Page 49

EMME

B efore Finley even had a chance to process what I’d done, I tore myself away and sucked in a deep, ragged breath. Even as my instincts— wolf —pushed me to close the distance once more. Stop it , I growled at my beast, and she just shook her head as if to say, That wasn’t me .

The shock on Finley’s face was almost my undoing, and I frantically searched for a way to repair the damage I’d created with that stupid, stupid , move. “I am so damn sorry,” I forced out through my tight throat. “That was… I just… there was so much happening and I temporarily lost my mind.”

Holy fuck . I was acting like a fumbling teen who had never been kissed. I would be so fucking mad at myself if I’d just derailed the progress Finley was making.

He still hadn’t moved, his eyes blazing as he stared at me. Shadows danced in the whiskey depths, darkening the color to a burnt gold, and I braced myself for his response.

“I’m sorry,” I repeated, my voice breaking.

He lurched forward, both hands cupping my face as he held me in a stare so desperate and needy that it sent my heart into palpitations. “I’ve waited so damn long,” he breathed, and then his mouth was on mine, and terrible idea or not, I kissed him back.

He tasted like sorrow and pain and forever .

I was consumed by his sweetness, and I wasn’t surprised to find his kiss was almost as dominant as Hunter’s. He took full control of the pace, as his tongue slid between my parted lips. “I’ve waited so fucking long to taste you,” he repeated. “A fucking lifetime.”

A million lifetimes.

I’d craved Finley—and the rest of my pack—for what felt like an eternity. I might have denied it when I’d run, but deep in my soul and essence, this was all I ever wanted.

The sound of a door closing registered in the back of my mind, and I’d completely forgotten that the therapist was in the room with us. A therapist who knew exactly when to leave the safe space she’d created. Finley and I were a scent match, and as a shifter, she understood the bond.

Finley slowly released my face, but his lips remained close to mine, as his hands traced down my spine. When he curved them over my butt, he flexed and hauled me into his lap. The sudden change in position had reality crashing into me, and I stiffened in his hold.

He stilled just as quickly, and angled his head to take in my expression, as our breaths mingled in harsh huffs.

Longing and need raged through me when he rumbled softly. “Too soon?”

Yes . No. Maybe .

“I don’t know,” I finally admitted.

With a sigh, he dropped his forehead against mine. “I won’t stop working toward earning your trust and love, Emme. I promise. There’s no rush.”

For the first time, I believed him. “I have a whole bunch of hope for us simmering in my gut, Finley Thornton.”

He crushed me into his chest, and the choked sound that burst from me was guttural.

He hugged like a bear, surrounding me completely, as he forced out everything I was keeping contained. My hands clawed against his chest, as if to push him away, but instead I found myself clutching his shirt like my life depended on it.

“I’ve got you, darlin’,” he whispered against the side of my throat as he breathed me in. “I won’t ever let go again. And I never break my fucking promises.”

Sobs rattled in my chest, and my center cracked under the pressure of his overwhelming and consuming hug.

“Neither of us had enough hugs in our life,” he continued in that low, soothing bear rumble. “But I will make up for that for the rest of your existence. I will hug you every damn second of every damn day until you know how precious you are.”

My eyes burned, and squeezing them together did nothing to stem the hot fall of tears down my cheeks. His shirt absorbed the moisture, and I wasn’t sure he knew how affected I was.

“I needed this,” he whispered, a tone of reverence lingering in those words. “I need you.”

A scream built in my chest, and I wanted to hide from this intense overreaction to a simple hug. But Finley wouldn’t let me. “Let it out, darlin’,” he murmured against my skin. “This room is soundproof. There’s no one to know but me, and I will take it to my grave.”

The pain swelling inside me built until it couldn’t be contained. I pressed my face harder against him and howled into his chest. I’d always known that it was this shifter, out of all of them, who’d bring about my greatest emotional destruction.

Finley never let go, not until the constriction in my chest eased, and when I finally found a semblance of calm, I realized he was rocking me back and forth. The gentle, soothing motion helped to restore my equilibrium.

“I think we might have overstayed your appointment time,” I rasped, my throat sore from the release. I felt utterly depleted, but also emotionally lighter than before we walked in here.

His deep chuckle reverberating through his chest added another soothing sensation to the rocking. “The doc has multiple offices. She’ll be fine.”

When I found the strength to lift my head, I stared into his eyes, and caught sight of a few tracks of moisture on his cheek.

“Thank you,” he said, brushing back my hair as his expression softened. “I’m fairly sure that moment with you was worth at least a year of therapy all on its own.”

I nodded as my lips trembled; our chasm now barely more than a deep hole. “Yeah, for me too.”

His hands went around my hips as he stood with me in his arms, and I relished the last few seconds of being held by him, until he placed me gently on my feet. “Come on, Em,” he said, sounding lighter too. “Let’s get you home.”

Katya wore her warm smile as we entered the reception area. “See you next time, Alpha Finley,” she called. “It was lovely to meet you, Omega Emmeline.”

“Lovely to meet you too,” I called back. Finley gave her a respectful nod while holding the door open for me.

When we reached the car, I handed Finley the key, knowing I was far too unsettled to be controlling a powerful vehicle. He opened my door, and though we no longer touched, my awareness of him remained sky high. I felt him even without touch.

By the time the car thrummed to life, I was somewhat under control.

“I’m proud of you,” I said, as he pulled out into traffic.

He shot me another one of those slightly broken smiles.

“I know you haven’t heard that much in your life, but you did fucking good, Grouchy Bear.

You’re loyal to those you care about. You play hockey like a dream, and bring old cars back to life, and throw down for your family.

I know you weren’t taught any of that from your parents, which means you did it all on your own. ”

He didn’t have Hunter’s ability to take his eyes from the road for an hour and not crash, but he did look back and forth a lot, as if attempting to unravel a hidden meaning behind my words.

“I was just surviving,” he finally said, shrugging it off. “Until my pack came along. I owe them for a lot of what I have in my life.”

“It was a team effort, but I understand what you’re saying.” It was my turn to shrug. “Not that I have much to brag about, but I did okay as a waitress with limited reading skills and a semi-decent driving ability?—”

“Not to mention the best fucking pastry chef.” Finley growled. “You’ve got a lot to brag about, Emmeline Anders. You’re a survivor. You have strength that most would hope to possess. I wouldn’t choose a different mate, not even if the goddess lined up every single female shifter in the world.”

That statement was powerful, and it went a long way in reassuring me that he wasn’t just making an effort because there was no other choice.

“I’m not ashamed of who I am,” I told him. “I did what I needed to survive. Though…” I pulled a face. “…would it have been too much to ask that the rest of you weren’t like the top fucking tier of alphas.”

Finley flashed me dimples and a semi-smug grin. “If we’re exceptional, then you have to admit you are as well. You’d never be a scent match otherwise.”

I snorted. “Maybe the goddess knew that no one else could handle your arrogant asses and massive egos.”

That kicked his smile up another notch. “You know that none of us care about success in the way of making money or having fancy titles. We care about loyalty and passion and showing up for each other. In that regard, you’re more than our equal.”

And now I was dead.

“We might have to switch your group chat name back to Care Bear,” I murmured, only half kidding.

Finley closed his eyes briefly, before he shrugged. “You know what, if it comes from you, then I’ll accept it. But if Kellan does it, I’ll be forced to hurt him.”

Kellan got threatened almost every time he was in the group chat, so I doubted Finley’s words would deter him.

Our conversation switched to hockey for the rest of the journey, and we arrived home to find everyone waiting for us in the dining room.

When I settled into my chair beside Hunter, I was filled with contentment from my bonds.

Today with Finley had been a positive step forward in healing our quintet, and it had already seeped through to the others.

Kellan leaned over to press a kiss to my lips, his nose gently grazing my cheek as he breathed me in. “I can feel your happiness, pretty mate,” he said. “Next time, I’ll be the one taking you on a date.”

Finley, who hadn’t reached his chair yet, rolled his eyes at his brother. “It was therapy, you fucking moron. Our pretty mate will know when we go on a date, don’t you worry.”

My insides tightened as my stomach flip-flopped and my wolf howled.

Kellan gawked at Finley, his mouth open, while Hunter and Slade leaned back in their chairs, the former wearing a satisfied stare as he swirled his whiskey and murmured, “All in its own time.”

For the first time, I believed that our entitled alpha had known how this would work out all along.

No wonder he was such a smug bastard.