Chapter 14 LEENA
LEENA
Rose and I are laughing when Grant enters. Rose's eyes go right to her mate who's standing behind the alpha.
I watch their interaction, slightly amused. Rose has spent the day telling me stories about how her and Graham had come to be.
“It's time for us to leave, Leena. Are you ready?”
I slowly nod and get up before looking back at the girl who's been keeping me company. “Thank you so much for today, Rose. I really really had fun.”
“Any time,” she replies. “Hopefully we can hang out again soon.”
I nod in agreement before giving Rose a short hug. We part ways, and I head back to the door to meet Grant. He reaches for my hand and leads me to the elevator.
His touch alone drives me crazy, and he knows exactly how to use it to make my face fully turn red. By the time we enter the elevator, I'm basically a tomato.
He lets go of my hand when we enter the elevator, which is a little disappointing.
“Was the meeting productive?” I ask.
“Yes.”
“What about the hunters?” I'm not sure I want to know the answer.
“That's pretty complicated, but what you need to know for now is that you're with me and I'm always going to protect you. For now, we'll need to stick really closely to each other.”
The elevator doors open into the lobby. Grant and I walk out and it's almost the same reaction as last time. Everyone around holds him in reverence, happily greeting him, and he responds to them with the same politeness.
Outside, the weather is gorgeous. It's been this way since we got to town, and nothing has changed, even though it's already evening.
“Are you ready to go home?” he asks.
The question bounces around in my head. Even though I already have an answer prepared, I'm a little reluctant to say it because I'm not sure how Grant will take it.
“When you say home, you mean the IronFang's land, yeah?”
Grant nods. “Yeah. Why?”
“I was thinking we could hang around a bit. The pack house will always be there, but I haven't been in town for a while now.”
I never thought I'd miss the city this much. Spending so long at a place like the IronFang's land has made me crave how busy the city is. There's something appealing about the chaos around us.
I look at Grant for a response, waiting for him to tell me no.
“Where would you like to go?”
His answer stuns me. The last thing I expected was for him to agree, let alone give me a choice.
I look around the street, thinking about what I want to do next. My eyes land on the restaurant we got food from, and I decide to look for something else that's going to be enjoyable.
“Let's go shopping,” I blurt out.
Grant raises an eyebrow as he stares at me. “What?”
“It'll be fun. I need new clothes anyway, so let's go and get some. Okay?”
Again, I expect some kind of push back, but that's not the case. Grant slowly nods before moving toward his car. I follow him, absolutely brimming with excitement.
We both enter the vehicle, and he starts the car, reaching over to turn the radio off as it suddenly blares music.
“Clothes, huh? We'll go to the mall and see what we can find. How does that sound?”
“That sounds perfect—and I don’t mind the music.” I smile.
I bounce along to some rock tune, excited about this venture. Grant casts discreet glances at me as he drives us to a nearby mall.
The complex is absolutely huge, with several floors worth of clothing stores to choose from. Anticipation builds inside me the closer we get.
Grant parks the vehicle, and we both head out. As we approach the mall entrance, I realize that Grant hasn't smiled once.
I know he isn't upset or anything, but his grumpy nature is beginning to show. This man really doesn't like the city or anything associated with it.
I nudge him with my shoulder, trying to goad a reaction. He only looks at me before giving me a small smile. This doesn't last for too long, though, before he's back to his gloomy expression.
Grant and I enter an elevator after finding nothing we want on the first floor. We go up a few more floors, hoping to have much better luck. This proves to be true before I see a store with a bunch of really nice dresses on sale.
“Come on!” I grab Grant by the arm, pulling him with me. Anyone who sees us is definitely going to think we're a couple. I feel like we're together-together, and I'm dragging my husband around to see stuff that interests me.
When we enter the store, we're greeted by one of the staff members who directs us to various sections.
The level of service that's used to show us around lets me know that maybe this isn't the sort of store I should be visiting on a budget. It'll probably be better if I stick to something a little more within my means.
“Let's go to the next one,” I whisper while our host drones on and on about summer pieces.
“What? We haven't even picked anything.”
“Yeah, but it looks like a really expensive store. I'm not sure I want to blow all my money on clothes here.”
Grant looks at me with a blank expression. After a few seconds, he chuckles. “Who said anything about you paying? Pick some dresses you like. I'll take care of it.”
“What?” I ask with wide eyes. “Are you messing with me right now?”
“I told you that you're under my wing. That comes with a lot of perks. It doesn't matter how many things you buy today, I'll take care of all of them. Just shop away.”
I fight the urge to squeal, and this is a fight I lose. The sudden sound makes our guide pause and look our way.
“Is everything okay?” she asks.
I nod in response, fully smiling. “Yes, it is. I think we've seen enough, though. It's time to try on some dresses.”
The girl smiles in return. “Right this way, please.” She leads us to a really cozy dressing room. “Your—” her eyes drift to both of our fingers, “—partner can wait here while you deliver your very own fashion show. Shall we get started?”
For the first time in a long time, I begin to feel like myself again. It's been ages since I did stuff like this.
Most of my days have consisted of trying to survive, thinking about how much my life has changed. However, as I stand in this dressing room about to try on a bunch of clothes for Grant to see, I no longer feel so different.
After such an eventful day, Grant and I retire to his house for the evening. After having an early, fully satisfying dinner, neither of us is hungry. He pulls up to the house and parks in front of it.
I'm still in awe of his home, even though this isn't my first time seeing it. It just looks so sophisticated, but I find myself feeling less comfortable here than I am in the pack house. Maybe that place is actually starting to grow on me.
We waste no time retiring to our rooms, with me taking the one just across from Grant. He stops me just before I enter the room, though.
“A change of environment can be uncomfortable,” he tells me, “especially unplanned ones. If you feel any sort of anxiety tonight, my door is going to be unlocked. Just come over and we can talk, okay?”
I nod in response, wondering if I will take his offer. I keep my door unlocked as well, just in case, before settling into the guest room.
I don’t even bother changing. I just plop down on the bed and glance around the room. I quickly decide that I like the pack house more. This place has no character whatsoever and feels like I'm in a bland, albeit expensive, hotel.
As night falls, I find myself alone with my thoughts again, which is the worst place to be. I roll around in my bed, feeling uncomfortable on the soft mattress.
Grant was right…
I slowly get up from the bed and walk to the door, but stop myself before I reach for the handle. I take a few steps back, sighing.
What am I doing? What am I even going to say to him? Hey, can I sleep with you? I can't fall asleep on my own.
I shake my head before going back to the bed to try again. This time it feels even worse, but it's mainly because I've already brought the thought of sleeping beside Grant to my mind.
That's infinitely better than any kind of rest I'm going to get on my own.
I continue tossing and turning on the bed before gathering all my courage and opening the door. The sight in front of me is of Grant wearing nothing but a pair of sweatpants.
“Hi…” I say, trying not to stare at him too much. This is a challenge I fail woefully at as my eyes move to his pecs and stay there. “I couldn't—”
“Me neither,” he says, getting even closer. I feel his body heat against me, and it's so much better than being in that bed alone. I close the gap between us, unable to hold myself back for even a second longer.
I kiss Grant softly, but soon the intensity increases. My hands move to his body, resting on his chest and torso muscles. A smile crosses my lips as I realize just how much I've missed having his body against mine.
Grant pulls me away from my room, transporting me to his own. He lifts me up and places me on the bed, deepening our kiss.
I moan into his mouth as his fingers begin to find their way around my body. The dress I have on becomes a thing of the past very quickly.
The chill from the air conditioning doesn't seem to bother me as internal heat builds. The raw desire we have proves to be far too strong.
All I know more than anything else is that I need Grant inside me right now. As his body covers my own, I reach for his waistband and tug down until his hardness hits the middle of my thighs.
Grant gets rid of his sweatpants, tossing them to the floor and leaving no fabric between our naked, hungry bodies.
The wetness between my legs grows just from being around him. His warm body covers mine as his right hand controls both my arms, moving them over my head.
I lie there, squirming in anticipation as he begins to slide his member into me. I let out a small cry, the deeper it goes.
It feels even better than last time, like he's bigger somehow. I take as much of it as I can, feeling a small tear roll from the side of my eye.