46 Being L’s keeper .
L
I hummed softly to an unknown tone as I moved the vacuum cleaner around the carpet in the living room .
It’s been three months since I started dating Xander and the only thing I regretted was not meeting him earlier .
Xander was everything I could ever hope for in a man .
My heat cycles which used to be dreadful were something I looked forward to every month because Xander made it easy .
Today , I and Nanny were spring cleaning and I was alternating between my chores and texting
Xander .
My phone buzzed in my pocket again and I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face as I fished it out .
Xander’s name was shed on the screen , apanied by a message that made my heart flutter .
I set down the vacuum to reply him when Nanny’s voice cut through my reverte .
“ L ! Are you on that phone again ? We’re not finished yet ! ”
I rolled my eyes but quickly tucked the device away .
“ Sorry , just checking the time .
”
She hissed , “ Hurry up with the rug .
There’s still the kitchen to clean .
”
I nodded
thes
and continued cleaning .
At some point , Nanny left me in the living room to the kitchen .
Almost immediately , I fished out my phone from my pocket and tried to text Xander back .
The phone was barely out of my pocket for a minute when without warning , Nanny marched over to me , her face set in a disapproving scowl .
Before I could react , she snatched the phone right out of my hand .
“ Hey ! ” I yelped , my eyes widening in surprise .
Nanny held up the phone , wagging it in front of me .
“ You’re supposed to be cleaning , not glued to this thing ,” she scolded .
“ What could possibly be more important than helping me with the
house ? ”
I rolled my eyes and let out a dramatic sigh .
“ It’s just a text .
I’m almost done anyway ,” I pouted .
“ Don’t give me that look , Nanny warned , pocketing the phone .
“ You can have it back when we’re done .
”
The rest of the cleaning passed in tense silence .
When the house was finally spotless , I sighed .
with relief , my arms aching from all the scrubbing and cleaning .
“ I’m going to freshen up ! ” I announced .
Without wasting time , I headed upstairs to my room .
Once I was done freshening up , I came downstairs , feeling lighter and ready to rx .
But I froze when I got to the top of the stairs , my heart lurched .
There in the living room sat Nanny, clutching my phone , her face pale with a mask of shock and disbelief .
For a heartbeat , I just stood there watching her before my body kicked into action .
I flew down .
the stairs , my feet barely touching the steps .
In one fluid motion , I snatched the phone from
46 Being L’s keeper .
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Nanny’s hand , panic and anger rippling through me at the same time .
“ What are you doing ? ” I shouted with a shaky voice , my fingers gripping my phone so tightly “ How dare you ! You have no right to go through my phone without my permission ! ”
But Nanny’s face was ashen , her eyes were wide and unblinking as if she had seen a ghost – or perhaps something far worse , her mouth slightly open as though words had escaped her .
It wasn’t often that she looked shocked , but seeing the horror on her face increased the panic I felt .
“ Why were you going through my phone ?! ” I demanded again , my voice louder this time .
Her eyes narrowed , but she seemed unable to look at me directly .
“ L … ” she whispered , her voice trembling .
“ Why … why have you been having … those kinds of conversations with Xander ? ”
My stomach flipped , and my eyes widened in shock as another wave of panic rose in my throat .
I had kept my rtionship hidden from her and never in my wildest imagination did I expect her to find out .
Not like this .
“ I – what ? ” I stammered , trying to gather my thoughts .
“ That’s none of your business ,” I shot back opting for defiance even though my cheeks were red with embarrassment .
“ You have no right to invade my privacy like that ! ”
Nanny seemed to shake off her shock , rising to her feet with surprising speed .
“ I have every right ! ” she countered , her voice rising to match mine .
“ I am your guardian , L .
Your keeper and I have every right to know what’s going on with you .
It’s my job to protect you ! ”
If I hadn’t been so angry , I would haveughed .
“ Protect me ? ” I scoffed .
“ You’re just an Omega , not my mother .
You don’t get to decide what’s best for me ! ”
The words left my lips before I could stop them .
I immediately regretted it as hurt shed across Nanny’s features before her expression hardened .
“ Do you really mean that L ? ” she scoffed , her voice quiet butced with bitterness .
epts me for
I hesitated but I was too angry to stop now .
I lifted my chin defiantly , despite a small part of my trying to restrain me from doing what I was about to do .
Still , I nodded .
“ Yes , ” I said , forcing confidence into my voice .
“ For the first time in my life , I’ve found someone who who I am , without judgment .
Why can’t you just be happy for me ? ” Nannyughed – producing a humourless and bitter sound .
“ Happy for you ? L , we know nothing about Xander or his father except what they’ve told us .
How can an Alpha leave his just because b
worried his son would cause trouble ? Have you forgotten why we left Blue Ridge pack in the first ce ? Why did you have your Pack Mark removed ? Wasn’t it to stay away from our kind , from werewolves ? Why are you suddenly mingling with Xander ? *
pack
“ Because I like him ! And he likes me too .
He’s not like the people from our pack .
He’s different .
” “ Different ? ” Nanny repeated , her voice filled with doubt .
“ You’re in a rtionship with him , you’re not married and you think it’s okay to be sending your nude pictures , L .
Your
10:22
40 Being L’s keeper
messages are littered with sex talk and … ” she choked on her words , her eyes filling up with
“ That’s not what a rtionship at this age is supposed to be .
“ It’s normal ! ” I shouted , my face flushed with anger and embarrassment .
“ People in rtionships .
do that .
They exchange pictures – nude pictures .
There’s nothing wrong with it and it’s the human way .
We live among them now ! ”
Nanny took a deep breath , her hands shaking as she clenched them by her sides , trying to keep her temper
under control .
Her face was filled with worry and disappointment and for a moment , she looked as if she might explode from the sheer frustration .
But instead , she exhaled sharply , her voice trembling as she struggled to stay calm .
“ L , do you hear yourself right now ? ” she asked , her tone bing desperate as if she was pleading with me to see reason .
“ This isn’t you .
This isn’t the girl I raised .
You’re still a child .
You have no idea how rtionships work and Xander is … ”
“ Xander is what ? ” I interrupted , ring at her .
“ He’s kind to me , he cares about me .
He’s not like the others .
He understands me , Nanny .
I’m not a child anymore .
I’m old enough to make decisions about my life and my rtionships .
Her eyes darkened with frustration .
“ He’s distracting you .
And now , I know why your teachers have been reaching out to me .
”
Her nostrils red , and for a moment , I thought she was going to finally lose control .
But then she took a deep breath , squaring her shoulders as she reached for her work bag on the coat rack in the corner of the living room .
“ Fine ! ” she said , her voice clipped .
“ If you’re so grown , perhaps you’d like to exin this .
” She pulled out a stack of papers , waving them in my face .
“ These are reports from your school .
Nearly all your teachers have reached out to me , both by phone and in wiring ,ining about how you’ve been cking offtely ”
My stomach dropped but I fought so hard to maintain my defiant expression .
“ You’re missing assignments , skipping sses – Now I know why , she continued .
“ You’ve been too busy hanging around that weird boy to focus on your studies .
I nced at the papers strewn on the floor as I skimmed through the letters .
Words like ‘ iplete assignments , and ‘ falling behind , stood out .
But I shoved them aside .
“ You’re smarter than this L .
You have a future , a chance to do something meaningful and you’re throwing it away for some boy ? It’s my fault , I should never have allowed you to agree to tutor him
I looked away .
“ Xander isn’t some boy .
He’s different , Nanny and I’m not throwing anything away .
” Her eyes softened .
“ Then why are you letting him put you away from everything you’ve worked so hard for ? ”
I stayed silent , not knowing what to say .
“ I want the best for you , L ” Nanny sighed , her voice filled with love .
“ I always have .
And this –
46 Being L’s keeper .
this isn’t the best .
You don’t even really know Xander or his family .
You’ve only known him for a few months , and look how much you’ve changed .
I’m worried about you .
”
I bit my lip , fighting the surge to cry .
“ You don’t understand ; I whispered my voice shaking .
“ Then help me understand , ” Nanny pressed .
“ If you really care about Xander and if he cares about you , he’ll respect your boundaries .
He won’t need you to send those kinds of photos , L .
”
My eyes filled with tears , but I blinked them away , refusing to let them fall .
“ It’s not like that , ” I whispered again , but the conviction in my voice faltered .
Nanny reached out , cing a gentle hand on my arm .
“ Please , L .
Break up with him .
Before it toote .
”
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