Grace of a Wolf by Lenaleia

Chapter 198: Grace: No Effect on Her Chastity

"Fascination with the banal has never been one of my vices," Caeriel says, sounding displeased and... snooty.

It takes a little longer than I’d like to admit for his insults to pierce through the haze of confusion over meeting a Grim Reaper (with a phone!) in an abandoned parking lot, but once it does, I frown in his direction. "Maybe ask for favors less creepily, then."

This man can probably kill me with a flick of his wrist, but somehow I can’t help the snark coming out of me every time I talk.

I don’t like him.

He doesn’t seem like a good person.

And I really hope he isn’t Lyre’s friend, because we might have to have a small chat about who she keeps around her. I know she isn’t super fond of Caine, but at least Caine wouldn’t make me run to meet him and then make me leave...

Then again, he might do it to someone else.

Still, something in my gut insists Caeriel is bad news bears, and I have no interest in becoming friends with the man.

Caeriel rubs a slender, pale finger against his forehead as he lets out a calm, distinctly condescending sigh.

"Rest assured, any favors would have no effect on your chastity."

Then he looks at me with faint disgust, his eyes going from my head to my toes in one smooth, dismissive flick.

Well, excuse me for reading his strangely intent aura wrong.

I cross my arms over my chest, my fingers digging into my arms as I mutter, "I don’t think we’re close enough for favors, though."

His lips twist, then tighten into a thin line, and his silver eyes narrow slightly.

"Did she tell you about me?" His voice drops lower, and the intensity of his presence increases. A familiar oppression makes it hard to breathe in the suddenly thick air.

The hairs on my arms stand up and my stomach twists. Warning signals go off in every corner of my brain. Yeah. This is definitely the guy Lyre didn’t want to talk about, and I’m kind of starting to see why.

man’s got obsession

ask, playing

"Lyrielle."

name is gross, too familiar and foreign. There’s a strange accent in the way he says it, not like how I read it in my head, and the way he

I’d imagine him with greased-back

let my unease show too plainly on my face. My pulse quickens as Caeriel takes a deliberate step forward, and the air grows even denser, making it impossible to breathe through

me exactly what Lyrielle has said," he demands, his voice quiet but carrying an unmistakable command.

with unshakable fervor, and no matter how I try to drag

runs

My throat tightens.

leave?" I manage, even if the words come out in little more than a squeak. "I think

app demanded. And somewhere not far

last thing I need is to linger here with someone with an ambiguous connection to the most powerful person I know. Especially in an

outfit and the scythe, but it’s clear

into a scowl. "Answer my questions

make a whole show out of checking my phone, my fingers trembling as I swipe through random screens. Maybe if I look busy enough, he’ll get

"What are you doing?"

stare again. I’m a little worried it’ll be impossible to look away if I do. "Checking the mission parameters. And nowhere does it say I have to answer personal questions just because you want me to. In fact, my mission’s complete. Done. Finished.

expression darkens further, but I plow ahead

already taking a step backward. "But I’m busy. A lot to do, people

step I take

rush to leave," he says, still calm. "We’ll be spending

stomach drops. No, thank

thinking it, the words blurt out of my mouth

something you might consider a smile—on anyone else. On him, it just looks like he’s studying an

You can’t complete this mission without

bitch. This must mean Ellie and

a glance over my

parking lot remains

gut knows he’s not