Chapter Twenty-One
Toby wanted Griffin again. He’d never get enough, which was good news. The bad news was that they were walking into the sheriff’s house, where their meeting was supposed to take place.
Toby bit his lip and leaned into Griffin, snuggling in until Griffin put an arm around him and pulled him closer. “Promise we can have marathon number two when this is over.”
Griffin chuckled. “I definitely promise.”
“I’m not joking. I want you again.” His insatiability was a little annoying because it wasn’t appropriate when they would be around so many people. “I want you all the time. Like every second of every day. Is something wrong with me?”
Griffin stopped them before they could go inside. He pulled Toby in for a hug. “If something is wrong with you, then it’s wrong with me, too.”
“Well, that’s just great. Now we have the same damn disease.” Toby returned the hug.
Griffin chuckled again. “I’m just that good in the sack.”
“If you are, then so am I because you want me, too.”
The door opened, and a wolf shifter with long dark hair stood in the opening. “I don’t know if you realize this, Griffin, but wolf shifters can hear far better than other people can.”
Toby nodded. “That’s true.”
Griffin grinned. “Sorry. I thought our conversation was private.” He pulled Toby to his side. “Marric, this is Toby, my mate. Toby, this is Marric, my stepfather.”
Toby raised his eyebrows because Marric was very young to be a stepfather to Griffin.
Marric huffed. “I told you not to call me that.” Marric smiled at Toby. “This one likes to tease. A lot. Anyway, I’m Iven’s mate. It’s nice to finally meet you. I’m glad you’re feeling better.”
A boy ran past Marric to Griffin. He wasn’t very old. He might have been eight years old or so, and he smelled like a witch, but his magic smelled on the darker side.
Griffin let Toby go and caught the boy, lifting him into his arms to hug him.
“Grandpa took me riding. I even got to go on the trails. Daddy said he’d learn how to ride since I learned. Can you learn, too? Then we can go on the trails together.”
Griffin grinned, but his expression softened. “I’d love to learn how to ride a horse. Thank you for including me.”
The boy took Griffin’s face in his small hands and then pressed their foreheads together.
Toby didn’t know Griffin could make him melt into a puddle more times than he already had.
“Brothers for life,” Griffin and the boy whispered at the same time.
“It’s super cute, isn’t it?” Marric stood next to Toby. “That’s their thing. Griffin started it, but Riley does the same thing with Regan, too.”
“It’s sweet.” Toby wasn’t sure what the story was with Regan, but there had to be one. Regan was a very cute little boy, but he was a dark magic user. Griffin and Riley weren’t, which meant Regan’s biology was different. But that wouldn’t matter to Griffin.
Toby felt like fanning himself. Griffin wasn’t helping with his problem of wanting him all the time.
Not appropriate, Toby. Which it wasn’t, so Toby kept his hands down at his sides.
Griffin set Regan on his feet when they were finished, and Regan ran down the porch and to Riley, where he did the same thing, only Riley wasn’t buying into getting on a horse. “I don’t know if this city boy can handle a horse. What if I get scared?”
Griffin pulled Toby to his side again and grinned at him, which totally stole Toby’s focus away from Regan. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Toby grinned right back at Griffin. “Because you were adorable with your little brother. It made my ovaries burst.”
“You don’t have ovaries.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I’ve done a thorough examination.” They’d gone at it for three solid days. It was amazing.
“You’d better do another one. Just in case.”
Marric snorted out a laugh. “Regan, come meet Toby.”
Regan wiggled out of Riley’s hold. He stood in front of Toby and held out his hand.
Toby was thoroughly impressed. He shook Regan’s hand. “It’s nice meeting you.”
“I like meeting you, too. Do you like horses?”
“Yes. And I know how to ride, but it’s been a really long time.”
“Can you come with us riding?”
“I would love to.”
Toby laid his head on Griffin’s chest and tightened his hold. “Promise me you’ll be careful. When we do… whatever it is we’re going to do.”
“I promise. You have to promise, too.”
“I will, but they won’t get the drop on me again.” Toby would make sure every one of the people behind all the nonsense paid. They wouldn’t know where they would end up when Toby was done with them. He just might send them straight to hell.
A big man with a bandana over his long hair parked his truck on the curb and got out. He scowled as if something had made him angry. He definitely gave off an alpha vibe.
Toby’s alpha nature took notice and wanted to make its presence known as the head alpha, but he told himself it wasn’t the time.
Regan went right to the man, who lifted him into his arms. “How was school this week?”
“Good. I learned about pluses and minuses and frogs and toads. And I made a friend. Her name is Ada, and she’s a dark witch like me.”
“It sounds like you’ve had a very good week.” Throughout the conversation, the man never lost his scowl.
Regan didn’t seem bothered or scared by it. He prattled on, focusing on his horse-riding recruitment efforts. “Yep, and can you make Riley learn how to ride horses, Grandpa?”
The alpha raised his eyebrows. “I don’t think making him is going to be very good for him. How about we teach him about horses first?”
“Griff said he’d learn to ride with me.”
“That sounds alright.” The alpha met Griffin’s gaze and nodded. Toby was pretty sure the upturn of his lips was supposed to be a smile.
And then he turned his attention to Toby.
Griffin cleared his throat. “This is Toby. My mate. Toby, this is Kinnison Ransome.”
“You’re an alpha.” That was all Kinnison said.
Toby met his gaze. “You’re the reason we’re here.”
“Is that so?”
“I was paid to kill you.”
Kinnison raised his eyebrows. “But you didn’t.”
“I don’t have victims.”
“So what are we going to do about the people who paid you?”
“We’re going to bring them to the surface.” And then Toby would eliminate the problem.