Chapter 65

I looked at Grace in surprise. I had never seen her this angry before... In fact, I don’t think I had ever seen her angry at all. If I had it was nothing compared to this. Her blue eyes didn’t hide her emotions at all, the rage burning in them both worried and excited me. It was almost thrilling to see Grace in such a different light.

“Don’t worry, my love.” I told her as I moved to crouch in front of her, my hand caressing her face gently. “I will make them pay. We will make them pay for ever daring to mess with you.”

“I’m serious, Rhys,” She stated, pushing me away a little. “It’s not fair. They ruined my life. Everything could have been different. I could have been different. They didn’t have to treat me like they did. I didn’t deserve that.”

“I know, love.” I tried again, pulling her into me this time. “That’s why we’re going to get you unbound, and we are going to keep biding our time till we have all our pieces together, and then we are going to go on the attack and anyone who has ever messed with you mentally or physically, they are going to pay. I promise.”

She closed her eyes, but her tension didn’t ease. She still felt stiff in my arms, and I didn’t like it, nor did I really know how to help her.

“It’s just not fair...” She sighed, deflating.

“I know. You didn’t deserve anything that’s happened to you.” I ran my fingers through her hair combed through it as gently as I could. I pecked her forehead just as a knock at the door startled both of us apart.

I pulled her back to me and called out to the knocker to come in.

“Hey, am I interrupting?” Sawyer asked, looking hesitantly between myself and Grace.

“No, we were just talking,” I answered. “Why? What’s up?”

“Arlo and I were heading to the city for supplies, and we were wondering if Grace would like to join us?” Sawyer asked, hesitantly, his eyes flickering to mine, just for a moment.

I forced myself not to tense. This was a big moment for Grace, and I needed to respect that.

“I don’t know...” A little frown graced her face, and I pecked her forehead again. “I’ve hardly been outside... I can’t remember ever going to a city before.”

“Well, this would be a good opportunity then,” I encouraged even though I didn’t love the idea. “Arlo and Sawyer will both be there and will be able to protect you if anything Goddess forbids happened.”

“What’s the city like?” She asked, her voice small as she contemplated my words.

“Well, it’s busy,” Sawyer answered easily, leaning back against the doorframe. I had to fight to not to roll my eyes at his attempt to look casual. “And a little chaotic, but it’s nothing crazy. There are just more cars and more people everywhere, and everything is just a little bit bigger.”

She nodded, thoughtfully, before turning back toward me. Her big blue eyes met mine, but I could see the worry in them.

“What do you think? Is it safe to go to?” She asked.

I smiled at her and brushed a loose strand of hair from her face, I couldn’t help it. I had already answered both of those questions, but she had been too surprised to really hear them.

“It’s neutral territory, about as safe as you can be outside the pack, and Sawyer and Arlo will both be there if anything was to happen.” I repeated my earlier answer. “But I can’t make the decision for you, love.”

“It’ll be fun,” Sawyer coaxed, “And if you want to leave at any time because you feel uncomfortable, we will leave, no questions asked.”

“Are you sure it’s okay for me to go?” She asked me again and my heart clenched a little, but I did my best to still smile. I didn’t want her out of my sight for even a second these days, but that wasn’t sustainable or necessary. She had spent her whole life cooped up. I couldn’t do the same just because it made me feel better, and as much as I wanted to go with her, I had work to do still.

“I’m sure.” I told her. “Go and have fun. I want to hear all about it when you get back.”

She beamed at me as she stood up. To my surprise, she pecked my lips before turning back toward Sawyer and off to places she had never been before. I knew Sawyer and Arlo would take care of her, but I worried.

I tried to get some work done for a good half hour after my door shut behind them, but all I did was stare at my computer screen. The next thing I knew I was mindlinking Leon to come to my office. I knew I wouldn’t be able to get anything done until I put my mind at ease over letting her go without me.

“You called?” Leon smirked as he entered my office.

“Shut up.” I growled at him.

“Rumor has it that you let Arlo and Sawyer take Grace to the city.” Leon cut straight to the chase, telling me that he had already guess why I had called him.

“Tell me I didn’t make a mistake in letting her out of my sight.” I said, getting up to pour us both a glass of whiskey.

“This was the perfect opportunity for her to get some new experiences in a controlled way. If she is going to be Luna, she cannot be in awe over everything every time. This will help her grow more independent, and get some basic experiences with the public in a way that doesn’t really matter.”

“But she’s a Lycan.” I argued. “Ethan says they can sense each other. What if her old pack senses her out of my territory and thinks she’s fair game? What if she doesn’t know to look both ways before crossing a street? We’ve never talked about safety things!”

Leon sighed. “Do you want me to catch up to them and keep an eye of things?”

I sucked in a breath. Yes. That was exactly what I wanted. Was it dishonorable on my end to not trust my mate and my Gamma, my own brother? Was I being overreactive?

I knew the answer even as the words left my mouth, but I said them anyway. “Yes but be discreet. Don’t let them see you, and I want updates every few minutes. I want to know where they are at all times and if you sense any trouble, you tell me and you get her out of there.”