4. Finley
Finley
When I woke up with the morning sun streaming in from the front windows, I felt more rested than I had in ages.
It was as if I’d been rejuvenated through sleeping so deep my body couldn’t do anything but rest. My mind was in such a relaxed state I didn’t realize I was rubbing my cheek along the bare skin of someone’s chest. He smelled like spring, fresh flowers and clean air after being trapped in the house all winter long.
If freedom had a scent, this would be it, and it was glorious.
Fingers combed through my hair, making me purr with delight at the loving touch that my body craved from our mates.
With that simple thought, I shoved up from the body I was sprawled over and came face to face with Rathal.
His seafoam green eyes sparkled with happiness and mirth as he waited to see what my reaction would be.
“Good morning, nin mel,” he murmured before lifting to give me a peck on the lips. “Did you sleep well?”
“What does that mean?” I asked, having heard him use that phrase often.
He smiled, brushing his hands down my arms. “It means my love, but not just a simple love, the true consuming love you have only with your mate.”
“Oh,” I answered, blinking at him in surprise.
I didn’t really know how to respond to that since the whole idea of mates and fated love was new to me. Clearly, this was normal for elves and even werewolves, but for us humans, it was a thing for movies and books.
“It is now nine, and I was just going to wake you, knowing you wanted to get moving,” Rathal commented, pulling me out of my internal thoughts.
Sliding off of him, I stood and found I was only in a sports bra and my underwear. He’d removed my wetsuit and water shoes at some point, which I was grateful for, if not slightly impressed with since I didn’t wake up during the process.
“Your magic is quite strong, my mate,” Rathal shared as he stood and pulled on his clothes. “I put you into a healing sleep, and normally, you have to be brought out of it, but you were able to wake yourself up once you had gained all you could from the sleep.”
This made me freeze as I started to wiggle back into the wetsuit. Slowly, I turned to face the elf, who I’m hoping didn’t just tell me he magically drugged me so I would sleep. “You. Did. What?”
Rathal paused as he started to pull his shirt on to look at me. “By your emotions and the look on your face, I feel like I might have done something to make you upset with me.”
“Why would I be upset about the fact that we are in danger, on the run, and squatting in a building that was taken by vampires? There could have been others that we didn’t see or returned when the sun was coming up.
Would I have woken up in time if something happened, or would I be left vulnerable to anyone’s attack?
” I asked, keeping my voice calm and cool.
He seemed to ponder my point before answering as he finished getting dressed.
“While I understand your point and can see why this would be upsetting to you, I’m also slightly offended that you think I would put you in danger.
You are my mate. We are connected on a soul level, meaning that if one of us dies, so does the other.
If you were in true danger, you are more than strong enough to easily break out of that enchantment, but I want to also make it clear that I am a trained warrior and don’t need you to protect me. ”
I so badly wanted to argue this more because I felt it had been a clear violation of my safety.
I didn’t know him, and I’d never been good about trusting others to have my back.
It’s why I always worked solo. Now that he pointed out his life and mine were tied together, it freaked me out more than it helped.
Not only did I have to trust he would take care of himself if something happened, but if he didn’t, it would take me down with him.
“Don’t you think that is something you should have explained to me earlier?
You already can read my emotions and possibly my mind if I was more open to you.
My life is in your hands, and I can’t be apart from you or my other mates for more than a day.
What else do I need to know about being mated as an elf?
” I demanded, feeling my irritation turning into anger the more I thought about things.
Rathal studied me like I was a puzzle he couldn’t figure out. “What have they done to you to make you so distrusting and fearful of any kind of connection? Both elves and werewolves thrive and seek out community, but you run the other way at the thought of it.”
“Since I was five years old, I’ve been trained to be an assassin, someone who lives and works in the shadows.
My purpose is to be the best soldier I can be, accomplishing my mission with none the wiser, leaving death in my wake.
I’m extremely good at my job, that is until I failed the last one and got bit by an omega, changing my life forever.
I’ve had a week to adjust to being a werewolf, finding out I’ve never been human, and now having mates on top of everything else.
So yeah, I’m not used to relying on others or trusting people when I know every corner of the darkness our world holds,” I answered, my anger bubbling over as I spoke.
All at once, it was as if my magic was building, seeking some kind of release.
The vibration running under my skin made me feel as though I might burst.
Rathal stepped up to me, resting his hands on my shoulders before bending his head, so our foreheads touched.
“I’m so sorry, nin mel. This is not the life I would have chosen for you, but it’s the life you’ve lived.
While I have to accept that and learn how to best support you as my mate, it will take me time to do that well.
I’m sure I will make more mistakes along the way.
All I ask is that you have patience with me as I learn.
You are my whole world now, so whatever you need from me, I will strive to give you. ”
Hearing the truth and feeling behind his words allowed me to calm my anger enough that my magic settled to a low simmer.
There had just been so much changing in my life and I didn’t think I could handle another thing at this point.
When he pulled me into a hug, I let my ear rest over his heart and listened to it as it beat in time with my own, showing me another sign we were bound together.
“I need you to treat me like I don’t know anything, that I’m human and never even knew there were elves in the world.
Hell, even what I thought I knew about werewolves was all wrong.
It goes against my training and nature to be going about this blind, so I’m trying as hard as I can to catch up, but more things keep coming that I have to deal with first. What I need most is truth, honesty, and information about everything to do with elves,” I murmured into his chest.
“I can do that,” he answered, squeezing me tight as he pressed a kiss to my temple. “Finish putting that weird bodysuit on and I will change it into something more fitting to be out in public.”
Doing as he requested, I watched as he ran a hand over his own shirt, and it transformed into a forest green T-shirt that fit snugly across his chest, showing off his muscles while his tan linen pants changed into jeans.
“Elves can manipulate natural fibers into anything they need, such as clothing,” Rathal explained as he reached out to my wetsuit. “Now, there isn’t much natural about this, but this kind of manipulation is what I am strongest with. Do you have any requests?”
“Ah, a shirt and jeans like you would be best, I think. Maybe boots instead of these water shoes?” I answered in more of a question, unsure how much he could do.
He smiled before closing his eyes, appearing to be concentrating on what he was doing, and soon, I had on a black pair of jeans and a simple T-shirt with black combat boots.
Stepping back, he looked at his work before giving it a nod.
“I couldn’t do anything with the color since there was no other pigment to pull from, but something tells me you are comfortable in black. ”
“Your assumption would be correct. Zander, one of my other mates, got me a whole new wardrobe, and he didn’t include much black, so I’m learning to embrace more colors,” I shared with a smile. “Fashion is far more important to him, but I suppose that comes with being a rock star.”
Rathal’s brows shot up. “Wait, the famous werewolf singer… that Zander is your mate?”
“The one and only. He lives on the edge of pack lands my other two mates, Colt and Lane, own in Knoxville, Tennessee. The other three are betas, Mason and Noah are twins, and then there’s Elias rounding out the group.”
“You only have marks from your alphas, though, correct? I didn’t see any others while you were sleeping,” Rathal stated.
“Yes, the other three are tied more to my elf nature, so we assumed that wouldn’t happen until I came into my power,” I explained as I headed for the door.
“We should head out. The sooner I can find a phone to call from, the better. It will take them a few hours to fly here, at which point I can get my hands on some of my funds to get us a decent meal.”
Rathal followed after me without comment as he took in our surroundings as if he was expecting something to come jumping out at him.
Without hesitation, I took his hand and interlaced our fingers, needing to soothe my mate’s emotions as I felt them hidden just under the surface.
Once I had contact with him, I was slapped with his protectiveness over me and his admiration for how attractive I was to him.
The emotions were so intense I gasped and came to a stop trying to figure out how to turn off his feelings at this moment.
“Nin mel, what’s wrong?” he questioned, reaching out to touch me with his other hand, but I held a hand up to stop him when he wouldn’t let go of my other hand.