Finn giggled, digging his blunt fingers into my shirt as I sat down on the bed and shifted until my back was against the headboard and Finn was sitting on my lap.
This was good.
So good.
The emptiness in my chest, the black hole full of nothing but dread and worry, slowly shrank away, overshadowed by my mate’s warmth, his fingers combing through my hair, lightly scratching over my scalp in a way that sent shivers down my spine and through my whole body. By his weight on my thighs, his chest brushing against mine. His palms brushing over my cheeks and grabbing my jaw, tilting my face up. The warmth in his eyes and the gentleness of his smile as he leaned in and captured my lips in an oh-so-soft kiss.
I slowly let out a breath, my eyes falling shut as his flavor burst on my tongue.
Finn was here.
Finn was okay.
Everything was good.
“Are you… crying?” Finn asked, slowly pulling away a couple of inches.
I started to shake my head, but there was indeed moisture on my cheeks that I couldn’t explain otherwise.
“I…”
Didn’t have anything.
“What’s wrong?” Finn’s hands were still holding my face, and he wasn’t letting me off the hook. Didn’t let me look away. Even his eyes were holding mine prisoner. “Talk to me.”
“Like I said… I missed you.”
And I’m not sure I can take this uncertainty.
“I missed you too,” Finn said, his smile tender, cheeks red. “But I’m not crying about it. So what else is going on?”
I swallowed.
His eyes. His oh-so-warm brown eyes saw right through me. Right through the façade, boring into my very soul, making it not only impossible to lie but also to stay quiet.
“I don’t think I can take you leaving every day like this,” I whispered. “It’s… torture.” Was it my voice that was so scratchy, barely audible at all? My tears spilled over my cheeks.
Finn was here.
His scent surrounded me, his hands on my shoulders as he held me steady, his lips on my skin as he kissed away every single tear. They were hot, scorching me, melting away the last remnants of tension and worry.
“What do you need?” he asked, his breath fanning over my face.
“Mate me. Let me claim you, let me…”
“Yes.” His reply was a breathless whisper that I felt rather than heard. But it packed a punch, stealing away my breath.
I dug my fingers into the small of his back, needing to hold him right here, but also needing a moment to understand exactly what had happened.
Finn had agreed to mate.
I could claim him.
“Do you want to or not?” he asked, a teasing lilt to his voice, lips searching for mine. “Do it. Claim me. I’ve been waiting for you to ask.”
He’d been… fuck.
Fuuck.
