AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Lev, do you know where my clutch is?”
“Clutch?”
“The little purse I had at the offering.” I point to my wrist and shake it as if that’ll give him a clue.
His forehead creases. “I don’t think he’d like it if you called someone, Grace.”
“I just need to run to the store. Whatever store you all go to, I assume it’s like any other grocery store?” I question, careful with my words. Lev nods easily enough. Thank God. I need some sort of normalcy.
“Good. I need to get a few things. You can keep my phone. It’s not like I’m going to see anyone ever again.” The thought makes my heart sink a bit, but I just sigh and shake it off. There are things you can control and things you can’t. I learned that a long time ago. There’s no use in pining over something I can’t have.
“If you want to see someone, Devin will make it happen. You know that, right?”
“No, I don’t know that.” My words are tight as I whisper. I don’t know nearly enough. It feels like I’m falling aimlessly and it’s not a feeling I’m used to. There’s nothing to grab onto or steady myself with. My gaze drifts to the door. I already miss Devin.
“The Authority likes to monitor interactions between species. But he’d move the world for you. You’d just have to keep it on the down low, you know?” I let his words sink in, but then brush them off.
“It’s fine, really,” I reassure them both and lean against the counter. I huff a humorless laugh. “Who am I going to call anyway? Shadow Falls is a small town full of asshats.” It’s still nice to think that Devin would piss off the Authority if I wanted to break their laws.
I give him a small, tight smile. “I don’t need my phone; I doubt anyone will miss me anyway.” Their eyes turn sad and they need to stop that. “Knock it off. The one person I give a shit about is here with me.” I point my finger at them. “And you better believe if she hadn’t been Dom and Caleb’s mate, then we would’ve smuggled her here.” A smile pulls at my lips. I would beg Devin to move heaven and earth to make that happen if she wasn’t here with me.
Reaching back into the fridge, I settle on lemonade. There’s only a little missing from the top so, at most, only one set of lips has been on it.
“Anyway, I need my clutch so I can grab some stuff from the store. I don’t have much cash, but it’s enough.” I have almost a grand in savings. “Do you guys use banks?” Jude gives me a sexy grin that makes his clean-cut marine look turn bad boy.
“Which bank do you use?”
“S and N.” I tilt my head and frown. “What’s so funny?”
“Devin owns that one. And Union Trust.” My eyes bulge. Oh shit.
“How did you think we make money?”
“I hadn’t really thought of that.” His words start to sink in as I set the lemonade down. Glancing around the kitchen, it’s obvious the pack is wealthy. But … my mate owns banks? Never in a million years would I think the banks were owned by shifters. “That’s odd.”
They both grin at me. “How’s that odd?” I shrug. I suppose it’s not that abnormal, seeing as how the powerful are the ones who control wealth, aren’t they? And Devin is quite powerful. “Well, you don’t need to worry about money; Devin got you a card to use.”
“So what am I supposed to do here?” I fidget uncomfortably before crossing my arms and leaning against the counter. A small voice in my head whispers, “Be the Alpha’s baby maker.” The thought makes me shiver with delight, but at the same time, I long for more.
I barely know him. Yet I feel as if I know him more than anyone. I need far more time to get a grasp on this life before I can even think of bringing another into this world.
“Whatever you want.” A stinging sensation travels down my body and my heart slows. Whatever I want. It’s surreal. Tears prick at my eyes and I don’t even know why. Wiping them away, I try to compose myself. What the hell is wrong with me? Lev gets up from the table with a concerned look on his face. “You okay, Grace?”
I nod as he places a hand on my shoulder. “Yeah, I just … I just don’t know what to say.” I can do anything I want. I sit with those words for a beat. I can do whatever the hell I want to do.
I worked so damn hard at too many shit jobs just to escape my dad. I doubt he even cares that I’m gone. I’ll never have to work for a lazy asshole again and smile at pricks who come in just to complain to someone. I’ll never have to get up at the break of dawn because my irresponsible coworker has a hangover and can’t work their shift. I don’t have to worry about money. No shuffling payment dates around just so we can make it through the month. My grip tightens on the counter just to stay upright. I never really thought much about any of that. It was just something I had to do. Day in and day out. It was one more thing to survive. Everyone has to do it. And now I don’t. I can do anything, yet I have no idea what I should do. I don’t even know what I want to do. I don’t think I’ve ever dreamed beyond what I could reasonably attain.
Once, Lizzie and I talked about opening our own bookstore; we practically ran the place ourselves anyway. But it wasn’t anything that could be a reality. I knew better than to dream for something I’d never have. Hell, I’d just barely been able to escape the shit hand I’d been dealt. I absolutely loved my tiny apartment with Lizzie and making the best with what we had. Other than Lizzie, I had nothing. Nothing worth anything. Thank God I had her.
At least I knew who I was, though. I was the tough bitch with her shit together. I knew life would get better one day and that as long as Lizzie and I were together, we’d survive and make the best of every situation. But who am I now? Devin just bulldozed his way through my life and I don’t know what’s left in the rubble. I should be grateful; I am grateful. But other emotions rage through me. Surprisingly, fear is the overriding one. Am I just supposed to lie down for him and let him knock me up? Which brings me back to my scare this morning. I need birth control.
“I need to get some things.” I bite the inside of my cheek, making a mental list. The morning-after pill is listed at the very top. “I know Liz is going to want coffee. Do you have, like, a werewolf coffeehouse?” They grin again.
“You can order whatever you want and have it delivered.”
“What if I want to go out and go shopping?” I’m sure as hell not staying here like a prisoner. Even if it is a gilded cage.
“There are a few shopping malls a few towns over. Right now may not be the best time for you to go alone with everything going on.”
