Chapter 27 – Lacey
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Lacey
Grim never fails to make me feel safe and supported. I’m addicted to the look on his face as he helps me out of his T-shirt and Wilder’s sweats.
My mother is the epitome of the societal expectations for an omega.
She’s stacked with luscious curves, and she looks amazing in anything she puts on.
That’s not me, and growing up, I was pretty self-conscious about it.
As I got older, my concerns only increased because I convinced myself that it was a sign I would never actually have a heat.
Teenagers can be hateful, but seeing Grim’s eyes darken as he studies my nude form seems to soothe the side of myself that got picked on relentlessly in high school. While I know I’ll never look like a typical omega, I’m content with my body.
Grim strips out of his long-sleeve T-shirt, and I cross my arms over my chest. It’s a bit chilly in the bathroom, and I can’t wait to sink into the warm water.
Technically, I don’t need a bath since I showered with Wilder a few hours ago, but I want the opportunity to spend one-on-one time with Grim.
He’s hairier than I realized when I woke up snuggled next to him this morning. He has strong, broad shoulders and a soft stomach. I know from experience how comfortable he is to cuddle with.
Grim is a whole experience, and I’m here for every second of it.
“I’m going to get the hot water running.” He pats my bare arms and bends to kiss my forehead. “Why don’t you make a quick trip to the toilet?”
My head tilts.
I do have to pee.
New relationships are always strange. I probably would have just held it until after our bath if he hadn’t mentioned it.
“That’s not a bad plan.” My hands fall to Grim’s bare forearms, and I stretch up on my tiptoes, kissing his cheek. “You’re an excellent caregiver. I’ll meet you in the tub.”
He gives a low, playful growl, and my heart soars. I’m grateful the bond seems to be healing his mind, but I hope he never loses that slightly feral vibe. He’s rough around the edges, and I eat it up.
Grim is already stretched out in the tub by the time I make it back into the bathroom. He’s so big that his legs take up the entire length of the massive bathtub.
I’m sure I could sit between his thighs and rest my head against his chest, but we can always do that next.
“Have I told you how much I love your beard?” I ask, climbing onto his lap facing him. “Wow, the water is perfect.”
“You’re perfect,” he growls, wrapping his forearm around my lower back. “I damn near singed my balls off when I climbed in, but I’ve heard omegas enjoy borderline scalding temperatures, especially the closer a heat is.”
“That sounds painful.” I tease my fingers through his fluffy facial hair. “We can add some cold to level it off. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”
“Nah.” He chuckles. “I’ve acclimated. Although, if you ever want kids, we’ll probably need to count on Callum or Wilder to make that happen.”
I laugh, shaking my head, but my eyes circle back to Grim’s. “And if I said I never wanted kids, would you be okay with that? I have a birth control implant, and I’m pretty attached to it for a reason. I’m not sure I ever want the responsibility of raising children.”
“I’m a caregiver,” he says. “Even if I try to shut it off, it never lasts for long. It’s one of the ways that I show I care. As long as you’re okay with me directing that energy toward you, I think we’ll be just fine.”
My stomach tightens. “I don’t want you to be fine. I want you to be happy with the life we build together.”
“I know I mentioned my dads during one of our sessions, but I don’t talk about my mom very often.
” His arm tightens on my lower back, and he brings his free hand to cradle my cheek.
“She died when I was seven during childbirth. It’s been so long that I barely remember her, but I know it broke my fathers.
They never recovered. They’re still living in that same house on the side of the mountain, just waiting for their time to die. ”
“Grim, I’m so sorry…”
“It’s hard to grieve someone you hardly remember.
” He shrugs. “Most home births are perfectly safe. Hell, she had one with me, and we were both fine. That’s life, I guess.
Everything is a gamble, but I’ve never felt like I need children to have a fulfilling life.
I do, however, know myself well enough to understand that I need someone to focus my energy on.
The pull is much stronger now than it’s ever been, but I think that might have to do with our designations. ”
“I really love it when you feed me by hand or pick me up and carry me around. Is that what you mean when you say you’re a caregiver?”
He hums. “To a degree.”
“What other kinds of things would make you happy to do?” I ask, my head tilting as I study his dark eyes.
“I just wanna take care of you. Whatever you’re open to letting that be.” It’s hard to tell with his face full of beard, but it seems like he blushes. He’s excellent at blocking things he doesn’t want to spill over to me in the bond, but I really want to know what would make him happiest.
I run my thumbs over his cheeks and smile to hopefully offset some of his discomfort.
“I think you’re saying you like to be the one in control, which is perfect because I don’t.
” I laugh, bringing my face close to his.
“Having to make all the choices is exhausting. I didn’t grow up in a pack.
I’ve never had the luxury of knowing I can trust someone else to make sure things get handled.
What I want most out of a relationship is to feel safe and supported. ”
My mom did her best, but she’s an omega too.
She took suppressants for way longer than was safe because she had no one to keep me during her heats.
It was just the two of us for so long, and I love the hell out of my mom, but I’ve often wondered why she never put any effort into meeting a pack while I was still little.
“I don’t want to scare you away by needing too much too fast,” Grim says, drawing me out of my thoughts.
“That’s not going to be a problem,” I assure him. “Do you know what I just realized? I don’t even know your real name. I can’t imagine your family named you Grim. We’re those cliché alphas and omegas who end up bonded before names are even exchanged.” I laugh. “Okay, maybe we’re not that bad.”
His embarrassment fills the bond, and I’m just about to assure him that he doesn’t need to be uncomfortable about how we bonded, but he speaks before I get the chance.
“My last name is Grimwald. Can we leave it at that?”
A slow smile crosses my face. “Is your first name that bad?”
He gives a clipped nod. “I’ll tell you, as long as you promise not to call me by it.”
“What?” I bounce on my knees, and the warm water laps at my skin. “I’m not sure I can make that kind of promise. What if it’s too good to pass up?”
“Little one,” Grim growls, smacking my ass.
I squeak, my bare chest falling against his. “Now I have to know.”
I’d also really love it if we could make having him call me little one a more permanent thing. Sweetheart is good too, but little one hits every single one of my praise kink buttons, and I don’t even understand why. It’s not like he’s telling me I’m a good girl, but it lands like he did.
“Byron,” he mutters.
“Byron?” I repeat, pushing my lips together in an attempt to keep the laugh from escaping, but it slips out anyway. “Hey, that’s a great name. It could be worse.” It doesn’t fit him at all, but it’s not as bad as I was expecting.
A low, playful-sounding growl escapes Grim’s chest. “I will put your sexy little ass right over my knee if you tell anyone.”
“Well, now you’re just making it sound tempting,” I say teasingly.
In reality, I would never tell anyone because I can’t stand the thought of betraying his trust, but I’d love to know what a spanking from Grim would be like.
Would he hold me down with his forearm over my lower back similar to how it’s wrapped around me now? Would he praise me if I took my punishment well?
What would it be like if I struggled and cried? Everything in me says Grim would be tender but firm. That he would walk me through it with as much patience as he always has, then hold me if I needed to cry it out.
“You would be open to that?” His head tilts, and I realize he’s been feeling me out in the bond.
My teeth dig into my lower lip as I nod. “I would. I think a lot of the things you crave fit well with a lot of the things I’m interested in.”
My face feels hot, and I don’t think it’s due to the steamy water.
One of us has to lay it on the line, though.
With Callum, I have a feeling that he would have no trouble making his desires clear.
While Grim is every bit as dominant as Cal, I think he’s naturally more reserved and patient. They both have strengths and weaknesses, and I can’t wait to see the two of them really working as a team.
“You like it when I feed you by hand and carry you around?” he asks, repeating the examples I mentioned earlier.
“I do.”
“How about picking out your clothes and helping you into them? Brushing your hair? Giving you a shower or bath before bed?” He quirks an eyebrow like he’s expecting me to draw an imaginary line somewhere, but he hasn’t even gotten close to the point where I would feel stifled.
“Shaving or waxing you? Brushing your teeth? Reminders about taking medications or visiting the bathroom before bed?”
I pull a wet hand to my chest and fake a gasp.
“You want to take care of me? Do you want me to pretend to be horrified? Should I put up a fight just for good measure?” My hands come to rest on the tops of his shoulders, and I get a little brazen, dragging my pussy over his pelvis rather than floating over it.
“All of that sounds like things I would enjoy. I don’t want to lose all autonomy, but I know how to find my voice when I need it.
And more importantly, I trust you, Grim. ”
I tease my hand over his shoulder, up his neck, and cradle the back of his head. I don’t even know why I do it, but I know I love it when they do the same to me.
His eyes sparkle, and I slam my mouth to his.
Grim loves to get his teeth involved when he’s kissing me, which sounds weird, but I shiver as he rakes them over my lower lip.
His hand tightens on my hip, his fingers digging into my ass, and I ache so badly to make him mine.
The bond gives a certain level of assurance, but I want to take our relationship to the next level.
The kiss goes on and on, ratcheting my need for him even higher. His shaft thickens under me, and I whimper against his lips.
I’m just about to beg for us to get out of the tub when Grim pulls back, pecking a final kiss on my lips.
“All right, little one,” he rumbles. “Flip over for me. I want your back to my chest.”
Everything in me wants to grumble, but the dominance in his tone sends my body into motion. Water splashes around both of us, and his hard shaft gets trapped between my ass and his pelvis.
“That’s my good girl,” Grim coos, kissing the side of my head. “It makes me really happy when you obey without question. Now, let me spend a while scrubbing you down. That will please me greatly.”
Dammit.
The word obey slipping from his lips does crazy shit to the part of my brain that is distinctly omega.
It’s just part of life.
My instincts are coded to want to please a potent alpha. That way, said alpha will protect and provide for me.
My tits float half in and half out of the water, and my nipples tighten almost painfully at his words. Buzzing excitement flickers under my skin as Grim stretches a hand over to gather some body wash.
The scents of peaches and vanilla fill the air as he brings his hands in front of my chest, rubbing them together. I’ve never been very patient, and the longer he makes me wait before he touches me, the greater my anticipation grows.
Being able to feel his hard length bumping around my ass doesn’t help anything.
I just want to get to the good stuff.
Grim doesn’t keep me waiting long, and I squirm against his chest as he cups my breasts in his soapy hands. His thumbs tease over my nipples, and my pussy throbs.
“What if I just relocated your cock to inside me?” I ask, trying to negotiate. “Then you could take your time teasing me as much as you’d like…”