22. Barrett

Chapter 22

Barrett

-Take me back to Eden- Sleep Token-

Grace is a shadow of the woman she once was. She looked like a broken doll in Lorcan’s arms. The violence she endured and then unleashed upon her almost murderer. Lorcan was wise to summon me to his side to help Grace. It took me months to work through killing Roxy.

I pull my mate to my side and tuck her under my arm and guide her down the hall and upstairs. I pass Ethan and Griffin standing in their open bedroom doors. Shaking my head gently, I tell them not to follow.

Ethan looks broken, Griffin looks lost. Alphas unable to fix a problem, leaves them floating, haunted in their own thoughts. Grace had bathed, so that was a step in the right direction. “Come, lie down with me.” I pull her towards my nest.

Grace slowly climbs into my nest and snuggles into the blankets and pillows. Once she was comfortable, I pull my shirt off and toss it on the chair before I climb in with her. Grace immediately snuggles in close and holds me like a teddy bear. “How did you?”

Ah, she wants to know how I made it through killing Roxy. “It took a long time. Like you, I’ve never killed anyone.” I press my lips to her forehead. “The best question is, why did you?” Sighing, I band my arms tighter around her. “My answer was to protect you and the babe in your womb. If I died saving you, I would take her with me.” I nuzzle her hairline and press a kiss to her forehead.

“Why did I kill him?” She repeats my earlier question, and I nod my head and wait.

She closes her eyes as she thinks about the question. “I knew he would keep hunting me and Ashina. I didn’t want my daughter living in fear for the rest of her life. She deserves a happy childhood free of fear, full of love and happiness.” I could feel the moment it clicks for her. Grace stills in my arms and she stops breathing before she pushes to sit up.

“Your reasons are the same ones I have for killing Roxy.” Smiling, I reach up and caress her cheek. “I want you and all of the children to have a happy, safe life. Roxy would never stop hunting you because you have Ethan’s and Griffin’s attention. She wanted power, the power you have and don’t want.” Smiling, I search her face.

“I still don’t want the title and power.” Grace rolls her eyes, searching my face like I was hers.

“That’s what makes you perfect for the position. You rule from the heart, not out of desiring control.” I can only hope she can one day see herself the way I do.

“What if I become an ember wolf?” Her brows furrow as she lays back down.

“Being an ember wolf doesn’t make you evil. It’s true they are the embodiment of rage. It’s usually born of loving fiercely and protecting those that matter most to them.” I say softly, kissing her temple again.

“You wouldn’t think less of me?” Grace’s voice softens as she presses her nose against my throat.

“I could never think less of you, Gracie.” I give her a squeeze and kiss the crown of her head. “You always do the what’s best for everyone. It won’t matter, even if you choose to become a wolf of darkness.” I smile against her hair, holding her.

“What’s a darkness wolf?” Her finger tips trail over my ribs and stomach as she asks her question.

Drawing in a fortifying breath, I try to settle my self ignoring my dick’s response to her touch. “It’s what happens to a made wolf that is lost to its beast. No shreds of humanity left. Their fur black as night, making Ethans look dark smoke gray.” I swallow hard and shudder a breath.

“I’m guessing it’s a terrible thing?” Grace moves slowly to sit up and look down at me.

“It is. They are hunted and killed. They will seek out all of those that had ever hurt them and kill them on sight.” I sigh softly and watch her reaction.

“Would you hunt and kill me?” She arches a brow, looking at me.

“No. I would let you kill me if that is what your beast demanded. I could never raise claw or fang at you.” Closing my eyes, I swallow the fear as I close my eyes.

My nest creaks and I feel Grace’s warmth over me. She sits upon my lower stomach, her hands splayed upon my chest. When I open my eyes, Grace’s eyes search my face. A single tear rolls down her cheek. “I could never hurt you.” She lays down over me, her breasts pressed against my chest.

“I know.” Out of submission, I stretch my arms over my head and grab onto the rail above my head.

Grace watches me stretch out and her eyes flicker between wolf and human. “Why do you do that?” She sits up and runs her hands up and along my arms.

“The Alphas tend to need to know when I am willing to be whatever they need. We came up with this as the signal.” I motion to the way my arms are stretched over my head.

Grace tilts her head left then right, studying me as if seeing me for the first time. “I don’t like you submitting to me,” Grace says as she pulls at my arms to bring them down.

“Why?” I scoot back, pulling her with me as I press my back against the side of the nest.

“All of this ranking shit.” She waves her hand in the air, dismissing the concept. “It doesn’t make sense why it’s so damn important.” She grumbles, looking at her own hands.

“Wolves need social construct. Otherwise, there would be constant fighting and deaths. With structure, the fights are minimal and we can live in peace.” My hands grip her hips and massage the muscles. There’s a tenseness there that no matter how much I massage, it doesn’t yield.

“It seems like our home is run differently than most. Is it because I took so many mates?” She curls close to me and kisses along my jaw.

“That helps, you still have a structure within your home. You have four alphas, a beta, and an omega. You still have structure in your home and don’t realize it.” I arch an eyebrow looking at her and then I see when it makes sense.

We all fall peacefully into our roles in the family. With the addition of Lorcan, the small pissing matches have stopped. Tilting my head, I stare up at my gentle mate, and I lean forward and kiss her lips softly.

“You always know the right things to say, Barrett.” She slides down my body and uses her claws to shred the clothing from my body.

“Gracie?” The look on my face holds more questions than my voice. Are you sure? Are you okay? All painted on my solum expression. My eyes search her face as if seeking the answers to the universe.

“Shh … My love.” She kisses down my chest as she rends the fabric from my thighs and hips. Once I was free of my clothing, she stares down admiring my body. I’m is not as heavily built as the other males. Not as toned as Conrad, or as thickly muscled as Lorcan and Ethan. My frame is slightly heavier than hers, but one hundred percent male.

Reaching down, she takes my length in her hand and grips it tightly, stroking it from root to tip. My soft moan echoes in the bedroom. An emotion beside sorrow rises, white fiery lust burns through Gracie. She needs to feel anything other than sorrow.

“I want to feel something other than misery, Barrett.” Her eyes plead with me as she slides off of my hips and rests her hands on her lap. Her words had mirrored my thoughts. It’s amazing how tuned I am to her and her needs.

Slowly I move to my hands and knees, using the tip of my nose to guide her to lie down in the nest. “Are you sure?” I tilt my head to the side, watching her face for any hints of uncertainty. Grace nods, then blushes as she spreads her legs for me. Beckoning me towards her. I nip at her ankles, up her calves, to her thighs. I pause mid-thigh and look up at her before licking her inner thigh to her apex.

“Barrett, please…” Her hands thread through my hair as she tries to pull me to her core.

“As you wish.” I dive in like a man starving. My tongue spearing into her molten hot center. Her sticky sweet flavor melts on my tongue, making me mad with desire. I pump my tongue in and out of her several more times before getting her to the edge of release. Grace whines as I climb up her body, sliding my length into her in one smooth motion.

Being an Omega has its advantage. I don’t have a knot to lock me in my mate. I can go repeatedly with nothing stopping me. With every slow thrust, I feel her muscles ripple around me. She’s almost mad with lust. In my heart, I am happy she is feeling something other than pain. Guilt is a mind killer. It taints the soul of the person. Her hands pawing at me, urging me to move faster.

“I’m so close…” Gracie’s whine almost breaks me. With every thrust, I kept her on the edge. Dancing within a hair of release.

Inwardly, I laugh. Females desire alpha sex. Thinking they are the kings of the bedroom. It’s the Omegas that notice the tiny things, the things that mean nothing to the Alphas. The little things that I now use on Grace. One twist of my hips and she’s rocketing off the deep end, coming as hard as possible. Her cry echoes off the walls of my nest as her finger tips shift to claws and they pierce my flesh.

The door to my nest blasts open. Looking over my shoulder, I see Ethan and Nicolai standing there with their eyes blazing to life. “Get out!” Gracie curls to the side to glare at them. Her Alpha bark makes them stumble back towards the door. “Get out!” She roared again at them until they rush out the door.

Her eyes return to mine and there’s a fire burning deep within them. Her core pulsed around me as she rolled her hips, drawing my focus fully on her. “You’re mine.” She growls, then flips me onto my back. She rocks hard on me, her body sliding up and down my length.

Moaning, I arch up, meeting her thrust for thrust. This Grace is raw and untethered. Her beast lurks under the surface almost completely in the driver’s seat as she moves on me. This version of Grace concerns me. Being made, she doesn’t have the years of getting to know her wolf. Instead, she wrestles with her beast, yet doesn’t complain.

Grace screams as she climaxes again on top of me. I watch the fur run in a wave down her body. It happens several times before she slows her rocking. She lays down upon me, her hands framing my face. Her full lips pepper my face and neck. A deep rumble of her wolf vibrates in her chest as a happy little smile plays on her lips.

“Nap time first.” Grace kisses my lips, then slides off of me only to snuggle into my arms. She is a sleep within moments, her soft breath washes over my chest as her arm rests now limply over my ribs.