Younger Daughter (2 page)

He wasn't as tall as her fathers were, little more than half a head taller than she was herself. Though all wolves were muscular, his physique said he worked hard at his trade, which was more than passably appealing to her.

Aurora had never cared for lazy wolves and tended to do a lot for herself, something that drove Marietta mad on a daily basis.

She breezed back into her suite of rooms, on top of the world, making plans for seeing him again.

Him. I don't even know his name yet. And he doesn't know mine. Maybe I should use my nickname.
It was a good idea.

"Oh, Koukla." Marietta sighed. "You're filthy."

"I'm sure you walked barefoot in the dirt when you were my age. I'm sure you watched the stars, flat on your back on the cool earth." She smiled sweetly and headed for the bath. "Besides, it washes off."

"Dinner?" her servant offered.

"Steak? I'll eat when I get out of the tub." Though it was unlikely Marietta would scent the male on her, Aurora wasn't taking any chances.

"Very well."

That easily, she escaped scrutiny.
It won't be as easy once we scent each other.

* * * *

Nolan maneuvered the John Deere Gator down the paved garden path and toward the area he would be working on tonight. Though one part of his mind was focused on the pruning and planting he'd planned for this first evening, another was wandering.

To her.
Haunting memories of her scent had him searching out the same on the breeze.

Not yet.

Even so, his cock was half-erect in anticipation of seeing her again.

He stopped the Gator at the Rhododendron bushes, cast one last look around for her, then dismounted with a sigh.
She isn't here.

Of course, that didn't mean she didn't want to see him. She might have been caught entering the Regina gardens...or leaving them the night before. She might have been roped into first-year duties she hadn't anticipated.
She doesn't have my name, so there's no way for her to let me know if she can't make it.

Whatever the case may be, I can't do anything about it now. I have work to do.

In moments, Nolan was lost in his work, pruning the bushes, humming to himself as he worked.

"That doesn't look wilted."

He tipped his head back and met her gaze, offering a smile. "It's not. It's too densely packed here. It will choke itself off if I don't prune a little."

"Ah. I see." She folded herself onto the path, where she would have a good view of what he was doing but wouldn't be in the way. "Sorry I'm late. My mother called, and I got caught up in the conversation."

Nolan went back to his work with a nod. He'd be late for his evening work if his mother called. She didn't, but only because she knew his schedule.

"How do you know which branches to prune and which to leave?"

"That comes with experience. It's not so much a number but how they crowd and push each other, whether or not the individual leaves will get enough sunlight... It's something of an art."

"I think I understand." She was silent for a long moment. "At the risk of being rude, I realized I don't know your name."

Nolan peeked at her over his shoulder, noting her nervousness. "I don't find that rude at all. I was wondering the same thing about you. My name is Nolan."

She didn't hesitate. "Koukla."

"Really? That sounds Greek." He wouldn't have guessed she was of Greek stock.

"It is. I was born in Greece. Prematurely, no less. It's a nickname, but anyone who knows me uses it, so I use it."

"Interesting. The name stands out. Nolan is... Well, there are enough of them around that it doesn't, I suppose." He shrugged, then moved along to the next bush. "Would you mind putting the clippings in the cart behind the Gator?"

Koukla hurried to do so. "It seems counterintuitive, doesn't it?"

"What does?"

"Cutting off healthy limbs to make the plant healthier. I understand why it's necessary, but it would be like cutting off a healthy toe to make a wolf healthier."

He bit back a chuckle. The last thing he wanted to do was offend her. "Wolves don't grow back toes, but plants do grow back branches, if they are allowed to."

She laughed. "I suppose that's true enough."

Nolan scanned his gaze up and down her body, marveling at her willingness to do manual labor. Most beautiful females like her avoided it. "What is your major?" Females were underrepresented in his field of study. Encouraging one wouldn't be a bad idea.

"I'm undeclared, at the moment. I haven't decided what to major in yet."

"But you enjoy working in the gardens?"

Koukla sighed. "I think this would be my dream job."

"Then you should sign up for some of the basic classes while you can, just so you don't fall behind. If you don't like it, you can always decide on another major later."

She hesitated. "That's a good idea." She met his gaze. "Can I continue to meet you? To learn from you as well?"

Answering that was easy enough. "Of course." Was there any doubt?

* * * *

Two days later

"So the soil you plant roses in is usually sandy."

"Precisely. A little more right there, please." Nolan pointed out the area she'd missed.

Aurora added more sand to the mix and patted it down loosely around the immature plants. He smiled and nodded, and her heart skipped a beat at the unspoken praise.

So far, she was enjoying her botany classes. It seemed she'd found her calling, and it was all because of Nolan.

Why did I never consider working with plants before? Because my family and servants have always considered that a servant's job? How ridiculous!

Moreover, working in botany gave her an excuse to wear her comfortable, old jeans and t-shirts, as a matter of course.

"You said you have an idea of where you might want to work with a degree in botany?" It was a reminder of where their conversation earlier had been left.

How much should I say?
"Some wolves run animal sanctuaries and similar businesses. I imagine a botanist on staff would be exceedingly helpful."
It wasn't a lie. I just didn't mention it was
my
family's business.

He placed another young plant in the ground. "I imagine it would. I hadn't considered that."

"What are you going to do with your degree?" He was a fourth-year student. Surely he had plans by now.

"I want to be a groundskeeper...eventually head groundskeeper for the Alphas' homes."

Aurora pretended to consider that. In reality, she was biting back more than a few things she could say to him.
You're a shoe-in, if I suggest you. Becoming my mate would secure your position. There isn't only one; each estate has its own staff for that.

All bad choices.
Instead, she formulated an answer that wouldn't tip her hand. "That sounds like a lot of work. Interesting work, but difficult. The homes are all over the world, so each one would have different types of plants."

"That's what makes the job so appealing to me. It's a challenge."

His excitement was infectious, and she smiled in return.

"Oh. There you are."

Aurora stiffened. She knew that voice.
Darian, Tyler's den brother.

Please don't let him say my name. I don't want Nolan to find out this way.
She turned to him, pasting on a brittle smile, though she'd never really liked Tyler's choice in friends.

"Your brother wants to see you."

Thankfully, he didn't mention Tyler's name. It wasn't a common wolf name, and Nolan was sure to know it.

Aurora checked her watch, then sighed. "I should go."

"Don't forget, Koukla," Nolan instructed her. "Roses—"

"Sandy soil," she finished, as she made her way to her feet. "Thank you, Nolan. See you next time." She hurried down the path, making Darian lope after her. The sooner Aurora got him away from Nolan, the less chance there was of the jerk ruining this for her. She turned the corner, leaving him behind.

Darian caught up and pulled her to a halt with a grip on her upper arm. Aurora shook his hand off, adding a glare for good measure.

He had the good grace to look embarrassed, then took a step back and stiffened his spine. "Who is he, Aurora?"

She bit back the protest that it was none of Darian's business. That would likely convince him to dig deeper. "He's my botany tutor," she answered in half-truth.

"He calls you Koukla. That's awfully familiar, don't you think?" One brow went up in challenge.

"Everyone who knows me calls me Koukla," she dismissed him.

"Not everyone."

"Everyone I like."
There. The snub was clearly stated. Darian doesn't call me Koukla, because I don't like him, and I've never invited him to do so.

His eyes narrowed, and they shifted to wolf eyes for a few heartbeats. He visibly calmed himself.

"Well, I suppose I should see what Tyler wants," she announced. Aurora turned on her heel and headed for the nearest door into the dorm building.

"Oh, Tyler didn't ask to see you."

The admission stopped her short, and Aurora swiveled her head to question him. His smirk made her blood burn and her fingertips itch.

I'm mad enough to shift my first time.
That realization forced her to calm a bit. "You lied? To
me
?"

He didn't seem the least bit sorry for it. If anything, his smile widened. "Digging in the dirt with that...lowborn wolf? That beta? Someone had to save you from yourself."

"You are overstepping your boundaries, Darian. Moreover, you interrupted my studies. I don't appreciate either and I
will
see you punished for it, if you try it again." Though she really didn't want her family looking into her relationship with Nolan yet, Darian didn't know that.

His smiled faded, and his jaw notched down in apparent frustration.

"I am pursuing a degree in botany, which means I will be digging in the dirt. Nolan is my tutor, which means I will be digging with him routinely. Beta wolf or not, he is the best at what he does, and an Alpha wolf gets the best. Always. Now
none
of this is your business, and this is the only warning I will give you not to attempt to
save
me from my schooling again."

He didn't offer comment, though she would lay wagers he was within millimeters of a temper fit.

"Good night, Darian. I trust I won't see you again."

* * * *

"And the work so far?" Maestro Ty asked.

Nolan walked at his side, dressed for the office, trying to appear as professional as possible as he gave his report to the head of his department. "Going very well. I decided to focus on maintenance and fit in a bit of planting each evening. After all, problems left unchecked will only create more work in the long run."

"Very true. A sound decision."

He bit back a smile and offered the written report. When the Maestro took it, Nolan continued.

"The rose beds are complete, and I'm moving on to weeding in the..." He paused, staring at the crowd milling around the rose beds. Nolan hoped they hadn't trampled the immature plants he and Koukla had planted the night before.

Their conversations were too low for him to pick out, but the sounds of confusion and upset were impossible to miss. Nolan sprinted for the site, wondering what might be wrong.

He slipped between two onlookers and stopped dead in his tracks. The blood drained from his face. The rose beds were destroyed, plants ripped up and torn apart, the new plants dug up and strewn about, wilting in the heat of the morning.

The destruction reached further, into other planting beds. His heart sank at the sight of hollyhocks shredded, alstroemeria trampled and uprooted, and sunflowers ripped to shreds and scattered through the gardens.

Sunflowers are Koukla's favorites. She's going to be crushed by this.

The person to his right shifted away, and the Maestro joined him. His mentor's litany of curses made Nolan wince. He'd never seen the old wolf lose his composure before.

"The onlookers have destroyed any scent we might use to identify the bastard who did this."

Nolan nodded, his stomach in knots. "I'll get to work on this right away," he promised.
All our hard work.
It hurt to see it destroyed this way. "It's going to ruin my budget, but—"

"In a real-world situation, damage of this kind would be considered an extenuating circumstance, meriting an expansion of budget. It might even be covered by insurance. I will approve anything you require to fix this." His hand closed on Nolan's shoulder. "Order what you need. Let me know how many assistants you require. In the meantime, I will consult with security and the Alpha Maestro. This cannot be allowed to happen again."

"Right away." Nolan stared at the destruction, his heart aching.
Who would do such a thing?

* * * *

"I'm telling you it was Darian." Aurora waited for her sister's reply, her nerves on edge. "He was angry at me, so he destroyed the garden."

"Can you prove that?" Talia asked, seemingly more interested in her manicure than their discussion.

"What? I'm telling you Darian is dangerous, and you're questioning me?"

Her sister sighed dramatically. "The security team couldn't confirm the scent of the vandal. You didn't witness the crime. How do you intend to prove it was Darian?"

"What if I'm right and he decides to attack me?"
Or Nolan.
The urge to gut Darian was growing stronger.

"Look, Koukla. I know you don't like Darian, but you can't toss around unfounded accusations."

"Stop calling me Koukla. I'm not a baby anymore." Though she loved the way the nickname sounded on Nolan's lips, she found Talia's use of it grating.

"Then stop acting like one. You have security. If you don't feel safe, let Marietta know, and she can order guards for you on campus."