Lea knew what she had to do. She had to tell Finn how she really felt.
No more beating around the bush, no more acting like she just wanted him for sex. Was the sex good? Yes. But she wanted more. She needed more. Their relationship was already slowly forming into this partnership of love and trust, but neither of them would admit it.
She didn’t care if he left her or decided that he didn’t want to be with her anymore. She had to tell him. She had to let him know where she stood. And she had to let him know how desperately in love with him she was.
Lea finally got home after her long day, immediately going to her kitchen to grab a water bottle because she was so dehydrated. She instantly remembered the conversation she’d had earlier with Lorelei and Tatiana, who she grew to really like–fast. They consistently told her that she was much too good for Finn and that he wasn’t all that great like he seemed to be. They laughed and giggled, though, and Lea could see in their eyes that they loved Finn like an older brother. And Lea had to disagree with them on one aspect: Finn was as great as he seemed to be.
But it seemed that even Finn didn’t know it.
Lea pulled out her phone, determined to call him and invite him over. Or meet him someplace. Anywhere. She just knew that she needed to see him and tell him this before she lost the courage and nerve that she somehow had. Being apart from him was like living without one of her major organs. It hurt. And she didn’t want it to last any longer.
And once she told him how deeply she cared for him, how she had slowly fallen in love with him over this short amount of time that they had known each other, she hoped that he would accept it. She hoped that he would accept her. And she desperately hoped that he would love her back just as much as she loved him.
Before she had a chance to even dial his number, she heard a knock at her front door. Glancing at the kitchen clock to see that it was about eight at night, she walked to the door wondering who it could be. She quickly opened it to find Finn staring at her from the other side, a smile lighting up his face when he saw her. Her heart quickened in her chest, and she felt the butterflies in her stomach go crazy. How did he affect her so much, even after all this time? Would she always feel like this with him?
She hoped so. She never wanted to stop feeling like this.
“Hey, you,” she told him as she pulled him into her house, shutting the door behind them. Finn pulled her into his arms, planting a kiss on her head and hugging her with all of his strength. She didn’t know what he was doing at her place, but she loved that he was there. It was like he had known that she was missing him and had raced to be at her side.
“I want to tell you something,” he murmured in her hair, still holding her in his arms. She could feel his heartbeat, and she wondered why it was beating so fast against her chest. “And I don’t want you to freak out. I just need to get this off my chest.”
The worst entered Lea’s mind. Was he breaking things off with her? Did he not like where their relationship was heading after all? If he was done with her, why was he holding her? Why did he kiss her when he first got there? Was everyone right about him being a bad boy–and he was just out to use her after all? Sleep with her and then bail?
Lea felt like her heart was a few seconds from breaking into a million tiny pieces in her chest, and she realized that she was struggling to breathe from the panic her mind was playing out for her.
Lea took a step away from Finn so that she could look into his eyes, though he still held her in his arms. She saw so much passion and love in his eyes, and the despair she was feeling earlier instantly dissipated. She just looked into his eyes, waiting for what was to come. She was no longer scared. The moment . . . well, the moment felt just right to her.
“Tell me,” she finally said, sounding a bit breathless even to her own ears.
“I love you.”
Lea stood there in shock. That wasn’t what she thought he was going to say. It wasn’t anywhere near what she thought he was going to say. It was so much better.
A smile lit up her face, and Finn’s worried expression that he wore as he waited for her response instantly changed. They both smiled at each other, reveling in the fact that everything was now changing between them before their very eyes. And they loved it.
“I love you, too,” Lea told him, laughing as he pulled her to him and into the most passionate kiss he had given her yet. She clung to him as if her life depended on it. As if he was her everything and even more.
She felt like it was so crazy how everything had fallen into place between them. What started as a chance encounter one morning led to a friendship, which ultimately led to where they were now. Lea couldn’t believe she had gotten so lucky to be in love and to be loved back, by someone like Finn. He was all she had ever dreamed of.
Lea couldn’t believe that he had come to her place. She had just decided that she was going to tell him how she truly felt, that she was madly in love with him and had been since their first moment together, when he rang her doorbell. It was like they were tied in ways that weren’t possible. It was like they needed each other equally, and they loved each other equally.
Lea didn’t know what was going on, and she couldn’t really explain it, but she didn’t care. She loved Finn. And Finn loved her. And that was all that mattered right then and there. All they needed in this world was each other, and now they had each other more than they ever had before. And Lea was happy.
“I was just calling you to tell you the exact same thing,” she told him in between kisses, her cheeks hurting from all the smiling she was doing. She felt like she was floating on a cloud, and she felt like she would never come down. She was in heaven as they stared at each other, love in the air.
“Were you?” He smiled down at her, an unreadable expression in his eyes. Lea wondered what he was thinking at that moment, but he pulled her back to him for another kiss, and she instantly forgot about everything that she was thinking.
He swept her off her feet in every single way, and just a look from him could make her legs feel like jelly. And he was in love with her. And she was in love with him. No matter how many times she told herself, she couldn’t seem to grasp how their relationship had changed in the last few minutes.
Suddenly, they felt something cold hit the air. Lea and Finn parted, looking at each other with confusion and fear. Something wasn’t right. They could feel it in their bones, in their soul. Their wolves instantly started howling inside of their beings, calling for them to be let out. But Lea and Finn didn’t know why. They didn’t understand why every single hair on their body was standing up, they didn’t know why chills racked their body, and they didn’t understand how their hearts could start beating so fast. Their senses were on alert, they knew something was wrong, but they knew that there was absolutely nothing in their vicinity.
There was no one in the house.
There was no one outside the house.
So, why were their senses so on edge? Why were their wolves begging to be let out? What exactly was going on?
And then, they heard Hann’s voice in their head. And they realized just what was happening; just what was at stake.
“There are rogues attacking from all sides of our territory,” Hann said in their head, using the mental communication they all shared. Lea and Finn’s eyes instantly widened in fear. “There are many of us that are already wounded. I am calling all shifters in this territory to come to the area of the forest in between the gym and the bar. We will all meet there, and we will all fight together. If you are wounded or in any way unable to fight with us, please hide and stay safe until I signal that all is over. And please, my friends . . . stay safe. I will help you as much as I can. We are all a family here.”
Finn and Lea looked at each other in fright as Hann’s voice faded into the distance, signaling that he was done speaking for now. For a few seconds, they just stood there, not knowing what to do or say. They never thought this would happen. They never thought that the fight
would come to them, quite literally, even though Kaiser and Gabriel had come through before.
This time, though . . . this time felt different. The air was cold and bitter, and the fear of what was to come was pressing down on their minds.
“I love you,” Lea said immediately, throwing her jacket off and beginning to strip. She wanted her clothes off as soon as possible so that she could shift and go join the others.
“Don’t talk like that,” Finn responded, shedding his clothes just like her. “I love you, too.”
They stood in front of each other, naked and unashamed. Finn pulled her to him for one last kiss before they both shifted and were out the door.
They ran together, in unison and united like never before. There was something different between them, and Lea felt like anyone they came across would fear from the power and love that they shared. Finn and Lea took off to the area that Hann signaled everyone to meet. Lea knew exactly what he was talking about. There was a clearing in the forest in between these two shifter hotspots, and she felt like it was going to be a battleground by the time they got to it.
Lea and Finn stayed close to the shadows and ran down the alleyways, as Lea lived in a very populated part of town where humans were rampant. They didn’t want to scare anyone or cause any more trouble than normal. That was the last thing that they needed.
Lea felt safe to know that no humans would accidentally stumble onto the battle. The area that Hann was talking about was so deep into the forest that the humans wouldn’t even hear the carnage that would take place. At most, they would hear howls from the wolves that they all knew roved around their forest–and then they would go about their night.
Also, Hann had made the forest ‘government’ property a long time ago, so anyone that went past certain points was trespassing. The small town normally regarded these signs as reasons to stay out, and no hunting was allowed in the forest, so Hann and the rest didn’t have to worry about getting shot. Every now and then, they had an incident, and they dealt with it accordingly. But, for the most part, these incidents consisted of rebellious youth thinking that they were big and bad because they trespassed on government property. Or the kids were looking for a place to hang out and drink underage without their parents knowing, to which the pack just ignored and made sure to steer clear of the area.
In what seemed like no time, Finn and Lea found themselves exiting the little town and getting closer to the forest that held destruction and death. Lea could smell the evil in there, and her wolf was torn. One part screamed to go in and help her pack mates and friends, while the other half screamed at her to run away and never enter those dense, dark woods.
As they neared closer to an opening in the big forest, Lea and Finn ran into Hazel, who ran up alongside Lea with fear in her eyes. Lea was glad she had found Hazel before the battle even began. She knew that she would be stressed, constantly looking over her shoulder to try and find her best friend, which would definitely weaken her fighting skills. With her best friend and the love of her life by her side, Lea felt more confident than ever going into the battle that could end her life.
And then Ethan joined, who sidled up and ran alongside Hazel. Lea couldn’t help but notice the way the two looked at each other, though she knew that neither would ever admit or say anything about their true feelings. Kind of like her and Finn were just a few hours ago.
As they finally entered the dense forest, Lea felt a sort of calm overcome her. No longer was she overcome with fear and images of her death. Of Finn’s death. Of Hazel’s death. Of her brothers’ deaths. No, now she felt more prepared than ever. The memories of all of her classes with Britta and Finn came rushing back to her, and she made sure to fuel energy into all of her senses so that she wasn’t caught off guard. She wouldn’t go into this battle blind. She would go into this battle prepared. Fearless. Courageous. A fighter.
And she would not fall to anyone. Especially someone seeking to destroy her, her family, and her pack. She would not falter, and she would not show any mercy. These were killers–murderers–plain and simple.
And she would show them what happened when they threatened her people. She would show them just what the Moonlight Maine Pack and all of their friends combined could do.
And then, those rogues would weep in fear and anger as they mourned their lost friends. Their lost battle. Their lost life. And Gabriel would rue the day when he thought that the Moonlight Pack was something he could control and wipe out. They weren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
And it was time these people recognized it.
Chapter 17
Gabriel was stretched out on a couch outside of the cabin in Utah, the chilly night air hitting his pale skin in a beautiful caress. He welcomed the snow that hit these high mountains in early spring, and as the snow drifted around him he thought of Maine.
He wondered how they were doing right about now before chuckling and smiling to himself, lifting his arms over his head so that he was cupping the back of his head as he closed his eyes.
While his friends in Maine–Michael included–dealt with this new issue, he was patiently awaiting his friends to show up to his new home. He could hear some entering through the front door as he thought about Maine, and he knew that one of the Elders would come outside and tell him that everything was ready. All were here. And all were waiting for their supreme leader to tell them what to do.
Gabriel knew that he would never be able to meet with the leaders of the movement, of the uprising, with Michael, Hann, and the other Elders watching. They would notice the shift in rogues, and they would question why they were all gathering in Utah. Just like they had questioned their gathering in Maine and Scotland a few months ago. No, this time Gabriel had to have a distraction as he met with his following. He had to make sure that they all were indisposed for the time being.
And if those rogues he sent to Maine could kill a few shifters in the process of distracting the leaders, then Gabriel was a happy camper. He hoped they could make some type of destruction, though they were lowly, weak rogues that were easily swayed. They might not kill anyone.
It was a sad thought to think of, but one that Gabriel knew was probably true. Especially because he heard that Maine and a lot of other packs were now training and teaching all shifters how to fight in both forms.
Gabriel sighed as he closed his eyes, resting for a moment in the cold, snowy air. He felt he’d played his cards too early with the rogues in Michigan those weeks ago. He shouldn’t have let Michael so close. He should’ve hidden how he found out how to make his rogues wound permanently with the magic poison he had made. Now, he knew Michael was trying to discover an antidote to that poison.
He hoped he wouldn’t. That would ruin all the fun for their final battle.
He could hear more and more of his rogues coming through the cabin’s front door, and he smiled as he could hear the growing number from downstairs. Yes, this would work. He would fill the rogues in with his ideas and plans, and then they would go back to wherever they came from before Michael and Hann were even finished with their little struggle up in Maine. The rogues would finally be on the same page after all this time in the dark, and Gabriel would finally set up a better communication system.
Gabriel was lying there, in the snow, with his eyes closed. And a huge smile on his face.
Yes, things were turning out okay for him now. And when an Elder came to tell him that his following was ready for him, Gabriel laughed and laughed and laughed.
Victory was near for him. Maybe it wouldn’t be successful with the rogues in Maine tonight. But they were just blood that needed to be shed. No, the real victory would be in Utah. And he was looking forward to it.
Chapter 18
Finn had multiple emotions running through him as he ran alongside Lea, with Hazel and Ethan running with them. He wanted to take Lea away from the forest. He didn’t want her to have to battle and fight against rogues who were trying to kill her. He wanted to protect her with eve
ry part of his being.
But he also knew that they all had to fight. They all had to stand together as one united front, regardless of what pack they were originally from. They were in this together. Because an attack on one shifter was an attack on all shifters. And at this point, they were all a family–whether they liked it or not.
Finn tried to get into communication with his own pack–Lorelei, Desmond, and Tatiana–but no one was answering him. He didn’t know if this was good or bad. They could just be doing something, not having the time to reply. Or . . . or they could be dead.
And Finn couldn’t think about that right now. If he started to think like that, he knew that he would break. And he couldn’t break until he knew that Lea was safe and okay, and preferably in his arms back at her place, away from all the murder and carnage.
The group continued to run with each other, and Finn could feel where the fighting was taking place. He could feel the blood, sweat, and fear. The anger. He knew that they would be on top of the mess soon, and he tried to brace himself for what was going to be in that clearing.
He prayed that everyone was okay. He needed everyone to be okay. And they needed to win this, for everyone in the shifter world. And to send a message to all the rogues out there who thought that they could attack any shifter. To Gabriel, who was continuously trying to bring destruction into the world that had rejected him and his close-minded, murderous ideas.
They needed to send a message that they were strong. And that they would win. They had to.
As they grew closer to the clearing, Finn felt some more shifters join the little group that had formed. One look to his right, and he saw three big, golden-brown wolves that looked as menacing and huge as the rogue that had attacked Lea a few days ago. But these weren’t rogues. They were Lea’s brothers.
Finn could see Lea loosen up for a slight second as she saw that all three of her brothers were intact and safe. Finn nodded at Owen, who nodded back at him in understanding. They, all four of them, would make sure that Lea wasn’t hurt. No matter what. Finn felt better with her three brothers with them, and for a second, he felt like maybe they would all be able to get out of this thing alive.
Moonlight Wolves Box Set Page 46
