Shifter Wars (19 page)

“Well…you are healing.”

Griffin shot me a smug look.

Sabrina continued, “But I want you to wait at least until tonight before you attempt to shift. Your head injury needs more time to heal before I think you should risk turning.”

I smiled. “You heard the expert. You need to rest.”

“I’m not tired,” Griffin snarled.

Sabrina interrupted. “I want you to stay in bed, but you don’t have to sleep right now. Kyle will stay and keep you company.”

My mouth dropped open, and Jason chuckled before saying, “We’ll leave you two alone, then.” He ushered Sabrina out the door before I could protest.

I rubbed the back of my neck. It was stiff, more than likely from sleeping in a chair half the night.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Griffin asked.

“Will you stop asking me that?” I barked. “I’m fine. You’re the one who almost died last night.”

His voice softened. “But I didn’t die. I’ll be fine in a couple days.” He held out his hand. “Come here.”

I reluctantly took a step closer and laid my hand in his. He wrapped his fingers around mine, and immediately I calmed down.

“Since I can’t get out of bed, fill me in on the investigation so far.”

I explained what both Jean Luc and Jason had told me while he listened intently, scowling when I informed him demons were involved. “What do you make of all this?”

He frowned. “I don’t know.”

“Well, you have to at least recognize there is more involved than poaching. This is about you and your leadership.”

“I don’t know who is strong enough to launch this attack against the pack.”

“If they had wanted to hurt the pack, they would have bombed the building when the other guests were there. This is personal…aimed specifically at you and your successors.”

“Where is Jean Luc?”

“Why?” I asked warily.

“I was curious what his thoughts were.” He stared at me for a second. “What’s wrong?”

“Do you remember what happened in the van when we brought you here?”

“No. Tell me.”

“Your eyes turned amber, and Jean Luc had to back out of the van so you wouldn’t attack him.”

He tried to sit up, and flinched. “Did I hurt you?”

I reached forward and placed my hand on his shoulder. “No. Lie still.”

“But it doesn’t make any sense. Why would I see Jean Luc as a threat?”

I cleared my throat. “My neck was bleeding, and Jean Luc was attracted to the smell. Apparently, your animal side didn’t like it much.”

He closed his eyes. “I must apologize to Jean Luc.”

“Jean Luc is cool about it. He understood what was happening to you and explained it to me, actually. You, however, are getting a little overprotective. We’ve talked about this Neanderthal tendency before.”

His eyes locked onto mine. “My animal has a mind of his own. There is no reasoning with him. If he sees something he wants, he goes after it.”

I gulped and my chest tightened. For once I didn’t have a glib answer.

Chapter 24

I hesitated before stepping into the shower, not wanting a repeat of what I experienced the other day. But I had to suck it up and deal. I was tired, hungry, and cranky, and I hated not knowing what to do next. Griffin had insisted I go home and clean up. In return, I had made him swear to me he would not get out of bed while I was gone.

I managed to shower without incident this time, then toweled off and put on jeans and a sweater. Before I’d gotten in the shower, I had programmed a pot of coffee to brew. I poured a mug and the doorbell rang. I walked into the living room and opened the door. Tony stood in the hallway. He reached for me and enveloped me in a bear hug.

“So good to see you, Kyle.”

“You too. Thanks for sending Vinnie over with food. As usual, your choices are perfect.”

He nodded and bent down, grabbing a bag I hadn’t noticed near his feet. “Speaking of, I brought you some minestrone, enough for two. You can take it with you.” He smirked.

I shook my head. “You’re too smart for your own good.”

“I’m glad to see you’re doing better.”

Considering the last time he had seen me was when I fell apart after erasing Dalton’s memory, I had to look much better. “It took some time to work through.”

“Matters of the heart always do.”

We talked for a couple more minutes before Tony insisted he needed to get back to the restaurant. I headed into the kitchen and sat down at the table to finish my coffee.

“Hello, dear.”

I jerked, slopping coffee on the table. It ran over the edge and dripped onto the floor. I glared at the apparition across from me. “Jeez, Marie!”

“How’s your young man doing?”

I scowled. “He’s not
my
man, and he’s not young.” Actually, I wasn’t sure how old Griffin was.

She clucked at me. “Don’t use that tone with me. You may be in denial, but I can see the writing on the wall.”

“Let me know what it says, then, ’cause all I see are hieroglyphics.”

“You like him, and he likes you.”

I sighed. This was like being in fifth grade again. “The whole liking thing remains to be seen.”

Marie rolled her eyes. “Honey, if he hadn’t gotten blown up last night, The Dress would have tipped the scales. We would be having an entirely different conversation about what the two of you did last night.”

“Well, he did, and we didn’t.”

“You are one of the most stubborn people I know, living or dead.”

I ignored her criticism. “Do you have any useful info for me?”

“Like what?”

“Like why is the Key in
me
now? And what does the name Thomas Wilson have to do with this whole thing?”

Marie’s gaze sharpened on my face. “So you think you actually have the Key, and not just Joe’s memories? When did you decide that?”

“Let’s just say the Key has been trying to tell me something, I just don’t know how to interpret it.”

“Well, hon, I’m sorry to say, but I have no new info for you regarding the Key.”

“No offense, but if you don’t have any news, why are you here?”

“I’ve decided you need a guardian angel.”

This couldn’t be good
. “Why?”

“You’re too busy taking care of everyone else. Someone needs to watch your back.”

I stood and put my mug in the sink. “Jean Luc and Misha have my back.”

“Yes, they do, but what about your family? Are your Mom and Dad still living?”

Acid churned in my stomach. “Why are you asking me, wouldn’t you know?”

Marie huffed. “Heaven is a big place, honey. I don’t know every dead person.”

“They’d probably be in hell anyway.”

“Kyle!”

I walked past her into the living room. Not sure what I hoped to accomplish, since she simply materialized again in front of me. I wasn’t going to win this battle. “I have no clue who my father is. And my mother and I parted company years ago.”

“Oh, sweetie, that explains a lot.”

My hands clenched into fists. “What exactly does it explain?”

“Why you try to do everything on your own. Why you’re scared to let anyone get close to you.”

Her words stung like barbs along my spinal column. This psychoanalysis crap needed to stop. I had one too many supes trying to save me. “It’s not so bad, Marie. I told you Misha and Jean Luc—”

“Have your back,” Marie interrupted. “I know, except you haven’t told them the truth about what’s happening to you.”

“I don’t know what
is
happening to me. Until I do, I’m not putting anyone else in danger.”

She shrugged. “Then you’re stuck with me. I’m already dead. You don’t have to worry about me getting hurt.”

I certainly couldn’t argue with that.

* * *

Voices echoed down the hall, and I picked up my pace toward Griffin’s room. He was supposed to be resting. I rounded the corner and peered through the window to his room, and my mouth fell open in shock.

The room had been turned into command central. A table was set up next to his bed, and it was strewn with papers. There were two laptops running, and Griffin was sitting up reviewing documents and barking orders to Stephen, Tim, and two other shifters.
What the hell?

Bea walked up to me, and I gave her my
are-you-kidding-me
face. She threw her hands into the air. “Don’t look at me. I had nothing to do with this.”

“Who did?”

“You realize he is the pack leader, right? Besides you, me, and Sabrina, everyone else around here will cater to his wishes.”

“Where is Sabrina?” I demanded.

“She went home to clean up. Doctor Jensen is still here, but…”

“But he works for Griffin.”

“Glad to see you’re catching on.”

I watched through the window. Griffin was still pale, and he flinched when he reached for more papers.

I shook my head. “This is ridiculous. I’m going in there.”

Bea reached for my arm, stopping my progress. “Can I make a suggestion before you go in there with guns blazing?”

“Sure,” I said reluctantly.

“I have dealt with my brother for a long time, and if you go in there and order him around, he will just dig in his heels, especially if you do it in front of his pack.”

“So what should I do?”

“Make him think it was his idea to clear the room. What’s in the bag?”

I held it up. “Some minestrone soup, which is probably cold by now.”

“Let’s go up to the house and warm it up. I have an idea.”

I walked into the room fifteen minutes later, carrying the basket of food Bea had put together.

Griffin looked up at me and flushed slightly. “I stayed in bed.”

I smiled, although I was feeling far from happy. “I see.” I held up the food. “I’ve brought something to eat if you can tear yourself away for a bit.”

Griffin’s nostrils flared slightly. “What is it?”

“Minestrone soup and meatloaf sandwiches.”

“That sounds good.”

“I’m sure it is. Your sister said her meatloaf is legendary.”

“Can you handle the rest of this, Stephen, Tim?”

Stephen looked like he was going to argue. But when Tim noticed my expression, he interrupted. “Yes, we should be good for tonight.”

I set the food on the tray table while the men collected the computers and papers and left the room. I unwrapped a sandwich and placed it and a small bowl on the tray in front of him. The food had traveled well and was still warm.

“How are you feeling?” I asked.

“Better. You?”

I took napkins out of the basket. “A shower and coffee does wonders.”

He looked at me warily.

“What?”

“You’re acting happy, but I’m smelling irritation.”

“Your nose must be on the fritz. I’m fine.” I didn’t think he bought it, so I distracted him by handing him a spoon. “Eat.”

He took a bite, groaning. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”

“You haven’t eaten anything since last night.”

He nodded, and we ate in silence for a minute.

“So what were Stephen and the rest of your entourage doing here?”

“We have to provide a united front against whoever is after the pack. We are making sure contingency plans are in place. I have to show I can continue to lead.”

“Can’t you just have Tim and Stephen send out communications saying you’re okay?”

“Yes, but this affects Griffin Enterprises as well. I can’t afford to let anyone else step in and try to take over.”

“And you think someone is trying to take over?”

“I don’t know what the end game is here. What have Jean Luc and Misha learned?”

I swallowed a bite of sandwich before responding. “I called them on the way here, and they don’t have much to report yet. Misha is going over the limo. He is trying to identify the markings from the explosion. Apparently a demon’s energy balls can leave a unique signature that shows what type of demon we may be dealing with.”

We finished the food, and by the time I had cleaned everything up, Griffin’s eyes drooped like an overtired toddler.

“Why don’t you close your eyes for a second? It might help your headache.”

His eyebrows shot up. “How did you know I have a headache?”

“I don’t need super-duper smelling to know you’re in pain. Close your eyes.”

He actually complied, which meant he was in more pain than he was letting on. I sat down next to him, and he took the hint and tried to relax. But after a couple of minutes, he was still restless. I reached up and ran my fingertips lightly over his forehead. He opened his eyes, but they had an unfocused look to them.

“Shh, it’s okay.” I ran my fingers back and forth over his brow, and finally he settled down and went to sleep. As I sat with him, my chest tightened. I didn’t know if I was ready to have feelings for someone again, but my heart was trying to overrule my brain. Plus, Marie’s words still plagued me.