Page 41 of Bold Mercy

But first things first.

My mother stood in front of the Rose Inn with a man I didn’t recognize, and I was pretty sure he was leaving her after having spent the night in her bed. This, then, was the “all that and a bag of chips” man she’d recently met. He was slender, around forty years old, and had a kind smile and twinkling green eyes. His long hair was tied back in a long tail, and he wore a rather rumpled suit. He didn’t look like an asshole, but…

“If you hurt my mother,” I told him, smiling as I took the hand he held out to me, “I will kill you.”

“Kait,” my mom said, aghast. “It’s too early in the morning for jokes.” She laughed as she pushed me into the building, attempting to make light of the situation. “I’ll see you tonight, Nigel.”

“You didn’t introduce us,” I said, as she shoved me deeper into the inn and safely away from the love interest.

“You need to take a chill pill, little girl,” she said, sterner than I’d seen her in…ever. “Maybe a whole bottle.”

I pulled her into my arms. “I love you, Mom.”

She softened. “Are you okay, Kaity?”

“I had a bad night, but I’m good now.”

She pulled back and looked up into my face. “Food and sleep is what you need. When you wake up, we’ll talk.”

I frowned. “About what?”

But she wouldn’t say. She patted my hand and led me back toward the door, now that Nigel was gone. “It’s nothing that won’t hold. I would encourage you to go see Ash and Lucy, but they’re both still asleep.”

“How’s she doing?”

She hesitated. “She’s doing okay, but when things settle down and you can get her back home and spend time with her, she’ll do a lot better.”

I leaned over to kiss her forehead. “I know. Soon, I hope.”

“Get some sleep, Kaity.”

“I will.” I left her there, a little uneasy in my stomach because of Lucy. My mom was right. I needed to spend some time with Lucy. And I would, as soon as I woke up for the day. Right now, though, I had things other than sleep on my mind. Sleep would come, but first, I would.

I strode to Jared’s house, ignoring the stares from the few people awake and outside—I knew I looked a little crazy with blood on my skin and Zach’s coat, but these people were wolves. They’d seen worse.

As though she knew I was coming, the alpha’s housekeeper was standing on the porch, the door behind her wide open. Her frowning face cleared when she spotted me.

“Kait,” she called, gesturing for me, as though afraid I might pass her by and go sleep in the grass. “Come. Your bed is made up and I’ve laid out clean clothes for you. Jared told me you’d be along, and he would fire me if I neglected you.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “No he wouldn’t.”

“Well, no,” she agreed, “but he would be very unhappy, and we both know that an unhappy alpha is…”

“A mean son of a bitch?” I followed her up the stairs, but my nose twitched at the smell of bacon coming from deep in the house, and what I wanted to do was follow it.

She didn’t laugh. “Sad,” she said. “I don’t like to see our alpha sad. Jared isn’t an asshole, Kait.”

I’d hurt her feelings with my bad manners. “I’m sorry, Nell. I know he’s not.”

She pushed open the door to the guest room. “Have a shower and get some clean clothes on. I’ll have a tray waiting when you come out.”

“Nell.” I caught her arm before she could leave the room. “Thank you for taking such good care of me.”

“Thank Jared.” But she softened. “You’re welcome, dear.”

I combed my tangled hair, brushed my teeth, and showered in record time, and then, I dried off and put on a white t-shirt that hit me mid-thigh. I didn’t stop to eat. I’d devour every morsel Nell had left for me. Later.

There was something I had to do first.

I had no hesitation or doubt as I strode to the alpha’s bedroom. I silently opened his door, slipped inside, then shut it behind me. No light came through the covered windows, but I didn’t need much light. There were a couple of soft, warm nightlights placed around the room, and I was glad. I didn’t want total darkness, because I wanted to see him.

I took a deep, quiet breath, breathing in a scent that would always be better than anything or anyone I would ever smell again, and I padded across the room to the bed. Right or wrong, complicated or troublesome or fraught with pain…I didn’t care. I needed him, I wanted him, and I was going to have him.

But when I stood staring down at the bed, I found it empty. Before I could turn, he pressed his bare body against me from behind and snaked his arms around my waist.

“Fuck, Kait,” he said, his voice hoarse.

He didn’t say anything else, and neither did I. It wasn’t a time for talking. I was finally going to do what I’d been wanting to do since he’d walked into my house and asked me to work for him. No matter what it meant, or whether or not I was ready for what came after, I was going to fuck the Gray Shadow Pack alpha.