“What about him?”
“Did they allow him to stay?”
“I’m still dealing with that. He did a few jobs that didn’t make him any allies among the werewolves. But, he’s famous, and they know that he’s a valuable resource.”
“He’s not a resource, he’s—”
“I know,” Vincent cut her off. “I’m doing the best I can to make him a part of our family.” He paused for a moment. “Are you still sure?”
“Yes,” she replied promptly.
“What about him? Has he shown signs that he knows?”
“No.”
“You might be mistaken, honey.”
“Maybe he’s different from me. He’s a hybrid. We have no idea if it was the same way with all the hybrids,” Grace theorized.
“Or maybe he knows but doesn’t want to do anything about it. Men like him have different moral standards and don’t care about love and mate bonds.”
“He glows, Grandpa. He’s mine.”
“Tell him then and see how he reacts.”
“I want to know him better.”
Vincent paused again, which meant that he was thinking about what to say next.
Grace beat him to it. “Don’t worry about me. Just worry about convincing the council to let him stay here with us.”
“What if he doesn’t want to stay?”
“Then, we’ll let him leave.”
“Are you ready to perform the severing ritual if he doesn’t want to stay and doesn’t acknowledge your bond?”
“What other choice do I have?” Grace asked.
“I want your happiness. I knew that one day you’d find your mate. I wished it was someone else. Someone with better morals, a good family background, and less death in their past. But we can’t choose these things.”
“My parents’ bond has already created a lot of tension in our kingdom and family.”
“Only the kingdom, not our family. I welcomed your mother with open arms. She was brave to choose your father over her family.”
A lump formed in Grace’s throat. “I know.”
“Do what is best for you. I can be overprotective about you, but, in the end, it’s up to you to decide what you want to do with your mate. I want your happiness. If it lies on Noah Keith, then I’ll support you.”
Tears clouded her vision. “Have I told you how much I love you and am honored to be your granddaughter?”
“Not enough times,” he joked.
“I love you, Grandpa.”
“I love you too, little angel. I have to go now. Take care of yourself. I’ll call again when I can. Take care of the pups for me.”
“Don’t worry. Night, Grandpa.”
When the call ended, Grace relaxed in her grandfather’s office chair and mused about what she had to do to get closer to Noah.
He was a man of few words. Noah would rather stay in his bedroom than join everybody for the extra-curricular activities. And there were plenty of those in the academy when the sun set and everybody had their dinner.
One of the things that Grace loved about living in an academy was that there were a lot of people to chat and play games with. They also enjoyed watching movies and playing video games. It was like having a big family with many siblings. When she was tired of that, she had the attic to get away. Now, her little haven was occupied by her gorgeous mate.
“How can I make you notice me, Noah Keith?” She asked out loud.