13. Finn
Chapter 13
Finn
M orning comes too soon, filtering through the gaps in the curtains I never quite close properly. I’ve barely slept, but my body moves on autopilot, following the routine I’ve maintained even as everything else falls apart.
The house is quiet as I pad downstairs, but I catch the faint sounds of movement from upstairs—Jax’s door opening, the creak of floorboards as someone (probably Ren) heads for the shower. Stone’s room remains silent.
Coffee first. The familiar scents fill the kitchen as I begin pulling ingredients from the fridge. Eggs, because if this is one of the random mornings where they will linger long enough to eat something, Jax will need the protein. Turkey bacon, because Ren prefers it to regular. Fresh fruit, because Stone always?—
I stop, knife hovering over a strawberry. Does she cook for them? Does she know their preferences, their little quirks? The way Jax likes his eggs just slightly runny, how Ren needs his bacon extra crispy, how Stone?—
“Morning.”
I startle, nearly dropping the knife. Jax stands in the doorway, already dressed for work in one of his crisp suits. He looks tired, shadows under his eyes that match my own.
“Morning.” I turn back to the fruit, steadying my hands. “Coffee’s ready.”
He moves to the coffeemaker, and I feel him hesitate behind me. Once, he would have pressed a kiss to my neck, wrapped his arms around my waist. Now he just reaches past me for his mug, careful not to let our bodies touch.
“Sleep well?” he asks, and there’s genuine concern in his voice that makes my chest ache.
“Fine.” The lie comes easily now. “You?”
“Yeah.” He takes a sip of coffee, leaning against the counter. “Listen, about tonight?—”
“Working late?” I interrupt, keeping my voice carefully neutral. “I know.”
Something flickers across his face—guilt? “Yeah. The Burlington thing is…” he sighs. “It’s taking a lot of time.”
I nod, sliding eggs onto plates. “That’s okay. I’ll leave your dinner in the fridge.”
“Finn—”
“It’s fine.” I manage a smile, though it feels brittle. “I understand.”
Do I? Do I understand why they’re lying? Why they’re sneaking around? Why they can’t just tell me they’ve found someone better?
Ren appears in the doorway, hair still damp from his shower, and fuck, something deep in my core flutters. My fucking dumb cock even gets a semi. Ren’s always been so devastatingly handsome. All dark energy, but with eyes so light blue they almost look white. Like something otherworldly. He looks between us, sensing the tension, before moving to get his coffee and I look away.
They’ve found someone else, Finn. It’s not like old times .
“Morning,” I offer, sliding his plate across the counter. He takes it with a nod, not quite meeting my eyes .
Fine. Whatever.
It’s out of habit that I check the fridge as I put away the ingredients. Something makes me freeze. I spot the discrepancy immediately.
There’s a missing container. Ren’s dinner from yesterday—gone. Just like Stone’s. Just like so many others this week.
“Did you eat your dinner last night?” I ask Ren, still trying to keep my voice casual.
He stiffens slightly, coffee mug halfway to his lips. “No, I…wasn’t hungry.”
The lie hangs between us, made worse by how he won’t meet my gaze. Jax shifts uncomfortably, suddenly very interested in his phone.
Fuck. Them.
Before I can press further, heavy footsteps sound from the back. Stone appears in the doorway, dressed in running clothes, face flushed and slightly out of breath. He hesitates when he sees us all gathered in the kitchen, staying near the door like he might bolt at any moment.
The woods. He’s been to the woods. To the cabin. This early?
“We need to leave in fifteen,” Jax says, breaking the tension. “You ready?”
Stone nods, still not moving closer. “Yeah, just need a quick shower and I’ll be ready to go.”
I busy myself with cleaning up, but I can feel his eyes on me. Can he tell I know? Can he smell my pain, my confusion, my fear?
“You’ll all be late tonight?” I ask the counter, not turning around.
“Yeah,” Jax answers after a pause. “Probably very late. I know…” he pauses. “I know it’s asking a lot, Finn. So…don’t wait up.”
Don’t wait up. Like I haven’t spent countless nights doing exactly that, watching the clock tick past midnight, wondering where they go. What they do. Who they’re with .
But now I know. Or at least, I think I do.
The cabin .
The pieces are coming into place like a fucking puzzle. The missing food. The late nights. The mysterious project. Stone’s early morning run and late-night treks through the woods. They’ve been taking care of her, feeding her, visiting her. All of them. Not just Stone.
My hands shake as I wash the plates, listening to them move around behind me. Quiet conversations about work, about schedules, about everything except what matters. Everything except the truth.
When Stone returns from his shower, dressed and ready to go, I feel like something being held together by cello tape and glue.
“Finn?” Stone’s voice, closer than expected. I tense but don’t turn. “Thanks for breakfast.”
I nod, not trusting my voice. He lingers for a moment, like he wants to say more, but then Jax calls from the hallway and he’s gone.
The house falls silent as they leave, the front door closing with a final click. My neck tingles where Jax almost touched me during breakfast. He does that sometimes—hand lifting like he means to cup my nape, to scent me, before dropping away. Those almost-touches hurt worse than no touch at all.
Standing at the sink, I stare out the window at the woods beyond our property. At the path I know leads to the cabin.
I need to know. Need to see for myself. Need to understand why they’re hiding her, why they’re lying, why they can’t just tell me they’ve found someone better.
The cabin. That’s where I’ll find my answers.
That’s where I’ll find her .
My reflection in the window looks pale, determined. Scared. But I’ve been scared before. Been broken before. What’s one more crack in an already shattered heart?
I dry my hands slowly, mind already mapping out the path through the woods. I’ll wait until they’re gone, until I’m sure they won’t come back for something forgotten. Then I’ll go.
Then I’ll know.
Then maybe this ache in my chest will make sense.
Or maybe it will just hurt more.
Either way, I need to know. Need to understand why my alphas are sneaking around, why they’re lying, why they can’t look me in the eye anymore.
Need to know what makes her so special that they’d risk everything we have.
Need to know what makes her scent so perfect that even I…
I close my eyes, steadying myself against the counter. The morning sun streams through the window, warming my face, but inside I feel cold. Hollow.
Soon , I tell myself. Soon I’ll know.
Soon I’ll understand why they’re choosing her over me.
I stare at the path leading into the woods for a long time before my feet finally move. The morning dew still clings to the grass, dampening my sneakers as I cross the yard. Each step feels heavier than the last, like my body knows what my heart isn’t ready to accept.
The forest welcomes me with familiar sounds—birds calling their morning songs, leaves rustling in the gentle breeze, twigs snapping beneath my feet. I used to love coming out here with my alphas. When they’d chase me through the trees until one of them eventually caught me and…
My entire body heats like some betrayal of myself.
I push it away and focus on following the winding trail that leads to the cabin. The sunlight filters through the canopy, creating dappled patterns on the forest floor. Everything looks so peaceful, so normal. Like my world isn’t crumbling with each step I take.
I pass the old maple where Ren once carved our initials, my fingers brushing the bark as I walk by. The marking is still there, though weathered now: J+S+R+F, enclosed in a rough heart. How long ago was that? Before everything changed? Before I changed?
The path curves around the lightning-struck oak—the one that looks like a grasping hand reaching for the sky. Its blackened branches do seem to claw at the clouds today, like they’re trying to tear holes in the perfect blue expanse above. I remember the storm that struck it, how we all huddled together in the nest, how Jax held me close when the thunder made me jump.
My chest tightens at the memory. When was the last time any of them held me like that?
I can’t remember. Because they’ve all been holding her instead.
The cabin comes into view through the trees, and I freeze, heart pounding against my ribs. It looks exactly the same as it always has—weathered wood, small porch, windows slightly dusty from disuse. Or what should be disuse.
Because there’s something different. Something in the air. A presence.
Her presence.
I know I’m not imagining it. I haven’t gone mad, have I? This isn’t all in my head.
I stand there staring at the cabin, hoping that some voice of clarity will come and tell me this is all one big misunderstanding.
Releasing a long, slow breath, I take the first step.
I’m here now. I might as well find out for real.
As I creep closer, I stay in the shadow of the trees.
The steps to the porch will creak if I try to climb them—I remember that from previous visits—so instead, I edge around to the side window. The one that looks into the main room. The one where I used to spy on Stone and wonder why he would rather be on his lonesome all the way out here instead of being with me.
At first, I see nothing through the glass. Just the familiar furniture: the small table, the cot in the corner. But then?—
My heart stops .
There’s a thick, fluffy blanket on the cot. One that makes me want to dip my face in it and wrap it all around me. Perfect for an omega. And there, snuggled under the fluffy layers, is a face.
The world stops spinning.
I was right?
My heart splinters and cracks into a thousand pieces.
I was right. Only now do I realize that this entire time, I hadn’t truly believed it all. That I’d really been hoping I was going insane.
A breath chokes from my chest, forcing me to breathe as my focus fastens on the omega’s face. Even in sleep, she’s beautiful. Her hair spreads across the pillow in perfect waves—deep brown roots transitioning to caramel and honey-blonde highlights that catch the morning light streaming through the window. The curls add dimension to the color, making the gradient between shades look artistic, intentional. Vibrant. Glamorous.
Everything about her looks soft, perfect. The way her lashes cast shadows on her cheeks. The gentle curve of her lips. The peaceful expression that says she feels safe here. Protected.
A small sound escapes me—part whimper, part keen—before I can stop it. So fucking weak. So fucking useless. I should have been born an alpha. Fuck, even being a beta would have been better than this. Would have saved me this pain.
I clamp a hand over my mouth, but it’s too late. Her eyelids flutter, and I duck below the window, heart racing. Seconds tick by like hours as I press myself against the cabin wall, barely breathing.
When I finally dare to look again, rising slowly to peer through the glass, the bed is empty. The blanket lies rumpled where she was sleeping, but she’s gone.
I scan the room frantically, but it’s dark in there with only the morning light from the window seeping in. And there’s no sign of her. Did she hear me? Is she hiding? Calling my alphas to tell them I’m here?
The thought sends panic coursing through me. I shouldn’t be here. Shouldn’t have come. Shouldn’t have seen? —
But I did see. Can’t un -see.
The omega in me wants to curl up and cry, to let it all out to the forest. I stumble back from the window, nearly tripping over a root. I have to get out of here. Have to get away before?—
Before what? Before she sees me? Before my alphas find out I know? Before I have to face the truth that’s been staring me in the face for years now?
The forest seems to spin around me as I turn, ready to flee, but then some part of me, the part that’s always resisted my designation, says “wait”.
My spine stiffens and something hot and fierce replaces the panic in my chest. Why am I running ? This is my home. My pack. My alphas.
The omega in me whimpers at the thought of confrontation, but another voice—stronger, angrier—drowns it out. How dare they? How dare they bring another omega here? How dare they lie and sneak around like I’m nothing?
My hands clench into fists at my sides as the anger builds, burning away the fear. Two years of tiptoeing around each other. Two years of trying to piece myself back together while they pulled away. Two years of pretending everything was fine when nothing was fine at all.
And now this ?
I march around to the front of the cabin, each step fueled by rage and hurt and two years’ worth of unspoken words. The porch steps creak under my feet—let them creak. Let her know I’m coming. I’m done hiding.
My hand closes around the doorknob, and for a split second, I hesitate. Her scent is stronger here, seeping through the cracks around the door. Sweet. Pure. Perfect.
No. I won’t let that stop me.
I throw the door open, and her scent hits me like it’s something physical. Honey and vanilla flood my senses, so intense I stagger. My knees buckle and I catch myself on the doorframe, a groan escaping my lips before I can stop it.
She’s perfuming. The bitch! Perfuming while she dreams about Jax? Stone? Ren? Fuck! What is this? Why does she smell so…so…
Through watering eyes, I spot her huddled in the corner. She’s wearing Stone’s clothes—his favorite grey Henley hangs loose on her frame, and one of his jackets is clutched to her chest like a shield. The sight sends another wave of pain through me, different from the first. More familiar. This is the pain I know—betrayal, loss, heartbreak.
I sniff, eyes watering some more through the potency of her scent. Fuck. But I can’t smell the others. The only alpha I can smell is Stone. This is Stone’s cabin. And he’s been here…but Jax and Ren…they haven’t. Not for a long time, at least. There’s no evidence of their scents here. Nothing lingering. It’s just Stone…and her .
Wait, do Jax and Ren even know about this omega?
This doesn’t make sense. Of course, they do…right?
I don’t know. They’ve all been at each other’s throats. Maybe…maybe they’re not all on the same page with this…this new development. Fuck .
The truth is staring me in the face—or more like hitting me in the nose. Stone’s the only one that’s been here. Stone’s the one that’s doing this.
There’s a brief moment of hope that flashes through me at the probability that Jax and Ren might still want me, but that hope is dashed when my gaze focuses on the omega in the corner.
Because if Stone wants her…the others will, too.
“Who are you?” My voice comes out rougher than usual, caught between a growl and a whimper. “How long has he been keeping you here?”
She doesn’t answer. Just stares at me with wide, frightened eyes. And fuck , the omega in me responds to her fear. Wanting to comfort, yet wanting to hide. I shove the instinct down hard .
“Did you know about me?” I demand, forcing myself to stand straight despite how her scent makes me want to crawl closer. “Did he tell you they already had an omega? Or did he pretend I don’t exist?”
Oh my God. Has she gone into heat with him? Did he help her through it? Did…did Stone give her his knot?
The thought makes me choke, air getting stuck in my lungs so hard I can no longer breathe.
“How long have you been here?” I barely get the words out.
Still no response. She presses herself further into the corner, gripping Stone’s jacket tighter. The sleeves of the Henley ride up slightly with the movement, and that’s when I see them—bandages. White gauze wrapped carefully around both wrists, disappearing up under her sleeves.
Something in my chest shifts, anger giving way to confusion. Those bandages…they look fresh. Professional. Stone’s work, maybe? He always was the best at first aid.
In the dim light, I catch sight of yellowing bruises along her jaw and chin.
“Are you…” I start to ask if she’s hurt, but the words die in my throat as she suddenly moves.
She slides to her knees, head bowed, neck exposed in the ultimate submission pose. She’s presenting. To me ? I’ve never fucking seen anyone, not even the meekest omegas, do it in public. It looks wrong on so many levels. The jacket falls from her grip, pooling around her knees. Up close, I can see she’s trembling.
She’s curvier than the shadows first revealed. Soft, feminine lines that the oversized clothing tried and failed to conceal. Even trembling, there’s something entrancing about her. Something exquisite.
But she’s kneeling on the floor before me like a dog that’s been trained to serve .
“Fuck,” I utter.
She whimpers and bends lower, arms outstretched on the floor, forehead into the wood, ass in the air.
The gesture throws me completely off balance. This isn’t…this isn’t what I expected. I expected defiance, maybe. Or guilt. Something sassy, or at least some explanation for why my alpha is sneaking around with another omega.
Not this. Not submission. Not fear .
So many omegas would give their right arm and a leg just to be part of the Ironwood pack. To even get their attention. The fact she’s here should be some kind of victory for her. Something to make her gloat.
But…she isn’t.
She’s whimpering. The bitter fear entangled in her scent affecting mine. Making me want to whimper, too.
She’s either playing some wicked trick on me—my brows dive as I watch her—or she really is that scared.
“What are you doing?” I ask, my voice smaller now. “Get up. I’m not…I’m not going to hurt you.”
She doesn’t move, doesn’t speak. Just keeps her head bowed, whole body radiating submission and fear and something else…something that makes my chest ache in a way that has nothing to do with anger.
I take a step closer, fighting against her overwhelming scent. Fuck, we need to open a window to let some of it out. She’s not perfuming anymore, but getting some airflow going would do us both good. Clear our minds.
“Please, just…talk to me. Tell me what’s going on. I think I deserve that, at least. Why are you here? Why is he hiding you?”
The questions hang in the air between us, unanswered. Outside, a bird calls, and somewhere in the distance, a branch snaps. The sound makes her flinch.
And suddenly, I’m not angry anymore. I’m just…tired. Confused. Lost .
Because this isn’t what I imagined at all. This trembling, silent omega wearing my alpha’s clothes, bandaged and scared and submitting like she expects to be punished—this isn’t the threat I built up in my mind.
This is something else entirely.
I study her, trying to make sense of what I’m seeing. Stone’s Henley drowns her small frame, like she’s trying to disappear inside it. The bandages peek out from beneath the sleeves—medical-grade wrapping, the kind Stone keeps in the medical kit back at the house. Recent injuries, then. But from what?
She won’t look at me. Won’t speak. Just maintains that submissive pose like her life depends on it.
Like she’s been trained to.
The thought hits me like ice water. The missing food containers. The late nights. Stone’s early morning “run” to the cabin. The way he came home last night smelling like her…
I was right, too. There, on the table is Ren’s dinner that had vanished from the fridge—the one I’d made special, with those little roasted potatoes I know he loves. Still neatly packed.
My eyes drift to Stone’s jacket, still clutched to the omega’s chest like a shield.
“Oh…oh no…that’s not…”
That’s not Stone. Stone wouldn’t hurt an omega. Stone wouldn’t…
The cabin suddenly feels different. Not Stone’s little secret spot anymore, but something darker. More sinister. A prison, maybe?
Is that why he’s been sneaking around? Not because he’s found someone better, but because he’s been hiding…this?
“Oh my God…” The pieces click together, forming a picture I don’t want to see. My heart pounds against my ribs as I stare at the terrified omega. “ Stone did this?” My hand is trembling as I move closer and reach toward her.
I hear when she inhales, probably only now just catching a whiff of my scent as the potency of hers filters through the open door. When her head suddenly snaps up, wide eyes on me again, the utter shock on her face does nothing to clear away the revelation warring within me.
“Stone… hurt you?” The words feel wrong in my mouth, like weeds and dirt and worms. Everything I thought I knew starts crumbling, replaced by something darker, more horrifying.
Not Stone. Not my gentle alpha who would cradle injured birds in his hands, who always touched me like I might break. But the evidence is right in front of me—this terrified omega wearing his clothes, bandaged and submissive, hidden away in his cabin.
My insides twist, the contents of this morning’s breakfast threatening to expel themselves.
“Did he…” I can barely form the words. “Did he force you to…” I gesture helplessly at her position, still on her knees, still showing submission. Still presenting as if she expects to be fucked despite her state, despite the fear, despite the tears in those wide hazel eyes.
She remains silent, but something flickers in her eyes. Recognition? Fear? I can’t tell through the haze of her scent and my rising panic.
“This isn’t…he wouldn’t…” I can’t take Stone’s knot without being in heat. I can’t take any alpha’s knot without being in heat. But…is that really a good reason to…would he really go so far?
The room suddenly feels too small, too full of her scent and my horror and possibilities I don’t want to consider. I stumble backward, needing air, needing space, needing something solid to hold on to as my world shifts on its axis again.
“I have to…I need…” I turn, practically falling through the doorway onto the porch. The fresh air helps clear my head, but it can’t erase the pain or the confusion.
My feet carry me a few steps away from the cabin, mind racing. What do I do? Call the police? Confront Stone? Try to help her escape? She’s clearly traumatized, probably won’t even talk to?—
“Wait! ”
The word stops me in my tracks. Her voice—the first time I’ve heard it—rings out clear and desperate. Something in it pulls at me, tugs at something deep in my chest that shouldn’t respond to her at all.
I turn slowly, and there she stands in the cabin doorway. Stone’s Henley revealing the soft curve of one shoulder, hair catching the morning light, those honey-blonde highlights creating a halo effect around her face. Her eyes lock with mine, and for a moment, everything else falls away.
Two omegas, standing amid the ruins of what I thought I knew about my alphas. About myself.
Her lips part like she might speak again, and I find myself holding my breath, waiting for whatever truth she’s about to reveal.
“Please…don’t leave me here.”