The Traitor's Daughter

by Mary Goldberger

  “Why now after all this time?” She muttered aloud into the empty kitchen and then she felt hard arms wrap around her pulling her into a hard chest.

  “Grace,” he muttered, and Grace began to sob for the first time since the night her parents died.

  Artur had been heading down the stairs his mind still astonished at what he read in the diary that Grace had given him when the phone rang. He had stilled in the entry wall of the living room when the answering picked up, and his eyes had widened when he heard Grace’s voice too.

  He had hurried to the kitchen although he heard everyone spoken and when he reached the kitchen, he was in time to see Grace throw the phone across the room.

  Her next words tore at his heart as anger streaked through his body, and his wolf was howling and snarling in anger.

  After he had pulled her into his chest, his arms tightened slightly as she cried and he knew that the phone call had shaken her up.

  “Cry all you want to,” he whispered his hands resting on her hips bones as arms crossed behind her back.

  “I just do not understand,” sobbed Grace against his chest. “The pack never bothered with me before so why now? What has changed in the last few months that made someone decide to do this to me?”

  Artur sighed closing his eyes as he said, “You were at the pack house that night when we arrived; maybe someone saw you there.”

  He could feel her shake her head against his chest and she muttered, “No one paid attention to me that night.”

  Artur frowned thinking back to that night and he had to agree with her, besides him, he had not noticed anyone else paying attention to her.

  “I did not notice anyone either,” he admitted in a small voice, and Grace drew back a little to look up at him her violet eyes bright with unshed tears. Artur smiled as he moved one arm from around her back to use a hand to wipe away the tears on her face, and he said, “Besides me, of course.”

  A slight smile came to her face, and Artur leaned down kissing her softly on the lips and he felt her gentle sigh. He picked her up and walked into the living heading for the chair that he learned she favored.

  Seating down in it, he tucked her head underneath his chin and ran a hand through her hair as he told her quietly, “Grace, I do not know who this bastard is, but I promise you that he was lying. The only person who should have you is me, and only me.”

  He felt Grace’s body tremble in his arms, and he heard the sigh that escaped her lips after his confession. She tilted her head back to look at him, and smiled, “Thank you.”

  “Do not thank me,” Artur said leaning down until his lips hovered above hers. “Just so you know, I will be claiming you as my mate although I will wait until you are ready.”

  Grace opened her mouth, but before she could say a word Artur’s lips covered hers, and she could not think of anything else. The kiss was sweet yet passionate, and Grace melted against Artur as he slowly drew his lips away from her to trail them down her throat.

  “Artur,” she murmured throatily.

  “Hmm,” he mumbled nibbling on her throat.

  “Did you read the diary?” She asked, and Artur stopped what he was doing at the note of apprehension that he heard in her voice.

  “Grace,” started Artur his voice firm as he lifted his head blue-gold eyes meeting her beautiful violet ones, “You being the daughter of an Alpha and the daughter from a long line of gifted werewolves does not change anything for me. I have known for some time that there was something special about you, and my wolf agrees with me which if you knew how astonishing that is, then you would be laughing at me.”

  Grace tilted her head looking up at him as a slight frown started to cross her face, but Artur shook his head and lifted a hand smoothing away the frown.

  “When I was mated to Lana, my wolf and I did not agree on anything concerning her,” Artur admitted in a soft voice as he tilted her chin a little more before his lips settled over hers again.

  Grace wiggled slightly to get her arms out from between their bodies and once released, she wrapped them around his neck locking her hands at the back of his hair fingers buried into its thickness. The kiss turned hot and heavy before either one of them realized at it, but neither pulled away.

  Grace arched into him as the kiss set her body on fire, and she felt lightheaded at the sensations running through her body. Artur was running his hand up and down her back as he pulled her tighter into him. He changed the angle of the kiss so that Grace lay across his lap as his hand slipped underneath her thin shirt and at the contact of his warm hands on her skin, Grace gasped, her eyes flying open. Artur felt more than heard her gasp as his hands went under her shirt and it took all his strength to slide his hands out as he opened his eyes to look into the beautiful violet of hers and he saw the wonder there along with passion and an apprehension.

  Artur pulled back and took a deep breath as he said, “I promised that we would not do anything until you were ready, but I ask for one thing?”

  Grace’s eyes narrowed on him, and he laughed at her reaction for although she still had passion in her eyes now there was a look of confusion. He leaned forward, and kissing her lightly on lips red from their passionate kiss, he whispered, “Can I sleep in your bed, with you, tonight?”

  He loved the blush that spread across her cheeks before she nodded her head slowly and gave him a shy smile.

  He laughed a little more at the discovery that his she-wolf had a shy side to her even though she could fight as well as any male that he has seen so far.

  “Something smells good,” he said burying his nose into her hair.

  Grace swallowed as she sat up in his lap, “I made dinner.”

  Artur jumped up holding onto her as he got to his feet. “I love it when you cook. I am starving,” he said, and Grace heard the double meaning in his voice that she blushed again, which Artur caught and a smug smile crossed his face. Grace catching the smug smile scowled at him, and he laughed holding out an arm to her.

  “Let’s eat,” he said, and she smiled grabbing his arm as they walked into the kitchen.

  Grace waved Artur to the table while she headed over to the stove to dish out two plates of the pasta that she somehow saved from overcooking although she felt they were still rubbery, and she admitted as much as she sat down the plate in front of Artur.

  “I am sorry, but the pasta is a little overdone,” she told him with a slight grimace, but Artur only smiled and dug in.

  “Still good in my opinion,” Artur told her after he finished the first plate, and Grace looked up at him with wide eyes as she had not even got halfway through her own meal.

  “Would you like some more?” Grace asked starting to stand up and reaching for his plate, but Artur stopped her again.

  He placed a kiss on the palm of her hand as he stood up and told her, “I can get it myself. You sit down and eat your food.”

  “Yes, sir,” Grace said smartly as Artur turned from the table, but she sat down when he shot a look over his shoulder that had Grace laughing as a shiver of anticipation went down her back.

  He was back a few seconds later with another full plate and Grace only shook her head before she advised, “I would leave room for dessert as I made a strawberry shortcake earlier today unless Amy and the others got to it first.”

  “They better not have,” Artur growled as he started on his second helping of pasta, and Grace only smiled shaking her head.

  Once she finished, she put her plate into the sink and checked in the refrigerator pulling out cake tray that had the most delicious looking cake Artur had ever seen outside a store.

  “I guess my friends’ mates are safe,” he said turning his eyes away from the tempting dessert as he finished the food on his plate. After he finished, he helped Grace to put away the leftovers and clean up the dirty dishes before he looked at her with pleading eyes.

  She laughed as she went into a draw and pulled out a cake knife before grabbing a plate and then she cut him a d
ecent size slice.

  “Thank you,” he breathed taking the plate from her before leaning down and kissing her gently.

  “You are welcome,” Grace said licking some of the cake that had gotten on her hand.

  Artur ate the cake leaning against the counter as he and Grace made small talk as she wiped down the counters. After he finished the slice, he took the plate and the utensils to wash while Grace put the cake back into the refrigerator.

  “Are you ready for bed?” He asked as she closed the refrigerator, and she looked back at him with wariness but she nodded her head.

  They headed upstairs together only stopping briefly as Artur made a stop by the bedroom he once used to grab a bag that he had left there before they continued on up.

  “I am going to go and take a shower,” Grace told him as she gathered her night things together, and Artur nodded his head watching her disappear back down the stairs.

  By the time she came back upstairs, he was in a pair of sweats and lying on the bed with his hands stacked behind his bed.

  “What are you thinking about so seriously?” Grace asked as she quietly came into the room. Artur looked over at her and his eyes narrowed as desire rushed through his body, and Grace blushed at the look.

  “No, I was just thinking about what I learned about you,” he said watching her eyes grow a little wary at his comment. He patted the bed next to him as he sat up and Grace walked over slowly settling down next to him.

  “I think that it explains some things about you that I had been wondering about,” he told her putting an arm around her pulling her up against his side.

  “What is it that you have been wondering about?” Grace asked, and Artur laughed lightly as he slid them down in the bed. He begin speaking to her quietly as the night moved on, and finally he watched as her eyes closed in exhaustion although he swore a slight smile tugged at her sensational lips.

  Grace curled into Artur as he pulled her as close to him as he possibly could, and he whispered, “Sleep. I will be here when you wake in the morning.”

  Grace was so tired that she did not realize what she muttered next, “Promise,” but Artur did and smiled as he thought about when she made him swear not to make a promise he could not keep.

  “I promise,” he whispered, and she drifted off to sleep. He pushed back her black hair as he looked down on her face, and he sighed with wonder as his wolf howled in contentment and he fell asleep with a smile on his face.

  The moon flickered off the water, and for a second lit up the cabin that stood near the lake, but isolated from the pack territory. Inside a man stood looking out the window his eyes unfocused and trained across the water where he could see a certain house with one light left on, and he smiled darkly.

  “Are you coming back to bed?” a voice whispered in the darkness, and he looked over his shoulder turning from the window and walked back over to the dropping down on the willingly woman who laid there. Soon, he said to himself, and then she will know the pleasure of his touch and the pain of her own death.

  “Oh, baby,” the woman on the bed, murmured as he came into hard, and she screamed but it was not her face he was seeing or her voice he was hearing. He was grinning as he kept slamming into the woman while he pictured another in her place. He was so lost in his own pleasure that he did not hear her cries of pain although he enjoyed it when she flinched from him after he was done. He laughed aloud as her eyes widened in fear before she passed out on the bed. He looked at her in disgust then he turned away as his mind went to another woman who was probably crying and waiting when he would appear.

  “Soon, baby,” he whispered into the darkness, “I promise you that.”

  Chapter 14

  The next morning, Grace woke up slowly as light flickered through the one window in the room. She started to stretch when she felt a hard body pressed tight to hers, and she stilled for a second until she remembered and she relaxed against Artur.

  “Good morning,” he said in a husky, but sleepy voice.

  Grace tilted her head to meet his and she smiled slightly before replying, “Good morning.”

  Artur chuckled softly as he tightened the arms still wrapped around her sighing in contentment.

  “Are you hungry?” Grace questioned softly her hand resting on his bare chest fingers slightly moving unconsciously.

  To Artur, the movement of her fingers on his chest was relaxing and arousing all at the same time, but he ignored it as he told her teasingly, “You are always feeding me.”

  Grace gave him a smug smile as she told him, “I am a decent cook, and I enjoy cooking for you.”

  Artur liked that answer as he lifted her lightly so that she rested on his chest, and with a hand at the back of her head, he leaned up and kissed her deeply.

  “Let’s eat breakfast,” he murmured against her lips, and Grace choked back a laugh at his words. Shaking her head, she eased off him and went to her closet consciously aware of Artur’s blue-gold eyes watching her intensely.

  She grabbed a pair of gray leggings and a blue-green shirt before she turned to the door saying over her shoulder, “I am going to take a shower and get dressed. Feel free to go back to sleep, or meet me downstairs for breakfast.”

  She did not look back but she heard Artur’s loud laughter as she headed down to the bathroom her eyes shining with laughter.

  After taking a shower and getting dressed, Grace was in the kitchen twenty minutes later only to be astonished to see Artur already there standing in front of the stove.

  “How do you like your eggs?” He asked as he broke two eggs into a frying pan, and Grace laughed only shaking her head as she headed for the coffee pot and saying, “However you want to make them.”

  They worked in silence as Grace made coffee and toast, and Artur made scramble eggs and bacon.

  Sitting down at the table thirty minutes later, Artur told Grace, “I need to go back to the pack house later.”

  Grace nodded her head as she took a sip of her coffee before asking, “What happened on the hunt?”

  She watched the hard mask that covered Artur's face as he told her, “We found at least four more families attacked although only the first family had been killed. We tracked as far as we could, but unfortunately, after a day, the trail went cold. Steve wanted to get you to help, but…”

  Even though he did not continue, Grace’s face went blank as she got up from the table, and as she headed to the sink, she told him, “I could have told Steve that just mentioning my name will get a negative response no matter what I can do.”

  Artur watched her walk over to the sink and he noticed her hands clenched before she began to clean the dishes.

  “That is their lost,” Artur answered suddenly as he brought the rest of the dishes over for her to wash.

  Grace gave him a smile although her violet eyes were shadowed causing Artur to clench his teeth.

  She shook her head and turned back to the dishes, and whispered, “Thank you, Artur.”

  He did not respond as they finished up, and as Artur began to leave the house, he turned to Grace.

  “So what are your plans for today?” He asked pulling her into his arms.

  “I have to go to work in about an hour,” Grace admitted, and Artur looked down at the outfit with a speaking glance.

  Grace laughed as she told him, “I rarely wear my uniform to work, but change there.”

  Artur nodded his head and leaned down to kiss her lightly before pulling back, and said with a slight question in his voice, “See you tonight, Grace?”

  Grace gave him a narrowed look as she said, “If you have to stay at the pack house, just give me a call.”

  “I will see you tonight,” Artur told her in a determined voice, and Grace nodded her head before he kissed her again, and then left.

  Grace watched him before she closed the door and headed upstairs make the bed, and check the other rooms before she began to get ready to go to work.

  Grace was in the kitchen wh
en there was a knock on her front door but before Grace could go answer it, the door opened and Amy called out, “Grace, we came over to hang out together and the guys will be here soon.”

  “Kitchen,” Grace said with laugh, and they all headed in that direction. Grace was standing in front of the oven as they walked in and the timer went off at the same time. She opened the oven to pull out the pan of cookies she was baking. When she realized that Artur liked homemade cookies, she made sure to keep some in the house for him.

  “Hi,” she said looking up and smiling as she pulled off the mittens.

  “Cookies,” they all exclaimed and rushed forward as Grace laughed.

  “There is a plate on the table that is filled with cooled cookies,” she said starting to take the new batch from the pan to put on a cooling rack.

  “These are delicious,” Susan said around her bite of cookie.

  “Can I take some with me, please?” Ashley said while grabbing another. Grace just nodded her head as she asked, “Anything to drink?”

  “Please,” they chorused as they pigged out on the cookies.

  It had been two weeks since that night and now he stayed every night unless they needed him at the pack house. On those nights, he would try to get her to stay at the pack house with him. When that did not work, he asked Amy or one of the others to stay with her for the night. They disliked leaving there mates but for one night, they decided to handle to ease Artur’s worry about leaving Grace alone. Grace sighed as she poured those drinks because she knew that eventually she would have to stay at the pack house. It was not fair to the others that they spend a night away from their mates because she was scared to go into the pack house.

  “Here you go,” she said bringing the drinks over, and she got nods as they continued eating. She heard the front door open as she went back around the kitchen counter, and she smiled as she heard Ace say, “Hey, don’t eat all the cookies.”

  The men rushed over to get a cookie before the girls ate them all, and Grace started laughing as Amy held it out of their reach.