2. Grey

2

GREY

D inner with Lexi was supposed to be romantic. Instead, I finish my drink and leave the restaurant exactly as I arrived—alone. My drive home is a blur of speed and reckless maneuvers. My wolf simmers at the surface, wanting to tear into something. Or someone. But Lexi's the one who ghosted me, and I could never hurt her.

Not even when she hurts me.

Ramsey's waiting in my living room when I step off the elevator. His shirt is wrinkled, and his blond hair looks as if he's been running his hand through it repeatedly. Something he only does when he's nervous or worried. My chest tightens at the sight of him—or more accurately, at the fact that there's no sign of her .

He starts forward. "Thanks for buzzing me in before you?—"

"Where is she?" I demand.

My tone stops him in his tracks. He frowns. "In her room. Dude, she?—"

I stride through the penthouse, which is dark and full of shadows thanks to the late hour and lack of overhead lighting. The décor of this place has always been cold, but in this moment, it feels frigid. There isn't an inch of it that doesn't make me think of my asshole father. He's the one who set all this in motion. And while his scheme brought me Lexi, it also threatens to take her away from me.

Whatever made her stay away tonight, I blame him.

The man's a poison.

At Lexi's bedroom door, I don't even hesitate. Two hours of worrying and wondering and nursing my own pride have left me so twisted up that I don't even know where my fear ends and my anger begins.

I've never been stood up before, and it fucking sucks. But that's not what this is about. Lexi is mine to protect, and I can't do that if she shuts me out. A million scenarios run through my mind, each one worse than the last. We were fine this morning. A little awkward but fine. And now she can't even bring herself to eat a meal with me.

Something must've happened—but what?

My blood pumps with an anger that's a thin veneer spread over my worry. Urgency drives me to move faster.

Her door is locked, but that little detail barely slows me down. With the strength of a predator, I use my shoulder to shove it open. Wood splinters as the lock jam strips and the door swings wide.

The room is empty.

My worry spikes. I stalk to the closed bathroom door, prepared to break it down too, but it opens suddenly, bringing me face to face with the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.

Lexi's green eyes go wide at the sight of me. Her white-blond hair is wet, her smooth skin clear of makeup. She's wearing a skimpy black tank top and matching pajama pants, both of which are sheer enough to leave little to the imagination. The fact that I know exactly what she looks like beneath these clothes only makes my mood more chaotic.

Fuck me, this woman has me in knots.

"Grey," she says, breathless, and my balls tighten at the way her nipples have already pebbled against her shirt. But now's not the time.

"Are you all right?" I demand, searching her for some sign of injury.

"I'm fine," she assures me.

I don't move. I'm too confused to let that be the end of it. To wrung out not to demand answers. My father already knows she didn't show up for our dinner. He'll want answers too.

This would be so much easier if I felt some stirring of a mate bond between us, but there's nothing. The only proof I have that Lexi is my mate is that she called my wolf back to me after my father's alpha order suppressed it. Something like that could only be possible if she were my true fated mate—but there's no evidence of a bond between us, much less a wolf inside her skin. Only desire for her body and a painful twisting in my heart, an ache that's bone-deep and distracting as hell.

"Did something happen?" I ask, hating that I can't read her. "You didn't answer my calls or texts."

She ducks her head, but not before I see her cheeks flush. "I got sick."

"Sick?" I repeat, trying to wrap my head around it. "Do you need a doctor?"

"No, I think I just ate something bad at lunch. I was throwing up all afternoon."

My eyes narrow. "Ramsey said you were upset."

"I told him to say something to make you stay away."

"Why?"

"It was embarrassing. I didn't want you to see me like that."

I glance past her to the bathroom, frowning at the sight of her discarded clothes in a soaked heap in the tub. Did she throw up on them? Bleach scents the air so strongly it overpowers anything else.

"Someone should've told me. I could've at least sent you some soup or crackers."

"I wouldn't have kept it down," she says with a shudder.

My mood falters.

An upset stomach isn't a foe. With nothing to aim it at, some of my anger drains away.

"You're really all right?" I press. "Nothing else happened?"

"Like what?" she asks.

I don't want to admit to all the crazy scenarios I dreamed up out loud, so I shrug. "I don't know."

Going into it would be pointless. Besides, more than anything, I want to find steady footing again. I want to know why things went badly this morning. Convince her to trust me again. Not easy when the reason she's here in the first place is because I kidnapped her.

"Things felt a bit awkward this morning," I say finally.

Her expression is blank for a moment before she nods. "Right. I almost forgot." At my raised brow, she adds, "A lot's happened since then."

"Can I ask you something?"

Fear flashes in her eyes, before she blinks, and it's gone. "Sure."

Nerves grip me, and I have to shove the question out of my mouth before I chicken out. "Would you have come to dinner if you weren't sick?"

"What do you mean?"

"Was being sick the only reason you didn't come?"

"Yeah," she says uncertainly. "We had a deal, remember?"

A deal. Right. I agreed to help her figure out how to access her wolf if she ate dinner with me. "I see."

"Did I say something wrong?"

I shake my head. "How's your stomach now?"

"Better."

I reach out and snag a strand of her wet hair, and she flinches, so I let it fall again. She meets my gaze with something like an apology written there.

"I'm just tired," she says, the truth of her words evident in her pale cheeks and shadowed eyes.

"Get in bed," I say as gently as I can. It's not easy to let go of the tension I've carried all evening, but I do my best. "I'm going to tell Ramsey to go."

She nods, a strange look passing over her face. "I think that's a good idea."

I press a quick kiss to her forehead and head for the living room. Ramsey's standing at the bar with a drink in hand. From the glassy look in his eyes, it isn't his first.

"Everything okay?" he asks.

"You could've told me she was sick, asshole."

He blinks then shrugs, gulping his drink.

I shake my head. "I'll talk to you later."

"You sure she's worth it?" he asks.

I pin him with a dark stare. He looks away first, and that satisfies me more than it should. "Yeah," I tell him quietly. "I'm sure."

He empties his glass then sets it aside. "See you, brother."

"Later."

He walks to the elevator and gets in. When he's gone, I engage the master lock on the keypad and arm the alarm system. We won't be disturbed again tonight.

Outside my bedroom, I hesitate. I told Lexi to get in bed, but I didn't say which one. I don't want to order her to come to me. I want her to do it willingly. To want me the way…

I shouldn't want her. Considering our families' history, I shouldn't want her at all, but we're way past what I should do.

Inhaling deeply, I step into my bedroom and stop at the sight of her curled beneath my sheets. She looks way too small in the large bed. Too lonely. But she's here.

She chose my room.

She chose me.

I go to her, peeling my clothes off on the way. Jacket, pants, shirt—I let them fall silently to the carpet. When I'm in nothing but my boxers, I crawl in beside her. My heart pounds with relief, or pleasure, or both. Nerves grip me as I reach for her, but she doesn't pull away when I draw her against me. Instead, she cuddles closer, laying her head on my chest. Her hands are cold, so I cover them with mine. My fingers brush hers, and I look down.

"Where's your ring?" I ask.

"I took it off when I got sick."

It makes sense. The rock in that thing isn't exactly something you'd want getting dirty. And it's not like her engagement ring was supposed to be a genuine symbol of my feelings—not at first, anyway. Getting married was my father's idea. No, his order. A way to tie my family to hers. To take her birthright away from her.

She's Alpha Franco Giovanni's only living heir. Her destiny should've been to rule our pack someday, but my father will never let that happen. As the second—and lesser—alpha of this city, Vincenzo Diavolo's going to take the pack from her, one way or another. But I'm willing to bet he thinks she'll give it to him willingly.

Maybe he's right. Lexi didn't ask to be caught up in a war. And my father's not going to give her much choice. But after what he said on the phone tonight, I'm beginning to think there's more to this than a peaceful transfer of power. He said he plans to control her. He also came right out and asked if she's my mate.

I don't think he bought my lie, either.

What happens when he finds out she is?

What happens when Lexi finds out? It's bound to scare her away, and I can't afford to let that happen. I won't. It's why I don't mention that seeing her without her ring only makes me want to mark her in ways that can't be removed. Like the mark of a mate.

Her wet hair is cold on my skin, but despite the discomfort, my cock hardens at the feel of her body against mine.

I shut down the thought of getting her naked.

For now.

What she needs tonight is rest and comfort, and I intend to give her exactly that. What I need is for this girl to realize that none of what we're doing here is fake for me anymore. I'll do anything for Lexi Giovanni. No matter what it costs me in the end.