Chapter 10 - Protection

Every man I meet wants to protect me. I can't figure out what from. - Mae West

Greyson’s POV

I have been spending a lot of time with Sapphire lately. And because of that, my pack members haven’t received much of my time.

I know I have a duty to them to do better as their Alpha, but I also have a duty to her as my mate. My father still continues to push the fact that I should choose a Luna. I was not ready to tell him that I had finally found her. I wanted her to get comfortable with me first.

I worry about her often. She was human, so those seeking to get to me were likely to be targeted.

I was running the state's largest pack, so I had more than a few enemies. There was also the fact about the dreams that we shared. I was determined to find out what they meant.

I needed to be prepared to face any danger that may lurk in the shadows and could be out there. Larissa was our pack healer, and she had ties to the witches. It was her if anyone could figure out what was wrong and what was going on.

I made my way through the pack, and I could sense the tense atmosphere around me. There had been a few rogues spotted along our borders on multiple occasions, and many people were worried that they were planning something.

I had increased our defenses and patrol along the pack border, but there wasn’t much else I could do. I couldn’t ask for help from other packs as I wasn’t the official Alpha of the pack.

I made my way to the edge of the pack and stopped in front of the thatched hut cabin. I clutched Sapphire's necklace in my hand and felt my chest flutter as I felt a connection with her.

Slowly the door opened, and Larissa appeared at the door with a bright smile on her face.

"Funny seeing you here, Grey." She said with a smirk. I rolled my eyes at her words.

"Well, can't I just come to visit a friend," I said, shrugging my shoulders. Larissa stared at me pointedly, and I raised my hands up in the air in surrender.

"Okay fine. The truth is that I need your help." I confessed to her.

She sighed before opening the door wide to let me in. I stepped into the room, and I glanced my eyes around. The home was quaint.

"Take a seat." She said to me as she offered me the couch.

We sat there in uncomfortable silence as I looked anywhere except in her direction. "So, what is it that you wanted?" Larissa asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I have had these dreams where a beast is chasing my mate, and I save her. They were far apart but became more frequent at first, and now they've stopped." I responded to her.

She nodded, saying, "Have you met your mate in real life?"

I nodded my head at her in response. "Is there any way I can connect to her or her thoughts? An item of hers, maybe." She asked the question.

I smiled as I pulled out the necklace. "This is hers. I snatched it from her in the dream, and when I woke up, I was clutching it between my fists." I said to her in confusion. I handed it over to her and watched as her eyes turned white.

She hummed before she dropped it abruptly as her eyes turned to their standard color. "What was that?" I asked her frantically.

"That necklace is linked to a dark amount of magic. Your soul and the girls are linked. The man who chases you is very much real. He wants revenge on your family. And he won't stop until he gets what he wants. He is coming for you and will use her to get to you." She said, and I felt my heart drop at her words.

*********

I spent the rest of the day wondering what her words meant. Why would he want revenge on my family and me? I had done nothing wrong.

I decided to try and get some answers from my father. He looked as white as a sheet; Caleb was sitting on his left, while Casper sat on his right, narrating a story. They smiled when I walked into the room.

"Hey, guys. I want to talk to dad alone if you don’t mind." I said, and they both nodded their heads before leaving. I sighed as I moved to take a seat beside him.

"What is it, son?" Alexander asked through shaky breaths.

"Is there anyone that would want to threaten the pack?" I asked him.

"We have a lot of enemies. You are going to need to be specific." He said humorlessly.

"Someone is trying to get revenge on our family through me," I said through furrowed eyebrows. I watched as dad stiffened at my words.

"There is your Uncle James. He was married to your aunt Layla. They were supposed to take over the pack, but your grandfather saw his power-hungry nature and decided to give it to me instead. He went on a rampage and betrayed the pack after that. When they captured him, he killed your aunt and your grandfather. He disappeared into the woods, never to be seen again." He explained.

"If what you say is true, he is back. And this time, he is coming for your title. If you had found your mate, he wouldn’t hesitate to come for her too." Alexander concluded.

**************

For the next few days, my mind reeled at his words. I couldn’t sit still as my brain thought about what I would do now.

I sat in my office Monday morning as I watched Blue like a hawk. I had to devise a way to keep her safe without exposing who I was.

"Are you okay? You seem strange?" She asked as she placed her hands on her hips.

I smiled at her attitude. Over the last few weeks, she has become a lot more relaxed around me. She even talks back, and I receive daily sass. And I can't complain when I say I love it.

"Just a lot of work." I said to her, "Well, how can I help?" She asked as she came up to me.

I smiled, saying, "Well, now that you say that. There is actually something that you could help with."

"What is it?" She asked in confusion.

"I have a construction project. We need to build a new mansion." I explained.

It was a lie. My pack didn’t need a new pack house, but I didn’t care.

"Oh really? Who is the client?" She asked.

"I am," I said with a grin, and she stared at me flatly.

"You? Why do you need a new mansion?” She fired at me.

"Well. I don’t live on my own. We live in a gated community and are like one big family. We are kind of running out of room for the teens. So, we need a new house." I explained to her, hoping she didn’t see right through my lies.

"Okay. I understand. But why not just hire a contractor?" She asked.

"It is something close to my heart. And I don't want anyone to do it. That is why I have chosen you to lead the project." I said to her.

She opened her mouth wide in shock as she asked. "Me? Why me?"

She stood up from the chair, and she shook her head. I came to stand in front of her as I rubbed my hands along her arms to calm her down. I smiled when I saw her visibly relax.

"Because you are a great architect. And this company would be on fire by now if it weren’t for you. I am amazed by your skills and mindset, and I want you to lead the team." I said to her honestly.

I watched as her eyes widened as she took in my words. "I am honored, really." She said, biting her lip. I smiled at her.

"I hope you aren’t just doing this because I gave you takeout, and you like me." She said, narrowing her eyes.

'No, I am doing this to protect you.' I said to her mentally. I laughed as she glared at me. "I assure you it isn’t because of taking out or because I like you."

I leaned in to kiss her forehead and could hear her heartbeat pick up. "And I do like you," I whispered and watched as a blush formed on her cheeks.

"Fine, I accept." She said with a sigh, and I grinned at her knowing she had caved.

"I wasn’t taking no for an answer, and one more thing. There will be a lot of onsite work. So, you may have to spend some time with me. In my home." I said as I pulled away, sending her a wink.