4. Finley #2
“I need you to put up a shield or something to tone down your emotions if you’re going to touch me.
My omega side is a strong empath and touching you makes it like a direct line to your feelings, and they are oppressive at this moment,” I explained.
Seconds later, they were gone as if they’d never existed at all.
I took a deep breath, finally feeling like I could hear my own thoughts.
“Thank you. Normally I can handle it, but it was almost as if they were screaming at me.”
Rathal took my hand and kissed the back of it. “I apologize. That is my fault. Your mental barrier is so strong that I didn’t bother to shield it from you in the hope it would help me read you better. I should have known that contact would create a link and been prepared.”
“Does it bother you that you can’t hear my thoughts or feel my emotions well?” I inquired, curious. Being able to feel people’s emotions all the time, I couldn’t imagine adding in their thoughts as well.
“If you were anyone else, it wouldn’t be an issue, but since you are my mate, and it's such an intimate part of being bonded together, I feel a little lost,” he answered honestly.
“We have been taught at such a young age the wonders of finding your mate and the bond we have with them, mind, body, and soul, that we long for those moments. I acknowledge that things are different between us, not having gone through the courting process or building a relationship like most would. Our bonding was instinctive and rushed, so now I must adjust, which I will gladly do for you. You’ll just need to give me a little time to do so. ”
Not really having much I could say to all that, I decided maybe words weren’t the right move.
Pulling my hand out of Rathal’s hold, I instead wrapped them around his waist and hugged him tightly, willing my mind to share with him how much that meant to me.
His arms curled around my shoulders, holding me to him as he pressed a kiss to my head.
My wolf started to purr at the physical contact, and happy emotions flowed through us, making my chest vibrate and Rathal chuckle.
“I envy your ability to purr. It shows the others exactly how you’re feeling.
Come. We have much to do this morning, and if I were in my gwanur’s position, I would be out of my mind with worry. ”
“Gwanur?” I asked as we started back down the street.
“It means brother, but not the same as a sibling by blood but by sharing a mate.”
“Seems I’m going to need to learn another language to truly understand you,” I teased, grinning up at him.
Rathal flashed me a smile. “I have a feeling you’ll pick it up in no time. It is your native tongue. I feel like your mother would have spoken it to you growing up.”
“Sadly, I don’t remember anything much before Miranda and the Organization took me in. My life changed so much going right into training. I didn’t have time to realize what I’d lost since the others were the same as me,” I shared.
The conversation fell off and we continued in a comfortable silence until we reached the nicer part of downtown Miami. I entered a small bookstore that sold rare and antique books heading right for the desk where I rang the small bell on the counter.
“Coming!” was heard deeper in the store, but with my supernatural hearing, I knew he was walking up from the back storage room.
It took Oscar a few minutes to reach the counter, but when he did and spotted me, he came to a halt. “Finley.” His voice squeaked in surprise.
Oscar was exactly the type of person you would picture working at a bookstore like this.
Thick round glasses, polo shirt with khakis, and penny loafers that were perfectly worn in from daily use.
He’d been one of my contacts that the Organization didn’t know about.
He kept backup supplies for me and I sent him enough money to keep his store running even if he never made another sale.
“It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, I figured you’d forgotten about me,” he explained, adjusting his glasses nervously.
I gave him a smile and shook my head. “Do you think I would be sending you that much money if I’d forgotten about you?” I waved off the question without really needing him to answer it. “I need to get to my things. Can you let me into the vault?”
“Of course, you both can follow me.” He turned and started to walk, then paused, looking back at Rathal. “Um, unless you’d rather leave him up here? You don’t usually have people with you.”
“It’s fine, but thank you for not assuming. That might come in handy one of these days,” I said, giving Oscar a full smile in appreciation.
Oscar seemed stunned by the smile and a blush started to creep up his neck and onto his cheeks. “Ah, yes… well, I know our arrangement is less than standard, so I didn’t want you to be acting against your will or anything.”
Rathal stepped up behind me and settled his hands on my hips in a move that clearly stated his claim on me. “I would never force my mate to do something against her will. Nin mel, who is this man and what arrangement is he talking about?”
“Business, nothing more, right Oscar?” I asked, cocking a brow.
He gaped at me and Rathal like a fish before turning on his heel and scurrying to the book vault in the corner of the store.
I couldn’t help but snicker to myself at how the two men were acting around me as if I needed either of them to stand up for my honor.
When we reached the vault, which was really a secure environment for the rare books to be housed, the door was cracked open, and Oscar was nowhere to be found.
“I think you scared the poor man, Rath,” I quipped, looking at him out of the corner of my eye.
“Then he shouldn’t have been looking at my mate like he wanted to sleep with you. It’s rude to make advances when you have clear marks on your skin marking you as taken,” Rathal justified.
Shaking my head, I grinned. “Come one, we best close the door. The ocean air isn’t good for the books.”
The room wasn’t large with all four walls, but the door had shelves full of books.
I walked over to the table used to repair or restore any damaged books and took a pair of cloth gloves.
Heading over to a bookshelf, I removed a section of books to reveal a safe behind it and typed in the code, using my pointer fingerprint to unlock it with a snick.
Once opened, it revealed a set of knives, a gun, passport, driver’s license, a stack of cash, and a burner phone.
I grabbed the license and the phone but left everything else there in case I would ever need it later.
I turned the phone on and dialed Colt’s number, knowing he would answer any unknown number on that specific cell phone just like he had the first time.