Grace of a Wolf by Lenaleia

Chapter 210: Caine: You’ve Chosen Well

CAINE

Grace looks awkward, her smile a little too forced and her eyebrows pulled together. Strange. I thought assuring her of our secret being safe would make her happier, but it seems to have done the opposite.

I give up. You’ll never understand.

Ignoring Fenris’s pointless commentary, I head for Reggie’s unconscious form with a faint sneer. Nudging his body with my foot yields no reaction. His breathing is deep and even, his skin tinged pink with healthy blood flow, and his presence in the pack link is muted, but not gone.

He’s sleeping.

No shit. Kicking his leg doesn’t wake him up, either. While I don’t have a bucket of water to throw on his face—and I would—I’m certain it wouldn’t wake him up from his peaceful slumber.

Whatever little trick the witch weaved into her camper protection is working very well, indeed.

Reluctant admiration trickles its way into my brain. It’s pathetic for a Lycan to be so easily rendered helpless, but it’s only proven the potency of her power.

"Manifest," I order Fenris, this time poking the toe of my shoe at Reggie’s temple. With the change in position, his mouth falls open.

Then he begins to snore.

Nope. You’re about to harass her about that pup again, and I’m not stupid enough to stand in the crossfire.

Would a little loyalty hurt?

Yes.

My mouth twitches with irritation, and the surge of power I send Reggie’s way might be a little more than necessary.

"Wake up," I snap, his snoring sounding like a saw on my very last nerve. But I’m still conscientious enough to narrow the range of unleashed dominance, not wanting to scare Grace or the children. As far as they’re aware, I’ve done nothing.

But Reggie twitches, and his mental space in our pack link flickers with life.

Infusing my voice with the power of an alpha is as easy as breathing. "Wake up, Reginald."

His eyes snap open, unfocused and disoriented as my dominance fights through the strange blanket of energy surrounding his presence in the pack. After a few blinks he scrambles to his feet, as awkward as a newborn pup, limbs moving in awkward jerks until he’s finally standing in front of me, shoulders pulled back as he tries to salvage some dignity.

His eyes are finally clear, but when he opens his mouth, only a loud squawk comes out.

There wasn’t much sound in the area to begin with, but it falls into dead silence as the sound fades.

contorts, morphing

he opens his mouth again.

"Squawk!"

second attempt seems to have broken something in him. He narrows a furious glare behind me, aggression flooding the air with a

I don’t even need to turn to know he’s directing his anger at Grace, my little human who can barely throw a proper punch, let alone defend herself against a

my wrist sends a precise lash of

His shocked eyes snap

winter-cold, "to be so weak you’ve been

link, his thoughts scrabble, thankfully unchanged by whatever strange prank Lyre’s added to her protection: High Alpha, forgive my unseemly appearance. I’ll teach that witch a lesson

slides past me again

dominance rolls off me in waves, narrowed to the man in front of me. Reggie’s spine curves, fighting it for barely a second before his arms shoot out, palms slapping against the dirt to keep from faceplanting

now,

of panicked submission floods our

in, each word precise and cold, "was to protect everyone

the pressure of my aura leaving him fighting for each inhale. The witch attacked me, High Alpha. She’s standing right

to clarify his words, obviously, but just to

I have to

to

vicious surges forward from inside me, taking

cuts is bone-chilling, his lips pulled back to reveal

fills the pack link, vibrating with terrible power. Reggie flinches. "Don’t blame your failure

of our shared disgust. Grace and Ron can’t hear it, but Reggie feels the

those I have under

in his position as sweat breaks out across

muzzle is inches from Reggie’s ear. His jaw

escapes Reggie as he flattens himself further, his chest nearly touching the ground. The stink of humiliation

he acknowledges through the link, the thought small and contrite. Completely wrong.

at him,

I say finally. "Your new assignment is to monitor the

the link, grateful for any task that removes him from my

Grace or any of

the threat hang unfinished. Some promises are more effective when left to

sinks his teeth into Reggie’s shoulder, then jerks his head back, tearing skin from muscle and letting blood

by tomorrow, so the damage isn’t severe. Just enough to show

warnings, but our

Reggie shoves to his feet immediately. At least he isn’t pale and swaying like many a lesser wolf would

resolute, and this time doesn’t slide behind me