“Shut up right now, or this fork is going in unspeakable places.” I brandished my utensil at him. My face heated as the realization dawned that someone must have seen what happened between Orsen, Nix, and me for it to have gotten back to Griffin. “Who told you?”
“Nix. Who else? That boy is acting like the proudest peacock to ever have a feather.”
I groaned. Of courseit was him who’d spilled the beans. Did that Alpha even know what a secret was?
“It’s my fault for encouraging him, really,” I said, spearing a bite of pancake. After my activities last night, I found myself wanting a heartier breakfast.
Griffin cocked his head to the side. He hadn’t shaved in a few days and was starting to look a little more ragged than usual, but then again, the feral, wild woodland man look suited him. If I forgot to brush my hair, I would look homeless, whereas when Griffin did it, he looked tousled and handsome.
It really wasn’t fair.
“I think this is good for you. Despite all this stress you’re going through, you lookgood, Ro. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there’s something about your smile that feels so much more genuine now.”
Hearing that from my best friend hit a little too close to home. My chest tightened as I shook my head, taking a bite of pancake and swiftly changing the subject.
“Be that as it may, I have a busy day. Are you coming with me to the clinic?” Someone usually came with me to help manage the horde members filtering in and out throughout the day.
He nodded. “Nix wanted to keep you company, unfortunately, he had some horde business he had to take care of, so he asked me to keep you company.”
My eyes narrowed at my friend. “Did he use the phrase ‘keep me company’ or ‘babysit’?”
Griffin widened his eyes innocently. “Aren’t those the same thing?”
His smile stumbled when, a second later, he was forced to duck as the piece of pancake I was eating was flung directly at his face. Thankfully, there wasn’t anyone looking to judge me for throwing my food like a toddler, but Griffin knew how to push my buttons.
The Alphas—Bastian excluded—had seemingly decided that I needed company whenever I worked. I would have been angrier at it… except I did like the company.
“Keep this up, and you’re going to lose your spot as my favorite,” I joked.
“Well, if the rumors are true about last night, I would assume I’m no longer the favorite because I don’t blow your mind that way…”
“Griffin!” I gasped.
“Anyway, are you done?” he asked, picking up my plate. “We have a busy day of healing ahead of us!”
Greylen
Rowan had to be treated carefully.
Somehow, despite our idiotic behavior at times, she was still around. And for that, I thanked the gods every day.
It was probably because of the amount of help the horde needed, though I couldn’t help but hope part of her was sticking around for us.
Staring at the computer screen, my eyes started to blur.
After my conversation with Rowan at the feast, I had decided I needed to do a deeper dive into the horde’s finances.
What I had found made my head spin and my heart sink.
We owned several businesses that turned a profit. There was a lumberyard, a construction company, and several similar ventures. Yet, somehow, all our profits seemed to be going toward paying Jenkins.
I sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of my nose.
“Hey, Ma said you wantedto see me?” I would know my mate’s voice anywhere; that soft, sweet, husky tone haunted my dreams.
I sat up straight, all remnants of exhaustion quickly dissipating as my eyes landed on Rowan standing in the doorway.
She was wearing a pair of ratty jeans with a T-shirt that had seen better days. Her hair was scraped back into a haphazard, messy bun, with several strands falling loose. Despite the rumpled nature of her appearance, she was still the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
