Wolf's Grace

Chapter 221: Caine: Sneaking In

CAINE

Sneaking through the dark hall of her camper is starting to beca habit.

Not a great one, either.

Fenris sounds sour from his place beneath the RV, where he’s been keeping watch since Dylan and Randy left

after the children were put to bed. He was less than enthused with my idea, but at least he isn’t getting in my

way.

If she catches you, | was never here.

Such loyalty from the other part of my soul.

Gritting my teeth against his brazenly perfidious nature, | manage to avoid creaking or shaking the RV as | sneak

my way into the master bedroom.

Sara and Bun are fast asleep, cuddled on either side of Grace. The fan’s on, blowing strands of golden hair

across her nose, and yet the woman's oblivious.

The scene’s so peaceful and perfect, it makes my little plot for a night of peace seem... dirty and mildly

perverted.

What the fuck am | doing here, lurking in the darkness like skind of deranged stalker because | can’t sleep

without her goddamn scent?

This is pathetic even for you, Fenris agrees. The mighty king reduced to stealing pillows. How the legends will

sing of this heroic quest.

"Shut up," | growl under my breath.

Just take what you cfor and go. Or don’t. Either way, I'm not the one getting hit when she wakes up.

My original plan—swapping out the unused pillow under my arm for one carrying Grace's scent—suddenly seems

not just desperate but genuinely disturbing. What would she think if she woke to findlooming over her bed?

And it wouldn't even be the first time.

You could just ask her for a shirt like a normal person.

It isn’t like | haven't thought about it, but stealing her pillow somehow seemed a little less creepy at the t|

made my plan.

Have you considered explaining it to her?

Damn him and his good points. | scrub a hand over my scruffy cheeks and inhale deeply, soaking in her

blueberry muffin scent and consoling myself it’s better than not smelling it at all.

If you just explain, I'm sure she’ll be happy to send her pillows to you. Grace is very understanding.

My fingers twitch at my sides, the urge to step further into the room nearly overwhelming.

| take a step back.

This has gone too far. My need for her has crossed from inconvenient to unhinged. While not abnormal in a

mating bond, Grace has a slightly different view of boundaries, and I'm supposed to be respecting her needs.

Sighing, | turn away from the doorway, forcing myself to retreat. Tomorrow I'll cback when she’s awake,

explain how important scent is to a mate, and arrange a more normal, consensual pillow swap instead of

sneaking in like a thief.

At first, her presence and touch soothed me, its effects long-lasting. And now it feels like | need to see her every

hour just to keep calm.

| sneak another deep inhale as | step out of her room.

You're whipped.

"I'm leaving," | hiss, tired of his constant prattling.

After standing there for five full minutes breathing like a stalker.

"Rich coming from you," | retort, still mindful of keeping my voice low to avoid waking the children. "You've been

trying to getto claim her since the day we met her."

Yes, but | suggested marking her, not creeping around and stealing her pillows.

The mental image of Grace's neck marked bysends a welcrush of heat through my body, but I force it

away quickly. She’s not ready for it yet, and I've already pushed her into too much intimate contact. She needs

to recuperate withoutpawing at her like a horny, rutting beast.

Every step away from her bedroom makes the ache in my chest grow heavier, among other things.

You know, you could just sleep here and stop torturing yourself.

Of course | want to, but | don’t have permission. And for sreason, Grace seems less than pleased with how

I've been handling things.

"...Caine?"

My entire body freezes. Grace's voice, heavy with sleep but unmistakably alert, sends heat straight through my

veins. | turn slowly, finding her silhouette in the hallway, one hand braced against the wall for support.

I'd been so distracted with my own imagination | hadn't heard her getting out of bed.

Her hair is tousled from sleep, her oversized t-shirt sliding off one shoulder. Even in the dim light, | can see the

confusion in her eyes, the wariness in her posture.

"What are you doing in here?" she asks, her voice so tiny my enhanced hearing barely catches her words.

| have exactly zero good explanations for why I'm in her camper at three in the morning with a pillow under my

arm and a growing hard-on in my pants.

Without thinking, | place the pillow over my crotch and turn away to awkwardly look at her over my shoulder.

Tell her you were making sure she was safe.

That lie feels too transparent.

Tell her you sensed danger?

And send her into a panic? No.

Tell her you missed her.

I'd love to, but if | start down that road, | might end up being the horny, rutting beast | just told myself I'm not.

"I couldn’t sleep and wanted to make sure everything was okay here."

Grace tilts her head slightly, studyingwith sleep-soft eyes, even as her eyebrows go up quizzically. "So you

decided to break in?"

Put that way, it sounds even worse.

"I have a key."

"Oh, right." She crosses her arms over

her chest and leans a little harder

against the wall, binkicg her big"!

green Heae and doing

absolutely nothing to get my erection

to stop erecting. "Are you planning to

make this a habit?" The content is on

novelenglish.net! Read the latest

chapter there!

Say yes.

"Yes. | mean, no." Damn it. "I'll go."

| turn toward the door, swallowing down the bitter taste of rejection before it’s even offered.

"Caine."

| pause, still awkwardly clasping a pillow over my dick and hoping she doesn’t askwhy I'm carrying one.

You can always say you wanted to sleep here, Fenris points out.

Brilliant. He has his uses.

"You can stay, if you want."

| turn, then remember the pillow and my hard-on and freeze, craning my neck over my shoulder again. "Are you

sure?"

Her eyes flicker. "You're already here," she says evasively.

It's how she always does things

when she doesn't want to be top

forward, pushing thévsporisiblty on

ie 5hd acting passive. | don't mind;

it's rather cute. The content is on

novelenglish.net! Read the latest

chapter there!

"Then I'll stay."

"The kids will be happy to see you in the morning. And it’s safer if you're here."

She doesn't say she wantshere,

but she doesn't have to. The

invitation itself is enough 16 ase'the

[

kot in MyRRst even though I'm

now struggling with the idea of

sneaking Bun and Sara out of her bed

and taking over it myself. The

content is on novelenglish.net! Read

the latest chapter there!

But that would be terrible.

Awful.

Tempting.

Not helping.

"Do you want to look at the stars?" | ask, unsurprised to see her blinking owlishly atagain.

Oh, no. Say no, Grace. He has ulterior motives.

Shut up, Fenris.