Saving Grace (14 page)

The sex had ended quite abruptly after the bond had been sealed. The dampness on the bed as the only evidence of Roman’s release, the two sat trying to decipher what was happening.

It was morning before they could carry on a conversation.

Roman looked in the mirror. “Purple has been the color of royalty for centuries. I guess I can kiss my golden glow goodbye.” He turned and smiled at her. “I like my eyes this way.”

Grace’s heart swelled. The bond was sealed. The emotional connection was strong. She could feel every emotion he had.

“You really suck at displaying emotion,” he teased. “I had no idea you felt this way about me.”

She shook her head. “Neither did I. That’s not what I mean. It just happened so fast and it was so confusing. I’ve never been in love before.”

He furrowed his brow. “You have a lot running through your mind, Grace. How are you not exhausted?”

She bounced out of bed. “Since you can read my thoughts now, you have to swear to me, swear on our bond, that you won’t stop me.”

He laughed. “I have a feeling the Gods couldn’t stop you, Grace. But you know you’ll face some opposition.”

She nodded. “Things for Lycans are about to change. It’s time to get into the Twenty-first Century.” She cleared her throat. “If you received the same memories I did, you’ll know my ideas are not new. They’ve been thought of and attempted before.”

He nodded. “Before we had a High Council.”

“They’ll fall in line.” She giggled. “Or they’ll all be women.”

He choked. “You can’t be serious.”

“Why not?” she teased.

“Let’s get some breakfast, Joan of Arc.” He grabbed her hand.

They walked to the dining room and when they entered, they were met with applause.

Michelle had a tear spilling down her cheek.

“Congrats! When’s the wedding?” Xander asked with a smile.

“Wedding?” Grace croaked.

“Yes, even Lycans have ceremonies, Grace.” He rolled his eyes.

“How’s Saturday?” Colin asked. “I can officiate the wedding then officially step down as Alpha.”

Grace squeezed Roman’s hand. She’d not considered the ceremony. She took a deep breath then smiled. “Saturday sounds great.”

After another round of applause, they took their seats.

“Colin, can Roman and I have a word after breakfast?” She reach taking a slice of butter to slather over her biscuit.

He smiled and said with a nod, “Of course.”

Grace’s stomach flopped as her nerves took over. Roman, squeezed her thigh.

Great, now you get to feel my anxiety too.

Roman nodded and nearly choked on his coffee reading her thoughts.

“Well, you want to change the world. I can see why that would make you anxious.”
He pushed back at her.

Roman leaned over and whispered in Grace’s ear. “Have you, uh, had any communication with your wolf?”

Grace hadn’t communicated with her wolf. It howled. It cried. It growled, but it hadn’t spoken. Grace shook her head. “She seems to be going through something. All I got from her was not to worry, it would be over soon. It was just a change of some sort.”

“Mine too. Sounds painful.” He took a sip of his coffee. His lips curved down in a worried frown.

“You two ready?” Colin stood.

The both nodded and scooted away from the table. They held hands as they made their way to the conference room. Roman pushed warm and calming feelings toward Grace, as he closed the door behind them.

“So what is on the agenda?” Colin, noticeably, did not take his usual seat at the head of the conference table.

Grace cleared her throat. “I have some ideas. I don’t think they’re going to make you happy—
at first
. But I think in the long run, it could be very beneficial to everyone involved.”

Colin narrowed his eyes. “This sounds complicated.”

She nodded. “More coffee, perhaps?”

.

Colin had stormed from the conference room. The discussion hadn’t gone well.

Roman tried to reassure Grace. “He just needs time to consider it.”

Before that could happen, Wendy ran into the conference room. “The High Council has asked to see the two of you.”

Grace nodded. “That was my next stop anyway. Can we stall?”

“Absolutely. You need time to gather all of the information.” Roman hugged his mate. “I’ll go get Xander.”

Knowing your mate’s next move made it easier to be of assistance. Since he couldn’t hold her back, he may as well make himself useful.

He found Xander outside with his mother, sitting by the fire pit.

Roman smiled. “Usually there’s a fire going when people sit here.”

Michelle waved him off. “I’m getting reacquainted with my boy. I don’t need a bonfire to do that.”

“Michelle, I know Grace promised to take you shopping today, but first, Xander I need to see you in the conference room.”

Xander picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder.

Roman shook his head. “You never go anywhere without that thing, do you?”

He grinned. “Nope.”

Roman sent a telepathic message to Grace, who had asked, in return, that Xander and her mother come back with Roman.

“And you too, Michelle. Grace would like you to be part of a project she has in mind.”

They both stood with confused looks on their faces, but followed Roman, unquestioning, to the conference room.

“Xander,” Grace said, “we finally get to work together on something.”

He shrugged. “Okay?”

“Do you remember how pissed you were Tiffany was able to go to college, but that it would take another Lycan’s spot?”

Roman could feel the vibration coming off of Grace. She could hardly contain her excitement.

“Look, I’m sorry about what I said. I’ve been pissed off about everything and—I”

“Shut up, Xander,” Grace said with a wink. “What I’m saying is, what if all Lycans could go to school…a Lycan school?”

After blinking rapidly he spun his bag around to the front of him and pulled out his laptop.

“Good, you’re on board. I need information. Lots of it. I need property, something big enough for a school but also wooded so students and staff can go for runs without being seen by the humans.”

“I’m on it, Grace. I’ll have a whole presentation to you by the end of the day.” Xander typed furiously.

Michelle stood in silence until Grace looked at her.

“Mother. I think I have the perfect project for you, if you’re so inclined.”

Roman beamed at his mate. She was taking charge as if she were the Alpha and he could care less. It was pack business and she had a plan.

Michelle pulled a chair from the table and took a seat, looking up at her daughter. She folded her hands together. “I would be happy to help you, Grace, in whatever way I can.”

Grace nodded and pointed at Xander. “He didn’t learn that on his own. That skill came from you.”

Michelle nodded. “Yes.”

“And the satellites can’t find the Scottsboro pack because of you.”

Again, Michelle nodded.

Grace smiled. “I have an enormous project for you, one that will change life for all Lycans. It will ensure no one Lycan forces procreation, and if he does, we’ll apprehend him.”

“I like the sounds of that.”

Grace went over the details with her mother. Michelle listened intently, making notes on a small pad of paper that was on the table.

“Now,” Grace finished, “let’s go get you some clothing and computer equipment.”

Wendy knocked on the door before opening it. “I bought you two days. But you’ll have to go see the Council day after tomorrow or they’ll get cranky.”

Grace looked at her mate. “Ready to change the world?”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “Try and stop me.”

Grace, Xander, and Michelle laughed.

Colin shifted and ran through the woods. He needed to blow off steam.
How dare Grace ask such a thing!

Two seconds of relief. He had two seconds where Roman and Grace had bonded and he knew he could step down. Then
she
dropped the bomb on him.

She had no clue what it was like to lose a mate, a pup and your sanity. He’d nearly let the darkness swallow him. Roman had been there to lift him up, to keep the pack going when Colin couldn’t force himself to eat, let alone tend to pack business.

Rage boiled through his veins. His mate, his love, she was gone. Her memories haunting him, his mind, constantly searching for hers. He couldn’t just let her go.

He skidded to a stop when he reached the pond. His lungs burned as he heaved. He sat on his haunches staring at his reflection in the water.

Kalinda.

He closed his eyes and thought of his wife, her long, beautiful blonde hair that matched his own, spilling over her shoulders in big wavy curls.

She was so swollen and pregnant the last day he saw her. The pup was due to arrive soon. They were both elated
…

He squeezed his eyes tighter.

A nudge on his shoulders made him pry open his eyes. A small black wolf sat next to him, nudging with the top of her head. His sister.

Colin shifted back. “Wendy, you shouldn’t be here.”

Wendy shifted. “What’s eating you?”

Colin wiped his eyes. “Our princess and her big, fat ideas.”

She raised a brow. “I thought you liked her?”

“She wants something from me I cannot give.”

She turned away from him and gazed out at the water. “Kalinda?”

He didn’t answer.

“And what, dear brother, are you going to do with yourself once you step down as Alpha?”

He shrugged, continuing the silence.

“You’re going to sit and wallow in grief. That’s it. Whatever it is Grace is asking of you, it can’t be that bad. Just do it.” She shook her head.

“She wants me to be mated.”

She laughed. “And why is that a problem?”

“It’s a betrayal, Wendy. Kalinda is my wife.”

“Was,” she corrected. “She’s dead and you have to let her go.”

“What would you know? You’ve never been bonded.” He snapped at her. The wounded face she wore made him instantly regret his words.

“Wendy, I’m sorry. That was unfair.”

She stood up and brushed off her bottom. “And what if he’s out there? What if he has been mated, but she died? What if he’s too consumed with survivor’s guilt he can’t even open his damned eyes and know his mate is single? What if my mate is acting like my idiotic brother?”

Before he could contradict her, Wendy shifted and tore off into the woods.

His sister’s piercing blue eyes had been filled with tears before she shifted. He’d hurt her. Or was it knowing someone like him was out there for her. Someone who needed her.

That means I might need someone too.

“We could mate again,”
his wolf spoke.
“We have been respectful. We have grieved. But we are lonely.”

“Yes we are,” he croaked.

He’d lost his Alpha mentality when his wife died. It just died with her. But mating into a new pack meant leaving his old pack behind. The packs’ familial bond was all he had left.

Grace had two days until the wedding, and two hours before she would leave to meet the High Council. Her palms were sweaty and Roman was doing his level best to comfort her.

“Colin hasn’t spoken a word to me since we talked with him last,” she confessed. “Has he said anything to you?”

She could feel the answer. Roman only shook his head.

“Damn. I didn’t mean to upset him like that.” She bit her lip.

“Come on,” he took her hand, “everyone is in the conference room waiting.”

By the time they made their way, everyone had packed the conference room. There was a seat waiting for Roman at the head of the table. He pulled the chair out and had Grace sit down. The whole room gasped.

“This is Grace’s meeting. We’ll let her run the show.” He took a step back.

“Yes, well, uh,” she tucked her hair behind her ear. “Xander, what do you have for me?”

He slid a packet across the table. “You just purchased this three hundred acres of property.” Grace opened the file. “Kentucky?”

Xander nodded. “Yep. That’s prime real estate for Lycans, not so much for humans. The few humans that live around there are, shall we say, not humans, but shifter panthers that have done a great job blending in. Which leads me to the next point.” He slid over a manila folder, stuffed with papers. “If you’re willing to make the college for all supernaturals instead of just Lycans, these are all donation promises.”

“College?” Wendy finally spoke.

“Uh, yeah, I’m sorry. I’m doing a shitty job leading a meeting. Since you are my pack members, you should be made aware of what I’m doing today.” She cleared her throat, scooted her chair back and stood. “I don’t want our youth going to a human college. I’ve been there. The best they have to offer is feeling out of place, like you don’t belong. The education costs a small fortune. So I wanted to start a Lycan college. One where all of your pups could go. We could teach Lycan skills, like combat and survival as well as the normal academia.”

Colin stood. “May I?” he held out his hand.

“Yes, please.”

“This is not all our Queen is up to.”

Her heart jumped when Colin addressed her as a Queen. It had not occurred to her since she was technically Roman’s spouse she’d get an automatic upgrade to Queen.

“Grace has asked me to leave the pack.” Colin glared at her for a moment while the rest of the room seemed to gasp at once.

The noise level was intense with objection upon objection from the pack. She held her breath and tried not to panic.
What the hell is he doing?

“Now, now,” Colin said holding up his hands, “I know it seems extreme but as you all know, the Scottsboro pack now has a female Alpha. The High Council is very uncomfortable with the situation. Our Queen has an idea to move us forward and she’s asked for my help.”

The pack quieted down. Several glares were still aimed at her.

“My last official act as Alpha will be to officiate the wedding of our new King and Queen. We’re all very fortunate to have a return of the monarchy. As soon as they’re wed, I will step down and Roman will take over as pack Alpha as planned.” Colin smiled at Roman. “You’ve been a true friend to me, brother. I am so happy to see you blessed with a strong Lycan mate.”

Roman smiled at Colin and gave him a nod.

“I’ll return the floor to Grace.” Colin took a seat.

She blew out the breath she’d been holding, for what seemed like a lifetime.

“Rest easy, pack mates. Colin will always have a place with the Belfast pack. I realize to some of you, I am still a foreigner. I was raised a human and I had to learn what being Lycan was all about. What none of you know is once bonded, Roman and I were afforded the blood memories of the past monarchies. I have a deeper understanding of our past than most of you could learn in your long lives.”

Roman interrupted. “It’s true. I have more history in my head than I ever thought possible.”

“For far too long, Lycans have been living in the dark ages. We have made no progress toward our education, the equality of the sexes or even our own Lycan government. The High Council is a façade. It has no authority. If it did, Scottsboro would never have happened. I aim to change that,” she cleared her throat, “to protect all Lycans men and women alike.

There will be many changes. It will be a challenge for our kind to move forward, but I challenge you to move beyond your fears. I challenge you to embrace the changes that are coming.” She took a seat.

After a brief moment of silence, Michelle clapped her hands. Colin followed. Xander joined and within seconds the room erupted in applause.