40

I’d focus on that later.
When I reached the deep end of the pool, I pivoted and spun out of the way.
Luna tried to stop, scrabbling and teetering on the edge for a second before her body fell over. Her eyes grew huge as she smacked the water, causing a huge splash to hit me and soak my fur.
She came up for air, doggy paddling in the center of the pool. But she treaded water and then sank instead of swimming to the side.
The back door to Killian’s house opened, and he ran outside. “What the hell is going on out here?” He first looked at Griffin then me in my wolf form. “Uh…” Concern flicked into his eyes. “Dove, what’s going on?”
Like I could answer him in animal form, but his message was clear. Why was I in wolf form in front of Griffin and Luna, of all people?
Luna whimpered, taking his focus off me. I glanced into the pool to find her struggling to stay afloat. I hadn’t expected that. I’d figured she could get out-she’d been aware enough to attack me. Her head went under the water again, and it was clear that she wouldn’t be able to tread enough water to get to the top.
That wasn’t supposed to happen.
“I’ve got her,” Killian yelled as he ran to the pool and jumped in.
As he swam to her, she didn’t rise above the surface. I ran to the edge of the pool, whining. The whole point was for me not to kill anyone else, and yet, here she was, almost drowning.
“Hey, he has her.” Griffin kneeled beside me. The myrrh scent that was all him filled my nose.
Between that and his touch, my wolf and I calmed down. I leaned into him, needing to feel him closer.
Killian wrapped his arms around Luna, keeping her head above water.
My body sagged, and my lungs filled with air once more.
I didn’t like her, but that didn’t mean I wanted her dead.
The sound of an engine grew louder, and Griffin released me. “We need to get you shifted back to your human form before anyone else sees you.”
That was easier said than done, seeing as my clothes were in tatters.
“Come on.” Griffin rose, grabbed my sheath and bag and waved me to follow him.
He opened Killian’s back door for me. Rushing inside, I ran to Olive’s bedroom door, but reality hit me. I’d locked it earlier so that Killian wouldn’t barge in and find me gone. At the time, it had seemed like the smart thing to do, but not so much now.
“What’s wrong?” Griffin winced as he gestured to Killian’s room. “Go change. Hurry before they come looking for us.”
Ugh, this would cause so many questions, but my hands were tied. I trotted to the bedroom I was staying in and whimpered, looking at the top of the door frame where I knew the little metal emergency key was located.
“Whoa! Wait.” Griffin’s forehead lined with confusion. He followed my gaze to the top of the doorframe then snagged the key and unlocked the door. As he entered the room, he glanced at the skewed sheets on the bed. “You’re staying in Olive’s room?”
And the questions had already started. I should’ve put a spare set of clothes in Killian’s bedroom in case something like this happened. But I’d never dreamed of this happening. At least, I didn’t have to attempt to explain it right then since I was in animal form.
Pushing past him, I dug in the closet, not finding a damn thing to wear.
His chuckle forced me to turn around to find my bag on the floor and unzipped. Not looking at him, I rummaged through the bag carefully grabbing with my mouth jeans, bra, and white shirt.
Once I gathered my things, I turned to find Griffin sitting on the bed, watching me. One corner of his mouth tipped upward, and he looked almost pleased.
In other words, he looked drop-dead sexy, and the tug inside me seemed to coil and tighten.
Car doors slammed shut, alerting me that the guards had arrived. Welcoming the reprieve, I rushed out the door, not wanting to attempt to try to get him to leave my room. The way he was acting, he wouldn’t budge, waiting instead for a show. So, I slipped into the bathroom to get some privacy.
My body tingled as I pushed my wolf away, and soon, I was standing back on two legs. I glanced in the mirror and, for a second, felt almost like myself, which was a welcome change. My emotions were more centered, and likewise, the dark circles under my eyes that had been there not even an hour ago had vanished. The shift and the moon must have done wonders for my mental stability. In fact, the overwhelming feelings of being alone that I’d previously entertained weren’t suffocating at the moment.
I sagged against the dark granite sink and looked around the large bathroom. Beige tile complemented the light yellow walls. The tub and toilet sat against one wall, and across from the sink was a large linen closet that Killian kept stocked with towels. I grabbed a fresh hand towel, splashed my face with water, and patted it dry.
I could faintly hear the guards talking with Killian. They’d be coming in soon, so I quickly dressed.
Griffin knocked on the bathroom door. “Are you okay in there?”
His voice made goosebumps break out across my arms. Lord, I had it bad, but I had to keep my head on straight. “Yeah, I’m almost done.” I put my bra on and pulled the white shirt down over my jeans. I took a moment and closed my eyes. There was no telling what kind of state Luna would be in, and I hoped that she didn’t try to kick my ass again. I felt bad for dumping her in the pool since she’d obviously been even more drunk than I realized.
I heard Griffin walk down the hallway. The farther he moved away from me, the more desperate I felt to get close to him again. This couldn’t continue to happen. I didn’t need to get to the point where I relied on him.
The back door opened. “What the hell happened out there?” I heard Killian rasp as four sets of footsteps entered behind him. “And why are there Shadow City guards here?”