Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
I shoved Griffin away and jerked back as Killian stepped onto the back porch. He paused and rubbed his chin as he took us in.
"Are you two trying to wake up the neighborhood?" he asked.
"No." I'd been aware we were getting loud, but I hadn't realized the extent.
Griffin yanked at his shirt and glared at me. "Why the hell did you shove me?"
"Because you were all up in my face." And I’d loved every second of it. I didn't even want to consider what would've happened if Killian hadn't come outside. Griffin’s lips had been only a breath away from mine, and I hadn't had the fight in me to pull away.
I couldn't be alone with him. Hell, I shouldn’t be around him at all, but definitely not alone.
"You weren't complaining a few seconds ago." Griffin smirked.
"What the hell does that mean?" Killian tensed and ran down the stairs, joining us in the backyard.
My body felt like it was on fire, and not the kind I'd felt moments ago. This was the kind that made me want to cover my face in shame. I’d almost broken a promise to the one person I could rely on. I had to figure out a way to salvage this. "He and I scuffled." That wasn't a lie.
"Scuffled?" Killian parroted, and his forehead etched with confusion.
"He didn't think I could kick his ass." I avoided Griffin's gaze, not wanting to see his expression. "So, I had to prove to him that I can handle myself."
"Dude, I could've told you that." Killian pointed at his face. "She broke my nose yesterday."
"Whatever," Griffin grumbled. "But it's her fault we're fighting. I was out here making sure the bear shifter wasn't around, and she came out all by herself. You'd think you wouldn't let your girlfriend come out at night alone."
"He's not my father, so I don't need his permission." God, I wanted to smack Griffin. I glared at him. "So why don't you go to Hell?"
Well, I escalated that quickly, but I couldn't control my emotions around him. This was going to be a problem.
"Oh, it's clear that he's not your father." Griffin laughed crazily. "You don't have to tell me that, but if he cares so damn much about you, then he needs to not let you go outside in the middle of the night by yourself. You could get captured or worse."
"Do we need to go over this again?" My body shook with so much anger. "I can take care of myself."
Killian touched my shoulder, and Griffin growled.
"Dude." Killian lifted his hand off me. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Griffin straightened his shoulders and puffed out his chest. "More than fine. Great." The awful smell of a lie hit our noses.
"Yeah, right. If that’s the case, then why are the two of you out here, yelling at each other?” Killian glanced at me before fixating on his friend again. "I mean, you say she shouldn't be outside, but if anyone was in the vicinity, they’d come check out the noise, and both of you could be in trouble."
Dammit, he was right. "Part of his concern is that the bear shifter escaped before they could get him to the jail."
"What?" Killian's mouth dropped. "How is that possible?"
Griffin's shoulders deflated, and he looked like the confused person I'd felt like earlier. He rubbed a hand down his face. "Apparently, Harold didn't follow standard police protocol, and the guy attacked him and got away." Griffin started the story from scratch, filling Killian in on everything he'd already told me.
"Why didn't you tell us this earlier?" Killian frowned. "He could try again."
"That's why I'm out here." Griffin glanced over his shoulder at the woods. "I wanted to make sure that no one was lurking around."
"We don't even know if he was targeting me." If the bear was one of the men who’d killed my pack, he would've known I was skilled and strong. He would've had backup, especially since it wasn't a new moon. I figured this had to be someone different, which made things even more complicated. "I could've been the closest wolf."
"She's right." Killian wrapped an arm around my waist as he watched Griffin. "The group that’s unhappy are attacking wolves in general. Any of us could be next."
"I don't understand what's going on." I’d gleaned a lot earlier, but there were still crucial pieces of the puzzle missing. "I get that wolves are being attacked because you all opened the city back up, but I still don’t understand—why only wolves?"
"Right before Dad died, he headed the initiative to open the borders, much to the chagrin of one of the angel council members and all three witch representatives. The vote was cast, and Dad got the majority by only one vote. Even though he died, there was no stopping the decision." Griffin winced with pain. "The alpha power transferred to me upon his death. At times, feeling everyone gets to be too much. That’s why things have fallen apart since then."
"Any transition has road bumps." Killian tried to reassure him. "We've talked about this."
"And I told you that I’m not ready to be alpha. I could never be the kind of leader Dad was." Griffin rubbed his hands together. "The only reason I haven't handed the reins over to Dick permanently is all the turmoil going on. Once things are settled, I'll figure out my next steps."
Everyone fell silent, and after a prolonged moment, I forced a yawn. I'd come out here to find comfort and refuge, but all I’d gotten was drama and angst. "I'm exhausted. I'm going to bed."
"Shouldn't you go home?" Griffin rasped.
"Dude," Killian said, "she’s staying with me for a while."
He raised both hands. "I was thinking if the bear attacked her because she was with us, staying away would be the best idea."
"I'm done having the same conversation with you over and over." I glared at him. "I've already kicked your ass, so drop it." I marched up the steps to the back porch and entered the house, leaving the two idiots outside.
When the door closed, I leaned against the wall, trying to find some sort of calm.
"Why are you being such an asshole to her?" Killian growled, and I startled, realizing I was in the perfect place to eavesdrop. I held my breath, trying to make sure I heard everything. Killian continued, "Is it because I got her first?"
"What?" Griffin said, sounding surprised. "No."
"Then what the hell is it?" Killian pushed harder.
My breath caught as I eagerly awaited his answer. I didn’t know why, but his answer was so damn important to me.
"Man, I don't know." Griffin sighed. "She gets under my skin, and I have no clue why."
"Could it be because she shut you down when you tried hitting on her?" Killian asked.
"Maybe. I don't know, man." Griffin sounded conflicted. "I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm thrilled she shut me down since she has you, and I would've never hit on her if I'd known she was the girl you told me about last night. I think it's partly because she appeared out of nowhere, and now she's sleeping at your house. How much do you even know about her?"
I turned toward the door, ready to go back outside to interrupt their conversation. I didn't need Griffin learning about everything. He'd use it to his advantage. My hand reached the doorknob when Killian said, "Look, I appreciate you looking out for me. And there is a reason it happened so quickly. But it's not my place to tell you. Cut her some slack."
My hand fell to my side as my heart broke all over again. Killian had kept his word, but my gut said Griffin would start digging harder. I had to make sure I didn't let anything slip.
After all, my life depended on it.
A knock on the door slammed me back to the present. I sat upright in the bed and glanced around, expecting someone to pop out from under the bed or out of the closet.
"Dove?" Killian said and knocked again.
"Come in." I pulled the covers over me for some dumb-ass reason. I had on a pair of pajama bottoms and a shirt. In fact, they were the same ones I'd worn outside during the whole weird conversation with Griffin. If I could even call it a conversation. It was more like rage, sexual tension, and me fighting off the urge to lick his entire body.
What the hell? Why was I thinking about licking him? That was wrong on all kinds of levels.
The door opened, and Killian sauntered in. He paused and glanced around the room, and I wondered if he was thinking about me living among his sister's things.
"Do you want me to come out instead?" I hadn't even thought about him not wanting to walk in here. He usually did stay in the hallway or in the living room.
"No, it's fine." He smiled sadly. "It's kind of nice to have you in her room. It brings a little bit of happiness to the space, the same way it felt when she was alive. Although she’d cry knowing that you didn’t approve of her wardrobe. She and Mom loved going shopping together." He chuckled.
"Her clothes are great, just not my style. Did I oversleep?" If he was anything like me, he didn't want to continue that line of conversation. I glanced at the clock on the side table and read that it was seven in the morning.
"Nope, but we need to run and get your fake ID." He chuckled. "Carter will lose his shit if you show up without it again, so let's not stir the beast within."
I'd forgotten all about that. "Yeah, sounds great." Having an ID would mean I could open a checking account and other things. "I'll get dressed now."
Within thirty minutes, we were pulling into the breakfast diner where I'd seen the auburn-bearded man yesterday. I tried to calm my racing heart, but there wasn't much I could do about it. In the past, when I got nervous, I’d used my pack link to help calm me down, but I didn't have that now. Of course, that only made me panic even more.
"What's wrong?" Killian asked as he pulled into a metered spot alongside the road. "Your heart is pounding so hard I can hear it over the music. I don't think it could race any faster without you having a heart attack."
Yeah, tell me about it. "It's nothing," I said with a cracked voice as the smell of rotting eggs filled the car.
"No, seriously." He gagged at the smell. "What's wrong, and please don't lie. I haven't eaten, so it won't take much to make my stomach queasy."
"Remember when I freaked out yesterday?" I gestured to the red light we'd been stopped at.
He nodded.
"Well, that's the diner those guys came out of." I was being ridiculous, but I couldn't hold it in. Flashes of only two days ago replayed in my head, and the attack in the bar hadn't helped. I didn't want to go in there. I almost felt frozen in place.
"I'll be right there with you." Killian took my hand and gently pulled me so I faced him. "I won't leave your side."
He meant for that to be comforting, but he couldn't make that kind of promise. I hated feeling so weak and pathetic, but my wolf pawed against my head.
"Hey." He cupped my cheek. "Breathe."
But I couldn't even when I tried. I had to get away and connect with my wolf. It was the only way to become calm. "I’ve gotta go. I'm sorry." I pulled away from Killian and threw open the door. "I have to get away. Please don’t follow me. I need a moment by myself. Just…get my ID please. I'll meet you back here in twenty."
"Dammit, Dove." Killian hissed as I slammed the door.
I'd apologize later, but the edges of my vision were starting to darken. I ran as fast as I could in the direction we’d come from toward the nearest woods. Maybe I'd regret it if I got caught, but I was about to lose myself.
My head swam as I pushed my legs to keep moving across the last road before the tree line. My eyes locked on my end destination.
A loud honk hit my ears, followed by squealing tires and the stench of burning rubber. I froze and faced the car as an older man stuck his head out and asked, "Are you okay, miss?"
I didn't have the luxury of responding, or I'd pass out before I could shift. Instead, I burst back into a run and continued on, thanking the gods that I hadn't gotten hit.
"Miss!" the guy yelled after me.
As soon as I’d run far enough into the woods to be out of sight from the road, I yanked my shirt from my body while kicking off my shoes and then pulled off the rest. I threw the clothes in one heaping pile so I could find them again easily. Then I called for my wolf.
She sprang forward with no hesitation, and I shifted faster than I ever had before. When I hit the ground on all fours, I ran deeper into the woods, needing to keep my wolf form hidden. I sniffed the air, making sure no one was close by.
Nothing smelled of other shifters or supernaturals.
Animals rustled around the woods, making my restlessness ease some. In this form, I could breathe, but the paranoia was still too damn close for comfort. I'd been packless for only a little over two days, and it was already beginning to take its toll.
I'd heard stories about how some wolves could go months before getting to this point, so why was I so different? The answer rang in my head—because I was an alpha with no pack to lead. It probably would have helped if I’d stayed under the moon longer last night, but with Griffin there, it hadn't been possible.
A rabbit jumped out from behind a tree, landing in my path, and my wolf grew excited. She wanted to be the predator and let our natural instincts take over. To lose our mind in the moment.
I chased the rabbit, the animal hopping off, running for its life. I didn't plan on eating it, just enjoyed the chase as nature intended.
The little sucker hopped faster than I expected, and my legs burned from the exercise. The paranoia receded as I lost myself in the task.
Minutes later, wings flapped, breaking my concentration. I skidded to a stop as I tried to figure out where the noise was coming from. I was used to worrying about creatures on the ground, not in the sky.
The thunder of large wings grew louder, and a familiar rose scent hit my nose. I looked up in time to see Rosemary descend between two trees, beautiful dark-feathered wings stretched out behind her back.
I wasn’t used to looking out for angels, seeing as I’d never met one before her. I had to get out of here. I spun and took off in the direction of my clothes. I should've paid more attention to staying hidden, but I’d been trying to get myself under control before being stuck in the coffee shop for hours.
Hoping to lose her, I ran back toward the road. But suddenly, something was standing right in my path. I skidded to a halt, weighing my options.
"Well, isn't this quite interesting," Rosemary said as she crossed her arms. “I thought I smelled a strange wolf below.”
No .
No one could know who I was.