Filthy rich werewolves novel Chapter 63

JASON

My beta is staring at me and his mouth will twitch every so often like he wants to say something but is thinking better of it.

Gone is my normal drawn back ponytail and in its place are layers that while still maintaining some length, are short enough to frame my face. Grace managed to trim the sides and underneath stylishly short and to keep my hair longer on top. I’m rather pleased with the cut. It might take a little getting used to, but I’m not that concerned with my appearance, so it’ll do.

Terrence can’t seem to get past the new look. “I don’t remember scheduling an appointment with a hairstylist for you, sir.”

“Oh?”

Terrence tilts his head. “Do you want me to arrange an appointment with the stylist?”

"There's no need. Grace helped trim my hair last night."

“So it had been Grace!”

I meet his knowing gaze. “Yes, T.”

“Huh.”

I know he wants to say more, but there are some lines my beta won’t cross. I respect him more for it.

“I like it. The trim isn't too bad, huh?" I fiddle with the bangs, pushing my hair back and letting it fall back into place.

The corner of Terrence's mouth twitches. “I like it.”

* * * * * * * * * *

GRACE

At noon, Lina took time off to meet up with me.

We found a small restaurant near the Sanitation Service Center to eat at.

"Lily made things difficult for you that day and asked you to go through the garbage for a long time. Why didn't you tell me?" Lina complains. As a good friend, she had only found out about this matter through the news.

"It's not a big deal," I reassure her.

As a good friend, Lina knows I’m lying.

“It’s not fair to you, Grace. You’ve been through enough!”

Back in the earlier days of our friendship, I seemed to have been blessed by luck. I made great strides in my studies and had always been the top student in school. Once out in society, I got into the best law firm in the city and even began a relationship with Sean—the most eligible alpha around.

Almost everyone envied me. If I’m really honest with myself, it’s moments like this one, right now, with Lina, where someone’s looking at me with pity and embarrassment that make the physical horrors of the past pale to the emotional ones.

“Stop feeling sorry for me, Lina. I said it wasn’t a big deal. Don’t make it one.”

“Grace… it’s not okay.”

I sigh. “Hey, I'm fine. Really. It’s just some garbage.” A small smile played on my mouth. “Besides, if the social media sites are anything to go by, Lily is the one to pay the price for it. People hate her for what she’s done. It’s an affront on common people, it seems.”

“It’s not enough, Grace. Lily has gone overboard. It is one thing for her family to find someone to deal with you in prison. However, they continue to create such difficulties even after you've been released.” Lina huffs indignantly.

"In the Atkinson family's opinion, I was the one who caused Jennifer’s death," I say after a long time. “I’d expected them to resent me. It was a tragedy.”

It was just that before Lily had given the order to pull out her nails in prison, she had never known that people could be so vicious!

"Hey, you..." Lina’s eyes widen. "Don't tell me that you're interested in him!”

"No," I deny. "Lina, you know, I've experienced so many things. Even when I was in prison, I... I don't intend to be interested in anyone. Those things aren’t in the cards for me.”

When the matter of prison is brought up, Lina's face darkens. “Hey, maybe we can consult a doctor again, maybe—“

"No, since I don't intend to get married, there's no point in consulting one," I say.

Between the accident and miscarriage, my uterus was damaged. And, I’ve not been able to shift since that fateful night, so it’s doubtful that it would have healed. Then, while in prison, there were numerous beatings, often resulting in bruising and bleeding along my abdomen. Children are not in my future. If I could conceive at all.

Even the doctor at the human hospital had advised her not to get pregnant in the future. The complications could prove fatal for both her and her baby.

But I have no intention of bringing a baby into this world. What kind of life could I provide for my child? A simple existence in a shitty little apartment? And what of the stigma my baby would bear as the child of ‘an ex-convict’? As the outcast of her pack? As a wolf…who no longer had a wolf.

I know how cruel people can be and I would never do that to an innocent baby.

"By the way, that younger brother of yours—after all, he was a stranger before. And I’m not saying this to take away from your happiness—you deserve only the best things!—but when you talk about Sean and your dad and our friends… they all knew you. We knew them. This guy is a total stranger. Who’s to say he won’t someday change? Just be careful. Ok?”

"I will. But, even if I don't know much about Jay, there's one thing I'm certain of. No matter what, he will not harm me."

Lina takes my hands. “I hope you’re right, Grace. I really do.”

Something in her tone compels me to ask, “Why?”

“Because if Jay were to hurt you… I’m not sure you would survive it.”