Chapter 32

Charles

I was a fucking liar.

I had no idea what the hell I was getting into when I started this, but I’d said it, and I had to stand by it. The growing connection I felt towards Grace was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Her presence had woven its way into the fabric of my thoughts, and her scent lingered in every corner of my mind. As much as I tried to deny it, I was undeniably drawn to her – a magnetic pull that defied reason.

That kiss felt like sparks on kindling or gasoline on an already roaring flame.

But the very idea of succumbing to my desires was a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the thought of being close to Grace, of holding her and feeling her lips against mine, plunging into her body until she went hoarse from screaming in pleasure, was a tantalizing fantasy that played out in my mind. On the other hand, I couldn’t ignore the complex intricacies of our situation – her recent divorce, her distress, and that damned promise.

I had to be the only man in existence to be cockblocked by my own honor.

I found myself grappling with a restless energy that seemed to surge through my veins. Unable to focus on anything other than the tumultuous storm of feelings within me, I turned to the only outlet that had ever offered solace – running.

The endless forest pathways around the Mooncrest Pack House had become a refuge, a place where I could channel my inner turmoil. I was probably freaking out any wild animals in the area with the amount of irritation pouring off me, but it was fine. The thump of my bare feet on the ground, the rhythmic pounding of my heart, and the sharp rhythm of my breath as I pushed my body to its limits – all of it served as a temporary distraction from the ache that throbbed beneath the surface.

I wanted her.

I wanted her, Cecil, and Richard, and everything that Devin had so easily thrown away, and I couldn’t have it.

Yet.

As much as I knew this promise was killing me, it was killing her too. I smelled it the way she wanted me to say to hell with it and pulled her back on the couch with me. Her frustration and desire at the fact that I didn’t.

I was doing the right thing for her wishes and a future with her, but damn it, why couldn’t it be easier?

Hours turned into days as I threw myself into work, my muscles burning with effort as I practiced my combat skills as far into the forest as I could manage. I hadn’t brought more than a few daggers with me, but they were enough.

But no matter how much I pushed myself, no matter how deep I delved into the familiar burn of physical training, the image of Grace’s expressive eyes and the memory of her soft laughter persisted, refusing to be silenced.

Sitting in strategy meetings with her, with her scent filling my senses, was hell. It seemed I was in the forest after every meeting and before every meeting, late into the night and early in the morning. It felt a bit like the days right after my father had died or after Devin’s parents had been killed.

As the days passed, my restlessness only intensified. It became clear that no amount of training or work could quell the emotions that raged within me. I needed out. My hand trembled with the desire to do something.

I needed a break.

I needed a break from this before I fucked everything up.

As I came back inside and headed to the office Grace gave me, I prayed for something to be going horribly wrong enough that George would call me and need me to come back to the palace.

I heard Grace humming and the sound of running water. Kelly had just come in to start the day with Cecil and Richard. I could sneak up to Grace’s room easily, walk into her bedroom, into her shower and have her up against the wall within ten minutes just to take the edge off.

She wouldn’t deny me. I knew it.

I growled, clenching my fists and stuffing that thought into the back of my mind. The urge was maddening, so I looked for something all-consuming to do: reviewing the clan’s budget. As the Lycan King, overseeing the financial stability of the Blackwoods clan was just one of my many duties. While the clan boasted a history of prosperity, the ever-changing dynamics of the lycan world demanded constant vigilance in managing our resources.

Lycans had a wasteful side, just like any other species, that needed to be managed closely, especially since our cost of living was much higher than werewolves’. However, my focus was divided. My thoughts kept drifting back to Grace in the shower, on the couch, and in my bed back home, filling my bed chambers with her luscious scent.

Fuck. I had it bad. The budget’s numbers swirled until I closed my eyes and tried to reign back in my focus. The shower was still going. Was she—

My phone rang.

“Your Majesty?” George answered.

“Tell me, for the love of the moon and the forests, that you need me.”

He laughed. “Unfortunately, you aren’t my type.”

I snorted. “Funny. You called for a reason, I know.”

“Nothing dire enough to take you from Mooncrest, an update for now.”

I sighed. “Go on then.”

Maybe focusing on revenge on her behalf might make this all more bearable.

George had compiled a report detailing Devin’s recent movements, a meticulous record of his interactions, locations, and activities. As he rattled off the highlights and I scrolled through the document, it was obvious what he was doing.

Devin was becoming increasingly desperate – a cornered animal, lashing out in attempts to regain control.

“And Amy?” I asked. “Anything else on her?”

“She seems in decent health,” George said. “I have confirmed that they are mates. The marks match, but I am concerned for her continued safety. His actions are a reflection of his fear. It is only a matter of time.”

“I agree.”

Devin had never known trouble like he was in now. He was a desperate man in a desperate situation. My thoughts drifted to Grace again. What had her experience with him been like? Had he shown even the faintest hint of what he was becoming to her? I clenched my jaw at the thought.

“I assume that your eagerness has something to do with Alpha Wolfe?” George asked.

I chuckled at his serious tone.

“I’m managing it.”

The air seemed to go still around me as the silence stretched between us. I could tell he was weighing my words against what he knew of me. I had always been a man of decisive action, a leader who prided himself on rationality and control. Yet, here I was, grappling with emotions that defied reason, a longing that refused to be suppressed.

“There are other things to be worried about right now.”

“My loyalty has always been to you,” George said.

“I know.”

“And that means it’s my duty to tell you something that you don’t like to acknowledge.”

I winced. “George—”

“You have been alone too long,” George said. “And while I understand your reasons for not forcing her to heel, I even applaud them in some ways. That does not negate the fact that you are a man, a lycan, an alpha lycan of all things. You are not meant to bear the burden of the clans and the rest of your very long life alone.”

His words struck a chord within me, and I found myself unable to say anything. My feelings for Grace were a complex tapestry of longing, respect, and an undeniable attraction – a force that left me torn between my roles as a leader, protector, and potential lover.

“I can’t afford to let my emotions cloud my judgment,” I admitted, my voice carrying the weight of the truth I had been grappling with.

“I never thought they would,” George said. “Except when it comes to your own well-being.”

“Are you lecturing me about working too much?”

“I’m lecturing you about not having broken that bond and freed yourself from that woman in all this time.” He huffed. “Your strength is just one part of why you are our king. I would take your place in a challenge if necessary.”

My lips twitched. “I’m honored, old friend, but I’d better be on fucking death’s door, or I’d never hear the fucking end of it.”

“You could send Alpha Wolfe.”

I laughed. “I’d love to see the look on their faces. Maybe sometime in the future when it’s the most amusing.”

“Are you still going through with the appointment?”

I swallowed and nodded to myself. “After the half lecture, you just gave me? I don’t think I have a choice.”

Especially if I was ever going to have the hope to have Grace the way I wanted.