16. Grace

-Can’t Help Fallingin Love—Ice Nine Kills-

Ethan smacking my ass was unfair. He knows’s it gets me riled up and poor Nic is still getting to know me. I’m lost in my thoughts when I realize he was speaking the entire time. “I’m sorry Nic, I missed what you had said.” A soft laugh escapes my lips as my cheeks heat from embarrassment.

“Lost in your thoughts or talking to the guys?” He tilts his head in such a way his hair flops down over his eye.

Reaching out slowly, I brush the rogue locks back into place. “Mostly my thoughts. I’ve been through so much in the last few months that my head spins from all the information sometimes.”

He nods as he listens to me. “I can’t imagine what it was like for you with all the life changes you’ve been through.” A soft smile plays upon his lips as he looks at me and I know he means what he says.

“One minute I’m running for my life with my daughter, the next my ex almost kills me.” I huff out a half laugh and smile. “Ethan gave me my wolf. Gave me a second chance at life.” I feel my smile spreading broader as I think about everything that has happened since. Drawing in a deep breath, I move to stand before Nic and take both of his hands in mine. “I’m sorry I ran from you. It’s one of my biggest regrets.” I stare up into his eyes and watch the gold slowly rise in his green eyes.

Leaning forward, he presses his lips to my forehead and smiles. “There’s nothing to regret. After Nina’s birth and the death of her mother, I gave up the idea of finding my mate. You were an unexpected gift. Here I was thinking I was going to just witness Ethan’s wedding and meet the new Murphy Luna. Not find the part of me that has been missing.”

Kiss him … My wolf says in the back of my mind.

She hasn’t been wrong before, so I push up onto my tiptoes and press my lips to his. The tingle of the bond trying to finish forging itself is almost too much to bear. He tilts my head, angling me to his liking before deepening the kiss. My body hums with anticipation as he kisses me silly. Whistling snaps us out of our haze and I instantly start growling. My wolf is not happy we were interrupted.

“Settle down Luna, I’m Irena, Nicolai’s sister.” The little blonde pixie of a woman says.

Nic rolls his eyes at his sister and presses his forehead against mine. “Not exactly the way I wanted to make introductions. Irena, this is my mate Grace. Grace, this rude little sprite is my baby sister, Irena.” He raises his head and stands to his full height, motioning between us during the introduction.

Keeping my eyes narrowed, I look her over then beyond her seeing Nic’s mother approaching. “Nice to meet you, Irena.” Part of me I’m still angry over being interrupted. The other part it was probably for the best.

“Grace!” Agnes yells as she pries me away from her son and crushes me to her.

I nuzzle both of her cheeks, scent marking her. “How are you Agnes? How’s Nina?” I look around for the little pup.

Agnes arches a brow and beams. “Someone is with pup…” she squeals with excitement.

“It’s not mine mom, so settle down.” Nic finally pries me free of his mother’s grip.

“Nonsense, all pups born in a family are everyone’s.” She says with great finality and I nod, agreeing with her.

Speaking of pups, Nina must have gotten away from the den mother that was watching the pups because she comes running down the road to us. Nic kneels down, waiting for his daughter to leap into his arms. Instead, she comes to me barking and bounding around, wanting to get picked up. I reach down and pick her up and roll her onto her back and nuzzle her. “Shift back, little one.” I whisper to her, and she complies immediately. I place kisses on her cheeks and nuzzle her gently.

The flash from someone’s phone catches my attention and I look up from greeting Nina. There’s Nic taking pictures of me with his daughter in my arms. “If I didn’t know better, I would swear you gave birth to her.” His smile doesn’t reach his eyes and I know there’s still some sadness there from the loss of her mother.

“She’s mine because she’s yours, as far as I’m concerned. Just like Ashina is yours, because she’s mine.” I step into his personal space, keeping his baby between us. He nods slowly and smiles.

“Very true. You have a big heart Grace, you will be a great Luna for both packs.” He smiles, then moves forward and places his hand on the small of my back, leading me towards his home.

“What do you mean a Luna, for both packs?” A harsh male voice comes from behind me.

I turn to meet the threat head on and before I can open my mouth, Nic has shoved me and his daughter behind him. “This is my mate, Grace. She is also the mate of the Murphy alphas.” His voice is one huge growl and Nina shifts to her pup and starts wiggling to get free from me. I set her on the ground and she takes off back towards where she had come from earlier.

“Ah, so she likes to be passed around … send her to my house when you finish with her. I’ve got something she can suck on when she’s done with you.” No sooner does he finish the sentence Nic launches at him and both men shift and start fighting in the street.

“Come with me…” Agnes drags me back towards one of the buildings nearby. “That brute is Boris. He’s been starting trouble with Nic for years.” The shop keeper comes out and offers us both glasses of water and pulls out chairs for us.

“So we’re just going to sit here and watch?” Arching a brow, I look at his mother in disbelief. In the distance, I hear the familiar sound of Ethan’s motorcycle and wonder why he didn’t shift and run here. We turn to watch Ethan appear around the corner, then park his bike and closes the distance between us.

“What happened?” He pulls me up to stand, then hugs me to him.

“Boris basically called your mate a whore and my son is teaching him manners,” Agnes says bluntly as she watches her son and Boris fight in the street.

Ethan’s growl gets both males’ attention and they break apart for a moment. From what he told me, the four closest packs fear him because his wolf is unhinged and goes for the kill in a fight. “SHIFT,” He bellows and Boris complies immediately and falls to his knees from the crushing weight of Ethan’s dominance. Nicolai places himself between me and Boris before he shifts back.

Nicolai’s back is littered with scars, some deeper looking than others. The fresh cuts from today’s fight are healing already. “What is the meaning of this?” Ethan questions as he stomps off the porch towards the two men.

“My alpha is hot headed and won’t share his toys.” A sick, twisted smile crosses his lips that sends a chill down my spine.

“My mate and your new Luna is not a toy to be shared.” Ethan grips Boris by the throat and starts squeezing. His wolf bulks his frame, giving Ethan the strength to lift Boris off the ground.

“Nic?” I say softly and he backs up closer to where I’m standing.

“Yes, precious?” He angles his head slightly but won’t turn to face me.

I lean in close to his ear and whisper. “Why didn’t Ethan shift and run here?”

Nic nods slowly. “Pack protocol, entering another alpha’s territory, as your wolf can be seen as a threat or a declaration of war. Once we are fully bonded, we can travel freely between both territories in any form.” There’s so much to pack life I have yet to learn.

“Darlin,” Ethan’s tone pulls me out of my thoughts and I move to approach him.

“Yes, Ethan?” I don’t dare call him by his nickname in front of the others.

“What do you want done with this one?” He shakes Boris a little, then looks down at me. His teeth are gritted and his eyes blaze yellow with the power of his wolf.

Glancing back at Nic, who is still standing there naked, he nods at me before I look back at Ethan. “Whatever you and Nicolai feel is safest for us and the packs. It’s not my place to pass judgement here.” I lower my head and bare my throat to Ethan, then do the same to Nicolai, deferring power and judgement to them. Moving past Nic, I go to sit next to his mother again, waiting to see what happens next.

Nic moves to stand next to Ethan. “As Alpha of the Volkov pack, I sentence Boris Mirro to death. My wolf and I view him as a threat to the safety and peace that this pack will endure in the future.”

No sooner do the words fall from his lips than Ethan snaps his neck and drops him like a ton of bricks. Ethan turns to look at Nicolai and I know that look. Ethan is close to losing control and I need to get to him quickly. I run to him and press myself to him and rub my face across the expanse of his chest and let out a whine. He stiffens for a moment, then becomes pliant in my arms and nuzzles the top of my head. “You’re safe Darlin, Nic and I won’t let anything happen to you or the baby.”

When I am absolutely sure Ethan has settled down, I slowly pull back and bump into Nic’s firm chest. Glancing between my alphas heat pools quickly in my lower belly. Two of my alphas are here and one is naked. Nic is fresh from a fight and Ethan radiating the power of his wolf. “It amazes me old friend how your strong your bond is with Grace.” Nic says over my head as his hands come to rest on my hips.

Ethan smirks, looking at Nic, then down at me. “Perks of giving her her wolf, I suppose.” He bends down and kisses my forehead and backs away. “Be a good girl for Nic, no causing trouble.” He drops to his knees before me and presses his lips to my lower stomach. “Don’t make your momma sick, little one. Be a good pup and grow up big and strong.” Ethan’s words floor me and I stare at him, my heart beating wildly in my chest. He is going to be an amazing father.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Ethan. Tell the guys I love them.” He stands to his full height and I kiss him. Nic’s hands never leave me as I kiss my other mate in front of him.

He breaks the kiss, then extends his hand out to Nic. “I’m never far away if you need me. Take care of our girl.”

Nic shakes his hand and gives him a nod. “That’s the plan. Comfort, food, and love and whatever else she desires.”

I turn to look up at Nic, and his gaze softens as he wraps his arms around me. “Let’s go home, precious.” Turning to look back as Nic leads me off, I see Ethan get on his bike and the look of longing in his eyes almost breaks me. I need this time with Nic, but I also know that Ethan needs me as well. Reaching into my pocket, I pull out my phone and text Barrett, filling him in on what happened. He knows how to get Ethan out of his funk better than I do sometimes.

“Welcome home.” We stop in front of a single story log cabin and I look up puzzled at Nic.

“You don’t live in the Alpha house?” I look down the road to a much larger house with three stories and a grand entrance.

“No, that is my father’s and still is where they live. Besides, I’m building my Luna the house of her dreams. Wherever you are is home for me.” He opens the door and I step in. His scent of lavender fills the air, making my mouth water.

I step away from him and start exploring his space. I can feel his anxiety rising as I walk around his den, his private space. My wolf rises to the surface, shifting my vision as I look around the interior. My senses are heightened and I see and smell everything. There’s a faint lingering scent of a female long gone. The second strongest scent is Nina’s and his mother’s comes in third. “I like your den Nic.” The huff of the breath he was holding escapes his lips and I feel the tension break.

Spinning to face him, I finally take in his nakedness. His thick sculpted shoulders do me in. I don’t know what it is about a man’s shoulders that are sexy to me, but they are. Maybe it’s the promise of power knowing he can lift me with ease or that he’s strong enough to protect me. Either way, it’s always the shoulders for me. “Like what you see, precious? Your wolf is showing.”

“I do. I’ve always had a thing for a man’s shoulders. To be honest, I want to sink my teeth into yours again.” I step closer to him and run the tips of my fingers over the scar from my mating mark.

“You know I still owe you one, Precious.” He kisses along my jaw, down my throat and uses his hand to slide the collar of my shirt to the side to nip at my shoulder.

“I know. For now, let me take care of you and give you a bath, stinky boy.” I pinch my nose playfully as I scrunch my nose at him and fan my hand in front of my face.

“I’m supposed to be taking care of you, Precious, not the other way around.” He arches a brow at me and I know it’s his need to provide and take care of me kicking in.

“As your mate, you just fought to protect me and my unborn pup. Let me take care of you. You deserve it.” I spin him around and send him toward the rooms down the hall, where I can only assume the bathroom is.

“As you wish.” Nic reminds me of Westly from Princess Bride when his hair flops in his face.

“Get going, dread pirate Volkov. You’re not getting bathed in the living room.” I smack his bare ass, making my hand sting from the impact. How is his ass that firm?

Hot naked alpha … Check…

Finally alone … Double check…

Nerves kicking in … Abso-fuckin-lutely.