2. Griffin

TWO

It's 3:25 in the morning. Who the fuck was calling? Griffin's eyes snapped open as the phone continued to ring on the nightstand, and he grumbled in exasperation as he fumbled to silence the incessant sound.

The noise only seemed to grow louder with each passing second. Flinging a well-muscled arm out, Griffin ended up knocking his cell to the floor in his attempt to see who needed him this late. Or early, depending on how one wanted to look at it.

With a grimace, he grabbed his phone off the white rug and looked at the name. Gerri Wilder. Temporarily stunned, he stared at her name for a moment while the phone continued to ring.

While it was certainly unusual to get phone calls at this late hour, it wasn't out of the ordinary either. He was a bodyguard, and clients needed him no matter what time it was. Thinking Gerri must need protection, he slid the bar to the side of the screen to answer.

"Hello?"

"Griffin? Hi. Gerri Wilder."

"Gerri, hi. Everything okay?"

The concern in his voice was evident. But he knew that wasn"t the only reason people depended on his protection. He was powerful, capable, and, as more than one woman had told him, easy on the eyes.

Griffin was ex-military, having served several tours overseas. Because of his time in the Middle East, he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and chose to keep to himself. It was hard to break through that iron exterior, but it made him very good at his chosen profession.

"Well, not exactly, Griffin. I need your help."

"Yeah. Of course. What's going on? Are you in danger?" Griffin was both surprised and honored that Gerri … beloved, respected Gerri … would choose him in her time of need.

"No. I'm not. I guess I should rephrase that. I have a woman with me, Adeline, and her two young shifter daughters. They are in need of your services."

Griffin sat up, kicking his black comforter to the foot of the mattress. The wooden headboard of his king-sized bed felt cold against his bare back. He didn't relish the thought of babysitting a woman and her two brats.

Carefully, so as to not offend Gerri, he spoke his mind. "It sounds like you guys should seek the pack's protection for this. Why don't you contact Carl? He's the alpha, and he'll be able to offer this woman a lot more than I can."

Gerri scoffed on the other line. "Don't be ridiculous, Griffin. You should be the alpha, not Carl. We all know that. I understand you didn't want to follow in your father"s or your grandfather's footsteps, but you are the rightful leader of the pack."

She sighed dramatically. "But you handed the reins to Carl, and he's out of town on vacation. Went to the Bahamas. It must be nice to up and leave when you have an entire pack to look after, but what do I know? Personally, I wouldn't let him babysit a fruit fly. Regardless, you're who I need. Will you help us or not?"

Griffin blew out a pent-up breath. Gerri was never one to hold back. More than once she had made it clear she thought Griffin made a huge mistake turning down the role of alpha. However, it was not a situation he regretted and not one he was looking to rectify.

"Of course, I'll help you," he said with a sigh.

"Fabulous!" Gerri cried. "I knew you would. I'm going to send you an encrypted message with their address. They're staying at a safe house."

"And that's where you want me to … guard them?"

"No. You'll need to take them all back to Burlington with you. This safe house is a short-term solution, unfortunately."

In the background, he heard another woman's voice. Griffin's wolf reared inside him. This is different. We need to do this.

The thought of a strange woman and not one but two children staying with him sounded positively dreadful, but Griffin wasn"t inclined to argue with his wolf.

As if sensing his hesitation, his wolf growled. Immediately, the desire to shift and run to this safe house took over. Griffin gripped the phone hard as he fought for control.

Still, the desire didn't fade until Griffin promised the wolf they"d head there.

With a satisfied snort, his wolf receded into the furthest recess of his mind, but Griffin could still feel him pacing.

"Griffin? Are you still with me?"

Gerri's voice pierced his thoughts, and he shook his head the same way his wolf shook out his fur after he shifted.

"Yeah, sorry, Gerri. Um, yeah. Text me the address, and I'll be there first thing."

"Great. Thanks, Griffin. We'll talk soon!"

With that, Gerri hung up. A moment later, his phone dinged, announcing the coordinates of this unknown woman's location. Luckily for him, they were only an hour and a half away.

He placed his phone on the nightstand, fluffed a pillow, and laid back. But sleep eluded him. He couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to change. His wolf was restless.

"What do you think this means?" he asked out loud.

He felt his wolf cocking his head, turning an ear in the direction of his voice.

I don't know, Griffin. But can't you feel it? There is something big playing out here. I am eager to meet this woman and her two children. I think, also, it'll be good for you. I've respected your wishes, including walking away from your birthright as alpha and taking a position as a bodyguard, but we're meant for more.

Griffin's skin itched with his wolf's desire.

"We only need to keep them safe until Carl is back," Griffin muttered.

His wolf snorted. We'll see.

Nothing else was said. His wolf laid his head on his paws, but its restlessness remained. It took Griffin well over an hour to fall back asleep, but even then, he tossed and turned.

Change was not something he welcomed with open arms. He worked hard to make his life what it was, but his wolf had a point. The Middle East had changed him. He was closed off.

Sometimes, when he lay down at night, he could still hear the bombs going off. The screams of the people. The bodies … some were children.

That's why he turned away from the alpha position. He didn't want to be a leader, and the thought of constantly surrounding himself with people was enough to make him throw up.

He was safer alone with just his wolf. They had each other. They didn't need more. At least, that's what he told himself time and time again, and he believed it. His sanctuary was himself.

There was no one else to disrupt what he had built. No bullets to shatter his hardened exterior. He liked life the way it was … alone, with just his wolf to keep him company.

As he lay there in the dark, trying desperately to go back to sleep, all he could think about was Gerri and this mystery woman. Gerri's matchmaking skills were widely known and revered. People came from all over to seek her out, and she only chose a handful of people to match. Part of him wondered if she was playing matchmaker right now.

No, he reasoned. She would have said something about that. Wouldn't she? Gerri called him because this friend of hers needed protection. That was all.

Confident in his reasoning, he fell into a restless sleep. His wolf paced back and forth inside him. It'd lie down, get up, circle a few times, and lie down again. Every time it did, Griffin woke up.

Two hours later, he gave up and pulled himself out of bed. With a groan, he made his way into the bathroom and turned the water on hot.

He wanted a scalding shower, something that would wake him up. He washed quickly but then stood with both hands pressed against the tile wall while the water ran down his back. Steam filled the massive bathroom, coating the white marble in slick condensation. Still, he stood under the stream, trying to let the water ease the tension from his muscles.

He was uneasy, and his wolf was eager. Shifting and going for a run would alleviate a lot of his pent-up anxiety, but there wasn't time for that this morning. He had someplace to be, and he wasn't about to keep Gerri waiting.

With a groan of despair, he turned the chrome handle, and the water stopped abruptly. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he walked back into his bedroom and opened the dresser drawers.

He pulled out the first thing his hand touched, which was a black T-shirt and a pair of jeans. The shirt was cozy around his upper arms, but he scarcely noticed. He combed his blonde hair back, brushed his teeth, and walked out the front door.

If someone had told him yesterday he'd be working a job for Gerri Wilder, he would have laughed. He unlocked the driver's side door of his F-450 and climbed in.

The smell of leather and Armor All assaulted his senses. The familiarity of it soothed his nerves. Even though his wolf was relishing taking this hour-and-a-half trip, Griffin was dreading it.

The truck purred to life with the press of a button, and Griffin pulled out of his driveway. He was in desperate need of caffeine. Lots of it. There was a Dunkin' Donuts on the way, and while it was by far one of his least favorite places to eat, it was quick, easy, and had the essentials.

Luckily for him, the drive-thru wasn't teeming with cars. He was in and out with a bagel and a coffee in five minutes. He'd be at his destination bright and early. He hopped on the interstate, the fastest route.

On the way back, he'd probably change things up. Maybe he'd take the scenic route just to ensure no one followed them, but for now, he wanted to get there as quickly as possible.

Once we're there, you'll feel better.

He was inclined to agree with his wolf. The unknown weighed so heavily on him. This wasn't a multi-millionaire wanting an escort to some upscale event.

This felt different. He gripped the leather-wrapped steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"I'm sure you're right."

He left it at that. Every mile they put behind them was like a weighted blanket suffocating him.

Roll the window down.

Griffin listened without argument. The air, while not cool, was somewhat refreshing. It was the loud buffeting of only having one window open that snapped him out of his bitter state of mind.

He rolled a second one down, easing the atmospheric pressure in the cabin, and let the wind blow freely around him.

This isn't the Tet Offensive. We're just going to meet with Gerri.

Griffin scoffed.

I haven't seen you react like this in a while. I thought maybe you were putting the war behind you.

"There's always a war raging inside me. And it's not you."

Then maybe this is exactly what you need. Maybe this will be your peace treaty.

Griffin seriously doubted that, but his wolf's words brought a semblance of comfort to the doldrum of his mind.