Chapter 261: Grace
I took a deep breath as Rhys squeezed my hand gently, and Adrian’s voice met my ears. We had known this would happen, or at least, hoped it would. It would make my exit easier, but it didn’t mean I actually wanted to go with him.
“I just have to pretend for a little while,” I told myself. There was a scoff in the back of my head, and I knew that was my Lycan self, calling me out on my bullshit.
The guests all gasped. I knew there were more than a few girls in attendance who had considered doing the same thing as a last chance attempt to steal Rhys away from me, but no one had actually had the courage to do what Adrian had.
“State your case,” Sawyer stated, unable to keep the low growl out of his voice. I knew that every piece of him wanted to go tear Adrian apart, limb for limb for his direct and indirect treatment of Maizie. I knew because Rhys was having the same struggle. But we had a plan, and for it to work, they couldn’t interfere. Not the way they wanted to anyway.
“Grace is from the Red Blood pack. She is special. She needs to come home to find out just how special she really is.”
That was... honest. If I didn’t know his game, I might have believed him. I mean, old Grace would have in a heartbeat. She wouldn’t have thought twice about if he was lying to me or not. But I knew my worth, and I knew better than to believe a word out of his mouth. I was not the same Grace that had left Red Blood Pack.
Rhys growled at his statement, but I just squeezed his hand before letting go.
“What could you possibly have to offer her that I can’t?” Rhys demanded, and I knew the hurt on his face was real,
“You might be the Alpha King, but I am King of the Lycans.” He then shifted, causing the audience to gasp. They had never seen a Lycan in form before. Based on Rhys’ declarations, they knew they existed, but not what they looked like.
Adrian’s demonstration made my skin crawl. He had just let out a century old secret in an attempt to woo me, and that felt risky to me, even for him. I couldn’t figure out my role with them, but it was clear he would do anything to get my attention, so I forced myself to look at him with awe instead of disgust.
He shifted back to his human form, and a pair of shorts were thrown at him from somewhere I couldn’t pinpoint.
“What about Kinsley?” Rhys tried desperately. I knew he knew I’d be walking away from him in just moments, but he was trying...
“Kinsley was always just a means to an end,” Adrian brushed the idea of my sister off like she was nothing to him, and she probably was. “Grace is the real prize. She was born to be Queen.”
I don’t know where he was getting his information, but it was wrong. I was the child of an affair. My mother had been a maid and died shortly after giving birth to me. I had been worse than dirt to the family for years. I had suffered at their hands. I was meant to be Queen with Rhys perhaps, but never of my own species.
“Come Grace, I can help you step into your true power.”
I looked at Rhys hesitantly. He was silently begging me not to go through with this. To just let him kill Adrian. But that wasn’t a choice. We needed to know where the Pyxis was, so we could destroy it, so we could destroy them. There was no other way around it, and this was the easiest way for us to do it.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered loudly to Rhys.
Another gasp shot through the crowd as I turned and rushed toward Adrian.
“I knew you loved me!” Adrian whispered in awe. He caressed my cheek, and I wanted to vomit, but this was the plan, and I was going to stick to it.
“Grace!” Rhys shouted, taking several steps toward us. “Grace, please! I love you!”
My heart broke at the desperation in his voice. I wanted nothing more than to turn back around and run into his arms, but I forced myself to follow Adrian from the hall.
“I love you.” I mindlinked him.
“I love you.” He answered, pain still in his voice. I snuck a glance back as Sawyer attempted to comfort his brother, but there would be no comfort for him. Not till we were back together, which I hoped would be very soon.
Adrian got in the car, and I followed. He didn’t hold open a door for me. He didn’t say get in. He just expected me to do what I had always done for them: be submissive. And even though I was no longer that girl, I could play that part. It still came easily to me, but it also took more effort than it used to, since now I had had a taste of freedom.
“We have so much to talk about, Grace.”
“Why did you come back for me?” I asked. I was done waiting on answers.
Surprise crossed his face for a split second before his mask of affection took back over.
“As I said in there, you are very special, Grace.”
“And I wasn’t special what I lived in your pack before?” I asked, doing my best to keep the bitterness from my voice, but apparently not doing a very good job at it.
“Why did you come if you were worried?” He questioned suspiciously.
I let my nerves take over for a moment. I knew it would actually be in my favor if my feelings were in my voice even if I was lying about everything else.
“Rhys only wanted me for my powers.” I admitted falsly. “He knew what I was, and he as using me for his benefit. Plus, Red Blood pack is my home... I don’t know. The opportunity to come back scares me, but I didn’t know what else to do.” My voice was shaking, and I let the tears I felt from leaving Rhys and the other behind, fill my eyes.
Adrian grabbed my hand, and for a moment I was in my room in the dungeon again, and he was on top of me. Angry for me discouraging his advances. Then I was in a hospital room, and he was doing the exact same fucking thing. I couldn’t believe it was him this whole time, and I had willingly just gone with him. I felt the color drain from my face at the revelation, and I had to fight back the nausea that threatened to overtake me.
“I have always wanted you, Grace,” He confided. “And this time, I promise will be nothing like it was before. You will be worshipped.”
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