My body calmed as he touched my face, the back of his finger trailing down my cheek. I rolled over to face him, to feel the heat of his body. “That feels better,” I said shyly.
Grim had tucked me in while I was sick. Maybe he could do it again?
“Grim?”
He hummed, still watching me closely. His eyes flickered with amusement. And I swore I could see the same shadow running across them.
“Can you tuck me in, like how you did when I was sick?” His eyes fluttered, the shadow falling away from them. The gentle caress near my eye stopped, and he pulled his hand away.
“Are you sure?” He stood hesitantly at the side of the mountain of pillows. I lifted my body to lean on my elbow and glanced up to his hovering form.
“Why wouldn’t I?” I questioned. “I felt comfortable. Whatever you did to make me sleep, I want that again.”
Grim rubbed his hands down his sweatpants. His bare chest and that magnificent v-line that hid between the fabric made me dart away.
Grim cleared his throat again, crawling into the bed. My confusion turned to panic as he laid beside me and pulled me into his chest. My body didn’t fight him, but my mind certainly was. He purposefully moved my head to his neck, my hand now resting on his muscular chest.
Holy hell.
His gentle thumb thrummed over my cheek, making me forget the bare chested biker god lying next to me.
He…did this when I was sick?
I sighed happily. This was what I was missing. It was the missing piece to this bed. I’d only known him for a short time, but I was falling for him. I couldn’t understand it. I promised myself to stay away from any man if I ever escaped. Yet, here I was, growing attached to my rescuer.
Now I forwent that vow, I had given it up. Part of me hated doing it, the other part was blissfully happy. To feel protected, to feel wanted, for someone to take care of me because of me and not to get anything in return.
It had only been two weeks knowing him. I still should be wary, but my body was betraying me in all ways. It was too soon to give him my full trust, but I trusted him more than anyone else, even if he was strange.
“Thank you,” I whispered into his chest. “For taking care of me. It was very selfless of you to do something like that.”
Grim continued to brush my cheek. The purr from his chest grew until I fell into a blissful sleep.
Grim
She reached for me.
She wanted me to hold her.
It didn’t matter that she didn’t know the extent of how she slept when she was sick. That it wasn’t a simple roll of the blankets to keep her safe. It was me. The bond that would have been shared with my first mate was now gifted to Journey. A much better, more suitable mate.
Journey’s breath slowed, her heart evening out with my own. I drew my nose along the top of her head, taking in her scent. She smelled so good, so appetizing.
Journey was much more beautiful than my last mate. I gripped the sheets with my free hand, my claws piercing the pillow. “Much more suitable,” my wolf agreed. “She is accepting us.”
That was true. She was taking the bond seriously, even if she didn’t know what it was. By the day, it would grow stronger, tighter. There would come a time when she couldn’t be without me and I without her. The bond would be stretched so tight that we would have to consummate our bond, to tie us together so the invisible string could be loosened to allow us to be away from each other for some periods of time.
I was already pushing Journey too much by staying with her while she washed, while she used the toilet. Now that she was better, no longer sick with the haze of the fever, I wouldn’t be able to do it unless I had a good reason.
Now that I had Journey, and she was slowly accepting me, I couldn’t let her out of my sight. I couldn’t let anyone change her mind about me. No other male would touch her, have her, be complete with her.
It would become difficult for my wolf and me when she finds out what we are—a vicious shifter animal. It was only a matter of time.
The greatest question was, would she accept it?
I know she saw me. She saw the blood dripping from my mouth when I ate the raw meat on the counter. My wolf craved it. He was starving after sleeping for so long. Our strength was returning, and no one in the club could defeat me, even in numbers.
My mouth salivated, thinking of eating more of the meat. My wolf hungered for it, but he also hungered for this. The touch, the heat of her skin on me. I wanted to lick every crevice of her body, to pour my scent into her cunt and keep her with me always.
