“You’ll make a bear blush if you keep staring like that,” Finley drawled, and I jerked my gaze up to find dimples and a smirk. He reached out and caught my chin. “I didn’t say look away.”
“Couldn’t even if I wanted to,” I replied cockily, though the breathiness of my voice kind of gave away how overwhelmed I was.
He sucked in a quick inhale, before shaking his head and releasing me to slide on the clean jeans. I had to give myself a quick pep-talk about not jumping him, while Finley started the car and tossed his stained clothes in the back.
“Come on, Em,” he said, pulling out of the lot. “Let’s get you to your first family barbeque. Our pack wants to show you off to the whole family group.”
A hint of nerves broke through my dick-drunk brain. “What if they don’t like me? They all know I tried to run and rejected you guys. I’m assuming they don’t know the reasons why, so… in those circumstances I’d hate me too.”
At some point I started babbling, and only calmed when Finley reached out and took my hand. “If they don’t love you, then they’re fucking idiots. You are entirely loveable, Emmeline Anders. Every single part of you. Not to mention I’ll be front and center to remind them to mind their own business if needed.”
Just like that, my fears eased. It didn’t matter what anyone else thought of me, as long as the members of my pack knew the truth.
About halfway home, in the middle of explaining to Finley about all the cars that came through the garage growing up, I jolted in my seat. Hit with a jab in my bond to Kellan and Hunter.
“Something’s wrong?” I gasped when Finley swung toward me. I pressed my hand to Hunter’s bite, trying to figure out what it was.
The car picked up speed as Finley snarled. “I felt it too. You’ve got a stronger connection… Can you tell more specifically what’s happening?”
My mouth went dry as nausea swirled my stomach. “I don’t… They’re not in pain, but it feels like they’re in trouble. Hurry, Fin. Hurry.”
He flew through the streets, and when we reached the tangled mess of the security gates, I felt the blood drain from my face. This was just like my first almost kidnapping.
Please let them be okay. Please.
“What the fuck is going on?” Finley’s gaze scouted the landscape, and there was no sign of the guards.
“They’re down near our house,” I bit out, grabbing his arm to urge him on. “There’s magic all over the area. Can you feel it?”
His focus snapped to the street, as he peered through the windshield. “I don’t want to take you down there,” he said, his voice filled with bear rumbles. “It’s too dangerous.”
“Our pack is down there,” I yelled, too panicked to do anything else. “I have to be there, and we need to move now.Please.”
His expression torn, he finally slammed his foot on the accelerator, the powerful engine shooting us forward toward our pack. And whatever was waiting for us at the end of this street.
CHAPTER 57
EMME
The roar of the engine was loud, but it didn’t drown out the sound of my own thundering heartbeat. There was no sign of Slade’s dragon in the air, which hopefully meant this wasn’t a worst-case-scenario situation. The discomfort through the bond was mild, but I couldn’t stop rubbing my hand over my bites as I silently urged Finley to hurry. Even though he was already foot to the floor.
Further along the street, shifters came into view, gathered in a huge group. Finley hit the button to open his window, and his scowl deepened as he sniffed the air. “You’re right, it’s magic,” he bit out. “Fuck.”
My wolf lurched forward, but I managed to block her before she forced a shift. In her form, I was better at fighting and had some resistance to magic, but I didn’t want to change yet.
Not until we assessed the situation. Though I did wish I had a weapon.
“I need my blades,” I said, hands flexing in my lap. “I know I’m still learning, but they’re infused with metals and stones that help deflect magic.”
“There’s no time,” Finley said shortly. “If Slade’s dragon isn’t loose, then they’re holding them with a spell. We have to get to our pack.”
He slammed on the brakes when we were a dozen feet from the motionless group of shifters, most of whom had their backs to us. We were out of the car in seconds, and while there were at least thirty shifters in my line of sight, I couldn’t see my pack.
But I felt them out there.
With a growl, Finley shifted into his bear, the force of the change shredding through the clean jeans he’d just put on. I waited for him to approach, and when he was at my side, his bear paw wrapped around my shoulders.
“I won’t run off,” I promised, easily understanding his beast. “Let’s find our guys.”
