Chapter 23
Chapter twenty-three
Ricky
Being asked to leave right after finishing Fin’s tattoo wasn’t ideal, but he seemed earnest about talking.
Having plans to meet up meant I only slept half-shitty instead of not at all.
I was eager to find out what he wanted to say, but also annoyed to be sleeping alone.
A few times in Fin’s arms and I was hooked.
Who was I kidding? My wolf and I had been obsessed with him for half my life. I watched him from afar when I thought I never stood a chance, and didn’t stop after that first hookup.
Now that I’d done a lot more than just look at him, I wanted more. Walking out of his house hurt. But I wanted to show Fin I could be mature. That I wasn’t the kid he remembered anymore.
“Morning,” Rel greeted me with a yawn, leaning on the doorway into the kitchen in only a pair of loose boxer shorts to watch me cooking eggs. And I was back to thinking about Fin. “Did you go to work after patrolling yesterday?”
Shit. He didn’t know about my new…whatever I had with Fin. Did I lie? No, I never lied to Rel. Plus, Rowen and Cameron already knew. My best friend deserved to know as well. And I could use a sounding board.
“I went home with Fin,” I answered and held my breath.
Rel was quiet for long enough that I looked up. He was always the smart one, exuding maturity and keeping me grounded. I cared about his opinion.
“For?” Rel asked without judgement.
“Um, for sex?”
“Are you not sure if you had sex?” Rel laughed.
“No, we definitely had sex. Hot, sweaty sex with his big-”
“Ah! No.” Rel closed his eyes and held his hands up. “I do not need to hear about you and Uncle Clark. Please tell me you don’t call him that in bed?”
“I thought you said you didn’t want to hear about it?” I teased back with a laugh and turned the heat off on the eggs. “I made enough for you, too.”
“Thanks. And you’re right, I don’t want to know.” Ricky grabbed the plates and silverware for me. “But I’m still curious.”
“About?”
“Was this the first time? Is it something that will happen again? Hell, I didn’t even know he swung that way.”
We sat down at the table before I answered his questions, because I didn’t fully know what to say. “It wasn’t the first time. Well, it was the first time we hooked up on purpose instead of spontaneously. And my first time bottoming.”
“Alright,” Rel choked on his eggs and stood to grab a glass of milk. “Good for you?”
“It was good,” I smirked and could tell we’d reached the line of almost too much information. Rel was a switch, and he had helped me buy some of my sex toys.
“And you want it to happen again.”
It wasn’t a question. Rel knew me and how I’d been drooling over the alpha since we were teens.
He was who I told about my crush and when I started questioning my sexuality in High School.
I was who he told he sometimes felt more feminine.
I used they or she for Rel depending on what he wore.
Boxers were my hint it was a masculine day.
He had more masculine days than not, but I was cool with whatever Rel chose. I knew he’d support me right back.
“We’re meeting up for lunch to talk about it, today,” I explained, thinking of the text I woke up to asking me to meet him at the marina at noon.
“Good,” Rel nodded, finishing off his eggs. “I’m all healed up so I’m going back on shift today.”
“Glad to hear it.” I’d never been too worried, and if he felt ready to work at the firehouse, I wasn’t going to argue. I wanted to ask about Kono taking him home, but figured my own relationship status was enough for me at one time.
After showering and prepping, just in case, I threw on shorts and a tank top over a fresh pair of panties and rode to the marina. The sun was hot on my skin, and I wondered if Fin planned for us to go for a walk or something. That seemed rather public for the talk we had planned.
“Ricky!” Fin walked up from the dock instead of the parking lot, smiling wide and waving. I was surprised when he greeted me with a hug and kiss to my cheek. “You made it.”
Didn’t Fin know I’d go wherever he asked me too? If he didn’t, I was going to make that clear today. “Of course. What do you have planned?”
Fin surprised me again when he threaded his fingers through mine and tugged me toward the dock.
He went from hiding his sexuality and attraction to me to a very public display of affection a lot quicker than I ever would have expected.
My heart leapt at the implication and I gave him a sideways smile as we passed the marina and kept going.
“We’re borrowing Rowen’s boat and spending the afternoon on the lake,” Fin said as we rounded the corner to Rowen’s lakeside building where he fixed boats as a mechanic. “I already packed lunch.”
“So this is a date?” I asked without thinking. Instead of denying it, Fin lifted my hand to kiss my knuckles.
“Our first real date,” he confirmed and my pulse raced at his words. I’d never been on a date with a man, and I suspected he hadn’t either.
My grumpy lover was being sweet as hell, and I was here for it. “I like the sound of that.”
Fin only smiled and led me to a small house boat just past the one Rowen and Cam lived in. Their houseboat was decked out with lights and a hot tub on the roof, but this one looked older and more worn down.
He helped me board before untying us from the dock. “Rowen’s fixing this one up to sell, but the engine and most of the inside is done.”
Taking a seat by the front window while Fin started the engine, he drove us out to the middle of the lake before killing the engine.
We worked together easily to set the anchor as I chatted with him about how his tattoo was healing up.
He led me back inside to the small table with a fixed bench by the kitchenette.
Opening the mini-fridge, Fin pulled out sandwiches and a couple sodas.
“You brought a picnic?”
“Well, I figured since I can’t swim with the tattoo and I was going to trap you out here to talk, I might as well feed you,” Fin teased and sat beside me so that our shoulders and thighs touched.
Since I wasn’t super hungry yet, I turned towards him on the bench seat. “What are we talking about, Fin?”
He swallowed hard with his first bite and set his sandwich down. Moving to face me, Fin pulled my leg to rest over his thigh before looking me in the eyes. “I think you’re my mate.”
Spluttering on air, I blinked a few times but didn’t know how to respond. He had nothing but honest sincerity in his eyes, though I could just make out his rapid heart beat over the sound of water lapping at the boat. He meant what he said. Did I believe him?
My wolf howled at me from the inside, begging me to tilt my head and submit to the alpha next to me for his bite. Well, fuck. If my wolf thought Fin was our mate, who was I to deny him?
There was only one problem.
“Okay…But how? I’m a beta. We don’t have mates. We’re basically humans with extra senses and healing abilities.”
Fin reached up to run his fingers from my dark curls to cup my jaw. “Says who?”
“Well…” I trailed off, trying to remember where I learned about betas.
My dad’s voice surfaced to my consciousness about how I was worthless and good for nothing. I couldn’t lead, couldn’t mate to pass on his genes. That I wasn’t worthy of being a Junior.
“Your father was wrong about a lot of things, but how he treated you was one of the worst things he ever did,” Fin told me as if he could read my mind. Shit, mates could somewhat read each other's minds. He’d also known me my entire life.
Still, it was hard to shift my entire worldview on a dime. Even if my wolf and I yearned to believe him.
“Are you saying a beta and an alpha can be mates?”
“I confirmed it with Merle and Valeria. It used to be common among shifters,” Fin explained and moved his hand to wrap around neck, squeezing gently. “There’s also the fact that your eyes changed colors.”
My instant reaction was to rear back, but I couldn’t with how Fin held my head and leg. “What are you talking about? I looked in the mirror this morning. My eyes are still brown. If that’s your evidence…”
“No, baby. You’re wolf’s eyes,” Fin said gently, the endearment so surprising I almost missed what he said next.
“They flashed green during sex yesterday. You reminded me they usually looked orange when you were tattooing me yesterday. I suspected it before, but after talking to the elders, that confirmed what my wolf has been telling me for a while now.”
“They were green like yours?” I whispered, still trying to take in what he was saying. “My wolf changed to match yours?”
“They did.” Fin’s own human eyes were looking at mine intently, waiting to see if I’d freak out. I was close, but I was also vibrating with happiness at the thought.
“We’re mates?”
“Yes, we are.” Fin nodded and gave me a small smile before adding, “And if it's not too much too fast, you should know I’ve also fallen in love with you.”
Blinking, I felt tears spring to my eyes and my throat clog. “Even though I'm a flirt and a brat and twenty years younger than you?”
“Especially because you’re a brat. You’re my brat, now,” Fin chuckled and took my face in both hands. He wiped the tears from the corner of my eyes with his thumbs. “If you’ll have me even though I’m a grumpy old alpha who’s never had a relationship?”
The smile he brought out couldn’t be helped and I desperately wanted to kiss him. “So long as you’re my grumpy old alpha? We can figure out the relationship thing together.”
“Together,” Fin agreed. “You’re never getting rid of me, brat.”
Lifting my face, he laid a sweet kiss on my lips and my wolf clawed at me to get closer. “I love you, too, Alpha,” I confessed between kisses. I finally got the man I always wanted. He was never getting away again.