Grant Page 5

“Look, I didn’t come here to fight, okay? I’ve got some shit I gotta do at the lodge, but I’ll be there for most of the day getting stuff done. Why don’t you stop by? We’ll have lunch. Some drinks. Catch up and shit.”

  “If you’ve got shit to do, won’t the guys be there?” I asked. “I thought you didn’t want me interacting with them ever in the history of ever.”

  “You said it yourself, Violet… you haven’t seen them in years. You’re obviously holding your own life down well if you can swoop in and pay off a mortgage. The guys would love to see you again, and I’d like to have my sister around. And now I don’t have to worry about you wanting to suddenly be a part of this lifestyle.”

  “That’s never what I wanted. Stop thrusting that on me,” I said.

  “Just trying to get you to understand where I’m coming from. I’d really like you around today, sis.”

  “Really? You would?”

  “Of course, I would. You’re my little sister. My sassy compatriot. You can beat asses alongside the best of them. I’d bet on you against any of those guys any day.”

  I smiled as I threw my arms around Ford.

  “I’d love to stop by,” I said.

  “Good. I have some shit to do this morning for the clan.”

  I rolled my eyes. “The clan always comes first.”

  “Cut me some slack, I’m the Alpha,” Ford said with a chuckle. “I’m just glad I’m gonna get some time with my sister. See you at lunch time?”

  “See you then.”

  I watched as Ford left the house, his jacket slung over his shoulder. I was beginning to get nervous. The more I thought about it, the more familiar Grant looked to me. Like I had met him before. Was he a member of the clan, and I just forgot? Shit, I hope he isn’t friends with Ford.

  I let go of a breath that I didn’t realize I was holding. The chances of that were slim. Nashville was a big city. There were a lot of shifters in the area. He probably knows who my brother was but that probably it.

  I bit my lip as I thought of Grant’s face. Maybe I could meet up with him again after I had lunch with my brother.

  I felt excited butterflies multiplying in my gut as I bounded up the stairs. I needed to take a shower and make sure I didn’t have any marks to cover up. I still couldn’t shake the nervous energy in my bones. The looming voice in the back of my mind. The little whisper telling me this was all about to go very wrong.

  What were the chances that Grant and Ford knew each other?

  Slim. But this was my life, and it always had a funny way of fucking me over when I least expected it.

  I scrubbed my body down as I relived the memories of last night. The way Grant’s cock felt as he filled my body with his. The way his lips felt on the nape of my neck. The way his skin electrified mine as we writhed together in the bathroom of the bar.

  Ford would be so pissed if he knew I’d been kicked out of it for shit like that.

  I felt my pelvis heating with lust as I thought about Grant’s tongue between my legs. There were so many things I still wanted him to do to me. So many positions I wanted that man to have me in. I wanted to ride his cock until he groaned my name. I wanted him to fuck me against the wall again and pin me with his chest. I wanted to suck his cock in the shower as water rushed down my back.

  I even wanted him to tie me down and explore my body any way he desired.

  My hand slipped over my soapy breasts and traveled towards my pussy folds. The thought of him was too much, and I would never be able to focus on lunch if I didn’t relieve the aching want I had for that man. My fingers found my clit as I slid my ass to the floor, the hot water beating down on my flushed body.

  I felt the ghost of his lips against my neck as my fingers circled my clit. I felt his hands pressing into the swell of my chest as I bucked into my own palm. I felt my juices pouring out, seeking the warmth of his tongue as they pooled on the shower floor. I opened my eyes and watched it all swirl down the drain as I rose to my climax, my fingers plunging into my depths as I thought about Grant’s cock.

  His thick, pulsing, leaking cock.

  I pressed my head into the shower wall and climaxed with his name falling from my lips. My legs shook and my back arched. My breats bounced with every jolt of electricity that ricocheted through my body. I closed my eyes, and I could see him. I could see his rippling body and I could feel his scars of war. I could see the sly grin on his cheeks, and I could feel his cock pumping me full of his hot, juicy come.

  I wanted to be close to Grant again.

  I needed to be in his presence.

  I sat there, my hand limp between my legs as I sighed. I was in a lot of trouble. If Grant was someone that frequented the club’s bar, then he was associated with them somehow. I didn’t know how, and I wasn’t sure if I would ever figure it out, but there was something about him I couldn’t place. And my inability to place it was going to get me into trouble before I could sidestep the issue.

  Now, I had to go to the lodge. If only to solve the mystery of Grant and why he seemed so damn familiar.

  Chapter 9

  Grant

  I walked into the lodge and started scanning for Ford. I didn’t see him at first, so I got myself a beer from the fridge. I never really thought of myself as Beta of our clan. Mainly because I never really thought it was possible. Even though I had the strength, I would not challenge one of the members of my clan. But now, that the opportunity was there, I realized I wanted it more than I ever thought I would.

  I sat down on the couch in the living room, when Ford finally walked in. I stood up awkwardly to greet him.

  “Sit down, Grant,” he said with a laugh.

  I chuckled slightly and sat back down. Thankfully the lodge was pretty quiet today. I could hear Lincoln and Jackson in other rooms but the living room and kitchen were empty except for me and Ford. Ford grabbed a beer and sat down next to me.

  “So, my guess, is that Lincoln has already talked to you, hasn’t he?”

  I tried to play dumb and shrug my shoulders. But Ford let out a laugh.

  “It’s fine. I know he wouldn’t be able to keep a secret like that for long.”

  “Look Ford, I really appreciate you considering me for Beta. I honestly never thought about it because Lincoln held the position. However, with him stepping down, I’d be honored to take my place by your side.”

  Ford looked over at me and smiled. “That’s what I like about you, Grant. You’re extremely loyal.”

  For a moment, I felt a slight pang in my chest. I was loyal. That’s something I prided myself in. But last night, I completely betrayed Ford’s trust. His sister was off limits. He had made that pretty clear over the years. So, what the fuck was I supposed to do now?

  Jackson and Lincoln walked into the room and stopped short when they saw Ford and I seated on the couch.

  “So,” Lincoln said as he smiled. “Do we have our new Beta?”

  Ford looked over at me and smiled. “We do.”

  Just then doors to the lodge slammed open, and we all looked over to see who it was. Ford’s smile was broad on his face as my stomach hit the floor. It was Violet, in all of her beautiful glory, walking towards the living room as the guys as the guys stilled around me.

  Oh shit.

  This wasn’t happening.

  Holy. Fuck.

  “Guys, I want you to meet someone you haven’t seen in years. She looks a bit different now, but you’ve met her before. This is my little sister Violet. And she’s back from getting her PhD.”

  “He’s joking. That’s not Little Vi,” Jackson said.

  “That’s your lanky little sister? Where’s her black eyeliner?” Lincoln asked.

  “Traded it in for some bombshell lipstick and my natural red hair. You guys like it?” Violet asked.

  “Holy shit, girl. Get over here and give me a hug,” Jackson said.

  Violet threw her arms around Jackson as I tried to avert my gaze as much as possible.

  �
��And this, Violet, is Grant. You met him a couple of times when you were younger, I think,” Ford said.

  “Wait,” Violet said. “You mean the one with the shaggy hair? The thin one that everyone teased about shifting late?”

  I swallowed my shock as her eyes widened and turned back towards me.

  “You’re that Grant?” Violet asked.

  “Looks different now, doesn’t he? Didn’t think you’d recognize him after all these years,” Ford said.

  The guys all rallied around her to give her a massive hug as they doted on how different she looked. And they were right. She looked dramatically different. I had a hard time recognizing her even now. But she was just now beginning to process who I was as her eyes raked up and down my form.

  Her eyes were begging me. Silencing me with their nervousness before she finally turned her gaze to everyone else. She looked genuinely happy to see everyone. A couple of the other guys from the clan walked in and gave her big hugs. They were hugging her close and scanning her body. I could see Taylor and Carter allowing their hands to linger just a little too long on her body. Ford smacked their hands away and gave them a predatory stare, but it didn’t stop the jealousy from ricocheting throughout my body.

  And still, Violet was begging.

  Every time her eyes caught mine, she pleaded with me to keep my mouth shut. But she didn’t have to worry. I’d just been made Beta of the clan. I wasn’t going to do anything to ruin that for myself. But I couldn’t deny that I wanted her. I couldn’t deny that I felt like she was mine. The way our bodies had connected and the way things seemed to natural between the two of us.

  It pissed me off that all the guys were hugging on her.

  And it pissed my bear off even more.

  I was struggling. Pulled between two worlds I now wanted. I looked over at my clan and felt the sense of loyalty rush through me. But then there was Violet. With her jaw-dropping curves and her sassy attitude. She took no shit from anyone, and she stood her ground. Independent and fiery, just like I remembered her. She was the kind of woman I wanted in my life. She was the kind of woman I wanted standing at my side.

  But she was Ford’s little sister. My Alpha’s fucking sister.

  And she was now, more than ever, off limits.

  Chapter 10

  Violet

  As the guys hugged my neck and kept talking about how different I looked, I begged Grant to keep quiet. To keep his mouth shut and try to act natural. The last thing we needed was my brother finding out about us. About what we did the night before in the bar. The guys kept hugging me and picking me up off my feet, and I could tell it was pissing Grant off. I could see the way he gripped his beer as he sat there silently and watched everything unfold.

  “I cannot believe it’s you, Violet,” Tyler said. “You look fucking phenomenal.”

  “Hey, that’s my damn sister you’re talking about,” Ford said.

  “We’re not sticking our dicks in her. Just complimenting her on how she’s blossomed into a beautiful woman,” Carter said.

  “Don’t you fucking use that kind of language around her. You hear me?” Ford asked.

  I rolled my eyes as Ford quickly because distracted by the other guys.

  I slid through the bickering crowd and made my way over to Grant. He was sitting at the couch, silently nursing his beer. He was white-knuckling the glass as I slid into the cushion Ford had been occupying, trying to make things look as innocent as I could for the sake of my brother. The arguing was getting loud, but I ignored it. I was pissed off with how all of this was already going down. Ford didn’t have any fucking reason to be this pissed off with how absent he’d been in my life

  But I knew sleeping with Grant had consequences for him.

  “Why the fuck didn’t you tell me you were coming to this thing?” Grant asked.

  “Because I didn’t know I was. And why the hell didn’t you tell me you were that Grant?” I asked.

  “Figured if I was important enough to remember, you would’ve,” he said.

  “Oh, don’t give me that shit. You really mean to tell me you recognized me a last night in the damn bar and slept with me anyway?”

  Grant fell silent as the guys continued to argue over stupid shit. Sometimes I really hated the opposite sex and how petty they could get with stuff.

  I looked out over the lodge and noticed a couple of guys eyeing me closely. Lincoln and Jackson were staring me down, and I was beginning to grow nervous. Their eyes kept darting between Grant and I, and I could see they were slowly putting the pieces together. I knew they would recognize me from that night. Especially since I’d fucking sat down with them at the bar. The rest of the guys were too busy arguing over the fact that someone said ‘dick’ in front of me, but Lincoln and Jackson had their sights trained on us.

  And I could tell by the way Grant straightened up that he saw it, too.

  “You think they know?” he asked.

  “Yep. I think they’re putting the pieces together,” I said.

  “This could ruin everything.”

  “No shit, Sherlock. It’s why I’m trying to keep it under wraps for you.”

  “When the hell did you figure out you were coming to this thing?” he asked.

  “This morning, when my brother invited me. I went home just in time to see Mom rushing off to her morning shift, and Ford was just… in the house. Like he didn’t fucking do anything wrong.”

  “Wrong? What does that mean?” he asked.

  “Nothing. I just get upset when I see Ford like this. He acts like the protective brother and shit, but the truth is this morning was the first time I’d seen him since I graduated. And before that, I hadn’t seen him for four years.”

  “Four years?”

  “Yep. I got angry with him as a kid for him never wanting me to hang out with you guys. It’s why I didn’t recognize you. I’d only met you twice, and you sure as hell didn’t look like this all those years ago.”

  “No. No, I didn’t,” he said.

  “He was trying to keep me safe. Away from all this shit. But I thought he didn’t want me around. Was embarrassed about me or something. We fought a lot over it, and it put a lot of distance between us. We fought the night before I left for college and I didn’t speak to him again until I was graduating.”

  “What did you guys fight about?”

  “Stupid shit. I wanted to go hang out with him and the guys here that night. Have one last hurrah before I left for college. And he told me I was stupid for wanting to do that. He accused me of wanting to sleep with one of them and get free drinks and how I’d end up getting myself into trouble he’d have to bail me out of again. Like he’d ever bailed me out of anything in his life.”

  “That’s a pretty shitty fight,” he said.

  “It was. It still is. Every time I think about it, it pisses me off. And now I see him going at Carter because he said ‘dick’ in my presence and it’s all so fucking fake.”

  “He does care about you. That’s how Ford is. He might not always be there, but when you need him, he is,” Grant said.

  “Oh really? Then where the hell was he the night I called my freshman year? When I’d had sex for the first time ever and didn’t know what the hell had just happened?”

  “What?” he asked.

  “Yeah. Went on a date, got caught up in some shit, gave my virginity away, and wasn’t sure how I felt about it. I called my brother three times that night to try and talk with him. Left a voice message and everything. Never heard back from him.”

  “I’m sure there’s an explanation for it.”

  “Or the beginning of my sophomore year. When there was a fucking fire in my building. That shit was all over the news. I was sleeping in my dorm when all of the sudden I was jolted awake by a fire alarm. Smoke was pouring down the hallway the firemen had to break my window to get me out. And where was Ford? Where was he when I was calling because some I’d just been pulled out of a fucking fire?”

  “Vio
let… I’m so sorry,” he said. The arguing behind me continued, and I just couldn’t take it anymore. Anger inside me bubbled.

  “Ford! Fucking knock it off!” I said.

  Everything came to a halt as all the guys looked at me.

  “I’m sorry,” I said as I looked at Grant. “I didn’t realize it would be this big of a deal for me to just come have lunch with my brother.”

  Grant shook his head as the entire room stared at us.

  “Carter said ‘dick.’ So, what? I’ve had dick before. Plenty of it. I’m not about to hop on Carter’s, but this fighting you do whenever you think someone has slighted me is getting old. I can take care of myself. Get off your high horse,” I said.

  “No one should fucking talk like that to you. And what the hell do you mean ‘you’ve had plenty of dick’?”

  “I’m a woman, Ford. With a job and a car and health insurance and sass. I have needs, and I make sure they’re tended to. Don’t start this shit with me today. I came to have lunch with my brother and hug the necks of men I haven’t seen in years because you were the one that kept me away from them. That kept me separate and pushed into the shadows because of whatever bullshit reasons you tell yourself at night. Stop getting so damn defensive. If I need you, I’ll call you.”

  “You’re my fucking sister, Violet.”

  “Then start acting like a damn brother when it’s important,” I said. “Not just when you need to save face.”

  I whipped my eyes over to Lincoln and Jackson and gave them a glance. They looked away from me, bowing their heads towards their feet. They were going to keep their mouths shut on this if it was the last thing I did with myself. Suddenly, I wasn’t in the mood for food. I didn’t want to each lunch or sit in this fucking lodge and play family when my blood was boiling.

  I looked over at Grant as he cast me a worried glance.

  But I just smiled sadly. Then I slid from my seat, walked over to the kitchen, and grabbed myself a beer.

  I could feel everyone’s eyes on me as I walked away from the group. The place I had wanted to be a part of all my life now seemed tainted somehow. I could feel the tension growing in the room as I hopped up onto a barstool, my mind coming to a screeching halt as tears sprang to my eyes.