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THE HOWL NINE YARDS is now available!
Paranormal Dating Agency, Book 81
Adeline, the human mother of two adopted shifter girls, is on the run after trying to take down a powerful, embezzling shifter. Her family is threatened, and only Gerri Wilder has the contacts to help her. She just hoped for some help, not for Gerri to find her a hunky shifter to make her think of romance.
Griffin gave up his birthright as alpha. When Gerri Wilder asks for his help protecting a friend, he can’t turn her down. Then the beautiful human needing his help turns out to be his fated mate. Now, he can’t and won’t keep his hands off her.
Griffin’s mate comes with an insta-family. He’s not sure he’s ready for that. He can barely take care of himself. But more than his protective instincts come to life when he realizes every dream he’s ever had is wrapped up in his new mate and family. If he can’t find a way to keep them safe, all he’s ever wanted will be gone.
Read a Sneak Peek
GRIFFIN
It’s 3:25 in the morning. Who the fuck was calling? Griffin’s eyes snapped open as the phone continued to ring on the nightstand, and he grumbled in exasperation as he fumbled to silence the incessant sound.
The noise only seemed to grow louder with each passing second. Flinging a well-muscled arm out, Griffin ended up knocking his cell to the floor in his attempt to see who needed him this late. Or early, depending on how one wanted to look at it.
With a grimace, he grabbed his phone off the white rug and looked at the name. Gerri Wilder. Temporarily stunned, he stared at her name for a moment while the phone continued to ring.
While it was certainly unusual to get phone calls at this late hour, it wasn’t out of the ordinary either. He was a bodyguard, and clients needed him no matter what time it was. Thinking Gerri must need protection, he slid the bar to the side of the screen to answer.
“Hello?”
“Griffin? Hi. Gerri Wilder.”
“Gerri, hi. Everything okay?”
The concern in his voice was evident. But he knew that wasn’t the only reason people depended on his protection. He was powerful, capable, and, as more than one woman had told him, easy on the eyes.
Griffin was ex-military, having served several tours overseas. Because of his time in the Middle East, he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and chose to keep to himself. It was hard to break through that iron exterior, but it made him very good at his chosen profession.
“Well, not exactly, Griffin. I need your help.”
“Yeah. Of course. What’s going on? Are you in danger?” Griffin was both surprised and honored that Gerri … beloved, respected Gerri … would choose him in her time of need. “No. I’m not. I guess I should rephrase that. I have a woman with me, Adeline, and her two young shifter daughters. They are in need of your services.”
Griffin sat up, kicking his black comforter to the foot of the mattress. The wooden headboard of his king-sized bed felt cold against his bare back. He didn’t relish the thought of babysitting a woman and her two brats. Carefully, so as to not offend Gerri, he spoke his mind. “It sounds like you guys should seek the pack’s protection for this. Why don’t you contact Carl? He’s the alpha, and he’ll be able to offer this woman a lot more than I can.”
Gerri scoffed on the other line. “Don’t be ridiculous, Griffin. You should be the alpha, not Carl. We all know that. I understand you didn’t want to follow in your father’s or your grandfather’s footsteps, but you are the rightful leader of the pack.”
She sighed dramatically. “But you handed the reins to Carl, and he’s out of town on vacation. Went to the Bahamas. It must be nice to up and leave when you have an entire pack to look after, but what do I know? Personally, I wouldn’t let him babysit a fruit fly. Regardless, you’re who I need. Will you help us or not?”
Griffin blew out a pent-up breath. Gerri was never one to hold back. More than once she had made it clear she thought Griffin made a huge mistake turning down the role of alpha. However, it was not a situation he regretted and not one he was looking to rectify.
“Of course, I’ll help you,” he said with a sigh.
“Fabulous!” Gerri cried. “I knew you would. I’m going to send you an encrypted message with their address. They’re staying at a safe house.”
“And that’s where you want me to … guard them?”
“No. You’ll need to take them all back to Burlington with you. This safe house is a short-term solution, unfortunately.”
In the background, he heard another woman’s voice. Griffin’s wolf reared inside him. This is different. We need to do this.
The thought of a strange woman and not one but two children staying with him sounded positively dreadful, but Griffin wasn’t inclined to argue with his wolf.
As if sensing his hesitation, his wolf growled. Immediately, the desire to shift and run to this safe house took over. Griffin gripped the phone hard as he fought for control.
Still, the desire didn’t fade until Griffin promised the wolf they’d head there.
With a satisfied snort, his wolf receded into the furthest recess of his mind, but Griffin could still feel him pacing.
“Griffin? Are you still with me?”
Gerri’s voice pierced his thoughts, and he shook his head the same way his wolf shook out his fur after he shifted.
“Yeah, sorry, Gerri. Um, yeah. Text me the address, and I’ll be there first thing.”
“Great. Thanks, Griffin. We’ll talk soon!”
With that, Gerri hung up. A moment later, his phone dinged, announcing the coordinates of this unknown woman’s location. Luckily for him, they were only an hour and a half away.
He placed his phone on the nightstand, fluffed a pillow, and laid back. But sleep eluded him. He couldn’t shake the feeling that things were about to change. His wolf was restless.
“What do you think this means?” he asked out loud.
He felt his wolf cocking his head, turning an ear in the direction of his voice.
I don’t know, Griffin. But can’t you feel it? There is something big playing out here. I am eager to meet this woman and her two children. I think, also, it’ll be good for you. I’ve respected your wishes, including walking away from your birthright as alpha and taking a position as a bodyguard, but we’re meant for more.
Griffin’s skin itched with his wolf’s desire.
“We only need to keep them safe until Carl is back,” Griffin muttered.
His wolf snorted. We’ll see.
