Chapter 70
SEVENTY
FINCH
I paced back and forth on the cream carpet, my jaw tight.
I had no idea where Laurel was. I’d felt her flash of pain as I was frantically putting my plan into motion, using an apparent message from Jag to Ashton Vass that Thaddeus needed to see the Lucas pack urgently.
I hadn’t left a trail that could be traced back to me, but they’d have figured out someone pulled some bullshit last night and would be on high alert now.
But it was worth it, because it had worked, and I’d seen them file out of the black door a few minutes later. Madison had been covered in blood. I hadn’t moved fast enough to protect her, and I had no idea how badly she was hurt.
She hadn’t replied to any of my messages and had disappeared after that. It was finally morning, and I’d instructed Laurel to meet me at my villa as soon as possible.
There was a knock on the door, and I was there in a second, ripping it open and making Laurel stumble back in surprise. She looked messier than I’d ever seen her. Her long blonde hair was up in a chaotic bun, and her eye makeup was smudged everywhere.
She looked like she hadn’t slept, either.
“Inside,” I said, grabbing her arm and starting to pull her inside. She let out a yelp of pain, and I dropped her arm immediately, my eyes widening. “Christ, I’m sorry,” I said, but she looked at the floor while she composed herself and crossed the threshold.
I closed the door and turned to look at her, for once unsure of what to say.
I’d needed to see her—I’d been desperate for her to be here—but now that she was, I was lost. Her scent was slowly unfurling around her, heavy with pain.
Did…did she even want to be here right now? I’d ordered her to come here to make sure she was all right, but what if I was just causing her more pain? Fuck, this felt too much like the helplessness I experienced around Kaos.
I clenched my jaw further as I tried to untangle the mess of emotions in my head.
Guilt wasn’t something I was used to facing, but it was indisputable that last night had been my fault.
She’d tried to tell me, and I hadn’t listened, and she was the one who had suffered for it.
Why was she just standing there, looking smaller than I’d ever seen her? She should be snarling at me, waving her finger in my face as she said I told you so.
“Re—” I started, and cut myself off, taking a breath as I let the command drop from my voice. “What happened?”
She shrugged, wincing again, furthering my theory that she didn’t want to be here. Which made me feel worse.
I left my question—she’d chosen not to answer it—and guided her to the couch. “Let me see,” I said, meeting her eyes. Let me help. Please.
She wordlessly shrugged off her hoodie, and the edges of my vision went red as I saw a sloppy dressing on her back, already saturated with blood.
I forced myself to take a deep breath, then noticed something else; her skin was littered with faded bruises.
Long, thin ones, as if someone had hit her with a switch.
When I’d first failed Kaos, he’d been hurt. I had set a bad example, and had pushed him away. He was someone I should have protected.
Laurel was someone that should be protected. It was so obvious, that I hadn’t considered that someone had failed her. But it looked like someone had been failing to protect her for a long time.
I’d brought her under my wing, and now I’d failed her as well.
“I’ll be back,” I said, and went to the bedroom to get my first-aid kit. I stood for a moment, my hands trembling as I tried to calm the rage clawing at my insides.
I took a deep breath, then another. Feeling marginally calmer, I returned to Laurel. She was quiet as I took off the bloody dressing to assess the damage. I snarled as I looked at the wound underneath.
“What is this?” I asked before I could stop myself.
“He started with a knife,” Laurel said in her flat voice. “And then…I think he bit it.”
Shock was the only thing keeping me still right now. I tried to focus on the task in front of me.
It was a nasty wound, and would scar, but someone had given it stitches already.
I could do first aid. Keeping my hands busy was better than just sitting there, completely lost as to what to say.
So I worked, cleaning and redressing the wound.
“They found me down there,” she said eventually. She was looking at the wall, her face expressionless. “And I couldn’t…I couldn’t leave. I couldn’t get to my phone, not with them watching.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said, my voice hoarse. “I should have listened to you. I got them away as soon as I could, but I know it was too late.”
She remained still, face blank. Of course that wasn’t enough; I wasn’t sure anything would be enough to make this right. But I was going to try.
I sank to my knees in front of her and pressed my hands to the floor, sinking down in a bow.
My heart was heavy in my chest, squeezing with an unrelenting force that was causing me to sink lower than I ever had before, until my forehead almost touched the ground.
My glasses slid down my face, but I made no move to fix them yet.
“I’ve failed you as your alpha and as your pack lead,” I said, keeping my position.
My hands trembled against the floor. “You should have been mine to care for and honour, but instead, I chained you and called you my enemy. And then, when I should have admitted my mistake, I sought to cover my own shame. I was supposed to protect you, but I was the one who put you in harm’s way. For that, I’m sorry.”
“Finch,” she said, nudging me with her foot.
I raised myself up a bit to meet her eyes, my glasses slipping back into place. Her expression wasn’t blank anymore, now showing a hint of the anger I knew I deserved.
“I know I don’t deserve your trust or respect,” I said, moving my hand to press over my heart. “But I promise I will do my best to make this right. I release you from all my commands. If you want to walk away from all this, I understand. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you’re safe.”
It hurt to say, because I didn’t know how we would free Ocean without her. But I knew it was the right thing to do.
She sat up straighter, a frown on her face. “I’m not going anywhere. You’d never get Ocean out without me.”
I rose up so I was sitting on my legs. “We’ll manage. You’ve suffered enough.”
“That implies I’m a helpless victim,” she said, her voice hardening.
“And let me be clear about something, Finch. I’m not helpless.
I’ve clawed every inch of influence I have here with my sweat and blood.
If you think I’m walking away from this, you’re wrong.
I’m going to find out what happened to my brother.
And I’m going to get Ocean out of here—not because you told me to, but because I want to.
I’m glad you’re ready to start listening to me, because you’ve already fucked things up enough with your bullheadedness. ”
She stood up, only wincing slightly as she shrugged on her hoodie again.
“Thank you for dressing the wound. I’m going to follow up on our lead for how to treat Ocean. I’ve confirmed a case of a feral alpha who made a full recovery. Plus, he’s connected to a professor of Arkology, so we can avoid any medical personnel or records. I’ll let you know what I find.”
With that, she left me kneeling on the floor as she swept out of my villa.
I closed my eyes, shoulders slumping. I didn’t deserve her help, but she was offering it, anyway. Laurel, beaten but not broken. Holding her head high as she walked amongst the wolves.