Chapter 3 #2
He looked away from his computer monitor, casting a quick glance around his office, searching for something to distract himself.
He looked over at the markings he’d clawed into the walls a few nights ago, when his bear had literally attempted to claw its way to the surface in a bid to chase down Nessa.
Just as quickly, Murphy looked away, his mouth hardening into a firm line as he tried to focus on the receipts once more.
The cellphone on his desk rang, the loud noise grating to his ears. Immediately, his already dark mood worsened. Growling, Murphy grabbed the device, his fingers tightening so hard around it that the small screen cracked. That was the third one this week he’d ruined.
“Son of a bitch,” he spat out angrily, tempted to throw this one at the wall, too. Instead, he took a deep breath, refusing to give in to his impulses.
‘Dad’ flashed across the cracked screen as the phone rang again.
Murphy’s brow furrowed. Why was his dad calling him? As Alpha, Murphy could communicate telepathically with anyone in his clan, and vice versa. His family didn’t need technology to contact him.
Gingerly, Murphy set his phone down on the desk, answering the call before quickly placing his father on speakerphone.
“Murph?” Phillip’s voice floated into the air, his gravelly timbre soothing a bit of Murphy’s ire. “You there, Son?”
“Yes,” Murphy replied shortly, glancing back up at his computer screen. He really should have finished his task before picking up the phone. Now, he’d have to endure whatever problem his dad had run into and then finish his work afterward.
It was already late in the evening, just past ten p.m., and he hadn’t even eaten lunch. At the rate he was going, he’d end up skipping dinner, too. His stomach chose that moment to twist with hunger before grumbling loudly.
Fuck.
Phillip released a long, low whistle. “Bit snappy toward your old man, don’t you think?”
An apology was on the tip of his tongue, but Murphy held it back. “What do you want, Dad?”
“Just called to check in.” There was a brief pause, and then his father sighed. “I heard through the grapevine that you’ve been acting a bit … off.”
Murphy glowered down at his desk, the statement rubbing him the wrong way. “Off?” What the hell was that supposed to mean? Had Mom told him that?
“I heard you’ve destroyed a few things—”
“The computer was an accident,” Murphy cut in, immediately on the defensive.
“What about the mug?”
His brows rose in surprise. “This is about a mug?”
“Tank said he also noticed a door missing from one room in your house—”
“I’m remodeling,” Murphy lied dryly, ready to nip this conversation in the bud.
He didn’t have time for this. Why did his dad even care that he’d broken a few things? Bears were often emotional, impulsive shifters—anyone could have gotten upset and destroyed something superficial.
Besides, his computer had been an accident … Mostly.
Well, maybe calling it an ‘accident’ was a bit of a stretch. The truth was, Murphy might have gotten mad when his bear had scared him and he’d hurled the desk across the room in a fit of rage. While the computer was an accident, the desk was not.
“This isn’t just about a computer, Murph, and I think you know that,” his dad answered cautiously. “How have you been sleeping?”
Taken aback by the question, Murphy sagged into his seat, suddenly feeling exhausted. “Fine.”
“Fine? I’m gonna need more specifics than that, Son. How many hours a night?”
He pursed his lips instead of answering. Another yawn threatened to surface and expose him.
“I know that you’re sleeping less than three hours a night,” Phillip supplied helpfully. “I also know that this has been going on for a while. I’d venture to guess for a couple of months.”
Shock ran through Murphy, leaving him immobile for a handful of seconds.
“How the hell do you know that? If you tell me that Tank is spying on me at night, I’m going to kill him,” he warned darkly, fury replacing his hunger and exhaustion as it burned him from within.
His bear reacted similarly, roaring as it struggled to gain control.
A shiver slid over Murphy’s skin, a precursor to a shift.
Stop, Murphy internally ordered with a snap of his teeth, demanding the beast obey. Reluctantly, it did, and the sensation ebbed, allowing him to focus on the problem at hand.
What was his brother doing? Creeping outside his window at night, listening to him breathing? That was disturbing on so many levels. But that didn’t make sense. Tank wouldn’t leave Hunny defenseless and alone during the night.
That left only …
“Jasper,” Murphy seethed.
Of course, his youngest brother would do some weird shit like that. Jasper was a jokester and a mama’s boy at heart, so if Tabitha had put him up to it, he’d probably have skipped his happy ass over here and posted up. Murphy was willing to bet his brother would have even thought it funny.
How hadn’t Murphy noticed the intrusion, though? How long had this even been going on?
He jerked his head up and toward the window, eyes narrowed at the dark forest beyond. If Jasper was there right now, he was hiding just out of sight.
Murphy had half-expected him to have his face pressed against the glass, just to scare him. Three months ago, he might have found that funny. Now? It was an invasion of his privacy. It was also unnecessary.
He was fine, damnit.
His dad huffed. “Your mother is worried about you. Hell, we’re all worried about you, Son.”
“Enough to send Jasper to spy on me instead of talking to me? That is uncalled for,” Murphy snarled.
“Normally, I’d agree,” his father argued. “But if you were really ‘fine,’ you would have realized another shifter was lurking outside your home. You haven’t noticed once, Murphy. Not in weeks.”
“Weeks?”
“Your mother thinks you’re suffering from—”
A light knock on his front door caught Murphy’s attention, and his dad’s voice became a faint buzzing noise in the background, the rest of his senses on high alert. Who was here so late at night?
Jasper, probably here to rub it in your face that he’s slipped right under your nose for weeks.
Murphy’s jaw clenched, steam practically coming out of his ears as he struggled to maintain his composure. His bear paced in his mind, back and forth, a low rumble reverberating in its chest. It wanted Jasper to pay, and Murphy agreed.
“I’ve got to go,” Murphy said absentmindedly into the phone, hanging up before his dad could even respond. Another knock sounded, this time more insistent than before.
Gritting his teeth, Murphy stalked from his office, his footsteps heavy and purposeful as he moved down the hallway, into his living room, and to the front door.
He didn’t bother checking the peephole, knowing whoever was on his front porch had been cleared by the bears at the main gate of his vast territory.
Grabbing the door handle, he nearly bent the brass as he twisted it. Ripping the door open—but miraculously not off its hinges—Murphy barked, “What the fuck do you wan—”
His words died in his throat as the female standing on his porch flinched back from his harsh tone, her eyes wide as saucers as she gaped up at him in equal parts shock and trepidation.
Murphy stilled, and whatever fury, whatever malice he’d been feeling only moments ago, fled, leaving behind only surprise and a raw, unbridled need that threatened to undo his months of hard work.
“I—This was a mistake,” Nessa squeaked out, her sweet voice panicked and confused.
The wind chose that exact moment to blow hard, and her scent slammed into him at full blast. It was just as intoxicating as he remembered, although the traces of fear lacing it irked him, his dominant nature hating that she felt unsafe in his presence.
She turned away from him then, her teal-colored hair flying over her shoulder as she rushed from the porch and toward her car, which she’d parked in his driveway.
His bear roared in denial as she ran away, slamming at Murphy’s defenses in the hopes of taking over.
Of breaking free and forcing them to chase after her.
She’s ours. Don’t let her leave!
Murphy inhaled roughly, dragging her scent deep into his lungs as his bear demanded he go after her. She barely made it a few feet before the restraint he’d been holding onto for months snapped.
Without a second thought, Murphy gave chase.