Page 14

Finn

Dinner with Levi the next day was lowkey and fun, and we spent our meal either talking or in charged bits of silence.

The only hitch in the evening came when we were outside, walking down the street hand in hand.

We'd decided to take a walk since it was a nice, rain-free night, and because I hadn't wanted to leave Levi's company just yet.

We'd been walking for a few minutes when Levi gave my hand a squeeze, pulling my gaze to his.

"Are you ever going to tell me what kind of supe you are?"

I glanced away, and we fell into an awkward silence as I tried to figure out what to say.

I wasn't sure why I hadn't told him yet.

Maybe because I didn't want him to ask to see my other form?

I hadn't shifted in ages, and while my other side was not happy about it, my practice keeping it in check was holding, and I knew it wouldn't be able to force its way out .

There wasn't really anything wrong with what I was. I just didn't feel like that side of me was, well, me. It felt alien to me, always had, which was why I kept it at a distance.

"It's okay if you don't want to tell me. I just remember how we used to make guesses about what you were, so I was curious. Sorry if I was being pushy," Levi murmured, leaning into me as he pressed a kiss on my jaw.

Meeting his eyes again, I knew he wouldn't push anymore, and that if I kept it a secret for the rest of my life, he'd let me.

"I'm a basilisk," I found myself saying, and Levi's brows went up at my confession. He whistled softly, his eyes taking a faraway look.

"Wow, I didn't think they existed anymore. I'm guessing Penny and Dean are the same?"

I nodded, and he shook his head in wonder. "That's amazing, Finn. You're, like, one of the old ones."

"I'm younger than you," I reminded him mildly, and he chuckled.

I knew what he meant, though. While 'supes' or 'supernatural beings' was a blanket term for anyone who could possess or manipulate magic, there were nuances.

Some beings, like dragons, unicorns, phoenixes, dryads, griffins, gargoyles, and yes, basilisks, had been around for a long, long time, way before humans.

When humanity became the apex predator—as far as they knew—the older supes started taking human form to blend in, and the other supe species originated from that point, when supe species who wouldn't have intermingled otherwise came together in the new world.

That was how Raiden told the story anyway, and he and Alden were the oldest people around, and the most knowledgeable.

"I have no idea why you didn't want to tell me, but I'm glad you did," he said, shooting me a smile before turning his gaze forward.

I hesitated, then told him what had happened when I first found out about my powers. He listened intently, then squeezed me into a side-hug.

"Thank you for telling me that. I guess that explains the glasses."

I nodded. "I've been practicing for years, but I'm still afraid of what I could do if I lost control."

"I understand," Levi said, then pressed a kiss on my cheek, and we continued our walk in companionable silence.

We made another circuit of the block before coming to a stop at Levi's car, and he pulled me closer, his hands falling to my hips as he smiled at me.

"I had fun tonight. Talking to you is just as easy now as it used to be before. "

"I feel the same," I whispered, and his smile widened as he leaned closer.

"A kiss before we get into the car?"

I nodded quickly, and Levi covered my lips with his, his hand sliding up my back and into my hair as he pulled me in, our lips dancing against each other like we'd been doing this for a lifetime .

A wolf whistle from somewhere close by made me pull back, though Levi's hands stopped me from going too far away. I raised my head, only to find my eyes drawn to a familiar figure making his way toward us, two more familiar faces with him.

"Oh shit," I mumbled, and Levi straightened up, dropping his hands and taking one of mine in a firm grip instead.

"What is it?"

I sighed loudly, then did the introductions. "Levi, this is my uncle, Joy, and his mates, Quill and Tate. Guys, this is my mate, Levi."

Levi blinked rapidly as he switched gears from 'protect mate' to 'meet mate's family,' which I would've teased him about if I wasn't anxious about what would come out of Joy's mouth.

While Joy was Papa's biological brother, he was far more like Dad in temperament and personality.

Also in looks, to a point, with his blond hair and pale skin.

While Papa had taken after his Indian mom, Joy took after his American dad.

"Did you say your mate? Aren't you too young for that?" Without waiting for a reply, Joy turned to his mates, his light blue eyes twinkling with mirth. "Isn't he?"

Tate snorted while Quill rolled his eyes and patted Joy's cheek. A wolf shifter with the body to prove it, Quill was dressed in a lace top that showed off glimpses of his skin, and dark jeans with strategically placed tears. "You were younger than him when you found us, sweetie. Remember? "

Joy sighed, and finally turned to Levi, holding a hand out. "It's nice to meet you, Levi. Take good care of my favorite nephew."

"Yes, sir," Levi agreed, giving his hand a firm shake.

"You guys out for a date night?" I asked, and Joy nodded.

"It was Joy's turn to pick," Tate said, sounding none too happy about it as he slid his brown curls away from his face. He was a werewolf, and would pick staying home over going out any day. I would never tell the others, but he was my favorite uncle.

"Aww, you had fun, Tate. I know you did."

Tate huffed, but I could see his amusement in his strange purple eyes. When he'd first arrived in Mistvale, he'd been blind. But my dad wasn't the best healing mage in the world for nothing, and he'd figured out a way to give Tate his sight back.

"Okay, how about we get back to our night and leave these two to theirs, hmm?" Quill suggested, and I shot him a grateful look. He winked back at me, then took his mate's hands in his and started tugging them away.

"Night, Finn! Don't do anything I would do!" Joy turned around to shout, and I could feel my cheeks burning as we watched him go.

"You have an...interesting family," Levi said after a moment, and I groaned.

"Don't judge me. I didn't choose them. "

That made him laugh, and he pulled me into a hug. "I think they're awesome, and they clearly love you. I'm glad you ended up with them. You deserve all the love."

"You get them now too. We'll see how you feel after a year with them," I warned, and he chuckled, then pressed a kiss against the side of my neck.

"I can't wait."

Levi

I loved how easily Finn talked about our future.

Sometimes, I could sense him holding back—especially when the topic came to the past or his basilisk side—so it was comforting when he talked about our future like it was set in stone, like he knew without a doubt that we'd be together in a year.

"Maybe we should go to your place," Finn said as I started the car and pulled into the street, his hand falling to my thigh, just above the knee, and staying there.

"Yeah?"

Finn hummed, then slid his hand a little higher. "I don't want the night to end yet. Do you?"

"I don't. My place it is."

I drove through mostly empty streets—the benefits of a small town—and it started raining just as I parked in front of my place .

"Wow, it's a downpour," I said as the rain picked up speed, and Finn huffed.

"It's just Raiden being Raiden. Come on," Finn said, then stepped out of the car right into the rain. He tapped the glass when I didn't move, and I sighed before following suit.

"Holy fuck!" I gasped out as I was drenched in moments, and Finn laughed as he took my hand and raced up the path and onto my small porch.

We shook ourselves like dogs as I dug through my jacket pocket for my keys.

"I hope my phone survives that," I said just as Finn pulled his phone out of his pocket. His phone that was in a Ziplock bag.

"Oops," he mumbled as he glanced from his phone to me. "I've lost two phones to untimely rain, so I started doing this whenever I go out. You'll get the hang of it."

"After I've ruined a few phones, you mean? Or you could've just warned a guy."

Finn snorted. "I apologize. Try putting it in some rice. That works sometimes."

I nodded as I opened the door, and Finn stepped inside, but didn't go past the entrance.

"I don't want to get your floors wet," he explained when I raised a brow at him, and I smiled.

"Well, unless you're up for getting naked right here, one of us is going to have to go in to grab some towels, so it might as well.

.." I trailed off as my throat dried up at the sight of Finn's bare torso, glistening with a layer of water.

He'd started undressing even before I'd finished speaking, and soon stood before me in his underwear.

"Do you want me to grab you a towel?" he asked, breaking me out of my stupor, and I shook my head, then quickly divested myself of my clothes, enjoying the way Finn's eyes roamed over me.

Once I was done, I stashed our clothes in a pile to grab later, then took Finn's hand and led him to the bathroom.

As supes, it would usually be impossible to get sick from being cold, but with the whole 'constant bloodletting' in our younger days, our immunity wasn't quite as strong as a normal supe's.

At least, mine didn't tend to be, and since Finn had been younger than me, I imagined it was the same for him.

"Wanna grab a hot shower while I get you some clothes?" I asked, and Finn nodded as a tremor washed through him. I felt a little cold myself, so as he disappeared into the shower, I turned up the thermostat.

Greta appeared from wherever she'd been napping, and chirped happily when she spotted me.

"Hey, Finn's here too," I told her, and she hurried over to the shower before returning to me, as if confirming what I'd told her. "Wow, the trust is real." I shook my head, and she gave me a beady-eyed look.

Digging through my closet, I found some sweatpants with a drawstring, and a soft t-shirt. The pants would probably be a little short and loose, and the t-shirt a bit big, but I couldn't deny I was looking forward to seeing him in my clothes .

"Hey," Finn said, and I glanced up to find him standing in the bathroom doorway with nothing but a towel on. And his glasses, of course. He was never without them.

Oof, he was going to kill me.

"Hey, I got you some clothes," I said, waving at the bed, then grabbed a set for myself before hurrying into the bathroom. I couldn't help myself from giving Finn a kiss first, though, and I really had to fight myself to not take it further.

Once I was under the warm shower, I glared down at my half-hard cock and shook my head at it. I'd already told myself I'd let Finn set the pace with us because I'd been all-in from the beginning, and I knew Finn needed more time.

Finishing up quickly, I dried off and pulled on my clothes before returning to the bedroom, where Finn was sitting on the edge of my bed with Greta in his lap, who was smacking her lips, which meant she was happy and ready for a nap. On my mate's lap.

I wanted to nap on my mate's lap. But first I wanted to do other things there.

Shaking my head, I closed the bathroom door behind me and made my way to Finn.

He smiled when he saw me, then glanced down at his t-shirt.

"I can't help feeling this was an intentional choice. Was it?"

I gave the t-shirt a second look, unsure what he was referring to. It was a black t-shirt, and a little big on him, like I'd expected. Then I saw the graphic on it, and snorted .

"Not intentional, but I wish it had been," I said with a grin, making him roll his eyes.

It was one of my pun t-shirts, with a lemon on the front along with the text 'You're my main squeeze.'

"It suits you. You should keep it," I teased, making him laugh.

"I just might. I was planning to kiss you senseless, but I seem to be otherwise occupied," he said, his eyes sliding to his lap as he petted Greta's head.

I couldn't believe my familiar was cockblocking me. Wasn't she supposed to assist me? Why was she making my life harder?

"Hey, Greta. It's raining outside. Don't you wanna watch it from your window?"

Greta raised her head and peered at me through barely open eyes, then laid her head back down and did the lip-smacking thing again.

I sighed.