“Of course,” Luther responds. “I could see the urgency in your message. Are these threats as close as you say?”
“You're on IronFang's land right now because you know just how dangerous the hunters can be. We can't sit around and wait to be attacked.”
I listen to the interaction closely, knowing it's not my place to talk yet as the two alphas discuss. While they talk, I feel eyes on me from one of the other shifters. When I turn to face him, he doesn't back down one bit, smiling at me instead.
Grant seems to notice this and snakes his arm around me, pulling me close to him. The sense of safety I feel at this moment cannot be measured.
Grant's hand against the skin of my back, just under my shirt almost drives me crazy. I have to force myself to focus while he keeps talking.
Still, I get mixed feelings from him being so close to me. Is Grant trying to be possessive because of jealousy? Everything I've seen is supposed to assure me that he may feel more, but can I truly trust that?
The last thing I want to do is overstep and think that I'm more important than I actually am. That would be the end for me. I keep my eyes locked on the floor while the discussion continues.
Luther suddenly stops. “Would you like to eat with us?”
One of the female shifters goes into the car and appears with a small animal that has been skewered and roasted.
The sight of it makes my mouth water already and I can tell that this is a great offering to give to Grant. It almost makes me feel bad that we didn't bring anything.
“This is such a great gift,” Grant says, echoing my thoughts. “We didn't prepare for this or bring you anything.”
“You don't need to,” the female shifter says. The way she smiles annoys me too much. Her eyes don't even look in my direction while they lock on Grant. “You've given us a new home and that's worth more than any gift we can offer you.”
She gets even closer, offering the animal to Grant. He moves his hand away from me and I instantly feel like I've been hit with a jolt of cold air.
Grant picks up the animal, but the rich aroma is the last of my problems. I watch in horror as the shifter's hands graze my alpha's.
“Get away from him,” I snarl, turning my eyes—ready to attack.
The shifter hisses as well at the sudden aggression. Luther and Grant step forward, cutting both of us off. “Easy,” Grant says, turning my way. “Look at me.”
I obey the instructions, finding myself lost in his eyes. My senses slowly begin to come back within reach. “I'm sorry,” I apologize. “I don't know what came over me.”
“It's fine.”
“No, it's not,” I sigh. “You don't have to pretend it is. I can't control myself, even after all the help you've offered. I think I'm just going to take a walk so I can clear my head.”
“Alright,” he says. “It's been a crazy day, and with what you heard about Tom, I can't blame you for being on edge. I'll be right here with the pack so try not to stray too far. I'll find you once the meeting is done.”
I nod before turning around and walking back in the direction of the car. “We're sorry about that, Grant,” I hear Luther saying as I walk away. “There's no excuse to disrespect your mate like that.”
I'm not sure what he means by that since Grant isn't my mate, but it's nice to hear that I'm regarded pretty highly.
That means the female shifter that had tried to get a little too handsy is going to get some sort of punishment and that's fine by me.
I move towards the woods just across the road. The darkness that envelopes me on every side acts like a companion on my solo trip. I sigh, trying not to cringe from my embarrassing outburst.
There was really no need for it because it's not like Grant even noticed the shifter that was trying to flirt with him.
However, I noticed enough to get pissed. Now, I've embarrassed myself in front of other shifters. The fact that I'm new to this keeps showing and I'm honestly tired of it.
The cool wind of the night guides me through the forest as I continue this short excursion. I have no clue where I'm going, but I try not to stray too far.
We're still on IronFang's land, just not the area where we live. All of the woods around me are technically safe places that I can explore without fear.
The moon beams down, definitely not at its full strength. Still, I'm pretty sure Grant would urge me to turn if he was here right now. That's still something I'm afraid of and I've been trying to avoid.
The alpha isn't as pushy as he once was, but the need for me to transform still lingers unsaid in the air every time we're together.
