30

Jade pulled me onto the porch. She closed the doors behind her as if the boys couldn't hear what we were talking about. I was glad she was here and that she wasn't going to get lost by the looks of it.

"You look happy. I like that," she grinned at me.

"You too." Jade was the neatest person I knew. Even when she laid me down on the mat during her combat practice, every hair lay perfectly. In front of me, however, was a very different jade. One that suited Trevor more than I ever thought possible.

"Me and Trevor--" she stroked her brown hair and looked embarrassed.

"Having a good time?" I cut her off. She laughed and nudged my side.

"You obviously too."

We looked at Grayson and Trevor, who were pacing sullenly and exchanging blows. They unpacked all the bags that the two had brought and set the table.

Grayson kept glancing at me warily while Trevor was setting the table, totally detached.

"I have something for you." Jade rummaged in her pocket, grabbed my hand and slipped a small gold chain into my fingers.

"Put it away!" I looked up at her briefly. She looked nervously around the house to make sure no one noticed, then looked at me and clasped my hand. It was the same necklace Grayson wore and I looked at her confused.

"If you and Grayson--" she started to stammer. I opened my hand again and looked at the necklace. Grayson's had a small G and this one had a T.

"You mean wouldn't Caspian let you know if we sleep together?" Jade nodded, a little embarrassed. I also knew that if I ever killed her, Grayson wouldn't feel like his mate anymore. If I was okay with it, I didn't know how he would react.

Surely I could kill his too? I looked at the spot on the lake where I had taken it from him. She was probably still lying there somewhere.

"Thank you," I said anyway. It was nice of her to care about me. It was surprising that she thought of that. But considering what she and Trevor had been doing for the past few hours, maybe not.

"It's wonderful here, Tara," Jade sighed and turned to the lake with me.

"Unexpected, right?" There were nice places in our house that I went to when I wanted to be alone, places that gave me peace, but nothing like this.

"Do you know their capital? Surely not, right? It's beautiful, no question. All the little houses and the many cafes, bars, there's so much life in the streets. Very different from St. Vincent or where I'm from. Me grew up in the woods. My pack lives a simple life in the middle of the woods. I miss it and this is just amazing."

Jade loved nature as much as she loved it. It was difficult for me to imagine her in a city. I grew up in an oversized house.

We've never been short of purchasable luxury, and I haven't missed it one bit. I figured when you grew up in a place like this you'd always miss it.

"Trevor was so excited to come here." Jade was still looking around in amazement as she continued to speak.

"Why?" I asked.

"He's never been here. Grayson hadn't allowed anyone before. Not even his brothers."

"Well, someone must have built this," I teased. Jade just nodded and stared at the lake.

"You mean he built this all by himself?" Jade nodded silently again and I looked into the house at Grayson, who was arguing with Trevor. As if he knew that we were talking about him, he dropped everything and opened the patio door.

"You okay, Pebble?" he asked, leaning against the open patio door. Jade raised an eyebrow in question, probably at my nickname.

"We're just talking about your house. It's beautiful." He ran a hand through his hair in embarrassment and shoved his hands deep into his gray jeans. There stood a six foot man with muscles all over his body that had done this all by himself. I knew, however, that he would never say it unless I asked him.

"Gray built it for you," Trevor suddenly appeared behind him and clapped him on the shoulder. I think I'll build mine for Jade across the lake." Grayson's eyes instantly narrowed and a low growl escaped his throat.

"For me?" I had to process the words first. "You built the house for me?" Grayson looked away in embarrassment, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jade lunge at Trevor and chase him into the house.

"Well. Well." Grayson braced his feet on the ground and it hurt and felt good to see the vulnerable side of him.

"Yes," he finally said. This man was full of surprises.

He always seemed so unapproachable. It always seemed to him that feelings were something he possessed but didn't want to show to anyone. This was an oversized example of that. He had built a house for us and didn't let anyone see it.

He had said more than once that he wanted to take me home. I thought he meant his pack, his homeland. This, on the other hand, was something completely different. I looked at his rough hands, which he hid in his pockets.

"So, home is here?" I choked out before my voice broke.

"If you want it, Pebble." Grayson continued to lean against the patio door and avoided looking at me.

"Don't make it so difficult for him," Trevor's voice rang out to us.

"Take him and leave the house to us! We're moving in here," Jade interjected into Trevor's laughter. Over Grayson's shoulder, I saw Trevor pull Jade close and kiss her passionately.

"That's never going to happen," Grayson growled, slamming the patio door behind him. The laughter from the house was muffled and he sank down against the pane.

"Should I get rid of them?" he asked annoyed and I could only shake my head.

"No way," I laughed, stepping closer to him.

"Trevor is Trevor," he growled. It was still his brother and even if they were so different, he couldn't be mad at him no matter what he said. I could see Grayson failing to get really mad at him.

"He'll make me laugh a lot, don't you think?" Grayson looked at me questioningly and shook his head. I ran my fingers one at a time across his chest to the back of his neck. Leaning against the window, his hands clasped behind his back.

"More like crying," he said a little too coolly and yet he couldn't hide the warmth in his words.

"Glad we have Jade."

"An hour away. They'll live an hour away," he grumbled.

"So?" I asked, continuing to run my hands down his chest. My fingers trailed around the back of his neck and the stubborn head that he was moved just a little in my direction.

"Is this my home now?" I saw his eyebrows furrow and he suddenly pushed himself away from the door.

I was so surprised that I stumbled back a few steps. Grayson's eyes glowed golden like two stars in the night sky. He just stood still and looked at me. My god Luna help me.

"It's your home if you want it. I'll always be here waiting for you." I saw the muscles in his face, in his body, working. The small vein in his neck pumped blood through her faster.

"Well, since I'm here and you don't have to wait any longer, I'll call it my home from now on." I walked towards him and wrapped my arms around his waist. Grayson looked down at me in disbelief.

His curls were wild and unruly, like the muscles flexing beneath his shirt. He seemed to be holding her by crossing his arms across his chest. This man didn't drive me insane in more ways than one.

"Now would be a good time to hug me!"