28. Finley
Finley
After lunch, Milly walked back to the greenhouse with me and marched right up to her sister.
"What are you thinking, Peggy? Finley is being wasted on filling those planter boxes when we don't even need them yet.
You have Mike and Kelly working overtime, trying to keep up with the spring planting.
Why on earth are you not letting Finley help? "
"She has no idea what she's doing, and we can't afford to waste what the alphas have worked so hard to provide for us," Peggy snapped back.
When she brought up the alphas I could feel jealousy and longing from her emotions making me think she had feelings for one of them. This might explain why she was so angry with me having taken them all as mates no longer giving any other woman a chance.
Milly tossed up her hand and groaned. "We’re fine!
I don't understand why you keep thinking this pack is struggling.
We've grown leaps and bounds over the past two years—for the better. Our alphas’ business is booming.
They are right now, as we speak, training more people to expand their reach.
So please enlighten me as to your issues here. "
"I don't need to explain myself to you, Milly. You may be my older sister, but you are not in charge of me or what I do in this greenhouse!" Peggy snarled, making me flinch at the sudden outburst.
Milly was having none of it, staring her sister down as they went head to head. "I still outrank you in every way that counts, so back down before I have to bring in someone else on this matter."
I could see that Peggy wanted to fight her sister, but the fact that she was less dominant left her with no leg to stand on. "Fine, I'll place her with Mike and Kelly, but I don't want her back in this greenhouse ever again."
"Ha!" Milly laughed. "I'd like to see you tell that to her mates.
I'm sure they would love to know that you're treating her like crap because you had your eyes set on Lane.
That was never going to happen no matter how much you mooned over him.
Finley is his true mate even if it's slightly unorthodox for a wolf to share with others.
It just shows how special Finley really is to them and to our pack, so suck it up and move on. "
The vast amount of information that I'd just learned made me slightly uncomfortable, and all my wolf wanted was to slink away, but my training had me collecting every tidbit I could, knowing I might need it later.
There was something about Peggy that was throwing me off, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. Hearing that she had a thing for Lane, it made more sense, accounting for her instant dislike of me. Although I didn’t think that was all of it since I couldn't figure out why she was so worried about the growing size of the pack.
"If you'll follow me, Finley, I'll introduce you to Mike and Kelly. They’re a mated pair and ever so delightful to spend time with… unlike some people here," Milly said, glaring at her sister as she waved for me to follow.
More than happy to remove myself from the situation and the rollercoaster ride of emotions that were flying around.
It was overwhelming to filter through them but thankfully with it only being the two of them it didn’t wear me out like the pack gathering had.
We entered another section of the greenhouse that opened up into a wide warehouse with a glass roof and misters hanging from the ceiling.
Four people were hunched over planter boxes with various gardening tools around them.
Upon hearing us enter, they looked up, watching us approach.
"Hello, you two, I'm sure you know who Finley is," Milly said by way of introduction. "It seems she got a little lost in the mix, but she'll be helping you guys out with planting for the rest of the day."
"Oh, that's lovely!" Kelly exclaimed, smiling at me.
"With just a few of us in here, we need all the help we can muster.
Most new people want to work with the kids or in the kitchen, but what's more fulfilling than growing what we can to feed the pack?
You know, the alphas are trying to make it so that we can provide most of the food needs instead of having to order in supplies.
I think by next year we might be able to, don't you think, dear? "
"Seeing as how last year we did about half and with how mild the winter has been, we have a good chance of it," Mike answered, kissing his wife's cheek.
"Don't mind the love birds. They've only been mated for a short while," Milly teased. "Alright, I'll leave you to it."
Mike was a small man, in both height and stature, but he had a kind face that set me at ease.
Kelly was taller, and I could see she was already pregnant as she absently rubbed the baby bump.
By their emotions alone, I could tell they were warm, kind people, and I was finally able to relax after the whole thing with Peggy.
Those sisters were a force to be reckoned with, and the emotions they gave off were overwhelming and chaotic.
"So, Finley, what do you know about gardening?" Kelly asked.
"How to mix soil for the planter boxes…” I admitted.
This seemed to delight Kelly. "Oh, I love being able to teach new people such a valuable skill! Those who know how to plant and garden will never go hungry."
"Take it easy, honey. You don't want to scare her off with your exuberance," Mike chided gently.
"Yes, yes." Kelly rolled her eyes and patted her husband's shoulder before waving for me to follow her. "Come, let's get you some tools, gloves, and seeds!"
To say that the later part of my day was far more enjoyable than the beginning was an understatement.
Kelly was easy to be around, chatting on while she worked teaching as she went.
She was a born wolf, but Mike wasn't; he'd joined the pack two years ago.
He and Kelly had bonded over their love of gardening, and their romance grew from there.
It was interesting to hear how they fell in love the old-fashioned way.
Now they were mated and expecting their first child.
"You know, I never knew how hard it would be to not shift for nine months," Kelly sighed as she took a break. "Having always been able to do so, it's almost like torture, but this little one will be worth it after it's all said and done."
"What happens if you shift?" I asked.
"Goodness, I'm sorry. I swear this baby is stealing brain cells every day.
The shift will cause your baby to be terminated; the mutation in us does pass to our children but not while it's still being formed.
If I were to shift, I would lose the child instantly," Kelly explained.
"Typically, your wolf nature understands this and doesn't encourage it, but situations happen.
It's tragic, but all you can do is try your best, this is why we as a pack treasure all children born. They are a labor of love and some choose that its not worth the pain or anxiety if they fail and lose the baby. I’ve always wanted to be a mother so I am willing to do whatever it takes to see this child join the world. "
That all made sense to me, but it had me thinking back to the fact that I couldn't have children yet… not that I wanted any right now—or ever. During their rut, my mates had already shown they wouldn’t mind me having a baby, so I wouldn't put it past them to try to change my mind on the matter.
"Are you planning on having kids now that you're mated? I feel like it would be impossible to prevent it with three mates; one is hard enough for me to manage," Kelly admitted, giving me a meaningful look.
I couldn't help but laugh at that. "So far they have been very respectful in letting me adjust to everything going on, like the fact that I was instantly bonded to all three of them. To be honest, I think they’re having a harder time wrapping their heads around the sharing part more than I am. I get all the benefits of the deal, well, they are busy men taking care of a pack this large so my wolf gets sad they aren’t around all the time. "
"Oh, but isn't Alpha Zander on a break after his last tour? That's what the pack gossip was saying, but you can never trust those rumors," Kelly huffed. "All some women see are the dollar signs around him—a bunch of hussies, I say."
"Well then, it's a good thing I landed a mate who has absolutely no interest in my wealth," Zander interjected as he walked over to us.
I couldn't help the smile that instantly showed up when I saw him. "You're back."
"Indeed, little dove," Zander answered, smiling down at me. "I've come to pick you up and take you home with me…unless you're enjoying yourself here too much."
Before I answered, I looked over at Kelly and Mike, wanting to make sure that was okay with them. "Go, on. Honestly, when a man takes the time to escort you home, you don't dawdle. Now, get," Kelly shooed me away. "Leave your things. We'll take care of it. Have a good night and we'll see you soon."
It was hard not to like Kelly, so impulsively I reached out and gave her a hug. "Thanks for everything today."
Kelly blushed as she waved me off, tears welling up in her eyes. "This darn baby makes me cry over the silliest things!" Mike wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek as he waved goodbye to me.
Feeling much better about my day and interacting with the pack as a whole, I returned the wave as Zander and I walked out of the greenhouse.
"How did you know where I was?" I asked as he opened the door to a sleek white Land Rover.
"Do you really think we didn't all know what you were up to today? Elias made sure that everyone was kept in the loop," Zander informed me as he buckled me in. "I know you can protect yourself, but I like to know you're safe," he stated before catching me in a toe-curling kiss.
"If I get a kiss like that every time, I suddenly don't mind all that much," I purred, giving him a wink.
Zander flashed me a sultry grin as he shut the door and made his way to the driver’s side. "I should warn you though... Colt was not happy about how Peggy was treating you today."
"If Elias knew about that, I'm surprised she's still in one piece," I commented.
"That would be information we got from Milly. Apparently, she called Lane and Colt right after she dropped you off after lunch."
I glanced at Zander as we headed out to the main road. "What, did they call you right after to chat about it like a bunch of worried hens?"
"The three of us are your mates, Finley.
Anything that happens with you is our business.
It was only right that they called me to fill me in, which is also why I came to check on you.
I needed to make sure things were going better this afternoon.
Since there was only an hour left before five o'clock, I selfishly decided to just bring you home instead of leaving you to finish. "
Hearing that he missed me even though he didn't say it outright made me feel all warm inside. Truth be told, I'd missed all of them as well. It was crazy to think it had been only a few short days since I picked up the phone and called Colt. Now I was here, mated, an omega who is also an elf, and working with the pack to provide for our needs. The lone assassin had turned into a housewife, and it was oddly wonderful as much as its terrifying. Seeing Kelly and her mate the love and respect that they shared with each other gave me hope I might be able to give that to my men. All my life I’ve been told to be aloof and to keep relationships short because you couldn’t be vulnerable.
Maybe they were wrong… maybe life could be better if I gave them a chance… maybe.
"How do you feel about going out tonight?" Zander asked, pulling me out of my thoughts. "Colt and Lane will be back around six, same with Elias, although the twins might not be back until tomorrow depending on how late the concert goes."
"That actually sounds like fun. I don't know the area at all, so it will be nice to get a feel for where I'm at. I'm so used to doing so much research on the location I end up in. It's odd to have no clue what's around me," I shared.
Zander took my dirt-covered hand in his and intertwined our fingers. "Do you think you can be happy here?"
His question caught me completely off guard. "What?"
"None of this was what you planned for your life, so it doesn't surprise me that this is going to take some adjusting. But do you think you could be happy living here in the woods of Tennessee with the pack and the six of us learning how to have a life together?"
The question he asked was something I'd been wrestling with all day, working without them to buffer how different my world really was now.
"I'd like to try. You and the others mean a lot more to me than I would've imagined in such a short time.
I don't know if that’s because of the mate bond or whatever the elves call it, but I've never felt so cared for and protected in my life.
There are aspects that I think we need to work through as we get to know each other, but I want to work through them, if that makes sense? "
"Guess that's as good of an honest answer as I could ask for," he murmured, kissing the back of my hand.
"Take your time cleaning up. I also brought home some magazines of design ideas for your nesting room if you're not sure what to do with it.
I put them in there if you want some time to decompress after such a social day. "
Now that he offered the option, it sounded heavenly to me. "Could I read one of the books your mother lent you instead?"
"Absolutely, little dove."