“I’m sorry,” I say. “I really wasn’t paying attention.”
“Not a surprise,” she growls. “Just get out of my way.”
I take a couple of quick steps back, and the glow of magic around her feels confronting after the thoughts I’ve been wrestling with all morning. She only used a light touch of magic to put out the fire, and I don’t think she was even consciously aware of it, but it still freaked me out.
“We’ll have to throw away this frying pan,” she says. “It’s been set on fire too many times. The bottom is practically burned out.”
“Okay. I can get another one.”
“Our cupboards are well-stocked, so don’t worry. You might want to consider a loyalty program for kitchenware, though.”
Was that a joke?
In case it wasn’t, I don’t laugh, and all I can do is continue to stand there awkwardly.
“We definitely shouldn’t let you play with fire anymore,” she says, oiling a new pan and getting a fresh package of bacon.
Her words make me look down at my hands, remembering the horrific sight of seeing my bare bones poking out through blackened, bubbling skin. Fear steals the breath from my lungs, and I blink hard, trying to get the floating dots in my vision to clear.
Am I more afraid of the magic that hurt me, or the power that healed me?
I look up and stare at Grace’s back, watching her move back and forth as she cracks eggs into the pan and puts bread into the toaster. The magic glow has truly worn off, and she looks ordinary, just a normal woman cooking breakfast—and multitasking like it’s a superpower.
“I’ll put the other dishes away,” I say.
She makes a small sound of agreement, but doesn’t turn around.
It only takes me a few minutes to clear up the kitchen, and by that time, breakfast is ready. Grace doesn’t look up asshe puts the plates down, and I notice she’s digging into the food with a lot more enthusiasm than usual.
More than once, I try to think of a way to start a conversation, but I keep running up against a hard wall of confusion. Not only do I not know what to talk about, I’m not even sure I want to talk to her anymore.
The guys said to dive in and risk everything in case this was the real deal. But it can’t be. Surely, I wouldn’t be this terrified if she were my true mate? I can’t get used to the magic, not with these terrible memories inside me.
Grace clears her plate a lot faster than usual and goes back for seconds. I let her fill up my plate, too, and even though neither of us speaks, the silence doesn’t bother me as much anymore.
It’s not just being with her and dealing with her magic. It was the feel of it flowing through my veins. I felt violated, like I’d made a deal with the devil on my deathbed. My body was healed, but what was the cost to my soul?
“Okay,” Grace says, finishing her food. “It’s almost nine. We should head out.”
“Yeah,” I agree. “Just leave the dishes. I’ll do them when we get home.”
“No problem. That seems like a safe job for you.”
“Yeah,” I answer, not sure if I should acknowledge that as humor or frustration.
A few minutes later, we leave the house, and Grace keeps pace with me and holds my hand. A lot of pack members are waiting under the covered seating area, and they wave and smile as we approach.
She’s putting a lot more effort into the act, but the only thing I read from that is her desire to help these people. It’s got nothing to do with me.
As she greets the women and moves away, I let my gaze linger on her a little. I’m not the smartest guy in the world, and I’m pretty sure I don’t have magic powers, but my instincts have always been sharp.
There is something hidden in her. The longer we stay together, the stronger this feeling gets. She has a secret, I’m sure of it.
I shake off the thought, resolving to think about it later. The new council members and I take the kids out for a run, the less experienced ones still working on coordination, and the more advanced ones scouting around the area in their wolf shape.
After a full day with the kids and helping the other men repair buildings, I go back to the meeting area to find Grace there with the women. They’ve put on a beautiful spread, and we all sit down to eat together, the sense of community soothing me and giving me hope.
Even if it doesn’t work out with Grace, I have the pack. They’re mine now, and I belong to them. I’ll never be alone again, and I can protect them. This time, I won’t fail, I won’t let anyone down.
