A Cold Wind Blows (Forgotten series, #3)

Chapter 13: Part 3

A knock sounded on the door and I stared at it for a moment before I stood up. I moved to the table and grabbed her blanket, wrapping her up in it before I moved towards the door. Without warning it opened and I gave a startled snarl holding Nina to my chest. She gave an equally startled cry as I backed away. A familiar woman smiled at me.

"Sorry for intruding." Gabriella moved inside and I growled, the sound rumbled my chest and Nina gave another cry as the rumbling startled her worse. My wolf and I didn't like the woman in the house. She shouldn't have intruded. "I brought you some things for the little one." She held up a bag as she moved towards the table.

"I see you are cleaning." She gestured to the pile of clothes and I moved so that the table was between us. Nina was still screaming and I couldn't focus on Gabriella and her at the same time. My wolf and I were growing increasingly agitated with the woman. A bulk filled the doorway and I glanced at it. It was a large man, his face stoic as he came into the house. I met his blue eyed gaze and he stared at me for a moment, I bristled before he turned his head away to look at Gabriella.

The action was subtle, barely noticeable, but it showed me his neck, a faint submission towards me. Not a full one but one that showed me he was submitting to me in my domain. I felt a bit more secure with that knowledge. He seemed a bit more trustworthy than Gabriella. Two small figures raced into the house and I tried to watch them but they were quick. Panic and agitation were starting to grow and I tilted Nina away from the intruders, the growl growing in intensity as she cried her displeasure for me to hear.

"Enough." The man's voice was calm and even as he reached out and snagged the two figures who turned out to be two little girls. "You two are not helping." I retreated, unable to truly protect the screaming infant and myself from the intrusion. Panic constricted my chest as my wolf paced and snarled violently. We didn't like the intrusion and we didn't like how the little girl was wailing in fear.

"I wanted to see Graham!" The one with sandy hair pouted slightly and shortly after both girls erupted into giggles. The man shook his head as he carried them outside. Gabriella had set her bag on the table and the large male returned.

"She has a set of lungs on her doesn't she?" Gabriella glanced at me and I hid Nina from her view, baring my teeth and stiffening in a position of challenge. Nina's wails reached a crescendo and I turned my head, pressing my cheek to hers in an attempt to soothe the little girl. I needed her calm, I needed her to stop crying. It was like the sound was shredding into me physically. It was painful in more ways than one.

I murmured to her, letting the sound of my voice roll over her small ear as I held my cheek hers. Her cries faded to whimpers before she lay her head down on my collar bone, her tiny body shaking. I glanced back towards the table but Gabriella was gone and the man was sitting at the table. It looked small compared to him. I looked around warily, searching for the tenacious female.

"She is outside." His voice was so calm it was almost relaxing. I shuffled a bit further from the hallway I had started my retreat into. "She tends to forget things. It is not our way to simply enter a home. I apologize for causing you and the little darling distress." He kept his gaze on me, never lingering long enough on my own to cause a challenge. He was respecting my position at the head of the household. He held himself in a non-threatening position and I moved closer to the table. Nina was starting to shiver and I needed to put her into her jumper.

"Please forgive us." He bowed his head at me and I ignored it as I took several more steps. My wolf was slowly calming down, having him being as non-threatening as he was made it easier for her to accept his presence. I slowly sat at the table across from him, my eyes never leaving his form and my form tense, ready to bolt back at a moment's notice. "We brought you some things." He slowly reached for the bag and pulled several items out of it. There was formula and cloth diapers as well as a stack of pink clothes.