9. Gray

9

GRAY

I hesitated, torn between wanting Spike's support and not wanting to escalate the situation unnecessarily.

After a moment of deliberation, I decided to trust Venom's intentions for the time being.

"Alright," I said, my voice steady despite the nerves churning inside me. "What did you want to talk about?"

Venom motioned for me to take a seat opposite him, and I complied, settling into the booth with caution.

As I sat down, I couldn't shake the feeling of being under scrutiny, as if Venom was assessing me for something beyond our current conversation.

"I'm a good judge of character, Gray. You seemed like someone who just ran into bad luck, but I've known Olaf for more than a decade. Until Spike's altercation with Jack Roth last year, the MC has been on cordial terms with their pack," Venom said.

"I didn't do anything wrong," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "Are you going to... ask me to leave Moon Burrow?"

The old Gray, who hadn't met Spike, would have complied with that request automatically. During my travels, I learned it was easier to avoid trouble than to get deeper into it.

However, the new Gray, the one who had Spike by his side, would fight Venom on that decision, I realized.

I had only been in Moon Burrow for a week, but I had come to embrace the quiet little town.

More importantly, Spike was here—Spike, who had fought for me in that dingy roadhouse without hesitation; Spike, who had, in a short amount of time, become the most important person in my life.

"Calm down, your heart's racing too fast," Venom remarked. "Breathe in, then out. Slowly."

Surprisingly, his advice worked. "So... I take it you're not asking me to leave?" I asked.

"Olaf claims Spike stole Jack's mate. Is that true?" Venom's question caught me off guard.

"I'm not anyone's mate but—" I stopped myself, realizing I was about to mention Spike's name. Venom nodded.

"I suspected some miscommunication's involved. Nitro told me his version of the events at the Dirty Stallion,” Venom said.

"And Spike?" I asked.

"No, when it comes to you, he'll be biased," Venom calmly said.

"Fine, I'll repeat the story I've already told Spike," I said, once again explaining myself.

The effort exhausted me, and Venom must've sensed it, because he didn't press me further.

"I see, I appreciate you talking to me, Gray," Venom said, his tone surprisingly courteous.

He took out his wallet and paid for his bill, leaving a generous tip on the table. I couldn't help but notice the gesture, and it left me with a newfound respect for him.

As he got up to leave, I realized that Spike's portrayal of Venom as a villain might have been a bit exaggerated.

From our conversation, Venom appeared more like a leader trying to navigate a complex situation. Sure, he wouldn't automatically take our side, but he seemed fair and willing to listen.

Still, as I ended my shift that day, uncertainty clouded my thoughts about my future in Moon Burrow and with Spike.

Spike and his MC were only in this mess because of me. Would leaving Moon Burrow solve any problems?

It was the last thing I wanted to do. I was willing to fight Venom if he ordered me to go, but deep down, I knew it might be the only possible solution.

As I trudged up the stairs to my apartment, exhausted. The day at work had been a grueling one, leaving me drained and with little energy left for anything else.

The thought of cooking dinner felt like an impossible task, and I debated just ordering takeout.

But as I turned the corner, my spirits lifted when I saw Spike standing outside my apartment door, holding two large pizzas.

It was a thoughtful gesture that instantly warmed my heart.

"Hey, Gray," Spike greeted with a smile as he saw me approaching. "Long day?"

I nodded wearily, feeling grateful for his unexpected visit.

"You have no idea," I replied, managing a tired smile in return.

Spike held out the pizzas. "Well, I thought you could use a break from cooking tonight. Pizza sound good?"

My stomach rumbled at the mention of food, and I couldn't help but grin.

"Pizza sounds perfect," I said, reaching out to take one of the boxes from him.

"I know we're seeing each other on Sunday," Spike began. "But I couldn't wait. I had to see you because... I missed you."

His honesty caught me off guard, but it was a welcomed surprise.

"I feel the same way, Spike," I confessed. "I've missed you too.”

Having pizza and maybe watching a movie or two while cuddling on the sofa, sounded like heaven.

As we started sharing the mundane details of our respective days at work, I felt a knot form in my stomach.

I promised myself I wouldn’t’ keep anything from Spike, so he had to know about my encounter with Venom earlier that day.

"Spike," I began tentatively, "there's something I need to tell you... I met Venom today.”

Instantly, I could sense a shift in Spike's demeanor. His easy smile faltered, replaced by a furrowed brow and his jaw tensed.

"What did he say?" Spike's voice was low, a dangerous edge creeping into his tone.

I recounted the details of my meeting with Venom, watching as Spike's anger simmered just beneath the surface.

It pained me to see him like this, but I knew he had a right to know.

"He questioned me about you, about Jack... about everything," I explained.

As I spoke, Spike's fists clenched at his sides, his expression darkening.

"He had no right to interrogate you," Spike said. “He should’ve spoken to both of us.”

“It wasn't an interrogation. In fact, I think he isn't as bad as you made him sound,” I said.

But Spike didn't seem to be listening.

"Sorry, Gray. I need to go," he said all of a sudden, getting up and putting on his leather jacket.

"Wait, Spike," I called out, scrambling to my feet as he headed for the door. "What's wrong?"

He paused for a moment, his hand resting on the doorknob, but he didn't turn to face me.

Instead, his shoulders seemed to sag with an unseen weight, and a heavy silence settled between us.

"I can't stay," Spike said finally, his voice strained. "Not now."

Confusion and hurt warred within me as I struggled to make sense of his words.

What had happened to prompt such a sudden departure? Was it something I had said, something I had done?

"Spike, please," I pleaded, taking a step toward him. "Talk to me."

But he shook his head, his expression unreadable as he finally met my gaze.

"I'll call you later," Spike promised, his voice thick with emotion.

And with that, he was gone, leaving me standing alone in the doorway, stunned.

My fingers trembled slightly as I punched in Nitro's number. The memory of Spike's stories about challenging Venom flashed vividly in my thoughts.

Spike had lost both times…and he lost badly. He said fighting Venom was a way of punishing himself for his failure to save Austin years ago.

Since he met me, he said those urges had died down, but now I wasn’t too certain.

Concern and apprehension swirled within me.With each ring of the phone, my heart pounded louder in my chest.

I couldn't shake off the unsettling feeling that Spike's sudden departure would lead to him doing something incredibly reckless.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Nitro picked up the call.

"Gray? Everything alright?" he asked.

We weren’t particularly close but Spike asked me if I was interested in having dinner at Nitro and Tommy’s place.

I told him I wasn’t ready for that yet, and Spike respected my decision.

"Nitro, it's Spike," I blurted out, the words tumbling from my lips in a rush. "He just left, saying he needed to go. But something's not right. I told him I met Venom earlier, and now I'm worried..."

“You met Venom?” Nitro asked, sounding surprised.

Well, I did wonder if Nitro had told Venom where I was working. Nice to know Nitro was loyal.

“Yeah,” I replied. “Nitro…”

"Stay calm, Gray. I'll find him and sort him out. Just sit tight, okay? I'll contact you as soon as I can,” Nitro said.

I had hoped that sharing my encounter with Venom would bring Spike and me closer together, maybe even spark some ideas for a plan.

But as I stood there, alone with my thoughts, I realized that might’ve been wishful thinking. Spike clearly had some unresolved issues with his lead alpha.

And the idea of leaving Moon Burrow, which had briefly crossed my mind before, now seemed like a tempting escape.

Running was something I was good at, after all. That was one of the perks of being a nomad.

When things became too tough, I could just run and move forward. Now, I simply felt trapped.