16. Griffin

SIXTEEN

The eventful night brought with it a final gift of gentle slumber. It was the easiest, most restful sleep he'd had in years, perhaps forever.

As the hours passed, the air inside the room grew colder, causing Griffin to pull Adeline closer to him in his sleep.

In his dreams were visions of a future, a future that seemed out of reach, perhaps impossible. In them, he saw himself living out the rest of his life in harmony with his fated mate by his side. The troubles of the present were a memory of the past.

It was when all seemed well that Griffin woke up, snapping back to reality as he batted his eyes open. Like everything else that was even remotely good about his life, the dream lasted far too short a time. He tried closing his eyes to chase the dream as it drove away like a car at full speed.

"Adeline."

The name slipped off of his tongue in a whisper, a vocal projection of his thoughts as he veered his head to the left. Adeline inhaled a long breath and sighed, her eyes still closed.

She pressed her body close to him, her warmth an almost orgasmic sensation for Griffin as he tightened his grip around her shoulders.

At that moment, the girls flashed through his mind but gone was the anxiety that usually accompanied their mention.

Griffin was never a man to indulge in pleasures, but this time, he allowed himself this almost overwhelming feeling of peace to wash through him. He thought that perhaps it was what the mating bond was trying to bring him ever since the day Adeline entered his life.

He relished the sensation of her skin against his, a feeling shared with his inner wolf. It was a rare moment of pure tranquility for them.

They stayed that way for some time. Eventually, Adeline rose from her slumber in the same gentle manner that Griffin did. She slowly reared her head, her eyes locking with Griffin's.

The two gazed at each other softly, a mysterious aura hanging in the air around them. They shared a look, a look that told one another what words could not. Griffin felt it inside his heart and was thankful, as he had never been good with words before. He never had a reason to be, not until now, but Adeline's eyes put him at ease.

"Good morning," greeted Griffin after what seemed like many minutes. He inched close and planted a kiss on Adeline's lips. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah," she groaned, her throat laden with morning dryness.

"Well, I'll take credit for that," Griffin said, chuckling more so at the fact that he had just made a joke.

Adeline smiled and rolled her eyes, turning to the mini refrigerator, which was humming softly beside the bed. From it, she pulled out a bottle of cold water, downing half before offering the rest to Griffin.

The shifter drank and swished the water around his parched mouth as he watched Adeline punch Mari's number into her burner phone. She turned her back to him and lay against his chest, yawning as a faint ringtone could be heard.

"Hello?" greeted Deanne's excited voice, barely audible over the laughter in the background.

"Phew, they're okay," sighed Adeline with relief. "Deanne, is Mari there?"

"What?"

"Is that Adeline?" Mari's voice said, each word growing louder as she approached Deanne. "Let me talk to her. Adeline, just give me a moment. I can barely hear you in here … How are things?"

"Hey, Mari. I wanted to call and check on the kids. It sounds like they're having a blast."

"Oh, they are, trust me on that one. They kept me up almost all night playing," Mari said, the exhaustion apparent in her voice. "But, yeah, all is well over here. How was dinner? And your stay with Griffin? Did anything happen between you two?"

Adeline quickly turned the phone off speaker and put the receiver to her ear.

"It was fine," she said hurriedly, causing Griffin to smile as she flushed red. "Yeah, dinner was delicious. Thanks again for offering it to us. Well, he's right beside me … Yeah, I'm sure you know. Listen, I'll come back as soon as I can. Okay, yeah, that's fine. See you soon."

Adeline chuckled nervously as she returned her attention to Griffin.

"So, what did she say?" he asked.

"They're all still playing, and there hasn't been any trouble."

"No rush to get back then?"

"Not immediately, but I think I'd still like to get back sooner rather than later."

Griffin opened his mouth to remind her that the kids were safe, keen on spending some extra leisurely time with her, but he quickly retracted. He remembered his duty to Adeline, Deanne, and Jodi.

This wasn't a vacation. He and Adeline were afforded one night away, and now that time had come to an end. Accepting it, he swung his legs out from the comfort of the silk sheets and rose to his feet, but before he moved any further, a hand grabbed him by the wrist.

"Griffin," said Adeline. "I really enjoyed last night. Thank you for helping me forget about everything."

"Of course," he said with a smile. "Maybe we can come back once everything has blown over."

The grin on her face grew. "I'd like that."

"Come on then, let's get dressed. We'll hit up a drive-thru."

An hour later, Griffin sat with one hand on the wheel and another on Adeline's inner thigh. She gazed out the window as the early morning sun beamed down on them.

Rock music played at a low volume as Griffin drove on relatively quiet roads. He turned to look at his fated mate, admiring the gleam of the sun against her radiant skin.

He and his inner wolf picked up his scent on her neck, a joyous reminder of the intimacy they shared the night prior. He smiled at the thought of it becoming a regular thing.

It was then that he took notice of her attire and his, seeing they were wearing the same clothes as last night.

"Hey, I think it'd be a good idea to stop by my place on the way back to change into something new. The kids might poke into things if they see we're in the same clothes."

"Good thinking. Is it far from here?"

"No, it's actually on the way, so it won't take long at all."

Griffin's mind ran rampant with thoughts as he drove to the former pack house. He played with the idea of staying a few extra minutes for "coffee" but, again, pushed the intrusive thoughts aside.

A natural leader, he knew when to exercise patience. He also kept in mind that if he saw this mission to its end, there was a greater payoff waiting on the other side of it. A relationship with Adeline.

I can't believe I'm even considering it, he thought to himself. I didn't think I'd want a mate, fated or not. Then she showed up, and she was absolutely perfect. I guess I didn't know it could be like this. Even when Mari met Orion, I didn't realize what it would feel like to get caught up in another person so fully.

Adeline rested her hand on his as they took the final turn on the road to his house, heading deeper into the forest.

One day, this house could be our family home.

Griffin basked in a wave of peace as the forest grew thicker around the truck. He turned to Adeline, the two smiling at each other. The background of the tree line behind her was like a postcard.

But she turned forward, the smile on her face immediately dropping. Griffin followed suit, spotting a black sedan parked just outside the property. Leaning on it were two men standing side by side, each of them sporting shades.

Adeline's grip tightened on Griffin as panic rose in her voice.

"Griffin," she said in a strained tone.

"Don't worry," he said reassuringly. As he slowed the car to a stop, the men took off their sunglasses, revealing their identities to him. "I know them. They're members of the pack."

"So they can be trusted?"

Griffin handed her the house key, purposefully ignoring her question.

"I'll talk to them. Meanwhile, you head inside and change. Wait for me until I come to get you."

"You haven't answered my …"

"Go!" snapped Griffin.

Adeline quickly climbed out and lightly jogged into the house. Griffin drew a deep breath, regretting snapping at her, but he sensed the danger exuding from the two men. As he got out of the car, he watched the men's gaze follow Adeline inside the house.

The anger within him grew with each step he took toward them as they turned their heads to him. The first man to step forward was a lower-ranking member by the name of Bruce, with his companion, Abe, following behind.

Had it been anyone else, he'd have no reason to worry about anything. However, these men were not of the same familiarity to him as those who were around when Griffin's father led the pack.

Bruce and Abe had joined the ranks after Carl assumed the position of alpha. Griffin knew that meant they were loyal to Carl. They approached Griffin with a smile, apparently feigned, as the two parties stopped a few feet from each other.

"Griffin, it's been a while," Bruce said.

"Bruce, Abe," growled the bodyguard. "What are you two doing here?"

"We're here on orders from the alpha," said Abe.

"Carl's back?" questioned Griffin. "When did he return? I've been waiting to hear from him. Why didn't he call me?"

"Well, we're here now, in any case. Carl instructed us to bring the girl to him."

Griffin shot a worried glance toward the house, his expression of concern quickly returning to one of anger as he took a step closer to Bruce and Abe.

"Tell Carl that I plan to bring Adeline to him. I'll be over to see him as soon as I can. As for you two, I suggest you get off my property."

"I don't think you understand." Bruce chuckled. "He wants to see her right now. Without you."

"That isn't happening. I'm only going to ask you once more to leave."

The rising heat pumped Griffin's heart fast, his hands balling into fists. His wolf growled.

"Whether you like it or not, Carl is the alpha. We follow his orders, not yours. I suggest you bring her out here; otherwise, Carl permits us to take her by force."

Griffin knew things weren't going to end peacefully. Still, he remembered he had the advantage in this situation, being that he was stronger than Abe and Bruce combined. He bared his teeth, raising an eyebrow at the duo.

"Force, eh? Do either of you dare to try? Or am I the only man here with a set of balls?"

All at once, the three men shifted. Griffin dove for Abe before his foe could complete the transition, tackling him.

In an instant, Bruce lunged at Griffin, snapping his teeth repeatedly as he tried wrapping his jaws around the bodyguard's neck.

Griffin unleashed a powerful kick, sending Bruce flying into the car, shattering the windshield. Abe lashed out, scratching Griffin on the shoulder. His response was a strong bite on Abe's shoulder, his teeth plunging deep beneath the fur.

Abe's whine was a signal of surrender, prompting Griffin to turn his full attention toward Bruce. The lone attacker reappeared from around the hood, hesitating when he caught sight of his downed accomplice.

Griffin snarled as he offered the chance of surrender. Bruce reared back but sprang forward like a bullet, catching Griffin off guard.

In the tumble, Griffin rolled on top and pinned Bruce to the ground, unleashing a bite to the belly. Bruce howled in pain, trying desperately to bite back. Griffin clamped down harder in response.

He wisely surrendered, but it wasn't yet over. Griffin yelped as Abe launched an attack, having feigned his surrender. He arched in pain as Abe swiped his claws in fury across his back.

Blood dripped down around his fur as Griffin retreated swiftly. A second passed before the treacherous Abe lunged for him again, baring his teeth.

Griffin was ready and wasn"t about to let him off so easily this time. He caught the wolf midair and pinned him by his chest, biting into his throat.

He applied just enough pressure to make him bleed, but not fatally. Abe gestured to surrender once more.

Griffin released his grip, figuring Abe wouldn't be foolish enough to attack again, not when he urgently needed healing. He glanced between him and Bruce, who struggled to get back to his feet.

He had won the fight, but he knew this might mean war with Carl.