Grace of a Wolf (by Lenaleia) novel Chapter 52

Chapter 52: Grace: Muffin

Lyre was right.

Fenris hides under the dinette table as I vacuum black fur off the daybed comforter. I’d tried to kick him out when I woke up to a furry, dead weight on my feet, but he’s ultimately too heavy to drag out the door.

The vacuum roars as I attack another patch of black fur. Every swipe feels like a tiny rebellion against the wolf—against Caine—against this whole ridiculous situation. If I can’t control anything else in my life, at least I can eliminate this evidence of unwanted company.

A pathetic whimper sounds from behind me, followed by the rhythmic thump-thump-thump of a tail against the camper’s floor. I refuse to turn around. Fenris might look like an oversized puppy right now, but he’s not. He’s a full-grown wolf, and he knows exactly what he did wrong.

I shut off the vacuum with more force than necessary. The sudden silence feels accusatory.

“You should get dressed.” Lyre doesn’t look up from her phone, just sips her coffee, her rainbow hair catching the morning light through the windows. “They’ll be here soon.”

My stomach drops, and I groan. “Do I have to?”

Last night’s dreams flash through my mind—fragments of nightmares where I was locked in a stone tower, my blonde hair grown long like Rapunzel’s, watching the world through a tiny window. But worse than those were the other dreams—the ones where Caine’s hands weren’t dragging me away but pulling me close, his mouth not speaking threats but…

Heat crawls up my neck.

“Unless you want to greet the Lycan King in your pajamas.” Lyre sounds utterly unconcerned. “Which, honestly, might be a power move.”

I’m not sure how pajamas equal power, but I grab one of Lyre’s old band t-shirts and a pair of stretchy shorts and take them with me to the bathroom. Five minutes later, I’m back out, second-guessing the shorts. But my jeans are dirty, and Lyre’s don’t fit.

“Weren’t we supposed to go to—” I stop, frowning at Fenris. “You know, away?”

Lyre finally looks up, her slitted eyes unreadable. “It would just be a waste of money at this point.”

“What?”

“Gas. Food. Lodging.” She ticks off each item on her fingers. “All expensive. And for what? He’s not going to let you go so easily.”

Ugh.

I’m not sure why Caine’s even hunting me down, but after last night, it’s pretty clear he’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

Maybe he thinks I’m trying to take over the Blue Mountain Pack or something. Taint it with half-human, half-shifter babies? He seems pretty obsessed with bringing up my relationship to Rafe, and now he’s worried about Andrew, too.

“That makes sense,” I mumble.

“What does?”

“Oh. I think I figured out why Caine’s hunting me down. Werewolves are purists, you know? They don’t like it when humans mix with their pack. Even before everything went south, it was pretty rough for me.”

Setting her phone on her lap, Lyre gives me her full attention, her eyebrows bunching together. She seems concerned more than interested. Maybe she’s worried about me. “Okay. Hit me with your theory, then.”

Flopping onto the daybed, I fiddle with the ends of my hair, noticing how some strands are lighter than others. “I’m thinking Caine’s worried I’ll try to… I don’t know, seduce Rafe back or something? Use our history to influence him? Or maybe he’s concerned I’ll corrupt his bloodline.”

This probably doesn’t make a lot of sense to Lyre, who only has bits and pieces of my backstory. “Rafe’s the new alpha of the pack,” I add helpfully as she stares at me like I’ve grown a second head.

She nods slowly. “Okay…”

“Anyway. Shifters are obsessed with purity, right? So it makes sense he’d be suspicious of my intentions.”

Lyre’s expression doesn’t change, but something about her stillness makes me feel like I’m being dissected. “This is the conclusion you’ve come to?”

“Well, it’s just a working theory.”

“But why would he think you’re trying to take over a pack you’re running away from?”

I open my mouth, close it, then fall back against my pillow. She’s right. It makes no sense, putting me directly back at square one. Why am I getting chased by the Lycan King?

Fenris huffs.

“Hush,” I tell him absently, running my fingers through my hair with enough force to make my scalp sting. “I just don’t get it, then. Why is he here?”

“Did you get good grades in school?”

The non sequitur catches me off guard. “What?”

Lyre’s face remains blank. “In school. Were you a good student?”

“I mean… I did okay, I guess?”

“Ah. Then it’s just willful ignorance.”

Before I can ask what she means, three sharp knocks rap against the door. Fenris lays his head on his paws, unimpressed by his master’s arrival.

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