by Selena Page
Elise lowered her voice, speaking quietly. She didn’t want Finn overhearing this, and she only hoped he was still occupied with his guest. “It’s been five years since she died, Rory. Finn has wallowed in his guilt and carried that with him every day for five years. Haven’t you seen how it’s killing him? How it’s tearing him apart? He needs to let go of her memory, he needs to move on with life. He needs love and passion to ground him, to give him something worth living for.”
“And fucking some random witch is going to fix his fucking emotional problems? Are you insane, Elise? This girl is dangerous, to him and to us.” Rory wasn’t nearly as discreet, his voice echoing through the stone halls. She winced and sighed. It was only a matter of time before Finn heard, and asking Rory to keep his voice down would only further exasperate him.
“Look, Rory, it’s not like I pushed her into his bed. Did you see the way they looked at each other? They were clearly interested. I just tried to make sure they had time to explore that.”
“Yeah, and take advantage of Finn’s fucking White Knight Syndrome!”
That hit a little close to home. It was true; Elise knew what kind of man Finn was, and she knew that the Damsel in Distress would get to him. But she hadn’t done it maliciously, and only because the interest already existed. She sighed quietly, shaking her head, “Look, I’m sorry if you don’t agree with it. But they both need someone. You saw her when he brought her out of the cabin, she refused to let go of him. He makes her feel safe, Rory. She needs that. And he needs that too.”
Rory leaned in, his eyes flashing dangerously as he hissed lowly, “And did you ever think about what it’s going to do to him when she dies? Or leaves? She’s not a werewolf. She’s not one of us. Plus, she’s got goddamn Vampires hunting her. So why would you put Finn in a position where he’s likely to lose another woman that he loves?” He shook his head once, a look of disgust in his eyes, before turning and storming out of the room.
Elise sighed and shook her head. She understood Rory’s position, but she didn’t agree with him. Finn needed someone in his life; someone who needed him back. Someone who could heal him as much as he could heal her. Miah fit the bill.
Tomorrow morning, pack meeting. I’m taking personal time for the rest of the evening. Finn’s voice swam into her head, and she had to wonder how much, if any, of the conversation he had overheard. At least he’d enjoyed himself with Miah.
Chapter 17
He insisted on carrying her, even though she swore she could walk just fine. One look from his stormy eyes and she fell silent, nestling against his chest. It was a warm, comfortable place to be, and she had to admit that she didn’t really mind being close to him for as long as she could be.
“So, what’s this meeting about?” Miah’s voice was quiet as Finn carried her through the halls towards the boardroom.
“You. Your situation. And Thaddeus. We need to deal with him.”
“Oh.” Her voice was quiet, and she felt suddenly uncomfortable as she was reminded of why she was here. This hadn’t been two people falling in love under normal circumstances. She was here because she had been caged. Miah snuck a glance at his handsome face, trying not to feel like she had become a burden in his life and failing miserably. “Finn…”
Her response cut short as he stepped into the meeting room. Miah stared around in wonder. The room was large and comfortable, dotted with couches and huge over-stuffed chairs. The walls were adorned with paintings; one of them was an older man with handsome features and salt-and-pepper hair, bearing a striking resemblance to Finn.
The voices in the room, at least a dozen, all stopped as they turned to look at their Alpha. Miah could feel herself shrinking back from the attention. She didn’t know much about werewolves; mostly the old lore and legend, and some very rudimentary understanding of how they functioned. But she knew enough to know a pack this size could destroy nearly any problem that stood in its way, and right now, she was a problem.
The tension in the room was palpable. Elise was smiling at her, but she could see the concern in the faces of some of the pack. They didn’t want her here--they didn’t want the danger that her presence brought them.
Finn carefully deposited her into a massive chair, propping her booted leg up on an ottoman. He peered down at her for a moment, silently assessing her comfort. She gave him a bit of a smile and nodded, and he turned from her. His shouldered straightened, and she could see his demeanor change as he took on the mantle of leadership.
“This is Miah Caprice. As you’re all aware, we found her in one of Thaddeus’ cabins recently, and she was brought here to recover.”
An image flashed through her mind, his strong arms holding her up as he fucked her against the shower wall. She hid a small smile at the memory. He was the best kind of healing.
Finn crossed his arms over his chest, a stone wall of emotion. Miah wondered if he was always like this with the pack, harsh and unforgiving. It seemed so at odds with the gentle and playful man she had spent the night with.
“Now. We know Thaddeus is still alive. And we know that he’ll be looking for her. He drank her blood, he has her scent, and she has information that he wants.” Miah could feel several eyes sliding towards her, and she had to wonder how many of them knew she was a witch, albeit one without any powers to speak of.
Miah took a moment to let her eyes travel around the room. Elise sat perched on a couch, next to a handsome man who looked like he should be behind a computer. Not really the kind of werewolf she pictured. Rory leaned up against a wall, a cheerful expression on his face, though there was darkness in his eyes when he caught her looking at him. It was a good facade, but she could see the frustration and anger radiating off him, though she couldn’t imagine why he might be upset with her.
“We’re going to hunt him down, and we’re going to destroy him, before he can do any more harm. He injured Siobhan, nearly killed Miah, and we have no idea how many others are rotting in ditches thanks to him.” Finn scowled, a low growl building in his chest, “Alec, I want you and Siobhan to start research, see if we can pin down a location.”
“Why?” Rory’s voice was harsh, lacking any emotion or playfulness.
Finn turned to glare at the man, and Miah could see the way his shoulders tensed. The emotion in the room seemed to go up a notch, and she had to assume that this was some kind of show of dominance. “Because this creature is a threat, and needs to be destroyed.”
Rory sighed and rubbed his face, “Look, man, I agree. Thaddeus has got to go. But it took us two months to track him down last time. Two months. And that was before he knew we were on his tail. Do you really think it’ll be so easy to just pull him out of thin air and destroy him? He’s an ancient, he has networks and allies that we’ve never even dreamed of. Hell, the guy is probably halfway to fucking Madagascar by now.”
Miah shifted uncomfortably in her chair. Rory wasn’t wrong. Thaddeus had a lot of resources at his disposal, and the idea of just hunting him down seemed like it would be difficult. They had been lucky to catch him before; he was on the verge of moving to his next location when they found him.
“We find him, Rory. We find him and destroy him. He won’t go far until he has reclaimed Miah.” Finn’s voice was firm, resolute.
“Yeah, man. We do. But we have to do it right. We gotta plan this right, or we’re going to lose people on this.” Rory’s eyes flicked towards Miah for a moment, and she suddenly understood what he meant. Thaddeus would be able to find her no matter where she went. He would discover where she was and who she was with, and he would be ready for them.
From the rising tension in the room, she had a feeling this argument was just getting started.
Chapter 18
Rory wasn’t wrong, and he knew it. Trying to chase down Thaddeus with some half-cocked plan was bound to get someone hurt or killed. He hated that his only desire was to do exactly that, collateral damage be damned. But the thought of waiting, of biding his time, sent his b
lood boiling. The bastard had to die, before he hurt anyone else.
He wanted to look at Miah. He could feel her frustration over it, her fear. He wanted to gather her in his arms and kiss her eyelids until all that was left were smiles and peace. He knew he wasn’t the kind of man that could do that. Not right now, anyway. Not while he had to be the Alpha.
Finn glared at Rory. He hated his packmate in that moment, just a little, for questioning his judgement. Even if that was the exact reason Rory was part of the pack. Finn could feel the eyes of his pack on him. They were his responsibility, and they would follow his lead. Even if they disagreed with him. He could push the subject, force Rory to go along with his plan, but it wouldn’t end well. He needed Rory’s support in this.
“Fine, Rory. What would you suggest we do, then?”
The younger man nodded once, his body straightening slightly. Over the years, Finn had learned to read the body language of all the members of his pack, and he knew that Rory was about to say something he wouldn’t like. And Rory was willing to fight him over it. Fuck.
“We have something Thaddeus wants. We use it to our advantage.”
Dammit. Finn could feel his heart racing at the thought of putting Miah back in danger. No matter how they played it, she would be at risk. He struggled to keep an impassive face, to ignore the surge in his chest when he thought of her being at the hands of Thaddeus again. Rory watched him warily, gauging his reaction.
“We’re not using anyone as bait. Especially not her.” His voice was heavy, and he couldn’t keep the threatening tone out of it. He wasn’t going to subject Miah to that.
Behind him, he could feel her stirring on her seat.
Rory sighed and lifted his hands placatingly. “Hear me out on this, Finn. Thaddeus needs that information from Miah. She’s the one he can get his hands on. He’s going to be willing to deal on this.”
Finn saw red. Three deep, calming breaths, and the danger of shifting and ripping Rory limb from limb had passed.
Rory saw it too. “Lure him in. Kill him and his men. Call Bourassa, get assistance on this. This bastard is threatening more than just our territory.”
It wasn’t a bad plan. It wasn’t a great plan, either. But Finn knew that they didn’t have much time to snag Thaddeus before he went to ground again. And until the vampire was dead, Miah would be in danger. Bringing in The Lance was risky. Bourassa didn’t care for humans, and Finn had a feeling he wouldn’t differentiate when it came to witches. He wouldn’t care if Miah was killed in the crossfire.
A soft voice from behind him cooled his rage, “Um, Finn?”
He turned to look at her. He knew what she was going to say. He willed her not to open her mouth, not to do it. Because as soon as she did, he was damned, and there would be no going back.
Miah was pale, the light dusting of freckles on her nose stark against her skin, her eyes wide. He could feel her terror and her concern. “I’ll do it. If it means you can bring him down, I’ll do it.”
Finn’s heart sank as the pack began to chatter quietly. It was decided. They were going to lure him out using the only thing Thaddeus really wanted: her.
Chapter 19
“No, Miah. Absolutely not.” Finn paced the floor in front of the bed, hair disheveled, eyes blazing. Miah knew that this would be his reaction, but she couldn’t just stand by while they debated it. She brought this shit storm down on them, the very least she could do was help in any way she could.
“Finn, I have to. It’s the best option, and we both know that.” She kept her voice light and gentle, hoping to soothe the beast in front of her. Seeing his anguish ripped her apart, and left her feeling all the more guilty about coming into his life like this.
“No. No, I can’t…” Finn let out a growl, shaking his head viciously, “If Thaddeus gets his hands on you, he’s going to kill you. He’s going to rip that information out of your head, and then you’ll die.”
“Then we’ll just make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Finn groaned, “Christ, woman, you make that sound like it’s so easy. These things never go well. Never. Even with Bourassa’s men, we might be outnumbered…”
Miah paused at that for a moment, weighing the options. This wasn’t his fight. This wasn’t the werewolves fight. They shouldn’t have to suffer or sacrifice for her and her mistakes. She took a long breath, exhaling slowly.
“This is my fault.”
“Don’t say that! Fuck! It’s not your fault that some bastard…”
“Finn.” Her voice was quiet, but commanding. She had to get it out. He had to know. “It was my fault. I screwed up. When I was in Paris, I was…there’s a ritual for young witches. Once they go through it, they gain their powers, usually. But it’s dangerous. My family never allowed me to try it, and the thought was since I didn’t have much latent ability anyway, it wouldn’t have worked. But I was so fucking bound and determined…” She shook her head, disgusted at her own failing, “I screwed up the warding, so when I started, I was like a beacon. Thaddeus found me because I sent out a giant fucking bat-signal telling him exactly where I was.”
Finn turned to watch her, his eyes softening slightly. The rage was gone from him, but she saw understanding in his expression. He sat on the end of the bed, giving her as much space as she needed.
“The ritual…dammit. When you do it, it’s like an out of body experience. I didn’t even know he was there until he woke me up almost a day later. And by then it was too late to do much.”
“What does he want, Miah?” Finn’s voice was soft, and she could see how hard he was trying to hold his emotions in check.
“A long, long time ago, the witches buried something. A…creature, I guess. There isn’t much information about it, but it’s a spirit. Marbok. It was ruthless and vicious, and it took a lot of manpower to shove it into the earth. But it woke up again. A few months ago, it went after my sister in New Hampshire. And I think…somehow, Thaddeus knows about it. He wants to release Marbok, and he wants to control it to do his bidding. He doesn’t understand how powerful it is or how dangerous it is.”
“Or he just wants chaos.”
She nodded once, “Possibly. But he can’t find out. He can’t know where it is, and I can’t tell him. But he’s not going to stop, Finn. If he can’t get me, he’ll try to take one of my cousins, or my sister, or my grandmother…or any of the other witches who could know.” The idea of Thaddeus touching her family members sent a stroke of fury through her, “He has to die. If he hasn’t already found someone else.”
The look on his face was heartbreaking. He knew that he had no choice but to let her do it, but it was tearing him up. Miah moved closer to him, deftly sliding into his lap and turning her face up to gaze at him.
“It’ll be ok, Finn. I want to do this.”
Finn let out an anguished growl, his hands clutching her ample hips and dragging her closer to his chest, lips crashing down against hers. She shuddered, her arms coming up around his neck as she kissed him deeply, opening herself to him.
“Dammit, Miah. I don’t want to lose you.”
She shook her head as she kissed him again, her tongue toying with his. She pulled away, nipping at her lower lip. “Then you guys will just have to make sure you’re quick.”
He let out a choked laugh, his hands tangling in her hair as he kissed her again, and she could feel his desperation and worry pushing him. His hands were rough as they dragged off her shirt, throwing it to the side. He kissed down her throat, directly over her still-unhealed wound from Thaddeus. She shuddered as he touched the sensitive spot, but she wasn’t afraid. He wouldn’t hurt her.
Finn picked her up like she weighed nothing, slamming her against the bedroom door as he bunched her skirt up around her hips. She moaned heavily, her nails dragging up his back as he growled, ripping her panties from her body.
There were no gentle touches and soft kisses here. He slammed his cock into her wetness, eliciting a moan from both of them. Miah
clung to him, kissing him deeply, drinking him in. She stole his worry, his concern, opened herself to let him pour it all into her.
He cried out as he climaxed, and she buried her face against his chest. Her heart constricted at the pain in his voice. He was terrified for her, and she felt the same way. There was so much she could lose. She could lose this, this perfection that she had found with her beast.
Even worse, she could lose him.
Chapter 20
Finn traced his fingers lightly over her pale skin, trying desperately to memorize every inch of her. He knew the risk they were taking; not just to her, but to him as well. And while he didn’t often think much about his well-being when it came to a mission, he didn’t want to think about leaving her alone. He wanted to come back and take her into his arms, and forget about the world around them.
It scared him, the way he felt for her. Though he barely knew her, he couldn’t escape the deep green of her eyes, or the fiery passion and courage she showed at every turn. Never once had she backed down; she had more will to survive than anyone he’d ever met before.
He didn’t want this moment to end. He didn’t want to leave the woman he was so quickly falling in love with. But loving her meant her death and likely the loss of his pack.
The realization shocked him. Love was not an emotion he thought about very often, and surely not one he had ever expected to find him again. He had a very good reason for not allowing himself to get too close to others. Life was short and brutal, and he had lost enough loved ones to know that they left gaping holes in his soul that could never be filled. First with his parents and then with his fiancée and child, among countless friends, relatives, and packmates. After she was killed, he had sworn he wouldn’t do it again. Wouldn’t let himself get involved with someone who could leave him. Living without love was painful, but living with the grief of watching someone he loved die was unbearable. And when the woman in question was human…he knew it was only a matter of time before his worst nightmare was realized.
