Chapter 255
Chapter 255
14 – Greta
I had never encountered anyone who looked at me quite like Finn did. His gaze was intense, almost ravenous, as if I were the last meal he’d ever have. It unsettled me in a way I couldn’t quite explain.
“Well, he’s a guy—a very, very attractive guy—and you’re a woman,” my wolf teased from inside my mind.
“Shut up,” I snapped at the voice. Then I paused, wondering aloud, “I wonder if he was telling the truth about not having any women catch his eye for a long time p>
My wolf chuckled, “Maybe he’s bi! I’ve always been curious about trying a threesome p>
I laughed, shaking my head at the absurdity. “You’re ridiculous. Besides, maybe the bond between him and Amy was different. She could sleep with anyone, and it didn’t seem to affect her. Maybe he’s the same way. He could be lying just to get some while he’s on this mission.” The thought left a bitter taste in my mouth.
“Nah, he was definitely eyeing you like you were a snack,” my wolf insisted.
“Greta!” Finn’s voice cut through our banter, halting the debate. I turned to see him standing about twenty yards away, shifting quickly. “You want to check this out or just run laps?” he whispered, raising an eyebrow.
My wolf rolled her eyes, and Finn laughed at us both. We jogged back to him, then shifted and quickly changed into shorts and tank tops. Not exactly season- appropriate, but if we needed to shift fast, comfort and mobility mattered more than warmth.
“What’s the plan?” I asked, already guessing the answer.
“Wing it,” he shrugged casually. “The only intel I have is that they come and go through that small opening,” he pointed toward a narrow gap in the terrain, “and I’m not picking up any scents from this direction. Let’s scale the hill, get as close as we can without being spotted, and figure it out from there.” Without waiting for a response, he turned and started walking, as if the plan was already set.
His lack of preparation made my skin crawl, but I couldn’t argue. We couldn’t mindlink, so yelling at him telepathically was out of the question. I had no choice but to follow. We found a spot close enough to catch muffled voices from the shack below, hidden by thick brush. We settled in quickly, crouching low.
“This is taking too long. We need to get him alone. What’s so hard about that?” The voice was sharp and familiar. I glanced at Finn, and we both recognized it immediately. What on earth was she doing here? We had plenty of resources-why couldn’t they follow simple instructions?
“He’s never alone! That’s the problem!” a rough voice snapped back. “You don’t want us seen taking him, but you also don’t want anyone else harmed trying to get to him. What the hell do you want us to do p>
Finn’s voice softened, “Finn never let her mate down.” The woman cooed. “He always got whatever Amy wanted. Why can’t you p>
“Not everything. He didn’t get the pack she wanted,” came the gruff reply. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ
“That’s because she got greedy. She already had a mate. All she needed was a pack, but she and her father wanted the biggest territory, and she wanted the biggest alpha. She should’ve stayed here and taken over Valley View like Finn wanted p>
“Yeah, well, Finn was captured and killed because of that bitch. So I’m not sure how much I value his opinion on things. Why don’t you go lure the baby alpha out if you want him so badly? Just know I’ll rip his throat out if he so much as touches you. That’s another thing our Alpha put up with that I won’t allow. My mate belongs only to me p>
“Of course not, baby. But I want a pack. Don’t you want a pack to call home? They were too weak to do that simple task. But you and I can p>
I glanced at Finn again. His eyes had hardened, dark and cold. He knew both of these people, and I had a sinking feeling the night ahead would be long and brutal. I wished I could ask him questions, help devise a plan, but we were too close to risk being discovered now. If they overpowered us, they’d likely try to use us to get to Ryker. Finn was in no condition to fight.
I tapped his shoulder gently. He shook his head, refusing to pull away from listening to their harsh words about him and his mate. He was a masochist in some ways. I needed to get him away, find a place to camp, help him clear his mind.
Scanning the area, I spotted a recessed hollow in the hill-possibly another cave we could use. I tugged on his arm again, and this time, his eyes were frightening. I had never seen this side of Finn before. The pain was etched deep, but there was no light left in them. It was as if he’d locked away the Finn I knew somewhere deep inside his mind. This was the lone warrior, hardened by years of survival, suspicious of everyone’s intentions.
I tugged again, silently telling him that no matter how terrifying he looked, I wouldn’t abandon him. He was part of our pack now, even if Ryker insisted on following strict protocols. Ryker trusted him enough to send him on this mission, to consider him family. Finn just hadn’t accepted that yet. He was waiting for me to walk away like everyone else had.
I tilted my head, pulling gently on his arm once more. This time he didn’t resist. He let me guide him up to the recessed area on the hill. As soon as we reached it, he pulled away and slumped against the grassy wall, exhaustion and pain etched across his face.