Chapter 213

Agnes

The following morning, after breakfast, I headed to my study and got to work on finding a nanny right away. I sat down at my desk and pulled up the pack database on my computer. All pack members were registered with their educational backgrounds, employment histories, and special skills. It was meant for emergencies, but today it would serve my purposes perfectly.

I spent the entire morning combing through the records, filtering for childcare experience, education in child development, and impeccable character references. By noon, I had a shortlist of fifteen candidates who looked promising on paper.

It was better than sending out a pack-wide advertisement, I figured. I didn’t have time to sift through hundreds upon hundreds of applications, all from people who really just wanted to work for the Alpha and Luna and didn’t actually care about the job.

Once I’d found enough viable candidates, I composed an invitation for a tea and an interview session at our home in three days’ time.

After sending off the email invitations, I headed to the kitchen to find Thea, who had just returned from day camp. She was perched on a stool, happily destroying a peanut butter sandwich.

“Hey, sweetie,” I said, kissing the top of her head. “I need to talk to you about something important.”

Thea looked up at me and muttered around a rather impressive mouthful of peanut butter, “Wha—?”

“Your dad and I are going to have to travel soon. Pack business.”

Her face fell immediately. “You’re leaving me? So soon after we finally became a real family?”

My heart twisted, but I shook my head. “Just for short trips,” I assured her quickly. “But we need to find someone to stay with you when we’re gone.”

“Like a babysitter?” She scrunched up her nose, clearly not enjoying the idea.

“More like a nanny,” I clarified. “Someone who would stay here and take care of you, and who would likely be around even while we’re here. Help with homework, drive you to your violin lessons, that sort of thing.”

Thea set down her sandwich. “I don’t want a nanny,” she said flatly, folding her arms across her chest.

I’d anticipated this reaction. After everything she’d been through with Olivia, the idea of being left with another caretaker was understandably frightening for her. It was for me, too. I didn’t relish it in the slightest.

“I know it’s not ideal,” I said softly. “But I was thinking maybe you could help me choose the right person.”

That caught her attention. “Really?”

I nodded. “I’ve invited some candidates for interviews. You can meet them too. If you don’t like someone, they’re automatically out of the running. Deal?”

Thea considered this for a moment, then stuck out her hand. “Deal.”

The next three days passed quickly. I had the staff deep clean the house, ordered an assortment of pastries from the best bakery in town, and set up a formal tea service.

On the morning of the interviews, I picked out a neat pair of burgundy trousers and a crisp white shirt. I pulled my hair back into a tidy bun at the nape of my neck, then found Thea in her room, agonizing over whether to wear a princess dress and tiara or the simple blue sundress I had already picked out for her last night.

“I’d rather wear my princess dress,” she sighed, wistfully poking at the fluffy pink fabric with her finger.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Today is your day too, sweet pea. If you want to be a princess, then you’re more than welcome.”

Thea lit up and immediately put on the dress, complete with the tiara and a fairy wand. I knew her attire was bound to drive away some of the more traditional applicants, but maybe that was for the best. We wanted someone who could get along with us, after all. Not just Thea, but all of us, weirdness and all.

“Remember our deal,” I reminded her as the doorbell rang a little while later. “You help me choose, but you have to meet everyone first.”

“I remember,” she sighed, adjusting her tiara.

We opened the door to greet the first arrival. Within half an hour, all twelve candidates who had accepted the invitation were seated in our sitting room. I’d arranged the furniture to encourage mingling, with small clusters of chairs and sofas rather than a formal seating arrangement.

I watched carefully as the candidates interacted. Some immediately gravitated toward Thea, crouching down to her level and asking about her interests—sometimes too aggressively, and a couple even talked to Thea like she was a toddler.

Others were more reserved, focusing on impressing me with their qualifications.

One woman in her fifties immediately wrinkled her nose at Thea’s princess outfit. Another younger candidate checked her phone too often for comfort.

Thea, meanwhile, was playing her role perfectly. She moved from group to group, asking surprisingly insightful questions about their favorite books and games. Occasionally, she would catch my eye and make a subtle thumbs-down gesture behind a candidate’s back. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing.

After the social portion of the afternoon, I began taking candidates one by one into my study for formal interviews. Before I even started, Thea had already eliminated four candidates.

The first interview was with a middle-aged woman who had impeccable credentials but spoke about children as if they were a different species. The second was sweet but seemed overwhelmed by the responsibility the position would entail. The third kept referring to her previous employers in ways that made me wonder about her discretion.

By the eighth interview, I was beginning to lose hope. Either the candidates were too rigid, too lax, or simply not connecting with Thea in meaningful ways.

And then a woman named Lena entered my study.

She was in her mid-twenties, with warm brown eyes and an easy smile. Her dark hair was pulled back in a simple bun, and she wore a modest but stylish dress. Something about her presence immediately put me at ease; she was beautiful, but not in an overwhelming sort of way.

Like a Renaissance painting.

“Thank you for seeing me, Luna,” she said, taking the seat I offered with a demure smile.

“Please, call me Agnes,” I replied. “So, Lena, tell me about your experience with children.”

As she spoke about her background in child development and her previous work as an au pair for a family overseas, I found myself relaxing even more. Her philosophy on childcare aligned perfectly with what I’d been hoping to find—someone who valued structure but understood the importance of play, someone who saw children as individuals worthy of respect rather than just charges to be managed.

The type of person I could trust with my daughter after seven years of fear.

When I brought Thea in to meet Lena properly, the connection was immediate. Lena lit up when she saw Thea’s dress, and within minutes, they were engrossed in a conversation about a book series they both loved.

A few minutes into the interview, while Lena was looking over a small packet of work requirements I’d provided, Thea tugged on my sleeve.

“I like her,” she whispered, glancing at the beautiful woman. “She doesn’t talk to me like I’m a baby.”

I couldn’t help but agree.

“Well,” I said once Lena finished reading, “we’re going to discuss the candidates and will get back to you within a few days. It was really nice meeting you, Lena.”

Lena smiled serenely and stood, smoothing down her dress. “It was lovely meeting you as well. And you, Thea.” She looked at Thea, who grinned widely. Lena then turned to leave.

Suddenly, just as Lena was reaching for the door handle, the door swung open. Elijah stepped into the room, having apparently come home earlier than expected from his meetings. He and Lena nearly collided in the entryway.

“Oh!” Lena stepped back quickly, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. “I’m so sorry, Alpha.”

She dipped into a graceful curtsy, lowering her eyes respectfully. Elijah regarded her with a curious expression, his head tilting slightly.

“Not at all,” he said, glancing at me over her shoulder. “You must be one of the nanny candidates.”

“Yes, sir. Lena Keller.”

Thea gave him a thumbs-up from behind Lena’s back, which made Elijah’s brows lift with surprise. Lena nodded politely to both of us and slipped out the door without another word, quiet as a mouse.

Elijah watched her go, then turned to me with an unexpected intensity in his eyes.

“Hire her,” he said immediately. “Right away.”