Chapter 13: Griffin

13

GRIFFIN

I t's the second night of the storm, and as promised, the weather has taken an even nastier turn. Yesterday was bad, but tonight is supposed to get a whole lot worse. Nobody should be out on a night like tonight, but my beast, this thing inside me, won't leave it alone.

He's furious with me for running. And he's not going to give me a minute's peace until I see her again.

When I drive down Main Street, most of the shops have closed already, and some of the windows are even covered with plywood to stop flying debris from smashing the glass. Leaves and twigs litter the road, and toppled bins rest on their sides down the alley behind the grocery store.

An older man hurries a younger woman out of the hardware store ahead of him, trying to shield her from the driving rain, as she locks the door behind them. She shrieks as the wind nearly knocks her off her feet, before he links her arm, and they rush to an old pick-up parked nearby.

Cruising slowly around the corner, I see the bar where Kali's working. The Devil's Claw. Maisy, the owner of the bed and breakfast I stayed at last night, was coy at first, reluctant to give out any information. But once I assured her that I'd already met Kali, and that I was the new ranger in town, she caved. Apparently, Kali's two cousins were like sons to John. She assumed I already knew that Kali was close to him as she explained how John had all but adopted the boys and kept a close eye on Kali over the years.

However, I did not.

Briefly, I wonder if John knew we'd hit it off, but then, how could he have?

Despite the weather, there are two cars parked outside the bar, and a warm glow pours from the windows out onto the dark street.

It couldn't still be open with a storm bearing down, could it?

Not wanting to get noticed, I park my truck further along the street and climb out, tugging on a ball cap and yanking my hood up to protect me from the lashing rain.

Above the wind, I can hear cheesy music, cheerful and loud, blasting from inside. It's not what I'd expect to hear playing in a dive bar like this. My breath catches when I peer through the glass and spot Kali, her blonde hair pulled back in the same braid I had wrapped around my fist, looking even more radiant than I remember. She's dancing and singing to herself as she tidies up the counter that's littered with shot glasses, running a rag over the polished surface.

I can't sense anyone else here, although there must have been recently if the glasses are any indication.

Has she not seen outside? The weather is even worse than it was last night. She should be home, hunkering down and staying safe until this passes, not cleaning up and having a party for one.

Slowly, I push open the door, preparing myself for a frosty reception, and wait as a gust of wind blows through the bar, bringing with it leaves and rain, and announcing my arrival.

Kali freezes, her back to me. Slowly, she lifts her eyes to meet mine in the mirror behind the bar, and I watch dismayed as all the colour drains from her face. The smile she wore a minute ago is gone, and she looks like she's seen a ghost.

"What are you doing here, Griffin?" She doesn't turn to face me, just speaks through her reflection. Her body language is tense, and her posture is rigid. There's nothing to suggest she's even remotely happy to see me. Not that I expected her to be.

"Apologising to you." My voice is gentle, afraid to spook her.

She looks like she might bolt for the door any second.

My heart races just being in the same room as her, and all the words I went over in my mind, how I'd make sure she understood how sorry I was and explaining why I freaked out and ran, are gone. If it was a one-night stand with any other girl, leaving wouldn't feel so wrong, but we both know that's not all this is.

Leaving after what we shared, after what we did, was a betrayal. Like I left her standing at the altar. And it makes me sick to my stomach to imagine how she must've felt after she woke up and saw I'd left.

"Maisy told me you work here." I take a tentative step inside and shut the door behind me against the driving rain.

If she's surprised that I was asking around about her, she doesn't show it, just keeps staring. Tilting her head, she regards me with suspicion.

I'm expecting her to lay into me about my cowardly, middle of the night disappearing act, but instead, she narrows her eyes.

"Have you been hanging around the ranger's cabin since you've been in town? And snooping around Maisy's?" Her tone is laced with annoyance.

Frowning, I'm not sure where she's going with this, or what else I'm in trouble for. I only just arrived in Sutton yesterday.

"I went to check out whether the repairs to the ranger's cabin were finished, and if John's daughter had finished moving his stuff out. I wouldn't exactly call it snooping."

Kali throws her hands up in the air. "So, it is you. You're the stranger lurking around the place, the beast that's been making everyone nervous."

"What do you mean, stranger and beast? Are there others?"

Kali looks at me, irritated. "Eh duh! Half the town is like us. And they don't like strangers coming into their territory, scaring the humans. You're lucky one of them hasn't killed you."

I have no idea what other creatures like us can do, or what abilities they have. Could they sense my presence that easily? "I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't been lurking anywhere."

She rolls her eyes.

If I wasn't in the doghouse already, I'd be giving her a spanking for her bratty attitude.

"That's your excuse for everything. I don't know. I don't understand." She sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. "I need to tell Evan. You scared poor Holly half to death." Kali bites her lip as she mulls that over, staring past me toward the door and down at the remaining shot glasses. "Maybe I'll tell him tomorrow. They need to blow off some steam."

I don't care about Evan and Holly.

Slowly, I walk across the room and then pull out a stool. I don't sit down yet, waiting for her to give me the okay first.

With a sigh, she nods, but as I sit, she steps back and leans against the cooler behind her, putting more distance between us, arms folded over her chest.

"Sit if you want. You're not getting a drink, though. I'm locking up in five minutes, so you have that long to say your piece and get out. I've got things to do."

When I open my mouth, finally ready to deliver the speech I've prepared, she promptly turns her back to me and grabs a set of keys from a hook on the wall.

I stare in disbelief as she walks away, striding down the hallway to lock the back door and then disappearing into a room marked office. When she re-enters the main bar, and I finally think she might stop moving long enough to listen to me, she starts stacking all the chairs upside down on the tables.

"Kali? Come on," I say, pleading with her to stop. "Talk to me."

She ignores me and just keeps working on clearing the floor.

I push off the stool and cross to her, the distance between us feeling like a vast gulf. From the way her shoulders tense, lifting closer to her ears, she can tell I'm there, but she still stubbornly doesn't acknowledge my presence. My stomach twists. I did this. All I want is to see her smile like she did last night, but she won't even look at me.

"Kali!" My raised voice snaps her resolve to ice me out. Shit. She drops a chair with a bang and whirls around, fire in her eyes.

"What, Griffin? You came all this way to get something off your chest, so go for it. Make yourself feel better with whatever half-baked excuse you've come up with for not wanting this, and then go. It's not like I care anyway." Her voice drops to a mutter for the last part, and my heart breaks a little with the knowledge that I really hurt her.

"I care. Dammit Kali, I care . I'm not that guy. Any of it." Running a hand back through my hair, I shake my head, frustration clouding my thoughts. "Leaving without explaining properly. Even the sex, I mean… we just met each other. That's not what I do, just jump into bed with strangers. It was too fast."

Kali reels back like I slapped her, and when I reach for her, she recoils, shaking her head. "It's bad enough you ran out on me, but then you go out of your way to seek me out, for what? To shame me for sleeping with you the first night we met?"

There's the anger. There's the pain. And I've only made it worse.

"I know I said you had five minutes, but I changed my mind. Your time is up. Get out. Right now," Kali hisses.

Marching around me to the middle of the floor, she points at the door, looking past me at some fixed point on the wall, eyes glistening and chest heaving with pent up emotions she's refusing to let out in my presence.

When I don't move, she shakes her head, chin wobbling even though she tries to hide it. "GET. OUT."

Panic rises inside me. How did I fuck this up so spectacularly already? I want to comfort her, not be the source of her anguish, but I just keep making it worse.

"That's not what I meant! Fuck! I came here to apologise. I wanted to tell you that it was the best night of my life, and how sorry I am that I ruined it. I've never felt anything like this, and I freaked out."

For a moment, her gaze flickers to mine, and I feel a glimmer of hope that maybe she can tell I'm being truthful and feel my regret. Surely, she can see how bad I feel about hurting her like that, and ruining how perfect it was? I should have gotten up to make her breakfast in bed, not bolted and left her to wake up cold and alone.

"Please." Her voice is a whisper, breaking on that one word, and it feels like a dagger to my heart. "Please, Griffin. I can't right now. Just leave me alone."

Closing my eyes, I'm unable to comprehend how this is happening. I know it's all my fault, but we had such a connection. I really hoped we could talk and get past this. My animal does not want to leave when she's distressed, but if we're causing her pain…

"I think you need to do as the lady asks."

My eyes fly open. Suddenly, standing protectively beside Kali, is a literal giant. His stance is non-threatening, but it doesn't need to be. His sheer bulk makes it clear I don't want to tangle with him. When I turn to face him, he sighs, less than happy to recognise my face. "You again. Go."

"Jack, it's alright." Kali winces, looking from him to me, and back again. "I know him."

Jack moves carefully, coming closer but still having the sense not to stand between us, seeming to understand that will cause more problems.

"That may be, but emotions are clearly high. Everyone should probably cool down and talk tomorrow." His brown eyes have turned to black pools as he stares me down, and it's eerie looking. "Go. Now."

Leaving things like this seems like a terrible idea, but if Kali wants me to, I'll go.

"I'm staying at Maisy's, and I'll come to you whenever you want. Any time, day or night. Please, Kali?"

She looks at her feet as Jack herds me toward the door.

"This isn't over. I'm not giving up."

Shoving my hands deep into my pockets as I step outside, I curse. She actually looks scared of me, and I sound like a fucking stalker.

Jack follows me out, standing in the doorway with his arms crossed, blocking my way back indoors.

Looking around helplessly, I frown. The road is littered with fallen branches and other bits of broken debris. The storm is getting worse. It's not safe for her to be all alone.

"I'm not a weirdo. I've just had a bad couple of days." I grit out, turning back to face Jack who blocks my route back to Kali. I'm struggling to force my beast down the steps and away from Kali. He thinks we can take Jack, but I'm not so sure. And then what?

"Just go, buddy. Whatever's going on won't look so bad in the morning. I'll make sure she gets home safely." He pauses, looking at me with sympathy. "So that's what was wrong last night? You could scent her on me? You need to get a better handle on that beast of yours, or you'll scare her away."