17. Ricky
Chapter seventeen
Ricky
Back at the pack house, we were greeted by Gramps, Cam, Rowen, Riley and his mom with cheers and tears. Channing excused herself to shower and be alone in her room, and I wondered if she was going to be okay going to the cabin for her heat.
“Maybe we should take shifts watching over Channing?” I offered when there was a lull in the conversation about our fight.
Kono was hovering over Rel like he wanted to help the healing omega, but wasn’t sure how. He tilted his head and spoke in response, “Valeria is bringing herbs to help her suppress the heat. That's why Channing was at the clinic.”
“Good,” Riley’s mom Patty replied from the stairs. She went up to help Channing since she was so weak. “Her heat will start tonight.”
“We got to her in time,” King nodded and I saw Riley squeeze his hand in comfort. He looked worn out, like he might sleep for a week.
“She’s been through an ordeal, but it’s over now,” Fin reassured our Alpha. “If there is anything we can do to help, we’re here for her. As long as we’re needed.”
King stood there, clearly too exhausted to give out directions. We were all wrung out, but he had gone the longest without rest with their rushed flight home. The threat was gone, and our adrenaline was running out.
“Thank you all,” Gramps gravely voice cut through the heavy silence. “Fin, maybe you and Ricky are up for a patrol so that Fowler and Rel can get some rest?”
“Of course,” Fin agreed and I stepped up beside him. Rowen and Cam were sitting on the couch, and they looked tired as well. He turned to his son, “You two can head out as well. Rest and know the pack is safe.”
“I’ll take Rel home,” Kono offered, and I could tell his alpha instinct had kicked in to protect the omega who was as big and muscled as him. At Rel’s glare, Kono suppressed a smile and added, “I’ll ride with you to your place and then go home when you’re safe.”
“I rode my bike here, didn’t I?” Rel rolled his eyes but let Kono help him to stand. I hugged my best friend and promised I’d be home to check on him by the morning.
The two men left and Gramps excused himself to rest in his room. The patriarch of the King family didn’t lose another loved one, but he wasn’t a young man anymore.
Fowler and Riley excused themselves next, and said they would go on patrol after a few hours rest. I could imagine they wanted to be outside when Channing’s heat started, even if it was suppressed and she wasn’t having sex in the house. She’d still be putting off those hormones.
“Can we check on Channing before we go?” Cam asked Rowen. Cam and Channing had grown close, and the sweet barista was also less familiar with our secondary gender struggles, as the only non-shifter in the pack.
“Sure,” Rowen agreed, kissing the top of their head before leading Cam upstairs.
“If you’re headed outside, would you take out the trash?” Patty asked as she moved toward the kitchen.
“We can do that,” Fin told her and we followed to grab the bags by the back door.
“Appreciate you,” she said with a sweet smile, and I could see she was tired as well.
The woman was paid to clean the place, but she generally acted like the pack mom, and we all relied on her warm nature to balance all the masculine energy in the pack. Thankfully, we still had Channing as well.
A chill ran through me at how close we came to her being hurt much worse. Fin noticed and looked at me sideways as we stepped outside. “You alright?”
“Yeah, just processing the whole situation,” I sighed and lifted the heavy animal-proof lid of the garbage enclosure. That hit me as funny and I started laughing.
“What are you laughing about?” Fin asked, but I could see a smile curving his lips up at my hysterics.
Wiping away the tears from the corner of my eyes at how hard I was laughing, I pointed at where we’d dropped the garbage. “Do we still need bear-proofing for our trash when the worst bears in Northern California are dead?”
Fin shook his head and started walking back toward the house. He stopped half-way there and looked at me. “We may have taken out the trash, but they aren’t the only pests around.”
The metaphor wasn’t lost on me, and I sobered. “But we’ll make sure the pack, and the town, is safe.”
“We will.”
Fin was haloed in the back porch light, since the sun had set around when we got back. His words made me feel safe in a way I couldn’t explain. Like I wasn’t a bystander, but a part of securing the lives of the pack and everyone in Blue Lake. Like I was important.
Was I important to him?
Stepping closer, I licked my lips and stopped when we were close enough to touch. I could feel the heat radiating off his body in the cool evening air. Fin’s green eyes darkened and he caught his breath when I reached out to hold his wrist. His pulse was racing and I needed to know. Fuck it.
“Will we keep doing what we started?”
“Patrolling?” Fin asked, and I knew he was trying to avoid this conversation.
He may want to pretend we didn’t have off-the-charts chemistry, but he needed to start acting his age. Since he seemed stuck on our age difference, it was the least he could do.
“You know that’s not what I meant.” I cupped his face, the silver-laced stubble scraping my palm in a way that made me want to feel it on my body.
Fin swallowed and his eyes darted to my lips. “I guess I do.”
“So, are you gonna kiss me or not, old man?”
“Brat,” Fin growled at my taunting words and slammed his lips on mine.
No one had ever kissed me like he did. Like someone starving for a taste of me.
A man possessed, but also one who could easily overpower me.
Human men and women weren’t a match, always allowing me to lead while I was careful not to hurt them.
But damned if the man I’d idolized for so long wasn’t perfect for me.
Dropping his wrist, I moved my hand to grab his ass, tucking my hand in his jeans pocket and groping him while Fin grunted into the kiss. He pulled me closer and wrapped his arms around my back. I wanted to melt into his body.
“Oh,” a distant voice reached me before the screen door slammed. My first thought was that Patty had seen us and gone back inside.
Fin pushed me back enough to turn and look over his shoulder, giving me a clear view of the back door. Instead of a trail of dust from Patty going into the house as fast as she was capable like I expected to see, Rowen was standing there with wide eyes and his mouth parted in shock.
Shit.
“Rowen,” Fin started as he disentangled himself from me. My hand got caught in his pocket in his hurry to put distance between us and I cringed at the mix of pain and loss as Fin turned away. Without hesitating, Rowen wrenched the door open and went inside. “Wait!”
Leaving me standing there, I watched as the man I was falling for left me standing there as he chased after his son.
Fin didn’t check on me or how I felt about getting caught.
Rationally, I knew he needed to check in with his son before me, but with his beard burn fresh on my face, I didn’t want to think rationally.
Stripping right there, I dropped my clothes to the dirt and shifted. I came out here to patrol, and that’s what I would do. A stupid alpha and the stupid feeling he stirred in me weren’t going to keep me from doing my duty to the pack.
My wolf whined about running off without Fin, but I pushed his worries down. I needed to run and clear my head. I’d have a conversation with Fin in time.
As the sound of a motorcycle engine starting filtered from the front of the house, I set off into the woods. I’d tell the alpha exactly what was on my mind.
My Alpha, my wolf added, and I ran faster.