Being more than exhausted had rattled my senses. I didn’t want to trust anyone, or anybody. My body shook, the wave of unease hovering over me.
“Sleep on the couch?” Sizzle cocked an eyebrow at Grim. He gazed steadily at Grim while he pulled white food boxes from the bag.
Grim grunted, opening the white food boxes.
“How’d she do last night?” Sizzle leaned on the counter, watching Grim make the plate. Again, they talked like I was the deaf person in the room.
“Nightmares,” he mumbled. Sizzle stood up, crossing his arms. He inspected Grim and put a hand to his forehead.
Grim slapped his hand away.
“I’m checking to see if you’re sick because of all this word vomiting you’re doing,” he chuckled. Grim glared, pulling a plate away and heading toward me. “Meeting at the church at noon,” Sizzle said without looking back.
Grim kneeled in front of the bed. The distance between us didn’t feel right, but I didn’t have the guts to come any closer. All the tiredness, the adrenaline from the night before, when I felt like I could talk to him, was gone. I was back to my scared self, worried about being used all over again.
“Eat.” His voice was soft. The stark difference from talking to his friend warmed me.
His patience with me was far greater than anyone I had ever met. Beckoning me with those eyes, I scooted my body over, falling in love with the scent of carbs.
Biscuits, gravy, eggs, and bacon laid on the Styrofoam plate. My mouth salivated. I didn’t remember if I’d ever seen so much food on a single plate.
The fork in Grim’s hand was given to me, and I took it shakily. When was the last time I ate like a real person with a food utensil?
Pushing the thought away, I gently grabbed the plate, grazing Grim’s fingertips. The same jolt we felt last night appeared, but he didn’t pull away. Instead, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer to him, luring me into him with food.
The fork dropped, and I whimpered at the loss. How pathetic was I? Couldn’t even hold a fork.
My body shook, my stomach churning in protest that he was taking the food out of my shaking hands. I needed it back, but protesting was something I could not do. He could hit me, smack me, use me.
Grim let out a frustrated breath. My heart stopped as he let go, lowering his gaze. He tapped the plate with his index finger while he stabbed pieces of food with a fork with the other.
I obediently sat on my knees and watched. Then he leaned forward and held the plate closer to me so nothing would fall onto the bed.
Like a frightened animal, I kept my eyes trained on him. Grim held the forkful of food closer to my mouth for me to eat. I reached to pull the fork away from him, but he shook his head, nudging it closer to my mouth.
If I wasn’t starving, I would have laughed at him. But, I was starving. I didn’t even remember the last time I ate a full meal. My captures wanted us skinny and to look like the perfect doll.
Grim nudged it forward again, his tension fading. The pleading look in his eyes entrapped me. So I did what I never thought I would do. l parted my lips and let him feed me the first bite.
“MINE.”
Chapter Five
Grim
Journey didn’t know my wolf was pestering me. She didn’t know that my animal was grazing the surface of my mind, ready to unleash his animalistic qualities in my human form. This was the most he had stirred in my mind besides when it was time to kill something.
Her lips wrapped around the fork. I watched in awe as she pulled it from her mouth.
When was the last time she had eaten?
“Calm,”I repeated to my wolf. My wolf snarled, but even then, I had to push him farther down so she wouldn’t hear his growls of protest.
Feeding a female was an intimate act among wolves. It wasn’t done lightly and was usually reserved for their intended mates. My wolf felt a reaction toward Journey. To feed her, become more intimate with her. But she couldn’t possibly be my mate. I already had my chance, and she’d chosen another—a chosen mate over the stronger bond we could have had together.
My gut churned at the painful memory, but hearing the gentle hum as Journey continued to eat soothed me. I had provided for her, filled her belly, and made her a temporary nest.
I liked it far too much.
