We drove for a few minutes in silence, which Finley of all shifters broke. “Why haven’t you asked about our relationship with the witch?”
As much I wished I could just ignore him, because this bastard always knew exactly where to poke to hit my sore spots,I couldn’t bring myself to stay quiet. Turning to meet his hooded gaze, I was briefly distracted by how much darker the bronze and gold irises looked against the white of his hoodie. “What do you mean?”
Finley shrugged, his tone remaining even and conversational. “Hunter wants to smash the kitchen appliances for getting too close to you, but you don’t even care about a strange, magical female who clearly is comfortable and familiar around us. You haven’t asked once, Ice Queen.”
His tone might have been light, but that nickname reiterated the fact that it was still another dig. It didn’t matter how much I’d changed since our first meeting; he would always point out which of my actions backed his anger toward me.
It felt like all the alphas waited for my response, a newly unfurled tension holding the interior of the car hostage. Too tired and heartsore to bother playing games today, I went with the truth: “Of course I’ve wondered about your relationship with the witch. She’s alluded more than once to avery familiarconnection in the past, and as far as I know, that could have been as recently as last month. I’m confident that none of the other alphas—except for you—have been with anyone else since I came into your lives. Which is the only part that matters to me now. I’m not a virgin either…” That statement set off a bunch of growls, and I was surprised to hear a rumble from Finley too. “But they were before you, and all humans. They meant absolutely nothing to me. What’s important is now, and how we treat each other.”
I met his gaze full on, feeling the burning stare of the other two as well.
“Names,” Hunter bit out. “What are their names?”
Don’t laugh. Don’t laugh.“You can’t kill humans for touching me,” I told him, still unwilling to look away from Finley. “It’s not worth it either.”
“We can kill whoever we want,” Slade growled, and fuck if that wasn’t the rumbliest he’d been in a while. “I’ll find them.”
This was bad, but I had come too far to turn back now. “How about you two focus on building a relationship with me and forget about the past. It’s done. We can’t go back. The future is the most important part.”
My brow started to sweat as I kept up the staring contest with Finley. If he didn’t tap out soon, I’d probably combust. Unfortunately, he appeared to be content to just stare into my soul.
Hunter and Slade grumbled for a few more seconds, and when I caught sight of Slade pulling out his phone from my peripherals, I really hoped the poor humans who’d stumbled into my life were hard to trace.
“I don’t have a right to care about your past,” I finally said, hoping to push Finley into a response. “We all have one, and frankly, mine is a shitshow. What would hurt me, and what would cause me to lose faith, was if you pursued a relationship now. While I was here in your lives.”
Like the night you came home smelling all gross and floral. Or the time you implied you were still single.
“That would be disrespectful when I’m doing my very best not to even touch another male shifter.” I side-eyed Hunter, unable to keep up the staredown with Finley any longer. “Or the toaster.”
The entitled alpha’s lips twitched, even as the rest of his expression remained hard and annoyed. My entire body sighed when he slid his hand across the console to wrap around my thigh, giving me a brief squeeze. My statements had gotten through to him, and he wasn’t quite so murderous.
Unable tonot look,I glanced at Finley to find his head hanging low, his hands clenched tightly in front of him. Someone needed to give this bear a hug, because I’d literallynever met anyone who needed one more. Along with a punch in the face.
“There’s been no one else since you showed up,” he said suddenly, shocking the crap out of me. “I implied there was to hurt you, but my bear is loyal to you, even though we both know you plan to leave us. It feels… selfish… to expect respect when you don’t intend to return the favor and abandon us.”
His words really shouldn’t bring the joy they did, and I pretended it wasn’t due to his admittance that he’d been faithful to our bond. “I promise not to just up and disappear on you all,” I said, which was the best I could offer. “If I need to leave, for my own safety or yours, I will tell you about it. I won’t just disappear like a thief in the night. I won’t show you that disrespect, because you all deserve more. I’ve grown to see that my initial actions were ill thought out and cruel, and I won’t—” My breath stuttered from me, and it took a few seconds to catch it again. “I’m grateful to have found you. You make me wish for a different future.”
Hunter lifted his hand and grasped mine, twining our fingers together. “Fuck the future you think is yours,” he growled. “Fate does not control us. We control ourselves and our future.”
Slade leaned forward to add, “And you’re going nowhere, Snow.”
Oh goddess. Was thata claimfrom the dragon himself?Or was he just annoyed that one of his possessions might choose to leave before he was ready to finish playing with it? One could never tell with Slade Riverson.
Finley’s energy was calmer as he settled back in his chair and stared out the window for the rest of the drive. Hunter never released my hand, even as he drove at insane speeds, weaving through the town and toward the forest.
When he parked, I didn’t get a chance to touch the handle before Slade was there, pulling the door open and letting in thechilly air. The scent of snow drifted in with the breeze, though none had fallen yet. We were well into November, and I expected winter pack runs would start taking place sooner rather than later.
Warrick’s car slid in next to the Bentley, and the mated pair jumped out. “Cores, you need to wait for me to open your door,” Warrick huffed, and Cora laughed him off.
“Sorry, babe. I’m just so excited to have Emme here to run with us again. I haven’t been out since the last time we went. My wolf is quite literally somersaulting inside me.”
Mine had also upped her game of swirling and twirling and scratching at my insides to get free. Slade crossed his bare arms, seemingly unaffected by the freezing winds cutting through the air. “Are you planning on shifting?” I asked, trying to figure out the logistics of a dragon on a pack run. Especially fitting through the tightly packed sections of the forest paths. Maybe he just knocked everything down and made it easier for all of us…
The green of his eyes appeared lighter out here, and I was surprised by his slight smile. “I can keep up in this form.” I’d just bet he could.
Cora and Warrick undressed where they stood, with Warrick’s bulk shielding her from the other alphas. Nudity might not bother shifters, but alphas were possessive of their mates no matter the circumstances. As I started to lift my sweater over my head, the cool air hitting my nicely warmed boobs, I found myself surrounded by my pack. They turned their backs to give me privacy, forming a circle around me. Hunter’s shoulder even touched Slade’s as they blocked me from view. None of them had said a word, moving in sync, like they bore a single mental thought.
My hands shook from more than the cold as I shucked my clothes, the frosty air biting until I shifted into my beast.
