Grant

by Terra Wolf

  “Can I sit down?” Ford asked.

  “Free fucking world,” I said.

  I swiftly popped the beer top on the edge of the counter. Ford watched my every move, analyzing me the way he did others he didn’t know. That was the icing on the cake. The fact that my brother had to read me in a way he did strangers. We had spent so much time apart that we’d both grown into people neither of us recognized.

  And I hated that fact.

  “Opened that beer pretty good,” Ford said.

  “Shit happens when you work in a bar,” I said.

  “You worked in a bar?”

  “Yep. For the last two years of my college career,” I said.

  “Did you enjoy it?”

  “Hell yeah. Awesome tips, especially if I showed a little cleavage. The tighter my pants, the larger the tips. It paid for the few loans my scholarships wouldn’t cover and gave me enough money to set aside for after college.”

  “Sounds like you were good at your job then.”

  “I was. I miss the place. It felt the most like home.”

  I looked over at my brother and saw him nodding his head. He was trying his best; I knew he was. But I was still angry, and I wasn’t willing to let it go yet. I’d choked it down for years, telling myself it didn’t matter. Telling myself, I could make friends that would become family. Telling myself that when I graduated, Ford would see me differently.

  But he didn’t.

  He still saw me as that fifteen-year-old girl with thick eyeliner and glitter lip gloss.

  “I knew the past few years with us have been rough,” Ford said.

  “A way to put it, yes,” I said.

  “But you’re always gonna be my little sister. And men can’t talk to you that way.”

  “I’d rather have men tell me the truth then feed me lies just to keep me happy,” I said.

  “So, you’re okay with someone talking to you like that? With some man saying it’s okay for him to do whatever the hell it is he’s doing because he’s not ‘sticking his dick in you’?”

  “If I’m not, I can take care of it myself. I don’t need my absent brother stepping up to the plate because he’s weirdly possessive.”

  “I’m just trying to keep you safe.”

  “That’s not your job,” I said. “It’s my job to keep me safe. It’s my job to support myself. Your only job is to cheer me on and lift me up whenever I call on you. And I’ve called on you many times over the years. And the only thing I got was your voicemail.”

  “I’m sorry, okay? Things were shitty between us and even shittier at home. Mom and Dad fought, and shit was kicking up with the clan. You never came home to visit, so what the hell was I supposed to think?”

  “That the tension in the house was why I didn’t want to come home,” I said. “But that doesn’t mean you couldn’t return my phone calls. Shit, Ford. I called you when stuff got real for me. When I lost my virginity and when my whole dorm was on fucking fire. When I was at my most fearful and needed my brother’s voice in my ear. And you weren’t there. For any of it.”

  I tipped my beer back and guzzled as Ford’s eyes watched my movements.

  “I don’t want your apologies,” I said as I slammed my beer bottle down. “I just want you to be better. To hear what I need from you and have you take it to heart. What men say to me don’t matter. I can banter and be crude with the best of them. It’s just how they communicate, and it doesn’t bother me. If you did, this would be different. You know what does bother me?”

  “What?” Ford asked.

  “You fucking not listening. When I call, you need to pick up. At the very least, your ass needs to call me back. Okay? We can fucking start there.”

  “Okay,” he said. “I promise.”

  “Now, go get Grant some fucking food. Man’s got some muscles. He needs to eat,” I said.

  “What were the two of you talking about earlier?” he asked.

  “How fucking pathetic you looked yelling at everyone,” I said with a grin. “I still can’t believe that’s Grant, Grant.”

  “I know, right? Fucking had me in bug eyes when he came home from his first deployment. You wanna come over and have some food?”

  “I’m gonna get some fresh air first. Too much testosterone in this place. I can’t breathe.”

  “Okay,” he said with a grin. “But get some food and sit with us. Talk with us. Update us on shit. I wanna know what’s going on in your life.”

  “Good. Because I’m ready to talk about it.”

  Chapter 11

  Grant

  I had no idea what to do. Violet was talking with Ford in the kitchen while the guys kept talking about her behind her back. How she’d ‘filled out nicely’ and how they all ‘wanted a slice of her.’ The conversation made me sick to my stomach, and I knew I needed to get away from it before I said something that would incriminate the both of us. Ford was eyeing me closely as I slipped away from my chair, my legs carrying me outside as my anger bubbled inside of me. Now wasn’t the time to get pissed and shift even though my bear was itching to get out.

  A few seconds later, someone busted outside as well.

  And I knew exactly who it was.

  I turned around and laid my eyes on Violet as she stood in front of me. She was looking up at me with those beautiful green eyes, and I wanted to take her in my arms. I wanted to whisk her back to my place and have my way with her. I wanted to shower her body with kisses and fuck her until she couldn’t remember her own damn name.

  I wanted to print her into my life forever.

  As much as I wanted to be Beta of our clan, I wanted her more. As much as I didn’t want to cause any drama with my best friend, I wanted his sister more. She had struck a chord with me I couldn’t shake. Her actions when we were together drew me into a web I didn’t want to wrangle my way out of. The way she had kissed my scars on her lips. The way she had regarded me as a whole man. The way she never assumed control in bed simply because I had injuries… it was what I wanted. What I needed.

  She didn’t see me as someone who was broken. I felt a pull to her that I couldn’t explain. But my bear seemed to think that she was my true mate.

  And I didn’t want to lose that.

  I craned my neck to keep her in my view as she closed the distance between our bodies. Her hand rose up to cup my cheek, and I nuzzled into her touch. Our faces grew closer as her breath pulsed against my lips, beckoning for me as I pressed my lips against hers.

  I didn’t care who saw us. All I cared about was feeling her again.

  I slipped my arm around her waist as her hands tangled in my hair. Our tongues collided in front of the bar, right where everyone could see us. My arms came up and wrapped around her, pulling her closer to me as I picked her up off her feet. I felt her giggle into the kiss, my mouth swallowing her sounds as my body heated for her.

  Howls were heard in the distance as the ground vibrated beneath my feet. I planted Violet back on the ground, our lips still connected with each other. The howls were getting louder as my hands explored her body, but as the sound got closer, I forced our lips apart.

  “Hell of a kiss,” Violet said breathlessly.

  My bear instincts were kicking in. My cock wanted me to ignore the sounds, but my bear couldn’t shake them. The entire clan was at the lodge right now. Their guard was down, and their stomachs were full of a substance that would soon render them idiotic and weak.

  We were exposed, and as the howls grew closer, I felt that tingle trickle up my back.

  The tingle I always got when I knew an enemy was watching us.

  “Get inside. Now,” I said.

  “What? What’s going on?” Violet asked.

  “Get the fuck inside. I’ll explain later,” I said.

  The coyotes had been silent for months. But I knew a coyote rally howl when I heard one, and that certainly was one. They were off in the distance still. Which meant Violet had time to get back inside the lodge where it would be saf
e.

  I shoved Violet back into the lodge as Ford eyed me. He had seen me with her. I could see him fuming with anger until the sound hit his ears as well. I saw guys shuffling Violet towards the back of the kitchen, getting her out of harm’s way as Ford and Lincoln rushed out the doors. We all looked towards the sound and saw the group of coyotes cresting the hill, and all of us clenched our fists.

  “What the fuck are they doing here?” Ford asked.

  “Did they initiate a new alpha?” I asked.

  “What the fuck’s going on out here?” Jackson asked.

  “Oh shit. Is that who I think it is?” Tyler asked.

  “I think they’re looking for a fight, gentlemen,” Ford said.

  “Haven’t they gotten their asses beat enough already?” Carter asked.

  The coyotes weren’t just looking for trouble. This wasn’t a territory war as it had been all these years. They were looking for revenge for their fallen Alpha.

  “What the hell’s going on!?”

  Violet’s voice caught me off guard as I whipped around and looked at her.

  “Why the hell are you out here?” I asked. “You need to get back inside.”

  “Not until I know you’re safe,” Violet said.

  “Why the hell would she want to know you’re safe?” Ford asked.

  “Shut up, Ford. Who are those guys? Why are there so many of them?” Violet asked.

  The coyotes got closer and closer as the clan continued to trickle out of the lodge. I already heard growls on our side as my eyes gazed into Violet’s, pleading with her to go inside. The howls drowned out any voices I could hear around me, and I saw guys grabbing her and trying to force her back into the lodge.

  But I knew she wasn’t budging.

  Not until she knew what was going on.

  “It’s the coyote pack,” I said as my lips pressed against her ear. “We killed their Alpha Liam several month ago when he tried to kill Jackson’s mate. This is serious, Violet. You need to get back inside.”

  I could feel Ford’s eyes heavy on my back as Violet wrapped her arm around my neck.

  “You need to stay safe, okay? I can’t have you getting your body hurt. It’s too pretty,” she said.

  “My only concern right now is your safety. Now get back inside,” I said.

  The howling stopped, and I whipped up from Violet’s grasp. I stared at the throngs of coyotes as they lined the street leading up to the lodge. I felt Violet’s hand run down my arm, intertwining our fingers as her hands began to tremble.

  She was terrified, and the feeling her trembling against my body infuriated me. They had no right to do this. To roll up into this lodge and scare the people we cared about.

  I watched Ford approach them as everyone slowly gathered around Violet. I pushed her behind me, blocking her with my own body. We encased her in a shield, protecting her from what was about to happen as the pack shifted to their human forms and laughed at us.

  “What do you want?” Ford asked.

  “Our fair due,” a coyote said.

  “Then go find it somewhere else,” Ford said.

  That same tingling feeling shot up my back again. I felt Violet release my hand as she pressed her body into my back. She was leaning heavily on me like she was trying to support the weight of her fear against my back. I saw Ford dart his eyes behind me, worry dripping from his stare as he watched his sister become vulnerable. His eyes met mine, and they heated again, but this time I wasn’t going to let it bother me.

  “She’ll be okay. I’m going to make sure of that,” I said.

  Then, it happened.

  The sound of a howl rang out, and Ford went falling to the ground.

  Chapter 12

  Violet

  I felt Grant stiffen against me as the sounds of howls off in the distance. The crowd grew on both sides as coyotes walked out the forest line. They looked mean. Like they had come for blood. Our clan was pouring from the lodge, surrounding me as Grant pushed me behind him.

  I looked around for my brother and found him standing at my side. I looked up at him, seeing the fear running through his eyes he tried to keep stoic. This was bad. I knew it was bad. If my brother feared anything, it was the loss of someone he loved. Someone he cared for he felt the need to protect. And if he was fearful of the coyotes running up onto his property, then it confirmed my worst fears.

  This group was, in fact, out for blood.

  The lodge’s parking lot was full of people. Bears on our side, coyotes on theirs. It was like an old war standoff. Like two countries fighting over a piece of land, they both wanted to claim as theirs.

  Suddenly, I felt Grant push back into me. The entire group was moving in slow motion. A snail’s pace as the coyotes edged closer. They were slowly moving back towards the front door as Grant reached back, shoving me further away from him. I grabbed onto his hands, not wanting to be parted from him as my eyes connected with the men over his shoulder.

  But then I felt someone’s arms wrap around me as they slowly pull me through the crowd.

  The members of the group kept slowly pushing me backward. Reaching for me and maneuvering me back into the lodge. Grant kept getting farther and farther away as I reached for him. Clawing for him and trying my best to get back to him. I didn’t care what anyone thought. I didn’t care what my brother saw. All I wanted was to hold his hand and bring him with me.

  All I wanted was for him to be safe.

  Just as Tyler grabbed onto me and pulled me towards the front door, growls rang out. Men around me shifted and I saw nothing but fur, claws and teeth. Growls and snarls broke the air. I bit back a scream as I watched my brother to the ground. Fear and anger gripped my heart, and for the first time in a long while I felt like I was going to shift. Grant appeared in an instant, grabbing onto my arm and pulled me behind a car in the parking lot. I went down with a crash as his body landed on top of mine, his muscles pinning me to the ground as I curled up into a little ball.

  Then, I felt his lips on the shell of my ear.

  “No matter what happens, don’t you fucking move.”

  “But, Ford…”

  “He’s fine,” Grant said. “He ducked behind a car and shifted.”

  I felt Grant pull away from me and I reached for him. I didn’t want him to go. I wanted him to be safe with me and not out there with all of those growls.

  I tried to stand up to shift, to help with the fight, but his eyes darkened.

  “This is not your fight, Violet. Don’t push yourself into it. Stay here and stay safe.”

  I watched him dip behind cars and then I saw him shift for the first time. It happened in an instant. Instead of the gorgeous man with muscles there was now a large grizzly bear. He stood up on his hind legs and leg out a roar, drawing the attention of several coyotes to him.

  That was what he was doing.

  He was drawing the fight away from me.

  I looked around for my brother and saw him. I could recognize his bear anywhere. He was just standing up from breaking a coyote’s neck. His eyes searched the crowd for me and I could see the muscles under his fur slightly relax when he saw I was alright. Then his eyes found Grant. He watched as he drew away the coyotes from where I was hiding.

  I watched my brother attack another coyote, taking him out, before his eyes connected again with mine.

  They were terrified. He was pleading with me to stay where I was and not get involved. I’d never seen my brother like this. I’d never seen him so comfortable and yet so blatantly out of place. I peeked up around the car as more coyote’s stalked over to the fight.

  But when I spotted Grant again, I understood why Ford was panicking.

  Grant had three coyotes’ attacking him at once.

  Growls came in every direction as Grant continued to swipe with his strong claws and pull the coyotes from his body. Every time a coyote got a step closer to where I was he moved his large body in front of me. Shielding me from every attack.

  T
he sounds of howls struck back up, and a few of the coyotes ran away. I could tell some of them had been hurt, their groans audible and their cries of pain piercing. They were leaving blood trails as they ran off into the distance, dirtying the concrete as Grant continued to attack coyotes.

  He made it almost look like a dance. A fluid dance of a bear whose skill set was defined by his need to protect. He choked the air from their necks before slamming their bodies to the ground.

  It was beyond impressive, and I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

  I couldn’t take hiding any longer. I was a shifter too, and I would be able to help them with this fight. I stood up and let my bear take over my body. My skin vanished and fur and claws replaced it. I stood up on my hind legs and let out a loud growl. I was smaller than the rest of the clan, but I could still hold my own.

  Multiple coyotes were still attacking Grant, so I rushed up behind him and started to pull them off with my teeth. I felt a rush of adrenaline shoot through my body as I dragged them off his back. With a hard swipe with my claws and a chomp of my jaw I was able to get them to run away. Grant turned towards me, and I could feel the instant connection between us. It was as if the whole world melted around us. I wanted nothing more than to be with him in that second.

  I wanted the feeling his lips against my body.

  A loud snarl interrupted our connection and we both turned to fight whatever was coming at us. I let out a growl and then I rushed toward the remaining coyotes. Grant followed suit as we both moved farther into the fight. I would help the clan take these fuckers down, one by one.

  Suddenly the howls stopped and the coyotes were running away. I let out a slight sigh of relief as I shifted back to my human form, realizing that the cost was clear. But when I looked over at my brother to rejoice with him, he was nowhere to be found.

  Then, I heard his voice.

  “Grant!”

  I darted my eyes around. I saw Ford barreling down the sideway before he dropped to his knees. My legs took off as fast as they could go, dodging men who were reaching out to me. I could hear Jackson and Lincoln yelling behind me. Telling me to stop as I sprinted down the sidewalk.