Grace of a Wolf by Lenaleia

Chapter 14: Grace: Sent Back

By evening, I’m still alive—but now I don’t want to be.

The man’s an absolute psychopath.

Psycho. Path.

Since when does "go straight to the source" mean waltz into the middle of the grand event welcoming the fucking Lycan King?

And, even if that is what it meant—which it isn’t—what madman throws a bound and gagged woman to the floor in the middle of the room?

Him. That’s who.

My skin burns with everyone’s eyes on me, and I know my face is redder than a tomato. Everyone can see the state I’m in, and there isn’t a single friendly gaze in the bunch.

The meticulously decorated event hall is gorgeous, filled with random, expensive-looking floral arrangements. Everyone in the pack is here, from Alpha and Beta down to the lowliest omega; the main lodge is the only building on pack lands large enough to handle a crowd this size.

There’s a long table at the front of the room to seat the guest of honor and his party on one side, and Alpha and other high-ranking wolves of the Blue Mountain Pack on the other; it’s a standard seating arrangement.

Several Lycans already sit there, leaning forward with interest, but the Lycan King’s seat—next to Alpha—is empty.

And Alpha...

My heart sinks at the look on his face.

dark wood of the table. His jaw clenches so tight, a muscle twitches beneath his skin. A

His voice comes out low, controlled—the kind of

legs, leaving me swaying against his grip. A whimper escapes through the gag, and I find myself missing my betrayer wolf friend. He might be disloyal, but at least he cares about keeping

in the woods." The man’s grip tightens on my arm, and I can already tell they’re leaving bruises. Though that’s the least of my problems right now. "I thought you might want

his head in

apologies, High Alpha. I should have informed you

to treat him with such deference...

was young." Alpha’s voice softens with false sympathy.

if it wasn’t already forced wide open from the gag in my mouth. Lies spill from Alpha’s mouth, smooth as

causing no trouble. Until recently." Alpha’s

through me. "You took in a human child, Brax?" There’s a

be useful." Alpha spreads his hands. "What else could we

in my throat. All those years calling him my adoptive father, believing he cared about me, only for him to speak of me like I’m a stray dog he picked up off the

king’s voice

developed... inappropriate attachments. When those proved impossible, she fled rather than accept her

making my relationship with Rafe sound dirty and twisted. I search the crowd for Rafe’s face, though my field

off to the side of the hall, not ranked high enough to be sitting at the main table. Instead, he stands with Ellie, who looks positively gleeful over my predicament. His expression is

king’s voice is so bland, I can’t tell what he’s thinking. Then again, he’s clearly insane. "That you’d risk harboring a

strived to be

the gag out of my mouth, his fingers scraping against my cheek as he does so. The rough fabric scrapes against the corners

sandpaper, and I work my jaw to

bore into mine. "Is what he says