Hold. Smell. Lick.
I shook my head to dispel her thoughts from it. Focus, Grayson was hurt. He was hurt, and it was because of me. It didn’t take a genius to work out what had happened to him or why. The fuckers in the room had tried to keep him away.
“He’s lost a lot of blood,” Azazel said, checking his pulse. “But he’ll be fine. The wound has healed. He just needs to rest.”
Hold him, dammit. Make sure he’s all right.
I cradled his head in my lap as his eyes fluttered open. He focused on me. “Fee…Was I too late?” His voice was a reassuring rumble.
I shook my head and spoke past the threat of tears. “No. You got here just in time.”
I wanted to press my cheek to his and inhale him. I wanted to lick the blood off his forehead to clean his wound.
Whoa, get out of my head.
The Loup inside me backed off a little, and Grayson sat up. He was pale, but he was all right. His gaze slipped over my head and narrowed. The hairs on my nape stood to attention. I didn’t need to turn around to know we were the focus of every Loup eye in the room.
Grayson bared his teeth and pulled himself to his feet, bringing me with him. His grip on my fingers was tight, almost desperate.
Azazel’s frown was concerned as he reached for Grayson to steady him but thought better of it.
No weakness, the beast said. He cannot show weakness in a room filled with Loup.
I wrapped my arms around his waist and buried my face in his T-shirt, so it looked like he was holding me up rather than the other way around.
He hugged me with one arm, allowing me to take some of his weight. I peeked across at Azazel, who gave me a slight nod.
Grayson’s body was tense against me, but his heartbeat was slow and steady. “Seraphina Dawn is under Regency Pack protection. Under my protection.” I followed his line of sight to find Hunter looking back at us, his face expressionless. “Any Loup who approaches her without my permission will face the wrath of my pack.”
The corner of Hunter’s mouth lifted in a cruel half-smile, and his dark eyes shifted to lock on me. There was promise in those eyes. Cool, assured promise, and even though Grayson’s body heat enveloped me, there was no denying the chill that skimmed across my skin.
“Miss Dawn.” The judge’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Do you accept the Regency Pack’s claw?”
I nodded against Grayson’s pectoral. “I do.”
“In that case, bail is set at fifty thousand ichons.” She banged her gavel. “Escort Miss Dawn, her pack sponsor, and her counsel to an interview room to complete the paperwork.”
Magiguards appeared around us, blocking us from Loup view, and then we were whisked out of the room, away from the hungry wolves.
Once the door closed on us, Grayson staggered against me, and I realized I’d been in no way holding him up. Azazel moved fast to help the Loup into a seat.
“Fuck.” Grayson touched his head. “Those fucking bastards.” He sat back, legs splayed, a wince on his handsome face. There was blood on the side of his head, his cheek, and some in his beard.
“What happened?” Azazel asked.
“Hunter’s goons ran me off the road on the way here. Car’s a write-off. Had to shift and run here.” He touched his wrist lightly, and I noticed the leather band housing a green gem for the first time. Was this what held the miasma their coven gave them? ‘Took the back routes,” he continued. He closed his eyes briefly. “I should have expected something like this. Someone leaked the hearing date, and now all the Loups know about you.”
There was a knock at the door, and a Magiguard brought in a first aid kit and handed it to Azazel.
Grayson chuffed. “No need. I’m almost healed. Just a headache now.”
But he was bloody. “Are there any wipes in that kit?”
Azazel clicked it open and handed me a packet of sterile wipes. “Clean him up. I’ll go file the paperwork.”
He gently gripped my nape, pulled me toward him, and pressed a kiss to my temple. My eyes fluttered closed as I reveled in the contact. Azazel was safety. He was surety. He was my protector, not Grayson. I wanted to leave with Azazel, to go back to the Underealm, back home, but instead, I’d be leaving with Grayson to his pack location.
My pulse quickened at the thought of being at the Regency Pack’s mercy. Grayson’s mercy. His presence didn’t make me feel safe. It knocked me off balance and confused me, and I wasn’t too sure he wouldn’t take what he wanted from me. The same things the beast inside me seemed to want from him.
“I’ll be right back,” Azazel said.
And then, Grayson and I were alone.
He was watching me with a speculative gleam in his eyes. “You and Azazel?”
I pulled a wipe from the packet and stepped between his legs. “He’s my soulmate.”
His brows flicked up. “Ah. Yes, I’ve heard about that phenomenon among the demons.”
Lick him. We need to lick him clean.
I gritted my teeth and ignored her. “Tilt your head back and close your eyes.”
Grayson did the first but ignored the second. His eyes remained fixed on my face, darting across it as if he was memorizing every inch. I set to work, wiping away the blood in even, gentle strokes. The wound beneath had already knitted and gone pink.
I grabbed a fresh wipe for his cheek and then started on his beard. His hands settled on my hips, and I froze for a fraction of a second as the heat from his fingers seeped through the fabric of my slacks and spiraled out across my skin. The Loup inside me surged to the surface with a sigh, reveling in his touch and commanding me to touch him back, to cup his jaw and press my lips to his.
Take him. Claim him.
His eyes flared, and his pupils dilated. His grip on my hips tightened, fingers digging in. “What does your wolf want?” His voice was soft but demanding. “What is your primal instinct?”
My breath grew shallow. There was no point denying it. He knew more about this shit than I did. He was a Loup alpha, and I was a new Loup with no idea what the fuck I was dealing with, but like hell was I telling him what she’d said.
“She told me to clean you up, that’s all.”
His eyes narrowed. “She told you?”
Soft laughter filled my head. Oh, this should be interesting.
“Fee, does your Loup speak to you?”
His expression told me what I needed to know.
“That’s not normal, is it?”
He frowned. “It’s not unheard of. But no. It’s not the usual process.” He canted his head. “Can I speak with her?”
Yes!
Panic squeezed my chest. “No.” I pulled out of his grip. “Hell, no.”
His eyes narrowed. “It’s fine. It’s okay. I understand how strange this must be for you. We can talk more back at the pack residences.”
Spoilsport.
“I’m not letting her take over.”
Grayson stood so he towered over me. “You’re a Loup, Fee. The wolf is part of you, and now that she’s awake, you’ll have to learn to live with her, and just like the rest of us, that means having to shift once a month, minimum.”
My chest tightened. “Why? Why do I have to shift?”