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Chapter 302

Chapter0302
I’m pleasantly surprised when Grace pushes forward and kisses me. I don’t waste any time taking what she is offering. It becomes apparent to me quickly that she is inexperienced, but her tentative exploration only excites me more.
When she pushes away from me, I can see that her wolf and the mate bond. overwhelmed her. I’m fine with that. Louis keeps pushing me to mark her and make her ours. But I made that mistake before, trying to push someone into a mate bond they didn’t want. I refuse to do it again.
It was one of the first questions that Rik asked me when I called him last night, if I had forced the mate bond on Grace. After letting him know that she’s my fated mate and no, I have not yet marked her, he and I both agreed that this situation is not ideal. Her being a young, Alpha female who is also a Guardian, alone in the world, puts her at risk. I also told him that there is something going on with her past and I plan to find out what it is. I let him know that she may not be as willing to leave here as he and I would like. If I can’t convince her to come on her own, we agreed to pull out the big guns.
We begin walking again. “Will you tell me about your father?”
“Why do you care?” She asks me. Yeah, there’s definitely a story there. Anyone that has seen the mate bond in action would know that I care because she’s mine. I would want to help her anyway, but her being my mate seals the deal.
“I care because I’m your mate. But beyond that, it seems like you’re out here on your own when you have a parent that should be looking out for you, but isn’t.” As we walk up onto her porch, I stop and look at her. “If I had to guess, I’d say that as an Alpha, your father didn’t like that you didn’t have your wolf. He either banished you or began abusing you. I’m guessing your mother got you out of that environment or came with you in your banishment. If that’s the case, then the severed mate bond would be what killed your mother slowly, over time. How am I doing so far?” I ask her, but I can see by the look on her face that I’ve hit home. She turns, opening her front door before walking in. Tonight, she doesn’t close the door in my face. I stand at the door watching her. “Well, you may as well come in.” She says, when she sees that I’m standing outside.
I step inside to a place that’s as small as my hotel room and that’s saying something, especially when this space has a kitchen as well. I can almost see the benefits of Grace working in the diner. At least there she can get a real meal. This kitchen only has a small refrigerator, sink and small counter space with a hot
MONTHLY
plate and microwave, no stove. She puts a pot of water on the hot plate to heat and grabs some tea bags from one of the two cabinets.
“Tea?” She asks me and I nod. I don’t usually drink tea, but if it gives me more time with my mate, I will.
I watch as she pulls out two mugs, the only two mugs she has and places a tea bag in each, waiting for the tea pot to whistle. When it does, she pours the hot water into each cup.
“Cream or sugar?” She asks.
“I’ll take it however you make it.”
She leaves it without cream or sugar and brings it over to a small table, sitting both mugs on the table. “You can sit in the chair.” She tells me as she sits on the floor. Rather than taking the only chair in the room, I sit on the floor opposite