Chapter 33: Griffin

33

GRIFFIN

M y beast sulks as he watches Kali tentatively eating the food he's lovingly put together. All he wants is to provide for her and prove he'll be a good mate. He doesn't understand why she wouldn't want him to care for her and protect her, especially after being attacked.

In his mind, it's so simple.

He thinks in black and white, so to him, there are no grey areas. Kali is his. He cannot comprehend that she wants to live her own life that doesn't revolve around him and our future pups, twenty-four seven. The only comfort he has is that she's coated in his scent. No other male who came across her would dare to go near her.

Now that he has control, and I'm no longer completely in the dark, I'm getting a better insight into what drives him.

All he wants is Kali. Everything he does, thinks, wants, is linked to winning her over, having her, claiming her, starting a family with her, and keeping her safe. Being a ranger, having a career, owning a home and paying the bills means nothing to him. Kali is his whole world. It's both impressive and terrifying at the same time.

I can't work out whether his thoughts and actions would still have been as extreme if Kali had never been hurt, but I suspect he'd still be extremely possessive of her.

The kidnapping was probably a knee-jerk reaction to seeing her on death's door. Or, at least, I hope so.

Kali's being quiet. Those were some heavy demands he's laid on her. Yet, even as she darts angry glances our way, the scent of her arousal still perfumes the air.

The idea of being claimed and marked seems to appeal to her greatly, even after what he's done. I need to find out more about that. Kali suggested that marking means being together forever. She made it seem like a bad thing, that I'd be stuck with her. But when I look at Kali, being so brave despite the situation she finds herself in, forever sounds pretty good.

The beast is mulling over how quickly he can collect his debt. The offer of being able to do anything to his mate gives him almost too much choice to cope with. He's running through the list of options that potentially include making my cock harden and my brain struggle to focus, when his attention suddenly shifts.

There's a noise. A presence nearby that doesn't belong. Immediately, he knows this isn't a foraging animal outside. This is something bigger. With disturbing calm, he sets down his cutlery and stands, ignoring Kali's questioning look as he pushes back from the table and stalks quietly toward the front of the cabin.

"Griffin?" She's concerned despite how well he hides his rage.

Is that the bond? Is she extra sensitive to his emotions or just watching carefully?

Tilting her head to one side, I see the moment her own senses register the presence outside. Eyes wide, her hand reaches for my arm, and her mouth opens, but she slams it shut before saying anything, unsure what to do.

But the beast has already carried us across the room with swift, silent strides, determined to check out what's going on. Whoever it is, we'll make sure they know, in no uncertain terms, they're unwelcome. We have a debt to collect, after all.

Another noise, this time, further away—a second person trying to be stealthy—has our teeth clenching tightly. My muscles burn from keeping this form, expending great effort to resist the urge to shift into my monstrous beast so I can keep the ability to speak.

My beast doesn't see why speaking is necessary. Actions speak louder than words, and he's already decided they should be punished.

Kali scrambles to her feet, sensing the battle going on inside me, and winces as the sudden movement causes her discomfort.

"Don't do anything rash. Other people use this place all the time. We'll just let them know they can't stay here tonight." With small, stiff steps, she follows me as quickly as she can, whispering her pleas for me to stay calm.

The thirst for violence building inside tells me it's far too late for that.

"We don't know why they're here. Griffin, just let them pass."

My fingers are already wrapped around the door handle when she catches up, slipping between me and the door, and rests a calming hand on my chest.

Voice quiet, she adds, "I don't want anyone to get hurt. I don't want you to get hurt. Griffin, if you can hear me, you need to keep him calm."

Her words fall on deaf ears. The beast's mind is made up, and while he's letting me see what's going on, I'm just along for the ride at this point. And from the fearful look on Kali's face, and the way she worries her bottom lip with her teeth, she knows it, too.

The noises continue to come closer instead of moving away. They know we're here, and they're snooping around anyway. No beast would tolerate this invasion of privacy, especially not one with an unclaimed mate to protect.

As I attempt to tug the door open, she stubbornly remains in the way, blocking me from opening it wider by leaning her weight against it.

"Please, Griffin…" The plea dies on her lips, her beast flashing in her eyes as another set of footsteps approaches the cabin. There's no way this is just an innocent misunderstanding. They're coming from all angles. This is an intimidation tactic, and the idea that they're purposefully trying to scare my mate is making me see red. She's been through enough.

The atmosphere is thick with tension, my anger building, which is rapidly turning into a vortex of protectiveness and rage, and about to spin out of control. The beast, while outwardly calm, is on the verge of losing it. And it's not going to be pretty.

Leaning forward, I spear my fingers into her hair, using my grip to tug her forward for a desperate kiss.

Kali hesitates, but then reluctantly melts into my body, giving in to me, to our connection. She uses her touch, smoothing her hands around my torso and up my back, and her acceptance of my affection, to calm my beast. Kali might not be on board with all the plans we've thrown at her, but she's not trying to deny our claim. She's showing her loyalty and trying to protect us, just like I'm about to do.

When I pull away, Kali sinks her teeth into her pillowy bottom lip and looks up at me, still fearful. Before her mind chases away the fog of lust completely and refocuses on our situation, I yank the door hard and step out onto the porch, ready to face whoever's lurking there.

I'm unsurprised when I see the smarmy sneer of a man I recently laid out on his ass, what seems like only days ago. Jed again. He clearly has a short memory. And a death wish.

Silently, I regard him. He's standing twenty yards back from the porch, with Red and Eddie at his shoulders, and feeling confident because of their presence. I wonder if he knows how useless his back-up was in the diner when I came looking for him.

His gaze briefly scans the area around us, and I narrow my eyes. He's looking for something, or someone else. They're not alone. There must be more out there.

With a weary sigh, I hold my hands up in a ‘what do you want' gesture, and Jed growls, irritated that I'm not quaking in my boots. He doesn't seem to appreciate that my beast is looking forward to some pain and bloodshed.

All three of them look smug and angry, which can be a dangerous combination.

Staring hard, I fold my arms over my chest and say nothing, waiting to see what this asshole has to say.

Jed's lips press into a thin line as he stares right back, refusing to be the one to break the silence.

The stand-off only ends when Kali steps up beside me, her palm flat on my lower back to keep me grounded, cursing when she sees who's outside. She knows this won't end well.

"What do you want, Jed? The cabin's occupied, you'll have to stay somewhere else tonight."

A bed for the night is not what Jed wants. Or the two men with him. Talking is pointless, but my beast pulls back, letting our mate take the lead, while we see what this idiot wants.

"Kali," he says, "I thought this might be where you slunk off to when I heard you were hurt. You'd always run here and hide when you couldn't take a bit of harmless teasing. Always so sensitive."

From what I can tell, harmless teasing was not what Kali had to endure at the hands of her town. It was bullying, plain and simple.

Used to being provoked, Kali says nothing, but I feel the slight tremble in her fingertips.

Irked by her refusal to react, Jed turns nasty fast.

"I heard Serena sliced you up real good. Ruined that pretty body." His gaze slithers over my mate.

I shift my body, blocking her from his sleazy perusal as much as possible. I know she wouldn't want him to see the fading scars that she can barely look at herself.

With an evil smirk, he licks his lips and holds her eye. "It's a shame she didn't finish the job and save us all this hassle."

The two men standing with Jed laugh, signing their own death warrants, as my beast slams against my insides, fighting to get out.

Kali grinds her teeth but doesn't rise to the bait.

I, on the other hand, can no longer control the vicious snarl that erupts from me. Only Kali's fingers gripping mine stop me from launching myself at him this second.

Jed smiles cruelly, knowing his words have hit their mark.

"I'm sorry to have to do this, but we can't let you mate her." Jed's declaration is matter of fact, like this is just the way it is. That he gets to decide our future, or, lack thereof.

Kali gasps and her fingers find the back of my shirt, gripping the material tightly.

Allowing my senses to reach out into the surrounding forest, I find what I was looking for.

"All of us had the good sense to stay away, even if I was tempted to have a taste. But when you went to find her folks… the town got nervous. That tells us things are serious, and well, that's a problem. We can't allow the prophecy to come true, which means no breeding. This was all decided a long time ago, we just never thought it would happen."

Finding his stride now with his ridiculous monologue, I remain silent, waiting to see what else he wants to get off his chest. He's cocky and confident, especially for a man I tossed off a porch with ease not that long ago.

"It's none of your business, Jed." Kali hisses. "How dare you come to my cabin and talk about me and who I mate, like you have some say in what I do with my life? I'm done. Done with entitled men telling me what to do."

I get the impression that's a barb at me as much as Jed, but right now, the focus of her ire is the sneering man in front of us. She's enraged, and rightfully so, but Jed doesn't even respond.

Instead, he keeps his attention fixed firmly on me while she continues to talk, as if she truly doesn't matter. It's beyond rude, and my beast bristles, finding the disrespect toward his mate to be another reason to kill this man.

"You can't allow it? Go home right now, Jed, and I won't tell Evan and Ben about this little visit. We'll pretend it never happened." Kali keeps her grip on me, her touch against my back reassuring both me and her, even as she pretends not to be taking his threats seriously. "Red, Eddie, I can't believe you're going along with this. What's wrong with you? Is his Daddy threatening your jobs if you don't help him?"

The way they shift awkwardly on the spot, and how Jed's eyes flash tells me she might not be too far off the mark.

"It's not just me. Everyone agrees, Kali. There can be no children. And if this guy here is your mate… which he is, judging by the way you're drowning in his scent, we can't let it happen."

Kali shifts, displeased at the reference to my scent being all over her, whereas I love it.

"And nobody's looking for you anymore, Kali. Evan is still in jail, and Ben thinks you're staying with friends to recover. They won't be coming to your rescue."

Shit. I feel Kali tense. She didn't know about Evan.

"You're all on your own." Shoving his thumbs through the belt loops of his combat trousers, Jed shrugs. "I'm genuinely sorry you found him, Kali, because we didn't want to ever have to do this."

Jed is a coward. Without this posse he's gathered, he'd never challenge me, because he knows exactly what would happen if we fought, one on one: He'd die.

He still might, if he doesn't back down.

The beast is incensed. He's not interested in one word this man has to say. And he's not interested in showing him any mercy.

"It's time for you to leave. Last chance." My voice is surprisingly steady and even. Despite the fury burning in my veins, I sound almost reasonable.

Almost.

The beginnings of a growl deep within my chest hint at my simmering anger, and every muscle in my body is coiled tight, ready to attack. The only reason I haven't is because Kali is still vulnerable, and I don't want to leave her side.

Jed scoffs and turns to look at his buddies, his stringy brown hair swinging around his face as he laughs. When he turns back, his eyes are narrowed and mean, and the glow within tells me his beast is prepared to fight.

All pretence of being here to warn me off Kali is gone. It's not a discussion anymore, because he knows I'll never walk away from my mate.

Bloodshed is inevitable, and I'm not naive enough to think it will end with mine. Kali could always find another mate if I die. Not everyone is as closed-minded as her neighbours. Getting rid of her too eliminates the problem entirely.

Scenting the air, I listen to a faint snap and the swish of a branch from somebody moving through the woods in the distance. I count heartbeats, convinced I can hear another coming from the rear of the cabin. But for now, they're far enough away that they're not an immediate threat. My beast can focus on these three fools.

"Fine. But you can't say I didn't warn you. These men's deaths will be on your head." My beast chuckles, giddy to get out, and relishing the idea of welcoming the violence I've held back for so long. "Red already knows this was a bad idea."

Red blinks rapidly. His confidence falters as he remembers how easily I subdued them in the cafe. He's the weakest link. Eddie looks calmer and more self-assured. He's the one I need to watch.

"Griffin, I think we should go inside," Kali says quietly.

Jed smirks when he detects the nervous edge in Kali's voice. This sick fuck likes to get off on fear? Well, he's going to know all about being terrified soon enough.

Turning to Kali, I keep my senses trained on Jed and his buddies. I dip my head and look Kali in the eye. "You go inside. I'll be back in shortly."

Her honey brown eyes widen in alarm, and she shakes her head. "No. No, no, no." It's sweet, really. She doesn't want me to fight alone. "I'm staying right here. Nobody is fighting. This is ridiculous, we're not even mated."

I appreciate her determination to avoid a fight, but it's inevitable.

" Yet ," I add. "We're not mated yet ."

Kali scowls at me, my only contribution not helping to diffuse the situation. When she glances at Jed, I catch her chin and turn her head, returning her focus to me. I don't want her to even look at that asshole.

"It wasn't a question, Kali. You can't be out here. Inside, and lock the door."

While it's clear Jed's intention is to remove me from the equation first, the next step is obvious. If there's no pale beast, there are no pale offspring. If they take me down, Kali will be an easy target for a jackass like this, especially still recovering from Serena's attack.

He's taking his opportunity now, knowing the two of us at full strength would be a far tougher challenge. Except, I'm not going to let them touch her. He has no idea who he's fucking with. I have a lifetime of pent-up violence that my beast is just itching to unleash.

"I'm not leaving you alone out here." Kali continues to shake her head, her glistening gaze darting to the side toward Jed.

I growl and she snaps her eyes back to me.

"There's more of them, Griffin," she whispers, her fingers finding mine and squeezing them urgently.

Nodding, letting her know that I've already sensed another beast out there, I smile softly at her frantic expression. Is there something wrong with me that I love the way she's looking at me right now? Like, if something happens to me, her world will be turned upside down.

"Kali. Trust me. I'm going to sort this out with Jed, and then I'm coming back inside to collect on your promise. I'll be okay." Cupping her face in my two hands, I kiss her hard, my beast and I on the same page with regards to her safety.

The only way Jed and his friends will get to Kali is over our dead body. Hopefully, it doesn't come to that.

Pulling back, I brush my thumb over her swollen lips and smile before turning her and pushing her inside. Her protests get louder as I pry her fingers from around the door and slam it shut, gripping the handle to keep it closed when she attempts to tug it open.

"The longer I stand here with my back to them, the worse it is for me, Kali," I say, relieved when she curses and finally stops tugging on the door. "And if you come out, I'm just going to toss you over my shoulder and carry you back."

With a resigned sigh, she thumps the door with her fist one more time in frustration, before eventually stepping back.

Straightening, I turn slowly, watching Jed's buddies slowly fan out before I face him head on. Cracking my neck and flexing my tightly clenched hands, I smile.

An eerie calm washes over me as my beast assures me this is what he was born to do. For once, we feel completely united, and my body thrums with adrenaline. He's pumped, relishing the chance to get revenge for how these men have treated his mate. And he has every confidence that despite the numbers, he can dispatch each one of these men before they get the chance to touch a single hair on Kali's head.

I've always kept him restrained before, but today, he's free to show me what he can do.

"This was always going to happen," Jed says, his blood-shot eyes giving away the shots of Dutch courage he downed on his way here. "It's nothing personal."

The three men before me quietly spread out, Red moving to my left, and the big guy moving to my right. They radiate hostility as they attempt to surround me.

"You're talking about me and my mate. It doesn't get more personal than that."

Jed snarls, low and threatening, but I don't react, just stare hard at him until he twitches.

My boldness in the face of his threats unnerves him.

"And I'm not going to stand for it."