8. Griffin

EIGHT

Griffin stared at the surveillance monitor attached to his laptop. Unable to tear his gaze from Adeline's face, he watched her fight tears right outside his office door.

He squelched a pang of guilt that rose in his chest.

You could have been nicer, his wolf admonished.

"Then she'll think it's okay to galivant all over God's creation. Is it worth it?" Griffin snarled back.

Having no response, his wolf retreated with a shake of his tail. He didn't agree with Griffin's matter-of-fact methods, but he did understand them. There was nothing either of them wanted more than to keep Adeline and the children safe.

In order to do that, certain drastic measures needed to be taken. If everyone was miserable within the confines of the house, then so be it.

Drawing his gaze to Deanne"s image on his camera, who sat peacefully on the couch, he felt his hardened demeanor soften somewhat. A moment later, he watched Jodi make her way over to her sister, a blanket clutched tightly in her little hands.

She crawled onto the couch and tried to cover them both. The gesture brought a smile to Griffin's lips. It was the sweet innocence that one rarely found in adults that melted his heart.

The smile on his face vanished the moment he saw his sister pull up outside. What the fuck was she doing here? With a growl, he slammed his laptop closed and waited. He knew it was only a matter of moments before she'd come barging into his office demanding answers.

He didn't want more company. He preferred his safe haven to be empty. He watched Mari and his nieces trudge into the house. While he adored those girls, he had enough on his plate.

"Griffin!"

Mari's voice sounded from the front door to the office. He rolled his eyes in dreaded anticipation, knowing it would be seconds before she'd confront him.

Sure enough, the door to his office swung open soon. Mari stood tall and proud with a knowing smirk on her face. It took some serious willpower on his part not to throw a notepad at her.

He pushed his chair away from his desk and faced the window.

"You shouldn't be here," he growled.

"Oh, shut up, you grouch," she replied, completely unfazed by his gruff demeanor. Most people would run for the hills, but Griffin knew, as her older brother, he had lost the ability to truly intimidate her long ago. "What's going on?" she asked. "Gerri told me about your … company."

He cast her an exasperated look. It made sense that Gerri mentioned Adeline and the girls to Mari. After all, the two women had a lot in common. They both had daughters the exact same age and shifter daughters to boot.

Adeline definitely needed a friend. He couldn't be that to her, but Mari could. Why, then, was he so pissed off that his sister was here?

"I'm trying to keep things simple. The three of you being here just makes things more complicated. It's more people I have to watch out for."

"Horseshit," Mari hissed back. "Gerri mentioned that Adeline is in some kind of trouble and needs protection. What's really going on?"

At the mention of Adeline's name, Griffin's features softened. Mari frowned and waited for a response from him. When she was met with nothing but silence, she tried again.

"Are Adeline's girls safe?"

Griffin stared sourly at her, not responding at first. He watched her puzzle over the situation, clenching his fist when her face lit up.

"Oh, my God. If Gerri arranged all this, it isn"t just a regular guard job, is it? She"s your fated mate!"

His jaw twitched when she mentioned the word mate.

Still, no answer was forthcoming. Griffin wanted to refute it, desperately wanted to deny the truth of her accusation, but why? Why bother?

Finally, after several moments of tense silence, he nodded. "Yes."

Mari squealed with excitement. "Griffin! That's terrific! And not only do you get a mate, but you get two daughters as well. Wow, I've got nieces."

He arched a light brow in response. Mari was probably the only person in the world he could talk to about this, but considering her verbal exhilaration did nothing to ease the tension in his shoulders, he shook his head.

"I've never felt this strongly about anyone before, Mari. It's overwhelming. Everything she does pulls at me. Her voice makes me want to … tear worlds apart." He paused as he considered his next statement. "Tobias Bower is after her."

Mari gasped.

Griffin nodded before he continued, giving a brief but thorough overview of Adeline's current predicament. Mari listened intently and seemed to be choosing her next words carefully.

"I understand how you feel," Mari said quietly. "Orion is my fated mate."

"It's not the same," Griffin replied. "Your mate isn't being targeted the way mine is. There's danger lurking around every corner, and it's not just Adeline who"s at risk. Tobias will no doubt go after those girls."

Mari grimaced. She reached over and clasped his hand. "We will all make sure your mate and those pups are kept safe and out of harm's way. Me, Orion, all of us. It's not just on you anymore. Let us help."

A weight lifted off his shoulders. Knowing other shifters would be around to help protect what he held in such high reverence made him feel somewhat better. The burden of caring for his human mate was no longer solely on him.

He nodded and gave his sister a soft smile. "Thanks, Mari."

She squeezed his hand before releasing it and sat back in her chair. From outside the door, the sound of the children's laughter could be heard as they ran through the house. That brought up Mari's next question.

"So, what is your plan?"

"With what?"

"Adeline and the girls. What are you planning on doing with them for the next few weeks?"

Griffin shrugged. "We're just going to stay inside. Avoid the danger until Carl is back, at least."

Mari's brows nearly hit her hairline. "You're going to keep those kids under house arrest? I'm not sure if you're kidding or not."

Griffin immediately went on the defense. "Why would I be kidding? How else do I keep them safe?"

She stared at him, really stared at him. "I don't understand what you think Carl is going to do. He's not even a good alpha, and the only reason he's in the position is because you handed the title over to him. I mean, he's literally on vacation in the Bahamas right now. What fucking alpha have you ever known to up and leave his entire pack like that? I don't know … You do you, I guess, but Carl is a sketchy bastard."

Griffin's internal distress grew, and he slammed his fist on the desk. "At least Carl has pack resources," he fumed. "And there's any number of shifters there to provide protection to those girls. I'm one man, Mari. There's only so much I can do."

Mari continued to stare at him as if he were an idiot. "You're the true alpha, you dolt. You have the very same resources at your disposal. Dad and Grandpa were both alphas of the pack, and almost everyone who's part of that pack remembers that. They will help you."

Her voice softened, and she took a deep breath. "You have help," she said gently. "You just need to reach out and utilize that which is available to you."

Griffin brushed off her logic, even though he could feel his wolf agreeing with her. In the silence that followed, he mulled over his dilemma. Even if he had the support of Carl's pack, Tobias was still an incredibly powerful opponent.

"Why else is my plan dumb?" he questioned suddenly, breaking the icy silence with his baritone voice.

Mari didn't hesitate to launch another attack. "You can't keep those children under lock and key, Griffin."

He scoffs. "I can," he corrected smugly.

He could actually hear a click as Mari snapped her jaw shut, clearly frustrated.

Griffin's attitude changed as he told his sister about the events of the day. He couldn't disguise the fear in his voice as to what would have happened if he had returned with Adeline's purse only to find her and the girls in the clutches of Tobias Bower.

"Griffin, do you remember when you babysat Lourdes and Iyana for a few days while Orion and I went to New York for our anniversary?"

Griffin nodded.

"Do you remember what they were like after a single day of being cooped up inside this house with no egress for all that energy? These are shifter pups, Griff. And even human children need an outlet for their energy."

Griffin grimaced at the memory. It was absolute chaos in his home. At the time, he made a promise to himself that he'd never have kids of his own, but now, with Deanne and Jodi, that oath had set sail.

"Kids don't like being stuck inside," Mari continued. "And tomorrow, there's a cheese festival outside town."

"No."

She held up a hand to silence him. "I think you should bring Adeline and the girls. Orion and I are going to take Lourdes and Iyana, so you won't be alone like you were today. You'll have two more grown shifters protecting what's yours."

Still, Griffin hesitated. Would three shifters be enough against the wrath of Tobias Bower?

Mari seemed to have read his mind. "We don't even know if Tobias knows where Adeline and the girls are. Gerri took every precaution when she sent for you, and I'm sure you took every precaution when you brought them here. Let them go tomorrow and have a good time. They deserve it. You deserve it. And who in their right mind doesn't want to eat cheese?"

She was absolutely serious about the last part, and despite his reluctance, Griffin had to agree with her. Everyone wanted to eat cheese, especially when free samples flowed so abundantly at the festival.

"You really think between the three of us it'll be okay?" he asked.

She nodded. "I really do."

With a sigh, he nodded. "All right, but at the first sign of danger, we're leaving."

Mari's face broke out into a wide smile. "Deal!"

She stood, placed both hands on her lower back, and stretched. As she turned toward the door, she paused and looked back at him.

"You've made a wise decision, little brother." She smiled again. "I can't wait for this whole thing to be over since you've got bigger and better things you need to be doing."

He arched his brow. "Like what?"

"Like telling Adeline she's your fated mate."

Before Griffin could respond, Mari opened the office door and left, leaving Griffin alone with his thoughts.