AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Olive branch, remember?” Mongrel rumbled into my ear, making my spine go all liquid.
Damnit, my giant of a mate wasn’t supposed to use his powers for evil. But I let myself relax back into my beta’s arms, rather than go straight on the offensive.
“What’s this for?” Grimm wrinkled his nose, holding up a can of spray paint.
Addy hurried over to shoo him away. “That’s for my muse.”
“This stuff stinks.”
“What can I say, alpha?” Addy smirked. “I’m an artist. The muse wants what the muse wants. If my creation offends your delicate snout, make sure you ain’t here when I get to it.”
“Uh-huh. Well, I guess we better get to painting so your muse can have her way.”
Grimm shot me a wink that pretty much lit my panties on fire. Silver’s head jerked up to look at me from where he was bent over the food, fixing all three of us a plate. Mongrel’s fingers dug into my hips as he rolled my ass over the sudden bulge in jeans.
Yes, thank you, mate. Very subtle.
I sent a pointed jab down the bond we shared for Mongrel to quit it and Silver’s grin only widened.
My face flamed redder than a tomato as I clenched my thighs together. I didn’t move, though. Didn’t give any ground as I valiantly held the sparkling gaze of the devastatingly handsome Prez. I didn’t need to advertise the fact that this version of Grimm—the suspiciously carefree alpha—turned me all the way on.
“You mind?” Grimm growled, tilting his neck ever-so-slightly in my direction. My cheeks were still burning as every eyeball in the place turned back to me. Gods, I hated being the center of attention like this.
“Why you asking me?” I growled.
“You’re the owner of this fine establishment, aren’t you?” Grimm smirked. “Ivywood Pub is yours now. Right, little alpha?”
I nodded as Viola piped up, “Damn straight.”
“Well, I guess in my book, that makes this your territory,” Grimm shrugged. “Just think of me as a friendly neighbor come to lend a hand.”
I thought about chasing him off—something about the set of Grimm’s shoulders told me he expected me to do just that—but I didn’t. Instead, I gave him another stiff nod to carry on and sank a little further into Mongrel’s arms while I kept an eye on the man I hardly recognized.
The big, fierce Prez of the Soul Reapers MC stripped off his cut, got out some paints and set to giving the walls of Ivywood Pub—my pub—a face lift. Huh.
We’d chosen a nice, soothing navy-blue tone for the featured wall upon which Addy planned to paint her mural. The rest would be painted off-white to help brighten the place up a bit.
Grimm was wearing a fitted gunmetal grey t-shirt, jeans and sensible riding boots. The muscles of his back, neck and biceps popped and bunched as he worked. The Denim hugged him oh-so-right whenever he bent over to roll more paint onto his roller and the man was humming something not quite audible beneath his breath.
He looked the most content, most relaxed I’d ever seen him.
It was not lost on me that every female eye—and a few of the males, too—were watching his move. The alpha was playing it like he had no idea he was the center of attention. He was just a guy lost in his own world as he worked. And doing an annoyingly good job, too. There wasn’t even anything I could point out to do better.
What was the infuriating male playing at?
I could feel Mongrel’s amusement—and desire—growing. Silver approached us with a sexy roll of his hips that said he knew exactly how sexually frustrated I was feeling. Bloody mating bonds. No damn privacy at all. It was probably a blessing that Grimm was so set on riding out this Chaos alone. Otherwise, I’d never be able to hide a damn thing I was feeling from any of them.
I snatched my plate and stalked off to be anywhere but where their sexy alpha was fucking with my hormones.
36
UNSEEING EYES
Sasha
The Blood Moon hung over the back courtyard behind the Soul Reapers’ clubhouse, bathing everything it touched in an eerie light. Fog closed in, rolling down off the mountains. It held back from invading the courtyard, preferring to cling to the surrounding trees which hugged the property. A low stone wall threaded between the buildings, giving us some semblance of privacy.
In exercise clothes that were not exactly a perfect fit but good enough, Addy, Louise and Viola ran round the yard, stretching their legs. One of our guards shifted into his wolf form and began loping steadily alongside them, tongue lolling out in goofy encouragement.
