Grif (Tales of the Were - Redstone Clan) (18 page)

“But I betrayed you.” Her voice was a mere whisper, but it was full of shame and dread.

“Nonsense.” He was deliberately curt, hoping to shock her out of her mood. It seemed to work as she blinked. Her eyes cleared and she really looked at him—studying his response. “I asked them for backup and it was a good thing I did. Your frenzy was the worst I’ve ever seen and although I would’ve tried my best, there’s no way a single male could have helped you through that alone.”

“I’ve never done anything—“

He cut her off by placing one finger gently over her lips.

“Don’t you think I know that, kitten? But honestly, shifter standards are a lot different than human. We all go through the frenzy. We don’t expect our mates to arrive virgin to our beds. Most cats have gotten up to all kinds of naughtiness by the time they’re your age, with the full knowledge and encouragement of the Clan. It’s important for us to burn off that youthful frenzy before we settle down, and repressing it can only cause problems. Serious problems. So we cats tend to play. A lot. Both before, and sometimes, even after we find our mates.”

The tears were gone from her eyes, replaced by curiosity. Good. Cats were always curious and he understood that response very well indeed.

“You really don’t mind?” She was still whispering, fragile, but no longer weeping, for which he was very thankful.

“I really don’t mind.” He had to be clear, so she understood and didn’t feel bad about something he had planned for and expected once he realized what was happening to her. “I am grateful to them and to the Lady that you came through this in one piece—mentally and emotionally.”

“What if it’s not over?” She bit her lip, clearly worried.

“Then we’ll handle it as it comes and I won’t ever love you any less for what you’ll be going through. It’s a natural thing for us, but it’s been forced on you all at once and in an overpowering way. I understand that. So does Logan. And so does Steve.” He was very firm about it, making sure she understood his words and intent.

“I love you too.” She’d surprised him by not asking more questions, but instead, picking up on the one part of his words that meant the most.

His woman was special, and he was lucky to have her, no matter what trials they might face in the future. With love binding them, they’d face it all…together.

Grif and Lindsey spent what was left of the night twined around each other as if the slightest space between them was not allowed to exist. He held her until she fell asleep and then followed her into dreamland, a smile on his face.

The next morning, Grif was gone from the bed when Lindsey woke. She took her time, taking a shower in the large, masculine, attached bathroom, and stole some of Grif’s clothes—a crisp white button-down shirt and a pair of sweatpants—before heading toward the smell of bacon. Her stomach growled as she made her way into the kitchen.

She stopped short, finding Steve there, by the stove, overseeing a pan of sizzling meat. Grif was nowhere in sight.

“Come on in and sit down. The bacon’s almost perfect. And I’ll whip up some eggs next if you’re in the mood.” Steve’s tone was light. Friendly.

Lindsey didn’t know what to make of it. He’d been
inside
her the night before, for goodness sake! She wasn’t used to making small talk over breakfast with acquaintances who’d fucked her brains out—by surprise, at that—the night before.

Not knowing what else to do, she took a seat at the kitchen table and watched Steve bustle around, filling plates and frying up eggs. One by one, he placed the finished products on the table.

Neither of them spoke for the few minutes it took him to finish cooking the meal. He seemed at ease with the silence, but Lindsey was growing more agitated by the second. She simply didn’t know what to expect from this confrontation and she was on edge.

When Steve finally settled across the table from her, they both had big plates of bacon, eggs and toast in front of them. He dug in and she followed suit. After a few bites, he broke the uncomfortable silence.

“It’s all right, you know. I could see you were in frenzy and we all know what that’s about. I’m just glad I could help you.” He cracked a mischievous smile before filling his fork with another scoop of eggs. “Not that I didn’t enjoy it immensely.” She smiled as he chewed, almost laughing as he concentrated on his plate.

“Were you watching us the whole time?” Lindsey asked, dreading the answer. She ate mechanically, not knowing how she was ever going to feel at ease in this family after what had happened the night before.

“I wouldn’t be much of a guard if I watched you instead of the woods,” Steve answered. Hope rose to be quickly dashed a moment later. “I could hear you, though. And I knew when you might need my help. Grif gave me a signal and I came in. Logan took my place guarding in the woods.”

In the harsh light of day, sane Lindsey didn’t know what to make of insane-cat-woman’s frenzy. Or how she was going to deal with the ramifications of her actions the night before. This was fully outside of her experience. So far outside, it felt like she was walking on a different planet altogether.

“Just so we’re clear, I’m in love with your brother.” She needed him to know there would likely never be a repeat. She had never been promiscuous and wasn’t about to start now.

“I never doubted it for a minute.” He replied so quickly, she could feel the truth in his words. “Look, Lindsey, don’t get all weird about this. Everything about you becoming a shifter out of the blue like this is strange and new. We’ve never had to deal with a frenzy like yours and Lady willing, we never will again. But Grif is the Alpha of a large Clan and I’m his second in command. We deal with crises of various kinds all the time. Few are as pleasurable as your situation, of course,” he winked at her and continued digging through his mountain of scrambled eggs. “What I’m trying to say is that I did what I did for the good of the Clan, my brother and you. In that order.” He seemed unapologetic for putting her last on his list and she found a grudging respect for his honesty taking root in her mind.

“I have no designs on you whatsoever, though I wouldn’t turn down a three-way if I was ever offered the chance again. I enjoyed helping you, but that’s as far as it goes. You don’t have to worry this is going to cause some kind of problem within the family or the Clan. We’re shifters. Furthermore, we’re cat shifters. We didn’t earn our frisky reputation lightly. Cats know how to have fun and we don’t have a lot of hang ups about sex.” He chewed a strip of bacon before resuming his revelations. “Sex is sex, and we all go through a period of frenzy when we’re young. For some of us it lasts longer than others. But what you have with Grif…well…that’s a mate bond if I’ve ever seen one. Mating is different. Mating is permanent. Commitment. Love.”

She had to smile at the way he described it—and the almost-longing on his face as he stared into the distance. Maybe he did understand.

“You were in the military, weren’t you?” She figured she’d give them both a break and change the subject. He’d settled quite a bit for her and she needed time to think through his words and actions.

Steve returned his attention to her and smiled. “I was a Green Beret. So was Grif, though we served at different times.”

“Impressive.” She didn’t know much about the Army, but she did recognize the name of the elite Special Forces branch.

“Which is why he left me here this morning to guard the house while he scouted the perimeter.” Steve finished his plate and put the dirty dish in the sink for a quick rinse. “Matt took Belinda into town to get supplies,” he went on. “Grif is on his way back in, so we’ll switch off. I’ll take outside duty while you two finish breakfast.” He winked at her again as he headed for door. “He didn’t think you’d be up this early, but I’m glad we had some time to straighten a few things out. I’m also glad—if I haven’t said it before—that you’re part of the family now, Lindsey. I’ve never seen Grif happier, or more at peace, than when he’s with you.”

Steve left without another word, leaving a stunned Lindsey in the kitchen with her half-eaten breakfast. She heard the door open and then the low rumble of the two brothers sharing conversation before the door closed again. Her hearing was growing much sharper now that she was able to shapeshift.

Grif walked into the kitchen area a moment later, leaning over to kiss her hello before grabbing the third portion of eggs, bacon and toast Steve had left warming by the stove. Grif joined her at the table and ate heartily, a smile on his face every time he looked up and caught her eye.

“You’re up early,” he commented as he dug into his food with gusto.

“I’m usually an early riser. Or at least I have been since I moved into my grandfather’s house. There’s been a lot of work to do and limited time to do it.”

“I know that feeling, but sometimes it’s good to delegate. That’s what little brothers are for.” He chuckled as he chomped on a slice of crispy bacon.

“You have a big family.” Even she heard the envy in her tone.

“Bigger than you realize.” He squeezed some ketchup on the remainder of his scrambled eggs. “Originally there were seven of us. Me, Steven, Jacqueline, Magnus, Robert, Matthew and Belinda.” Lindsey stayed quiet, allowing him to speak in his own good time. “Jackie married young to an older cat from a distant Clan. We didn’t know a lot about him, but Jackie was always headstrong. I liked that about her. She knew her own mind from the time she was a kitten.” He smiled nostalgically, though his expression held sorrow as well.

“I already told you, the man she married—Timmons—beat her. We didn’t realize it until she came home, begging for help.” Grif’s voice was full of sorrow mixed with a simmering anger as he went on. “She was hiding it from us for whatever reason. Soon after they mated, she moved to live with his Clan and things went bad. If we’d seen her, we would’ve known something was wrong and we would have intervened. Timmons fled the country and the best trackers I could hire all over the globe haven’t been able to find him. They always seem to be a day late. He’s been traveling steadily, never staying in one place too long. One day though, I’ll have justice. Jackie’s spirit won’t rest properly until I do.”

Lindsey reached out to cover his hand with hers. She felt so bad for him, but there was little she could do other than offer her support and what comfort she could.

“You’ll find him when the time is right.” She didn’t really know what else to say. It was obvious he had loved his sister and her loss had affected him deeply.

“That’s the thing. The past few days…” He trailed off.

“What?” He looked so troubled, she wanted to know how she could help him.

“I could swear I’ve caught just a whiff of his scent a few times,” he admitted. “That’s why I called in the cavalry. Then we had a report that he was spotted just a short distance away. He’s back in the States, but he always seems to be one step ahead of those I’ve hired to track him. I even asked Slade to work on the case, but he’s still on his honeymoon and I didn’t want to ruin it for him or his new mate.”

“Who’s Slade?” She wanted to encourage him to talk. She wanted to know more about the things that troubled him so that she could maybe figure out a way to help.

“Best damn tracker I’ve ever met,” Grif answered, brightening a bit. “He came to Nevada to track my mother’s killers. He found them all right. A lot faster than any of us expected him to, but then, he’s got a lot of magic on his side. As does his new mate. You’ll like Kate. She’s the Clan’s new priestess.”

“They’re in Nevada?”

“The Clan is based out of Las Vegas right now, though that’s relatively new. I thought we all probably needed a change of location after Jackie died and there was a big construction project in Vegas that I would have to be on site for anyway. We built a development, moved in as many of our people who wanted to come with us, and set up shop. We do that from time to time. Cat’s like to roam.” He shrugged as if that much was obvious. “Our Clan is different from most others. It’s not just cougar shifters. Well, the actual heart of the Clan is, but the extended Clan includes everyone who works for Redstone Construction. Some have stronger ties than others, but I consider them all part of my extended family.”

He shrugged as if it was of no importance, but even Lindsey had heard of his construction company and had an inkling of how large it was. A whole lot of people worked for the family business and even if just a fraction of them were shifters, it meant there were a
lot
more shifters in the world than she’d thought.

As he talked, it became apparent there was also a lot she didn’t know about his world. It sounded violent—his mother had been murdered, after all—but it also sounded like a truly loving and supportive environment. And she was beginning to realize that Griffon Redstone was responsible for more than just his brothers and sister. He was the head of a large, powerful and extensively connected group of shifters.

And he had trouble in his past that might still be out to get him.

“So you think Timmons might be nearby?”

Grif ran one hand through his golden hair as he blew out a frustrated breath. “Hell if I know.” He had finished eating and began to clear the table. Lindsey got up and helped. “I might be imagining it, but I really thought I scented him—just the faintest whiff—a few times. Maybe I’m crazy. Maybe I just want revenge so bad, I’m manufacturing things that don’t really exist.”

She stopped by the sink, facing him. “Do you really think that?” she asked quietly.

His eyes met hers and she saw the serious concern and thirst for justice in his golden gaze.

“No,” he answered simply. With finality. “I feel like the showdown is coming sooner rather than later. I feel that danger is closer than we think, and while one part of me rejoices at the chance to tear Timmons limb from limb, another part of me worries for everyone around me. Timmons could try to use Belinda, or you, against me. He could try to hurt or kidnap either one of you as a way to throw me off balance. Which is why I’m having my brothers guard you both if I can’t be around.” He placed his open palms over her shoulders, holding her gaze. “Please don’t go anywhere without either me or one of my brothers. Your life could depend on it.”