Chapter 26 – Grim
Chapter Twenty-Six
Grim
Idon’t even like cats. Okay, technically that’s not true. I’m indifferent to their existence. I’ve always been more of a dog person because…litter boxes.
But somehow, I’ve gained two kittens who won’t stop meowing in my face. Well, one has its face buried in my gut. The other won’t stop trying to attack my beard, but neither is particularly fond of Callum.
“We should have left them in the damn carrier,” I grumble, patting the cream-colored one on the head as it claws its way up my shirt for the fifth time.
It’s the crazy one, and of course Callum picked it.
The other calico-colored one lies on my thigh, nuzzling its face against my stomach and looking a little terrified any time I make eye contact.
I gain no joy from scaring children or small animals, so I brush the backs of my fingers over its small head.
“I thought that would stress them out,” Callum says, chuckling. “Look, they love you. Quit your bitching. We’re almost home.”
We found a whole lot of nothing, but the team is going to continue to investigate. It’s possible Callum simply overreacted. It wouldn’t be the first time. It’s better to be overly cautious in this situation, especially because we finally have something worth protecting… More accurately someone.
“You’re going to be a menace,” I mutter, plucking the kitten off my shoulder as it bats at my beard with a tiny paw.
“That’s a perfect name. I wonder if Lacey will let us keep it?” Callum flips on the blinker, turning my truck into the neighborhood.
I’m still not sure how he got to drive while I ended up on kitten nannying duty.
“Give me the sweet babies,” Collins says as we meet him in the garage. “They will do best acclimating to a small space at first.”
Callum snorts. “You just want to kidnap our kittens.”
I shove the carrier at Collins. “Callum will help you bring in the supplies.” The entire back seat of my truck is filled with litter boxes, toys, and food. Hell, we even got them each their own bed.
They’re awfully small to be left out roaming the mansion, and with Lacey on the verge of going into heat, it’ll be better to hold off introducing her to them until it passes.
It’ll also give them the chance to get accustomed to our scents and staying in one area since Collins’s bedroom is near the laundry room, which is where we talked about setting up their litter boxes, at least at first.
I hope Lacey knows what the hell she’s doing when it comes to cats because the lady at the pet store laughed in my face when I suggested we should get a litter box for each room.
“Wilder and the omega were in the middle of a standoff in the kitchen when I meandered out.” Collins holds the carrier up to his face, peeking inside. “I believe the heat tantrums have begun.”
“Dammit,” Callum says, turning to face me. “I really want to see how she reacts when I take over in the middle of a meltdown. Let’s flip for it.”
“Fuck off,” I growl, jabbing a finger at his chest. “I’m just as capable of putting her at ease.”
“At ease? I wanna put her over my knee,” Callum says, chuckling. “I could work with bending her over the kitchen counter.”
I roll my eyes. “Omegas need extra coddling around their heat.”
Callum shrugs. “Sure, but submissives tend to want someone to take control when they’re overwhelmed. If they don’t get that, they can be known to act out. It’s all about testing the situation. Being what she needs means being adaptable.”
“I’m going to adapt to stabbing you while you sleep,” I growl.
“You’re still way too wound up, considering we’re both bonded to the woman we’ve been lusting after—”
“And yet only one of us has been inside her,” I growl, wondering why the edges of my vision are going hazy.
Wasn’t bonding supposed to fix me?
Goddammit.
“Yeah, you check on Lacey. I’ll carry in the cat supplies,” Callum says with a nod.
Well, that was the first intelligent thing he’s said all day.
I brush the cat hair off my T-shirt and coat as I come around the corner into the kitchen. That would be a terrible way to ruin the surprise.
“I already said I’m not hungry, but you’re not listening to a word I say!” Lacey says in a solid impression of a growly alpha.
My eyes widen.
Hell, we might need to do the kitten introduction tonight, after all. She seems mighty displeased. I just don’t think it’s a good idea to bring the kittens into things just yet. Knowing Lacey, she’ll get excited and try to ignore her biological needs if she has any idea they’re here.
Collins will spoil those girls rotten, anyway.
Damn. They need names.
Jesus.
Am I feeling guilty for adopting the little fur balls and foisting them off on someone else?
Nah, that’s dumb.
It’s kinda like when someone buys a pet as a Christmas gift, and it has to stay with a family member for a few days to avoid ruining the surprise. Actually, it’s exactly like that.
Except, they did seem attached to me. I may have to stop by Collins’s room once she’s settled in for the night just to check on them… Ahh, fuck.
This is why I’ve never adopted a pet.
I’m not good at disappointing animals. I bawled like a goddamn baby when Buster, my yellow lab, died when I was a sophomore in high school.
I loved that fucking dog.
“You’re not running a fever,” Wilder says firmly. “You haven’t eaten since breakfast.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, because that still doesn’t mean I’m hungry.” She huffs.
“I need you to work with me here, Lacey,” Wilder says, his tone almost pleading. “We focused on the nest for a few hours, but it’s time to get something nutritious in your body before the next wave hits.”
Collins mentioned they were bickering before he came out to meet us in the garage. It makes me wonder how long this little back and forth has been going on.
Sighing, I stride closer to the breakfast nook where they’re both seated. I don’t relish being the bad guy either, but I will be if I have to. They beat it through alphas’ heads that it’s our responsibility to care for an omega when they’re not in the right headspace to look after themselves.
Omegas get the strong urge to nest in the days before they fully go into heat, but their system is designed to stockpile calories for the time they’ll be hazy and out of it and only focused on sex.
Wilder’s arm is tossed over the back of Lacey’s chair, but when she spots me, her face lights up, and she pushes to her feet.
“Is Callum home too?” she asks, sliding between the chair and the table to come around to meet me. Once she’s only a foot or two away, she chucks herself at my middle.
I wrap my arms around her, giving her a tender squeeze. “He is. He’ll be in soon.”
Wilder sighs. “Glad to see you’re in one piece.
” He shoves his chair back, stands, and comes to linger behind Lacey.
“I’m going to run upstairs and handle a few things.
” He leans around her, kissing her temple, but his eyes meet mine.
“Maybe she’ll actually listen to you because I’ve gotten exactly nowhere. ”
Lacey releases me to turn to him. “I’m not trying to be difficult. I just don’t see the point of eating if I’m not hungry.”
He gives her a tired smile. “I’ll let you and Grim hash that out.”
“I think I hurt Wilder’s feelings, and I didn’t mean to,” Lacey whispers as soon as he’s gone.
“Don’t worry about that. He’s an adult. If he’s still upset later, he’ll discuss it with you.” I pat her back, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “He’s got a lot on his plate with the deal between Vanessa and the pack she’s betrothed to.”
“Vanessa.” She frowns. “Yeah, I met the O’Connor brothers.”
“This is the first I’m hearing of that. I’m starving. Will you let me hold you while I eat? You can tell me all about what happened while we were apart.”
“Okay,” she agrees.
It takes everything in me to keep from grinning.
Wilder means well, but he’s used to issuing an order and having everyone follow it without question.
Callum would goad her into misbehaving just to have an excuse to punish her, and while she might enjoy it under most circumstances, I think she needs a little extra pampering at the moment.
She’s been under a fair amount of stress, and I tend to take a softer approach, anyway.
If her frustration continues to rise, we can have a conversation about what will help put her at ease.
If that comes to pass, and she has trouble verbalizing what she needs, I have no problem taking the lead or even putting her over my knee if it comes down to it, but we need to negotiate that and build trust first.
I guide Lacey to the table, grab the plate that was in front of where she was seated, along with her fork and the bottle of water, and we make our way into the living room.
I put everything down on the end table next to my chair and get situated. Once I’m in place, I pat my lap, giving her an encouraging smile.
The way she scrambles onto my thighs fills my chest with joy. By this point in the week, the effects of our appointment would usually be wearing off. My thoughts would be more truncated, and even my vocabulary would grow more limited as the days went on.
It was frustrating as fuck to know what I wanted to say while not being able to verbalize it. Knowing I don’t have to worry about that anymore leaves me more emotional than I expected, and I grab the plate to keep myself busy.
“You met the O’Connors?” I ask, scooping up a bite of the carrots.
Collins does amazing things in the kitchen, and tonight he made some kind of fork-tender roast beef with gravy, mashed potatoes, and carrots.
“Yeah, while I was locked on Wilder’s knot,” Lacey says, laughing.
“But don’t worry, he covered me with a blanket.
I actually feel really bad for them. It sounds like they’ve been waiting for a long time, and they’re just worried about their brother going rabid…
” She goes on to explain more of the situation, which I had no idea about.
I get a little sneaky, offering her a bite with no pressure. She takes it without complaint, so I give myself several more small bites before trying again. Once again, she eats without a word that she’s not hungry.
I tease my free hand down her back, balance the plate on the arm of my chair, and offer her a drink of the bottle of water.
Lacey takes a big swig and goes on to mention how the O’Connor brothers are going to keep an eye on Charlotte and her son while we determine if the men I killed have any lingering affiliations that could cause trouble.
I’m not sure if that’s a good idea or an awful one, but the call is ultimately Wilder’s to make. I’m also not sure how it could hurt, considering how little Vanessa is interested in honoring her marriage contract.
I continue feeding myself while offering Lacey bites, and by the time the plate is empty, I’m confident she got at least a reasonable amount of calories into her system. Putting the plate down on the end table, I focus back on the snuggly little omega.
“I need to take a quick shower, but afterward, how do you feel about letting me cuddle with you in the nest?” I ask, trying not to get my hopes up.
Omegas can be particular about who, if anyone, they let into their nest in the days leading up to a heat. They tend to focus on setting it up like a wolf would do for their den, and I was always taught you don’t enter an omega’s nest without an explicit invitation.
Lacey bats her long lashes, smiling up at me coyly. “You’re more than welcome in my nest, but how do you feel about a bath? I’ll scrub your back.” Her perfect teeth dig into her lower lip, and she shrugs. “Something about lavishing in boiling hot water has my muscles tingling. It sounds heavenly.”
I chuckle, shaking my head.
I haven’t had a bath since I was a kid, but for Lacey, I’ll soak in scalding water just to keep her happy.