A Mate for Griffin (20 page)

10 Days later…

A light breeze ruffled his hair. Weariness still clung to him like a heavy cloak. At least the worst of the pain and weakness had passed.

“It’s good to see you back at practice.” York smiled as he hefted his sword.

“It’s good to be back.” Griffin sighed. “A male can only lie around and take leisurely walks for so long.”

York laughed. “Yeah, I hear Eleanor was even more difficult than normal. She kicked your ass good and proper.” He laughed and Griffin couldn’t help but to smile along. The male shook his head. “If rumors are to be believed, she had a whole line of vampire females in and out your room on a daily basis.”

Griffin gave a nod of the head, not wanting to talk about it. A different female had knocked on his door twice a day.

“I hear you turned them all away.” York raised his brows. “Did you hit your head or something?”

Griffin pulled his sword from the scabbard. “Are we going to talk all fucking day?” He paused for a half a second. “I came here to fight.”

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” He narrowed his eyes on Griffin who gave a jerk of the head. He lifted his sword a half an inch to show that he was ready.

“Bring it on,” he growled.

“I will go easy on you.” York smirked. “I’ve had plenty of blood and I rut my female at least twice a day. You’re a sorry fucking sight.”

“Fuck you!!” Griffin threw his sword from his right to his left hand and back again. He didn’t elaborate because he knew the male was right. He was no match for any of the elite, and if he didn’t sort his shit out, and soon, he might end up cut from the team. He had already withdrawn from
The Program
.

The problem was that he couldn’t seem to make himself be with another female. He was still too cut up over Sarah. He’d asked not to see her before she left. He couldn’t fucking take it. He’d called her once just to make sure that she was doing okay and she’d sounded fine. Happy even. He wasn’t about to fuck with her life anymore than he already had.

“I could’ve killed you several times already without even trying.” York chuckled. “Head in the fucking game. You’ve had your time off.” He turned serious. “If you need a few more days…”

Griffin shook his head. He lifted his blade. York attacked just then and he barely had time to block.

“Sloppy,” York grumbled. “You can thank the fact that you have such good fucking reflexes that you are still here.”

Griffin didn’t wait for York this time, he swung at the male, keeping his movements tight and controlled.

York blocked and stepped back. “Better.” They sparred for another minute. Griffin was on the defense the entire time.

“Enough.” York gave Griffin a tight smile. He sheathed his sword.

“What are you doing?” Griffin was breathing heavily, even though they had only just started. Sweat dripped from his brow.

“That’s enough for today.” York looked him head-on. “Don’t come back tomorrow unless it’s with a belly full of blood. Find a female. Do what you need to do.”

“I don’t need a female. I’m fine,” Griffin growled.

“What is it with you?” York put a hand on his back and ushered him away from the sparring males. “Ever since that human left, you haven’t been the same. If you have feelings for her then you should go after her. Pining away is not going to help you. You died twice and were fucking lucky, Griffin. You should have died. You need to recover and you can’t do that on the odd sip of blood from an elderly female.”

“I know all of this. What’s your point?” He knew he was walking a fine line talking to York like that but didn’t give a shit right now.

“I bet if I lifted your vest I would find puckered scars.”

Griffin shrugged. His heart injury was still a scab but he didn’t tell the male that. By now, the wounds should have been totally healed, with scars barely visible to the eye if at all.

“If you can’t move on then you need to go after her.” York looked away. “I wasn’t planning on saying anything since it’s none of my business, but seeing you like this has changed my mind.” His gaze was somewhere on the horizon over Griffin’s shoulder.

The male seemed to be deep in thought.

“What?” For whatever reason, he felt his hackles rise. He wasn’t going to like what the male had to say. York was a straight talker. He normally didn’t hesitate.

“I excused Lance from training this morning, so that he could go and visit with your human.”

“What?” Griffin all out snarled. The males closest to them stopped mid-bout and turned to stare. Even Zane turned his stare to them.

“Keep it together.” York spoke under his breath.

How the fuck hadn’t he noticed that Lance wasn’t here? Then again, a day off here and there was a normal occurrence. Griffin was breathing hard, he sheathed his sword. There was only one reason Lance would have to go to Sarah and that was to rut with her. His friend might think he could change, but it wasn’t going to happen any time soon. Lance had taken two vampire females to his bed just last night. He was going to hurt her and Griffin wouldn’t stand for it.

Although he had told Sarah that she should give the male a chance, he realized in hindsight that he never would have been able to stand by and watch it happen. Never.

“I need to go,” he finally growled.

“I don’t want any fighting outside of vampire territory. Your balls would be nailed to the fucking wall. It’s bloody and noisy and quite frankly, I don’t think that you could take it in your current state.”

“I am not a hothead.”

“Not normally. Lance mentioned something about doing what he should have done…”

Griffin wanted to roar his anger and frustration, but he knew that if he did so York probably wouldn’t allow him to leave. He clenched his jaw for a few beats. “I feel responsible for the human. Lance…” He chewed the inside of his cheek, curling his hands into fists. “…would hurt her. He already did once before. I need to go and put a stop to—”

“They are adults.” York looked at him pointedly. “I’m sure Sarah can make up her own mind.”

“She is sweet and kind. Lance is a sweet talking son of a fucking bitch and I won’t stand for it…I won’t.” He added the last, in a much softer, more controlled tone.

York nodded. “You are also a grown male.” he sighed. “If you feel you need to go, then…by all means.”

Griffin didn’t wait for a reply, he spun on his heel and began to jog back to the castle.

****

Sarah opened her front door, almost stumbling back when she saw him lounging against the jamb.

“Little Prim. I can safely say that I’ve missed you.” Lance grinned. “It’s good to see you too.” He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

It was a miracle that she was dressed. She’d opened her eyes this morning and had turned over in bed, wanting to stay nestled under the covers. That was how she had spent the whole of last weekend. In bed, eating copious amounts of ice-cream and crying her eyes out.

Sarah had returned to work on the previous Monday, but it wasn’t the same. One of the children had told her that she had sad eyes. From the mouths of babes. There was no way she was wallowing in self-pity. She planned on taking it one day at a time. Following her normal routine was imperative and that meant getting up in the morning. Getting dressed and going out also formed a part of her routine. She had planned to go grocery shopping. There was a new movie release. A romantic comedy that looked really good. She was going to force herself to watch it and she would laugh at the funny parts and would absolutely hold it together during the sad ones.

“Sarah, honey…” Lance stepped forward. “Can I come in?” he smiled. “I’m used to rendering females speechless, but this is ridiculous.”

“Oh yes! Sorry, I’m just a little shocked at seeing you. Please come in.” She moved back and pushed her back against the wall so that he had enough space to enter.” Her apartment suddenly seemed really small.

“Nice place.” Lance walked in and made himself comfortable on her couch. “A little pokey but sweet.” He grinned at her. “So how are you doing?”

“I’m good. Can I get you something to drink?”

He shook his head.

“Some breakfast maybe?” She raised her brows.

“I’m good thanks, honey. I just had the equivalent of a double whopper
burger
”—he bobbed his eyebrows—“with all of the trimmings.” He threw her the naughtiest half-smile.

Sarah had to smile back. “Please don’t elaborate on that one. How is Brynn doing?”

Lance nodded, his smile widened. “He’s doing really well. His left arm has begun to regenerate. His face is back to normal…back to being just a regular ugly fuck instead of a serious ugly fuck.”

“And the others?” Her voice had grown quiet but she couldn’t help herself.

Lance clenched his jaw, his eyes turned really serious. He shook his head. “No…the bomb inflicted too much damage. I can see by that look that you’re still blaming yourself. Stop it! It’s not your fault. You didn’t ask them to come after you. To blow up your escort vehicle, to kidnap you for money. They were evil fucks. This is all on them and the bastards that organized the whole thing in the first place.”

“Have there been any new developments on that side?” She knew that a team had gone to the cabin to search for clues, but that was the last she had heard.

Lance shook his head. “We got what we could from their cellphones, but whoever is behind this was using a burner phone. It was too late to call in at midday and no one was at the rendezvous site that evening. Everything led to a dead end.” He smiled. “We really have to try and keep one of those fuckers alive for once, for questioning.”

He must have caught the horrified look on her face because he quickly added. “You were right to kill those sons of bitches. I’m sorry I said anything.” He leaned forward and touched her arm lightly on the side. “How are you? You must be happy to be back to your normal life.”

Thrilled
. Her best friend had seen her once since she got back. It wasn’t Paige’s fault, she was on vacation in Mexico. A trip she had planned a year ago. Sarah nodded. “Yup,” she said simply.

“You miss us, admit it…” Lance smiled. “Griffin is—” His phone blared. It was some or other rap tune about going home and getting it on all night.

Lance looked at the display. “I need to get this.” He winked at her.

Damn, she found that she was sitting on the edge of her seat. Desperate for any news on Griffin. In short, she was pathetic.

“York. How goes it bro?”

Sarah forced herself to sit back. She sucked in a breath.

Lance laughed. “Good. Thanks! I owe you…” He stopped to listen. “I won’t fight. I can’t make any promises for him though.” He choked out a laugh. “Did he look pissed?” He listened again, his smile grew even wider. “Thanks, man. He’s as weak as a day old pup. I’ll…hang-on.” He pulled the device from his ear and looked at the display. “There’s someone on the other line…” Lance made a snorting sound. “I’m sure you can guess who it is. I’ll speak to you later.”

He pushed a button on the phone and answered with a cursory ‘hello.’

The person on the other end blasted him. Lance held the phone away from his ear and cringed. When the shouting finally died down, he put the phone back against his ear. “Are you finished?”

This was followed by another blasting. Someone was clearly really angry with Lance. He had probably gone after someone else’s girlfriend or something. She wouldn’t put it past him.

Lance smiled, looking every bit the naughty shit he was. “You calm yourself down. I need to go, I’m kind of busy.” He put the phone down and turned it off. “Some people can be so damned rude. Now, where were we?”

We were discussing Griffin. Please tell me more
. She shrugged.

“Oh yes, I was about to tell you how Griffin is doing.”

She tried not to lean forward or to seem too interested. When he didn’t answer she finally blurted. “And, how is he?”

“Why did you leave, Sarah?” Lance suddenly turned serious. He folded his arms.

She shook her head. “I can’t really talk about it.” She wasn’t about to explain the whole thing to Lance. “It’s hard to explain and…you wouldn’t understand.”

Lance raised his brows. “I’m not an idiot. I know that Griffin chose you to try and play match-
fucking
-maker for us.” He gestured between the two of them. “You are an amazing female, Sarah. I wish that it was like that between us because I could see myself settling with someone like you.”

“Okay.” It was the last thing she had expected to hear.

“You don’t love me.” He leaned forward. “You love Griffin, don’t you?”

She shook her head. “It isn’t something I want to talk about right now.”
Ever.

“Bullshit. Talk to me. Griffin went to you with the hair-brained idea and you agreed because you couldn’t get enough of this.” He gestured to his crotch area and even thrust his hips.

Despite the situation, Sarah burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny? You were in lust with me. I understand that. Not many females can resist my charm.”