27. Finn
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Finn
Iam absolutely not spying. I’m just...strategically observing. Huge distinction.
I lean against the kitchen window, staring out at the backyard where Adrian and Kaia are sitting in the hammock, much too far away from me for my liking.
"This is a bad idea," I mutter.
"Nah."
"Probably."
Jonas and Lachlan speak simultaneously.
I whip around. "Which one is it?"
Lachlan just shrugs, completely unbothered as he focuses on seasoning the steaks for dinner tonight, as if there isn’t a life-altering moment happening ten feet outside.
"It's the whole," Lachlan says calmly, "if she can't see him at his worst, she can't have him at his best."
I frown. "He's not his worst," I argue. "He's one of the best guys."
Jonas presses his elbows into the counter, watching me with that stupid and annoying calm expression. "I know that," he says. "You know that. We know that." There's a pause. "But she doesn't."
My chest tightens.
Jonas pushes off from the counter, walking closer. He reaches out and squeezes my shoulder—firm, grounding, a silent acknowledgment that he sees my anxiety spiraling. His eyes meet mine for just a moment, and in that look is everything: I understand. It's okay. We've got this.
Then he releases me and moves toward the cabinets. "She needs to come to that on her own," he adds quietly. "Before he opens up to her."
I groan, dragging a hand down my face. "This is too much stress," I declare. "We need dessert."
Jonas laughs. "Come on," he says, already moving toward the cabinets. "Let's make a strawberry poke cake."
I gasp. "YES!"
The kitchen fills with movement almost immediately. Jonas grabs ingredients like he's done this a thousand times. I follow, grabbing whatever looks important and probably some things that aren't.
Lachlan stays by the counter, working on the steaks with a quiet focus that somehow makes everything feel more stable. But my attention drifts back outside. I can feel Adrian through the bond. He's tense and sharp, trying to stay controlled.
My stomach twists.
"I don't like this," I mutter again.
Jonas moves behind me, wrapping his arms loosely around my waist, grounding me instantly. "Hey," Jonas murmurs, pressing a soft kiss to the side of my neck. "Chill, little Omega."
I lean back into him automatically.
"We can't make a cake if you're freaking out."
I huff. "I don't want her to leave."
"She's not going to."
"What if he scares her?"
Jonas doesn't answer right away, but then he says, "She's not scared of him."
I frown, again. "She's scared of bossy, dominant Alphas," I say. "That's literally him, Jonas!"
Jonas tightens his hold on me slightly. "You have to trust him," he says. "And her."
I lean my head back against his shoulder. I don't like it, but I nod. "Okay."
We keep baking, mixing, and pouring. I try not to glance at the window every five seconds. When the cake goes into the oven, I immediately move on, needing something to fill the void of not knowing what's going on.
"Can we have macaroni with the steaks?"
"Anything you want, Omega," Lachlan says, without looking up from the steaks.
I grin. "I like Kaia being here," I say. "It makes you give me whatever I want."
Lachlan pauses, and slowly looks up. "When have I not given you what you wanted?"
I open my mouth, then stop, actually thinking. "Oh, you said no to coffee that one time."
Lachlan raises an eyebrow. "You'd already had three cups of coffee that day," he says. "And I offered you decaf."
I admit defeat, because, "And then I got ice cream."
Lachlan just stares at me, and I grin. "Okay, fine." Then I feel my eyes light up. "You won't let me do you."
Lachlan doesn't even hesitate. "Yeah, no," he says, flatly. "That's still not happening, handsome. That's what Jonas is for."
"Hey!" Jonas protests.
I turn around slowly. "Hi..."
Jonas narrows his eyes. "Don't you..."
"Think we have time for..."
I freeze mid-sentence. The bond flares—sharp, hot, possessive. Adrian's dominance crashes through the connection like a wave, responding to my provocation, my brattiness. It's not dangerous; it's a warning. A promise. My skin prickles with heat.
"Ooh." I breathe.
Jonas snorts, completely unbothered. "False alarm," he says, glancing toward the window before looking back at me with amusement. "Adrian's just being a dom, and seems like Kaia likes it.”
We all relax, just a little.
I move back to the counter and grab what I need for the macaroni while Jonas starts to cut green beans. Lachlan flips the steaks to season the other side after letting the other side with seasoning sit for a while.
Everything feels normal again.
Until the back door opens.
I look up to see Kaia walking in first, with Adrian just behind her, resting his hand lightly on her waist.
My grin returns instantly. Okay, we're good.
Lachlan glances up. "Hey, Kaia," he says, easily. "How do you like your steak?"
Kaia hesitates. "Any way is fine..."
Adrian's voice cuts through, low and sharp.
"You just heard him ask you a direct question.
Don't do that—don't flatten yourself into 'any way is fine' when someone wants to know what you actually prefer.
He asked because he wants to cook it the way you like it, not the way you think you should accept it. "
I blink. Ahh, there he is.
"He asked you," Adrian continues, "He wants to do this for you."
Kaia swallows slightly, then looks at Lachlan. "Medium well, please."
Lachlan smiles brightly. "Sounds good, beautiful. That's how Finn eats it, too. No problem at all."
I beam. "Superior taste."
Kaia glances over at me, then at the counter. "What smells so good?"
I don't even hesitate. "That'd be you."
She flushes.
Perfect.
"And strawberry poke cake," Lachlan corrects, because of course he does.
Kaia blinks. "What's strawberry poke cake?"
Jonas groans. "Oh no."
Adrian shakes his head. "You've done it now."
I light up like it's Christmas morning. "Only the most elite cake in the world," I declare. And just like that, everything feels right again.