5. Garin

Chapter 5

Garin

Walking away from Trig when he was obviously upset was nearly my undoing. I wanted to hold him in my arms and promise that I'd be okay, but I couldn't do that. I had an omega to protect, and honestly, if I stayed there any longer, I'd never leave. I hated hurting him like that. I nearly turned around and went back twice.

This weekend was gonna be rough.

Maybe taking that job was more than just a fun distraction. If that was all it was, I'd have called and said I was sick or something came up, right? But I didn't, as much as my beast begged me to.

If I were truly being honest with myself, there was a certain level of excitement that came from knowing I'd be taking care of somebody else. Someone who relied on me and actually needed me. That sounded all kinds of omega-tastic, even to myself, but it was true.

That was partially an alpha trait, but it was also my wolf speaking to me. We needed a pack, and it was time I started responding to some of those instincts within me. I always thought I was fine without one. They were filled with politics and rules and hierarchy bullshit. Who needed that? My wolf, that's who.

I just wished Trig hadn't looked at me like it was the last time he'd ever see my face again. The fear in his eyes was palpable, which was why I walked out the way I did. If I had stayed a second longer, I'd still be there.

It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him how I felt, how I wanted him to choose me instead of all the people he spent so many of his nights with.

But I chickened out at the last minute. Again, rationalizing with myself that it was neither the time nor the place.

Now, I just hoped I'd live long enough to tell him how much I cared about him. How much I loved him. I didn't worry that this job would be the end of me like his eyes told me he did. But fearing his rejection is what made me hesitate, and as much as I wanted to tell myself I wouldn't continue to do so, I knew I would.

Being near him and him not knowing the truth was better than telling him and risking him leaving me all alone.

And really, that was the worst-case scenario. Even if he didn't feel the same way, he'd probably stay. I'd be devastated, but I didn't think he would end our friendship over it. At least, I hoped not. But until we had that conversation, I needed to focus on my new charge. He had to come first. People don't pay me as much as he was willing to just to be a mall cop. The threat was real.

The address I was sent to was in a nice part of town. Lots of large houses and old money that spoke of class and society and importance. It was the sort of neighborhood that had home tours for charity fundraisers. Nothing close to the kind of neighborhood I could afford to live in.

I pulled up to the long driveway where I was to meet him. It was a gorgeous home, but it didn't have any of the security fencing many of his neighbors had. If a threat wanted to get in, there were dozens of entry points I could see just with a glance.

I looked up at an upstairs window and saw a curtain fall into place as if someone had been peeking out of it. Had I been there to do him harm, I'd know exactly where he was. It was a good thing I was there to take care of him.

Curious . My beast perked up.

I left my bag in my car, not wanting to be presumptuous. This was a first meeting, and if we didn't click or this didn't work out the way either of us wanted it to, it was best to have it already in my vehicle, ready to head out. I went to the front door. There was a camera attached to the doorbell, so I bent down in front of it and smiled. "Hi, I'm Garin Wolfberg, looking for Mr. Nathan Black."

These kinds of cameras were great for making sure people didn't steal your packages or for talking to someone at the door without opening it. I was no security expert, but even I could see that was asking for trouble.

"I'll be right down." The voice that came out of the speaker sounded so timid and afraid that all my reservations about taking the job were forgotten. Maybe this was going to be a great gig after all. Or at least one that made a difference, and that was almost the same thing.

When the door opened, an adorable omega briefly smiled and then gave me a good once-over from head to toe. "Which agency are you from?"

"You have a camera, why didn't you talk through the door?" The need to keep him safe was powerful, and he wasn't doing himself any favors in that department.

"Oh, um, I didn't think of that." He looked down at the ground. "Which agency?"

I cocked my head, confused at the question. How many bodyguards had he hired? "Shifter For Hire. I'm your wolf bodyguard."

He nodded his head and exhaled. "Yeah, okay. Come on in."

"You want some proof?" Because he should've been asking for proof.

He leaned in and scented the air deeply. "No. Come on in."

The whole exchange reminded me of getting into rideshare cars and making sure the person driving was the person I was expecting. But I was glad he took even that small precaution of scenting me. It wasn't a lot, but it was something.

This sweet omega, who was probably about the same age as me, just seemed so…gentle. And his scent…it called to me. Not that I could answer its call. I was there for one reason and one reason only.

To keep him safe. I planned to do exactly that.