His expression didn’t soften. “An old Ford. I’m sure you’re not interested.”
Well, well, Grouchy Bear, you prickly bastard, you could not be more wrong.
“What year?”
The twist of his smile twisted my insides as well, for no good reason. “Why don’t you tell me? I mean, if you have a genuine interest in cars, you should have an idea.”
Oh great. It was a test. “Sure, lead the way.”
I waved my hand like I was a queen and he was my minion, but for once he didn’t call me out on my bratty,Ice Queenbehavior. His boots clanked on the floor as we passed a few rows of modern trucks and American muscle cars, leading me toward a section that was clearly designed for mechanic work. I noted the hoists and walls of tools, along with a bunch of computer equipment I wasn’t familiar with. A lot of the gear in here was more modern and expensive than the old garage I’d spent years in, but the feel and scent remained timeless.
Oil, fuel, leather, metal, and cleaning fluids.
Finley led me toward a huge, faded red truck with the hood up. “Oh, shittt,” I said, rushing forward to run my hands just above the bumper. “Ford F-100, right? And the year has got to be…” There were a few years with this shape, so I took a guess. “1956?”
There was no response, and when I turned to meet Finley’s gaze, he stared at me like he’d never seen me before. “Fifty-four,” he murmured. “How in the fuck…?”
It felt nice to surprise him, and not in the way I usually did. “Does it have the 317 in it?”
He nodded slowly, eyes wider than usual as he fiddled with his hat. “Yep, the 317, and she’s giving me some grief. I’ve been trying to keep her original, but the parts aren’t the easiest to come by.”
Unable to help myself, I stepped closer, peering into the engine bay. “I’m here to help if you ever need anything. I’m no expert, but I know my way around basic tools, and can assist.”
The moment the offer left my mouth, I regretted it. Had I lost my mind along with my omega energy when I bonded to Kellan? This was Finley, and he hated me.
I’d hazard a guess that he enjoyed fixing cars in a similar way to how he enjoyed hockey. A cathartic release from his darker thoughts and memories. I recognized the signs because I’d had them myself, though mine came from baking, riding my bike, and sneaking audio books when I could afford them.
No doubt my presence in his space would have the opposite effect of the escape he’d been searching for.
Before he could reply with his usual mean rejection, I spluttered, “Sorry. That was stupid of me. Good luck with the engine.”
I spun on my bare foot and raced back through the cars and up the stairs.
CHAPTER 30
EMME
My head remained a fuzzy mess of confusion and self-recrimination as I made my way through the house. What the hell had I been thinking? Why had I even stuck around when I figured out who was in the garage?
I should have run the moment I scented him.
Fuck, it was probably half his scent’s fault, the connection between us pushing our beasts to be together, while blurring the memories of him being a raging prick with anger issues.
Despitezero regretswith Kellan, I wasn’t prepared to bond with the rest of them unless necessary. At least not until I better understood the consequences of Kellan’s claim, and whether he showed any signs of being corrupted by the energy.
I could feel tendrils of his calm, sleeping mind as I reached the foyer, and I found myself once again pressing my hand to the bite on my neck. The urge to return to him was strong, but I fought against it, needing food first.
I did end up taking a side quest to my room to put sweatpants on, and when I entered the calm of my space, I exhaled out my tension from Finley. There was a nice distraction in the form of a small pile of glossy magazines on the end of my bed, right where the basket of period supplies had been.Another gift?
The cover on top was a familiar publication even though I hadn’t seen a copy ofMuscle Cars Monthlyin years.There was alsoBike Talk,Supercars of the future,Rebuilt,and a few other Ducati-specific ones.
There was no scent attached, leaving me with no idea who’d been thoughtful enough to leave them here. Clutching them tightly to my chest, I tried not to let more tears spill free—I was a walking water factory at this point. But could anyone blame me when I had a pack of alphas out heredoing the things?
Leaving the magazines on the end of the bed to read later, I threw on panties, black sweats, and socks to finish off the outfit. On my way out, I opened the windows to check out the day, relieved to see the sun shining over a perfect fall morning. It was peaceful at first, staring into the leaves that were almost all gold and orange, but after a few minutes there was this odd sensation of being watched. I'd felt a similar tingle down my spine when Hunter had been stalking me at Warrick’s home, but this was different.
This was no one in my pack.
With a yank on the shutters, I blocked it out, which dulled the sensation. I was probably still jumpy from everything that had happened over the past week, and as I’d told Finley, it wasn’t easy for anyone to get inside this property without alerting one of the alphas. Especially Slade, who was our guard dragon and security expert.
