Page 41 of Sawyer

I clenched my fists under the table, anger bubbling up inside me. I knew Griffin had only said that out of pride.

Griffin wouldn’t want anyone to think Garth had gotten the better of him.

But the fact that Garth had the nerve to challenge Griffin—and in the pack house, after picking a fight with Lee, no less—infuriated me.

“Garth’s testing boundaries,” I said, my voice low and tense. “And he’s using Casey to get to me.”

Cooper leaned forward, his expression serious.

“If he becomes a real threat, we’ll deal with him,” Cooper said.

I shook my head. “No. I’ll deal with him. This is personal, Coop. I’ll handle it,” I told him.

Cooper studied me for a moment, his eyes searching mine. Finally, he nodded.

“Alright. But don’t hesitate to ask for help if you need it,” Cooper said.

I nodded, grateful for his understanding. “Thanks.”

We finished our meal in relative silence, both of us lost in our own thoughts.

I couldn’t stop thinking about Casey, about the potential danger Garth posed to him.

I would protect him, no matter what it took.

Chapter 11

Casey

“What was your excuse for not coming up here again?” Michael asked for the umpteenth time.

On my laptop screen, I watched as my brother moved around his bedroom, packing for his fan meet-and-greet session.

He hadn’t missed my excuse the first time. I knew better, and I wasn’t in the mood to play along today.

“Like I said, I’m busy with the shop. We just opened, and I can’t really afford to take time off.”

Michael stopped in his tracks, and for a second, I wondered if the call had cut out. Then he turned toward the screen and walked over to his computer.

“Don’t you have someone working for you? It’s just one day. You could leave in the morning and be back by night,” he said, narrowing his eyes.

Even through the screen, I could tell he was trying to catch me in a lie. But beneath that, I could hear a hint of longing in his voice. My brother missed me, and I missed him too.

Since moving to Pecan Pines, I’d only seen him once. We’d been planning this trip for months, but the timing couldn’t have been worse. It fell on the same day as the town meeting—the one where I’d volunteered Sawyer to attend.

“I do, but... we’ve been busy with customers lately,” I replied, my voice wavering.

Michael’s eyes narrowed. “By ‘we,’ do you mean you and by ‘customers,’ do you mean some guy?”

I flinched, nearly knocking over my tumbler. “I don’t know what you mean.”

He leaned closer, squinting at the screen. “He’s a shifter, isn’t he?” Michael finally said, disapproval written all over his face.

I couldn’t really blame him. After everything with Mason, my brother had every reason to be wary.

When Michael ran into him at a coffee shop months after I left, he didn’t hesitate to pour his drink over Mason’s head.

He even wanted to blast him all over social media—Michael’s following was massive, and it would’ve caused serious damage.