Page 112 of Shadow City: Silver Wolf

Dick was here—and I didn’t mean the one that had given me a good time in the shower.

Come on.Griffin intertwined our fingers.Let’sget out there before he gets pissy. He hates waiting.

A little bit of anxiety flowed into me, alerting me that he was trying to hold the emotion back. That didn’t make sense. Why would he feel that way, talking to this man? Griffin was the alpha, not the other way around.

Another round of knocking happened even though we were almost at the door. The asshole could smell us through the door at this point, but he was still being impatient.

What the hell was wrong with this guy? I’d met him for only a few minutes at the bar right after I’d been attacked on my first day here, and something had felt off about him—but it had to bemore than justoffgiven the way he was acting, and the emotions churning inside Griffin.

Unable to stop myself, I yanked open the door and stepped outside right into Dick’s space, forcing him to take a step back.

His strong, musky sandalwood scent overwhelmed my nose. His short salt and pepper hair was gelled to the point of looking greasy, and he was rubbing his fingers along his dark beard. The suit he wore was the same color as his ebony eyes, and matched the vileness that radiated from inside him.

The bear shifter’s attack had thrown me off-kilter. This man had something worse than Luna did stirring inside him. No wonder Luna struggled. She must have inherited it from him.

"What are you doing here?" Dick bit out, before smoothing his face into a charming smile. "Shouldn’t you be with Killian?"

"Why would you ask such a thing?" I batted my eyelashes and asked lightly. If he wanted to play games, I could keep up.

"Aren’t you dating him?" He chuckled, but annoyance flashed in his eyes. "I wouldn’t want you to cause problems between him and Griffin. Killian will take over as alpha of Shadow Ridge’s guards one day...surely…so it wouldn’t be in Shadow City’s best interest for him and Griffin to be at odds—especially over a girl." He reached through the door and patted Griffin’s arm.

Wow, I had to admit he was good. He came off like the concerned father type.

"I’m sure you can smell that she’s not his any longer," Griffin said stiffly at the suggestion of me being with Killian. "So you have nothing to worry about."

"That’s what I was afraid you were going to say," Dick replied as he glanced at me, before focusing back on Griffin. "Can we talk?"

Griffin lifted his chin. "Anything you have to say can be said in front of my mate."

"Look, I understand what you think you feel, but I think it’s best if we speak alone." Dick cleared his throat, pulling at his tie. "Maybe she can go back in the house or something. Or, better yet—go to Killian’s."

The asshole was dismissing me. Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen. "No, I think I’m good here…and don’t worry." I couldn’t help but try to fracture his façade. "Killian is in the house, watching a movie, so he’s close by."

"Oh, so he knows about this." Dick’s shoulders tensed, but he sighed like he was relieved. "Well, at least that’s something."

"Yeah, it is." Griffin wrapped an arm around me and led me to a round, black-wire table and chairs stationed on one side of his concrete front porch. We sat down, facing the front yard, the white siding behind us. Some sycamores were positioned in front for privacy and to provide shade.

"Okay, if this is how this conversation will go." A vein twitched between Dick’s eyebrows as he strolled over to us. Other than that slight sign of annoyance, he appeared calm—but there was a storm brewing inside him.

"What’s so important that you felt the need to leave Shadow City and drop in onourhome?" Griffin asked, as he took my hand and laid it on the table in view of Dick.

Dick sat at the edge of his chair with his back completely straight. "Maybe you two are moving a little too fast…and she hasn’t been officially introduced to the council yet to solidify things, so I thought I should tell you that I’m worried about you, Griffin."

"Why are you worried about me?" Griffin asked as he looked at me with adoration. "This is the happiest I’ve been in a long time—maybe ever."

"How much do you actually know about this girl?" Dick leaned forward, waving a hand at me, but still somehow pretending I wasn’t even there. His eyes stayed locked withGriffin’s as if they were the only two people at the table. "Don’t you find it funny that she appears from nowhere, starts dating Killian, and then somehow puts the alpha of Shadow City under her spell? She’s climbing the ladder."

Yeah…no. Him not acknowledging me ended now. I refused to be dismissed and treated like I wasn’t an equal. "Sheis right here and finds your accusations offensive and boundless."

I’m sorry about this.Griffin linked, stroking my hand with his thumb.I’m not sure what’s gotten into him. He’s not normally like this.

In other words, Dick was normally better at keeping his charade in place.You have nothing to apologize for.Now I sounded like Rosemary…but it was true.

"I’m sure you do." He rolled his eyes and rubbed his hands together. "Griffin, I think of you as a son, and I’m concerned. This is a conversation that Atticus would have had with you right now. You and Luna have been friends since childhood, and she loves you—"

"There was never a me and Luna," Griffin interrupted, speaking slowly. "I know that you and Saga—"That’s his mate, Griffin linked to me, "—hoped that she and I would wind up together, and I stupidly didn’t discourage either of you. That’s my fault, but it ends now. Dove is my fated mate, and we’ve claimed each other. Everything is final, and you need to let this go."

"Sometimes lust can be confused for a fated mate connection." Dick lifted a hand as he shook his head, playing the concerned father role perfectly. "You wouldn’t be the first who was confused, and Luna is willing to forgive—"

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