He rubs over the back of his head. “This is the first time,” he admits.
“For what?”
“That I’ll be having a woman over here,” he admits before smiling slightly at me. “Kind of glad it’s you, Rosea.”
It’s only a split second. But seeing him here, tall and broad, with his flustered yet honest expression, and that crooked smile makes my heart stutter.
I try not to overthink it, though. Jordan has deprived me of any affection, and when he sought me out for sex, it wasn’tsomething I wanted. Forest is handsome and kind. Any woman would be affected.
fourteen
Griffin
*FOREST*
It’s way too early when I wake up, yet I don’t feel tired. For the first time in a long while, I have a perspective again; I am motivated. I glance at Rosea, who is lying next to me. Funnily, it wasn’t awkward at all to share my bed with her, and I was happy to notice she felt relaxed, too.
Even in her sleep, she looks so beautiful. Jordan really is a major idiot. He had such an amazing woman at his side and didn’t cherish her at all.
“Are you leaving already?” Rosea asks, stirring slightly.
The scene is so domestic it makes me blush a little. “Yes, I am heading out and hopefully will meet Griffin. Keep sleeping a bit longer. I will pick you up for breakfast.” Rosea is a very proactive person, and it instantly makes me feel anxious that she mightstart strolling around and get herself in danger. “Please wait for me before going anywhere,” I beg. “At least for today.”
She smiles slightly. “I want to have my big entrance at breakfast with you. I am not going anywhere before you pick me up. But don’t make me wait too long.”
“Deal,” I promise, before I grab my training clothes and head to the bathroom to get changed. Not even ten minutes later, I jog over the pack grounds towards Griffin’s home. The sun hasn’t risen yet, so it’s still dark outside. I gaze at the sky. One hour before dawn, I’d say. Hopefully enough time to meet with Griffin.
I have no idea what to do once I see him, or what to say. It’s been years. We got along so well when he transferred to my pack. I have never clicked with a person before, but when I met Griffin, I just felt like I had finally found a friend.
But I blew it because I allowed my parents to control me.
I pause for a moment. They controlled every aspect of my life, and I didn’t even realize it until now. Fuck, I am so dumb.
“Forest?” I startle when I hear a voice, before it slowly sinks in who it is. Before I can say something, the other clears his throat. “I mean, Alpha Forest.”
“I am not alpha yet,” I say, turning around to look at Griffin.
He is in his training clothes as well, and has his sports bag shouldered. I haven’t seen him in a while, or rather, I have pretty much made sure to ignore him. Seeing him now, and realizing he is still in my pack, yet I’ve never met him, makes me realize how avoidant I truly have been.
I am a whole fucking case study for a psychiatrist.
“What are you doing here,Alpha?” he asks, emphasizing alpha, probably well aware it ticks me off.
“I just walked by coincidentally,” I say before I can stop myself. Old patterns die hard. I have an avoidant personality. By the goddess, I truly walked past every potential conflict andnever stood up for myself or anyone else. Having met Rosea and seeing how she carries herself makes it even more evident how many shortcomings I have. “That was a lie,” I say.
Griffin stays quiet, just staring at me, and I have no idea what to make of his expression. He looks confused, upset even, but also curious.
“Were you about to head home?” I ask. A stupid question in itself, as we are standing almost in front of his small cottage. He lives a bit away from the others, and I wonder if my family is at fault for that.
“I don’t know,” he says warily. “Why?”
“You always train after a shift,” I say.
“That was years ago,” he says. “Things could have changed, you know?”
“I know…”
For a while, I just keep looking at him. Griffin still has his red hair and green eyes, and he is still tall and muscular, but he looks so much more mature now. He is growing a beard and obviously trains a lot. “Do I have something on my face?” Griffin asks.
