9. Finley
Finley
The next few days passed in a blur of planning, making sure the three new elves, in addition to Ayla, were settled in the pack house.
Dealing with the pack as they adjusted to the changes, including the vampire that was now among them, took a bit of work.
Many were amazed to find out that elves were still alive and that a vampire didn’t want to kill them as natural enemies.
I think it also was helpful that the new elven additions to the pack helped in the greenhouse and gardens, teaching those that worked their new tricks.
Theodas informed me that just having my magic running through the earth had made a huge difference, but what he was teaching was practical knowledge.
He hoped it would be passed down to the next generation who worked to feed our pack and others.
Kolvar was a master craftsman and was more than happy to help anyone who needed it with repairs in their home or build what was needed from scratch. I could understand why he would be a great loss to his clan, but I was more than happy to have him part of our pack.
Vanya was a healer, quiet, soft-spoken, and tiny compared to the men she arrived with.
I even managed to be taller than her, and I was only five-seven, short for an elf, according to Rath.
While Vanya had magic to help with her healing abilities, she was also incredibly skilled at holistic medicine as well.
That was something I absolutely wanted to learn from her.
Having knowledge like that with the war we are about to wage would be invaluable if, for some reason, my magic failed me.
During the day, we spent a majority of time with the pack, handling matters and coming clean about who and what I was.
With so many things hitting them all at once, I was pleased to see the fact that I was an assassin didn’t seem quite so worrisome to them.
Derven, on the other hand, was going to have to work much harder to convince people he wasn’t going to eat them.
He’d gone with Noah and Rath into town to get some clothes and other things since Rath was also living off hand-me-downs from the guys. Granted, he could use his magic to alter them, but there were other things he needed as well.
Thankfully, every one of my mates was adjusting to having Derven around, and he proved to be quite useful in many areas, having picked up numerous skills in his thousand years.
As I wandered around the pack, talking with various members answering questions, or getting to know people, I could understand why packs chose to seclude themselves from the world.
This was a family, a massive one, yet every person looked out for each other.
Then again, like all families, there was always a problem child, or children in this case, unhappy with everything.
Some of the older members couldn’t handle the changes and lashed out at Colt and Lane.
They handled it with grace, but ultimately, it came down to whether they were going to stay or go.
Some chose to leave, moving to other packs that offered them a place, while many calmed down after a day or two, finally seeing what we were trying to do.
When the sun set and everyone went home to spend the evening with their families was when I got to work.
This wasn’t something the guys could help me with as easily, but when I did have an opportunity, I always let them.
I’d taken over Zander’s office, printing out information and creating stacks for each one of the people I was going after while in New York.
Ayla, my faithful shadow through the night, kept me company while the guys went to sleep.
They needed to be there for the pack right now, which meant being present during the day.
No one could know what I was doing, so working at night made the most sense.
A pack expected their omega to be a part of daily life and I was doing my best to provide that on top of protecting their future.
So I worked late into the night and joined them later in the afternoon.
That didn’t leave much personal time for us, but this wasn’t going to be long-term.
After New York, I would be able to take a breather, watching to see where the cracks started to show in the foundation.
Because the best assassins knew when to watch, wait, then act when the time was right.
A knock sounded on the office door causing me to look up and find Derven entering. He closed the door behind him, locking it, then turned to face me. “Everything alright?” I asked.
“Yes… well… ah,” Derven stammered as he approached and took a seat across from me.
“While I am an old vampire and able to control my urges, I believe going to New York City while hungry might not be the best idea. I’ve been able to manage just fine off minimal amounts of blood thanks to my time with the Dark Ring, but if I don’t need to force myself into that, I’d rather not. ”
Understanding crashed into me. “Derven, have you been starving yourself to give me time to adjust?”
“I wouldn’t say starving. The blood I took from your finger helped to keep the worst of the hunger pains at bay. It certainly packs a punch, so I wouldn’t need to take much from you to reach a point where I’ll be able to function without problems,” Derven explained.
Frowning, I leaned back in my chair. “How much would it take for you to be fully sated?”
“I couldn’t ask that of you, not yet,” he murmured. “To be fully sated wouldn’t just be blood… for vampires to be without hunger, both urges would need to be fed.”
“So blood and sex,” I stated bluntly. “For a vampire to be truly satisfied, you need to have sex while taking blood from your bond?”
“Yes, that would be the case,” he answered, refusing to look at me.
“Sangele mue, we are still so new to each other, and I know you don’t feel the same way about me that you do your other mates.
Blood Bonds are more for the vampire. It keeps us from killing the one person we need to feed from, who gives us the most power.
As for your side of things, well, I believe you find us unthreatening but nothing more on an emotional level. ”
I stood, walked around the desk, and perched myself on his lap, making him suck in a surprised breath. He didn’t move or even breathe. He just watched me with wide eyes as if he wasn’t sure what I would do next.
“You are correct, I don’t feel the instant attachment that I did with my other mates, but that doesn’t mean I’m not attracted to you.
Derven, you are an incredibly handsome man who’s been looking after me every night,” I paused, seeing his chagrin.
“Did you really think I believe that Ayla was the one making sure that I ate and didn’t just live off of coffee?
While you might be able to be moving about in the sunlight, you still seem to be more comfortable being up all night and resting during the day. ”
“I promised Mason I would keep an eye on you, make sure you didn’t starve yourself or, as he put it, become a caffeine zombie,” he admitted.
“Taking care of you is a joy and an honor not only because you are my Blood Bond but because of who you are as a person. The past few days, you’ve been working yourself to the bone to get this mission planned, then you are out with the pack attending to their needs.
I don’t think people understand just how amazing you are. ”
His words warmed my heart and made me bold enough to rest my head on his shoulder as I sat cradled in his lap.
Derven wrapped his arms around me and nuzzled his cheek against my hair.
We sat like this for a moment, just enjoying each other’s presence, and I realized that with all the work I was doing, my wolf wasn’t getting the cuddles she needed as an omega.
Lifting my head, I looked into his eyes.
They were so full of hope yet hesitant to make the first move.
I lifted a hand cupping his jaw and leaned in, pressing a kiss to his lips, the scent of sandalwood and copper flooding my nose.
It made me groan at how delightful the strange combination was, but it told me my wolf also found him pleasing.
His mouth moved undermine, drawing me into him deeper, his tongue flicking out to taste my lips.
When I opened up to him, I felt his fangs scrape along the soft flesh of the inside of my bottom lip.
It wasn’t hard enough to make me bleed, but the desire was there, and it made me shiver with anticipation.
Clearly, my body remembered what he’d done to me with only sucking on my finger.
“Finley, we need to stop if you don’t wish me to feed from you directly. I am only so strong when it comes to the woman who holds the most delectable blood I’ve ever tasted,” Derven whispered against my lips, refusing to pull back farther than he needed to.
My body begged for him to do just that, but part of me was still hesitant to offer up that much vulnerability to a man who was going to be taking life right out of me.
I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. That wasn’t what I feared.
It was more the fear I might become addicted to this.
Leaning back, I pushed against him, forcing space between us, then stood.
Derven seemed to sag in his seat, realizing I wasn’t going to let him drink from me.
I walked over to the black leather sofa Zander had moved in here for me to nap on if I needed to.
As I went, I slipped my shirt over my head, dropped it to the floor, then looked over my shoulder.
Derven was on his feet watching me as I removed my bra next, letting that fall.
My hair was down to my butt now, meaning it covered my breasts, so he couldn’t see them clearly yet.
I paused before the couch and started to shimmy out of the sweats I’d been wearing, but Derven appeared before me in a flash.