Shit. Shit shit shit.
Griffen stared at her outreached fingers as if he were mentally challenged. No way in hell could he touch her. He still hadn’t exhaled. In fact, he was getting lightheaded.
Rebecca’s smile fell slightly, spurring him into action.
He had no choice. Common courtesy shook him from his stupor. Besides, there wasn’t a damn thing he could do to change fate. It was destined. This woman was his. He exhaled slowly and reached out to grasp her hand. An electric current ran between them as he found one word, “Griffen.” His voice didn’t sound at all like him. And as he took another breath, he confirmed what he already knew to be true.
Rebecca felt the spark also. He could tell by the way she sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes wide, and then she composed herself. “Nice to meet you.” Her smile reappeared, but her eyes narrowed slightly as though confused.
No wonder…his behavior was odd.
She tugged her hand, and that’s when he realized he still held her. Reluctantly, he released his grip and followed her gaze to his three brothers behind him.
Sharon gave Griffen a hard glare he knew well. Don’t even fucking think about hitting on my friend. Off limits. He could read all that in her expression. No translation was needed.
Trace stepped forward. “I’m Trace. And this is Zachary and Logan. There will be a quiz later.” He chuckled as he took her hand.
Griffen spun to face him, giving him the same stare he’d just gotten from Sharon.
Trace furrowed his brow and stepped back a pace, releasing Rebecca’s hand too quickly.
Sharon pointed toward the restrooms at the base of the trail. “I’m going to use the facilities one last time before I’m stuck with squatting in the woods.” She dropped her pack on the ground.
“I’ll go with you.” Rebecca granted the men another quick smile, set her backpack next to her friend’s, and followed her toward the small building.
“What the hell was that all about?” Trace asked as soon as the women were out of earshot.
Griffen shook his head. “Nothing.” He glanced away.
“Like fuck. I can feel the imprint of your hand on my cheek as though you slapped me.” Trace glanced back at the restroom. The girls had already stepped inside. He did a double take between Griffen and the restroom before slowly turning back to face Griffen with a sly grin. “Oh, this is rich.”
“What?” Zachary asked in confusion. “What the hell is going on with you two?”
Trace crossed his arms over his chest and stood taller. “I believe our older brother has just bit the dust.”
“Bit the dust?” asked Logan.
“She’s your mate, isn’t she?” Trace cut to the chase.
Griffen’s shoulders slumped, and he kicked the dirt around at his feet. He didn’t respond.
“Awesome,” Logan said.
Griffen shot him a glance. “Not fucking awesome.” He glanced at the bathroom and lowered his voice. “And don’t fucking say anything to Sharon, or I’ll kick your ass. She’s going to freak.”
Zachary looked back and forth between Griffen and the bathroom before he spoke. “Exactly how long do you think you can possibly keep this little secret? Are you crazy?”
Griffen shrugged. “At least two days.”
Trace laughed. Hard. He bent at the waist and let it loose. “Of course. Sure. That’s exactly how I’ve heard it works. And don’t forget about the two nights that come between the days.” He laughed harder.
“Stop it.” Griffen gritted his teeth. “They’ll be back any second.” He grabbed Trace’s arm and tugged him upright. “I’m serious. Do not say a word about this.” He met everyone’s gaze. “Any of you. She’s human, and we’re stuck together for the weekend. There’s no way she could possibly understand this.” There’s no way I can possibly understand this.
Besides, something niggled in the back of his mind. He couldn’t explain it and wouldn’t even try, but claiming the woman immediately wasn’t in the cards. He needed to wait, get to know her over the weekend. Fate may have put Rebecca in his path, but She didn’t intend for Griffen to stake his claim too quickly. Intuition? He wasn’t sure, but he would follow his instinct.
Trace tugged his arm free. His smile was still huge. “Good luck with that.”
Chapter Three
If Rebecca thought the behavior of Sharon’s brothers was odd before she went to the restroom, it was weirder when she reemerged. The one she’d met first who she knew to be the oldest, Griffen, had his lips pursed and was scowling at the ground if she wasn’t mistaken. The other three, on the contrary, chuckled to themselves.