Page 35 of Coveted By the Alpha Pack

I inhale deeply, the air catching in my throat before I release it with a heavy sigh. “Griffin shared the memory with me, but Ethan revealed the rest. It’s a miracle you survived such an ordeal. I’m astonished you emerged as a lunar wolf instead of an ember wolf.”

I confess, my fingers absently tugging at the hem of my shirt. “But it’s your heart that made the difference. You possess a gentle spirit, Grace, and that’s what sets you apart. If you harbored vengeance and hatred, you would have become an ember wolf—fiery, powerful, consumed by revenge.”

I close my eyes, shutting out the faint, swirling outlines that had become visible in the haze. A wet hand finds mine in the darkness, and I feel a sense of connection as I squeeze it gently.

“The difference between the two is the heart of the created,” I explain softly. “And yours, Grace, is full of compassion. That’s what saved you.”

“I question sometimes. I feel so much anger sometimes, and I feel as if my blood is on fire,” Grace confesses, her grip on my hand tightening as if seeking solace in our connection.

“It is written that a made wolf, a blessed wolf like you, can evolve and become more. That fire in your blood means you can also become an ember wolf. Once you change to that wolf, you can never go back to being a lunar wolf,” I explain, my voice low and tinged with uncertainty. I can’t help but shake my head, feeling the weight of the decision bearing down on us.

As Grace’s breathing shifts and her hand trembles in mine, a wave of her anxiety washes over me through our bond. I squeeze her hand tighter, a silent reassurance that I’m here for her. Last night, she sought refuge in my bed, a rare display of vulnerability from her. Grace abhors causing harm to others. She knew that with me, the second least violent in the family, she could open up without fear of judgment.

“I want to stay how I am,” she murmurs softly, pulling her hand away. The sound of water ripples as she moves, her footsteps echoing with wet slaps against the floor. I track her movements around the room by sound alone, my senses heightened by the tension between us.

“The choice is yours to remain how you are or to change,” I offer, my shoulders lifting in a shrug of resignation. The room is filled with the subtle symphony of everyday sounds. Slowly, the brush gliding through her damp hair, the rhythmic patter of water droplets hitting the floor. The faint groan of the stool as she settles before the makeup table to my right.

Soft rustles of fabric catch my attention, and I instinctively tilt my head, straining to hear every sound. “I don’t want to change at all. Having my own wolf...” Her voice trails off, accompanied by the subtle shuffling of material. Suddenly, her vision floods my senses, and I find myself seeing through her eyes. She flips her hand back and forth, each movement deliberate, each shift holding a weight of its own. “I will never be who I was ever again.” Regret colors her tone, a haunting echo that sends shivers down my spine, and just as suddenly as it began, her vision returns to normal.

“There’s nothing I can say or do to fix that,” I murmur, turning my head in the direction of Grace’s voice.

“I know. I still taste Hunter’s blood in my mouth. Feel it sliding down my face and throat,” she confesses, her words heavy with the weight of her recent ordeal. The sound of her hand sliding across her skin adds to the tension thickening the air. “The feeling of his fur on my tongue and the ripping of flesh in my ears.”

A click breaks the uneasy silence as the bathroom door opens, and the tension in the room ratchets up another notch.

“Darlin’...” Ethan’s voice fills the space, a soothing balm attempting to calm the storm raging within Grace.

“Please leave. Don’t look at me like this...” Her voice wavers, a plea laced with desperation as she bids her creator farewell.

“Why?” I interject, my curiosity piqued, as I hear the bathroom door creak open and shut once more, signaling Ethan’s departure at her behest. The weight of concern for Grace presses in from all sides, the others reaching out to me for updates. With careful precision, I offer them morsels of information, just enough to placate their worries while guarding Grace’s fragile state.

“They don’t look at me the same.” I hear her exhale deeply and sit the brush down on the tabletop.

“What do you mean? It’s not like I can see how they look at you.” I poke a little at myself.

Her bare feet slap on the tile, and I feel the heat of her body close to mine. Her lithe fingers thread through my hair as she sighs again and presses her lips to my forehead. “I almost lost myself to my wolf. It would have been so easy to let go. To let the beast claim me.” She hugs me around my neck, resting my head on her chest, allowing me to hear her heartbeat.

The steady lub-dub of her heart differs from the tension I feel in her body. Her muscles scream tension as I massage the tension in her back. “Why send Ethan away? He would be the best to help with what you're dealing with. He’s your creator.” I turn my head slightly and press my lips to her chest and breathe in her scent deeply.

“It’s hard to explain.” I feel her rest her head on top of mine as she hugs my neck and head against her.

“Can you try for me?” I kiss her chest again as my hand slides down her back to her ass as I pull her flush against me.

Grace’s breath catches, and her heart rate picks up in reaction. “I love all of you.” She starts, and the exhales roughly. “My Ethan is the most primal of my mates. His wolf almost rules him on the daily basis. So he’s proud of what I have done.” She pauses again, then threads her hands through my hair. “Griffin and Nicolai would rationalize that it was needed, that it was a mercy.” Grace shifts in my arms and I feel her straddle my thighs. Her hands come to rest on my chest as she pulls at my shirt a little.

“How do you feel about all of it?” Leaning forward, I move until she cups my face and kisses my lips gently.

A soft laugh escapes her lips as she nips at my bottom lip. “You’re the first to ask how I feel about it all.” She kisses my lips again, then presses her forehead against mine. “I don’t know how I feel about it. Part of me I hate what I did. The other part, I feel like I lost part of me when I took his life.” Her hand cups my face before she kisses me again.

Reaching out, I hug her tighter to me. “What can I do to make you feel better?” My hind brain wants to sink deep within her. But that’s not what she needs to heal. I would give this woman the world if she asked for it. Anything within my power is hers if she desires it.

A huffing laugh escapes her lips as her hands slid down my chest. “Again, you’re the first to ask me what I need.” I feel the shift of her weight on my lap before the feel of her lips on mine in a gentle kiss. “I need to be okay with what I did. The nightmares need to stop. I see the attack over and over again when my eyes close for too long.” A half-hearted laugh escaped her lips. “I guess I just need to be okay with what I had done.”

Reaching out, I thread my fingers through her long, wet hair. My hands rest on her shoulders and give them a gentle squeeze. “What can I do to help you be okay?” I tilt my head, watching the silhouette outline of my mate with the light behind her.

“I don’t know.” She leans forward and rests her forehead on my shoulder as she wraps her arms around me. Slowly, I band my arms around her and hold her tight. Then I had an idea.

Barrett? I reach out through the bond to the omega in the family. He had dealt with a similar situation. He would be best to help me help her.

---