Chapter 4
Chapter
Four
Griff: Are you a good magic coin or a bad magic coin?
Coin: Answer hazy, please try again.
Griff: Are you messing with me?
Coin: All signs point to ‘yes.’
Griff: Dude, so you’re totally like a Magic 8-Ball, but in the form of a coin!
Coin: Better not tell you now.
Griff: Aw, nuts.
—Private conversation between Griffin and his coin
Griffin
Something enormous and monumental, unlike anything I’ve ever known, wells up within me. I can’t even begin to describe it —it’s like a never-ending explosion of confetti feelings inside my chest!
They make me want to cry and jump for joy at the same time.
My mate.
I’ve found my fated mate.
And he’s so beautiful and brave.
But he’s been hurt badly for so long that he’s giving off heavy “leave me the fuck alone” vibes. Earning his love and trust won’t be easy.
My old pack used to mock me because I’m not exactly the smartest guy, but one thing I do have in spades is an unshakable level of devotion when it comes to those I care about.
I won’t give up on Shae. I’ll stay by his side no matter what—even if he won’t accept our mate bond.
Just being near him and being able to use my SCSS to help him is enough.
He doesn’t realize it, but he’s given me a newfound purpose in this life—keeping him safe and helping him find the happiness he deserves. And I intend to see it through to the end.
I’m so relieved Cal was able to get that horrible collar off his neck. My heart aches to know how much he’s suffered from that device alone.
Even with Ruby’s healing skills, the scars of my mate’s torment are carved into his skin. I don’t know how he managed to endure seven years of wearing it. No doubt he had to be in constant pain from the iron.
Someone chose that material deliberately. Someday, I want to learn the whole story of what happened to him, but for now, Shae needs time and space to heal from the inside out.
My mate is so strong. I can’t even begin to know all that he’s endured, but he survived, and I can tell that whoever enslaved him didn’t manage to break his spirit.
I can sense confusion and exhaustion radiating from him now as I continue to nuzzle his hands. He may not be reciprocating my affection, but he’s not actively pushing me away either. He’s even relaxed his body, so I savor the pleasure of touching him while I can. I pour every ounce of positive and soothing energy into the vibes I send his way as I bathe him in my scent.
I dream of the day I can snuggle him to my heart’s content.
I may not be very good at most things, but I’m a champion snuggler.
Dallas clears his throat. “I know you’ve been through a lot and this all probably seems very overwhelming at the moment, but MEOW Squad has been called in to escort you to a safe location. We’ve been warned that there might be people looking for you, and this shelter isn’t equipped to provide the protection you may need. Will you come with us?”
“We have an awesome fortified compound in Malibu that has a top-notch magical security system. You’ll be safe with us, Shae.” I lean my head on the side of the bed as I gaze up at him, relieved to sense his anxiety diminishing.
“They’re telling the truth,” Mara says. “My shelter has worked with Dallas and his team many times. They’ve helped quite a few Otherkind individuals in need. If anyone can keep you safe, they can.”
Shae seems to consider this and then turns to his friend. “What do you think, Em? I’m not loving the idea of leaving you behind while I stay with strangers.”
Ruby picks up on his concern and wraps an arm around a blushing Emma. “This is perfect! You can both come with us. Emma’s going to work with us, and Shae will have his friend nearby for comfort as he gets settled in.”
Emma has a dazed look on her face, but she can’t keep her eyes off of Ruby. I grin.
“Whoa! Hold up. I haven’t agreed to anything yet,” Emma says warily.
Dallas lets out a hearty laugh. “Fear not, Potion Master. MEOW Squad pays its employees handsomely and has a very generous benefits package.”
“Yeah, as long as you can get past the ridiculous name, it’s all good,” Cal snarks.
Ruby, who’s by far the smartest among us other than Harper, gives Emma a calculating grin. “We also have a state-of-the-art laboratory in our compound that would be perfect for potion-making.”
Emma bites her lip, clearly being swayed.
Harper gracefully brandishes his closed parasol-slash-hidden sword. “We also provide free room and board with the position, and all of our bedrooms have an ocean view.”
Emma’s eyes widen, then she thrusts out her arm and shakes his hand. “Sold!”
Shae groans. “Fucking hell.”
Emma gives him pleading eyes. “Oceanfront property with free room and board, Shae!”
He sighs and narrows his eyes at Harper. “I don’t know how you figured out her weakness, but hats off to you.”
Harper gives a mysterious smile and mimes keeping his lips sealed.
I blink in confusion. “What weakness?”
“Em’s a surf nut.”
I reach out and give her a high five. “Right on. Me too!”
Shae rolls his eyes.
Emma crosses her arms and arches her eyebrow at him. “You love the ocean just as much as I do.”
Shae’s expression shutters. “I used to. I haven’t seen it in years.”
“Shae… fuck. I’m sorry,” Emma says, her words faltering.
On instinct, I squeeze my mate’s hand. I can feel the sorrow coming off him in waves, and I whine low in the back of my throat, wanting to ease his suffering.
Mara pipes up again. “Shae, are you willing to let these folks take you into their care for now? They can better protect you than we can here at the shelter.”
I hold my breath. If I could cross my tail, I totally would.
Finally, Shae gives a reluctant nod. “All right.”
Dallas rubs his big hands together. “Good! Let’s get going, gang. We have lots to do and we need to get our new friends settled in Casa MEOW!”
“So not its name, for the record,” Cal tells Shae while ignoring Dallas’s growl of disagreement.
Shae squints down at me. “You’re kind of a bunch of weirdos, huh?”
My tail wags happily. “We’re all misfits of a sort, but we’ve become a close-knit family of our own. I think we all like to consider ourselves special and unique.”
His lips twitch and I see a whisper of a smile before it’s gone in a flash. Nevertheless, just the sight of it gives me hope. I’m going to help Shae heal his heart!
Within ten minutes, we’re all crammed into the SUV and on the freeway heading back home.
My mate curls in on himself in his seat, resting his head on the window, and promptly falls asleep again. I wrap a spare blanket we keep in the back around him to help him stay warm and try to focus on not letting my excitement get the best of me. My leg bounces in time with my tail.
“Congratulations on finding your mate, Griffin,” Harper says softly. His dark eyes are warm as he regards me.
The permanent grin I’ve been wearing since we left the shelter with my mate grows even wider. “Thanks, Harper!”
“Be… gentle and careful with him,” Harper says cautiously. “That young man has been through a lot. He might not be ready for what you want for quite some time.”
My ears droop and my heart aches. “I know. We’ll take things at his pace. I’d never force him into anything he doesn’t want. He’s my mate. I’ll do whatever it takes to help him heal and be whole again. I’ll wait. No matter how long it takes.” I shrug. “There is no one else for me from now on.”
Cal reaches over the row of seats behind me and squeezes my shoulder. “Don’t worry, Griff. You’re too fucking sweet and full of sunshiny goodness for anyone to resist for long. And no one can fight against the attack of your puppy-dog eyes.” He reaches up to rub one of my ears, and I press into the touch, tail flapping faster. “And these ears! So fluffy and irresistible. Seriously, you’re cuteness incarnate.” He shakes his head ruefully. “If a sarcastic and jaded sonofabitch like me couldn’t hold out against you, then neither will this guy.”
I gaze at him adoringly. “Thank you, Cal! That makes me feel so much better.”
He covers his face with one hand. “Gah! There they are again. I seriously can’t with those eyes, man.”
Ruby snorts out a laugh. “Your bromance will always crack me up.”
Cal leans closer and nuzzles my ears with a loud sigh. “Ignore her. Our bromance is a beautiful thing. It was meant to be.”
“Are you guys always… like this?” Emma asks suddenly, her eyes darting between us all.
“Pretty much,” I admit.
“We’re all really tight,” Ruby says. “Most of us were alone in the world until we joined the team. Now we’re a big, quirky family.”
Emma’s eyes turn to my mate’s sleeping form. “If anyone needs a family like that, it’s Shae.” Her voice is soft as she continues to talk. “His own father and stepmother were responsible for his captivity.”
A growl bubbles up in my throat and I want to gnash my teeth in outrage. Then I look at Shae, curled up in a protective ball, and I want to cry. The last hour and a half has been an emotional roller coaster for me, but I know it’s all so much worse for my mate.
“His own family?” Ruby whispers, her face lined with sorrow. “How horrible.”
Cal stares out the window with a scowl. “Blood relationships don’t mean shit in my experience. Good riddance to those fuckers.”
“We’ll be his family, if he’ll have us,” Dallas chimes in from the driver’s seat.
My heart swells with pride as I survey my friends. We might be a group of oddballs in the eyes of most people, but I wouldn’t trade a single one of us, and I will always thank my lucky stars for the day Dallas saved me and brought me into the fold.
I glance at my mate. I just hope Shae will let us do the same for him.
Feeling that odd warmth in my pocket again, I pull out the gold coin I picked up earlier. New writing appears, unsolicited, on the side with the engraved dragon: Trust your instincts. You got this.
I’m instantly encouraged.
Then I hesitate. Can it read my mind?
“So cool,” I whisper as I stare at it in a way that totally isn’t creepy or Gollum-esque.
“What the hell is that?” Cal asks.
I turn in my seat and hand it to him. “Found it on the ground before we went into the shelter. It’s been giving me advice.”
Cal studies the coin, turning it over in his hands, and I see the sigils on his arms flare silver briefly. “There’s some seriously strong magic coming off this thing.” He frowns. “I’ve never seen anything quite like it.”
I bite my lip. “Do you sense any bad vibes from it? Magically, I mean.”
He studies it a moment longer and then hands it back. “Nope. It’s more like the thing’s… sentient? I don’t know how to describe it. There’s some mischievous intent but nothing dangerous or dark that I can tell. Seems like it wanted you to find it. If it starts doing anything weird, let me know.”
“Leave it to Griff to find a magic coin that doles out love advice,” Ruby snickers. “Talk about lucky.”
Everyone else wants a chance to check it out, so I pass it around while Shae sleeps on. I’ll tell him about it later. After all, I believe this magic coin’s tied to us finding each other the way we did.
When I have it back, I clutch it tight and watch my mate as he slumbers curled up in his seat, head resting on the window. There’s a furrow in the middle of his brow, and even in sleep, the emotions rolling off him make me ache with the need to comfort him.
I redouble my efforts in pumping out my SCSS and gradually the line between his brow smooths out and his body relaxes.
“I’m what he needs in a mate, right? I can help him and love him and show him all the beauty in this life?” I whisper to my coin.
The previous writing fades to be replaced with I don’t make mistakes. You two are meant to be.
My tail tries to wag from where it’s trapped behind me in my seat and my ears flick happily. When it comes to my mate, I’m going to trust in our connection and give it my all.