Grace of a Wolf by Lenaleia

Chapter 64: Grace: My Fault

Lyre keeps pulling out her phone and frowning. At first, I thought it was her way of avoiding more conversation about my parents and my identity.

Turns out I was wrong. Lyre’s shameless enough to refuse to answer questions outright, without excuses. Remembering her past frustration over not being able to give me clear answers, I’m starting to wonder if maybe...

I don’t know. It’s weird.

Maybe she really can’t tell me some things. She’s said as much, so it isn’t too far-fetched of an idea, but it seems like there’s something keeping her from spilling everything she knows.

Lyre’s phone gives another annoying ding. She scoffs, glaring at the screen before shoving it into her pocket with more force than necessary.

"Something wrong?"

She waves a dismissive hand through the air. "Your boyfriend’s headed out to greet the local alpha."

"He’s not my—" The denial sticks in my throat again, because... well. Then my mind catches up with the rest of her sentence. "Wait, what?"

"Your Lycan King has deigned to socialize with the local pack. Progress, I suppose."

My stomach drops. The image of Caine splattered with blood and surrounded by bodies flashes through my mind. "Is he going to kill everyone here too?"

The moment the words leave my mouth, I realize how blunt—and ridiculous—they sound. But Lyre doesn’t seem offended. Instead, her catlike eyes narrow and she tilts her head back, looking at me as if I’m some strange specimen on display at a museum.

"What makes you think he’s going to kill anyone?"

"I mean..." Sure, Caine hasn’t exactly been super murderous around me since then. Especially when things got steamy between us. But the memory of that night is going to be branded in my brain forever. The snarls. The screams. The wet, meaty sounds of violence I tried so hard not to hear.

my fated mate for some strange reason, but ultimately, he’s still... who he is. I’m still wrapping

massacred my pack." Wait. Now it sounds like he

sharp teeth glint in the light. "Tell me,

answer comes without hesitation or thought. No consideration, no moment of reflection.

as she clears her throat. "Okay. And what does that make you? The girl who let a murderer into her

cheeks. My shoulders slump as I groan, "Shameless. I’m pretty sure I’m going

taps a finger against her

mouth to respond, then close it. The simple, terrible truth is that there’s no good answer

My voice is tiny as I admit it. "When he touches me, I can’t

Lyre chuckles. "My sympathy for the

"What do you mean?"

head. "He has a lot of work ahead of him, that’s all. And he doesn’t seem

I accepted her premise—Caine and I being fated—some of her earlier comments made a lot

oblivious. Maybe on purpose, refusing to see what was in front of my face. Now, I know exactly what she meant when she asked me that question. It’s

did the

"I don’t know."

she leans forward. "Really? Do you really not know?

in the

"I—"

face. His hand on my neck. The weight of his dominance crushing the room. Fenris, appearing out of nowhere. The way Caine

slaughter. The words. The tone. The subtle shifts in body

known then what I only

and I stare at Lyre with crushing melancholy. "He did it because of me," I

"What?"