nothing. Just another temporary nanny who'll be gone in a few months when they realize you're not worth the effort."
"Get out." I don't raise my voice, don't need to. The command is absolute, leaving no room for argument. "Get out of this park and don't come near my family again. If I see you around Amelia or my kids one more time, I'll make sure you regret it."
Raven's face flushes red, anger and humiliation warring in her expression. She opens her mouth like she's going to say something else, but Wyatt steps forward, adding his presence to mine, and something in our combined Alpha energy must finally get through to her.
"This isn't over," she hisses, but she's already backing away. "You'll see. She'll leave just like I did. She'll realize you're all too broken to fix."
She spins on her heel and stalks away, her two friends following with embarrassed expressions. We watch until she's completely out of the park, until I'm sure she's actually gone, before I let myself relax even slightly.
Riley is crying, angry tears streaming down her face. Isaac is still clinging to Amelia like she's the only solid thing in a tilting world. And Amelia herself is pale, her hands shaking where they rest on Isaac's head, her breathing too fast and shallow.
"Hey." I crouch down in front of Riley, pulling her into my arms. "It's okay, sweetheart. She's gone. She can't hurt anyone."
"She's so mean," Riley sobs into my shoulder. "Why does she have to be so mean?"
"Some people are mean because they're unhappy," I say quietly, holding her close. "But she can't touch you or Isaac or Amelia. We won't let her."
Wyatt has dropped to his knees in front of Amelia, his hands on her waist, murmuring something too quiet for me to hear. Silas is behind her, one hand on her shoulder, grounding her with his touch. Between the two of them, they're creating a cocoon of safety, bringing her back from whatever panic spiral she's heading toward.
After a few minutes, Riley's crying slows to hiccups. Isaac has calmed enough to release Amelia and climb into Wyatt's lap instead, seeking comfort from his father. Amelia sinks back onto the bench, her face in her hands, shoulders shaking.
