Chapter Fifteen
Griffin should have known that they’d gotten off a little too easy in Beau’s transition from the cottage to the main house. The first few days, they stayed within his rooms, Beau sleeping a lot and pacing when he was awake. Griffin managed to distract him now and then, but he knew Beau wanted some time outside.
“How about we go for a walk?” he suggested as they ate breakfast.
Beau looked up from the bacon he was chewing on.
“Outside?”
“Yeah. Fresh air, a chance to stretch your legs. We can show you some of the house on the way out. There’s so much you haven’t seen.”
Beau seemed cautiously eager though a little on edge with the four shifters escorting them downstairs. They took a detour through the kitchen, Griffin snagging a couple of oranges for them to eat while they walked.
They were in the corridor leading to the back entrance when things started to go wrong. Though Griffin had made it known that they would be going outside, and people had been asked to keep out of their way, evidently the message hadn’t reached everyone. As they got in sight of the door, it swung open, and a group of laughing children armed with water balloons ran inside, shouting and screaming as they threw them at each other.
One of them misjudged their throw, sending the balloon sailing toward Griffin. A second later, he was slammed against the wall as Beau moved to shield him. He grabbed for the alpha.
“They’re just kids, just playing. There’s no danger.”
Ronan and the other surrounded them, moving the kids on into the house. Beau’s muscles were tense under Griffin’s hands, his breaths coming quick and fast, his eyes tracking every movement around him.
“Beau, everything’s okay. Just try and—”
The alpha jerked under his touch, his whole body shuddering, and Griffin knew what was happening.
“No, Beau. Stay calm, stay with me. Don’t—”
But it was too late, he’d already started to change. Ronan grabbed Griffin by the arm and yanked him out of the way as the others moved back, giving him a wide berth.
“Shit, this was a bad plan,” the other alpha said. “We moved too quickly.”
Griffin couldn’t tear his eyes from Beau, watching as the man became the beast, a bear with dark brown fur that matched his hair.
“Give him some space,” he said before calling softly to the bear.
“Beau, it’s Griffin. Listen to my voice, stay with me.”
A sudden shift like that might have tipped him back into his feral state. If that had happened…
Beau’s head whipped around, his eyes staring at Griffin and Ronan. He growled once, low in his throat as he took in his surroundings, then he threw his head back and roared, the walls shaking. The roar cut off abruptly as he caught sight of the door and ran.
“Beau, no—” Griffin shouted.
Ronan was already moving forward. “He’s gone feral again. We have to catch him, stop him, whatever way we can…”
But Griffin had seen the look in Beau’s eyes. It hadn’t been the empty fury of the Beast.
“No,” he said, pushing past Ronan to the door. “He wasn’t feral, just overwhelmed. I’ll go after him, bring him back. Just in case, spread out, cover the boundary.”
“Finn, wait—” Ronan called but he ignored the alpha, shifting into his cheetah form and racing away.
Beau’s trail was easy to follow, broken branches guiding him through the trees. Griffin could hear him in the distance, crashing through the undergrowth. He hoped no one else was wandering outside or that if they were, they were smart enough to keep out of Beau’s way.
Another roar spurred him on, and he charged toward the sound, skidding to a stop when he found Beau, the alpha in a clearing, pacing between the trees as if unsure which way to go. If he’d been feral, it wouldn’t have mattered, he’d have kept going until he found someone to fight.
When Beau caught sight of him, he reared back with a snarl. Griffin retreated a little way away, watching as the alpha scented him. Would Beau realize it was him? Would it make a difference?
He made the decision to change back to human form before stepping slowly back into the clearing.
“It’s just me, Beau. I’m sorry that you got scared like that. We didn’t mean that to happen. Thank you for trying to protect me, you did a good job.”
His shoulder still ached, an important reminder. If it had been a real attacker, a real weapon, Beau would have saved his life.
The bear took a few hesitant steps forward.
“That’s the way,” Griffin encouraged. “You’re safe and everything’s okay. It just all got too much for a minute.”
He closed the distance between them, reaching out slowly toward the bear. Beau dropped his head down low to the ground and Griffin pressed a hand to his side, brushing across his thick fur.
“You are amazing,” he praised softly. “So strong, so beautiful. These walls, they aren’t here to keep you in, they’re here to protect you. I’m here to protect you. Come back to me, Beau.”
The alpha shook his hand off and backed away, turning, and stomping to the other side of the clearing. But Griffin’s words had gotten through to him and, as the omega watched, the bear became a man again.
Beau stayed crouched on the ground, his back to him, his breathing harsh.
Griffin slowly closed the gap between them, hoping to connect with the alpha. If he could keep him calm, he could bring him home. No chains, no cottage, no basement.
“Beau?”
The alpha stilled at the sound of his name, growling under his breath.
“It’s just me,” he said, kneeling next to him. He reached out a hand slowly, settling it lightly on Beau’s back. At first, the alpha tensed as if to pull away.
“It’s just me,” Griffin said again. “Let me help you.”
Beau turned suddenly, wet eyes locking on Griffin. And then he dived forward. Griffin braced himself for the impact of the alpha’s body slamming into his, but instead, Beau wrapped his arms around Griffin’s abdomen and hugged him tightly, burying his face into the omega’s shirt.
“That’s it,” Griffin encouraged. “It’s okay now. It’ll be okay, I promise.”
He had no idea what he was promising. Safety? A home? A life? Beau needed so much, and Griffin could only hope he had enough to give.
They walked back to the house in silence, Griffin keeping a light hold on Beau’s wrist. The alpha looked drained by his dash through the woods and every step seemed to be an effort. Ronan met them at the door, his arms folded, looking them both up and down.
“We’re going back to my rooms,” Griffin said smoothly. “Could you ask Mark to bring some food up?”
“He’s already on it,” Ronan replied. “You ever fought any wolves, Beau?” he asked the alpha.
Beau’s head came up, and he stared blankly at Ronan for a moment. Wolves like Ronan were rare. Only slightly rarer than bears.
“A few,” was Beau’s hoarse reply.
“You win?” the alpha asked.
“Always.”
Ronan snorted and waved them inside. “Glad to have you both back in one piece.”
He walked with them up the stairs and into Griffin’s rooms. Griffin led Beau straight to the lounge and over to his favorite cushion. The alpha flopped down gratefully, stretching out along the soft surface. From the way Ronan was hovering by the door, Griffin guessed he had some talking to do. Keeping everyone on an even keel wasn’t easy in any pack, but in one like theirs it was an even more delicate balance.
“Rest for a while, Beau. I won’t be far away.”
He got a soft sigh in response, Beau turning his head toward the window.
Following Ronan outside, he leaned against the wall and waited for his friend to speak.
“What happened out there?” the alpha asked.
“I caught up with him in the middle of the woods. He was just… pacing like a caged animal. I managed to talk him round, he changed form, and we walked back.”
“So, he didn’t go feral?”
“He didn’t. I think it was the combination of the enclosed space and not expecting to be taken unawares like that.”
“Yeah. Clearly, not everyone heeded the ‘keep to the front of the house’ warning we sent around.”
Griffin shrugged. “These things happen. But now we know he’s not a danger to the extent we expected. It means we can start pushing the boundaries out a bit.”
“I think we should take it slowly,” Ronan cautioned. “I mean, if a group of kids can send him spiraling like that, what happens if something truly dangerous happens?”
“Slow sounds good,” Griffin agreed.
“And it can’t be just you. We’ll have to get him accustomed to being around others. You have responsibilities elsewhere.”
“I haven’t forgotten,” he said wryly. It was hard to forget you were the leader of a whole pack. “I’ll ask a few people, see if they’d be willing to spend some time getting to know Beau.”
“You won’t be short on volunteers, even though people are a little on edge,” Ronan replied, adding. “At least we know you’re safe with him.”
Griffin raised an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation.
“It wasn’t lost on anyone how he dived to protect you from that water balloon. And the way he followed you back to the house.”
“What are you trying to say, Ronan?” The alpha wasn’t usually so circumspect.
“He seems very attached. It’s almost a role reversal. He looks at you like you’re his alpha, the only difference is he has an alpha’s strength and the protective instincts that go with them.”
“Considering my position here, am I not kind of like everyone’s alpha?”
“Those are people whose loyalty you’ve earned, Finn. This is different, the way he looks at you… it’s an alpha/omega thing. Just different to what we’re used to.”
Griffin brushed that off. “He’s confused, vulnerable. Right now, I’m the only constant in his world. Is it any wonder he’s clinging to that?”
“Just be careful, Finn.”
“I am always careful. Always.”
“This is different. This is personal, intimate. You and he…”
“I’m a grown man, Ronan. You don’t need to worry.”
“What’s family for if not to worry?” the alpha joked, breaking the tension. He cocked his head to the side, then glanced toward the end of the corridor. “Food’s here. Let’s eat.”