“Finn, we both know how each other will feel. I thought that was our goal in life, to end his?” Well, it always has been, but neither Saoirse nor I can kill him. Our binding won’t allow it, but someone else can like Sophia’s pack.

  “Finn, you’re so late to the party. It’s sad.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” I don’t care about the ball.

  “Finn. It’s already in the workings, her family will come for her.” I take a minute to understand what she’s getting at without her saying it out loud. Sophia’s pack will plan to attack, and they will choose the same day that Drake chose—the mating ceremony. Saoirse and I both will have to play each side, and she’s already working on her plans. She is right, I’m late.

  “Do you…” She gives me a look that says not to talk about it. We can’t, there are ears are everywhere in the damn castle.

  “How are you so clueless? Good night, brother!” She turns, waves at me over her head, and strolls off as if we weren’t just talking about taking out our father.

  I want Drake dead, and I want Saoirse’s and my freedom. I also want, no need, Sophia. Not just because she’s my mate but because of who I can become with her. She deserves so much better than the person I have been, I know that. Sophia was given to me by the universe, matched to me, she’s already fucking perfect. I’m gifted with her to me to make me a better person, to make me happy, and to have a purpose and a family. A proper family, not the bullshit family Drake calls our clan. He’s all about power and not taking care of his people.

  *********

  The next morning, I was up early, determined to find time to talk to Sophia alone. I need her to know that I’m not the prick with issues that I came across as. I need to work on getting to know her, not for Drake’s purposes, but mine. Our mate-bond.

  “Finn, you’re up early. Perfect!” Shit, Drake is already up. I was hoping to avoid him. I want to ignore him as much as possible.

  “I promised Sophia a day outside today, so she can shift and run. You should take her out with Katrina. She will have to keep her communication block up, I can’t have her contacting her pack.” Drake smirks at me as he says this. No, he can’t have her off her leash because, like any sane person, she’d run as soon as she was able.

  “Why would I take her out?” I need him to think I have no interest in her, not that I’m excited to see her wolf and spend time with her. Unfortunately, I don’t miss that Katrina will be there so that isn’t the alone time I was hoping for.

  “I have other matters to attend to. I want to ensure my mate-to-be is happy. Both ladies should be down shortly.” He saunters off without another word. I hope that his ‘matters’ take him all day.

  A few minutes pass before Sophia comes into the kitchen where I’m waiting. She halts when she notices me. Our eyes lock for a moment as I’m drawn in by our bond and move to get closer to her. Unfortunately, Katrina interrupts.

  “Master Finn! How wonderful to see you. I enjoyed our time together last night” She runs her hand down my arm, smiling seductively at me, suggesting something transpired between us.

  “Ye mean last night when I repeatedly told ye to leave me alone? Or perhaps when I had to retire early to avoid your incessant presence. Ye don’t take a hint, do ye?” I don’t both to correct my accent. Her face is a mask of hurt and anger as if she isn’t used to rejection. I caught the small smirk Sophia had on her face, and that alone made my morning.

  “You can’t talk to me like that, we’re to be mated.” This girl needs to have her head examined.

  “Drake is not me, I’d never agree to mate with the likes of ye. Now, Drake wants ye to remove the block that’s on Sophia, so she can shift and run outside for a while.” I stare her down, so she knows I’m serious. I don’t know why she has it stuck in her head that I’m going to mate with her. No one can be that pathetic.

  “Well, I want to speak with Master Drake first.” She crosses her arms and turns her nose up acting like the petulant child she is.

  “By all means, go find him. When he discovers ye didn’t do as he has commanded, ye can deal with those consequences.” Smiling, I turn to Sophia. “I’ll take ye outside, whether the child takes yer block off or not. Ye need some time out of this dreary castle.”

  Putting my hand out palm up, I hope she will take it. When she places her hand in mine, I feel our connection. I rub my thumb over the top of her hand, then tuck her hand in the crook of my arm, then place my hand over hers to hold her to me. I can feel her body heat along my left side as she walks next to me. Absently, I keep rubbing my thumb on her hand. It’s soothing me to feel this simple touch, only hoping it’s doing the same to her.

  “Have ye seen the gardens or any of the areas outside the castle?” I ask, wondering how much of a prisoner she has been.

  “No, they have only allowed me to wander the living areas and the kitchen. That’s the west wing, I think?” She bites her lip, and the action instantly draws my eyes to her soft mouth. I want to bite her lips, neck, and a hundred other places on her body.

  I do hear Katrina following behind, stomping along. That girl has the gracefulness of an elephant. It also means I can’t talk to Sophia like I want to. Once outside, I take her the long way through the garden, and I watch as she takes in the view. As much as I hate being here in Drake’s house, I have always loved this garden. It has this wonderland quality to it. I wish I could get lost in it with my girl.

  “So beautiful,” she whispers out, staring around in awe.

  “Yes, ye are,” I whisper the words before I realize I said it out loud. Her head snaps to face me. Then she glances behind us to see that the annoying witch is right behind us.

  “Well, are we doing this or what,” Katrina snaps out. Fecking cunt.

  “I’m ready when you are.” Sophia holds her hands out, almost as an invitation to fight. I bet my girl is a scrappy fighter.

  Katrina does some green glowy shite, and I see Sophia close her eyes and unwind. I feel as if this is the first time she has truly relaxed.

  “Hurry and shift, so I can put the communication block up, so you can’t try to talk to the rest of your mongrel family,” Katrina grumbles. I know she’s mad at having to do anything positive for Sophia, and that pisses me off.

  “Why don’t ye leave it off. Even if she communicated with her pack, what would she tell them? She came here by choice, she doesn’t know where we are.” I try to sound like I wouldn’t care either way, but I want to give Sophia this, something to show that I care without others being able to hear.

  “Master Drake wouldn’t want that,” Katrina huffs.

  “Drake told me he wanted to keep his mate happy. Go back inside,” I command her. She turns around and sulks away.

  “I’ll wait here while you go explore. You can go further out since I’m sure you don’t want to ruin your clothes.” I turn my back on her, so she has more privacy.

  “How are you in the sun?” Her question has me turning back to her with a smile.

  “All those myths don’t apply to me, Drake, or Saoirse since we’re the last-born vampires,” I tell her, wishing I could tell her all about Saoirse and me and that we could talk for hours on end and learn everything there is to know about each other.

  “Oh. Do you want to run with me? Vampires run fast, right?” I want to yell hell, yeah, but I don’t want to scare her away.

  “We can. I’d very much like run with ye and see yer wolf.” Honestly, I have been looking forward to seeing what her wolf looks like.

  Before I can comprehend what she’s doing, she is half-naked. I must make some noise because she stops and looks up at me as she takes off her bra.

  Sophia smirks. “I’m sure you have seen plenty of naked women, Finn. Shifters don’t have your delicate sensibilities.”

  She may be right, but none have been my mate, and none have been as gorgeous as her. Standing naked before me, and I don’t even try to hide the fact that I’m looking, memorizing every dip and curve of her body in the seconds I have to ogle her. Before I get a second look, she shifts.

  Her wolf is as beautiful as she is—chocolate fur with a white underbelly, and her bright blue eyes look at me, almost eye-level—her wolf is large. I reach out a hand, asking permission. She nudges her snout into my hand, and I caress her nose. She makes a soft huffing noise, and I pet over her head and down her back. Our connection pulses between us as if her being in her wolf state is pulling us closer together.

  “You’re stunning,” I whisper. She licks my cheek, then turns and runs.

  I run after her, smiling. She runs, jumps, and plays through the forest as I chase her. I’m laughing and smiling so much. I don’t know how long we run and chase each other, but I never want it to end. This is the first time I have ever felt happy or free. I only wish it could last.

  Chapter 5

  Sophia

  I lost track of the time as Finn and I run through the forest surrounding the castle. I should try to contact Tristan and taking in the land’s lay for strategic purposes, but right now, all I can do is relish in the freedom and fun that I’m having with Finn. At this moment, he isn’t the son of Drake, he isn’t a vampire or the enemy, he’s my mate.

  My wolf is preening and happy at the attention he’s giving us. He is just as fast as I am, and from the look of absolute joy on his face, he is enjoying this time as much as I am. He has a role to play in the castle, and so do I. I judged him without cause. I was so sure he was going to disappoint me because he was Drake’s son, but I was foolish. This man here is my mate, my other half. This is just us. Our masks, the characters we’re forced to play, are shed. His smile is as radiant as he is, lighting him up.

  When we first met, he was cold, hard, and distant. This moment, I see him as he wants me to see him—carefree and alive. Without words, he’s showing me that this is what he wants us to be like. We’re supposed to be enemies inside the castle, but here we are one. I know this can’t last, but I’m going to enjoy this time we have and let him see that I want him and our mating as I now feel he does too.

  I knew I should’ve been paying better attention, too caught up in the moment. Before I know what’s happening, I’m pinned to the ground with an unfamiliar wolf biting into my throat. I growl and flip the asshole on his back, switching our positions, growling into his throat. This fucker thought he could pin me and make me submit. Whoever the fuck he is, I’m about to end him. Then, I hear the other whiney bitch’s voice,

  “Now, what do we have here?” Katrina coos just before she hits me with a blast of magic, taking away the freedom I had with my wolf. She has me pinned to the ground in a weak magical hold. It’s good to know that I can break through if I needed to. But, I must get back into my character and not destroy either her or this damn stranger. They are under Drake’s rule. I know I can take out this traitorous pup and Katrina, but I have to hold back. I see Finn is holding back too, his distant mask back in place. But there’s a look in his eye as he stares at the wolf that I can read. He wants to kill the wolf for attacking me. It shouldn’t make me happy, but it does. I know I can take the wolf, but I’d let Finn kill him just because I enjoy the girly feeling his need to protect gives me. I allow Katrina and the unknown wolf to appear as if they have me in control.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” Finn’s voice slightly betrays his cool demeanor. I know he’s angry, I can feel it radiating off him in waves. “Let her go, ye daft cow.” If I wasn’t letting her force me into the ground, I might have said ‘fuck it’ and kissed the shit out of him. His protective growls slightly turned me on.

  “Master Finn… I um…” Katrina stumbles, not expecting him to come to my defense. “Master Drake advised me to locate and bring her back, she has taken advantage of Master Drake’s kindness. He expected her back well before dinner, and it’s nearly dark,” she whines, once again trying to endear him to her.

  “Attacking her and forcing her on the ground is bringing her back? She was out here with me, I have been watching her. Let her up, so she can shift, then we can head back.” Finn’s in Katrina’s face now, and by her expression, she’s swooning at his demand.

  “Of course, my dear Finn.” She’s so lost in him. She forgot to say, Master. It took every ounce of my control not to rip her apart for blatantly throwing herself at my mate. However, I know our characters are back in place, and I can’t show my genuine feelings, not even to Finn.

  Katrina’s hold lifts immediately, and I shift, not giving a flying fuck that I’m naked. The other wolf looks me over, and Finn’s on the verge of breaking his cover and ripping that wolf’s eyes out. Katrina looks as if she’s thinking of stomping her foot like a toddler throwing a tantrum at both the wolf and Finn’s attention on me. I turn toward the direction of the castle and walk on as if I don’t have a care in the world. Katrina is doing all she can to get Finn to notice her, but I know nothing she does will turn his head. She will just continue to make a fool of herself. Before I can get far enough away, I feel the magical block settle on me, trapping me once again.

  Almost to the castle, I feel rather than heard Finn behind me. “Lass, please put my shirt on,” he whispers in my ear. I withhold the shiver that wants to course through me at his nearness.

  “I don’t mind, shifters are used to being naked.” Keeping my tone nonchalant even surprises me.

  “I mind. I’m gonna have to kill that wolf for eyein’ ye. No one else should look at what’s mine,” he hissed. Not even waiting for a response, he has his shirt over my head and pulled down my body. I relent and put my arms in the sleeves, then turn around. I know Katrina and the wolf are closing in, only I hear his whispered demands.

  Now, I’m the one about to swoon at his possessiveness. I want to tell him he needs his shirt more than I do because Katrina will now check out his partial nakedness just as I was.

  I enjoy a quick perusal of his naked torso. Every part of him is perfection—strong and firm chest, toned arms, and a tight rippling stomach.

  “Ye keep eye fecking me like that, lass, and I don’t give a feck who’s around, I’m gonna claim what’s mine.”

  Instead of attacking him like I want to, I swallow my lust and turn back to continue into the castle, coming face to face with the asshole himself. Drake.

  “My dear, you’re back! Katrina found you well?” His fake concern is annoying, but I have to slip back into my role.

  “Oh, yes, I lost track of the time. I was enjoying the air so much I didn’t realize the time that had passed. I didn’t realize you would send Katrina and a rogue wolf to attack me for my tardiness, but I suppose I should feel honored that you felt both of them needed to pounce at once. I know how you like your pets, so I didn’t put up too much of a fight.” I keep my tone sweet as if I’m understanding the situation.

  “Attack you? You both attacked my mate-to-be?” His tone goes cold as the others all arrive. I was a little thrilled at the pure fear in Katrina’s face, I only wish it was me, or better yet, Aria making her look that way instead of Drake.

  “We… we felt she might resist,” Katrina, ever the pathetic leader, whined out. She was practically in tears, and the wolf kept his head hung low. It would be pitiful, but I just found it hilarious.

  “I’ll deal with you later. Leave,” Drake bites out, and they run out of the room, leaving me with Drake and Finn. I couldn’t even look at Finn since I knew my emotions would betray me, and I had to keep my mask firmly in place.

  “Why you keep her around is beyond me, Drake. She’s as useless as is that wolf. Sophia only allowed them to subdue her. I was watching Sophia, ensuring she was staying within the boundaries and safe. That childish woman is too jealous of your mate-to-be,” Finn speaks up, indifference coloring his words. Once again, I want to smile at him, see him return my smile, and feel what I know we both feel inside.

  “Why are you wearing his shirt?” Drake raised an eyebrow at me curiously as if Finn and I were out in the woods procreating. I wish!

  “That little wolf was ogling your mate-to-be, Drake. I’m sure you don’t want your other guards to get an eyeful, either. As you know, she doesn’t shift with clothes on. It’s not as if your pets allowed her to go back to where she left her clothing.” Finn’s tone is bored, his accent all but gone in Drake’s presence, and I’m disappointed at the loss of it.

  “If you don’t mind, I can give his shirt back now. I’m sure you know us shifters aren’t shy with our bodies.” I smile at Drake as if I’m flirting with him, then glance at Finn before settling my gaze back on Drake. In the brief eye contact I had with Finn, I saw his jaw tighten marginally. I grabbed the hem of Finn’s shirt to pull the garment off, but before I could pull it up, Drake interrupted me.

  “Finn is quite right as much as I wouldn’t mind seeing you unclothed.” His gaze travels over my body as if I were naked, and I repress a shiver. This time, not a good one. “I don’t wish others to see what only I’ll get to enjoy behind closed doors.” Drake’s voice is dripping with lascivious intent. As usual, I school my upchuck reflex.

  Giving Drake a flirty wink, “Will it be all right for me to shower and dress before dinner? I’m famished.” I add a sultry tone to my words, hoping it keeps me from having to be in his presence any longer than necessary.

  “Yes, my dear! I’ll inform the kitchen that they shall serve dinner in an hour. Will that be enough time, my dove?” His pet names are growing tiresome. He has to be as annoyed by them as I am. I know he’s playing the game as much as I am. I know he doesn’t care for me.

  “Plenty. See you soon!” With a wave, I head to my room, suppressing the need to run. In record time, I’m in my room. Just as I am about to shut the door, it’s pushed open, then closed, and locked with Finn inside in with me.

  “Do you want him?” His voice holds insecurity that I haven’t heard before. I want to trust Finn, but now I’m unsure if I can.

 

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