6. CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 6
Cassidy
The discoveries of the day must've been too much for me because I slept through the night like a rock. Not even the big bad wolf in the room next door kept me up.
My sleep is sacred and my body treated it as such.
It's the only way to recover, gather my wits, and process the impossible bits of information.
Shifters.
Witches.
Yeah right.
These thoughts swirl around in my head as I stretch in bed. I'm not too eager to get out of my bedroom to face my wolf-boss. We had a conversation last night, but not one we finished.
And as much as I hate to admit it, my interest in the facts isn't sated yet.
The fact that they have claws and fur hidden underneath their skin sounds almost ludicrous, and that there's a history between the witches and wolves sounds even crazier, but the news story about the radicals seems perfectly reasonable for a hacker and a programmer.
Who knows? Maybe there really is a cyber-war between these secret societies. In this case, hacking into their systems wouldn't be beyond the level of criminals. In fact, it would make perfect sense. I don't have the faintest clue what or who they might be battling.
It doesn't concern me, so I could care less about finding out the reasons, but the chances of a new society emerging like that and capturing my curiosity could only mean one thing.
Reality, as I've always known it, has been blown out of the water.
Groaning, I pull the sheets over my head. And let's not forget about that same hot boss who broke into my apartment last night. Is it wrong that I don't mind too much?
If I were a psychologist, my subconscious would undoubtedly tell me it's connected with my childhood, or me wanting to feel safe because of something mom did when I was little. I really do have mommy and daddy issues, unfortunately. No need to point them out, thank you.
One, two, three deep breaths, and I'm ready to start the day. There's no sense hiding in my room any longer. As scary as Graham is right now, it doesn't change the fact that I still have a job that I like.
The smell of coffee permeates the air, giving me further incentive to get out of bed. At least my house guest is making himself useful.
"Good morning," Graham says when I finally appear in the living room.
"Yes, it's an almost good morning," I say, my tone dry.
"How did you sleep?" he asks without reacting to my displeasure.
The man looks so damned gorgeous and so damned serene sitting on my sofa as if we were lovers coming to terms with sharing the same space.
"Like shit," I admit and walk over to the counter. "I need coffee first."
Graham waves a hand toward the kitchen. "I made scrambled eggs. Hope that's okay with you."
That's more than okay with me, but I'm not about to tell him that. "Aren't I supposed to be the hostess and offer you food?"
"Take a plate," he says, motioning to a stack of mismatched dishes. I'd left them drying over the drainboard and somehow hadn't put them back. The plates look so bright and unfamiliar that they could almost pass as good china.
"Why feed me if you plan on killing me anyway?" I grumble, raising my brow in mock disdain.
Okay, maybe it's not entirely in jest.
It's easier to pretend that we're play-acting a comedy routine, but inside, I feel shaky and vulnerable.
Luckily, my stomach is empty and growling, so I make myself a plate.
The smell of freshly brewed coffee almost makes me purr. I've been in lots of awful situations, but damn do I appreciate the small things when they appear in my life.
"What do you say we finish what we started?" Graham asks. "We'll take my car, drive to The Grey Manor, and continue our conversation."
"Why can't we do it here?" I challenge.
"Because my brothers are meeting and it's important we're there," he replies. "Eat up. We leave in thirty minutes. I'll make a call to have my car brought here."
I roll my eyes. So much for this being a democracy. Once Graham sets his mind to something, it's like all will obey him, the dogs and me included.
He has that strong profile and a domineering voice, and with what I'd learned about him yesterday, no wonder why I'm so stuck obeying the dictatorial man. After all, he has one thing none of the other men I've been used to dealing with have.
Claws.
And teeth.
And probably a raging big red laser sign blinking on top of his head saying “Warning”! This man might most definitely bite.
Did I mention that I suddenly seemed to have developed a thing for hot guys with a tail as big as their...ego? I don't know what's wrong with me, but I can't stop having disturbing thoughts.
"Okay, fine," I say reluctantly and hold back a grimace.
His forehead puckers, creasing a deep V in the middle of his gorgeous face. He's way better looking with his dark eyes open than closed, and I should know. Because when I get irritated, the idea of ripping his head off is hard to dismiss.
As promised, thirty minutes later, I'm sitting in a black SUV headed toward Graham's childhood home.
"Would it have killed you to take a shower and change out of your dirty clothes?" Graham asks.
His arrogant comment gets me riled up. Okay, to be perfectly honest, he probably doesn't mean it as an insult. I wonder if he can smell me, though. Now I feel embarrassed that I hadn't taken a moment to take a shower.
My jaw clenches and I cross my hands, my eyes set on the passing buildings as I look outside the tinted window. His lack of patience hits me at the most vulnerable times, and this morning, in my yesterday's clothes, not showering and still hoping my hair looks decent, is the worst possible time for it.
"Tell me a little bit about your family," I say, focusing on my own statement. Who doesn't like talking about themselves and their family, am I right?
Graham grins, letting the previous topic go. "Which branch should I start with?"
"Why do you have so many siblings?" I inquire.
"Most magical families have big families," Graham explains. "Wolves are a proud species who like showing off. Having a big family reflects status and affluence to us."
"So being fertile is important to wolves," I muse.
Graham chuckles, obviously amused by something. I hate that I don't know what. It must have to do with some hidden wolf joke that I'm not a part of. I'm pretty sure that's it.
"Having the ability to spawn a large number of offspring holds a lot of value to us. The more powerful they are, the bigger the pride," Graham says after a moment.
"How many siblings do you have?" I ask though I'm pretty sure he already told me. Yesterday is turning out to be a big blurry mess.
"I have three older brothers," Graham replies. "You'll have a chance to meet all three of them, including their wives, and my parents."
"As long as you don't introduce me as your girlfriend, we're good to go," I say, my words dripping with sarcasm.
Graham's eyes lock on mine, and his lips curve in an indulgent smile. "As you wish, Cassidy. But do let me know if you ever change your mind."
"Are you serious?" I ask, gawking at him.
"We're here," Graham says, ignoring my question.
Our journey ends in front of a giant mansion. My jaw almost drops open. Graham lives in one of the largest mansions I've seen. I knew that he'd come from a rich family, but until this very moment, I hadn't had any clue as to what magnitude of wealth he had experienced.
The Grey Manor does seem like a fairy-tale princess castle where royals reside. But who knows?
Graham drives us through the wrought-iron gates with a curt nod at the guards manning it. He continues down the driveway past the most beautiful gardens I've ever seen. The flowers are of vibrant colors and surrounded by lush, well-kept grass.
"We're the last to arrive," he tells me when he stops behind the two expensive cars.
My nerves are starting to get the better of me, so instead of commenting, I get out of the car. He closes the door after me and presses a button on the key. There's a beep and the SUV is locked. It's weird what silly things the brain focuses on when threatened to be overridden by anxiety.
"Since Garren is king, he and Alyssa live here with their three-year-old daughter Gabriella," Graham explains, his calm voice doing wonders to soothe my fraying nerves.
"The black Corvette belongs to Gavin. Though he's the youngest, he was the first to marry and is now the reigning king of the Lafayette Kingdom. Leia is a sweetheart. They have two kids, Leon and Logan."
Garren. Alyssa. Gabriella. Gavin. Leia. Leon. Logan.
I'm trying to remember all the names. There must be a reason why Graham is bothering to explain his family tree again and more in-depth.
"Grayden is the one who married the witch," Graham continues. "They're the ambassadors, remember? Well, he and Helia also have a three-year-old girl called Georgina."
Grayden. Helia. Georgina.
"Are you listening to me?" he asks, probably noticing my blank face.
"Why are you telling me all this?"
"Because I want you to know who you'll be hurting if you don't keep our secret," he says gravely.
"You will meet my entire family today. My parents will also be here, and so will Leia's. The wolves you'll meet today are considered to be the most powerful of their generations. Be cautious of your words, your actions, and your expression."
My hands grow cold, my vision blurry, but my feet carry me forward. They take me to the end of the universe and possibly beyond. I'm almost in the house, but the pressure inside my skull is beyond indescribable.
"Are you okay?" Graham asks.
"Yes," I manage to grit out.
We've left the land of sanity and reality.
"Deep breaths," Graham encourages me. "Relax."
Anxiety.
"Just walk," I say, mostly to myself.
The image of him, his brothers, their wives, and their kids being killed because I couldn't keep my mouth shut flashes before my eyes. Blood splattered all over the ground, children screaming...
"Deep breaths," Graham repeats. "As long as you don't do anything stupid, you're under my protection."
As I repeat his words in my head, I inhale deeply. And then the panic retreats, though my insides are still quaking.
Graham pushes the massive door open, revealing the luxurious foyer inside. Before I can take it in, a pale boy with dark hair runs into Graham's arms.
"Uncle Graham!" he squeals with delight.
"My little prince," Graham says. His gaze is as soft and loving as any man's could be when he peers down at the child. "How's my little Leon?"
He really cares about him, my inner voice observes, shocked.
"Great," the boy says and smiles. "Mom, Auntie Helia, and Auntie Alyssa are down the hall talking about you. Everyone's wondering when you'll find yourself a wife. But you already knew that, didn't you?"
Oh my God. His nephew just went there. In front of me. I hope they won't assume that I'm...No, no, no. Surely not.
If possible, my insides liquify. The entire situation feels like an out-of-body experience. To describe the uncomfortable emotions being pumped inside of me right now is like an extreme sport. I'm the female version of the emoji with a tongue sticking out.
"Little brother!" someone bellows from deep inside the house. "You're late. I thought that was my job."
It's obvious who the king is.
Graham winces at my side. "That's Garren," he whispers to me before turning to his brother. "What can I say? I'm my own man."
He straightens his back and walks deeper into the house toward his brother's voice. I follow on his heels all the way to the living room, coming face-to-face with a tall man who's a spitting image of Graham except for high cheekbones and an extra-chiseled jaw.
Are all the wolves drop-dead gorgeous? Is that a way to identify them?
"Welcome to the Grey Manor," King Garren says.
My legs tremble, but thankfully, I'm able to walk over to him and shake his outstretched hand.
"Stop scaring the poor human," a tan woman with light brown hair by Garren's side exclaims. "I'm Alyssa, Garren's wife."
She comes up to me. Out of instinct, I extend my hand, wanting to make her acquaintance.
She gives me a small smile of approval and shakes my hand. "You must be Cassidy Strayed."
"Cassie," I force out, trying to match her friendliness.
While I never liked socializing much, I've never been so nervous about it before. It must have everything to do with the fact that I know she's a wolf. All of them are.
"It's nice to meet you, Cassie," she says, her smile widening. She turns and gestures at a gorgeous woman with ashen-white hair and plump lips. Her eyes are bright blue and her skin as pale as Leon's. I know who she is before Alyssa introduces her. "That's Queen Leia Lafayette. Gavin's wife."
The woman's beauty is breathtaking, though her stern demeanor makes her even more enticing. It's probably the wild edge that nobody seems to be able to contain.
Another clone of Graham comes into the room, positioning himself protectively behind Queen Leia. His strong jaw is covered with a groomed stubble that makes him look older than he is. He has a blue and white jacket over his broad shoulders.
"Hey," he says and puts his hands on Leia's shoulders.
It's easy to assume that he's Gavin, which Alyssa confirms when she introduces him next.
My eyes travel to the woman sitting next to Leia. She has long blonde hair and green eyes. Though she is very beautiful, something tells me that she isn't a wolf.
"That's Helia," Alyssa continues, confirming my suspicions. She's a witch. "She's Prince Grayden's wife."
"Okay, that's enough of introductions for now," Graham interferes. "She can properly meet the rest later. We have work to do."
"Why so uptight, little brother?" Garren teases. "You should find a way to get some release if you know what I mean."
"Everyone knows what you mean, Garren," Grayden says, coming into the room. He's the only brother I've seen around the building often enough to recognize on sight. "It wasn't funny the first couple of dozen times you said it, and it's not funny now."
He takes his position next to Helia who beams at him as if he hung the moon. That must be what it looks like to find your true love, because I definitely see more than a friendship between the two of them.
"I agree," Gavin joins the game. "Graham's sex life is not up for discussion."
"That's enough," Graham says through gritted teeth. "Focus on the task at hand. Remember? The radicals. Threat to the peace treaty."
Wait a minute. Is Graham blushing?
"As if we could forget about that," Garren remarks, narrowing his eyes at his little brother. "I would much prefer the other topic. What about you Cassie? Want to add a comment on Graham 's sex life?"
My face must resemble an overripe tomato at this point. It's hot and I'm burning. Graham's eyes don't leave mine, and my feet tangle beneath me. I almost fall, but his quick hands stop me from making a fool of myself.
Why does he always have to save me in the worst ways possible?
"That's enough, boys," a woman's voice says with a chiding tone as she enters the room with a man who also looks like Graham but with thirty extra years. The woman turns her brown eyes to me and gives me a warm smile. "Ignore them. They've been competing with each other their whole lives, and only recently learned what it means to be a brother."
"I almost wish we wouldn't," Graham mutters under his breath, then moves forward to give the older woman a kiss on the cheek. "Hello, Mother. Father."
"I'm Fallon, and this is my husband, Gael," Graham's mother says as she moves toward me. "Welcome."
"Where are Lucas and Valerie?" Graham asks. It's when I realize that Leia's parents are missing.
"They're in the backyard with the kids," Fallon replies. "I just came to say hi to your guest. I'll go out now so that Lucas can join your meeting."
"Speaking of, we better move to the conference room," Gavin says and offers his hand to Leia. "We will be more comfortable there."
The group starts moving as they talk in hushed voices that I can barely pick up. Graham's fingers squeeze around my arm and he gently pulls me back.
The warmth of his skin sends an unknown shockwave through my body. My eyes widen and I focus on his lips. It's a stupid thing to do because the butterflies in my stomach begin to flutter.
What the fuck? Get a grip on yourself. You don't like him. He is dangerous.
I have to be the craziest chick alive, the kind of woman who's willing to enjoy herself knowing that her body is being consumed by a creature she thinks could literally bite my head off.
"I'm so sorry about my brothers," Graham whispers. His voice reverberates through my core, his alpha-male energy intoxicating me. "As you can see, they don't have the subtlest bone in their body."
His words force me back to the moment and out of my sick mind.
"It's okay," I mutter.
"If it's any consolation, they all like you," he says with a shrug.
"How could you tell?"
He smiles with that irresistible, wicked grin. "Because they didn't remove your head from your shoulders yet. And let me tell you, they are very good at doing that."
With a low chuckle, Graham starts pulling me forward.
"Come on," he urges. "Time to reveal more secrets."
There are even more secrets to reveal?
For a brief moment, my gaze flicks to his. Though this is certainly one confusing day, he looks calm and composed. And alluringly sexy.
But if the secret of the wolves and witches is hard to understand, the idea of my pulse slowing down when I look at Graham, my wolf-boss, and now the Prince of the Grey Court, is beyond comprehension.
Yet that's exactly what's happening.
What the hell is going on?
I’d better focus on the task at hand as Graham gently pulls me toward the conference room. I don't want to risk the wolves smelling anything else than sweat on me.