Page 139 of This Vicious Grace

“I did, but once everyone settled, I had to fly back and start moving the rest here.”

“How long have you been awake, Cade?” I asked.

“I caught a nap on the flight,” he argued.

“When was the last time you slept in a bed?” I amended my question.

“Tuesday, I think?” he asked.

“Goddess, how the fuck are you standing? Go to bed. I’ll take your plate to the kitchen.”

Cade laughed as I did my best to push the man toward the stairs, more so when Adam joined in my efforts.

“Alright, you win, Princess,” he chuckled low enough that people in the dining room didn’t hear at least.

I mocked a growl, more annoyed than angry.

“I’m going to assume you keep calling me a princess even though you know I hate it because you’re exhausted and keep forgetting. Go to sleep, Alpha Cade,” I whisper-yelled at him.

“You will always be Princess to me, Bells,” Cade winked.

My heart thundered in my chest, but Cade didn’t notice because he was too busy yawning and walking up the stairs.

Adam and I helped clean the dining room as people left to rest, and then I tucked him into bed and went to mine. I spent a few minutes talking to Cory about my day, then scrolled on my phone until I fell asleep around one.

I struggled to stand, the wound on my shoulder trying to mend itself. My hand slipped on the hardwood floor covered in blood, so I crawled toward my mate, pulled out the blade from his chest and plunged it into the body of our attacker.

Once I was sure there was no threat to us anymore, I let the tears fall from my eyes, wetting my shirt as I moved to cradle my mate’s head in my lap and watched the light leave his eyes. A sudden sharp pain rippled through my abdomen. Coyo’s howl as I felt blood soaking my pants was deafening, as was the sob that tore from my throat.

My heart was racing when I woke up and I could feel the wet tears soaking my lashes. I looked around the room to reorient myself.

‘You’re okay, Bells,’ Cory’s soothing voice flittered into my head, and I hated that I was still waking him after all these months.

‘I‘m okay. I know, Cory. It just hurts so fucking much at night.’

We talked for a little while before he was satisfied I was okay. I tried to apologize for always waking him, but he reminded me that he was always awake with the pups these days. I tried goingback to sleep, but it was just past four in the morning, so I decided to head down and start getting breakfast ready. Lindsay was on her last semester of school and couldn’t cook in the mornings. I wasn’t going to ask her to quit so close to finishing her degree.

When I made it down, I was surprised to see Charles already working in the kitchen.

“Good morning, Luna.”

“Good morning, Charles. I didn’t expect to see you here this early.”

“Lindsay mentioned she had class, so I figured I was on my own this morning.”

“You should be resting after the long day you had yesterday,” I chided.

“I’m alright. I went to sleep early.”

“Well, then, put me to work. Where can I help?” I asked, not wanting to mess with the organization of ingredients he had on the table.

“Luna?” he asked, and I almost rolled my eyes at the disbelief in his voice.

Instead, I smiled.

“Put me to work, Charles. I thought I was going to be doing this alone, so you‘re already saving my hide. What can I take away from your master plan?”

Charles chuckled.