Grace of a Wolf by Lenaleia

Chapter 220: Grace: Princess

In the end, the rest of the day passes without further incident.

No clarifying update appears on my phone, either, leaving me exasperated. And Caeriel hasn’t answered any of the ten messages I’ve sent his way, asking for an explanation on the gibberish he calls a new mission.

He wants me to do it quickly, but how can I do it without any information at all?!

The App is as cryptic as he is!

But now we have clean laundry, and Super Nanny—whose name, I remember now, is Randy-not-Randall—is not only fantastic with the children, but even conjured a savory and aromatic beef stew out of nowhere, making it so I don’t even have to worry about dinner.

After peacefully restocking dressers and showering the children, Super Nanny even has the kitchen cleaned and dishes done. Dylan, meanwhile, has cleaned the litter box every time the cat uses it, and takes Sadie out every thirty minutes to run around in the grass. He’s even thoughtfully picked up her little chocolate doggy bomb out of the yard from this morning.

It’s all so very peaceful, so very peaceful...

And it makes my skin crawl.

Every time I pick up anything weighing more than a piece of paper, there’s a Lycan there to grab it from me and offer their help. Randy doesn’t seem to have the slightest hint of an ulterior motive whatsoever, just perfectly content to play babysitter while I sit around and watch him do it.

Dylan, on the other hand, is very clearly judgmental of every move I make, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t exactly like me. But he treats me well and hasn’t slipped once in his treatment of me.

Andrew, on the other hand... no idea what he’s doing. They wouldn’t let him in.

But since this is his pack and territory, I’m pretty sure he’s fine. Maybe.

Even if there is a niggling sense of doubt and worry making its way into my head, along with a healthy heaping of reluctant responsibility. After all, the man said he basically gave up his pack to be my friend; only a complete dick wouldn’t feel a little guilty after hearing that.

By ten, my brain is in shambles and Bun’s turned into a couch-hopping banshee with bunny ears and a golden retriever’s tail. Dylan and Randy haven’t even blinked at her odd shifting, and Sara and Jer are comfortable enough to be their normal selves in front of them.

Jer even managed to get the more reticent Dylan into an entire conversation about how pterodactyls and crocodiles are basically, in a weird way, cousins. I’m not entirely certain I believe him, but the kid’s so convincing I kind of think he might be right, too.

If he’s not, then he probably has a great future as a car salesman.

I gnaw on a piece of beef jerky—something Dylan brought, not the kind in packages we bought at Walmart—as my mind bounces around all these things taking up prime anxiety real estate.

Well... not the pterodactyls or crocodiles. But the rest, yes.

Though watching Bun—all rabbit ears, golden retriever tail, and pure manic toddler energy—temporarily pushes everything else aside.

"One!" she shrieks, leaping from the left cushion.

"Two!" she announces proudly, landing on the right.

Is it just me, or is her speech improving at an unusual rate? I need a parenting book.

into a meditative state when the door swings open with enough force to make

Rafe again, even though logically

inner fire. He even looks an inch or two taller all of a sudden, though it might be the suit he’s

a suit. No idea where he got it. Caine, obviously,

for Dylan and Randy, so I guess he already knew they were here. Makes sense, if he was by

teenage boy and why

her cushion game

and scoops her up in one fluid motion, swinging her high as she shrieks with delight, completely unguarded. "Bun-Bun! Did you

and Sara converge on him like

fight anyone?" the younger boy

at the moon?" Sara cuts

I can feel my mouth smiling, but I know my eyebrows

her eyes at me with such exaggeration, I almost feel offended. "Duh,

Oh, silly me.

but she tosses her head back to

"No, and

the suit? Are you, like, a prince now?" Jer asks, grabbing Ron’s sleeve and tugging. "Because Caine’s like a king, right?

"Uh—"

to her chest as her red eyes go wide. "If

"I need to know, Ron. This is important for my future. Am

eyes, but there’s no hiding the smile tugging at his mouth. "No, squirt. That’s

to let go of potential

youngest of them echoes, "explain the political structure of Lycan society to us!" He pronounces ’political structure’ with careful precision, clearly a phrase he’s picked up

grabs a fistful of

hands on her hips.

you need a blood transfusion

transfusion?" Her forehead

all of yours and fill it with Lycan blood, stupid." Ron flicks her forehead with a smile, taking some of the sting out of his

as she flings

I bite back a laugh as I get off the couch and guide Ron out of the hall

was under the impression Caine would come in

course, I’m ’not his mate’. And he seems determined to stick to the script, even if his

person I haven’t seen all day.

for words.

good or

important, I guess? I learned a

shoulder, and he

finger in his face like he’s the one who

he attacks her face with kisses, making her squeal. Then he gives me a stern look and