It was about ten minutes later when Senan looked up from his phone screen when he heard a rustling in the bushes across from the clearing where he was sitting.
A long nose peeked out and then a wolf appeared.
At first glance, Senan thought it was Finlay.
But his magic, which always seemed to be a better judge of things than his eyes, quickly identified that the wolf wasn’t his mate, in which case there was a good chance the wolf he was looking at was Alpha Morgan.
The strange wolf had similar coloring to Finlay, but as Senan looked more closely, he could see that the new wolf had a patch of brown on his chest, whereas Finlay’s was more on his shoulders, and Finlay had a gray tuft of hair on his forehead, which the strange wolf didn’t have.
The wolf didn’t have the same bulk as Finlay had and might have been an inch shorter at the shoulder.
This has to be Morgan. Any other shifter would’ve just carried on by and not even let me see them.
Deciding he really didn’t want to talk to Morgan or any wolf except Finlay, Senan just ignored the animal, who had now made his way into the clearing.
He knew enough about shifter culture to know that he was in no danger from the strange wolf.
The animal trying to stare him down wasn’t a natural creature, he was definitely a shifter.
Senan’s magic picked up the buzz of the magic a shifter used to enable his shift, and besides, the eyes had too much awareness to belong to a frightened, curious, or attacking animal.
This wolf was looking at him as though he knew who Senan was.
Shifters were bound by shifter law and could absolutely not attack any person on two legs, or even another shifter unless there was a clear and obvious threat involved.
Senan wasn’t on pack territory – he knew darn well Finlay wouldn’t have led him onto pack grounds.
No one owned the patch of grass with its dead log he was sitting on, meaning Senan was well within his rights to sit there.
That meant Senan could ignore the wolf as much as he was ignoring the squirrel who was chattering two trees over. The squirrel was probably worried Senan was going after his nut stash. He looked back down at his screen and carried on reading. He was enjoying the story.
Senan heard a deep rumble after just a few moments.
It would seem the wolf, much like Alpha Morgan, didn’t like being ignored.
Senan checked on his magic levels. He’d been doing really well since Finlay had come into his life.
He was still bubbling from the night before, despite having maintained his glamor for more than four hours.
Without bothering to look at the wolf, Senan warded his glamour, setting up a protective bubble around himself, roughly a foot away from his skin. Finlay would be able to touch him through it because they were mates. Morgan, or any other shifter could not.
The wolf was getting closer, and either he had a facial tick, or he was trying out different expressions as if hoping one might work.
First there was the intimidating stance – ears back, teeth showing – nothing like the wolfy grin Finlay had.
That was the face of a wolf who was saying “Hey, this is my land, and you have no right to be here.”
Senan knew that he did, so he just ignored him.
Coming closer still, just two small steps at a time, the wolf’s expression changed. This time he had his head slightly tilted, although he was still watching Senan intently. Is this your curiosity era? Senan had no idea and didn’t want to know.
Although… it was getting really difficult for Senan not to say anything.
Thinking logically, meeting up with Morgan – assuming that was who the wolf was – was inevitable.
He was now mated to the man’s brother and while Senan wasn’t sure why the Fates thought that was a good idea, the claim was done.
He just didn’t want to be dealing with Morgan, or any other wolf for that matter, on the first day after he’d been claimed.
It might be time for you to make a heroic appearance, Fin, Senan thought, although as fast as he thought it, he hoped that wouldn’t be the case.
If Fin fought the wolf – brother or not – the outcome wasn’t likely to be good for them as a mated couple.
There was no way Senan wanted to deal with the Shifter Council again if he could help it.
I’ll just keep reading and with luck, the nuisance will go away.
Of course, because he was being a nuisance, the wolf didn’t go away.
No, the damn wolf shifted, and all Senan could think when he saw Morgan in the flesh, was that his mind had played tricks on him – now he knew Finlay, he could see that Morgan only had a passing resemblance in terms of coloring and height to his mate.
Ho-hum. Much like he had at the bar all those years ago, Senan stayed where he was. He told Finlay he would sit on the log, and he would sit on the log until Finlay came by to collect him, or he decided he wanted to leave.
“I didn’t expect to see you in my part of the forest.” Alpha Morgan didn’t sound any less cocky than he did the night that Senan had met him.
“This is not pack land. Finlay made sure of that.” Senan said, not even looking at him although he bookmarked the page he was reading and closed the app. “I’m not in your territory. Leave me alone.”
“Where’s Finlay? He said you and he were fated. I’ve been calling and messaging him for a week and he’s not responding.”
“You’ve been texting and messaging him since last Friday night, and if he hasn’t responded then I’m guessing he doesn’t want to talk to you.
I don’t want to talk to you either. People have the right to decide that for themselves and expect to have that decision respected.
” Senan checked his notifications. Gabby was coming around and wanted to know if Finlay liked pizza.
He's a wolf shifter. I think they will eat almost anything.
But double the order. He hit send and noticed Morgan was glaring now, his fists clenched.
“There’s no point in standing there posturing. You’re a bald-faced liar and a coward in my opinion. I have the scars to prove it. I won’t waste my attention on anybody who would behave in such a dishonorable fashion as you did.”
“Is that what you told Finlay? Is that why my brother won’t have anything to do with me?”
“There you go again, rewriting history. Finlay walked away from you before he claimed me. I’ve got nothing to do with what you two get up to. My relationship is with Finlay, not with you.”
Had Finlay known Morgan would show up? If he had, surely he would’ve come sprinting to Senan’s side the moment Morgan shifted.
Or has he been waylaid by other wolves causing a diversion?
Senan strained his ears, but he couldn’t hear anyone fighting.
But then his hearing wasn’t as sharp as a shifter’s was.
We might have to leave town if this is going to become a habit every time Finlay wants to shift.
But even as he thought that he got angry all over again.
Senan had rebuilt his life, and he was happy.
Finlay was happy. Morgan was the only one who wasn’t happy, and Senan couldn’t give two fucks about that.
“Why won’t you talk to me?” Morgan demanded.
This time Senan looked up, meeting the man’s eyes without flinching. “I don’t fucking want to. Now piss off and leave me alone.”
Morgan seemed to collapse in on himself – his shoulders slumped, his fists unclenched, and Senan was sure the man’s expression was one of confusion.
He’d clearly gotten so used to being treated as the Alpha, as somebody that everybody else bowed down to, he really didn’t know what to do when somebody challenged him on anything.
And Senan wasn’t even challenging him. He was speaking his truth.
Something he should have done four years ago.
Something he thought he had done four years ago.
But something he was perfectly capable of doing now.
They weren’t in a public space. There was no danger of anybody else getting hurt.
He would protect himself if he had to, but Senan was damned sure that Alpha Morgan would never get the chance to hurt him again.
“You… You…” Morgan was reduced to spluttering. “My brother is my heir. He has to talk to me.”
“Your brother was your heir.” Senan still didn’t look away, and he could actually see the point where Morgan was struggling to hold his eyes.
Maybe it was the scar on his face, which, in his human glamour looked very thin.
But it was still there, or maybe it was because Morgan knew what it looked like underneath.
It could be that Morgan wasn’t used to anybody meeting his eyes in the first place, meeting him as an equal.
And for the first time since he’d gotten his scar, that’s how Senan felt.
I’m not afraid of him anymore. Standing up, Senan made sure his wards were in place while he dropped his glamour.
His wings, thank goodness, stayed against his back the way they should, but Senan could see from Morgan’s eyes that the passing of time had lessened his memory, too.
He blinked away his shirt and, with a single finger, traced the line of his jagged scar from the corner of his eye, down his cheek, underneath his lips, and then a full slash from the edge of his neck to his underarm. Morgan seemed hypnotized by the motion.
“You marked me,” Senan said quietly. “I am forbidden, under the clauses in the punishment you insisted on, to heal myself. I will wear these scars until the end of my existence, because of your lies. I lost my home and family. I lost my position in my realm and my status as a member of the Fae Court. But I’m still standing.
“Hear my vow, Alpha Morgan. I will not engage with you in any way, shape, or form, for any reason until my scars heal and are no longer visible.”
“But you just said you can’t…”
Senan nodded. “That’s right. I can’t.” He moved his finger, tapping his newly formed mating scar left by Finlay on his neck the night before.
Morgan’s eyes widened. “Your brother marked me, too. Because of this scar, your brother won’t have anything to do with you again, either.
You brought this on yourself, Alpha Morgan.
You’ll have to live with it, the same as I had to. ”
And then, because he wanted to and he could, Senan translocated himself back to Finlay’s car.
His wolf would find him. He had no doubt about that.
If Morgan tracked him there, then Senan could just close and lock the doors and windows.
He could easily ignore him from there as well, and the car seats were more comfortable than a log.
/~/~/~/~/
Senan hadn’t even finished another chapter of his book when Finlay came sprinting out of the trees, naked, heading for the car.
Swiping his clothes, still on the hood, Finlay barely managed to get his pants on, before he was yanking open the driver’s door, cursing and swearing as he slumped in the seat.
“Those fucking bastards…those no-good fleabag, simpering sycophants, pieces of shit!” He had dirt on his cheek, his hair was all over the place, and the beginnings of what looked like a bruise on his rib cage.
“Did you have a nice meeting with some of your pack bros, mate of mine?” Senan put his phone back in his pocket.
Finlay whirled around in his seat, his elbows resting on his seat back and the steering wheel.
“They were a diversion, a fucking diversion. I didn’t know Morgan could be such a fucking asshole.
I smelled him in the clearing, where I left you.
He could’ve hurt you and I couldn’t get back to you. Are you sure you’re all right?”
Ah. Senan had been right. Morgan wasn’t stupid, just devious. “I’m fine. Really good actually. Did you kill anyone?”
“No!”
“Well done. We don’t want any issues with the Shifter Council so soon into our mating.
I’m proud of you.” Leaning across the center console, Senan stretched his torso, placing his lips on Finlay’s angry ones.
Pressing just hard enough to make an impact, Senan sat back in his seat and sighed.
“Gabby is bringing us pizza for dinner. I told her to double our typical order. I hope you like Maximus Khan movies.”
“That’s all you have to say?” Finlay was stroking over his lip where Senan had kissed him.
“Yep. I told Morgan I wouldn’t talk to him again until my scars had healed. I also mentioned that you wouldn’t have anything to do with him until that time either. Sound good?”
Finlay was clearly stunned. “But your scars… Ah. Yes. Brilliant.” His harried face broke into a smile. “I would’ve told him the same thing if I’d thought about it.”
“Perfect. So now we need to get home, mate of mine. If we get back soon enough, we’ll have time to shower together before Gabby comes around for dinner. You’re decidedly grubby.”
Finlay wasn’t a silly man either. Senan smiled and closed his eyes as the car sped back to town. He thought he could hear a wolf howling as they left, but as Finlay didn’t say anything about it, neither did he.