Grace of a Wolf by Lenaleia

Chapter 53: Caine: You Can’t Camp Here

CAINE

The Lyre girl’s scent is strange, but I can’t figure it out. Jack-Eye, the idiot, doesn’t seem to mind; then again, he was always partial to women. A little too friendly, a little too willing. Far more gregarious than the typical Lycan.

I glower at Lyre’s camper, fingers digging into the cheap plastic armrests of Andrew’s folding chair. Something about that woman sets my teeth on edge. The rainbow-haired enigma kicked us out the second breakfast was over—for them. She didn’t bat an eye at our half-full plates or still-steaming coffee mugs.

Who does that to the Lycan King? More importantly, who does that to any Lycan without flinching? It’s strange.

Fenris lifts his head; he’s been moping for the past ten minutes, since he was thrown out with us. He didn’t want to leave, but Grace stared at me with her pretty grass-green eyes until I picked him up and took him with me.

My wolf is not happy with me.

She smells wrong, he mutters, apparently willing to converse when we’re talking about a mutual enemy.

"I know."

No, you don’t understand. I can’t place it. Her scent is... slippery.

The hair on my neck stands up. In over two centuries, I’ve never known Fenris to be unable to categorize a scent, but what he’s saying makes sense. I’ve noticed it, too. It’s more than not knowing what she smells like; it’s as if something’s purposely not allowing us to.

"She’s hiding something," I say, watching the camper windows for movement. No hint of shadows. What’s Grace doing? Washing dishes? Maybe she’s curled up in bed, kicking her pale legs in the air as she reads a book. "No one takes in a stranger out of kindness. Not in this world."

After I worked

eyebrow. "Sleeping

sharing her bed. Made me sleep on

her legs, and a stubborn little pout on her lips as she claims the entire mattress. "I’ll just make

What was that? Are you finally accepting what

what I said hits me like a brick. I drag a hand down my face with a groan. "No. Stop

about sharing

conversation back. "She’s too comfortable ordering Lycans around. I even let some dominance slip this morning, and she didn’t so much as twitch." Of course, I only let out the tiniest sliver. Didn’t want to upset Grace. She seems perturbed by my presence as

afraid

elbows on my knees. "And what does she

Other than you.

catches on Fenris’s

we don’t. About Grace. About you. About

through me. I’d considered obvious angles: ransom and simple human trafficking. But could it be? Is

she’s different.

on edge and rattled, and I blame not being able to touch her. Grace had avoided any physical contact like I was some sort of bug. And Lyre seemed

Jack-Eye bring him here? Wasn’t he supposed to see what the local store had available for

with such things in stock is the obvious

a handkerchief knotted around his neck. The campground logo is emblazoned across his chest. "I’m

the silence stretch uncomfortably. He shifts under the weight of my attention. "Then