Chapter 170

Charles

"Gabriel is a good choice," I said, nodding, grinning at her. "Seems like you comprehended more than you're giving yourself credit for."

She lifted her head proudly. It made me think of Cecil when she managed to get something right. I couldn't help but lean over and plant a kiss on her cheek.

"Keep it up, and maybe I'll think of other prizes, hm?"

She bit her lip. "I have a short list of prizes I want."

I cocked an eyebrow. "Short?"

Her gaze dropped towards my waist and then back to my face.

"Long then. Hard too, and wholly inappropriate for polite company."

I chuckled. "I'm corrupting you, or maybe you've always been dirty-minded."

She scowled. "Don't let my crap married sex-life fool you."

"No, just your generally crap sex life before me."

Her jaw dropped open, and she let out an indignant squawk.

"You telling me I'm wrong?"

She stuck out her tongue, and it took everything in me not to suck it into my mouth and ravish her in the kitchen. She was lucky she looked too exhausted to do much more than eat.

When she was done, we headed upstairs to get ready for bed. Grace flopped on her side of the bed as I brushed my teeth. Silence stretched on before she spoke.

"I need a loan."

I laughed. "Changed your mind so soon?"

"Or, better yet, I need a grant. I'll work for it, how about it?"

I looked at her through the mirror.

"I could be convinced. What sort of work and how much?"

She bit her lip. "What kind of work do you need me to do?"

"I can think of a few things…" I smirked. "Somewhere on that list may be impolite for mixed company, but at the top is tell me why you think you need a grant."

She fiddled with the hem of her nightgown.

"I don't know if Wolfe Medical and Mooncrest will make enough money to give me a fighting chance to get Mooncrest a place on the Senate."

It was as if the moon, the stars, and all of the earth had come together to give me this moment. I couldn't have been prouder or smiled harder if I tried. She sounded committed to it, not just grasping for straws and hoping for the best, but planning and present for it.

I turned to her and smiled.

"Well, you have me intrigued. Go on, Alpha Wolfe, lay out your needs." I smirked. "Consider it an informal application."

"I'm anxious," she said. "There's so much riding on this, and…"

She looked up at me. "I know I'm supposed to be learning to delegate and go without a security blanket—"

"A security lycan."

She scowled. "Yeah."

"Better than emotional support lycan." I grinned. "Though I'd let you pet me if I get to return the favor."

"Charles, please," she groaned. "I'm so tired, and I don't have the energy to be horny right now."

"You're not trying hard enough." I pushed off and rinsed my mouth before getting into bed with her.

She sighed, snuggling up to me. "I don't need an answer now. I still want to do it on my own. I just…"

"Needed the security?" I smiled. "I hear us lycans are good for that."

She sighed, snuggling closer. "I'll… skip my next pity party."

"I'm proud of you." She lifted her head, meeting my gaze. "I'm so very proud of how far you've come."

I stroked her face gently and kissed her forehead. "I can't wait to see… what you'll be like in a week with some solid victories under your belt."

She scoffed. "A week is too soon."

"Things have a way of changing faster than you expect…"

I couldn't help but think about my path. I remembered when I first became king, how scared I was, and how unsure I was of myself, no matter how it appeared to anyone else. I remembered how long it took for me to lose the anxiety and feel like I knew what I was doing. I also remembered how hard I had to work to feel like I was doing anything, even remotely, in a way my ancestors would approve.

Grace had a lot of growing pains to get through, but she'd get there.

I was starting to drift off when a thought popped into my mind. One of those growing pains was Alpha Shadow, specifically dealing with Astarte.

"About Astarte."

She hummed. "The woman in the lingerie?"

I chuckled. "Yeah, here. Have you thought about coming with me to her anniversary party?"

She bit her lip. I could see her trying to figure out what to say. It was obvious she was nervous, and I couldn't blame her. She'd never been around vampires before. She'd only just left the States with me, and that had been tame by all counts.

"It's alright if you're not ready to answer or go. I just wanted to see where you stood on it."

"Honestly… I've tried not to think about it. I'm ready for that, you know? It's not exactly my thing."

I nodded. "I get it. Vampire culture, hell, witch culture is a lot."

"… are you going even if I don't?"

"Yes."

She went still. "To an orgy… without me?"

I smiled. "Just because I go doesn’t mean I have to participate in the way you're thinking."

Sharing a glass of wine would more than cover my participation, but before I could tell her that, Grace continued.

"I don't know how to feel about you being in such a sexual environment… I thought…"

I sighed and sat up, leaning over her with a smile. "You thought?"

"Nothing," she turned her head away, a little pout on her lips. It turned into a scowl, even as her cheeks darkened.

"You might like it."

"What?"

"Watching me fuck someone else." I stared at her. "It might be liberating to have someone worship you with me watching. You'd get to see what you look like when I take you… Astarte has mirrors in all of the guest bedrooms."

Her eyes bulged. Her cheeks grew darker, and I shook my head.

"Your expression tells me a lot about you and Devin's marriage, and it's a fucking tragedy."

She looked away. "Well…"

"Is werewolf sex culture that repressed or narrow?" I paused. "Never mind. I know the answer to that. Under normal circumstances, I might have bowed out as I can tell it bothers you for some reason, but it's Astarte."

"Devin cheated on me the entirety of our marriage." Her lips trembled. "And I… You've said you're close. Do you have to go to the orgy bit? Don't they have like a separate party part you could go to?"

"This isn't about the party, Grace. It's about you," I tilted my head. "You expect me to be unfaithful to you, and that's a problem whether I'm going to an orgy or the grocery store."

She looked at me, her eyes filled with uncertainty.

"I don't know, Charles… Are we… I mean, we haven’t..."

"We're dating," I said, irritated with Devin that I had to say it. "And if I thought it wouldn't freak you out and do more harm than good right now, I'd put a courting band on your arm and make an announcement."

Her eyes bulged. I take a deep breath, trying to remain calm.

"I understand your concerns, Grace. I understand your wariness, but I am not Devin. We're not just allies or partners. We're building something I intend to have for the rest of our lives… Unless you disagree."

She looked at me, her eyes filled with gratitude and relief.

"I'd like that… And… what's a courting band?"

I smiled. "You'll see… sooner than you think."

She ducked her head and tucked her face into my shoulder.

"At ease now? Should I start declaring it more?"

She shook her head. "That was perfect for now… and if you're around naked women."

I chuckled. "Hopefully, you'll be among them."

I tucked her closer, taking a deep breath of her scent and settling into the deep comfort of just having her in my arms. Something had shifted between us. I wasn't sure if it would be enough to convince her to come, but I hoped so, not just for Astarte's sake or the sake of Mooncrest, but for all the potential Grace had and didn't seem to see.

I woke up to the sound of little feet running down the hallway. It was Cecil. Grace jumped out of bed and dashed into the bathroom as she knocked. I slipped into a set of pajamas and opened the door. She bounced on her toes, looking up at me.

"Morning, Uncle Charles."

"Good morning," I crouched down to be at eye level. "What has you so excited?"

"Uncle George said if I could beat Uncle Eason, I could ask for pancakes."

I leaned out and peeked down the hallway, noting that Eason was tangled up with George further down the way. I smirked.

"Seems like you won. Cinnamon swirl or chocolate?"