Grayson Redwood's first impression of the young boy standing in front of the little artisan chocolate business was that he must have possessed some demonic characteristics. Child was a complete and total nightmare.
Grayson and his brothers had been raised with the assistance of Mrs. Westwood, a witch who was a jack-of-all-trades. The memory of Mrs. Westwood caused the pain in Grayson's knuckles. If he had even entertained the notion of behaving in the same manner as that child, his knuckles would have been bleeding for a whole week. Or, far worse, she might have coerced him into undergoing the Change, then imprisoned him while he was in his wolf form and chained him up outside with nothing but kibble and water to eat until he learned how to behave appropriately.
When he looked at the child again, he came to the conclusion that he, too, would have been on the receiving end of a newspaper. The only thing that could have been more embarrassing would have been to be hit with a newspaper and made to act like a dog.
What a miserable little cretin. Grayson gave a little shake of the head.
In a broad sense, he did not have a particularly warm and fuzzy feeling toward the creatures, whether they were synthetic or natural. Once Kyle and Randi made the decision to start a family, he would be delighted to take on the role of doting uncle. He would let them to climb all over him, then he would take them running, show them how to shift, stuff them up with candy, and then he would send them home. It wasn't his job to change diapers, put the kids to bed, or...do this.
It appeared that the youngster was around five years old. Who was his mother and where was she? Did she not realize that children may be abducted and that terrible things could occur to them? Despite this, he felt sorry for anyone who was going to kidnap this child. They would have a lot on their plate.
To be fair, there was very little in the way of criminal activity in Blue Willow. The Redwoods interacted with everyone in the town as though they were members of their own family because of how they ran their business. Not only was it the moral thing to do, but also a community that loved and protected its members did not question the requirements or routines of an oddball family that provided the town's primary source of revenue. Its inhabitants were either friendly toward other kinds of supes or were themselves supes. Like Gin Goodwich, the mastermind behind Which Sweet, who created the enchanted chocolate that made Grayson the happiest of all beasties.
And contrary to what most people believe, she was in fact a sugar fairy the whole time and not a witch at all. She had been held captive by bone fairies, who used her to rot the teeth of children and steal them during the night. Eventually, she managed to escape and make her way to Blue Willow.
Speaking of children, the one who was currently capturing Grayson's attention was a young boy who had climbed behind the counter and was rubbing all of the champagne truffles into his blond hair, which had sadly been cut into the shape of a bowl. The champagne truffles were Grayson's favorite and the reason he was sponsoring the shop.
Just the hair should be enough to call his mother's behavior into question.
Where exactly was the woman?
Or, as he reluctantly admitted, it was more likely that the child was out with a man who was not the child's biological father. As he had seen with his friends in prep school, he had to do it. The adult probably didn't know how to deal with him, and the child probably didn't know how to get anyone's attention in any other way than through negative behavior.
In general, a terrible bunch. But, Grayson was not to blame, and it was not right to hold the champagne truffles back from him because of the conflict between their families. It was strange how silent his wolf was. In his youth, he was known to bite anyone who got in the way of his chocolate. He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized that he didn't have the need to bite the kid. There were certain activities that one simply did not engage in.
He was overcome by a peculiar odor. Something warm and inviting, like an old favorite. It was in contrast to the child's shrieking when Gin used her skillful hand to separate him from the prize he had been seeking.
The aroma brought back fond memories of his vacation in Santorini. No responsibilities, just long days spent lounging on the beach and evenings spent gazing at the sky while out on the ocean. He had no choice but to simply exist in the moment. He'd read so many books simply because he found pleasure in doing so, not because his teachers required it of him. Because he had consumed such a large amount of lamb, his human metabolism would have caused him to become as obese as a weaned pig.
There'd also been a woman. There was a woman from the beginning of time. She'd been stunning. He recalled her long blonde hair that was wavy from the salt sea, light streaks that had been bleached white by the sun, and her tanned complexion. He also recalled her long legs and her giggle and how she had utterly enthralled him. It wasn't because he was Grayson Redwood worth a billion dollars that she was interested in him. Grayson Redwood, Kyle's Beta. He was just Graham Phillips, a random beachgoer that she met while she was on vacation.
She gave off a scent that was reminiscent of apples, honey, and warm weather.
Goddess, every time he reflected about that evening when she'd tasted like honey and apples as well—the beach, and the stars... He'd never encountered another woman like her.
Honey, apples, and Ava were all he could smell now as they teased him with their aroma.
"God, Gin. I really do apologize. You are aware of how he behaves." She gave a slight nod in response. I'll cover the cost of everything that he ate. She let out a long sigh. "Elijah Phelan Harlowe."
The child immediately stopped struggling, hung his head, and, when placed on his feet, trudged over to Ava. Her tone was firm, but she maintained her composure throughout the exchange.That was Ava's son right there.
Ava from Santorini.
Ava, the woman whom he had convinced himself he would never see again. Gorgeous, intelligent, beautiful Ava. It was hard for him to realize that she was actually there in front of him.
with a young boy.Someone else had laid claim to her, someone else had made love to her, someone else—he eradicated those thoughts from his head like a malignant tumor. Ava was human. She was never intended to end up with him. He let out his breath gently.
"Gin, you don't need to worry about the bill. I'll cover it." Grayson found his voice while having a conversation with the proprietor of the shop who had rainbow-colored hair.
"Really, you don't need to do that, I—" Ava was about to continue, but she paused as her gaze gradually moved toward his face.
"Graham!" she said in shock.
We are still rather far away from Santorini. He gave her a friendly smile.
“Santorini?” Gin's pupils drew even more widely apart, and she quickly covered her lips with one hand.
"I'm sorry, Mom." The young child with the blond hair looked up at his mother and tugged on her hand while chocolate was smeared all over his face and in his hair.
"I know. Come with me, and I'll help you get cleaned up. " She took him in her arms.
He appeared to be in such a state of melancholy, which was somewhat surprising given his earlier demeanor. It's possible that he wasn't a demon child after all. The poor tiny creature. It seems as though he was genuinely sorry for his behavior.
She pulled him up, but he struggled to get one more look at the chocolate before he gave up. For a brief moment, his brown eyes took on the appearance of amber.
But I'm pretty sure that was just a trick of the light.
Ava was human. Her son wouldn't... he wouldn't even let himself finish the notion! That is completely ridiculous.
It sure was, didn't it?
The child had a profound fondness for those truffles. It appeared as though he was losing control of himself.
After then, he noticed it. The crescent moon birthmark that was on his wrist, which was identical to the one that Grayson had.
Oh, no, no, and more no.There was no way that Graham, who was from Santorini, could be at Blue Willow. He just couldn't.Ava didn't bother to give any explanations for why she was leaving the chocolate shop; instead, she immediately ran away with Elijah as if the hounds of hell were chasing after them. She kept waiting for Graham to come after her and demand an answer of some type, but he never did. She was surprised.And this made her feel a lot better.Why did he even bother to be at Blue Willow in the first place? Graham was a student at an art school; nevertheless, why did he appear even better than he did while he was on Santorini? She let out a sigh. She had never before seen a more handsome man than he was.Even for a one-night stand, the fact that a man like him had shown interest in Ava was a complete surprise to her. He appeared to have been plucked straight from the pages of GQ, while she... well, let's just say she looked her age. She thought that 38 was a challenging num
"Ava, it's me. Grayson yelled "Open the door!" when there was no answer to his knocking on the door.It's possible that he should have given himself some time to consider what he wanted to say, but instead, he was overcome with an urgent desire to go after her.He was aware of the need for what it was, which was the need to lay claim to her. Mark her. Turn her. Make her his mate.But, he was unable to.It was his responsibility to his pack to mate in the manner that was ordered by his Alpha.During his childhood, he was always aware of his role, but it was never a hardship for him until just at this particular moment. If he was supposed to be with her, why didn't he feel the need to lay claim to her before now?The response teased him with the information that was percolating in the recesses of his mind, which was something he didn't want to know.That was due to the fact that the youngster who he had referred to as an awful little cretin was actually his own son.The understanding st
"Ava, it's me. Grayson yelled "Open the door!" when there was no answer to his knocking on the door.It's possible that he should have given himself some time to consider what he wanted to say, but instead, he was overcome with an urgent desire to go after her.He was aware of the need for what it was, which was the need to lay claim to her. Mark her. Turn her. Make her his mate.But, he was unable to.It was his responsibility to his pack to mate in the manner that was ordered by his Alpha.During his childhood, he was always aware of his role, but it was never a hardship for him until just at this particular moment. If he was supposed to be with her, why didn't he feel the need to lay claim to her before now?The response teased him with the information that was percolating in the recesses of his mind, which was something he didn't want to know.That was due to the fact that the youngster who he had referred to as an awful little cretin was actually his own son.The understanding st
Grayson left Ava's small house on Bug Boot Lane, which got its name from the niece of Eleanor Westwood, and called Kyle right away."We're in a jam," he told Kyle when he replied."Don't tell me there's another one of those jerks out there who can't be hurt by silver. No, wait. Let me guess. A raid by the bone fairies? Because last time—"When he thought about the bone fairies, he got a shiver. Rude people. “No. There is a Redwood descendant."Kyle had a cough. “What? Excuse me? It's not, Taylor, damn you. Someone should have talked to him about birds, bees, and puppies, I told you."Even though his brother couldn't see it, Grayson's lip curled into a smirk. "That isn't Taylor."“You?” It was quiet for a long time. "Who's she? Does she put the Secret in danger?""Ava Harlowe is the woman from Santorini I told you about. She is in Blue Willow now." He inhaled deeply. "With my son, the boy.""Are you sure?" Kyle asked. "You know, when this much money is on the line—""He was born with t
He couldn't believe his sweet, innocent Ava had ever been married to Peter Breslin. Breslin was hated by all of the supes. He was a hunter who killed because he didn't like things that were different from him. He believed in extermination, genocide. He was in charge of a group of dangerous hunters who shared his beliefs.When he tried to kill Catalina Romulus at the Great Council in Rome, she bit him. He changed. Now he was one of them, and he had inherited her illness, which made him more dangerous. He was immune to silver.It was clear why Ava was scared. Before he was Turned, Breslin was a monster who liked to kill women and children for fun.Damn it, he'd just… He saw that his clothes were almost off. His pants were hanging off of him dangerously, and the fine linen was all torn up. He didn't have a shirt to speak of.She gently shook her head. "I can't go to Aphelion, but you're going to force me to, aren't you?""I just want to keep you safe.""Peter always said that."If he wer
When Ava asked Grayson to come over for some sex, she couldn't believe what she had just done. He felt so good because it had been so long since she had been touched. Even though it wasn't the best choice, he went ahead and made it.She reached out and took his hand, then led him into the house.Everything made her feel bad about herself all of a sudden. About the toys that are all over the floor, the old furniture, and how old she is as a person. She didn't have polish on her fingernails, her hair was a mess, and she hadn't shaved her legs since... well, she didn't even want to think about how long it had been.Not to mention taking care of the woman's garden.Most likely, dust was all over it.What did she think at that moment?In Santorini, the package included sand and sea, hot days and even hotter nights, the guy who had blown her mind, and her clit. She had been thinking the exact same thing.At this point, Ava didn't know what to do. She had been able to get him inside. She had
He was surrounded by pheromones, which gave him a head rush.Grayson tried hard to keep his beast under control, but it was hard. He now deeply understood the pain Kyle had been through before Randi was Changed. How hard it had been for him to struggle to get the self-control that had been so easy to get for so long.So early on, the Redwoods were taught when and how to hold back the beast that lived inside them and when and how to let him go. Before they were allowed to interact with regular people, they had already learned how to control people very well.He had his first taste of this craziness earlier that day, when he was on the plane with Randi and she was trying to break the link between herself and Kyle. But that wasn't anything compared to how he felt right now.Grayson had a hard time understanding that his mate was scared and there was nothing he could do about it, but also that she was scared of him. He just couldn't understand why she was afraid of him. that she didn't kn
"Just now, I was thinking about that boat in Santorini."She smiled. "Me too. C'mon!""Look, that will not work."Ava's eyebrows went up. "I'll punch you in the face if you say something stupid about women who drive. Arewolves or not?"He gave her a smile. "No, nothing like that. Westwood would knock me into my next life. I'm not stupid." Grayson gave a head shake. "You're beautiful, Ava. And you make me feel. But you already said no. I don't want to put any pressure on you.""You mean what?"He chose to be direct. "Get a hard on, Ava."“Oh!” Her face got red. "Well, I mean… just get on the damn broom.""If you're sure." He sat on the broomstick behind her, and in two words, it was exquisite torture.How long does it take to get to Aphelion? she asked, out of breath.It was good for his pride to know that she wasn't unaffected. He knew she wanted him, that she wanted a person like him."Just a short time." He reached around her to point to the hill in the distance. "From here, you can