*Grayson*
She hadn’t noticed me at first.
I’d watched her for more than a few minutes before she’d realized I’d been standing there. I watched the way her hair seemed to float behind her, watched the swell of her breasts move in and out of the water with her attempt to stay afloat. Contrary to whatever was going on in her head, if the look she was giving me was any indication, I hadn’t wanted to be anywhere around her either. I definitely had not sought her out. The lake was something only I knew of. Aside from the fact that it was surrounded by tall trees, making it difficult to be spotted, none of the pack members were allowed to step this far away from the pack.
It wasn’t part of our territory.
It was close enough that the pack warriors might detect a sound if it was loud enough but it still wasn’t part. And this tiny human who had sworn to drive me insane had foolishly come here. And had the mind to only be in her tiny underwear. If anything had happened to her, Trevor would never have forgiven me. Why had she come out here in the first place? Did she think her safety was a joke? What was I even saying?
It was obvious she did.
Because no werewolf in their right senses would step out to a place they could be so easily attacked by rogues. I’d thought we’d gotten over her stubbornness but clearly it had all been in my head. I approached the lake further, my irritation with her actions boldly written on my face. “Get dressed,” I ordered calmly, adjusting my stance to unlock my knees. “We’re going back.”
Her eyes turned cold at my tone.
She flailed her arms gently in the water, bringing herself to an upright position, whatever civility we’d achieved disappearing in that instant. She arched a fine eyebrow, brushing the hair sticking to her face behind her ears. “What do you mean we?” She asked testily. “I didn’t come here with you.” She raised her other brow. “What made you think I would just leave with you?”
I wasn’t ready for this bullshit.
“Trevor asked me to look after you-” I started angrily, removing my boots.
“I’m not a child, I don’t need you to look-”
“And what do you do?” I asked angrily, moving my arms around wildly. “You come out here, past the pack’s borders where you could easily get killed, and take your fucking clothes off!” I couldn’t stop myself from raising my voice at the end. Anyone could have met her inside the lake. A sexy vulnerable unarmed woman. Human woman. The urge to have sex with her would have been unbearable.
I clenched my jaws.
I was having a hard time keeping my eyes off her body myself.
“How is that any of your fucking business?” She shot back, her voice just as raised. If looks could kill, I would have definitely taken my last breath the instant she’d seen me. “I can go completely naked if I want to!” She continued loudly. “It’s my choice and it has absolutely nothing to do with you!” The image of her standing completely naked in the lake for anyone to see flashed through my mind.
Red rimmed my vision.
I unbuttoned my shirt and stepped out of my clothes, trying to contain my rising anger. She could easily get out of the water and put her clothes back on but if she wanted to do this the hard way it was completely fine with me. Either way, she was getting out and heading back to the pack house. Her gaze fell to my chest, her eyes on my tattoo before she looked back up. She moved back as I got into the water, shooting me a death stare when I kept advancing towards her. “Don’t you dare try to put your hands on me.” The warning was loud and clear.
And it hit a nerve.
“Why would I?” I smarted. “You’ve got Gabe doing that already, remember?” I fired coldly. She reared back, her lips parting in disbelief at my words. Shock and hurt flashed through her eyes before she tried to conceal them. Her eyes darted away for a bit and when they landed back on mine, her resolve was firmly in place. “Kiss my ass.” Her voice dripped with venom.
I chuckled humorlessly, giving her a shake of my head. “Thanks but I think I’ll pass,” My tone was mocking and condescending. She leaned her head back, trying to cover the wounded look on her face but because I’d been looking out for it, it was so obvious. She stared at me for a second, looking like she couldn’t believe the words I’d said or the tone in which I’d said them.
Her lip curled and then she let out a clipped and sardonic laugh. “Of course you’ll pass,” She muttered beneath her breath, moving to walk past me. On impulse, I reached out and grabbed her wrist. A second later, I could feel her pulse beating erratically beneath my palm. Her eyes dropped to my grip on her wrist and then back up to coldly meet mine. The air became dense and thick with tension.
I shifted my attention to her mouth.
“On second thoughts,” I mumurred, pulling her until her body was flushed with mine and I could feel every inch of her. “There’s something else I’d rather kiss.” My eyes locked with hers briefly, a raging conflict evident in hers. I gave her a second to catch my meaning and then I crashed my lips against hers.
Finally.
Her lips were soft, the feel of her body against mine doing maddening things to my mind. I tilted her head so I could kiss her properly, her breath hitching when I bit down on her lower lip in search of a response from her. She pushed at my chest, fisting her hands and landing them wherever she could find. I pulled away from her and she immediately jerked out my hold, her chest heaving with barely contained anger.
Her lips parted in shock, her eyes clearly showing her disbelief at my audacity. “How dare you?” She yelled, raising her hand and bringing her palm harshly against my cheek. Her jaws grinded and she looked ready to maul me, when all I really wanted was to feel her lips on mine again. She wiped her mouth with the back of her palm, setting me off. “You better not dare kiss me again without my permission or else- ”
“Or else what?” I cut in. Before she could manage a response, I held her by her wrist and pulled her harshly against me. Did she think she could just easily erase me off of her? I held her face firmly between my hands and brought my lips to hers again. It was like I’d lost control of my senses and everything was centered entirely on her. She pulled away within a split second, placing her hands against my chest and pushing me forcefully.
Her hand raised again but I was expecting it so I caught it in the air, arching an eyebrow at her. There was no way she actually thought she could get away with hitting me twice. Our gaze collides, a silent battle of wills going on before she curled her lips irritatedly and yanked her hand away from mine. Fortunately, she knew better than to try to rile me up by wiping her hand over her mouth again. I watched her as she stepped out of the water, my eyes devouring every part of her body.
Who would have thought the ice queen wore such sinful underwear . . .
Her body was exquisite, toned and trim. Her waist was thin, flaring into curves that could drive a completely sane man crazy. Her ass was the most tempting, especially in the black thong she was wearing which was doing nothing to cover them. I wanted to sink my teeth into the soft flesh, discover what she liked, kiss the taunting slope of her breasts. I released a frustrated breath, knowing the mate bond was beginning to really mess with my head.
Giving my head a small shake didn’t seem to help either.
Keera quickly dried her body with her shirt and got back into her clothes, shooting me a side glance before she began leaving. The thought of her returning to the pack all alone drive me mad but I knew she was going to be fine. I’d seen the gun she’d tried to subtly touch into the waistband of her pants. I should have known she wasn’t stupid enough to come out here without some form of protection. She was anything but stupid.
Which was good for her.
The world was a dangerous enough place as it was, not to mention we had a murderer on the loose in the pack. The thought had me sinking completely into the water to cool myself down as I told myself the truth. I couldn’t let her return to the pack all by herself. I wouldn’t ever forgive myself if something happened to her. Not to mention Trevor wasn’t also going to forgive me. I came back for air, running a hand through my hair.
Then again, fuck Trevor.
He had no business telling me what to do when it came to Keera. She was my mate after all.
Not his.
***
The ritual kicked off during the early hours of the evening. Everyone was quiet and somber, speaking in hushed tones as we waited for the fire to die down. Part of the ritual was that we didn’t stop the fire ourselves after burning our dead. Once the fire died down, we were to proceed to the less intense part of the ritual which was the bonfire.
Ria and Elena were trying to arrange the food just in time for the bonfire. Tables had been joined together to give a kind of buffet feel. There were several trays, some containing marshmallows, hot dogs, crackers, tacos, popcorn, cookies, juice and biscuits. Others had muffins, cut fruits, coke, beer, water, s’mores, hot chocolate and even bacon. There was a wide range of options so everyone could get what they wanted.
I hugged one of the victims’ parents, rubbing her back soothingly and letting her know she was going to be okay. I knew that people were still apprehensive since we hadn’t caught the killer yet but everyone was trying their hardest to just focus on the moment. Nyx and Ginny were talking to most of the victims’ families, making sure that everyone was okay. I admire the fact that Ginny was still trying to get everyone in a light mood even when she was down herself.
I caught sight of Joe arriving with Lexi and Kathryn. They hadn’t been allowed during the first part of the ritual because it was against the rules. The bonfire, on the other hand, was open to all who wanted to come. Nothing serious was done other than the reading and burning of tributes. We played games and ate and carried the ritual until it was dawn and everyone could retire back home. Keera walked in with Josie then, her hands tucked to the back pocket of her pants. She looked like she was ready to find her way back to the pack house at the slightest discomfort.
I dragged my eyes away from her. This moment, this ritual, wasn’t about her. She could stay and feed her curiosity all she wanted but I wasn’t going to let it bother me or anyone else. Jax and Ryan walked up to me. Jax stared at the fire, rubbing his jaw lightly. “The fire is almost out,” He said quietly. “I think we should start preparing for the bonfire.” He nodded his head in the direction of the logs and the tents.
We’d set the tents up for the pups because they weren’t allowed while we burnt the bodies. They were allowed to join the bonfire but most of them ended up sleeping because of how late it was. I expelled a long breath, my eyes moving between them. The earlier we finished with the ritual, the earlier we could finally try to move on from the deaths.
“That’s fine. Let’s set it up.”