The Axelridge Series Book 4 Griff's Red Card

(Chapter song ‘Roundtable Rival’ by Lindsay Sterling, ‘The Scotsman Song’ by The Malarkey Brothers, ‘The Hills of Aberfeldy' Ed Sheeran)

GRIFFIN

After getting cleaned up and changed into shorts and t-shirts, I fancied a dander with Ivy to take a break from all the ruckus that was at the military base.

More people poured in and it looks like a lot made it through, thank Jesus. I know there will be loss, but I don’t want to think about that right now.

Now, I want to relieve the stress from the pretty lass' head. She’s lost her glasses so, she’s had to go with loners until she can get her own. She can still see, just not very well and I can tell it’s not sitting right with her. As we spend more time together, there’s a lot I’m realizing I can pick up on.

We walked by the edge of the forest, taking in sights and I strolled along, glancing at her a few times. “Ya alright?” I mutter. “With the walk…I mean. It’s not draggin’ ya?”

“No. I’m fine.” She gives me a cute wee smile as I place my hands behind my back and look ahead.

“I’ve been meaning to ask. Where'd the glasses come from? Shifters don’t normal have wrecked eyes.” I turn my eyes to her as we casually walk past a corner.

“Um…an attempt on my mother’s life.” She says.

I stop. “Say what?”

She faces me. “She was attacked when she was pregnant with me. The knife she was stabbed with…got me in the head.” She leans down and just after her forehead, a silver burn scar sits in her hair.

“Feckin hell, love. Ya lived that?” I inspect the scar then find her eyes.

She nods. “Yep. Just barely. It sent my mother into premature labor and my eyes were damaged in the attack.”

My lips fall. “Did she…”

She smiles. “Thankfully, no. Not until much later.”

We continue walking. “But she is…dead.”

Ivy looks to the sky and gives a bit of smile like she’s fighting her emotions. “Yes. 15 years ago.”

“Another attack?” I ask.

“Not according to the coroner.” She looks to her feet as our steps slow.

“What’s that mean?”

“She…um…” She stops and turns to me. She lifts her chin. “She threw herself out of her office window. She hit a car and died instantly.”

I scrub a hand down my face when I see the pain in hers. “I’m sorry, lass.”

“It's ok. It still hurts, but it’s not what bugs me.” She fixes her t-shirt and kicks at the dirt.

“What bugs you?” I ask quietly.

“After. When her body was in the morgue, someone took her heart.” She raises her head and cinches her brow at me.

“Took her heart? What kind of gobshite would do that?” I question with confusion.

She shrugs. “I don’t know. We never found out. The Security Complex can’t figure it out either. The surveillance all comes up empty.”

“Have I seen these tapes?” I cross my arms.

“No.”

I lean to her. “I bet I can solve this problem, ya? Ye be wishing ya came sooner." I say as I stare into her eyes.

“Really.” She raises a brow.

“Aye, lass. There hasn’t been a video yet that’s vexed me and I ain’t about to let it now.” I lean back and nod.

“Well, I hope you do because I’m starting to really think my mother didn’t kill herself.” She says as she shields her eyes from the sun.

“Ya think it was the heart thief.” I suggest.

She nods. “My mother loved her life. She loved me and my brothers. She would never do that to us. I refuse to believe it.”

I look her over with a wee smile. I wrap my arm around her shoulder. “Then I refuse to believe it, too. I’ll find the truth for ya, lass. You bet on that.” I touch her nose and she smiles.

“OI! YA WANKER!”

I turn and my face lights up. A sense of relief fills me when I see what I was fearing wasn’t true.

“OI!” I yell back as I break from Ivy and run to the red head who’s holding a football. He holds it out in front of him and kicks it.

“IN THE AIR! I GOT YA!” I rush to middle of the sand patch, get under the ball and arch back, pushing my chest out.

It hits my chest, I control the drop to my feet and trap the ball.

“LEG IT, LADS! WE GOT YA!”

I look around as ten guys run at me from all sides “HA! ME LADS! BEST BE QUICK!!” I laugh as I run, kicking the soccer ball out in front.

“GRIFF!!”

I look to the side, just ahead, as Avery bounces with a side step up the lot.

Mallory comes in to steal and I stall it, turn and kick it to Avery.

Avery runs with the ball as Jonson and O'Neal run up the lot toward MacDonald who prepares to block in front a fake net. Jonson tackles it and kicks it to O'Neal.

I come in from the left and O'Neal kicks it behind and to the side as I go in for the steal.

“Ah, good form, lad…but not good enough.”

I shove him and he loses his footing. He goes down and I kick the ball to Avery.

“OI! FOUL!” He cries from the dirt.

I spin and hop backwards. “I see no stripes, do you?” I wink, point at him and run.

“YA DIRTY DOSSER!” He gets up and starts running.

“NOT YET! I WILL BE WHEN YER IN THE ROUND AT THE PUB!” I cackle as I chase the ball. “BETTER HAVE YER BOBS, MATE!!”

“AVERY!”

Dickenson and Fergus chase him then surround him. They tackle the ball and kick it to O'Neal. Avery steals it and runs.

Cuthright closes in and Avery passes to Patrick.

I bounce up the middle. “C’MON THEN!”

Patrick gets blocked and passes back to Avery.

He kicks the ball back behind him and runs for it. He stops it, flicks it up in the air with his feet and slams it with his head to me just as Tomalin and Wright close in on him for the take.

I watch the ball arch my way and as soon as it’s close, I fall to my back, throw my leg up and toe kick it over me toward McDonald. He lunges, grabs it and hits the dirt.

“DAMN YOU, YA SCOTTISH SKIRT!” I yell as I get up and lean on my knees, laughing.

“Need more than that feckin' faerie dancin', ye hackit bastart!” He laughs as he tosses the ball.

“Hackit?!” I grab the ball and toss it behind me. “C'mere, ya Molly!” I rush him as he cackles. I jump and put him in a headlock.

The guys all have a hoot as I wrestle him to the ground and fake punch him in the head.

“OI! KEEP THE HEID!” He yells and rips my arm off and I fall to the ground, laughing.

He helps me up, straightens his brown hair and my friends hit my shoulders and back in greetings. My eyes meet Ivy’s who’s face is almost red as she laughs.

I lock with her gaze and see her shy away.

My team asks a million questions as I look away then glance back at her.

Avery pushes on me and shove him back. “Yer rough as a bears arse!” I grin.

“Give her the lips, ya?” He kisses the air and shoves his arse out to me.

“Ach! Ya cheeky bastard!” I howl and boot his ass as he laughs.

“Eh, auld man. Who’s the Boer?” Mallory throws his arm around my shoulder as he motions to Ivy.

“Um…a mate. For now.” I glance at him.

“I wouldn’t stall the ball, Captain. A fine filly like that, sure thing she has other lads checking the goods.” My jaw goes slack and I turn to him. “Chance yer arm, mate. Heed the word.” He winks his blue eye, taps his nose and glances at Ivy.

I stare at Ivy as she walks over to me. Mallory hits my chest and joins my friends.

She stops in front of me. “That looked like fun?”

“Yeah? Ye fancy a go sometime, do ya?” I smile.

She chuckles. “You know what? I think I’d like that.”

“Craic.” I softly chuckle and glance at my boys.

****

I could go home to my pack, but I want to stay an extra night to make sure Finn is alright and spend some quality time with my mates and Ivy. After introductions, she seemed to feel comfortable around us. It’s surprising. Not many do when we get rowdy.

One thing we actually love is roughing it a little bit.

Falcon Ridge brought tents for people to use if they needed them and me boys nicked a bunch. They come from all over and like me, don’t want to go home just yet.

So, boys night under the stars and a chance to show Ivy what I’m about as team captain.

In the lot where we played, we set up shop and started a small fire.

“C'mon, McDonald.” Avery eggs him on to sing a Diddy for the group. He has some good ones every now and then.

“Ack, noe.” He grins as he adjusts his shirt and fixes his kilt. He’s the only Scot I know that wears one. He says it’s easier to shift in. Makes sense, I guess.

“McDonald don’t be an eejit. Ye know ya want it.” I say as I lean back in the dirt with Ivy beside me.

The fire light dances across all our faces as the boys all start to protest loudly.

“Awlright!” He sits up and raises his hands. “I’ll grace the lot of ya tonight with a little story of a Scotsman who wandered off after a night of being absolutely sloshed!”

“Aye, ye all been there!” Patrick laughs.

“Ye more than the rest, Patty. Ya drunken sod!” I laugh.

He points to me with a warning as Avery shoves his arm and I lift my chin to him as I grin.

Ivy is just sitting, watching our banter and quietly full of giggles. I turn my gaze to her and watch her. The light dances on her on skin and I’m lost in her smile as McDonald starts.

He claps a rhythm and the boys get excited.

They sit up, hoot it out and start clapping.

“Ye know it, lads! Belt er out!” McDonald yells as he starts into a tune of ‘The Scotsman Song’ by The Malarkey Brothers.

He sung the first verse, leaning forward and looking around at all of us. We’ve all sung this plenty times when the ale got to us. Singing and making out like a drunk Scotsman who staggered into the grass to sleep. He leans back on his elbows and crosses his black boots, tapping them to the tune as we clap the rhythm.

After he was done, the entire circle yells out ‘Ring-ding-did-a-little-la-di-oh, Ring-di-diddly-eye-oh’ after each turn, singing the last line to the stars

Avery claps as he sings the next verse leaning on Mallory as he does. He pretends they’re two ladies and he whispers to Mallory and points to McDonald. He pretends to giggle with Mallory as they wonder what’s under his kilt. Avery makes his manhood out to be huge and Mallory motions that it’s tiny. McDonald throws dirt at them, Mallory shoves Avery’s face away.

The circle sings. “Ring-ding-did-a-little-la-di-oh, Ring-di-diddly-eye-oh.”

I see Ivy start to clap her hands and even join in when we all sing. I shove her shoulder and sway to the beat as we keep time.

Patrick stands and pulls O'Neal up. The both of them pretending to be the lasses. They creep up to McDonald, who smirks and eyes them playfully. He points to his kilt and they pretend to lift it up and they both act shocked.

Dickenson stands with Fergus and they pretend to look under McDonalds kilt. Fergus pretends to faint and falls back in Dickenson’s arms. Dickenson throws him back up and boots his arse.

The two sit as the circle sings, “Ring-ding-did-a-little-la-di-oh, Ring-di-diddly-eye-oh.”

Mallory sings the next verse as O'Neal pulls an invisible blue silk ribbon from his hair. He motions to Patrick to go put it on McDonalds langer.

Ivy belly laughs when Patrick shakes his head no. O’Neal pushes on him. Patrick grabs O'Neal’s shirt and raises his fist. Mallory pulls them both down by their trousers and it was my turn.

The circle sings.

I clap and sing as McDonald gets up like a drunk and stumbles to Avery and pretends he’s a tree to lift his kilt to. Avery shoves him and McDonald looks down to his crotch, puts his hands on his hips as I sing and he shakes his head. He sings to his kilt. “Awe, lad, I don’t know where ya been, but I see ya won first prize!”

Ivy doubles over and laughs and the circle sings.

McDonald then surprised us with a final verse. He clapped and danced around the fire, pausing at Ivy, grabbing her hands and dancing with her until I rip his hands off and kick at him with a smirk. He continues to hop on over to Fergus.

He pulls Fergus to his feet and Fergus points to his kilt. He pretends to giggle and shy then asks what’s under there. McDonald motions the Fergus to reach up and find out if what she wonders is true.

I holler out in laughter when Fergus pretends put his hand up McDonalds kilt. He acts offended and yells, “Sir, that’s gruesome!” McDonald laughs, dramatically throws his hands on his hips and puffs his chest out. With a proud grin, he sings, “If ya put yer hand up once again, you'll find it's grew some more.”

The entire camp sings the last line loudly and then explodes into hysterics as Fergus pretends to throw a punch into McDonalds stomach and they both spill to the ground.

“BRAVO!!” Ivy claps to my lads.

They all stand and bow.

“Aye, they aren’t as crazy as they seem.” I catch my breath.

She dusts her shorts of dirt that McDonald kicked up. “I like them.”

“I like them, too.” I smile. We lock gazes as my friends all rib each other in the distance.

“C'mon.” I whisper.

I stand and take her hand.

I lead her into the trees and it’s just a short jaunt to the waters edge.

She steps into the sand and looks out to the lake. The moon hangs low and it’s weird to see Axelridge dark, but the stars are clearer.

She sits then lays down. “I love looking at the stars.”

I lay down beside her. “I hardly do. I always have lights in my face.”

She turns her head to me. “Is it hard…being famous?”

I shrug and roll my eyes to her. “I dunno. I’ve always been so, I guess. I don’t spend a lot of time at home.”

“That’s sad.” She says quietly.

I roll to my side and prop my head up. “I don’t mind it. I see my pack enough. I just don’t have anything to come home to. Everything I need is here.”

“Your pack’s not enough?” She asks.

I play in the sand with a small twig. “No. It’s not the same as sharing my house.”

She turns back to the stars. “I can understand that. I always believed it wasn’t where you were. It was who you were with that made a home. I haven’t had one for a long time.”

“What about your brothers?” I ask.

She turns back to me. “I love them, of course, but like you say, it’s not the same.”

“I get it.” I throw the twig to the waters edge and look back into her eyes. “Ivy…I want to apologize again.”

She mirrors my position. “Griff, you don’t…”

“Don’t argue with me, love. I know when I’m wrong and I will admit it.” I say with a soft, but hard tone. My Irish coming out.

“Alright.”

She looks down and I lean close to her. “My mess almost killed ya. I’m sorry.”

Her eyes meet mine and all I can hear is the lapping lake and our beating hearts.

The breeze blows little wisps of her hair and I swear, her eyes filled with the very stars in the sky.

I reach up and glide my hand onto her cheek. She lets out a shaky breath as I lift myself up more.

My thumb feels her soft, warm skin as I lean to her lips and I smile as my lips are tickled by small static sparks.

Her eyes sparkle as my lips part and my tongue asks for entrance. When her lips part, my heart is filled with a warmth that feels like the beaming sun over the green hills of Ireland. I feel her inside and my tongue tastes her. I’ve never tasted anything like this. Her apple scent surrounds me and I’m taken.

I hold her head and deepen the kiss. It’s so perfect even though everything is shite. I could kiss these lips and smell this lass forever.

She lets out a little moan and I roll myself on top of her. I feel my heat rising with every dance of our lips. I feel her skin and stroke the top of her head as my heart pounds.

My shorts strain as I press my hardening manhood against her thigh. She moans more and I feel her fingers thread into my hair. My hand floats down her chest and I cup her breast over her t-shirt.

I feel her heat and her nails gently dig into my back as I kneed her breast.

I kiss her harder and am completely lost in my beautiful Ivy.

I would have gone further, but unfortunately, I have eejits for mates.

“FORD! OI, FORD!”

I break the kiss just as Fergus shows up out of the trunks. “There ye be. McDonald’s got the ale. It’s actually cold.”

I glare at him as Ivy covers her face with a giggle.

“Tá mé an-ghnóthach” I grit in Gaelic.

“Yer busy?” His eyes widen as he flicks his eyes between Ivy and I. “Wha? Ye were snogging, ya?” He points to us.

“Fergus!” I growl as Ivy giggles more.

He rubs his black hair and looks to the trees. “Alright. Just sayin’. McDonald’s thirsty and if ya want a neck, ya better want to finish shiftin’ face, right quick.”

“Will I, ya?” I growl.

Ivy drops her hands. “Maybe we should…”

“No.” I eye her. “Fergus, bugger off!”

“Ya don’t want a nip?” He thumbs over his shoulder.

I feel my irritation rise and my perfect moment is ruined.

I look at Ivy who’s sporting flushed cheeks and a grand smile.

I look to Fergus. “Ye better leg it, quick, boyo!”

I jump to my feet and rush him.

“SHITE!” He bolts into the trees.

“C'MERE!!” I growl as I catch him in the trees and wrestle him to the ground.

We muck around as my Ivy laughs.

“ALRIGHT! CHRIST!” He yells.

“Get outta here, ya git!” He stumbles to his feet and I give his arse a boot.

I sit in the forest dirt with my knees pulled up and my arms resting on them.

Ivy walks to me with a huge smile, shaking her head.

“I was defending ya.” I whisper.

She drops between my knees and picks leaves out of my hair. “My hero.” She chuckles.

She grabs my cheeks and kisses me. I wrap my arms around her and kiss her back as the tales of Irish drinking rise from the fire behind us. The boys belt out the songs and Ivy laughs on my lips.

“Let’s go.” I tick my head to the fire.

“Ok.”

I’m not sure if this will go far, but all I know is I’m in for the ride. I’ll enjoy being her hero and I will care for my Ivy love for as long as it lasts.

I truly believe with everything, we are definitely proving to be better together than fighting against each other.

It may not be perfect, but for now it feels right.