“Your body has changed enough where you are no longer on a human cycle. Working on your nest proved that. I also smell nothing different about you, so you can’t possibly be pregnant yet.”
There was a longing in his voice that I could decipher. He wanted a family, while all my life, I never thought to have one. I didn’t want my child to ever experience anything I had gone through.
But they wouldn’t, Grim wouldn’t allow it—not with him and all his friends who stuck together through thick and thin. I knew that. I knew this band of rogues was tighter than any human family I’d ever seen, yet they were all still so broken.
Once we started getting everyone mated, we could turn this band of rogues into a pack of unstoppable supernaturals.
Chapter Forty Two
Grim
Locke struck the pulpit with the gavel. The banging rang through the church to silence the haughty laughs and jeers. They all had been excited for weeks, waiting for the opportunity to visit with women and men that had not dared come to this side of town before.
The bikers drove into the human part of town, helping old ladies cross the street and donating food to the shelters. They no longer hid away from the women, hoping to catch a whiff, have their animal stir, anything that might indicate that their second chance human would arrive.
No one had brought anyone back, not that they would. At least one of the bonded souls had to open their hearts, and Journey was, of course, a special case.
However, with the upcoming party at the end of the month and the hope that finding a mate was heavily on their minds, they wanted this to work. And Journey was all too excited to help.
Leif had begun to be more territorial with her since she had completed our nest. Each morning and night, Journey rearranged our nest, adjusting it to her liking. Each time she did it, Leif and I were invited inside to fill it with our scent and our seed.
That was his favorite, and I had to admit that it was mine as well.
I kept hoping that her heat would come soon. I didn’t like her out around other males. I was insanely jealous of anyone smelling my woman. I knew they would never dare to touch her, but if there were any wolves close to going rabid, it may pose a problem.
One that I would eradicate if they came near my mate.
I smiled down at her, keeping my arm around her shoulders. She now stood with me at the front of all the members of the club, as Locke’s second. Now that I had my mate, she was second as well.
“Settle down.” Locke smiled and waved his hands for his members to calm down. They all sat, their murmurs trickling to silence.
Two weeks had passed, and it was now time to take down the human traffickers at their next party. Journey was worried, because I was attending, and I would not bring her with me. I had to keep my head on my shoulders for this mission. Having her there would distract me.
Even sitting on the rooftop with Beretta was out of the question. I would not have her near any of the violence.
“Alright, we are going to follow the same plan and pattern, except Beretta is going to be the sniper team lead. It’s the same warehouse, same layout as far as we know. Switch has gathered the blueprints, and of course I’m sure they have used a glamour spell to change some other shit around. So, when we enter, make sure you’re paying attention,” Locke said as his gaze ran across the congregation of overly excited bikers.
Switch held a tablet in his hand, his finger pushing up the glasses on his nose. I frowned, watching him, still squinting, to look at the screen. It seemed his sight was going, and his time might be short as well.
Journey grabbed my hand, instantly knowing what I was thinking. Her heavy sigh reminded me of the heavy burden she carried for the club now that she was a priestess. But no one really knew. They still looked on her with pity, waiting for her to die and I along with her.
“Where’s Hawke?” Karma asked from the back.
“Hawke is MIA. He cannot be contacted, and Switch can’t even get a location on him.” The room went quiet, listening to Locke’s furious taps on the pulpit.
“Beretta will head the sniper team, as I said, same positions as last time, taking anyone out that tries to get in. She is already stationed with her men, ready to go. Right now, we are in the clear.”
The men rose with their guns, knives, and brass knuckles. I reached to my hip and grabbed the several knives that dangled from my belt.
“Please be careful,” Journey whispered. I pulled her in for a kiss, and she melted into me. “Do you really have to go?”
“I am the Grim Reaper; it’s my job. But I promise you, it takes a lot for anyone to bring me down, little mate. Now that we are bonded, wolfsbane and silver have no effect on me. They would have to pull out my beating heart.”
Journey gasped, shaking her head.
“Sorry.” I kissed her forehead and put my hand on her lower back.
Locke continued to speak to the crowd, but I needed to get my mate back to the bar. All the humans were congregating along with some of the less trained members and would be protected while we executed our raid.
