Page 57 of Griffin

“Uh, sure. No problem. You can have the rest of mine, if you like,” he said hesitantly.

My wolf growled low and quiet in the back of my mind. It took everything I had to keep it there. The audacity.

The smug little grin on Todd’s face wasn’t helping either. My grip tightened on my fork as I fought to keep myself in check.

“We could always order another plate of fries,” I said, my tone as neutral as I could make it. But my wolf betrayed me, a low rumble slipping out at the end.

Michael’s head whipped toward me, his eyes wide with alarm. I coughed to cover it up, pretending it hadn’t happened.

“I mean, no need to make it awkward over fries, right?” I added.

Michael let out a nervous laugh and shook his head. Todd, however, just smirked like he’d won some invisible battle.

I forced myself to stay calm, reminding myself why I was here. This lunch was supposed to help me figure Todd out, not let him get under my skin.

Maybe I was overthinking it. Maybe this was all some bizarre inside joke between them.

But every interaction made my wolf restless, pacing just under the surface.

Todd launched into a story about some work trip they’d taken together years ago, laughing too loudly at his own jokes.

Michael chuckled politely but didn’t seem fully engaged. I watched Michael’s body language closely—how he shifted in his seat, how his smile flickered and faltered.

When Todd finally excused himself to take a call, Michael let out a long breath.

“Well, that wasn’t awkward at all,” Michael muttered.

I tilted my head, studying him. “You okay?”

“Yeah, it’s just Todd being Todd,” Michael said, brushing it off with a wave of his hand.

But there was something in his tone—something that told me he wasn’t as fine as he claimed.

When Todd returned, the tension returned with him. The rest of the meal was a painful mix of forced small talk and awkward silences.

Todd seemed oblivious to the unease radiating from both Michael and me, or maybe he just didn’t care.

Finally, when the bill was paid and we stepped out of the restaurant, I felt like I could breathe again.

Todd gave Michael a one-armed hug, lingering just a second too long for my liking.

“Catch you later,” Todd said, shooting me a look before heading off.

I watched him walk away, my wolf still growling softly in the back of my mind.

Michael turned to me, rubbing the back of his neck. “So… that was fun,” he said with a weak laugh.

I huffed out a breath, biting back my thoughts about Todd. “Sure. Fun.”

Michael gave me a sidelong glance, as if gauging my mood.

“Hey, there’s this ice cream shop a few blocks from here. It’s kind of famous. Want to check it out?” Michael asked.

Ice cream wasn’t exactly my thing, but the hopeful look on Michael’s face made it impossible to say no.

“Sure,” I said, my voice softening.

Michael’s smile brightened, easing some of the tension that had been hanging between us. “Great. Let’s go.”

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