The mate of his nanny final

Chapter 230: A Promise

Moana

Seeing Edrick finally tell Ella about her real mother made me soften toward him.
I softened even more when Ella said those sweet things, and it made me feel as though we really were a little family despite everything that was going on. I couldn't help but hug both of them tightly, and I felt comforted when Edrick buried his face in my hair.

But when we pulled apart and I watched them reconcile Edrick's lies, I felt my smile fade because something just felt off.
I couldn't quite put my finger on it. It almost felt like some sort of sixth sense, but for what was still a mystery.

All I could do was stare wistfully out the window as I tried to rack my brain over it. Maybe I was just feeling cooped up...

"Do you feel strange?" I asked Mina.

"A little," she replied. I could tell that she was just as confused as I was. "Some fresh air could be nice."

I nodded to myself. Ella was playing outside, so why shouldn't I? I turned to Edrick then, who was sitting back down at the dining room table, and held my chin up.

"I'd like to go for a walk, if that's alright," I said. "Just by myself so I can think."

Edrick looked at me for a few moments. At first, I thought he would say no; but I also knew that he had the entire perimeter of the estate surrounded by a constant patrol, and I knew that he went out there himself last night to check. Besides, there would be no doubt that he would have Kat follow me.

"Alright," he said with a slight smile. "It looks like it might rain, though. Do you need an umbrella?"

I shook my head. "No. I'll be back soon."

"Okay." Edrick nodded and smiled again. His demeanor today was a far cry from the day before, but I wasn't complaining. Maybe a night of sleeping alone changed his attitude a bit, although I still wished that he would just tell me the exact reason behind why he suddenly dragged us up here.

Without another word, I headed outside into the fresh air and took in a deep breath, inhaling the fresh mountain breeze. The air smelled like pine trees, and it was cool and misty. It was comfortable and relaxing, and I made my way toward the far end of the lawn where the trees circled around the property.

First, I walked around the sprawling gardens for a while and took in the view of the freshly pruned hedges and mossy fountains. I sensed Kat's presence from afar, and decided to push my luck a bit to see how far I could go.

I decided to head closer to the trees. The air in the forest was cool and inviting, and with one last look over my shoulder, I stepped into the treeline and began to walk a little bit.

Of course, not even five minutes later, I heard the distinct sound of twigs crunching behind me. I smirked and spun around, but saw no one.

"Kat, just come out," I said with a laugh, putting my hands on my hips. "I know you're there."
A few moments later, the short-haired tall girl stepped out from behind a tree and walked toward me.

"Sorry," she said. "Edrick wants me to keep you in my sight."

"If you're nearby, can I at least enjoy the forest a little bit?" I asked. "It's not often that I get to see this many trees in the city."

Kat shrugged and nodded. I smiled, not at all bothered by her company, and the two of us walked a little further into the woods. The further we walked, the more I felt the air temperature drop, and soon I had to stick my hands into my pockets to keep my fingers warm.

"Do you have any idea why Edrick made us come here so suddenly?" I finally asked after a while. "He won't tell me anything."

My bodyguard shook her head. We stopped for a moment to look up at some birds overhead that were making a bit of a racket.

"Not really," she said. "As far as I know, he just gave me orders to keep watch over you, and he gave the other guards orders to keep a constant patrol going and not to let anyone onto the property. That's it."

I sighed and kept walking. "So I take it if you've been keeping such a close eye on me, you probably saw that I was up at one o'clock in the morning last night."

Kat nodded. "Yeah. I won't tell Edrick."

I couldn't help but smile a bit. Even though things had been hectic and aggravating lately, I was at least happy to have someone nearby who I was beginning to see as a bit of a friend. Kat and I didn't know each other terribly well yet, but I liked her. She was sweet, and I didn't mind having her around. It was nice to have a woman my age to talk to.

First, I walked around the sprawling gardens for a while and took in the view of the freshly pruned hedges and mossy fountains. I sensed Kat's presence from afar, and decided to push my luck a bit to see how far I could go.

Kat and I walked for a little while longer. We stayed within the treeline, but usually kept the house in our sight as we circled the property. Eventually, the issue of my shifting came up.

"I just wish that I could shift already and get it over with," I said quietly as we walked. "It's frustrating, not feeling like I'm able to protect myself. And I think that Edrick sees me as weak right now, which is even more frustrating."
Kat was silent for a few moments.

"I've never been in your shoes, so I can't really imagine what it's like," she finally said after a bit. We paused to step over a large fallen tree. Kat gave me her hand, as my belly was getting fairly larger at this point and it was a bit more difficult now to keep my balance.

"Honestly, I never thought I was anything but human," I said with a laugh. "So much has changed over the course of just a few months. It's crazy. And honestly, maybe I'm crazy for wanting to shift so quickly if you consider just how fast things have changed."

Kat suddenly stopped and turned to face me. "It's not crazy," she said. She had a thoughtful expression on her face and a hint of a smile on her lips. "You know... I could help you shift sooner, if you want. You could do it today, actually. Then, there will b no more waiting."
The bodyguard's words took me by complete surprise.

I didn't know what to say; I didn't even know that it would be possible to shift any sooner. I just thought that it was something that came about naturally, and there was no real way to speed it up or slow it down once someone's wolf emerged. I thought that I was basically just a ticking time bomb at this point.

"Well?" Kat urged.

All I could do was stare at her with wide eyes.
Would it really be possible to shift early... Even today? Would that end all of this mess?