17. Adeline

SEVENTEEN

Adeline wasted no time heeding Griffin's command. He had never snapped at her like that before, and for a moment, she wondered why.

It didn't take her long to figure out. As she scurried around the back of the truck, she shot a glance toward the two men leaning against their black sedan.

She saw clearly as day that they were looking at her with the man at the rear having the audacity to blow her a kiss. Her stomach twisted in repulsion at the sight of him, and so she hurried to the front door.

As she struggled with the key, she looked over her shoulder, seeing the men had not taken their eyes off her. The fact that they were pack members didn't sit right with her.

"They don't seem like allies," she muttered as her sweaty hands fumbled while turning the key.

The lock clicked with a relieving sound before she pushed the door open, scurrying inside. She looked at Griffin as he approached the two men. He didn't at all seem happy to have the pack members here, only further adding to her concern about them.

The door shut with a cathartic slam. A slight feeling of safety came over her as she locked the door.

From her peripheral, she spotted a nearby bookshelf. It wasn't at all big or even wide, but she heeded the warning in her head and shoved it in front of the door.

The tingling sensation of worry picked up speed and intensity through her veins. She retreated to the nearest seat and planted herself there, drawing a deep breath as she closed her eyes.

"Everything's fine …"

She repeated her mantra as her heart rate slowly eased itself to a state of calmness. After all, pack members were naturally obligated to assist each other in times of need, and perhaps the two men had come to lend a hand … Right?

Adeline clasped her hands, rubbing her fingers as they grew damper. She suddenly wasn't so reassured for a reason she couldn't quite discern.

"I ought to see what's going on."

She rose to her feet and ambled to the curtains. Laying a hand on them, she hesitated for a moment, fearing to see the men still staring at her the second she pulled them back.

She drew another deep breath to gather herself, and then she was ready. She inched the curtains back ever so slightly, spotting the two mysterious men facing Griffin, who stood a few feet opposite them.

The sight seemed strange to her. It seemed that while they had the advantage in numbers, Griffin somehow dwarfed them, not in size but in power. His aura was commanding and dominant.

Adeline wished she had time to admire him. A sudden sense of alarm filled her as Griffin shot a concerned look toward the house.

Were they talking about her? Why did Griffin look like that?

She watched nervously as a look of rage came over her bodyguard. He turned to face the men. Adeline winced as Griffin took a step closer to them.

At that moment, it became clear. Whether or not these men were pack members, they weren't here to help.

"Surely they won't …"

Adeline's words were cut short by a sight she thought she'd never see. All three men took a step back at once and keeled over as if they were about to vomit.

Their bodies convulsed and twitched unnaturally, causing her to yelp in fright. Griffin's back arched violently before he was thrown to the ground as if by force.

He looked forward, his face changing from the handsome one she'd known to that of a wolf. Adeline's stomach twisted in fear as the other two men mimicked the transformation.

Each man's body grew fur and changed shape entirely. She didn't want to imagine what the pain was like … if there was any.

How the human body could violently morph into a creature of a completely different build was beyond her. A shiver crawled its way down her spine as all three men audibly groaned … a sound she heard through the window.

And then, the transformation came to its completion. The wolves seemed so fierce that for a moment, Adeline thought they would all team together to come after her, breaking in through the windows to devour her.

Feeling the urge to throw up, she covered her mouth with her hand. She tried to swallow but couldn't. She stumbled back from the window.

The sound of growling and whining came from outside. She didn't need to look to know the men were battling Griffin.

She closed her eyes, wishing desperately this was all a dreaded nightmare, that she was still in bed with her bodyguard.

Despite her proximity to shifters, she had managed all her life to avoid seeing the actual transformation process. It was more frightening than she imagined, and she'd give anything to not have to be subjected to it again.

At that moment, Deanne's and Jodi's sweet, innocent faces came into the frame of her mind, their smiles serving as brief, temporary comfort that allowed Adeline to gather herself for a second.

But thoughts of the inevitable came to her. Jodi and Deanne were still incredibly young, but the day of their first shifting would come at an unannounced point during puberty.

It's only a matter of time, her mind repeated to her. There's no avoiding it.

It was a truth she couldn't outrun: the fact that one day, those girls' bodies would be put through something horrible like she just witnessed.

A horrid whine rang through the air. Suddenly, the sickness evaporated, and Adeline rushed back to the curtain to see what was happening.

In the split second it took her to pull it aside, she feared the worst. She imagined Griffin lying dead with his guts spilled out before him. She wouldn't stand a chance without her bodyguard.

"Oh, thank God," she gasped.

Outside, Griffin stood over one of his enemies. Relief washed over her as the conflict seemingly reached its end. That was until another enemy launched himself at Griffin, unleashing a deadly attack with his claws.

"No!" she hollered.

Griffin howled but stood his ground somehow. It was clear he was used to this, but it was still a two-on-one situation.

She thought then of a group of wolves coming down on Mari's place, slaughtering everyone in sight. It was difficult, but she managed to keep the image of them getting to the children out of her head.

Grabbing her burner phone, she punched in Mari's number and smacked the receiver to her ear. With each ring, she tensed more, each second dragging her closer to a doom she couldn't come back from.

"Come on, pick up!" she screamed, a stray tear escaping her eye. It streamed down her cheek and into her mouth, the salty taste of it a bitter reminder that the worst was possibly yet to come.

"Hey, Adeline," greeted Mari's chirpy voice. Her next words came in the opposite tone, one of fear and worry, seemingly sensing right away there was something dreadfully wrong. "What's happening? What's all that howling outside?"

"Mari, I … I …"

"Take a breath and tell me what's happening."

Adeline swallowed the lump in her throat, the salty taste of her tears stinging the back of her mouth. She stuttered over her words but somehow managed to get them all out.

"We stopped off at Griffin's place. Two men were waiting for us there. I'm inside right now, but Griffin is fighting them!"

"Who are they?"

"I have no idea, but Griffin said they were pack members. Mari, are the girls safe? Is there anyone outside your home, anything at all out of the ordinary?"

"Hold on," Mari said. The sound of her rapid footsteps teased Adeline's anxiety. "I'm looking outside. There's nothing strange. What do the men look like?"

Adeline's words came more clearly now that she knew Mari and the girls were out of danger.

"Uhm, they're white. One of them was bald and clean-shaven, and the other had long brown hair and a big beard … Their wolf forms are both gray, but they're moving too quickly for me to notice anything unique. I'm sorry, it's all happening so fast."

"You're doing just fine, but you have to remain focused for me, okay? Now, from the sounds of it, I think those men are Abe and Bruce, and yes, they're legit pack members."

Adeline peered outside.

"Wait, I think they've stopped fighting. Griffin's okay! The others look like they're in rough shape."

Outside, Griffin's wolf panted, its wary eyes cast on Abe and Bruce as the two adversaries limped back a few feet.

"Why the hell were they fighting Griffin?" she asked Mari.

"Listen carefully, I'll try to be brief. You see, Griffin was supposed to be the alpha of the pack after our father, but he turned down the position. Carl took the helm instead, and he always had a problem with my brother and me."

"Why?"

"Because Carl's a fucking prick who cares about no one but himself," snarled Mari. She quickly cleared her throat as if she said something she wasn't supposed to, but Adeline heard her words clear as day.

Surely this Carl can't be the same man I'm supposed to entrust my children with?

"In any case, the pack always respected Griffin and me more than Carl," Mari continued. "Except for those who joined the ranks after Carl assumed power, like those bastards who attacked my brother."

"I thought pack members were supposed to support each other," Adeline grumbled. "Wait on the line for a moment. I'm going to see what's happening outside."

"Be careful."

Griffin's wolf form started to convulse again. Adeline looked away just in time and moved to the front door, purposefully taking it slowly as she moved the bookshelf out of the way.

She wiped a pool of sweat from her forehead before opening the door. The sunlight blinded her for a moment. The glare moved as Griffin approached her, in his human form but nude.

Immediately, Adeline sprang forward and embraced him. Through her clothes, she felt the warm splashes of blood on her skin. Pulling back, she cast a wary eye on him, scanning for any injuries.

"None of it's mine," spoke Griffin.

He turned around and gently pushed Adeline behind him. She peered over his shoulder, watching as Abe and Bruce, in their human forms, limped to their car.

Both of them were bruised and bloody, thanks to her bodyguard having beaten them to a pulp. One shot a look of death back at Griffin, who remained firm in his stance.

"Hello? Someone tell me what's happening," spoke Mari's voice on the loudspeaker.

Adeline handed the phone to Griffin as she stepped forward, watching Abe and Bruce slowly pull away from the property.

"I'm okay, just a few scratches," Griffin said. "They wanted to take Adeline by force and said they were acting on Carl's orders … I know, but I'm not surprised. Listen, I'm going to send a few friends over to your place to make sure he doesn't try anything else."

"But how did he know about Adeline?" asked Mari.

"I told him about her and the girls," Griffin said with regret in his tone. "I told him to let me know when he got back so I could talk to him about bringing everyone to the pack house … Yeah, I know. Look, can you watch the girls for another night or two? Thanks, I'll let you know what happens."

Griffin hung up and tossed the phone back to Adeline.

"Go change and pack a bag," he ordered. "I need to go make some calls, then I'll fill you in on what's happening."

Adeline obeyed without question, acting like every second was vital. She couldn't get the faces of Deanne and Jodi out of her mind as she threw her belongings into a bag.

She returned to the living room a few minutes later to find Griffin dressed, pacing back and forth, and stroking his chin in deep thought. He wore a troubled look on his face as he turned to her.

"I just got off the phone with Carl," he said. "He extends his apologies."

From the growl beneath his words, Adeline had a feeling Griffin wasn't buying any of it.

"So what now?" she asked.

"We're heading straight for Carl's place. It's time to sort this out once and for all."

Griffin shut the door behind them with an echoing finality as they left. Adeline's heart pumped with fear.

Not even the fact that they had more allies at Carl's headquarters was a comfort. She knew nothing would be solved by running away. She had to do this for the sake of Deanne and Jodi.