Outcast (Moonlight Wolves Book 4)

by Jasmine B. Waters

  And Lea wasn’t really his type.

  She was gorgeous, hands down – and he could appreciate her beauty, which was evident, even if she wasn't his type. But she was a tall blonde, someone that looked like she lived at the beach or was constantly doing something athletic while getting a tan. And while he knew men that would go wild for her, Desmond, in particular, he was more drawn to the girls that were a bit darker. A bit worse. A bit bad.

  One look at Lea and Finn knew she was a good girl.

  So, he couldn’t really describe the feeling that he had when he just decided to walk on up to her and strike up a conversation. Maybe his subconscious was putting in place his idea to just try and integrate into the Moonlight Pack a bit more. After all, he did just have a whole conversation with his own pack mates this morning about trying to integrate into their new living situation.

  Finn didn’t do good girls. He had a rule, and he stuck to that rule. And he sure as hell didn’t want to ruin a good girl like Lea. She was beautiful, funny in that unabashed way, and someone he could consider a friend.

  If only he could get thoughts of lust out of his head, things would be good to go. But no, his dirty mind was thinking about what she would be like in bed while she was trying to have a nice conversation with him on the drive over to the gym. He gripped the coffee she let him have in his hand, noticing that if he gripped it any tighter the throwaway cup would break.

  Sometimes he really hated himself.

  Finn and Lea finally got to the gym, and Finn was thankful that they weren’t as close together as they were in her car. He could still smell her flowery scent all over him, though, and he didn’t know how he felt about it. It was like he was on an emotional rollercoaster from the moment he saw her in the café, the morning sunlight lighting up her blonde hair as if she was an angel sent to him from above.

  They walked into the gym together, chuckling and keeping their small talk going. Finn didn’t know what she was thinking about. He knew what he was thinking about, and he hoped that he wasn’t being creepy or anything. He hoped that he was acting normal, and not at all like he was imagining what she looked like naked. Maybe he just hadn’t been with a woman in a while. Now that Finn thought about it some more, that was probably why he was acting like a horny teenager that had never seen a true woman before. He hadn’t relieved any of his sexual tension or had a fun night with a lady since he’d gone to Maine.

  He was going to have to change that, he knew.

  As they walked throughout the main gym, machines, and mats for sparring all around them in a somewhat disorderly, yet organized manner, Finn saw Lorelei staring at them with a smirk on her face from where she was waiting for class to start in one of the corners of the huge open area. When Lea said she’d see him in class and walked to the ladies’ dressing room, Finn beelined over to where Lorelei was now cackling at him.

  He loved Lorelei and Tatiana. He would never think of them in any romantic way, and always considered them family. So, as he walked into what he knew would be a bombardment of sarcastic remarks, Finn felt like he was listening to his sister make fun of him. He couldn’t help the smile that slowly crept on his face as he walked nearer to where Lorelei stood alone.

  “I don’t even want to hear whatever joke you have running in your head,” he told her, his voice low, as he finally leaned up against the wall with her. He didn’t know why she would be laughing. He was with Lea – so what? Lorelei and Lea knew each other, and as far as he knew, were friends.

  Or as close to friends as you could be with the Moonlight Pack shifters. They were hard to get to know. They seemed to never let their guard down.

  “No, I was just thinking you work really fast,” she replied, a smile on her face. When he looked at her confused, she elaborated. “Just this morning, you were saying that we had to be nice and try and get in with the shifters here. Looks like you’re getting in somewhere, aren’t you?”

  “Ha,” he fake laughed at her. “I saw her at the coffee place I went to this morning for breakfast, and she offered me a ride. Don’t be jealous just because I’ve made a new friend and you haven’t.”

  “Oh, I’m not jealous, Finn.” She laughed at him. “I’m just surprised. I didn’t know that good girls were your type.”

  “It’s not like that.” He rolled his eyes, though he couldn’t deny the weird feelings he was having for Lea. It was weird and instant. He felt like he was struck by lightning or something. He quickly finished his coffee and threw it away in the nearest trash can.

  “Oh, it looks like you’re gonna seduce her without even trying. That’s what it looks like.”

  “Well, you’re blind.”

  “Okay, Finn. Whatever you say, my friend.”

  Finn shook his head, though, he knew that Lorelei was right. He kind of hated her for it. Finn wasn’t the greatest shifter around, and he knew it. He wasn’t going around trying to act like he was some saint or anything, which a lot of shifters did. Hell, a lot of humans did it, too. He was able to realize that good girls weren’t his type, and he never wanted to be that stereotypical “bad boy” that just let “good” girls fall all over him, then left them crushed when he left them because he had major commitment issues.

  He wasn't going to let Lea become interested in him, though Finn doubted someone like her would ever be interested in someone like him. He was nothing special. Lea, though… well, she was. That much he already knew.

  The plan to stay away from Lea and make sure that he was on his best behavior began to fail when they both realized that they didn’t have partners for today’s class. Hazel, Lea’s partner in crime, and in literally everything she did, was gone. So was Ethan, Finn’s partner in class. Finn didn’t know where Ethan was, though he knew that the shifter was busy. Ethan was a young alpha from another pack in America, and he was constantly in meetings with Hann and Michael, the pack’s friendly alpha and protector. Finn and Ethan tended to stick together, with both of them being outcasts in the pack, and Finn knew that Ethan regarded every moment he had with Hann a learning opportunity.

  Finn wished he would’ve just come to class that morning, though.

  “Wanna partner up?” Finn found himself asking Lea as they both were instructed by Britta, who was bouncing with a ton of energy for seven-thirty in the morning at the front of the room, to find partners. Finn couldn’t help himself. When he saw Lea looking around for someone new to partner with, he didn’t even realize that his legs were moving toward her as his brain was telling him that he should probably stay away.

  Finn hated it when he heard Lorelei’s distinct laugh from across the room. He refused to look in her direction, and instead just paid close attention to what Britta was telling everyone.

  Britta specialized in human hand-to-hand combat. Finn was also training in his wolf form in one on one sessions with Lukas, one of the only shifters that had been openly friendly to him when he first got to Maine, as that was the given way most shifters would prefer to attack and fight in. However, there were fears that these rogues that were forming uprisings around the world would attack shifters in any way that they could. Hence, the human training that everyone was grasping to understand.

  Shifters found they didn’t do as well in fighting as humans. That was something they were all trying to change.

  “Sure,” Lea responded, pulling Finn back to the present. He smiled at her as they walked to a clearing on the huge mat that everyone was on. While Britta’s class had originally started with only four other people, now there was a lot of shifters crowded into the room. Everyone wanted in on the class, especially as more and more shifters came to help out and learn from the strongest pack in America.

  Now, while the Moonlight Pack was still evident in the room, Finn noticed the different shifters from all the other packs that had traveled to Maine.

  “Okay, guys,” Britta yelled to be heard over everyone in the room. Her voice echoed against the high walls and vaulted ceiling. Som
e of the shifters died down and stopped talking, all of them swiveling to see what their instructor was going to say. "We're gonna practice some defense moves now."

  Britta launched into the techniques that she wanted everyone to practice. With a shifter’s help, Britta showed the room exactly what they should practice. The shifter helping Britta, Vincent, became the “attacker” of the scenario. Britta waited as Vincent attempted to attack her from behind, but he never got the chance. She instantly had him with his back on the ground, her foot on his neck holding him in place, and her fists up and ready to fight.

  “When you have them down, if you can’t finish the job. You should try to shift into your wolf form so that your full strength is available to you,” Britta explained as she helped up Vincent from the floor. Vincent rubbed his neck, and Finn could see that he was going to have a bruise there for a few hours. Thank god for shifters’ speedy healing. “Now, the main technique here is being able to sense someone is behind you, even when you’re surrounded by shifters and people like we are now.

  “That’s why I’m going to be passing around blindfolds to you all. Each of you will take a turn being blindfolded while your partner tries to attack you. You need to focus on just your senses. And you need to hone those skills while you are in your human form as best you can.”

  Britta walked around with thick black blindfolds, and Finn could see the nervousness as the shifters took the pieces of fabric. Shifters didn’t like to have even one of their senses cut off, and now they had to act like they had no sight? Everyone was on edge. Especially the Moonlight Pack shifters.

  After a few minutes of everyone joking and each partner getting adjusted, the mood began to relax slightly as everyone focused on what they were supposed to do. Finn helped Lea tie the blindfold around her eyes, tying it softly, yet securely, around her head. His mind was definitely not acting PG rated at this point. He pulled himself together, even when his fingers lightly brushed her blonde hair as he tied the blindfold.

  Yep, he knew this might end badly.

  He tried to focus on what they were supposed to do, and he supposed he did alright. Lea was actually pretty good, and he was only able to take her down a few times. He jumped off her each time in rapid speed, afraid that if he lingered, things might get a bit out of hand. He didn’t seem to have much control over himself as of late.

  And Lea's whole good girl attitude, persona, and look were not helping his control. Which began to really surprise him.

  Chapter Four

  Lea knew she had a slight crush when she was on her way to Hazel's house after work with Chinese takeout for both of them to eat for dinner, and all she could think about was Finn. It was a problem, but she couldn't shake it. She had thought about him all day, and she knew that their hanging out today was turning into a full-blown crush scenario.

  Which was weird. Because Finn was so not Lea’s type. He was very the kind of guy that knew exactly how hot he was. His body was well sculpted, and Lea didn’t think she’d ever find him in a library reading for fun. No, that wasn’t the type of personality that Finn had. Finn was someone that looked like he was a bro – and a bad boy. And those two things weren’t anywhere near the type of men that Lea normally went for.

  She liked the bookish type. Guys who were intelligent. Even nerdy. She wanted to get lost in a conversation about medicine or history or literature with the guys she fell for. Maybe she wasn’t giving Finn enough credit, but she felt like Finn wasn’t the type of guy who would have those conversations with her.

  As she walked up to Hazel’s front door, the colonial architecture greeting her like an old friend, she was bursting with anticipation. She couldn’t wait to laugh about her ridiculous crush with her best friend. Hazel would find the humor in it. Lea just hoped that she was a bit better and not as hungover as she was when she left this morning.

  “Is that dinner?” Hazel yelled from her kitchen as Lea let herself in without knocking, yelling hello while slamming the door shut with her foot. Lea walked toward the kitchen, her tennis shoes barely making a sound on the dark hardwood floor. She managed to go home and change out of her scrubs from work before she picked up the dinner, and now she wore basic blue jeans with a hoodie. Even though it was spring, the weather in Maine was still pretty chilly at night.

  Hazel was setting out some silverware and pouring some drinks for them when Lea walked into the kitchen. In no time the girls were in the living room, trashy reality tv on, and digging into the huge order of Chinese food they had both splurged on. It was a great meal to the end of the day, especially because they both had started their day in the worst mood possible because of their hangovers.

  “You’re never going to guess who I have a crush on,” Lea finally said, jumping into what she’d been dying to tell her friend all day. “You know him. He’s one of the original Britta training members.”

  “Oh, my god, Ethan?” Hazel all but yelled in her face. Lea looked at her best friend, confusion on her face from the small little outburst.

  "Ethan?" Lea asked, a smile forming on her face as she realized what her friend had just revealed. Hazel liked Ethan, that much was evident. "No, it's not Ethan. Someone likes him, though."

  “I do not,” Hazel pouted, though Lea saw the gleam in her eyes. Maybe it was the way Hazel’s face turned red, or maybe it was just the glimmer in her eyes, but Lea didn’t want to push the topic. She didn’t want to embarrass her friend any more than she had to, and she didn’t want Hazel to feel ashamed or anything about who she liked.

  Though Lea was surprised she hadn’t seen the crush Hazel had om Ethan sooner than that moment. Hazel wasn’t someone that could keep secrets.

  “Wait, so who is this person you have a crush on?” Hazel asked, confused, once she got over her beat red face and was willing to put the whole Ethan thing behind them.

  “Finn,” Lea told her, almost in a “duh” voice. If it wasn’t Ethan she had a crush on, the only other option would be Finn. Hazel wasn’t the brightest sometimes. Lea would let it slide, considering Hazel had to drink some wine earlier because her hangover was still so bad.

  “Finn is a bad boy waiting for a good girl like you to settle him down.” Hazel laughed. “When are you gonna ask him out?”

  “What?” Lea looked at her friend, disbelief on her face. Hazel was absolutely crazy. “I’m not going to ask him out. It’s just a crush, Haze. Plus, he’s not really my type. He’s so handsome, obviously, and his body makes me get shivers down my spine no matter where I am, but he’s just… not my type, I guess.”

  Lea didn’t know how else to tell Hazel. Plus, there was the thought that Finn would laugh at her, pat her on her head like she was a child, and reject her. And Lea really didn’t want that to happen.

  “Come on, Lea. You have to at least try and ask him out. When was the last time you had any fun?”

  “I have fun all the time!” Lea couldn’t believe Hazel was telling her to do this!

  “It wouldn’t hurt to at least try and make nice with him.” Hazel took a bite of her sesame chicken, a knowing look in her eye. “You never know where it might lead. Trust me when I say that even on your bad days, you’re gorgeous. And Finn is probably falling all over you, as we speak.”

  “I doubt it. And there’s a lot to lose. My dignity for one. But today we actually talked and hung out a little, so at least I have a new friend from this.”

  A new friend that she could dream about, that is.

  Lea launched into her story of what happened today, starting with the coffee she leant him and ending with the way his body felt against hers as they practiced together as partners in class. She blushed and laughed the whole time.

  “Are you going to the bar tonight?” Hazel asked after Lea was finished with gushing about Finn in her wide eyed, full on crush way.

  “Oh, crap,” Lea replied, realizing what was happening tonight. It was Britta’s birthday, and Grant was throwing her a surprise party, expecting the wh
ole pack to show up. “I completely forgot. Are you?”

  “Yeah, we should both try and make it. Maybe then you can hang out with your new lover.”

  Lea threw a piece of orange chicken at her, laughing along with the ridiculous idea that she would ever have the confidence to hang out with Finn in any other way than friendly.

  The girls quickly finished eating, and Lea left to go back to her place to put on something a bit nicer for the evening. She was exhausted, with her morning class and her constantly stressful day job, but she wanted to make sure that she was there to celebrate with Britta. Britta had been through a lot recently – she’d almost been killed by a rogue! – but you would never guess that by looking at her.

  Lea aspired to be that level of badass. She knew she never would, though. She would always just be plain old Lea. Stable. Reliable. The good girl.

  Lea quickly showered the grime that working at a hospital seemed to leave on her skin when she got home, perfectly applying some light makeup and slipping into a cute little white dress. She would be freezing by the end of the night, but she wanted to look cute. The sacrifices she made for fashion were evident.

  Lea picked up Hazel about an hour and a half after she left her. Lea made sure to whistle as Hazel walked up to her car, making her friend roll her eyes and laugh. When they got to the party, the celebrations were in full swing. Shifters were everywhere, and the majority of them were pretty tipsy.

  Lea noticed that there were shifters on duty, guarding the entrance and keeping watch, completely sober, to make sure that nothing out of the ordinary happened. She felt a deep pain in her heart as she realized that this was just normal protocol now. Before, they never would've had her pack mates on duty. But now, because of recent events and the high threat level, they had to have guards on duty almost every hour. And when there was a lot of shifters in one area, they needed to be protected.