— — —
Dane felt the moment her soul opened. It took teeth gritting control to not bind them together in that moment. A glance at Kade showed the same battle raging in his eyes as he came. Dane knew he wanted to pull her against him and sink his teeth into her skin to leave a marked that could never be removed. A bond that wouldn’t break. He wondered what it would feel like to have her incisors on his neck, if she would be gentle when she bit him. It might be awhile before she got to that point, but he looked forward to it. He couldn’t wait her to claim him as he would her. It was a bone deep need.
He kept his thumb on her clit, rubbing gentle circles over the sensitive flesh, as she turned her face into his neck and trembled. A moment later Kade came, holding his gaze in silent communication the whole time. Understanding bright in his eyes. He knew Dane had allowed him to come in her first, calculated it would bring them all closer together faster. Kade didn’t condemn him for it, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn’t even been aware of the niggling fear Kade wouldn’t understand. It shouldn’t have existed. Kade knew him better than anyone alive, knew all his secrets. He hadn’t left his past as far behind as he'd thought. In his father's world, no one was safe from betrayal. He knew that better than anyone.
Finley was soft and pliant in his arms, nuzzled his throat. “Where did you go?” she murmured.
“I'm right here, sweetheart.”
There was no way in hell he was bringing the past into this moment. He moved back enough to help her lay down and snuggle up to Kade. Her eyes widened when she looked him over and took in his hard cock. He fought the urge to smirk, didn’t quite make it. He wrapped his hand around the base and stroked a few times, loving the way both their gazes heated. It was Kade that moved though, rising to his knees to face him, and shoving his hand out of the way. Dane hissed in response. Kade wasn’t gentle. He never was, but there was something different in his gaze this time. A growl rumbled up from his chest as he tried to assert his dominance. Fuck no. Not happening. Lupines had more physical strength than humans and most mages, but Dane was different. He shoved back and fell on top of him. Kade went with it instead of fighting and pulled him in for brutal kiss. What mattered was the passion in it. The love in it. Finley gasped and they broke away long enough to look at her. She'd rolled to her side.
“Oh, don’t mind me,” she said breezily. “I wouldn’t want to get between you.” She grinned. “Well, not too much.”
“Recovered, have you?” Kade teased.
“You're motivating, what can I say?” she offered dryly.
Dane had always loved her attitude. The snark and sarcasm. He didn’t love it now. It didn’t have a place in this moment when he was feeling so viciously possessive. Unfortunately, it showed and her smile was a little sad.
“I see you, Dane. I always have. I know you always held back. But if this is gonna work, we all need to be who we really are.” She snorted. “I accept I'm in bed with two men who are more dominant than me, and that is a hell of an admission. You have to accept that I won't always be okay with that. It won't always feel right. It's why I asked you to wait before making any irrevocable decisions.”
She started to rise and he reached out, grabbed her hand. “Don’t go. I understand this is an adjustment for all of us. You should always feel safe with us like this or anywhere else. It's not that I want total control of you, Finley, or Kade either, it's just…” He didn’t know how to finish the thought but she did.
“Instinct. The desire, the need, a powerful male feels to protect his own,” she said, her eyes full of understanding. “I get it. I won't always accept it.”
And he couldn’t force her to. Couldn’t force either of them. It would turn him into a man he despised. His father. Kade cupped his face and forced him to look at him.
“We both get it,” he said with a glance at Finley. “This is a process for all of us. Getting to know each other. Learning each other's boundaries.”
It was more than he had a right to expect so soon and Kade didn’t give him a chance to think it over. He kissed him. His hand wrapped around Dane's cock and he stroked in a fast rhythm he knew would drive Dane over the edge in minutes. Dane let him do it. He would demand everything from them, despite his best efforts to give them space. It was who he was and he owed them something for their understanding. Their acceptance. Some would say sex was easy, but it wasn’t for him. Letting his guard down, letting someone else steer the pleasure was a conscious and difficult choice for him. So he didn’t fight it when the orgasm came over him. His spine stiffened, balls tightened, and he spilled across Kade's stomach feeling triumphant. He'd marked this incredible man, this partner, in what many would consider a primitive way. He only cared that it was done. Breathing hard, he finally broke the kiss and leaned back on his knees.
He fought the instinct to leave or shut down. He was demanding everything of them and knew it had to be a two way street. They should probably talk about that. Unfortunately, they had another issue to deal with first. He moved to Finley's side, placing her between them once again. He took a moment to marvel at how damned natural it felt. She could take care of herself, yeah, but he liked this. Him and Kade in position to protect her.
“Are we going to this dinner?” he asked into the silence.
Kade remained quiet. Finley sighed heavily.
“How would that work?” she asked. “If Kade and I are in key positions in the pack, we have to live with the pack. Are you okay with that? Is Sutton? And your people? How will they react?”
He huffed a half laugh. “Everyone knows where my official residence is. I do business there sometimes, but I'm not stupid enough to live there. Sutton knows, if this happens, I'll live with you two on pack land. It's not far from my offices in Richmond. I only go there a couple, three days a week anyway. I can handle everything by phone or internet if I have to.”
He watched her as she considered it, kept his mind open to take in her emotions. Some might consider that immoral, but she was his and she could actually scent his emotions so he was calling it equaling the playing field. She gave him a look that made him wonder if she knew he what he was doing because suddenly he got a lot less from her. He narrowed his eyes.
“What did you just do?”
“What are you talking about?” she asked innocently.
He would have called her on it, but he liked the mischief in her eyes. Liked she was comfortable enough with him for it to exist. He'd find out eventually, anyway. There was no bond yet but there would be. Shit, his sister may have even warned her. Harper had known he was coming, and why, and he couldn’t blame her if she had warned Finley or taught her how to shield her emotions. So he went back to the original conversation.
“What do you want to do, sweetheart?”
She went from confused to angry to resigned, and she let him feel it this time. Sighing heavily, she answered, “we should at least go hear him out. I'm still pretty pissed at him. I'm not sure if I can get over that anytime soon. But…I miss my pack so I'm willing to try. Only if y'all are, though.”
He looked to Kade. He'd be taking on the beta position. He hadn’t had objections to Sutton before today but that could change. Dane understood his position. The lupine claimed to consider Finley his sister but he was still willing to use an archaic, not to mention illegal, agreement between her parents to coerce her into his pack? He had major issues with that. On the other hand, she was right. The wolf had maneuvered him and Kade into coming to Redstar to claim her. It wasn’t the beta offer that had done it either. It was his confidence he could force her into Freegate. Neither of them had been able to tolerate that idea. And here they were contemplating joining the pack? All because he needed to be in Virginia? But no, that wasn’t the only reason. Finley wanted to go home, and he wanted to give her pack back to her.
“Can't hurt to talk to him,” Kade drawled. “I might punch him in the course of the conversation, but ya know, that's just an alpha and beta getting to know e
ach other.”
Finley burst out laughing. “Okay, then. This might be fun. Between the two of us, Kade, we can totally take him.”
“Most of Waterford left with him. I have to assume he's competent and respected,” Kade said more seriously. “Which makes his break of trust with you so much harder to swallow. The two of you were going to be the new alpha and beta of that pack, right?”
She sobered quickly. “We should have been. That was the plan, at least. Didn’t work out that way.”
She obviously didn’t want to rehash it again.
“Do you think you can work with him now?”
He watched her think about it, then shrug. “We'll see, I guess. I don’t want him micromanaging or second guessing my decisions. I was raised to be beta, and I admit it tripped me a minute when y'all told me he wants Kade in that position and not me. But I really think I'd make a better paladin. Sutton can be difficult. The weaker members of the pack need someone like me who can communicate their needs and not have to deal with his brashness.”
“They aren't the only reason you're willing to even meet with him, are they?” Dane asked.
She shrugged one shoulder, couldn’t hide her discomfort at the question. “It's not far from the forests I was raised in. It's close to home for you. And I can't stay here,” she finished. “Liza has been accommodating but she made it clear, and we both know, there isn’t a place for me here.”
“So we meet him and decide after that,” Kade said. “Finley and I, our wolves, will make the final decision.”
Dane nodded. He couldn’t argue with them. It wasn’t just a matter of their safety but of their ability to accept Sutton's leadership. He didn’t like them following anyone else's lead but they were wolves. He understood their need to be part of a pack that extended beyond him. He didn’t like it but it was what it was.
“We should get cleaned up,” Kade said, rolling out of bed and pulling Finley with him. “Tell me you have something short and sexy. Please.”
“It's a little chilly for that, don’t you think?” she countered.
“I'll keep you warm.”
He mock leered and Dane got a glimpse of what had been missing for most of his life. From his earlier relationship with Finley. He'd never been able to let down his guard. Never been able to tease and joke, things that should be easy between lovers. No wonder she'd been afraid of him. She whirled around to glare at him.
“Don’t do that. Don’t shut down.”
How did she know? He rose from the bed and approached her. Them.
“Processing, remember? Learning.”
He'd follow Kade's lead in this. The three of them went into the shower together. It was hot and unsatisfying. They didn’t really have time to indulge. He was dressed before Finley, followed her down the short hall to her room to find her staring at her open closet. He leaned against the door and watched her. Her hair hung wet down her back and a skimpy towel wrapped around her body.
“Sexy or warm,” he said. “Quite a dilemma.”
She twisted for a moment, flashed a smile. “It's so much more than that. It's about the imagine I want to send. Am I going as a mate? Or a paladin? A potential partner in the leadership of the pack or someone Sutton thinks he can control?”
“All that can be decided by clothing choice?” he asked, bemused and intrigued.
She turned to face him fully. “At some time in the future, will you expect me to join you at functions, either business or magical?”
The question seemed to come out of left field but he answered anyway. “Of course.”
“And the way I dress for those events matters, doesn’t it matter? It says something about me and you and our connection.”
He'd never paid attention to women's clothing before but he got her point. “So, functional and sexy for tonight?” he guessed and was rewarded with a grin.
“We are really doing this, huh?”
“This meaning, me, you and Kade? Or this, joining Freegate?”
“Both, I guess,” she said as she slipped on a pair of jeans under the towel. “You were right, though. They are my people. I hate, really hate, not being with them.”
She turned and walked to her dresser, pulled out a bra first and a sweater next. It wasn’t until she dropped the towel and she'd put them on that he took a free breath. Finley was at ease, and he liked her that way. She was completely with him now. Maybe. Hopefully. If he could have one more wish this Christmas, it was her accepting him. Kade was right about them. They were a miracle. When she looked at him, he wanted his devotion to be clear.
FIVE
Finley dressed with care, in new jeans and a bright red silk sweater. She knew Dane and Kade thought of themselves as protectors, but in this case, she could be their guardian. They walked into her life and tried to take it over. Twenty-four hours ago, she would have resented that. The clothes made her feel better. They were armor in a way. Even in the lupine world, image mattered. Dane always looked incredible, of course. It must be part of his business persona. He wore slacks and a white dress shirt open at the neck. He made them look incredibly hot.
She slicked gloss over her lips, watching him in the mirror behind her. She'd toweled dried her hair and twisted into a loose knot. It was still a little damp but she didn’t want to take the time to drag out her hair dryer. It wasn’t like she would catch something in the few seconds she was between the house and the car, and now that these big changes were upon her, she wanted to get on with them. Maybe she was rushing but she really didn’t care.
“Are y'all ready?” Kade asked, lurking in her door.
She caught her breath when she looked at him. How did he make jeans and a long sleeved Henley look so good? Maybe it was the navy blue color, which she swore made his eyes glow.
“Finley?” Kade asked.
She blushed when she saw his grin, realized she was staring, and gave into to laughter. She could ogle all she wanted. He was hers. Him and Dane. It was incredible.
“Let's do this,” she said.
She wanted the meeting with Sutton over and done. Waiting to figure out what the hell his ultimate motives were, was driving her crazy, though she was pretty sure this was a straight forward situation. He'd made no secret of his determination to get her to join his pack, and once he'd decided to bring in Kade he wouldn’t deter from that path either. Sutton was nothing if not determined. Obstinate, even.
They left the pack compound and entered the town of Redemption not long later. The inn was an old converted mansion in classic Southern antebellum style. They parked on the street on a few blocks away and Finley relaxed on the walk over. Most of the townspeople were aware of lupines and their proximity to a major pack, and the relationship was obviously healthy. She saw many werewolves, a lot of them mingling with humans. She was more focused on the scenery, though. Redemption had gone all out to decorate, and so had the inn, she saw as they drew close. Red, green, and gold spotted with white sparkling lights. There was a Santa Claus, angels, giant candy canes, and a lot of garland. It should have been tacky. It kind of was. But she liked it anyway, and realized it had been years since she'd looked forward to Christmas or her birthday. The only thing absent was snow.
“I kind of miss snow,” she said.
Dane laughed and slung an arm around her shoulders. “Me too. I don’t think I'll ever adjust to these warm winters down here.”
Kade looked at them like they were crazy. Then he laughed, shook his head, and her chest constricted. Damn, he was a beautiful man. They both were. She understood their possessiveness since she shared it. She'd been concerned about their dominance a couple hours ago but it didn’t seem important now. She was just enjoying the moment. Until they entered the restaurant. She looked around, spotted Sutton as he stood at an empty table, and stepped forward to decide her future.
“You look good,” he said, bending down to kiss her cheek.
It was so familiar, a remnant from her old life, that she could have cried. The respon
se was unexpected. She hadn’t realized how much she missed her Waterford pack mates or Sutton, who'd been such a close friend for most of her life.
“You aren’t, however, mated.” He scowled over her head, presumably at Dane and Kade, and she rolled her eyes.
“Not your business, Sutton.”
“Yeah, it is,” he scoffed as they all took their seats. He was directly across from her.
“Only if we decide to join you,” she said lightly. Calm and emotionless. It was the best way to deal with him.
He narrowed his eyes but it didn’t faze her. She'd known him too long. “That doesn’t work on me,” she said.
He sighed. “Unfortunately. It would be much easier if it did. That's why I need you back, Finley. You've never been afraid to stand up to me.”
She studied him, unsure for a minute if that was flattery or truth. The standing up to him part was certainly true, but did he actually realize he needed someone--her--to call him out when he was being an idiot? And could they get past the breach of trust in their history? His expression turned somber as he guessed the way her thoughts had gone. Of course, he did. They'd known each other forever and it wasn’t hard to divine.
“I did what I had to do,” he said softly. Seriously. He leaned forward. “I know you think if I'd stayed less people would have died, but have you ever considered the opposite might be true? How many did I save by starting Freegate? And it gave me the freedom I needed to hunt the rogues.”
She'd done that too, but from inside Waterford. They were never going to agree on the choices they'd made, though, and she was sick of spending so much energy on rethinking every action and reaction.
“If I make a decision I expect you to back me up and not countermand me.”
Sugar, Spice, and Shifters: A Touch of Holiday Magic Page 77
