Page 30 of Spike

Now, I had an amazing boyfriend who genuinely cared about me. But could I really call Spike my boyfriend?

The thought made me flush, my heart fluttering with nervous excitement.

We had been spending a lot of time together lately, and our upcoming date on Saturday felt significant, like a turning point in our relationship.

It felt like a step towards something more, something deeper.

As I sat there, contemplating Spike's text and the growing intensity of our relationship, a wave of uncertainty washed over me.

The prospect of being in a real relationship with Spike, of truly allowing myself to care for someone and be cared for in return, was both exhilarating and terrifying.

What if I wasn't good enough for him? What if I made mistakes or hurt him unintentionally?

The thought of losing Spike, of ruining what we had built together, filled me with a sense of dread.

But then I reminded myself that Spike had shown nothing but kindness, patience, and understanding since we met.

He had accepted me for who I was, flaws and all, and had been there for me when I needed him.

Maybe, just maybe, I could find the courage to trust in our connection, to embrace the uncertainty and take a leap of faith.

With my break over, I returned to the kitchen. The next hour passed by without any excitement. Then Gary, a waiter, entered the kitchen, looking ashen.

He glanced towards me, and for a moment, my heart stopped beating. What if my worst fears had come to life, and Jack had managed to track me?

Then I realized how silly that was, because Moon Burrow was Grizzly Reapers MC territory, and Spike's MC brothers monitored who entered the town closely.

"What is it?" I asked, my heart rate quickening.

"A customer wants to thank you for his meal," Gary said.

"What?" I asked, confused.

Things like that only happened at a restaurant, not a diner.

"Just speak to him, please," Gary pleaded, and the fear in his eyes made me pause. I took a deep breath and nodded.

With trepidation, I left the kitchen. The booth Gary indicated gave me a glimpse of a single diner, wearing a leather jacket.

Half of me hoped it was Spike, surprising me, but it wasn't. The closer I drew to the grizzly shifter, the more agitated my wolf became.

It wasn't like this shifter was purposely flaunting his aggressive aura. In fact, it was shut down, which only indicated he had excellent control over his beast.

"Gray, have a seat," the grizzly alpha said. He had dark hair, scars, and those eyes... I involuntarily shuddered.

Only one grizzly alpha in Spike's MC had gold eyes like that, like his beast was permanently on the surface.

"Venom," I whispered.

"You know who I am? Good," Venom said.

I swallowed hard. "Spike described you to me, told me you were going to talk to me, to us sooner or later,” I said.

Venom's gaze bore into mine, intense and assessing. "You've caused me problems, Gray," he said, his voice low and gravelly.

"I... I didn't mean to," I replied, feeling the weight of his scrutiny.

Venom leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms.