25. Morgan
MORGAN
“Morning.”
I open my eyes to find Lynx watching me. He looks like he’s fighting a smile, but it doesn’t matter if he tries to hide it. I can feel how happy he is. It’s been two weeks since we completed our bond. I’m still getting used to it.
If someone had told me a month ago that I’d not only become a shifter, but that I’d also be bonded to one for the rest of my life, I’d have run a fucking mile. But this? It really is the most amazing feeling.
There’s a warmth tucked behind my ribs, a steady hum that I know instinctively is Lynx.
Just like I know that he’s mine, and he always will be.
We can’t hide anything from each other, and the relief of knowing that I’ll never be blindsided by anything with him, it’s so fucking freeing.
I can’t help but smile back at him, because I’m happy. “Morning.”
He leans in for a kiss, and I groan at the rush of want that hits me. This part never gets old, and my dick immediately stirs to life. “Might need to get a handle on that if we’re ever going to leave this room.”
“Who says we have to?”
I laugh as he pulls me close enough to feel he’s in the same predicament as me. “Good point.”
Before we get any further than kissing, there’s a knock at the door.
“Fuck’s sake,” Lynx sighs, and rolls onto his back.
“Can’t we ignore them?” I’m not ready for the real world to intrude just yet.
Lynx sighs. “You know they wouldn’t come up here if it wasn’t important.”
I do.
Unlike the rest of his pack, who greet me with friendly smiles, Lynx’s inner circle hasn’t been quiet about the fact that we smell like sex ninety percent of the time.
It’s not my fault I can’t keep my hands of him.
All he has to do is look my way with that glint in his eye and it’s like a feedback loop of lust between us.
Apparently, it’ll eventually calm down, but for now, we’re still in the honeymoon stage.
I don’t care.
I’ll happily fuck Lynx every day for the rest of my life.
That thought settles inside me with the now-familiar feeling of contentment that I’m slowly starting to accept.
Lynx is it for me.
Someone to always have my back, someone I can trust completely.
Someone I can love.
It’s something I hoped would come with time, but these last two weeks have been intense. Being a shifter means emotions are heightened, everything is just more . What I feel for Lynx is deeper and stronger than I ever thought possible.
I’m slowly starting to accept that too.
Another knock.
“Go see who it is.” I wave him towards the door and burrow back under the covers.
He grunts as he gets up, and I half listen as he pulls the door open. When I hear Callum’s voice, I sit up a little. Must be serious if his VP came up here.
“What’s wrong?” Lynx asks, voice matching Callum’s.
“Grey just arrived. They’re letting him through the gates now.”
Fuck.
It’s been radio silence from the Silver Blades since we left Grey at the fight ring to wait for the hunter council. I know Lynx has been worried about the fallout from that, even if he’s tried to keep it to himself.
“Keep him occupied. We’ll be down in five.”
Callum leaves, and Lynx runs a hand over his face as he leans back against the door. I can feel his worry from here and I’m out of bed in a flash.
“Hey.” I wait for him to look at me. “Whatever it is, we’ll deal with it.”
It takes a moment, but then I feel it.
See it in his slow, lazy smile.
Warmth.
Happiness.
Love.
Neither of us has said the words, but it’s there. Pretty sure Lynx is afraid I’m not ready to hear it. He’s not entirely wrong. A week ago, despite knowing that this is forever, that Lynx is mine, I still had a nagging doubt that this was real. How could I feel this way after such a short time?
But the more I get used to this life, to my life now, the easier it is to accept that shifters feel things differently, on a deeper level than humans. My connection to Lynx is bone deep, soul deep. Doesn’t get any better than that.
“Come on,” I whisper, stealing a kiss before stepping back. “We’d better get dressed.”
Everyone’s waiting when we get outside.
Tanner Grey leans on the open door of his SUV while Jet, Mal, and Callum stand about ten feet away. Beth and Flint sit on the table next to them.
Grey’s eyes dart from me to Lynx as we walk over to them. I know our bond is obvious to other shifters, but I wonder what Grey sees when he looks at us.
“Harper.”
“Grey.”
“There somewhere we can talk in private?” Grey glances around the compound. A few people are knocking about—I’m still not sure what everyone does around here—but not many.
Lynx looks to Callum, some silent conversation taking place. When Callum nods, Lynx looks to the others. They seem to get what he’s asking because one by one, they all nod.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little shocked that they take Grey inside.
To their inner sanctum.
Or their super-secret room , as I call it in my head.
Either Grey helping them rescue me earned him entrance or whatever he has to say isn’t something they want anyone else to hear. I’m leaning towards the latter, considering the tension in the room as Callum closes the door.
It’s stifling.
Lynx doesn’t waste any time. “We expected to hear from you before now.”
Grey sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “Yeah, sorry about that. Things have been...” He lets out a harsh laugh. “Strained, to say the fucking least.”
“What happened after we left?”
Grey winces. “What do you think? The council cleared up Fox’s mess.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” Jet snaps, and Grey looks over at him. I’m getting better at recognising scents, but there’s too much going on in here for me to pick out what’s specific to Grey.
“It means, they don’t want it getting out that hunters were involved with fight rings, so they covered it up while they investigate internally. I’m not supposed to talk about it.” He looks at Lynx again. “I’m definitely not supposed to come here. They’d be fucking livid if they found out.”
Jet’s eyes narrow. “Why’d you come then?”
“Because I said I would. And I believe you deserve to know what’s going on.
And also...” He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a blade.
Every shifter in the room snarls, except Jet, which is really fucking odd, until Grey raises his other hand in supplication and says, “I wanted to give this back.”
When the snarls subside, he walks around the table and sets the knife down in front of Jet. “Thank you.” He goes to step away, but Jet grabs his hand.
Grey winces like it hurts.
Jet’s low growl fills the room as he gently pushes back Grey’s sleeve, revealing deep bruises around his wrist. They look too new to be from what happened at the fight ring. “Who the fuck did this?” He still has a loose hold on Grey’s hand.
Tension in the room escalates. The hairs on the back of my neck rise, and only Lynx’s hand on my thigh stops me from reacting to it.
“Easy.” He sends a comforting pulse down the bond. Its effect is instant.
If only it’d work on Jet.
“Who?” he snarls.
Grey stares back for a beat before letting out a weary sigh. “Like I said, the council don’t want this getting out. They made that very clear to my hunter group. Not everyone was happy I brought that scrutiny on us.”
Fuck me, his own people did this?
“It’s fine,” he says softly, curious eyes on Jet. “It’s done.” He eases his hand away, and this time Jet lets him go. For a second he doesn’t move, but then Jet crosses his arms and looks anywhere but at Grey, and that’s his cue to walk back to his seat.
“What are they going to do about it now that they know?” Lynx asks, and I lean forward, more than a little interested in Grey’s answer.
Surely, they’ve got to go all out and find who the fuck is organising everything, right?
“I don’t know.” He raises both hands when snarls erupt around the room again, and I scent the air, wondering why he’s not more scared to be in a room full of angry shifters.
“I hope they’re doing their best to discover who’s in charge, but I’m too low on the food chain to be privy to that information.
As far as the council are concerned, the Silver Blades part in this investigation is over. It’s a council matter now.”
I glance around the room and get the distinct feeling that’s not reassuring.
“And what about us?” Lynx asks, eyes narrowed. “Should we expect blowback from this?”
This time Grey smiles, small but genuine. “No. I convinced them that your only involvement was rescuing a pack member, and you have no interest in the fight rings now you have Morgan back.”
“And they bought that?” Mal asks, sceptical. He’s not on his own thinking that either.
“I may have massaged the truth of what happened.” Grey grimaces. “They had a dead shifter thrown in one of the vans, so I blamed Fox’s death on her.”
More snarls from everyone else, but my heart hurts at the news. They were there that night. And they died.
“But the outcome’s in your favour, so I won’t go into details. They aren’t coming for you, and as far as they’re concerned, you played a small part in taking down the fight ring.”
“What about my house?” I can’t help but ask. “Fox and the others forced my dad to sign it over to them. Can’t you do anything about that?”
“I’ll ask around, but I can’t promise anything.”
I nod, because at least it’s something. “And Birch? Any sign of him?”
Grey shakes his head. “No. Not yet.” He stands and meets Lynx’s gaze. “I need to get back before they start to wonder where I am.”
Lynx nods, and the room empties as we walk Grey back out to his car.
He pauses before getting inside. “The Blades are heading out tomorrow morning. With any luck, you shouldn’t be seeing us for a while.”
“Let’s fucking hope so,” Flint utters from beside me.
“Agreed.” Grey flashes a smile, but there’s something off about it, and his eyes flick to Jet before he seems to catch himself. “Right, then.” He gives Lynx a nod, then gets in his car.