Page 38 of Grim

I grunted, ending the call, and got dressed.

I took one more look at my mate. Only the top of her head could be seen poking through the blankets. I kissed her forehead. Her fever had indeed broken, a small sheen of sweat glistening on her skin.

Getting Journey better was the priority, but my wolf had grown more territorial now that I had set up our home, our den, and the nest that we laid in. My scent coated the apartment. Having another male enter the apartment would be suicidal. My wolf, becoming stronger every day, would kill even the closest of friends, even Locke.

“I’ll wait until they get here.” Sizzle crossed his arms, leaning on his door. “So, it’s true. Your apartment reeks.”

My jaw ticked, fist tightening.

“Hey man.” Sizzle held up his hands in defense. “I couldn’t be sure if it was just a rut gone wrong or not. I was looking out for you and the girl.”

He was. Sizzle didn’t care about feelings and was an even worse communicator I didn’t know why the hell he put up much of a fuss, but he knew I would have felt like shit if I had done something to hurt the woman I had claimed. I’ve always had respect for my work partner; I’d forgiven him the moment I fucking punched him in the face.

“Protect my den,” was all I muttered, stomping down the uneven steps.

I headed across the street and stepped into the bar. It was filled with club members and humans who liked to think they were bad-ass bikers. I scoffed, continuing to the back until Delilah stepped in front of me.

“Is she all right, Grim?” Delilah had a sweet innocence about her, but she had been through some shit. It still haunted her to this day.

For once, I didn’t feel like pushing her away. Journey would need friends once this was over, and Delilah was the only one I trusted out of all the females that had been rescued.

“She’s healing,” I stated simply.

Delilah smiled, nodding.

“That’s great. If there is ever a time I can talk to her, I’d like that. We might have some things in common.”

Her hesitation hovered in her voice, and I relaxed. I didn’t want her to be afraid of me, but I was sure Hawke had warned her to stay away.

“When she is well.”

Delilah took my short answer and skipped away. Shaking my head, I pushed the saloon doors to the back and trudged to the door that would lead me deeper into the prison underneath the bar.

The bar’s music was deafening, and the walls were thick. No screams would penetrate the boards and layers of cement that encased our torture chamber. High-pitched screams permeated the wooden boards, the vibrations shaking the glass beer bottles lining the basement shelves.

Another slap echoed throughout the dank basement, as chuckles from our inner circle jeered for Locke to continue.

“Ah, there he is, the man of the hour.” Locke’s sadistic smile showed his white canines as he waved his hand at the stairwell.

Locke had always had a sliver of crazy embedded in him. When his wolf was still at the surface, you could see the tick beneath the surface. It often made me wonder if he’d truly killed his mate and lover instead of them just rejecting him.

“You see here.” Locke walked toward me. He wrapped his arm around my broad shoulders, guiding me forward. I bent over to see the fae. He was a winter fae. His dark clothes made for a bright contrast to the shimmer that usually adorned his cheeks.

“N-no.” The fae’s voice shook. “The Grim Reaper.”

Locke’s whole body twitched , his eyes wild with hysteria.

“Oh, you know him?” Locke bent over, patting my back. “Yes, yes, this is the Grim Reaper.”

“We thought he was dead. He had to be. He’s lived too long without a…”

Growls ripped across the room. My brothers gripped the knives and guns holstered at their waists. My gaze caught each one. Slow nods of approval fell my way, my shoulders relaxed.

“They know, dear brother,” Locke casually mentioned.

“You’ve given them hope.” Locke cleared his throat, and he pushed the fae back with his hand wrapped around his throat. “And now the fun really begins!” he cackled. “Now, I need you to tell me, where is the next party?” He wagged his finger in the cold fae’s nose.

Lock had rendered the fae’s powers useless by dusting him with iron. Snow sparkled from between his eyes, trying to render an ice gaze. Grunting, the fae shook his head.

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