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He nods, giving me a small smile.
“Griffin is sorry for scaring you. He said that you seemed nervous and he just wanted to make sure you didn’t need help.”
“Yeah, well, sneaking up on a woman when she’s walking alone at night wasn’t the smartest way tonotfreak me out,” I point out.
“I know. He wasn’t thinking about that. He just wanted to help.”
I don't one hundred percent believe that, but I can't figure out why. Maybe it's just the adrenaline and the fear that I can still feel working through my system. Maybe I've just been running for too long and it's making me paranoid. Maybe it's messed with my brain and has me seeing danger everywhere.
“Okay, well, get some rest,” Ryker says. “Maybe take the day off work tomorrow or something.”
I can tell he’s trying to be calming, but he’s a little awkward. Not in a bad way, just in a way that makes me think he doesn't interact with many people. For some reason, that puts me at ease a little bit more.
“Thanks. I actually don’t go into work until noon, so I’ll be fine. Mrs. Taylor is a good boss.”
“Mrs. Taylor… who owns the bookstore?”
I nod, and so does Ryker. Poor guy really is trying to make sure I’m okay but he’s clearly run out of material. “I’m fine, Ryker. Thanks for checking on me. Have a good night.”
“Right. You, too.”
I shut and lock the front door, taking a deep breath to try to calm down. I was exhausted when I left work, but now I’m wide awake. I walk around my shoebox apartment a few times, leaving even more scuff marks on the worn linoleum.
I give up on my pacing and head into the bathroom. I have to back into the wall and then wedge myself up against the sink in order to close the door and I bite back a sigh as I hit my knee.
“This bathroom was not designed for curvy girls,” I mutter as I turn again and start to strip.
I crank the water as hot as it will go and step under the spray. I try to relax as the water washes over me. I focus on each of my muscles, urging the tension away from first my shoulders, then down my arms and fingers, and then I focus on my back and legs, working my way down.
By the time the water runs cold, I’m feeling better. I wrap a towel around myself and hurry to get dressed. I’m hoping that the warm water will help me fall asleep, but as I lay down, a buzzing feeling starts to wash over me.
Sighing, I push to my feet and head into the kitchen. I grab a glass, filling it with water as I wander over to the window and look out at the moon. I glance down at the empty streets and gasp when I see a lone figure standing outside of my building.
I take a step to the side, trying to hide in the shadows, but I get the feeling that he can still see me. I squint, looking closer and my heart kicks against my ribs as I realize that it’s Griffin.
I should be scared. Pissed off, even. Hell, I should be calling the cops and telling them to arrest this stalker. But something stops me.
It’s the look on his face. He looks worried. Regretful even. That feral edge that he had earlier is still there. I can see it even from way up here. It’s there in the hard lines of his body, in his posture. He looks like he would be ready to pounce at the slightest hint of movement. But there’s something else, too. Something softer and pure.
I watch the strange man for another moment and then turn back to my bed. Something settles deep in my stomach. I don’t feel stalked, I feel… protected. This time when I lay down and close my eyes, I finally feel sleep starting to claim me.
For the first time in forever, I sleep through the night.
CHAPTER FOUR
GRIFFIN
“Go home. You’re going to freak her out,” Ryker tells me as he comes to join me on the sidewalk outside of my mate’s place.
"What are you doing back here?" I ask him, never taking my eyes off of my mate's dark windows. Ryker checked on me earlier after he went up to talk to Phoenix. The bastard ordered me to go home, which I clearly didn't.
My wolf snarls and I grit my teeth. I don’t like that we had to learn our mate’s name from Ryker either, but we messed up our first meeting. Or was it our second?
My wolf snaps at me and I force him back. He wants to go up there and claim her, but I know that if we did that, we would ruin everything between us before it can even begin.
“I knew you wouldn’t leave,” Ryker says with a sigh. “You better hope she doesn’t see you out here or she’s going to keep avoiding you. I’m not sure she bought the whole,you were just checking on herexcuse earlier.”
I frown at his words.
