Chapter 309
Chapter 309:
The entire ride to St. Jude’s Academy for the Predestined was a sensory torment. Grant wasn’t even in the vehicle, yet his scent was woven into the very leather of the seats, eroding my mental defenses and leaving me in a dizzying state of dangerous comfort.
The courtyard outside the academy’s wrought-iron gates was a sea of Maybachs, Bentleys, and impeccably dressed Alphas and Lunas. I spotted Grant immediately. He had traded his intimidating senatorial suits for a casual trench coat, looking devastatingly handsome—like a normal, albeit breathtaking, father.
“You look beautiful, Carmella,” he murmured as I approached.
Before I could process the compliment, his large hand settled naturally on the small of my back. A jolt of electricity shot through my spine at the contact. He guided me through the crowded courtyard with a possessive, protective weight that made my breath stutter.
Then I stopped dead in my tracks.
Standing near the entrance was the notoriously ruthless Alpha King, Kain Blackwell. His jaw was clenched so tight it looked ready to snap, and his eyes burned with murderous humiliation. In his massive hands, he reluctantly held up a giant poster board drowning in neon pink glitter.
𝗢𝗋𝘨𝘢ո𝘪𝘻е у𝗈𝘶𝗋 li𝗯𝘳𝖺𝗿𝘆 oո
In childish, bubbly letters, it read: JAXON’S PACK CHEERS LOUDEST!
Grant flashed a wicked, victorious smirk at his brother. “Keep it high, Kain,” he teased in a low, rumbling voice. “Unless you want me to tell Adelina exactly how you destroyed that allied Pack’s moon altar a few centuries ago p>
Kain let out a feral, vibrating growl—but he hoisted the pink glitter sign an inch higher.
“Carmella p>
A small blur of motion barreled into my legs. Jaxon wrapped his arms around my waist, his face glowing with pure joy. “You came!” He pulled back and pointed proudly at the furious Alpha King. “Look! Uncle Kain made a sign p>
Looking at the three of them—the powerful Lycan whose hand was still burning a brand into my lower back, the terrifying Alpha King reduced to holding a glittery arts-and-crafts project, and the beaming pup clutching my hand—a terrifying illusion washed over me. For one fleeting, dangerous second, we felt like a real family.
“Come on,” Jaxon tugged at my hand, his excitement bubbling over. “I have to get my costume on! Walk me to the dressing room p>
“Lead the way, little wolf,” I said softly, unable to fight the genuine smile spreading across my face.
Grant’s hand slid from my back to lightly grip my elbow as we followed Jaxon through the heavy double doors of the theater, stepping into the chaotic, dust-filled maze of the backstage hallways.
Carmella POV
The backstage maze was a sensory overload of hairspray, dust, and the frantic energy of excited pups. Grant’s hand remained a warm, grounding weight on my elbow as we navigated the narrow, crowded hallway toward the boys’ dressing room.
As we approached the heavy wooden door with its tarnished brass handle—sitting slightly ajar—a cruel, high-pitched voice drifted into the corridor before I could push it open.
“Look at the little Lycan pup, all alone. No mother, no Luna to cheer for him p>