Chapter 32 – Callum
Chapter Thirty-Two
Callum
Lacey is a nosy little thing. She won’t stop poking around in the bond, even as Grim and I do our best to block her.
Hell, I don’t even know anything.
She calls her friend Charlotte while Wilder handles the phone call with Patrick.
Once Grim goes in to get an update, I drag Lacey upstairs to shower.
She grumbles and gripes to the point I give her a few swats bent over the bathroom counter. Apparently, I don’t go hard enough because her attitude doesn’t improve.
She does, however, let me scrub every inch of her skin with my bare hands, which is highly satisfying for me. It might be slightly more enjoyable if I had her locked on my knot while I soaped and rinsed her hair, but I’ll take what I can get when I know she’s frustrated.
The bottom line is, I can’t update her until one of them tells me what’s going on.
Once that happens, we’ll have to determine what, if anything, is safe to share with her.
There are some things business-wise that Wilder truly should keep to himself out of respect for the other families, but he’s about as whipped as Grim and I are, even if he hasn’t had the chance to sink his teeth in just yet.
“I was thinking I should get your name tattooed on my body somewhere.” I chuckle at the way her eyes cut down to mine as I squat in front of her. Brushing my fingers over her skin, I make sure to tease her when I tug up her thong.
I was going to go for the bikini-cut panties, but she grabbed this version of underwear. To avoid annoying her any further, I just went with it. See, I know how to pick my battles and adapt to her moods.
“Do you have a preference on location?” I ask conversationally. “I have some free space over my heart, but the top of my dick is unadorned too…”
“You’re trying to hide something from me, and I don’t like it,” she says, poking her lower lip out dramatically as I help her into her dress.
I get it over her chest and brush down the sides.
She’s beautiful, and my teeth dig into my lower lip.
“Dammit, don’t look at me like that. You make my brain melty, and I’m trying to be mad at you. ”
My lips push together as I do everything I can to hold back the laugh, but she’s too fucking cute. “I’m sorry, baby girl. Listen, I’m being real when I say I don’t know any more than you do. I’ve been with you the entire time since Wilder answered his phone.”
“I’m just anxious,” she whispers, huffing out a breath.
“There’s nothing to be anxious about.” I yank her into my chest with a hand on her ass. I pulled on jeans before I helped her into her clothing, but I didn’t get around to finding a shirt.
The little omega brings a hand to the main tattoo on my throat, running her fingers over the mandala pattern. “My heat felt like it was going to start, then it disappeared again. I don’t know. I guess I got my hopes up.”
“It’ll come when your body is ready. It’s not something that can be rushed,” I murmur, catching her sparkling hazel eyes.
“You’re also worried about your friend, which I understand.
But all that anxiety is likely signaling to your system that you aren’t in a safe enough environment to fully go into heat. Do you get what I’m saying?”
“Kinda.” She pulls her hand from my neck, and her nose scrunches.
“Being hazy and out of it during a heat is the most vulnerable you’ll ever be.” I wrap my arm around her lower back, hugging her. “Once things settle down, I think nature will take over.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
I’m proud of Grim for advocating for Lacey to be present during the conversation in which Wilder fills us in on everything he learned through multiple phone calls. It helps her feel included, and her anxiety settles, no longer spilling through the bond at such a high level.
“I can call Charlotte,” Lacey says. “I bet she’ll tell me who she’s running from.”
I frown, patting her hand. “Except, she didn’t when the two of you talked earlier.”
“You’re right,” she says, shaking her head.
“I mean, I kinda get it. We were friendly at work, but more like coworkers than actual friends, if that makes sense? The festival was only the second time we’d hung out outside of work.
I don’t think she’s a bad person or anything.
I just think maybe we weren’t at the level for her to tell me all her secrets. ”
“Each person’s history is their own to share with who they choose,” Grim says. “She probably thinks she’s protecting you by keeping you from getting involved.”
“And you’ll get to see Grim at work.” I chuckle. “He’s a beast in the ring.”
Wilder sighs, opening his mouth, but I shake my head.
We aren’t going to leave Lacey’s safety in the hands of anyone else, especially when she could have another heat spike at any time. She’s coming with us, and I can tell from the bond that Grim is in agreement.
Grim spends several hours in the gym practicing with the trainer we both use. I hop in a few times, but we know each other too well. When we fight, the other always anticipates the next move. That’s not going to do him any favors.
While he and Wilder are busy, I put in a call to Malachy O’Connor. Sure, I could call Patrick, but Malachy is more on my wavelength. I give him a few contacts that can help with our plan. Then I call those contacts to warn them that Malachy will be reaching out.
Once I know that’s handled, I put some serious thought into how likely it is Grim will be able to tap into the fog to handle two opponents of unknown sizes.
That leads me to decide I have to be proactive there too.
I have a little chat with our omega, making sure she understands now isn’t the time to be snuggly and cuddly.
It’s time to taunt the fucking beast.
I never worried a bit about Grim stepping into the ring, especially the closer he got to rabid. Honestly, it was embarrassing for his opponents how quickly he demolished them, but he’s bonded now, and that connection is healing his mind.
We want the more animalistic Grim in the ring tonight, and I know exactly how to achieve that, even if it puts me on his shit list for a day or two.
Ultimately, I’ll handle his ire because I know myself well enough to understand that I wouldn’t be able to stand by and watch him fall.
I’d break the rules if it came down to it, and that says more about me than it does him.
No, I’m not an honorable man by any stretch of the imagination, but I am a damn good friend.
“I’m freezing my tits off,” Lacey grumbles as we walk into the warehouse.
“Why did you lead me to believe I’d be warm enough in this?
” She gestures to the skintight little black skirt I zipped her into before leaving the house.
It matches the knit top that only has full coverage over her tits.
It shows off quite a lot of skin, especially in the sexy black heels I helped her into.
Unfortunately for her, it’s all part of the plan to get Grim back to the psychopath we all know and love.
Hmm.
Maybe I’m the only one who enjoyed it when he was an unrepentant murderer.
Oh well.
They can thank me later.
He needs the fury to fuel the monster. Two on one isn’t impossible odds, but I was a whole lot more optimistic when I thought the fights were going to be back-to-back rather than two of their guys against Grim all at once.
“Seriously, why couldn’t I bring a coat?” she asks, exasperation lining her tone.
I pat the duffel bag over my shoulder. “I have a coat and a change of clothes for you to put on after the show. We just need to get Grim raging, then I’ll give you my jacket.”
Her anxiety pulses in the bond, and my hand tightens on her hip. It’s going to be fine because I’m going to make sure of it, even if I come off looking like an asshole in the process.
Lacey plays her part to perfection, hanging all over me in the locker room as the trainer gives Grim a pre-fight pep talk. He continually glares like he’s daydreaming about ripping my head off, which means we’re right on schedule.
I keep Lacey on my lap with her legs spread just wide enough for him to get a peek at the way I tease her pussy.
I can tell from the bond that she’s conflicted. She would rather be cuddled up to Grim, assuring him he’s going to win, but she trusts me enough to follow my lead.
That makes my dick rock hard.
Wilder rolls his eyes, though he doesn’t step in to stop me. He understands the game we’re playing.
Grim ties his hair up in a bun on top of his head, stomping over to stand in front of the chair I’m perched on with Lacey. Pulling my hand free of her thong, I bring my fingers to my lips.
The fury pouring off Grim in waves is palpable, and that’s perfect. It’s exactly what we need. He pulls Lacey up and bends, teasing his nose from her cheek down to her throat. He manages to give me the death stare over her shoulder as he laps at his bite.
Poor Wilder.
That man needs to get his shit together and sink his teeth in. It’s sexy as hell to feel the bursts of euphoria that echo through the bond anytime one of us licks our claiming bite.
“I need you to be okay. Absolutely destroy them,” Lacey says, hugging the big guy.
Grim nods. “I’ve got this.” He pats her back and continues to stare at me, saying, “Protect her.”
“For anything to happen to her, I would have to be dead.” I smirk, rolling my tongue around my middle finger as I savor the last bits of her juices. “I have no plans to die today. Don’t worry about us. You stay focused on what you need to do.”