Chapter 33

Grace

The air in the pack house felt stifling as I sat at the desk in my room, my fingers tapping impatiently on the keyboard. No number of cold showers, good food, or time with Cecil or Richard was keeping my head off what it would feel like to just let Charles have me the way he so clearly wanted to. Each stolen glance, every accidental brush of our hands, ignited a fire within me that I struggled to contain. The chemistry between us was undeniable, a force that defied logic and reason.

Yet, I couldn’t let it happen.

I glared at my laptop screen and glanced across the paperwork on my desk. There were budgets to review, notes to look over, emails to write, and all the other nonsense that went into running Wolfe Medical and the pack, yet, I couldn’t focus on any of it.

I wanted him. He wanted me. And I had nearly forgotten all the reasons why anything else mattered that night. I thought it was just Cecil, and at that time, it was, but now something else was prodding at my mind.

The sight of that mate mark on his chest was burning through my mind.

I hadn’t found my mate, but it was so rare to actually find your mate in your lifetime that I had long since given up looking. My parents had been mates, I think. They certainly seemed to always have been in love. Knowing that Charles had that link to someone else made it impossible for me to just… let go.

Even though I wanted to.

Even though I was craving his touch and the heat of his body, I knew that the guilt and anxiety would eat me alive.

I looked at the blank search bar on my laptop screen and took a deep breath. Could I really trust everything he said? I wrinkled my nose and started typing. Charles had come into my life like a storm, turning my world upside down in the most unexpected way. He was alluring, enigmatic, and open to answering all of my questions, yet I still wasn’t secure that was the whole answer.

He had a mate. Sure, he says they didn’t see each other often, but who was he calling when he disappeared into his office? What was he doing when we weren’t together?

Maybe I was just being paranoid because of Devin, but I needed answers.

So, I started looking. Before I realized it, I had spent hours scouring through websites, news articles, and social media profiles, hoping to find a trace of Charles’ mate or anything about his personal exploits. There was nothing beyond the official press releases expected about his interactions with the Alpha President and the investment firm he owned.

Sighing in frustration, I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my temples. My mind filled with images of him in my home, of us together… His intense gaze, the way he held me, and the warmth of his touch—they all felt so real and yet shrouded in mystery, yet I couldn’t continue on like this.

The sound of footsteps in the hallway pulled me out of my thoughts, and I quickly minimized the browser window on my laptop. As I closed my laptop, a knock sounded on my door, and Charles entered. His presence alone seemed to cast a spell over me, temporarily erasing my doubts and worries.

“Hey,” he said, his voice gentle as he crossed the room to stand in front of me. His eyes searched me before they narrowed. “Is everything okay?”

I bit my lip, hesitating for a moment. Should I bring it up? My fingers played with the edge of the laptop, my thoughts a jumbled mess.

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” I replied, offering a small smile. “Just lost in my thoughts.”

Charles studied me for a moment, his gaze intense. It was as if he could see right through me, unraveling the turmoil I was experiencing. “You know you don’t have to lie to me, right?”

I nodded, my heart aching at the sincerity in his eyes. “Sorry… I just… I don’t know if I can talk about it right now.”

His lips twitched. “Can you eat now? You’ve been up here for hours.”

I winced. “Really?”

“Eason and Kelly are still here. I made food.”

“Aren’t you joining us?”

He shook his head. “I’m headed out with George. I should be back by dinner.”

I swallowed down the questions and nodded. “Food would be great. I’ll be down in a minute.”

“Alright, but if you’re not, Cecil has promised to come and rescue you from your laptop.” He grinned and left.

As he left, I let out a frustrated sigh. I couldn’t keep avoiding asking more about it. I got up and headed downstairs. I heard Cecil in the playroom. I could smell the food in the kitchen. My stomach rumbled. I was about to go to the kitchen to eat when the doorbell rang.

“I’ve got it!” I called before Eason and Kelly could come from the living room, where I could hear the TV going. It sounded like the news.

I shuffled to the door, not entirely sure who it could be.

“A package for you, Alpha,” the delivery woman said with a neutral expression. I looked down at it a little warily.

It was a box, so it was unlikely to be another set of bills. As I signed for the package, a heavy sigh escaped my lips.

“Thank you.”

I retreated into the dining room with the package and sank down into a seat. The television volume went way low all of a sudden, and I heard Eason cursing under his breath. Kelly muttered something. I frowned and went to the living room and saw the screen change to something else just as I arrived. Eason and Kelly looked relieved.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

Eason hissed through his teeth.

Kelly laughed nervously. “Just... just a commercial, nothing important.”

I rounded the couch and looked at Eason sternly. He sighed and turned the television back, and turned up the volume. To my dismay, Devin’s face appeared.

“Hey,” Eason said softly. I felt his hand on my arm. “We don’t—”

I gripped the remote tightly, not letting him take it from me. I didn’t hear what was being said. I didn’t care. Just seeing them together shook me. My eyes burned.

The growing attraction between Charles and me was both exhilarating and terrifying. As much as I wanted to embrace these feelings, a nagging voice of caution reminded me of the past – a past that had left me wounded, broken, and skeptical of love’s promises. And it wasn’t love. It is lust.

How could Charles love me? Between his mate and my relationship with Devin?

How could I really love him? I didn’t even trust him, and he’d answered all of my questions! He’d done so much for me, for my children, and still, I couldn’t trust him.

The fear of repeating past mistakes was turning my blood cold. My heart longed to open up, to explore the connection between us without reservations. But my mind, scarred by the wounds of deceit, held me back, urging caution and restraint. It felt like I couldn’t cry enough, and I didn’t know why I was crying.

The years being married to that cheating jerk? The fact that even now, I wasn’t free of him and everything he’d done to me? The fact that it was my fault that I couldn’t even trust my own judgment?

When Devin disappeared from the screen, my body relaxed, the remote fell to the ground, and Eason pulled me into his arms. He was talking to me, whispering something that was supposed to be soothing, but I couldn’t hear it.

All I heard was Devin’s voice, every lie, and sweet word. The sneering expression when he saw me with Charles. The pile of bills, the fear, and the panic of the past few weeks seemed to wash through me. I knew that dwelling on the past was counterproductive, that it only served to tether me to old wounds.

Yet, I couldn’t stop.

“Mommy?” Cecil’s voice cut through the quiet. I pulled back sharply and looked over at her. “Why are you crying?” She frowned. “Did Uncle Eason pinch your cheeks?”

I laughed a little, wiping my face as Cecil walked up to us. I crouched down and looked at her.

“No, it’s not your Uncle Eason’s fault.” I sniffled. “Mommy is fine. Mommy is just a little hurt. “

“Is it because Uncle Charles is gone? Are you hurt because of that?”

I paused for a moment. My lips twitched. “Well…”

Suddenly, Cecil hugged me tightly and whispered in my ear, “It’s okay, Mommy. Uncle Charles said he’ll be back for dinner. He even promised to make something yummy. Don’t cry.”

I smiled and wrapped my arms around her. Eason wiggled his eyebrows at me.

I held my daughter tightly. “Thank you, sweetheart. I’ll do my best.”