Vicious
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Looking to expand your territory, you find a military group in more or less the middle of nowhere, and spend a few days observing them. Of course, things are never easy, and soon you find yourself a permanent guest of one Commander Graves.
Coyote shifter f!reader x Phillip Graves
Warnings: Smut, unprotected sex, piv sex, teasing, biting, dirty talk, blood, injury, gunshot, emotional slow burn, enemies to lovers, eventual happy ending. PoV does shift.
Everybody thank @sprout-fics for literally plotting this out with me I don't even know how long ago. Thanks for infecting me with the Graves brainrot, love.
Word count: 11.5k (might wanna go grab a drink)
You approached the base with caution. You'd circled around the base for a few days before deciding to approach. You wanted to know what this was since it was in your territory. Well. Sort of. It was kind of right on the edge of your territory, but since there was a very rude pack of wolves pushing on your territory, you were looking to expand.
Thus, investigating.
The base was big and mostly flat, several buildings set up. You could vaguely see a hanger in the distance. Hmm. Interesting.
Trotting along, you lifted your nose to sniff the air. Lots of scents - men and gunpowder and oil. Hmm. Not terrible, but not great.
Maybe you should look elsewhere to expand.
There was a thunderous crack and a line of fire erupted across your back. You yelped, scrambling away, even as warm wetness seeped into your fur. You bolted, ignoring the pain, ignoring the blood. You needed to get somewhere safe to shift back and get medical attention. Or at least hide until you healed.
If the wolves found you like this, they'd kill you.
You made it away from the shooter, getting as far as an abandoned-looking building before you collapsed. Your legs gave out with a wobble and you whined softly to yourself. Your back hurt, a solid line of fire that pulsed steadily with your heart.
That was probably bad. You must have gotten hurt worse than you thought.
Jaws parted as you panted, you debated your options. You could try to sleep here, you could try to get somewhere safer, or you could shift back.
Even the thought of shifting made you hurt, and you laid your head down.
You needed medical attention. And liquids. And rest.
But rest would have to come first, because your body refused to cooperate with you otherwise.
As much as you knew it wasn't safe here, as much as you longed to get back to your own den… you closed your eyes.
Just a nap. Just enough rest to get you back on your feet to get home.
–
Graves had had a good day. Drills had gone well. One of his boys had shot at a coyote. All was well. He'd even authorized a couple boys to go find the coyote and put it out of its misery.
The last thing he expected was to see those two boys come back with a woman bundled between them, passed out cold and wrapped in one of their jackets. Her legs were bare beneath the jacket.
"What the fuck?" He muttered to himself, standing up straighter.
"Found her out in the middle o' nowhere," one of them said, flagging Graves down. "She's bleeding."
Graves frowned. Bleeding, unconscious, left in the middle of nowhere? Sounded like she'd run into some trouble.
"Bring her to medical," Graves ordered, already striding over to pull the door open for them. "And for fuck's sake find her some clothes." He held the door for the two and his gaze dipped down to what he could see of her. Mmm. Nice legs. Nice ass, too.
He resisted the urge to follow them to medical, trusting that they'd get her there. Instead he went to start on the necessary paperwork.
Medical paged him once she was cleaned up and dressed, and he told them to alert him as soon as she woke. Fingerprints hadn't gotten any pings yet, which was a good thing.
But still. He needed answers.
Graves huffed softly and leaned back in his chair. Nothing he could do about her for now but wait.
–
You woke slowly, warm and not sure why that felt wrong. Not at first. Then the smell registered.
This was not home.
You sat up quickly and then groaned softly, clenching your teeth. Oh, ouch. Your back fucking hurt.
"Oh good, you're awake."
You jerked your head to look at the door, eyes wide. A good-looking man stood there, eyes raking over you. He looked military - the way he stood, the cut of his clothes, the subtle bulge of a gun tucked in the back of his waistband. Oh fuck.
"How you feelin'?" His voice was mild as he grabbed a chair, pulling it over closer to your bed.
"Back hurts," you answered carefully. "Where am I?"
He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes, which remained cool. "Medical. I have a few questions for you."
You noted he didn't ask if you were up for it. Clearly this man was used to getting his way. You swallowed. His scent wafted to you, warm and a little spicy and far too alluring. "Okay."
"Do you know where my boys found you?"
You narrowed your eyes a little, thinking. Right. You'd been shot and ran away, and had collapsed outside that abandoned building. "Sort of?"
"Do you remember how you got there?" His gaze was more intense now and he leaned forward.
You had two options here that you could see. Make up some lie, or lie and say you didn't remember.
"I… don't remember." You swallowed hard, shifting your weight. Your back hurt and tugged a little. "What happened to my back?"
"Nice long scratch. Had to put in some stitches to keep your skin together." He didn't even flinch at the description. Not that you did either. You'd spent enough time as a coyote to see your fair share of blood.
"Thank you." You forced yourself to meet his gaze. His eyes were pretty. Alluring. Dammit.
"You're welcome." His smile was all arrogance now. "I'd appreciate some information in return."
"Like what?" Your gaze darted to the door nervously. This was bad. This was very bad. You needed to get out.
"Where were you before this? How did you get hurt?"
"I don't remember." You eyed him now carefully. You were injured, but maybe you could get the drop on him…
"Well. That's a damn shame, darlin'." He pushed to his feet, gaze fixed on you. "I'm afraid I need some answers before you can go."
"You can't keep me," you immediately retorted, twisting to face him. "That's not legal."
His smile turned condescending. "And who's gonna stop me?" He spread his hands out from his body, still smirking.
You tensed, gauging, and then lunged at him. You couldn't shift, not here. But maybe you wouldn't need to. You slammed into him, pain lighting up your back, and tried to shove past him. He recovered fast, faster than you expected, grabbing you and hauling you back to him. You growled, low and angry, and bit his shoulder. Hard.
He shouted, jerking under your teeth. But he didn't let you go. Just yanked your wrists behind your back, securing them with one hand before using his free hand to get a grip on your hair and yank.
"Feisty, huh?" His grin showed far too many teeth. Even for a human that was a clear threat. "'S alright, sweet pea. I've got time. I'll have you singing before long."
You whined when he tugged your hair again, forcing your head back, exposing your throat. He held you easily, not even breaking a sweat as he kept you contained.
You'd miscalculated. Badly.
The room he escorted you to was plain and not comfortable. Little more than a concrete box with a cot bolted down, the room lacked any warmth.
"I'll give you some time to think about your answers," he told you before he pushed you into the room. You stumbled, off balance from the shove, and the door slammed shut.
The lock clicked, loud and ominous in the room.
You had really, really miscalculated.
–
Graves walked back to his room before checking the bite, which was already blooming color on his skin. "Fuck," he muttered, half impressed and a little turned on. "Helluva bite." He sucked his teeth, fingers rising to press gently to his skin. The little bloom of pain made him groan softly, arousal rising. Damn but he liked that.
He wanted to tame this one.
"Damn, sweet pea," he muttered, pressing down again, ignoring the blood rushing down to his cock. For now. "Damn."
–
You were brought food regularly, so at least they weren't starving you. That would be bad, on top of your injury.
And the asshole came back at least once a day to ask you the same questions. What happened to you? Where had you been? How did you end up out here? Who hurt you?
You, at least, stuck to your line. You didn't know. That was all he was getting out of you. Nothing else.
You didn't try to bite him again. At least, not for the first few days.
Then he got mean.
"Y'know, sweet pea, I could make this so much nicer for you," he murmured. "Or so much worse. I've been generous, you know."
"You call this generous?" You curled your upper lip, hands curling into loose fists.
"Coulda left you to my boys." His smirk was downright nasty now, eyes glinting with mean amusement. "I'm sure they'd appreciate you."
You stiffened, a low growl rumbling in your chest. Excitement sparked through his scent and his lips stretched wider. "Don't you fucking dare."
"Then gimme what I want," he purred, leaning closer. "Or a good reason not to."
You lunged. He was prepared this time, though you still got your teeth in his shoulder before he grabbed you and twisted. You yipped, startled, as he manhandled you face-down on the cot, pressed up tight to your back to keep you down.
The hardness pressing into your ass made you jerk.
"Told you," he growled into your ear, breath hot against your skin. "Give me a good reason not to."
"Fuck off," you snarled, trying to buck him off, ignoring the hardness of him.
"Rather fuck you." His teeth were sharp on your ear.
You snarled, deep and rumbly, squirming under him. But you couldn't deny the thrill of arousal at how he held you down. He was strong. Very strong.
"Fuck," he muttered, pressing his hips harder into yours. "Better hold still, sweet pea, unless you think you can take me."
"I dunno, you think you can handle me?" You couldn't resist taunting him, baring your teeth.
He huffed a little laugh and shoved one knee between your legs, leaning his weight onto you. "Oh I can handle you, sweet pea." He shifted, biting down on the back of your shoulder. You moaned, almost startled at how much you liked that, how good it felt. "Yeah? Pretty girl likes it a bit rough?"
"You all mouth?" You shot back, managing to free one hand. You reached back to claw at him, not sure if you wanted him closer or wanted him off of you.
He swore softly when your nails caught skin under the sleeve of his shirt, dragging down. "Feisty pretty girl," he growled. He grabbed your wrist again and shoved it back down to the bed, pushing you harder into the mattress, his chest to your back. One hand let up, but he compensated, keeping you trapped under him. "Guess you don't wanna get fucked tonight." His free hand slid slowly down your side to your hip, and he pulled you back and down onto his thigh.
You gasped at the feel of his thigh firm between your legs, fanning your arousal. You squirmed, hands twisting, tilting your face to the side. "Mm, feels like you're all teasing and no follow through."
"Good girls ask nicely." He lifted his hips away from yours, using his grip on you to push you further into the bed, away from the warmth of him.
You snarled into the bedding, twisting harder. But he didn't budge, didn't give you an inch. He was absolutely infuriating.
But he was also possibly going to fuck you, and you possibly wanted him to.
"I don't do nice." You kicked out with one leg, and he grunted as you pushed him off balance enough to have him crashing back into you. You could admit to yourself that though he was an ass, you wanted more.
"You will, sweet pea," he grunted, fingers tightening around you. "You'll beg me for it." He rocked his hips into yours and you arched, no longer trying to get him away or get him off. No. Now you wanted more.
When he pulled back again, your lips parted in a snarl, and you almost asked what he was doing.
Except you felt fingers at your back, pushing the shirt they'd given you up until it bunched under your arms. His fingers were warm and a little rough as they slid along the path of your injury, just to the side so he didn't actually hurt you. The nurse had insisted on leaving the bandages for another day, although you didn't really need them - you healed faster than a human.
"One day you'll tell me," he murmured, low and promising. "And I'll be here for all your secrets."
A shudder ran down your spine and you squirmed. "Keep it up and I'll think you're actually interested in me," you quipped. You needed his attention off your back, needed him to leave it alone.
"Oh but I am," he purred, lowering himself again so you could feel the press of his shirt against your back, the flat plane of his stomach leaving you nowhere to go. "You're just too temptin', sweet pea. I can't resist."
You sucked in a breath when he bit down on the back of your shoulder again, a little gentler this time. But the feeling of teeth in your skin, even with the shirt in the way, only made you want more. You bucked into him, struggling, a low whine escaping without permission.
"Sound so sweet like that," he murmured, too pleased with himself. "Let's see what other pretty noises you can make for me."
"Arrogant," you shot back, wiggling your ass back against the bulge of him.
"Confident," he corrected, grinding into you. "Now, you gonna be a good girl if I let go?"
"Define good." You grinned into the sheets, hiking one knee up to get leverage to push back into him. He only pressed you harder into the cot, pulling a groan out of you.
"Guess that's a no," he huffed, nosing the side of your neck. "Shame. I'd love to take my time with a pretty thing like you."
"Sure know how to make a girl feel special." You squirmed again, trying again to free your hands.
"Baby, I'll make you feel so good," he promised, low and crooning. You shuddered hard, twisting one hand free and reaching back to pull his head closer, fingers scratching through his hair. He huffed against your neck, warm and damp. "Still gotta ask for it."
You gritted your teeth, digging your nails into the back of his neck. "Make me."
He groaned softly, pressing his bulge harder into you. He was a flurry of movement, pushing your shirt up over your head but leaving it tangled around your arms. "Such a little brat," he growled, teasing. "I can fix that."
"Such an ass," you gasped as he yanked your sweatpants down, leaving them pooled on one ankle.
"All you gotta do is ask, baby," he murmured, hand smoothing over your ask. "I'll fuck you real good if you ask."
"Not on your life." You whined softly when his hand dipped down between your legs, teasing, testing.
"Oh yeah?" He huffed an amused noise. "We'll see about that, sweet pea." One big finger slid into you and you gasped, legs shifting further apart to give him more room. "Knew you liked this," he muttered victoriously, his finger making a lewd noise as he moved it. "Fuckin' knew it."
You opened your mouth to snipe back at him and ended up moaning instead at the stretch of a second finger. “Fucking tease,” you managed, tilting your hips to allow him deeper.
He huffed. “Already told you what you have to do,” he murmured, pumping his fingers faster. The coil of pleasure in your belly grew tighter, and you rocked your hips back into his fingers. Not yet willing to give him the satisfaction of hearing you. But the scent of his arousal, his clear enjoyment of this, was near dizzying.
You bit your lip hard enough to taste blood as you got close, eyes shuttered, determined not to give him satisfaction while getting your own.
And his fingers slipped out of you.
“What–?” You started to demand, pushing hard against him.
“Told you,” he said, amused now, even as you heard his belt buckle clink. “Gotta ask, baby.” He nipped the shell of your ear and then groaned softly. There was a soft, wet noise.
Your eyes blew wide and you froze. He was stroking himself, slow and rhythmic, his knuckles just brushing your ass. He was just going to leave you like this.
Unless you asked.
You clenched your jaw for a moment before you gave in with a little whimper, tilting your hips and ducking your head down against the cot. “Please,” you murmured.
“What was that, sweet pea?” He sounded unbearably smug, even as he brushed his knuckles over your skin a little more firmly.
“Please,” you repeated, pressing your forehead into the cot. The smell of him was intoxicating and a little addicting and utterly ruining your composure.
He hummed, teasing, and the noise stopped. Still-damp fingers pressed to your ass and then curled around your hip, guiding you into a better position. “Please what?”
You growled a little, debating kicking him off and taking care of yourself. But damn he’d gotten you riled up, and now you wanted him. “Please fuck me,” you ground out, tone far from pleading.
But that must have been good enough for him. “Good girl,” he cooed, condescending and overly-sweet. You fought down the urge to bite him again, mostly because you could feel him beginning to press into you.
He did not go slow, and he was not gentle. Which was fine - you didn’t want gentle. You didn’t want slow. You wanted him to fuck you hard enough that you saw stars.
He was relentless, searching for your g-spot and then hitting it as often as possible. He released your hands to fist your hair, tugging your head to the side so he could kiss and nip at your neck. His groans vibrated against your skin, making you whimper.
“Yeah? Feel good?” He nipped sharply at your skin and soothed the spot with his tongue. “Tell me, sweet pea.”
You resisted. For a moment. “Feels good,” you agreed with a gasp, getting one hand behind you to scratch through his hair, keeping him exactly where he was. “More.”
“More what?” The words were growled into your skin, his grip tightening on your hip until you thought you’d have bruises.
“Need more,” you gasped, bucking your hips back into his. “Please.”
“Knew you could be so good for me,” he crooned, far too pleased. But he did move his hand to rub your clit, not giving you a chance to mouth off to him again.
“Fuck!” Your fingers scrabbled at the sheets and fisted in them, shaking a little.
“Good girl,” he murmured, lips brushing your ear now. “Come on, baby. Come for me. Come on, come on, baby.”
Later, you’d be humiliated, but you did. You came with a shout, body tensing under his, hand in his hair clawing down the back of his neck. He hissed, shuddering hard against you, and roughly pumped into you a few more times before he spilled in you.
“That’s it,” he murmured, almost dazed sounding. “Fuck you feel good.” He ground against you, probably just to hear you whine.
He didn’t quite collapse on you, but it was close. Fortunately, you got to just melt into the cot, breathing hard.
“Have fun, sweet pea?” He slid out of you smoothly and stood, fixing his clothing. You kind of hated him for that, even as you turned your head to glower at him over your shoulder.
“Still an asshole,” you grumbled, stretching out. You needed to move, to wipe yourself off. But you couldn’t resist the moment of tormenting him with the sight of you on display.
He chuckled, undeterred. “Better rest up, sweet pea,” he advised, smirk clear in his tone. “I’ll be back later.”
The door locked behind him as always.
Fine. You’d just bide your time. Someone would slip up eventually.
It took another week. A week of acting more compliant, of not trying anything. Graves didn’t come back for that entire week, either. Why, you didn’t know, but you weren’t going to ask.
Finally, the soldier that brought you food forgot to lock the door.
You waited until you couldn’t hear him anymore before you crept to the door, cracking it open just the tiniest bit. Nothing. No sound near you.
You had to sternly remind yourself not to just go tearing off, you had to do this smart. So you snuck out of your room, shutting the door again. Hopefully that would keep them from looking.
Getting out of there was perhaps one of the most stressful things you’d ever done. You listened hard for people, and once had to duck into a cleaning closet to avoid a couple chatting soldiers. Your heart pounded against your ribs the entire time, so loud you had to focus to hear past the blood rushing through you.
But you did it. You made it outside. The sun was setting, the land open around the base. You’d blend better if you shifted, and you’d be faster.
A quick look around showed you were the only one in sight. Moving fast, you nearly threw your clothes off and shifted, landing on four paws.
This was so much better.
You left the clothes where they fell and started trotting off, away from base. You were more careful this time, darting between bushes and generally being stealthy.
So when something tackled you from the side, you yelped, totally caught off guard. You struggled until a firm hand grabbed your scruff, holding tight and lifting you a little. You whined and went still.
“Well, well, well,” Graves murmured, smirking down at you. “I’ll be damned.”
You lifted your upper lip to growl at him, hoping he’d take the hint and back off. Instead, he fearlessly wrapped his free hand around your muzzle.
“You’ve already bitten me before, sweet pea,” he said, looking over you again, awed and not at all scared. “Not gonna let you with bigger teeth.”
You stared at him, fear a cold wash down your spine. You realized with perfect clarity in that moment that not only had he put together exactly what you were, but he was never going to let you go.
Graves carried you back to your room, shutting the door behind the two of you before he released you. You skittered away, putting some distance between the two of you. “Go on, sweet pea. Show me.”
You were momentarily confused, ears twitching as you looked at him. But he didn’t move, didn’t step away.
“Don’t get shy on me now,” he teased, smirking like the bastard he was. “Already seen all of you before.”
Understanding dawned, and you briefly pinned your ears back. But if there was one thing you knew about Graves, you knew that he was stubborn.
So you shifted back.
“There you are.” He grinned, wide and satisfied and distinctly smug. “Quite a trick you got there, sweet pea.”
You crossed your arms over your chest, glowering at him. “Why did you grab me again?”
“Can’t let such a fascinating little thing run off now can I?” He finally took a step closer to you, gaze fixed on your face.
You clenched your jaw. “Sure you can, it’s easy.”
He chuckled, taking another step closer, until he was just outside your space. “Oh sweet pea, told you I’d be here for all your secrets, and I meant it.”
You swallowed, not sure how to react to that. He held all the power here, and you both knew it. But you didn’t want to yield, didn’t want to bare your neck to him. So you bared your teeth instead.
“Mm, that too,” he purred, not at all deterred. On the contrary, he reached for you with one hand, licking his lips.
You took a step back, eyeing him. “Do I get any say in this?”
“I’m not a monster,” he told you amicably, allowing you some space.
“No. You’ll just keep me here.”
He shrugged. “You know too much,” he said easily. “And knowing what you are? I’d be a fool not to use all advantages I can get, and I ain’t a fool.”
You puffed out a breath. “I think you overestimate how much I know.”
He smirked. “Perhaps.” He took a step back finally. “Tell you what, sweet pea. You behave and I’ll get you a nicer room to stay in.” He didn’t give you a chance to answer (or object), just turned and left, locking the door again.
You groaned softly and fell back on the cot. Well. Fuck. That had gone the opposite of how you’d wanted. Now not only were you stuck here, but Graves knew what you were.
Hopefully he wouldn’t try to do anything awful.
Graves visited you every day for the next several days. He never asked for anything. Just seemed to be enjoying the power he held over you. Sometimes the visits were short, mere minutes, more check ins than anything else. Sometimes he’d stay for longer, chatting, slowly getting to know you.
As you were getting to know him.
You didn’t pretend to understand his interest in you, but you didn’t exactly discourage him, either. You only snapped playfully at him. You didn’t try to kill him. You also didn’t spend more than a day or two feeling sorry for yourself and being sullen and mopey.
Coyotes were adaptable creatures. It’s how they’d become one of the most successful predators in North America.
So you adapted.
“Brought you a little somethin’.” Graves was in a particularly good mood tonight, eyes bright, smirk firmly in place.
“Oh?” You didn’t even bother to get up, staying seated with your back to the wall, book still in your lap. (He’d finally caved the fourth time you’d threatened to die of boredom.)
He crouched in front of you, holding out a bracelet. It was simple metal beads, though just from looking at it you guessed not all of them were so simple. He looked far too smug, putting you a little on edge.
“This has got a tracker in it,” he told you, letting it dangle from one finger, swinging gently and catching the light. “And a couple little surprises. Gimme your wrist.”
You huffed softly but held out one arm for him, watching him fasten it on you. “And what stops me from just taking it off?”
“One of the surprises.” He smirked, thumb rubbing the soft underside of your wrist, pressing briefly against your pulse. “You can test it, but I wouldn’t recommend it, sweet pea.”
Curiosity warred with caution, and caution won. You puffed out a breath. “Alright, so you can, presumably, track all the time I spend sitting here reading. Wow. Fascinating.”
He just grinned, the corners of his eyes crinkling in a way that was absolutely not endearing. At all. Not even a little. “Well, I was thinking you could come on a walk with me.”
“Seriously? Not yanking my chain?” You raised both eyebrows at him.
“Seriously.” He stood straight again, using his hold on you to tug you up with him. “C’mon. Lemme show you around properly.”
Curiosity won out over caution, this time. You followed him.
The base was larger than you’d initially guessed. Graves kept you close to his side as the two of you walked, which didn’t stop you from looking around. Several of his men saw the two of you, but none of them approached. Hm. Fine with you.
Graves probably enjoyed showing off the base a little too much, although you realized he was also showing you off with a hand on your lower back. Conniving man.
You could respect that. Especially if he was less of an ass.
“Wanna go explore?”
You side-eyed him at the offer, and especially at the grin he shot your way. “Eager to see if your little gift works as promised?” you drawled.
“Nah. You’re not a fool.” His eyes gleamed as he watched you.
You huffed softly, amused despite yourself. “Well, you’re not wrong.” Not giving him a chance to retort, you walked away. You heard his chuckle behind you, but he didn’t follow.
Exploring by yourself was… interesting. But not in the way you expected. The men looked at you, yes, but none of them approached you. One or two even stepped out of your way.
Very interesting. They were not exactly a pack, humans didn’t work that way, but they clearly had their own pecking order.
You made your way towards the fence, looking up at the guard posts. Considering the way the land stretched out flat before you for miles, the base sticking up like a sore thumb, you were both surprised and not. Only one actual road in and out of this place, and you didn’t bother going towards that gate.
Instead you started towards the nearest guard post, determined to get up the ladder and see the view.
“Uh, ma’am, you can’t go up there.”
You looked at the young man in front of you - not as tall as Graves, definitely younger, a little uncertain. Adorable. He looked more like a pup than a man.
“Graves told me to explore,” you drawled, dry as dust. “I’m exploring.”
“You still can’t go up there.” He pulled back his shoulders, trying to intimidate you. Aw. Cute. His radio crackled, and very faintly you could hear Graves on the other end. Just his voice, not what he said. But the soldier nodded once and stepped aside. “He said it’s okay.”
“Thanks.” You kept your tone dry and purposefully made noise going up the ladder. The guard on duty glanced at you but didn’t say a word, allowing you to take your fill of the view.
This area had been your home for a long time. Sure, not here exactly, but, well… You’d been wanting to expand your territory anyway, hadn’t you? This wasn’t a bad expansion. Especially if you could convince Graves to let you go hunting properly.
You could come to see this as home. In time.
Coyotes were adaptable. This would not break you.
Graves’ hand at your back didn’t even startle you this time. You’d heard him coming, after all.
You’d ask him about hunting some other time. No need to push too fast, after all.
You had time to win him over.
–
Graves was pleased - the tracker worked exactly as it should. And you behaved perfectly, exploring, poking your nose places. All without even trying to leave.
He’d gentle you to him yet.
Eventually, he’d be able to move you into his room. But not yet.
For now, he contented himself with dinner with you, watching your barely restrained curiosity. He didn’t quite chuckle to see that curiosity mirrored in his men, but it was a close call.
"Enjoying, sweet pea?"
You scoffed softly. "Yes, well, meals in my room were rather dull." Your teeth flashed in a grin.
He chuckled. “Don’t have to do that anymore,” he offered, watching you. “Long as you behave.”
You tipped your head, and he could see the predatory gleam in your eyes. But you nodded once.
He’d definitely be keeping an eye on you. Not that he minded - you were a pretty little thing, after all.
Maybe he’d get his hands on you after dinner.
–
Days passed faster now that you were no longer confined to your room. Graves let you have free roam of the compound - nothing was off limits to you.
Which is how you stumbled upon a training exercise.
Graves beckoned you to join him without looking away, arms crossed loosely over his chest as he watched two teams with paintball guns attempting to get each other out.
"Training?" You guessed, stopping next to him, observing the game closely.
"Mmhm." He didn't look at you but his hand settled just above your ass, thumb stroking gently. "Paintballs only."
You nodded. "Just trying to tag each other out?"
"Timed game," Graves told you with a flicker of a grin. "Team with most people left standing when the timer goes off wins. My boys are competitive."
You hummed acknowledgement, watching them dart around. It looked like this entire section of compound was open - the terrain and buildings were all being used in the game.
When the timer went off, Graves took you with him to see who had won. You only half paid attention, admittedly, busy examining the ones who'd been counted as out.
"Looks like somethin's on your mind, sweet pea." Graves smirked down at you.
"Let me play."
He blinked. That was clearly not what he'd expected you to say. "What?"
"Let me play." You bounced a little on your toes. "It looks like fun."
Graves blinked, giving you a quick once-over over. You were smaller than most of his men, and untrained. But he knew your secret. "Alright, but don't cry when you get out first."
You grinned, showing far too many teeth. "No tears," you promised, low and silky.
It took no time to get outfitted with a vest and a paintball gun. Graves even graciously gave you a one minute head start.
You darted away, finding a good hiding spot. Your aim was not the best, and you usually did your hunting with your teeth, but you'd make do.
A timer went off, signaling the rest of the teams were being released onto the playing field. Graves hadn't actually told you which team you were on…
Guess that meant everyone was fair game.
Your teeth showed in a grin as anticipation raced through your veins. Finally. A hunt.
The first pair you spotted were clearly on the same team and patrolling together. You waited until they passed and got both of them in the back. (One shot went totally wild, but you elected to ignore that.)
They both looked surprised to see who had shot them but moved off the playing field.
After that, you slunk away to another good hiding spot. This time you managed to get four - another patrol of two, then a single man a few minutes later, and another single man passing close enough for you to get him.
Your smaller stature served you well, letting you get into smaller spaces than they could. And you knew how to hunt, to wait, to be still and focused.
By the time you'd gotten your tenth "kill", your heart was thrumming, easy confidence in your eyes.
But you paused when a PA system flicked on with a crackle.
"Change of plans, boys," Graves called. "First man to take her down gets a prize."
Fuck! That wasn't the game! But you had to admit… the change thrilled you.
Teeth showing in a grin again, you abandoned your current spot to climb. You needed to get up higher to see what you were up against.
Roughly ten men remained, some having been knocked out by other teams. You could briefly see them as they split up.
Good. Make this a real challenge.
But you had one advantage they didn't. You could hear them coming.
That was your only saving grace as one tried to corner you. You could hear him coming, and escaped around a corner before climbing to get away.
He swore extensively when you managed to shoot him.
Two of them got smart and tried to flush you towards a third. It might have worked, except that you spotted him up ahead, and threw yourself through a bush to get away.
Unfortunately, that only worked until one of them got physical, tackling you to the ground. Your yelp was more surprise than pain, and you had to resist the urge to bite him.
Graves would not be pleased if you made his men bleed.
"Caught, sir." The man who'd tackled you hauled you to your feet, and you narrowed your eyes at him. You were no misbehaving pup to scruff!
Graves sauntered up to the two of you, smirking. "Well, well, well," he hummed. "You did better than I expected."
You smirked right back at him. "Next time, you will not be so surprised."
He laughed once, short and amused. "True," he agreed. "Now, for your reward."
The man released you and you turned to see who was left. Only eight. (Either you'd miscounted or there had been a bit of foul play among the remaining players.) You memorized their faces.
You'd take them out first next time.
You didn't bother to pay attention until Graves had a hand at your back, guiding you forward again. The training seemed to be over, as most everyone was putting away their gear.
Graves didn't lead you back to put away your gear, though. He handed off the paintball gun to one of his men and pushed you back towards your room.
Fully aware of what you were starting, you bit him for being pushy, growling low in your throat. He just swore, hands clenching around you, and bit you back.
Honestly, you were a little amazed the two of you made it back to your room before the clothes came off.
–
Graves had never expected you to do so well at paintball, but you did. You were light and fast, hard to hit when you were on the run, and clever. Not trained, but clever.
He threw you in the paintball games as often as he could, now, just for the joy of watching you.
And the fun afterwards.
Finally, though, they got called out. He debated bringing you with, but… there was no easy way to explain your presence, and he wouldn't risk your life.
You'd just have to stay and be good.
You took the news better than expected, honestly. Only a little growling and biting. (And Graves really, really didn't mind the biting.)
But then you did something very unexpected.
You saw him off.
You stopped in front of the group, eyeing them all. Graves noted with amusement how they all straightened - you'd gained a lot of respect by joining in training.
"I expect I'll see you all again soon." The look you leveled at all of them made it clear that was an order, not a suggestion.
The various noises of assent just made Graves hide his grin.
You nodded once and looked at him, one eyebrow raised. But you did lower your voice, at least. "Bring me back something sweet." You winked and walked away.
From this angle, it was easy to see that you were a predator, stalking through his base as confidently as if it were your own.
Graves tried hard not to think about that too much, because if he did, he'd have to haul you back and fuck you on the plane.
–
You kept yourself busy while Graves was gone. There were still people on base, so you weren’t alone. You thought briefly about going hunting, but you didn’t want to distract Graves at a potentially vital moment.
So, you kept yourself entertained by poking your nose into every nook and cranny you could find.
That lasted you a few days. Watching several movies lasted you a few more. And finally, just when you thought you’d risk giving Graves a heart attack just to go for a proper run, they returned.
You did not rush them as they all disembarked the plane, standing back with your arms crossed over your chest. Some of them were injured as they got off the plane, but they were all back. You counted. Twice.
And then there was Graves, directing his men, making sure everything got done. You met his gaze across the distance and couldn’t help but smile, just a little.
There was no sense of challenge in meeting his gaze. No fear. Just the visual confirmation that this asshole hadn’t gotten himself killed.
He finished up quickly and made his way over to you, swagger uninterrupted, gaze fixed on you.
He surprised you, though, grabbing your hand instead of your wrist to tow you back to his room. His, not yours. Not that he gave you time to look at much before he was kissing you like he was affirming he was alive.
It wasn’t until much later, after you both lay sated and warm, that he grunted like he’d just remembered something.
“Brought you back something,” he murmured, moving away from you and ignoring your displeased huff. Not bothering to put any clothes on yet (something you very much agreed with), he stepped over to his duffel bag and bent over to grab a box. He smirked at you over his shoulder. “Close your eyes.”
“What?” You blinked at him, caught off guard.
“You heard me, sweet pea.”
You rolled your eyes pointedly and then closed them. This was silly. But you were willing to play along, for now.
To your surprise, you heard the box open, heard Graves step closer. “Smell,” he ordered softly.
You sniffed, head tipping in curiosity. You could smell the sugar, absolutely, and something floral. You huffed softly, amused at the little game.
“Sugared flowers?” you guessed without opening your eyes, leaning a little closer.
Graves chuckled softly, and the box rustled as he did something. “Open,” he murmured.
You briefly made a face but you did as he asked. He put a single piece on your tongue, fingers brushing your skin as he retreated. The flavor was more intense than the smell, and you hummed in satisfaction, eyes fluttering open again. Graves licked his lips, watching you as he pulled another piece of sugared flower from the box. This time, you accepted it and sucked on his fingers, swiping your tongue over the tips to get every last bit of sugar from his skin. The scent of his arousal quickly overpowered the florals, and the box dropped to the pillow next to you.
Somehow you both missed dinner.
–
Graves had been considering how to tell his men about his coyote. Oh, sure, they all knew that you were his, but they didn’t know you were a shifter. And that could become dangerous, if he didn’t tell them. In case of emergency.
(The fact that he wanted to tell them had nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that he wanted to show you off more. Not at all.)
His timeline got pushed when you let yourself into his office, near bouncing on your toes.
“I’m going hunting,” you said before he could ask.
Graves leaned back slowly, giving you a thorough once-over. “Need to borrow some gear?” he asked.
You rolled your eyes, clearly exasperated. “No. I’m going hunting.” You showed your teeth to emphasize your point.
Ah. That kind of hunting. “Alright,” he agreed slowly. He knew you still had the tracking bracelet on, and he had to admit some curiosity to see how well it held up after you shifted. “I’ll make sure nobody shoots at you.”
“Again,” you drawled.
Graves didn’t feel bad about that, because nobody had known about shifters at that point. Besides, it was hard to feel bad about the thing that had brought you to him. But he would make damn sure you weren’t injured under his watch. “You shifting here or out there?”
“Here,” you answered after a moment. “Easier to not deal with clothes.”
Graves nodded again, still watching you. “Good hunting, then, sweet pea.”
Your teeth flashed again as you grinned. “I’ll bring you back something good.” And you were gone, bouncing back out of his office before he had a chance to properly respond to your words.
You’d promised to bring him something back.
This was something new, and Graves was going to find out what that was about.
His boys didn’t take the news about you being a shifter quietly, but they took it. He could see they didn’t believe him yet, but they would.
And they all knew he was a man of his word. So they knew he was not exaggerating when he threatened to kill anyone who breathed a word of this to anyone else.
But Graves trusted his boys. He trusted they wouldn’t betray him. Or you, by extension.
The day was mostly gone by the time he heard the commotion. The call to open the gate came first, then a chorus of whistling and clapping. That was enough to pull him outside to see what the commotion was all about.
A coyote was dragging a whole ass white tail deer into the compound, jaw clamped tight around its throat. Graves felt his eyebrows shoot up in surprise - the deer was considerably bigger than the coyote, but the coyote didn’t even slow down.
Until you stopped in front of him, depositing your trophy and looking up at him.
“Beautiful,” he murmured. Both the deer and you. “Dragged it back by yourself?”
You huffed at him, briefly showing your teeth.
“Course you did,” Graves chuckled, crouching in front of you. He debated for a moment before he held out one hand. It took only a moment before you shoved your head under his hand, and he stroked your fur, silently thrilled. His coyote. “Gonna let one of my guys fix it up?”
You stepped back and lifted your lip in a silent warning.
Graves chuckled, holding his hands up in a pacifying manner. “Alright, sweet pea. You just let me know what you need, then, and I’ll let you handle it.”
Mollified, you grabbed the deer again and started dragging it away from the buildings, which he appreciated. He watched you maneuver your kill around without assistance, admiring your strength and determination. His men all kept out of the way, though he did hear a few compliment you on your kill.
This was something he could get used to.
–
You honestly hadn’t realized how much you missed shifting until you could, anywhere you wanted. The men got used to you quickly, opening the gate for you to come and go as you pleased. An unofficial new game had popped up - try to pet the coyote. You took great joy in evading their hands and occasional playful tackles. Honestly, it was fun.
You didn’t expect to be approached by one of the men on his own while you were sitting outside. You blinked at him, head tipping to one side.
“Do you have a moment?” He shuffled his feet a little, scent caught between shame and embarrassment.
“Have a seat.” You turned a little to face him fully, on high alert now.
He sat next to you, giving you a moment to find his name patch. Roberts. His sandy hair was nearly the same color as Graves’, though he was shorter and leaner. Roberts sighed softly before he looked at you, meeting your gaze. “I wanted to apologize.”
You blinked, caught totally by surprise. “For?”
“I shot you.” He made a vague motion towards your back. “I mean, I didn’t know it was you, I just shot at a coyote. But still.”
You shook your head with a little smile. “Don’t fuss over it,” you advised. “It’s long in the past now, and I healed.”
He frowned at you, disapproving. “Anyway, a few of us were out last week, and, well…” He rolled up his sleeve to show off a still healing tattoo. A coyote in front of the Shadows symbol.
He had simultaneously claimed you as pack, and put himself under you. And he’d sort of spoken for the rest of the Shadows, too.
At least, your coyote brain was trying to convince you that you now had the biggest pack ever to protect and provide for.
You grabbed him, pulling him into a hug and rubbing your cheek over the top of his head. He held himself stiff for a few long moments before he awkwardly patted your back, looking absolutely bewildered when you pulled back.
“Thank you,” you murmured, breathing in deep. “That’s… it means more than you know.”
He smiled tentatively and nodded. “Sure,” he mumbled. “So, not mad at me?”
You huffed a little laugh. “Not at all.” You shook your head, gaze drifting down to the tattoo again. “May I?”
He held his arm out for inspection, and you looked over the line work and the details of it. That was definitely a coyote, and definitely the insignia of the group.
Well. Your pack had just grown. Quite a bit.
“I love it.” You sat back and smiled.
He puffed up a little, clearly proud of himself. “Did the line art myself.”
“Good to know.” You smiled slowly. “I might ask you to do something for me at some point, then.”
“Would be my pleasure.” He puffed up even more, resembling a fluffy rooster. “Anyway. Just wanted to show you that.”
“Appreciated.” You nodded to him and watched him go, still puffed up with pride. You, on the other hand, were wrestling with your instincts to provide for your pack.
Dammit. Fine. You’d make a couple loaves of bread, that would satisfy the itch for now.
The bread was a huge success. As were the next four loaves. (Graves grumbled about sending a few men for supplies, because apparently the demand for fresh bread was quite high.)
You didn’t expect to see more of the tattoos. But you did.
Over the next two weeks, nearly a dozen of them approached you, usually individually, to show off their own tats. Most of them got the tat on a forearm, but one got his on his back, and one got it on his calf. You couldn’t help it - you hugged every one of them.
You never would have predicted this would happen when you’d been shot those months ago.
“You’re not tired of that damn thing yet?” Graves asked, clearly grumbling, after the most recent soldier had jogged off again.
“The tat?” You grinned, looking back down at your bread dough. “Nah. I like it. Might get one for myself.”
Graves grumbled wordlessly, coming up behind you to wrap his arms around your middle, teeth digging into the back of your shoulder through your shirt. “Won’t find one on me.”
“No?” Your breath hitched at the brief pain of his bite. This had become a habit between the two of you. “Too bad. I was thinking of offering an exchange.”
“Exchange?” His head peeked up over your shoulder. “Of what?”
You hid your smile, amused. “Marks,” you said blandly. “Thought you might like the idea of me wearing something of yours on my skin.”
The quickly-stifled groan against the skin of your neck proved you right, and your smile turned victorious. “Not that,” he mumbled, lips moving against your skin, making you shiver. “Something unique.”
You hummed softly, poking the dough one more time before tossing a towel over it to let it rise. “Well…” You trailed off, taunting, leaving the bait for him to take or ignore.
He, of course, took the bait. “Well?”
“Family tradition is a bite,” you mused, pushing your hips back into his. “But I don’t think that will work here. Don’t think you want a big scar.” You smirked teasingly back at him.
“Could just get it tattooed,” he pointed out, hands settling on your hips, pulling you back into him.
“Get a tattoo of your teeth marks?” You could feel the way he responded to that, an involuntary little jerk of his hips. “I could wear that, easy.”
“Yeah? Wanna show off that you’re mine?” Graves tightened his grip on you, scraping his teeth lightly on the skin behind your ear.
“More like have a permanent reminder,” you mumbled, tipping your head. “Pack already knows I’m yours, and you’re mine.”
He bit down on the back of your neck with a groan, hands nearly fumbling as he rucked your clothes up and out of the way to get at your skin.
It took only a few days to make the arrangements for your corresponding marks.
–
Graves normally didn't mind Shepherd. He was a demanding ass sometimes, but overall not bad.
Until right this very moment.
"Didn't catch that, sir," Graves ground out, working hard to keep his temper. He didn't want to go flying off the handle, not now.
"Don't play coy with me, son," Shepherd said, firm and a little condescending. "I know you've got a shifter there."
"Don't know what you mean." Graves dug the nails on his free hand into his skin, the pain helping ground him and keep him from doing something monumentally stupid.
"No? Then the coyote shifter isn't yours? She's a pretty thing, figured she's your type." The smirk in the general's voice was clear.
Graves didn't respond, torn between demanding to know how Shepherd knew about her, and denying her existence.
"I'll have a couple of my men there in a few days to bring her in."
"Bring her in?" Graves repeated, sharp and serious.
"I'm taking her. She could be a valuable asset to me."
Graves hit his limit. That? Was unacceptable. "No, sir."
Shepherd paused for a moment. "No?"
"No. She stays here." Graves knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that if he handed you over to Shepherd, you’d never be seen again. The general was a merciless man. He’d break you, or dissect you. Or possibly both. And that was something Graves found he couldn’t live with.
Shepherd let the silence grow between them before he snorted softly. "You sure you wanna do this?" He asked, soft and threatening.
“I am.” Graves clenched his jaw. He was willing to let a lot of shit slide, hell, he’d done a lot of shit himself. But this? No. He’d never admit it aloud, but he was too attached to you.
He’d never hand you over to anyone. But especially not Shepherd.
“This won’t end well for you,” Shepherd promised. And hung up, not giving Graves a chance to respond.
Graves breathed out slowly, putting his phone down. He knew Shepherd, knew the general wouldn’t give up so easily.
This would come down to a fight. One he was determined not to lose.
Graves started planning.
–
When Graves first insisted you learn how to use a gun, you rolled your eyes. Why did you need a gun? You had teeth. But he didn’t let up, going so far as to ask while balls deep inside of you, holding you still under his weight and refusing to move until you gave in. That earned him a few days of nasty looks.
But you did learn.
The worst part about it for you was the noise. Even with the headset to muffle the sound, it was jarring and took some getting used to.
You noticed the changes on base slowly. The guards seemed more alert, constantly watching the horizon. One of the Shadows was always nearby, though they always made it seem coincidental. Graves held you tighter at night (he’d moved you into his room shortly after you both got tattooed).
But any time you tried to ask, Graves evaded. Stricter training. Upcoming op. Refreshing their skills. All were excuses he tried.
You didn’t quite believe any of them.
But he clearly didn’t want you to know, so you didn’t push. You just grew restless, often walking the perimeter of base.
He was keeping something from you and you wanted to know what.
None of the Shadows would tell you. Apparently Graves had given them orders not to, because when you cornered one younger man he outright panicked, gaze darting all over the place, hands shaking. You left him with a snarl of discontent, stalking away.
Not that you had to wait long, after all.
A shout went up from one of the guards that night, well after dark. You could hear radios going off around base too, just caught a few words: vehicles, armed, Shepherd.
You had very little idea what it meant, but the way the rec room emptied hinted that it was nothing good.
“Come with me,” Graves demanded, hand fastening around your wrist.
“What–?” You didn’t get a chance to finish your question as he pulled you along with him. He got a vest on you first, then handed you the rifle you’d been practicing with and ammo.
“Stay with me, sweet pea,” he ordered. And it was very clearly an order. “Okay?”
“Okay,” you agreed, confused but rapidly realizing how serious this was.
Graves got his own gear on with practiced motions, clicking his comm. “How far out?” he asked briskly. You could just hear the voice on the other end, but not the words. “Copy.” Graves started moving, and you stuck close to him.
Outside the building was nearly unrecognizable. Shadows were running around prepping, putting up barriers and hides. Graves strode through the organized chaos, right up to the gate.
You could see vehicles approaching, four of them. The rumble of engines grew steadily louder, though the gates remained closed.
The vehicles stopped, people piling out of them, guns down for the moment. You didn’t recognize any of them. Not that that was truly a surprise - you knew few humans.
“Graves,” one of them called in the kind of tone of one used to being obeyed. “Last chance to hand her over.”
Graves clenched his jaw and didn’t look back at you, though you realized with sudden startling clarity that this was all about you. Because somehow that man out there knew you were a shifter.
And Graves had apparently refused to hand you over.
It was an interesting feeling, warmth suffusing you from Graves’s actions while dread tried to remind you of how very bad this could be.
“Not a chance, Shepherd,” Graves called back. He nudged you back just a little, hands gripping his gun securely.
“I’m sorry it came to this. If you hadn’t been such a fool…” Shepherd trailed off.
You only had a moment to wonder what he meant before the shooting started. You ducked back behind cover, Graves right behind you.
“I want them all dead,” Graves said into his comm, eyes utterly cold. You realized with a start you hadn’t seen him like this since the very beginning of your stay here. “Let’s get it done.”
You were not ashamed to admit that you were not much help. You didn’t have the experience of these men, and this was not a fun game of paintballs. Besides, your movements were restricted to keeping with Graves.
But you did surprise yourself when you spotted one attempting to flank around the barriers, and you shot him. He fell silently.
For a bare moment, you wondered if you should feel bad. Not that you did - you’d killed your fair share of prey before. But prey had never been human before.
Then again, humans had never attempted to infiltrate your territory nor threatened your pack before. Not like this.
“Good shot, sweet pea,” Graves said, speaking up over the din around you.
You had just enough time to see his faint grin before the world exploded around you.
You blinked at the dirt under you, ears ringing, head aching. Hands grabbed you and you growled, disoriented, at least until you heard the familiar sounds of your pack shouting. Pulling you back, away from danger. Presumably. Your hearing was still fucked, and you couldn’t smell anything through the gunpowder and smoke.
One of them fell with a shout, something you just barely heard. You stumbled as his support vanished, falling to your knees. The other Shadow tried to haul you to your feet before he was shoved away, much harsher hands grabbing you. You yelped, the sound too canine to come from a human throat, still disoriented enough that you couldn’t properly resist.
You almost got your feet under you, except a harsh yank from one of the two pulling you along sent you right back off-balance. You swore, clumsily grabbing for something to hold on to. Your hearing was coming back, slower than you liked but enough.
They were dragging you off base. To Shepherd.
If they got you that far, Graves wouldn’t be able to get you back.
You twisted hard, managing to get a hand on one of them. He tried to yank you off balance, muttering curses.
But you took advantage of the bare skin of his wrist that you could see and lunged, jaw locking and teeth clamping into his skin. The hot taste of blood filled your mouth but you refused to let go, even as one of them hit you in the back, hard.
It wasn’t until you heard two gunshots, closer than expected, followed by the dead weight of the soldier dragging both of you down that you released your grip. You spat blood out of your mouth, swaying a little.
“Sweet pea!” Graves hit the ground next to you, one hand immediately going to your cheek. Blood matted down his hair on his right side, and he seemed to be favoring that side in general, right arm kept tight to his side. Shadows surrounded the two of you, keeping Shepherd’s forces back.
“I’m okay,” you managed, still a little dizzy. But you latched on to Graves’s vest, because he was right there and comforting.
Graves let out a relieved sigh, giving you a quick visual once-over. His thumb smeared the blood on your chin.
“Not mine,” you reminded him, paying no mind to the two bodies around you now.
He nodded, tugging you closer. “Marry me.”
“What?” You blinked at him rapidly, sure you’d misheard him.
But he grinned, bright and a little mischievous, totally disregarding the active battlefield you were on. “Marry me.”
“Let’s finish this first,” you pointed out, lips twitching in response to his humor. “Kill Shepherd first. And then I expect a proper proposal.”
“Anything you want.” He pressed a hard kiss to your lips, uncaring of the blood, before he got to his feet. You followed him, swaying only for a moment before you caught your balance.
Shepherd’s force had been decimated, only four remaining, huddled behind the protection of the armored vehicles. One tried to put down his weapon and back away from the fight, only for Shepherd to turn on him and shoot him.
“You can end this,” Graves yelled to Shepherd in open mockery of Shepherd’s earlier offer. “Nobody else has to die.”
Shepherd didn’t respond, gaze flitting between the Shadows and Graves and you. “You really think you can get away with this?” he asked, voice absolutely venomous. “I’m a general!”
“Shouldn’t have tried to take my coyote, then.” Graves backed up, gently pushing you back as well. You were confused for a moment, trying to figure out what the plan was. There was no way he was just letting Shepherd live, was he?
The Shadows all swarmed back behind cover, still keeping you surrounded. Something rolled under the vehicle Shepherd hid behind, and the whole thing blew up. You ducked a little, reflexively, before popping back up with wide eyes to watch. The other vehicles were also quickly destroyed.
You followed Graves over to check the bodies. All dead. You tipped your head, looking down at Shepherd, silently wondering if he’d really been willing to die to get his hands on you.
“Let’s clean up this mess,” Graves ordered, and Shadows immediately jumped to obey. But grief hid in his eyes as he looked at his base. You leaned into him, silently offering support. You’d help count the losses.
“You still owe me a proper answer,” Graves murmured, his hand settling low on your back.
“You still owe me a proper proposal.” You smiled, leaning harder into him. “Even though you’re already mine.”
He huffed. “Bold of you,” he mumbled, head dipping closer to yours. “I like it.”
“You always have.” You smirked, tipping your head enough to bare your teeth at him and watch as his pupils dilated.
“Trouble.” But Graves just grinned at you.
–
The base was a mess. Graves helped as much as he could, contacted families and next of kin as necessary.
The general was disposed of quietly, their trail covered. His Shadows wouldn’t face the fallout of this.
You held up better than Graves had expected, supporting his men when needed, doing whatever you could to help with cleanup and disposal. Honestly, he was impressed.
He also hadn’t forgotten his promise to you.
Once he was sure the danger had passed, he made some arrangements. Flight plans, necessary permits, a few phone calls. Everything was set and arranged exactly how he wanted.
He had basically everything. The last thing was something he needed to pick up himself. He snuck out while you were hunting, knowing you’d more than likely pout but he’d be back soon.
“How do you feel about goin’ on a little trip, sweet pea?” He asked a few days later, so as not to arouse suspicion.
You shrugged from your place in his lap, idly watching a few of the younger Shadows playing a video game. “Never done much of it,” you admitted easily. “Never had a chance.”
He hummed, one hand squeezing your hip gently. “You interested?”
“Sure, if you want.” You shot him a little smile over your shoulder, relaxed still. That told Graves everything he needed to know.
He didn’t quite pick out your clothes for you, but he did insist on a few things. Like something nice to wear. (And if he snuck in a brand new set of lingerie for you, well, he liked seeing you in pretty things.)
You didn’t like the plane trip, that much was obvious. Tension pulled your shoulders tight, and it took you a long time to get comfortable and settle down. Graves kept one hand on you to help where he could, and was finally rewarded when you fell asleep against his shoulder.
Watching your awe looking around somewhere new warmed him in unexpected ways. (Maybe he shouldn’t be so surprised. He did ask you to marry him, after all.)
He gave the two of you three days to adjust to the timezone change and do some touristy things. Not that he much cared - he’d been all over the world by now. People were people everywhere. But giving you this experience? So much better.
You eyed the Eiffel tower with distrust when he led you to it, and he couldn’t help but smirk.
“Don’t worry, sweet pea,” he drawled, extra sweet. “You’ll be fine.”
You immediately scowled at him (just as he’d hoped) and stalked up to the lifts. He followed a little more leisurely, knowing everything was taken care of.
He caught your expression as the sun set, the wind whipping against the two of you, the city sounds all but gone. You looked awed again, hands gripping the railing as you looked over the city. Graves smiled, pleased with his timing, and settled next to you for a minute, just letting you look your fill. The softer light on your skin filled him with a kind of warmth he’d never thought he’d experience.
“Hey, sweet pea. Got a question for you.”
You turned to him and blinked, totally unsuspecting. Graves took a knee in front of you, pulling the ring box out of his pocket, and your eyes went wide, one hand flying up to your mouth.
“I promised I’d do this proper,” he murmured, looking up at you, blind to everything else. (There were at least two of his Shadows in the crowd, you were safe, that’s all he cared about.) “Never thought I’d be here, but you’ve been a surprise from the beginning. I want you to keep surprising me, sweet pea. Will you marry me?”
You nodded and then huffed a soft almost-laugh. “Yes,” you managed, hands settling on his cheeks before you kissed him. The crowd around the two of you clapped, a few whistles coming from his boys. Graves grinned at you, honestly ridiculously happy, and slid the ring on your finger.
Standing there with you in his arms, the stars slowly emerging even as his boys put on a hell of a fireworks show for the two of them, Graves knew one thing for certain.
He’d gentled his coyote, but you’d gentled him every bit as much. And he was just fine with that.
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