Page 19

fifteen

. . .

Finn

I n the car, Mia stares at her phone, her fingers tapping nervously against the screen. I can tell she’s worried about facing Justin again, especially since her sweet honey scent is turning bitter with anxiety.

“What’s going on?” I ask, keeping my voice deliberately gentle. The last thing I want is to startle her when she’s already on edge.

She bites her lower lip, a habit I’ve noticed when she’s nervous. It makes me want to soothe that tender flesh with my tongue, but I keep my eyes fixed on the road ahead.

“Justin left a voicemail,” she whispers, her voice small and uncertain. “He’s angry I didn’t come home last night.”

My jaw clenches at the mention of his name. The thought of that worthless piece of shit having any claim on her makes my blood boil.

“Delete it,” I say, harsher than I intended. I soften my tone immediately when I see her flinch. “You don’t need to listen to anything he has to say.”

“Okay,” she whispers, but doesn’t make a move to delete it. She wrings her hands in her lap, twisting her fingers together until her knuckles turn white.

The closer we get to her apartment, the more her anxiety fills the car. Her honey scent becomes almost acrid with fear, making my wolf howl in protest. My hands tighten on the steering wheel until I hear the leather creak under my grip.

“I’ll be with you the entire time,” I tell her, needing to reassure both her and myself. “Justin isn’t going anywhere near you. It’s never going to happen with me there.”

She looks over at me, those beautiful hazel eyes wide with uncertainty.

“I think it might be better if I go alone,” she says.

“Absolutely not,” I growl, and she looks mildly startled. “I’m not letting you face him by yourself, Mia. That’s non-negotiable. But why him? And why did you stay with him for so long?”

The morning sun catches in her chestnut hair, highlighting strands of gold that make my fingers itch to run through them. She’s quiet for so long that I think she might not answer, but then she sighs defeatedly, making my chest ache for her.

“I just wanted to get away,” she finally says. “My adoptive parents were... strict. Controlling. Justin was just a way out at first.”

“Do you know your birth family?”

She pauses, picking at a loose thread on her sweater. “I never knew my real family. They gave me up when I was a baby.”

The ache in her voice slices through me. My omega, abandoned and alone for so long. My hands flex on the wheel, imagining how different her life could have been if I’d found her sooner.

“By the time I realized what Justin was really like, I didn’t know how to leave,” she continues. “I didn’t have anywhere to go.”

Her voice breaks on the last word, and then she’s sobbing into a napkin she grabbed from the glove compartment. Each gasping breath tears at something primal inside me.

“Shh, it’s okay.”

“I’m sorry,” she chokes out between sobs. “I don’t know why I’m crying when he’s been nothing but horrible to me.”

It would be so easy to tell her now.

To explain that she’s an omega, that she belongs with me, Jace, and Kane. That she’ll never be alone again because she has a pack now- alphas who would tear the world apart to keep her safe. That we’re waiting for the marking ritual to make her ours forever.

I reach over and place my hand on her thigh, squeezing gently. Her skin is warm through the thin fabric of her leggings, and the contact sends a spark of possessiveness through me.

“Don’t apologize,” I tell her firmly. “Not for anything.”

She sniffles, lowering the napkin to look at me with eyes still swimming with tears.

I park the car in front of her apartment building, a run-down complex that makes my lip curl in disgust. My omega deserves so much better than this place. I turn to look at her fully for the first time since we got in the car.

She’s so beautiful it hurts, even with reddened eyes and tear-stained cheeks.

The bond I already feel to her tugs painfully in my chest. This broken omega in my car is mine to protect, mine to heal, mine to cherish.

The thought of what that bastard has done to dim her light makes me want to tear his throat out with my teeth.

“Are you ready?” I ask, even though I’d rather take her far away from here and never look back.

She nods, wiping away the last of her tears with a crumpled napkin. She doesn’t protest when I get out and come around to open her door. As I walk beside her to the apartment, we’re close enough that our arms brush with each step.

When we reach her door, she hesitates. “Maybe you should wait out here.”

“Not a chance,” I reply, shaking my head.

She takes a deep breath, unlocks the door, and steps inside, with me right behind her. The apartment is a mess, with empty beer cans, food containers, and dirty clothes scattered everywhere. The stench of unwashed male and stale beer makes my nose wrinkle in disgust.

Justin is sprawled on the couch, controller in hand, staring at the TV screen. He doesn’t even look up when the door opens. He doesn’t see me standing behind Mia.

“About fucking time you got home Mia,” he snaps. “Did you bring any food? And who the fuck did you spend the night with?”

Before Mia can respond, a growl rips from my throat. Justin’s head jerks up, and his eyes widen when he sees me in his home.

“She’s never bringing you anymore fucking food,” I snarl, stepping forward to position myself in front of her. “She’s leaving, and this is the last time she’ll ever see your pathetic face.”

Justin slowly sets down his controller, fear evident in the air despite the anger twisting his bruised features. “What the fuck is this? Mia, who is this asshole?”

I can feel Mia trembling beside me, but she straightens her spine and looks him in the eye. “I’m moving out, Justin. It’s over.”

“Grab your things,” I tell her, not taking my eyes off Justin. “Take what you need. I’ll handle this.”

She hesitates for just a moment before heading to the bedroom. The second she’s out of sight, I advance on Justin, who shrinks back into the couch. Every nerve in my body screams at me to rip him apart, to make him bleed for every tear he’s caused Mia to shed.

“You think you can just walk in here and steal my girlfriend?” he starts, but I cut him off.

“Shut your fucking mouth,” I say, my voice deadly quiet. “The only reason you’re still breathing is because I don’t want her to see your head rolling on the floor. It might upset her.”

Fear rolls off him in waves, and I drink it in, my wolf savoring the dominance of making this lesser male cower.

“What the fuck?” he whispers to himself, beginning to recognize me as one of the men from last night who beat the shit out of him.

“She’s mine now,” I tell him, leaning close enough that only he can hear me. “If you call her, if you text her, if you so much as think about her, I will end you. And I won’t be quick about it.”

He glares at me, hatred burning in his eyes, but he doesn’t dare speak. We both know who the alpha is here.

Mia returns a few minutes later with a single suitcase. She looks between us, clearly sensing the tension crackling in the air.

“I’ve got everything,” she says quietly, and I take the suitcase from her hand.

“Go wait in the car,” I tell her. “I’ll be right behind you.”

She doesn’t argue, probably eager to escape the charged atmosphere. Once I hear the front door close behind her, I turn back to Justin, who hasn’t moved from the couch.

“If you ever come near her again,” I say, each word sharp and precise. “I will fucking kill you. I mean it.”

He’s still glaring at me, anger and humiliation warring on his face, but he remains silent.

I don’t wait for a response, turning on my heel and walking out of the apartment without a backward glance. When I reach the car, Mia is already buckled in, staring straight ahead through the windshield.

Her honey scent is sweeter now, the sour notes of fear replaced with hope, maybe, or relief. I store her suitcase in the trunk and slide behind the wheel, ready to take my omega home where she belongs.

“You okay?” I ask, glancing at Mia as I pull away from the curb.

She exhales slowly, her shoulders dropping as if releasing a weight she’s carried for too long.

“Yeah, I think I am,” she says, her voice quiet but steadier than before. “I feel lighter. Like I can breathe again.”

I nod, keeping my eyes on the road while my senses remain attuned to her every movement and every subtle change in her scent. “Good.”

“But now I don’t have a place to live,” she admits, biting her plump lower lip again. “I didn’t exactly plan this out.”

My wolf stirs inside me, possessive and certain. Of course, she has a place to live with me. With us.

She’s our omega, and she belongs in our den, surrounded by our protection, our scent, our bodies. The thought of her in my bed, wrapped in my sheets, her honey scent permeating every fiber, makes my cock twitch against my thigh.

“Don’t worry about that,” I tell her, my voice rougher than intended. I clear my throat. “We have plenty of room at our place. You can stay as long as you need.”

She looks at me, her hazel eyes wide with confusion, but I also see a flicker of heat that her body recognizes, even if her mind doesn’t yet understand.

“I can’t impose like that…”

“It’s not,” I say, my tone making it clear this isn’t up for debate. My omega isn’t going to sleep anywhere but under my roof, where I can keep her safe. “You need time to figure things out. We have space.”

She falls silent, staring out the window as we drive. I can almost hear her mind working, trying to make sense of how quickly her life has changed.

“I need to go to the café,” she says after a while. “To give my notice.”

I nod and make a left turn toward the coffee shop where she works. “Here we are love.”

“Thanks,” she says thankfully, rubbing the cast on her wrist.