Chapter 108: Grace
Rhys’ office had been turned into the evidence room. We had two whiteboards that were covered in post-it notes and lines and diagrams that connected different bits of information. I hated this time of day the most. Every day at 2pm, we had 2 hours put aside to research and then at 4 we would talk about it. The problem was, I couldn’t read very well, so I was utterly useless during this time. Rhys was kind and gave me things to work on so I could keep learning, but I was doing kindergarten stuff while Rhys and Leon combed carefully through old texts and as well as any of the things that we were tracking secretly from the Red Blood pack, like money movements, contacts from inside and out of the pack. We now had eyes on the city as well. We couldn’t do anything to protect the citizens yet, but we would. On top of everything we were tracking, there was also everyday details that needed taken care of. We had our own finances to worry about, we had pack members that needed us for things, we had trainings, and workouts and trainings to run, schedules to keep up with, and not to mention 50 kids to care for and figure out what to do with. And as much as I loved having all the kids around, having them all sleep on the Alpha floor wherever they could find space, was not practical or safe. They deserved more than that. All that to say, there was so much to do and not nearly enough time to do it.
The door creaked open, and Maizie and Michael slipped in. Michael was a quiet kid, but a bit of a wildcard in my opinion. There was something about him that made me a little nervous. He was a kid still at only 17, same as Maizie, but he had been screwed over so many times in his short life, he was a heck of a lot angrier, and that scared me a bit. It made him a little unpredictable. He didn’t trust us, but he also didn’t trust them, so he was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and all we could do was try to be kind to him and all the other kids. Make them feel wanted, even if I was kind of sort of trying to kick them off our floor.
We let them help though. It was nice to have another girl in the mix too if I was being honest, even if she was younger than me. She was everything I wanted to be. She was brave and bold and confident in ways that I never even dreamed I could be. She had been through so much, and yet, here she was thriving, and I wanted to be just like her. And like her, I was determined to be braver than I had been. I could do this.
“Grace?” Rhys’ voice cut through my thoughts causing me to look up.
“Hm?”
“Are you okay?”
Every eye in the room turned to stare at me and I felt heat flood my cheeks.
“Yes.” I answered, my voice meeker than I intended.
Rhys narrowed his eyes at me, and I felt him reach through the bond to attempt to decipher what I was feeling. But the truth was, I didn’t really know what I was feeling. I wanted to be useful to my mate, but I was useless. I couldn’t read. I couldn’t do anything. I wanted to be bold. I wanted to be like Maizie, but I was still me. I had no reason to be confident. I had nothing to give anyone. And I was sort of lost in that feeling.
Almost everyone went back to what they were doing after an awkward moment, but Rhys’ eyes never left mine, and I squirmed in my seat, pretending to go back to my lessons. I had to do this to get better. To be a worthy mate.
A pair of boots entered the edge of my vision, and I looked up in confusion to see Rhys standing there with his hand stretched out toward me.
“What are you doing Rhys?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
“Are you just going to leave me hanging or what?” He asked with a smirk.
I took his hand hesitantly. We were all supposed to be studying right now.
“We’ll be back,” Rhys announced, but I just looked at him in confusion, and nobody else acknowledged us at all or even bothered to look up.
“Where are we going?” I whispered as he opened the door.
Rhys just smirked, shutting the door behind us.
Suddenly, I was pushed into the wall, and I let out a little gasp, but Rhys was sure to also be gentle as he caged me in.
“Rhys, what are you doing?” I gasped.
“Well, if we didn’t have guests in my office, I would have given you a repeat of the lesson we had a few weeks ago. However, I chose the next best place to please my mate and remind her that she is very wanted.”
His mouth met mine hungrily, and I caved immediately. I was putty in his hands. His to mold, his to shape, I would do anything for him.
He pulled away all too soon, and I felt heat flood my cheeks again when I realized we were in the middle of the hallway.
“What was your last lesson?” Rhys urged.
“Rhys...” I whined, not wanting to do this now.
He nibbled on my lip and pulled away again.
“What was your last lesson?” He tried again.
“That I am yours.” I answered, distracted by his hands grazing my over the sensitive spot on my sides.
“I want you, Gracie. And I understand that you are feeling inferior and not good enough or whatever, but you are mine. Do you hear me?”
I nodded, but it wasn’t good enough.
“Words, Gracie.” He ran his thumb over my lip, and I wrapped my fingers around the untucked part of his shirt.
“I hear you.” I whispered.
“You have come so far.” Rhys continued. “Stop doubting yourself because this wouldn’t be happening without you.”
Yeah. We wouldn’t be at a war we couldn’t win if I hadn’t walked into the same room as Rhys.
“Stop.” Rhys commanded, forcing me to look at him.
“What?” I asked.
“If you hadn’t walked in, I would have been far more blindsided in all of this. You opened my eyes. You changed my life for the better. You are the reason I am alive, Grace, in more than one way.”
Fucking swoon.