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His smirk faded as my brother’s somber nature returned.
“You’ll live with your heart in your mouth for the rest of your life and look like a fool for doing it. But that’ll be okay, Grimm. You know why?” I shook my head and waited. “Because when you earn one of those smiles, you’ll know it was worth it. That and so much more.”
51
FUCK OFF, WE NEED OUR BEAUTY SLEEP
Silver
Slowly, my wolf released me from his urgent grip and I floated back to the surface.
The infirmary was quiet—peaceful, almost. After the cacophony of the battle and its even more terrifying aftermath, an expectant hush had closed in from all sides. I could feel everyone monitoring us from afar. The whole pack remained tuned in to our plight.
Cracking open my heavy eyelids, I watched Carbon and Winter having a furious conversation which consisted of eyebrow raises and pleading looks. Winter was holding her own but Carbon wasn’t backing down either.
I smirked. It was astonishing to see how far our little broken dove had come in such a short time. The Chaos had changed Carbon, too. From a hot, self-involved mess to an empathetic and concerned mate. My brother had been lost without Winter, so lost that I hadn’t realised how far adrift he’d become.
Being a turned wolf wasn’t like being a born shifter. The beast doesn’t think like a human, it has different instincts and priorities. Finding your animal’s true alpha was essential. The right leader would teach you how to be both wolf and man, to use your Goddess-given strengths and weaknesses for the greater good. The wrong one would turn you into a weapon hell-bent on its own destruction.
Once you’d been turned—whether in violence or by choice—you needed to find someone worthy to follow and keep you steady. The alpha who called on those two distinct personalities and made them one.
When Carbon was forged, he’d been created to be the weapon. Left to drown in a war between man and beast. He languished under the thumb of a ruthless leader who enjoyed watching his humanity slip away, one gruesome mission at a time. Until Grimm.
Most alphas would have taken pity on a turned wolf like Carbon and put him down.
Not Grimm. The Soul Reapers’ Prez offered our brother a rare opportunity to anchor the wild beast inside him. Our alpha sucked all of that dark responsibility onto his own soul and released the exhausted shifter of his burden.
However, Grimm had known that Carbon’s beast would never be truly tamed. So he’d given our brother a position of command which allowed him to funnel that wildness into battle. To serve the pack. And keep his soul clean of the guilt which would’ve otherwise swallowed him whole.
Yet, the greatest transformation had come with Winter.
When that broken dove landed in our midst, Carbon’s feral beast found his center. His purpose. Now, he was truly anchored against the challenges to come. Because, however much she denied it, that girl needed a mate. Now more than ever.
Trauma had a funny way of sneaking up on you. Winter was preparing to build herself up from the ashes, dusting herself off to face a new day. But trauma lurked in the darkest shadows of your mind and when you were finally brave enough to unwind—felt safe enough to let go—it pounced. Forcing you to face the next onslaught of pain and healing.
Yes, the Blood Moon Goddess had known what she was doing when she paired those two together. And I, for one, looked forward to seeing them weather the storm and come out the other side better for it.
Carbon had a huge ego which his mate would happily beat down with a stick, while Winter had a brave heart which had been crushed almost into oblivion. I had a feeling this new Carbon was more than up to the task of coaxing that bruised heart back to life. Either way, the pair were going to keep each other on their toes.
“Please, baby,” Carbon sighed, holding both of Winter’s hands in his and cupping them against his heart where they stood together. “Doc said I should rest but I won't be able to if you aren’t in our den.”
“I’m not leaving her.” Winter’s voice was soft but firm as her thumb rubbed the back of his hands. Our Enforcer was swaying on his feet and there was no way little Winter would be able to catch the dude if he passed out. “Sleep here if you’re gonna be a baby about it.”
“I want to be in our den where it smells like us,” Carbon whined, allowing her to press him into sitting down on the nearest cot. He immediately pulled her against his chest and she went willingly. The way the two moved together was mesmerizing, like gently swaying seaweed at the bottom of the ocean.
“No. That den does not smell like me,” Winter scoffed, pinching his chin. “It still smells like stale club pussy and you know it!”
Carbon’s mouth popped open. Winter smirked, patted his dumb ass on the cheek and began to float away. Our Enforcer jumped to his feet again. “There hasn’t been any pussy in there but yours since you arrived and you know it!”
He yanked her back to his chest with an exasperated growl.
At the sharp movement, the girl went rigid, causing my wolf’s hackles to rise. However, before I—or anyone else—could intervene, Carbon softened his body with a heartfelt whine of apology. Releasing a small ragged breath, Winter melted into his embrace. They stood with their foreheads pressed together, forgetting that the rest of the world existed, as Carbon gently swayed them.
“We’ll open all the windows,” Carbon soothed. “Air the place out, I promise. Fuck, I’ll order a buttload of airfreshener right now, woman. Just say the word. But take pity on this crazy mutt and come home?”
I’d never heard my brother like this. Our Enforcer sounded smooth—romantic, even—if a little desperate round the edges.
The old Carbon wouldn’t have bothered to beg. There would’ve been a line of eagerly waiting tail—sweetbutts, club girls and even a few men—ready to trot at a snap of his fingers. Many who had enjoyed Carbon’s unique brand of playtime had been bitterly disappointed to discover that his den was now permanently off limits to visitors.
