Chapter 30
Thirty
WILLOW
Fresh rain glistened on the leaves, mud thick under my boots as I walked around the grounds.
I’d spent hours at the site for the rescue every day for the last week.
Contractors came in and out, meeting with Caroline.
The beta was almost as intense as Kaelen, snapping at everyone and giving directions.
At first, I thought I’d be in Caroline’s way, but she seemed indifferent to my presence. Based on her rigid attitude, I’d take that as a win. I sat at a table in a small trailer, reviewing the scope of work, and it was a massive undertaking.
Some acreage was slotted for play yards and others for housing for large and small breed dogs. Before I knew it, Torin slunk out of the shadows, snorting at my hunched figure.
“You’ll develop a hump if you keep sitting like that.”
Rolling my eyes, I saluted him with my empty cup of coffee. “I guess Kaelen will have to banish me to the bell tower then.”
“Come on, lass.”
“Lass? No more Miss Willow?”
“No.”
Deciding not to push it, in case he ended up calling me Mrs. Finnegan to make me mad, I left it alone. Kaelen greeted us at the front door of the contractor’s trailer, his hands in his pockets.
“What?” I asked.
“Come. We’re going out to dinner and you need to get ready.”
Butterflies swarmed in my belly as I let him lead me into the backseat of the car with him. My omega was delighted to spend time with our alpha. And I was excited, looking forward to a night out with my husband.
My husband.
A man I loved.
Grunting, he placed my legs over his thighs, caressing my calf as we drove through the suburbs and into the city. Once back home, he followed me into our room, his palm an anchor against my lower back.
My eyes roamed over him as he shut the door behind us. Dark suit pants hugged his thighs, with a white shirt stretched across his chiseled chest. Someone carved him out of marble. That was the only explanation of how one man could be so handsome.
“You know you don’t need to take me anywhere fancy. I’d be happy with a burger at one of your pubs.”
Smirking, he silenced me with a kiss, grabbing my hips and pulling me into him. I grinned at the combined headiness of his scent and his hands. A thumb brushed over my freckles, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
“Someday you’ll learn to enjoy it when I spoil you, mo chroí.”
Threads from his ridiculously expensive shirt slid under my fingers as I pushed him down onto the bed. His knees collapsed against the edge before he landed with a quiet thud.
“I enjoy you in jeans and a tight t-shirt,” I winked, crawling on top of him.
“Feral thing,” he chuckled, pinching my hip. “You, saying you don’t like my suits.”
I shrugged, sitting up on my knees and tracing a line of tattoos visible under his shirt. “It has a certain appeal.”
Truthfully, I loved the way his muscles flexed under the material, and the way his body molded to the fabric. Every version of him was made for me, and my omega keened when I gave in to that realization.
A sting made me hiss as he swatted my bum.
“Get dressed, Omega.”
“Yes, Alpha,” I said, unable to ignore how much I liked it when he tried to boss me around.
A thrill zipped up my spine as Kaelen’s hand settled on the small of my back, guiding me over the threshold into the restaurant. His potent blend of whisky and espresso expanded as we moved inside.
Silk brushed against my fingertips as I tugged at the hem of the custom Marc Jacobs dress Kaelen insisted I wear. Beside him, I felt like a movie star. Every eye in the room landed on us. I leaned in closer, resting my palm on the lapel of his bespoke suit jacket.
I didn’t belong in a place like this with someone like him. As if sensing my unease, he tucked me into his side and purred—a velvety, decadent sound that made me want to do the same.
Lips rested on my temple as he drew circles on my hip.
The touch steadied me, reminding me of who I was.
I was Willow Finnegan. The most powerful woman in Boston. I belonged here. I belonged with him.
And he belonged with me. My hold on his forearm tightened. I swore something akin to pride glittered in the dark specks of his eyes.
A tall man with a pointed nose greeted us, shrinking under Kaelen’s unrelenting glower.
“Reservation for Finnegan.”
For a second, it appeared the host forgot how to breathe, nearly choking and bowing so low I thought he might snap in half. The man wordlessly gestured for us to follow him through the lavish dining room. Kaelen threaded his fingers with mine, bringing my knuckles to his lips and kissing them.
Blush burned my cheeks as every head turned, eyeing us before quickly snapping away. Hushed murmurs followed our footsteps, and my heart raced. Soon, the whispers melted into a reverent silence, some people dipping their chins in our direction.
Unease pitted in my stomach as I instinctively nestled further into Kaelen’s hold, chasing his sinful scent. The odd combination of awe and fear among the guests made my skin prickle. Kaelen, however, thrived in it.
With an arm slung around my waist, his palm splayed possessively across the jut of my hip.
Lips brushed over the shell of my ear, and I sighed, almost forgetting my discomfort.
“It’s alright, mo chroí. Embrace it. This is your power now. Mine and yours. Let them see it. Let them fear it.”
The quiet affection resonated in my gut, sending a different warmth through my veins. Trust. Something stirred within me, willingly accepting the power Kaelen was offering. The power of belonging, and the satisfaction that I wielded as much of it as he did.
My chin lifted almost imperceptibly. Kaelen let out a pleased groan that did terrible things to my panties.
“Good girl,” he cooed.
“Can we go home?”
“Needy thing. No. I haven’t finished spoiling you yet.”
“You spoil me plenty.”
“Not even close to enough,” he said, lightly collaring my throat and tipping my chin back with his thumb. “Not until you’re naked in my bed with priceless jewels adoring your body.”
I squirmed, another needy sound whispering from me. We arrived at a secluded table in the depths of the restaurant, illuminated by candles and brass lamps on the walls.
“Mrs. Finnegan, if I may,” the host said, gesturing to a chair.
I offered him a reassuring smile, only for Kaelen to slap his hand away.
“Mr. Finnegan. Sir… Apologies. I did not mean to offend.”
Kaelen dismissed him with a half-hearted wave of his hand, pulling out my chair for me instead.
“That was unnecessary,” I said, rolling my eyes as I sank into the cushioned seat.
“No one takes care of my omega except me,” he said, pushing my chair in and kissing my pulse point.
Despite my best efforts, I secretly enjoyed the possessive claim from my alpha. Kaelen made me feel safe. Safe. It was an odd sensation. It wasn’t until now that I realized I had spent the better half of the last decade feeling anything but that, constantly in a stage of fight or flight.
Kaelen settled in beside me, touching and kissing and whispering until I wiggled in my seat, making him chuckle. The backs of his knuckles dusted over my arm when our meals came out. I leaned further into him, and he gently pinched my chin, sending a rush of arousal to my center.
“Eat, Omega.”
The warmth of his alpha command seared over my skin. I speared a scallop, moaning at how it fell apart on my tongue.
“You can’t make those noises,” he grunted, squeezing my thigh under the table.
“Trouble, Alpha?” I asked, sweeping my tongue across the tines of my fork.
“You’re the one who is going to be in trouble, wife,” he said, his voice hoarse as he drained his wine.
Dark green eyes watched me as I ate, taking pleasure in my movements. A faint smile ghosted over his features. I savored each bite, surprised by how tender the steak was.
Over the years, I had attended at least a dozen fancy dinners for my dad’s re-election, but nothing tasted this good.
The waitstaff were courteous and slightly terrified as they cleared our plates and brought out dessert.
I shimmied, almost giggling at how pretty the chocolate pastry looked.
I had no idea what it was, but knew it was going to be delicious.
Kaelen breathed a raspy sound, digging his fork into the dessert and bringing it to my lips.
Before I tasted it, an acrid scent, like stale cigar smoke and spoiled fruit, made me gag. I winced, shaking my head. My omega bristled, and Kaelen dropped the fork with a clink, digging his nails into my hip.
“Kaelen Finnegan and his wife,” a rough, grating voice said, cutting through our reverence. “What a pleasant surprise.”
A metallic taste danced along my tongue as my teeth dug in hard on my poor lower lip. Two men and a young girl stood in the entryway to our tucked-away table. Far enough to be respectful, but close enough to leave me and my omega uneasy.
Kaelen’s scent shifted, a burned edge corroding the usual cozy notes.
Both men were undeniably alpha, the older of the two gray-bearded and pot-bellied. A seedy sneer spread across his lips, revealing yellow teeth. My stomach flip-flopped, and Kaelen’s grip on me tightened. The younger of the two men remained unnervingly neutral, his face giving nothing away.
“Rossi,” Kaelen said, his free hand drifting to his gun, while holding me tighter. “I will kindly ask you to keep your eyes off my wife and omega.”
My breath hitched. I tried not to panic. I didn’t want to show fear, not in front of the man who had been too close to marrying me. I retched, imagining a world where I was bound to Vittorio Rossi.
Wood scraped against the floor as Kaelen rose. Even in a room full of alphas, his towering figure dwarfed everyone else. I clung to his hand, my pulse thudding in my ears. Vittorio gave me a look that hovered between placating and predatory.
The younger alpha placed a heavy hand on the young omega’s shoulder, prepared to jump in front of her if needed. Kaelen stiffened, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze as his chest heaved with labored breaths.
Chances were we were a few seconds away from Kaelen’s alpha bursting free, sending the restaurant into chaos. I trailed my finger over his tattooed knuckles, trying to push out as many calming pheromones as I could.
“Willow Sterling is such a charming creature. Can’t say I’m surprised you scooped her up,” Vittorio said. “I still believe she was promised to me first.”
“Finnegan,” Kaelen corrected, the vein in his neck throbbing. “And she is not yours. Willow is mine. My omega. My wife.”
Vittorio gave a clumsy bow, a hand splayed over his chest.
“Of course. My sincerest apologies. Please forgive my rudeness, Mrs. Finnegan,” he said, his raspy voice thick with his Italian accent.
“Don’t. Talk. To. Her,” Kaelen snapped, his green eyes almost black.
The younger man beside Vittorio shifted. Unsettled. He murmured something in Italian to Vittorio, making his beady eyes narrow. Vittorio’s face pinched as he waved off whatever the other man said. The younger man shot a subtle look at Kaelen, something urgent in his gaze.
Kaelen’s hand drifted, and for a second, I thought it was to his gun. My throat constricted. I debated hiding under the table when the shadows in the dimly lit room shifted. Torin emerged from the darkness, with no playfulness in his features.
Soon, Aidan and another man I didn’t recognize appeared, the men flanking me and Kaelen.
“What are you doing here?” Kaelen asked.
“Simply a happy coincidence,” Vittorio said. “I was enjoying dinner with my son and daughter when we saw you. The polite thing is to say hello. Is it not?”
“Not in this case. Leave.”
The younger man gently hid the young omega with dark eyes and even darker hair behind him, trying to move her out of harm’s way. Vittorio’s son sneered. Not at Kaelen, but at his father, hissing loud enough for us to hear.
“Padre, per favore. Non addesso.”
Torin moved from the side of the table, now in front of it, blocking me with his hand resting on the hilt of the gun on his hip.
What color remained in Vittorio’s gaunt cheeks vanished. He glowered at his son but relented, dipping his chin.
“Of course, Kaelen. My apologies. A misunderstanding,” Vittorio said, his eyes landing on Torin before drifting back to Kaelen like he had been trying to steal another glimpse of me.
My skin crawled. I buried my face in Kaelen’s stomach, feeling safe when he palmed the back of my head.
“We’ll leave you to your dinner.”
Vittorio reached out, attempting to pull his omega daughter to his side. His son snapped, placing himself between his father and his sister, murmuring something in Italian to the young girl. Sad eyes stared up at him.
An expression I was familiar with. One of resignation.
I struggled to see around Torin, only hearing footsteps fading into the distance.
The tension in the room slowly dissipated.
The hushed murmurs from the main dining room, carrying back in.
Our table was secluded enough that other patrons only heard raised voices, not seeing everything that unfolded.
“Keep an eye on the Rossis,” Kaelen said, his tone cold and detached. “Vittorio is up to something.”
The unfamiliar man nodded, leaving us alone as Torin and Aidan made their way back to wherever they had been.
Once the two of us were alone again, Kaelen crouched beside me, running his rough palms over my thighs. I shivered, a mixture of residual fear and heat from his touch. He cupped my cheek, holding me steady.
“Are you alright, mo chroí?”
I nodded, still shaken. My omega swelled with pride at how well our alpha protected us. I ran my nails through his beard, scratching as he leaned into my touch.
“Okay. A bit of shock.”
My gaze landed on the forgotten cake-like pastry on the table, and my stomach twisted in knots.
“Alpha. Can we have dessert to-go?”
“Anything you want,” he said, brushing his lips against mine in the shadow of a kiss. “I’ll have them deliver one of every dessert on the menu. Come, wife.”
Standing, he slipped his hands under my knees, cradling me against him. I squeaked, wrapping my arms around his neck.
“Kaelen, you can’t carry me out of here like this.”
“Watch me,” he said, and I buried my face in his neck.