Page 42 of Meet Your Maker: Part One

“Don’t be silly, Val,” I say, giving her a warm smile. “It’ll be your house, too.” Then a thought occurs to me. “But it might be good for you to stay with the girls. You know, in case Mishka needs anything during the night.”

Sue pats Val’s arm. “We’ll stay together. It’ll be fun, like a party.”

“Perfect,” Daddy says, turning onto our street. “Looks like we’ve got a plan.”

It takes forever to find Mishka’s and Val’s bags and get him inside to see his room. I mentally tuck away the image of Grayson checking the twin bed for the right amount of bounce. It’s perfect—a little sanctuary with bits of Gemma and Lily scattered around: stickers, drawings, and that unmistakable sense of shared space.

Mishka shifts back to human form before we leave, which makes it a little easier to walk away. His nonchalance about our departure unsettles me, though. And while Ben does his best to mask his disappointment, I feel its weight pressing through our bond.

He’s just a kid, I remind myself, heart aching for Ben. He needs friends his own age, to learn to share and play.

Back in the van, I settle into my seat, grappling with a strange mix of emotions: relief that Mishka is happy, sadness for Ben, and a gnawing impatience to get home—to be done with traveling, done with adventures.

“Alright,” Daddy announces, pulling back onto the road. “Onward to the farm.”

Grayson clears his throat, a note of anticipation in his voice. “Wade, if you could just take a left here. We have one more stop.”

Chapter Seventeen

Magnolia Springs

— Tomas —

“Right here is good.” Grayson leans forward between the seats, tapping Wade’s shoulder to signal him to park along the curb.

Sunday peers out into the dark, her eyes sweeping over the huge Victorian house set back from the road. Magnolia trees flank the long walkway, their branches twisting in shadow like skeletal fingers. The wrap-around porch is just visible, and the copper-tipped eaves catch the faint glow of a streetlight. It’s like something out of a storybook.

“I don’t understand.” She turns to Grayson, confusion knitting her brows together. “Why are we stoppin’ at Magnolia Springs?”

Grayson hops out, his shoes crunching on the gravel. He radiates satisfaction, turning back to her with his hand outstretched. “Because,” he pauses, letting the anticipation swell, “it’s yours.”

Sunday’s expression freezes, her lips parting as if she can’t quite process his words.

Heat surges in my chest—a flush that feels too much like shame or embarrassment. My jaw clenches, my insides twisting as if someone’s reached in and yanked them. I can’t believe he did this. My fingers dig into the edge of my seat, gripping the upholstery hard enough to hurt.

Ben and X both turn to face me, their eyes wide with sympathetic horror. X gives me a tight, knowing nod, while Ben’s brows pull together in something like pity.

Even Wade turns around, his eyes meeting mine. He shakes his head, his voice low and gruff. “I’m sorry, son. But we’ll figure this out. One way or another.”

The gravity of his words presses down until it feels like I can barely breathe. Grayson really went and did it—he stole my moment, took what was meant to be mine to give. Frustration courses through me, but beneath it, there’s a jagged edge of something I can’t quite name, but it feels like kissing cousins with betrayal.

Everyone else piles out of the van, excitement practically radiating off them. I follow, feeling strangely numb.How did this happen?

Grayson walks her to the door, his fingers brushing the small of her back. She leans into his touch.My wolf howls.

He pulls out a set of keys, the metal glinting under the porch light as he places them in her hand. I linger under a magnolia tree, trying not to feel like my entire life is unraveling. Xavier glides into the space beside me, silent but steady. Jaw clenched, I shake my head.No. I don’t want them to make me feel better.

“Eight bedrooms, nine baths, and a commercial-grade kitchen,” Grayson says. His tone is casual, but there’s pride there, too. “I’ve already had a crew out here getting wards set up and light-proofing the third floor.”

When the hell did he do all this? During the Moot? Who helped him? Wade was helping me—he would’ve told me about a second house, wouldn’t he?

“Oh my god, you bought me a mansion.” Her voice breaks, eyes shimmering in the dim light. “When I was a little girl, I walked past this bed and breakfast almost every day, pretending I lived here.”

Grayson swallows, obviously touched. This moment clearly means just as much to him as it does to her.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

“I bought us a grand but comfortable home that will work until you find something you like better, or we build to suit.”

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