Chapter 45
Wren
I’m exhausted. Completely and utterly wrung out.
Every muscle in my body aches, and my mind feels like it’s wrapped in cotton wool.
I slump in the chair, watching Drake pace back and forth across Vulcan’s office while he talks on the phone.
You would never say that he was shot several times, not more than three or four hours ago.
The wounds I can see are scabbed over. He’s a little pale, perhaps.
I’m not sure a human would have survived that at all, let alone be walking around already. It’s incredible.
My gaze drifts to Grim, who sits a few chairs away. He’s watching Drake too, his jaw tight.
I force myself to look away.
Drake ends one call, and his phone immediately rings again. He glances at the screen and answers.
“Yes, sir. I understand. Yes, it’s authentic. I can vouch for both of them personally.” He glances our way.
Then he listens for a moment and nods. “Thank you, sir. I appreciate your support.”
When he hangs up, he looks at us. “That was Vector. The Council has reviewed the video evidence. They’re calling an emergency session for tomorrow morning on how to proceed.”
“That’s good, right?” I ask, my voice hoarse.
“It’s excellent,” Drake says. He looks tired but relieved. “They’re issuing a statement within the hour, clearing both your names. All charges are in the process of being dropped.”
Relief floods me. “That’s great.” I heave a breath.
“Such a relief.” Grim smiles at me. I can’t bring myself to return the gesture; I’m too tired…too wired…too irritated with him.
Drake’s phone buzzes with a text. He reads it, and a smile crosses his face.
“Falkor is fine. He’s with a female shifter at her home. He’ll stay there tonight. I’ll send a maintenance crew to his house tomorrow to fix the damage. It might take a few days…a week, even. I’ll organize for him to go to a hotel. We’ll figure it all out.”
“I’m so glad to hear he’s doing okay.” The words spill out of me. I was worried about the old male after Grim flew him away. He looked so fragile and pale.
“That’s good news,” Grim says, his voice rough.
“I was really worried. He didn’t look great,” I add.
“He’ll be fine. He’s with Eldra,” Grim tells me. “She’ll look after him. She also lost her mate a few years ago. She came into the clinic the other day. I liked her.”
“I’m glad.” I nod, feeling some of the tension ease from my shoulders.
We sit in awkward silence for a minute. I’m hyperaware of Grim’s presence.
Drake’s phone rings again. “I need to take this,” he says, walking away from us.
The silence after he leaves is suffocating.
Becca and Vulcan are still talking in low voices by the computers, but they might as well be in another country for all the attention they’re paying us.
They actually look like they’re really hitting it off.
I feel like warning her because men tend to be liars. All of them.
Grim shifts in his chair. I can feel him looking at me.
I keep my eyes fixed on the floor.
Drake returns a few minutes later, shoving his phone in his pocket.
“The Mainland Security Forces are on an aircraft back to the Mainland. They’re remaining silent at this point. No statements have been issued…yet. They have some serious egg on their face and a lot of explaining to do.”
“Do you think they will issue a statement?” Vulcan asks.
“Absolutely.” Drake’s mouth twists into something that’s not quite a smile.
“Based on what happened, they’ll spin it somehow to try to save face.
But for now, they’re scrambling. The media are having a field day with this.
Vector wants the vaccinations tested. I’m pretty sure the rest of the Council will approve it in the morning. ”
“I wonder what they’ll find,” Becca says absently. “This is huge. I don’t get it.” She shakes her head. “What do they have to gain?”
“It’s all going to come out,” Vulcan says. “We’ll have our answers soon enough.”
“I hope so,” I tell them.
Drake’s phone beeps, and he checks it. “I’m organizing transport to take you both home. Two vehicles will be here in five minutes.” He looks at his watch. “Do you need a ride as well, Becca?”
She shakes her head. “Vulcan has offered to take me.”
Grim straightens in his chair, wincing as the movement pulls at his injuries, which are all healing nicely. He looks over at me, his expression hopeful.
“We can share a vehicle. They can drop Wren off first.” He raises his brows, looking my way.
My stomach clenches.
“Two vehicles are better,” I say quickly. “I’m eager to get home, and Grim needs his wounds attended to. You should go straight to your house…or a hospital, ideally,” I tell Grim.
“I’m fine,” he says, his eyes still on me. “Are you sure, Wren? We can share.”
“Very sure. You really should get home.”
Drake looks between us. “Okay, then. The vehicles will be here in a few minutes.”
He excuses himself, taking another incoming call.
“Can we at least talk before you go?” Grim asks quietly. “Out in the hallway.”
Crap! I don’t want to, but I can’t avoid this. It’s best we get it over with now.
“Yes, sure.”
We stand, and I follow him out. It’s completely empty, the building silent. It feels abandoned.
As soon as the door closes behind us, Grim turns to face me.
“I’m sorry I lied to you,” he tells me. “I know you’re angry, and rightly so. Please, can we talk this through?”
I nod, crossing my arms over my chest.
“I thought you were an honest, straight-down-the-line person. Turns out I was wrong.” I realize in that moment that I’m not just angry, I’m seriously pissed off…and very hurt. I trusted Grim. I opened up to him. I let him in.
“You’re not wrong. I am honest and straight down the line.” He winces, his hand going to the back of his neck. “I normally am, Wren. I swear it.”
“Just not when it actually counts,” I deadpan.
He scrubs a hand over his face and then squeezes the back of his neck again.
“It wasn’t important information for you to have. That’s why I didn’t tell you about the mind-bond situation.”
Something hot and sharp twists in my chest.
“How is it that your dragon trying to mind-bond with me isn’t important?
If it weren’t all that important, you would have told me.
It wouldn’t have been a big deal.” My voice rises despite my best efforts to stay calm.
“I have a mental connection with your dragon now, and he happens to be part of you. A big part. I am connected on some sort of weird spiritual level with your dragon. It’s a big fucking deal, and you didn’t tell me that this could happen.
That sex would make it a sure thing…because we had sex…
a lot of sex.” I lower my voice on the last part, glancing down the empty hallway.
“Maybe that wasn’t such a good idea. Maybe if I had known, I could’ve made an informed decision on whether to jump into bed with you.
It was very important information for me to have had. Information you omitted.”
“We hadn’t bonded at that stage,” Grim says. “I didn’t think I would ever shift in front of you again. I didn’t think—”
“You didn’t think at all, Grim. You tried to convince me that I was allergic to dragons when you knew full well why I had those headaches. You knew, and you kept it from me. You lied right to my face.” I still can’t believe it. The betrayal cuts deep.
“I’m so sorry. I—”
“What else did you lie about?” I ask, cutting him off.
He paces away and then back, his eyes stormy. There’s guilt there. It’s a look I’ve seen before; one I didn’t understand until now.
“What else, Grim?” I can see that there’s more. I can see it written all over his face.
He sighs, sucking in a breath. His eyes go to the floor before lifting to mine.
“Did you really run into me at the park that day?” I ask, folding my arms. “You told me you needed to be in nature even though you live in a cabin in the jungle. That was bullshit. You later changed it to needing to be near water. You were lying, weren’t you?”
He sighs again, longer this time. His eyes go to the floor before lifting to mine. I see more guilt there.
That’s what I thought. My throat feels tight, and my heart aches.
“Why were you there, then? What could possibly be the reason?” I force the words out past the lump in my throat. “It wasn’t because you were interested in me.”
“I was watching you,” he admits quietly.
My mouth falls open. “Watching, as in…?”
“It wasn’t stalking,” he says quickly. “It wasn’t like that, I swear.”
“How was it, then?”
“I needed access to the vaccinations. We suspected that they weren’t what the Mainland said they were. I needed an in.”
An in.
I was an in for him.
I feel so betrayed. So damned hurt. I clutch at my chest for a moment, trying to process it.
“You knew why this was all happening. You knew about the vaccinations already back then.” The words come out as a growl. “You knew all this time, and you said nothing? On top of that, you used me. You were trying to get friendly with me to what…?”
“Yes…no… I liked you right from the start. I never planned on hurting you. It isn’t as bad as it sounds. I was sworn to secrecy. I couldn’t tell you. It started out with—”
“It was all a lie, is what it was.”
“It wasn’t. I like you, Wren. That isn’t a lie.”
“You like me, but not enough to be honest with me. You’ve been inside me, Grim.”
“That doesn’t mean anything. We were fucking…that’s all. I couldn’t say anything to you. I had my orders. I didn’t—”
“Didn’t what?” I practically snarl.
“I didn’t trust you, okay? There, it’s out. I couldn’t.” He shrugs, and the casualness of the gesture makes me want to scream. “I’m so sorry I hurt you, Wren. You’re a good person. You don’t deserve it.”
“Actually, Grim, you could have trusted me. You could have trusted me with everything.” I’m so damned sad right now. So hurt. I thought we had something. I thought he cared about me, at least a little bit.
“I wanted to tell you. I almost told you after Drake called earlier.” He rubs his chin.
“But you didn’t. Why didn’t you? You had every chance. We’ve been intimate. I’m…” In love with you. The words catch in my throat. I don’t say them because I’m not sure who Grim even is. I’ve been falling for the person I thought he was.
“We’ve been having sex, Wren. That’s all it was. We agreed.” His voice is hard now; defensive, even. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, but I couldn’t trust you. I didn’t have permission to divulge any of it. I was given orders. Don’t take it personally because it isn’t. Please try to understand.”
It is personal to me. But I don’t say it. My eyes are stinging, and my throat feels like it has a lump lodged in it. I try to clear it, blinking my eyes a few times. I pull in a breath, trying to steady myself.
“You know what? You’re right. I don’t know you at all. I don’t even know your real name. How is this mind-bond thing going to work? Are we tied together now?” I really hope we aren’t, because I want to be done with Grim. Done with the lies and betrayal. I need to move on.
“No, it’s all good.” He shakes his head. “We’re not tied together.”
“Are you lying again?” I ask, my eyes narrowing.
“No,” he pushes out.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes!” he growls. “Can you drop it already? I’m not a liar when it comes to…” He stops talking.
“Things that don’t really matter,” I fill in for him. “But when they do matter, it’s a whole other story, so you’ll excuse me if I have a hard time believing you.”
“Stop putting words in my mouth, Wren. I’m sorry. I understand why you’re upset about this. I hope that you will be able to forgive me, that we can be…friends again someday.”
I snort. “That ship has sailed. There’s no going back from this.
I don’t want this mind-bond with you, Grim.
I want to move on. I guess we’ll have to find new jobs.
” I shrug, trying to seem casual, even though I’m hurting right now.
“But I don’t want you to be more broken than you already are.
I don’t want to be responsible for that. ”
“You’re not responsible for me. I’m not broken. I’ll be just fine. We only mentally connected once. I’ll get past that easily.” He shrugs, looking like he’s already over the bond…over us. Like there never was an us. And I suppose he’s right.
I can move on, too, especially since Grim is nothing like the male I thought he was. I’m in love with someone who doesn’t exist.
“Good luck with everything, Wren. I hope all your dreams come true. I really hope that, in time, you’ll forgive me. I never meant to hurt you.”
“I’m fine.” I laugh, and it actually sounds genuine. Convincing. “As you said, it was just sex and nothing more. All the best, Grim. I hope you figure it all out, because you’re right; you’re lost. I feel sorry for you.”
He snorts. “Well, you can stop. I’m fine.”
“Whatever,” I mutter.
“I’ll see you around,” he tells me.
I don’t say anything because I don’t plan on seeing him again. I hate how affected I am when he doesn’t look like he’s feeling much of anything.
“I will—” Grim starts to say, but Drake sticks his head out of Vulcan’s office.
“Hope I’m not interrupting,” he says, looking between us.
“Not at all.” Grim smiles at him.
“The cars are here,” he says.
“Thanks for everything, Drake,” Grim says. “We can talk tomorrow?”
“Absolutely,” Drake says. He starts to say something else, but his cellphone rings again. He looks at the screen and rolls his eyes. “I’ve got to take this. Bye,” Drake tells us. “We’ll be in touch.” He looks from Grim to me and back.
“Bye, Drake,” I tell him. “Thanks for everything.”
Then I turn and walk away. My vision blurs, but I blink rapidly, refusing to let the tears fall.
Grim doesn’t call out to me. He doesn’t try to catch up. He doesn’t do anything. I’m sure if I looked back, he wouldn’t even be watching me go.
It hurts, but it’s for the best.